EPIC NORTHERN VIETNAM ADVENTURE
INCLUDING MOTORBIKING THE HA GIANG LOOP

Three (or four) day motorbike adventure, spectacular landscapes, rural life of hill-tribe villages, and a beautiful 3 day cruise  
Visit:  Hanoi – Ha Giang Loop – Ninh Binh – Ha Long Bay 
11 days / 10 nights
(option to extend the Ha Giang Motorbike Loop and add an extra day)
Northern Vietnam is a dramatic landscape of soaring mountains and cascading rice terraces, dotted with tiny, picturesque villages, home to a multitude of ethnic minorities, towering karst pinnacles and some of the most beautiful scenery in Vietnam.

Spend 3 days on an epic motorbike adventure through the hill-tribe villages of the northern-most points of Vietnam, visiting authentic, rural Vietnam.  Explore the breathtaking scenery of Ninh Binh rowing along the Tam Coc canals, cycling to Bich Dong temple and Mua Cave, and climbing Ngu Nhac Son (Buddha’s Palm Mountain).  Then relax on a magical 2 night cruise on Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, exploring the majestic UNESCO world heritage site.
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“If you like, extend your adventure by adding an extra day to the Ha Giang Loop to explore even farther off the beaten path!

About Little Vietnam Tours

Little Vietnam Tours offers private, custom, personalized, guided journeys in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.   We listen to you, then design an itinerary just for you, plan & book all the details including lodging, in-tour flights and transportation, activities and admission, and all meals noted.  So you spend every day exactly how you want, experiencing the best things to do in Vietnam.  Choose this itinerary, or use it for ideas to pick and choose from and plan your own unique guided journey.
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The epic motorbike & adventure Tour Itinerary


Day 1:
Hanoi Arrival
Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, you will be welcomed by our guide and transferred to your hotel in the city center to check in.  (Hotel regular check-in time: 14:00, early check-in is not included).

Refresh after a long-haul flight.  Overnight in Hanoi. 
​Day 2:
Hanoi City Tour, Street food walking tour, Hanoi Train Street & Old Quarter cyclo tour  (B/L)
On the first full day, explore the highlights of Hanoi and its charming Old Quarter.
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​​After breakfast, visit Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum (closed Mondays/Fridays & afternoons) before exploring his house on stilts and lush garden. A short walk from the mausoleum is one of the great symbols of Hanoi, the One Pillar Pagoda, an 11th-century wooden temple built on a single stone pillar in the water. It was designed to resemble a blooming lotus. We will marvel at the Presidential Palace on our way to the West Lake where you will visit one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam named Tran Quoc, meaning “protecting the country”. The cultural highlight tour isn’t complete without seeing the venerable Temple of Literature built in 1077 – Vietnam’s first university.
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Around noon time, we will stroll through Hanoi’s Old Quarter on a Street Food walking tour from Hang Be market to Thanh Ha wet market. These busy eclectic markets are alive with the sights and sounds of Hanoi and are the essence of Vietnamese culture. You may see delicacies and unique food items and our guide will be there to share with you Vietnamese food culture and practices.  Continue through the streets of the Old Quarter to Dong Xuan market to sample some local treats such as Pho (beef or chicken noodle), Bun Cha (grilled pork with noodle), Banh Mi (Hanoian sandwich), Green Papaya Salad.... Your guide will educate around the routine of Vietnam’s meal times and some of the indigenous/unusual ingredients.  Then we will meander deeper into the Old Quarter and its bustling 36 streets, akin to exploring Hanoi’s soul.​
You‘ll finish the street food journey having a coffee in local style – strong and bitter or egg coffee – Vietnamese cappuccino taking a break on the famous Hanoi Train Street while waiting for a train passing by.
In the afternoon, take a cyclo tour (rickshaw) around the Old Streets of the Old Quarter which were named after the specific goods once offered for sale at these places. Stop at Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple to learn about legend of the lake.  Overnight in Hanoi.
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Day 3:
​Travel to Ha Giang by private car and explore Ha Giang Town (B/No Guide) 
Travel day to the far north of Vietnam where your epic motorbike journey will begin, with a free afternoon in Ha Giang to explore when you arrive.
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Breakfast at your hotel.  At 8:00 am a private car and driver will pick you up (no guide) for a 5 hour trip into the northern mountains of Vietnam to reach the town of Ha Giang. 

