Hanoi

Arriving in Hanoi marks the beginning of your Vietnam motorbike trip. Free time to rest after a long flight or a stroll in the old quarter.

Hanoi, Bac Son

Departure for the North ! After the preparation of the bike, direction Bac Son. Bac Son is a beautiful valley northeast of Hanoi. This site is covered by rice fields and surrounded by high mountain peaks, creating a breathtaking picturesque landscape.

Arrival in the village of Quynh Son, settlement with a family of the Tay ethnic group. In the afternoon, a walk around the ethnic village to observe the beautiful countryside and the daily life of the minorities.

Climb to Na Lay Mountain to admire the spectacular panorama of the splendid valley and contemplate the sunset. Dinner and night with a family in their house on stilts.

Bac Son, Ban Gioc

Direction the Ban Gioc Falls, the most beautiful waterfalls in North Vietnam. We drive on a mountainside with countless karst formations along colonial road 4 along the other side of the ravine. We cross the regions of Dong Khe and That Khe, which are well known in memory of the deadly fighting that took place in 1950 between Viet Minh troops on the one hand and the French colonial army on the other. We cross several small passes to reach the blacksmith village of Phuc Sen. Lunch and visit of the village to discover the daily life of the local population, especially their traditional profession very famous for its quality.

We continue towards the Ban Gioc Falls which represent one of the most impressive natural sites in North Vietnam and which offer themselves to us in a dazzling setting. Overnight stay with a local resident.

Ban Gioc, Bao Lac

After breakfast, we head to the Pac Bo site, located in the mountains just on the border with China, where Ho Chi Minh took refuge for a few months to prepare for the revolution. He lived here, as a hermit of sorts, in a cave that can be visited. During this pleasant walk, we can easily imagine Uncle Ho, by the stream, sitting on a rock, developing multiple strategies that will determine Vietnam's future. History tells us that he named the mountain Karl Marx and the river Lenin...

We continue towards Bao Lac by a road with an uneven relief, with sawtooth mountains. The road is wild, we pass several passes and valleys towards the Chinese border. We cross the Thong Nong region with its fabulous landscapes before arriving at Bao Lac. We have dinner and spend the night at the hotel.

Bao Lac, Dong Van

We make a stop this morning in the village of Coc Xa, this small village of the Black Lolo made famous by a French television show with the no less famous rugby player Frederic Michalak. We admire the daily life of this small community, still on the margins of society, and which has kept all its traditions.

Dong Van, Bac Me

Today, we leave the Dong Van Geological Park to find our mounts and continue our Vietnam motorbike trip simply by riding in the heart of some of the most beautiful sites in the world.

We cross the territories of the H'mong, Dao, Nung... before landing in the village of Tay where we spend the night. The site is beautiful, still very well preserved. A friendly meal with our hosts.

Bac Me, Thuong Lam

We greet our hosts and continue to cross the territories of the Tay, Nung, Dao,... Arrival in the hollow of a narrow valley in which we progress. We are on another planet, as virgin and immaculate, away from any civilization! Unbelievable beauty!

Arrival in Minh Ngoc. Embarkation with motorbikes in motorboats for a stroll on the artificial lake feeding hydroelectric facilities located downstream, but also rice fields dug in the valley.

We are surrounded by rocky peaks that form as many small islets as we can approach. We dock for a visit to a waterfall in the mountains. We are content with a foot bath so that multiple small fish come to tickle our feet and clean them of all impurities. Return to the inhabitant's house to spend the night.

Thuong Lam, Thong Nguyen

Today it's climbing! We continue to reach the Hoang Su Phi region, one of the most remote in the North, through several passes and bends, we finally start the climb to the village of Nam Hong. In the afternoon, we can go for a walk or a motorbike ride in the surroundings to discover the daily life and the sublime rice fields on the terrace. Overnight at the home of a family of the Red Dao ethnic group.

Thong Nguyen, Bac Ha

We continue on a very nice curved road, along the mountain, at the edge of the ravine where the Chay River flows through Xin Man. The shortcut we take takes us through the track at the top of the mountains. The panorama is splendid and we can see the mountain ranges of the Sino-Vietnamese border.

Arrival at Bac Ha. We still enjoy a walk to discover the daily life of the local inhabitants and its landscapes. We go to Na Lo, to the Tay ethnic group for dinner and overnight.

Bac Ha, Y Ty

Our Vietnam motorbike trip takes us to the Coc Ly market located on the banks of the Chay River where ethnic groups such as Hmong fleur, Dao noir, Tay, Nung, Phu La gather. The locals buy and sell vegetables, meat, clothing, ethnic fabrics, utensils of all kinds, Chinese products, but also buffaloes and small horses.

After crossing the city of Lao Cai, we climb towards Y Ty along the Red River. Overnight in the border region with China, one of the most remote regions.

Y Ty, Mu Cang Chai

Stroll in the surrounding villages to discover the ethnic group of Ha Nhi in their daily tasks. Then we find our mounts for our stage of the day which leads us to Mu Cang Chai by taking the highest pass in the country, the Tram Ton, which culminates at 1900 m.

A little before, the Silver Waterfall, from the top of its 100 m, offers us a splendid spectacle. The road is beautiful and runs along the Hoang Lien Mountains, plunging into a green valley where the majority of the Thai people live. Detours to discover different ethnic groups along the way are suggested.

Arrival at Mu Cang Chai where we spend the night in a Thai family's house on stilts.

Mu Cang Chai, Nghia Lo

Road from Mu Cang Chai to Nghia Lo through Tu Le. This passage (classified as a national natural heritage site) is one of the most beautiful in Vietnam (Khau Pha Pass, superb rice terraces changing colour from green to yellow in autumn and many ethnic villages). Nghia Lo is finally located in a 10 km long basin surrounded by mountains rising to an altitude of 1500 metres.

Discovery of some Thai villages in the surroundings. We pass a suspension bridge and a small village with traditional houses almost adjacent to each other forming small alleys crossed by fresh water canals from the river flowing at the foot of the mountain. Overnight at the home of a Thai ethnic family in their house on stilts.

Nghia Lo, Hanoi

After waking up early in the morning, walk through the village's rice fields and green tea hills. Then we drive along the mountains covered with dense forests, then we cross vast rice fields, tea and orange trees, a small forest of latan trees, houses and gardens planted with market garden produce.

By the winding road of Khe Pass and along the Da River (with a view of Ba Vi Mountain and its rice fields in the foreground), we return to the Red River, the fertile plains and Hanoi. Arrival in the capital with debriefing and free time.

Hanoi

Free day for visits as you wish. Transfer to the airport for your departure flight. End of your Vietnam motorbike trip.