​The trip from Hanoi to Ha Giang weaves its way through a tapestry of scenery, hill-tribe villages and natural wonders as it offers a gateway to a seemingly untouched paradise. The road is generally comfortable. As you get higher the population gets sparser, the paddies give way to tea plantations, and you can expect a few more bumps and maybe a pause to share with road with the occasional cow.
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Arrive in Ha Giang by noon time, have lunch at your own expense and check in to your hotel.  Afternoon is free for you to explore the city on your own, or simply relax. Overnight in Ha Giang.
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​Day 4:
Start of the 3-day motorbike tour of Ha Giang Loop
Yen Minh – Famous Chin Khoanh Pass - Sung La Valley – Dong Van  (B/L/D)

The Ha Giang Loop motorbike ride through Vietnam’s northern mountains is a private ride for just you and your group.  The open-air ride takes you through sweeping vistas of the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, minority Hill Tribe villages, famous passes and landmarks giving you memories for a lifetime.  We stop along the way at the best places for photos where it is safe. You may choose to ride your own bike or sit behind a local easy rider.  Safety gear, including helmet and knee pads ,will be provided as well as a rain Poncho and plastic cover for your backpack on rainy days.  The experienced easy riders and guides on the Ha Giang Loop specialize in this motorbike route.  Children are welcome.
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Breakfast at your hotel.  At 8:00am you’ll meet your tour guide and local easy rider.  Safety briefings begin, prepare with provided safety pads, then rally with a brief tour overview with your guide before departure.
 
By 9am your adventure starts toward Dong Van stone plateau!
 
Along our way to the first set of switchbacks that take us higher, Bac Sum Pass, we’ll stop at lookouts, take breaks when needed, and of course get the social media photos!  Continuing through local villages and non-stop Instagrammable scenery, we will arrive at Yen Minh Town for lunch.
 
After about a 2 hour lunch break, we’ll continue riding north through the even more dramatic and picturesque Chin Khoanh Pass, before turning east-ward towards Dong Van Town.
 
The whole Dong Van Karst Plateau upon which we ride is a major geo-heritage sight in Vietnam.  The landscape is composed of endless rice fields, surrounded by limestone rocks and breath-taking views.  It also affords you the chance to experience hill-tribe village life where local people still work on the land. 
​​We will also visit the 100 year old Hmong King’s Palace, a home of Vuong’s family in Sa Phin, and Tham Ma Slope, where you can check in with the old women wearing the traditional dress and colorful buckwheat flowers.
 
Around 5pm we will arrive in Dong Van Town.  Check in to your hotel and enjoy the dinner.  Free time after dinner to discover the ancient town at night. The Old Quarter of Dong Van Town is the centerpiece — a beautifully preserved collection of French-colonial and traditional Yunnanese-style stone houses that somehow avoided the concrete makeover that consumed many of Vietnam’s other highland towns.
The Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark is a UNESCO heritage site dominated by limestone formations, landscapes of towering peaks, deep canyons, and extensive karst systems.  It is home to 17 ethnic groups, some of whom have lived in the region for 500 to 800 years. These communities actively preserve their cultural identity through language, traditional customs, crafts, and festivals.
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Transport: Motorbike with Easy Rider 140 km (87 miles)
Option: Self –driving or sit behind a local easy rider​

Day 5:
Explore Dong Van.  Then Motorbike ride to Ma Pi Leng pass, Meo Vac, Mau Due.  Du Gia Village & waterfall. (B/L/D)
Back on the bikes towards spectacular views, rustic villages, and our overnight eco-lodge!

​After breakfast at the hotel and before we leave Dong Van Town, we will begin the day with the new experience “Go to the Dong Van Market” (if it’s Sunday, you have a chance to see the Dong Van weekly local fair where the locals trade and exchange all goods for their life). 

​Then we continue the adventure towards the highlight of the motorbike journey--Ma Pi Leng Pass.  Well known for its abrupt cliffs and breath-taking views, its highest point is at an altitude of 2,000 meters. You’ll have the opportunity to trek the Sky Path and take in a panoramic view of the entire valley and the Nho Que River from the pass.

​When we saddle up once again, we ride through the rustic villages and epic mountains of Meo Vac, Mau Due and Lung Ho, on the way to Du Gia village.  Time to visit the nearby Du Gia waterfall where you can swim and relax. 
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After that, we check into the Cheers Eco Lodge, located in the middle of green rice fields where we will spend the night.  Here, we and newcomers will have a big party with a home-cooked dinner by the local host family. Don’t forget to try the “Happy Water”--or Corn Wine--which is unique and brings your party to the next level.

Transport: Motorbike with Easy Rider 120 Km (75 miles)

​Day 6:
Morning in Du Gia – Motorbike to Lung Tam village – Quan Ba – Back to Ha Giang city.  Private car to Hanoi.  (B/L)
This is the last day of the Ha Giang Loop journey.  Wake up to enjoy the local’s peaceful daily life in the beginning of the day’s light in Du Gia village.

​Enjoy breakfast with a cup of tea, say goodbye to the host locals and we head back to Ha Giang city.  Sights today include visiting Lung Tam, the village occupied by Hmong ethnic minorities who are skilled at producing textile products.  We then visit Quan Ba and Heaven’s Gate, have lunch there and cast your eyes the Fairy mountain.  After crossing Sky Gate, we pass back through Bac Sum Pass (downhill this time) and return to Ha Giang City.  Celebrate your epic 3-day motorbike journey through the Ha Giang Loop!
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At 16:00, our private car (no guide) will be waiting to return you to Hanoi along National Road No. 2.  Take in the sights or rest during the evening trip.  You will reach Hanoi in the late evening.  Have dinner back in Hanoi at your leisure.  Overnight in Hanoi. 

Transport: Motorbike with Easy Rider 120 Km (75 miles)
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* The motorbike tour of the Ha Giang Loop can be extended for one more day if desired.  Wind through the mountain roads even farther north to an old village of the Tay and Dzay people for hundred years named Thien Huong Village.  Keep going to Nho Que river and enjoy a boat trip on emerald waters.  At the farthest point north, the Lung Cu Flagpoint, you will be able to see the China border and when you climb up, a line separates Vietnam to the outsider.   100 km (62 miles)​
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Day 7:
Private car to Ninh Binh.  Visit Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Bich Dong – Mua Cave  (B/L)
Ninh Binh has some of the most beautiful and picturesque scenery in all of Vietnam, just 2.5 hours from Hanoi.
 
After breakfast, our private car with a guide will drive you to Ninh Binh Province, for some more great adventures. Upon arrival, you’ll visit Hoa Lu, Vietnam’s first capital in the 10th century before it was moved to Thang Long (Hanoi today) in 1010, and the remains of Dinh & Le Kings’ Temples.
 
Not far away, we arrive at Tam Coc where you will board a small row boat to travel along the canals amidst local villages and green fields.  Enjoy the beauty of Tam Coc, which means 3 caves, also referred to as “Ha Long Bay on land”.  Explore the caves and then row back to the boat quay where lunch will be catered at a local restaurant.
 
In the afternoon, ride a bike to Bich Dong temple, just 2 km from Tam Coc, which was conferred the title of “Vietnam’s second most beautiful grotto” by a King.  Then we can climb Ngu Nhac Son (Buddha’s Palm Mountain) to take in the marvelous scenery offered by the mountains, rivers and pagodas.
 
After descending, we continue by bicycle to Mua Cave where you will climb 500 stone steps to the top, the best point to take in a birds-eye panoramic view of the Tam Coc canals and surrounding mountains.  Overnight in Ninh Binh. 

​Day 8:
Private car to Ha Long Bay.  Cruise on Ha Long Bay & Bai Tu Long Bay (B/L/D/shared local guide on boat only)
​For the final 3 days, we slow down the pace for a 2 night cruise on Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay.
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After breakfast in Ning Binh, take a 2.5-hour drive with your driver and private car (no guide) to Ha Long Bay, one of the World Natural Heritages recognized by UNESCO with over 3,000 spectacular limestone islands rising from the clear, emerald sea in the Gulf of Tonkin.
 
Boarding time is around 12:00-12:30.  Enjoy a welcome drink before checking in to your room.  The cruise will start afterward with a delicious lunch served on board.  The cruise passes by many rocks and islets in unique and funny shapes.

​Again your dinner will be served on board.  In the evening, enjoy night fishing, watching an Indochina film or a massage, spa, etc.

​Day 9:
Bai Tu Long Bay cruise.  Kayaking at Thay Cave, visit Vung Vieng Fishing Village  (B/L/D shared local guide on boat only)
​Begin the morning with a Tai Chi session on the sun deck as the cruise glides across the bay toward the enchanting Thien Canh Son Cave.
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Recharge with a refreshing breakfast in the restaurant.

To cruise deeper into the breathtaking scenery of the bay, we will board a day trip explorer boat.  Activities include kayaking at Thay Cave followed by a visit to Vung Vieng Fishing Village by bamboo boat or kayak.  Note: the cost of kayaking and bamboo boat for all passengers is included.
 
After a morning of outdoor activities, enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch on the day boat.  Relax with a tea break and discover Vietnamese tea culture before the day trip explorer takes you through the passages of Bai Tu Long Bay.  Return to the big boat in the afternoon for dinner and overnight.  Spending time on the deck at night while moored is a peaceful and memorable experience.
Day 10:
Visit Thien Canh Son Cave, return to port.   Shuttle to Hanoi.  (B/L shared local guide on boat only)

​Wake up to breakfast on the boat.  Today we visit Thien Canh Son Cave, a wonder of two chambers cave adorned with striking stalactites and stalagmites.  Conquer nearly 200 stone steps, then stroll along the white-sand beach and take in the breathtaking views of Bai Tu Long Bay.
 
Have an early lunch on boat as we cruise back to port where we disembark.
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​Next, your driver (no guide) will transfer you back to Hanoi, where you will check in to your hotel and overnight in Hanoi. Your final evening is free for your leisure.

Day 11:
Hanoi – Departure (B)
Breakfast at your hotel and free time at your leisure until our driver with a private car escorts you to the airport in good time to connect to your departure flight. 


PRICE STARTING FROM:  $1,765 USD Per Person for the above itinerary staying in double/twin room, double occupancy.

OUR SELECTED HOTELS
Accommodation based on the room category of each selected hotel as mentioned below. Higher room grade can be arranged subject to availability and at an additional charge:
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Destinations             Hotels                                                     Room Type                           Nights
Hanoi                             Palago Boutique Hotel – 4*       Executive room                   4
Ha Giang                      Phoenix Hotel – 4*                         Superior room                      1
Dong Van                     Local Lodge or homestay            Private room                        1
Du Gia                            Cheers Eco Lodge                           Private room                        1
Ninh Binh                     Hidden Charm Hotel  – 4*         Superior room                     1
Ha Long Bay               Athena Royal Cruise – 4*           Deluxe Balcony room      2
 
Hotel check-in time: 14:00.  Hotel check-out time: 12:00. 
​Hotel early check-in or late check-out is not included and is subject to the hotel
Prices valid July 1, 2026 – December 31, 2027 (Except Vietnamese Traditional New Year from 5 – 10 Feb, 2027, Christmas and New Year holidays)

:>> Our prices include: 
> Breakfast and accommodation in a twin or double sharing room
> Travel in an appropriate private air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced safe driver
> Services of an local English-speaking guides in each destination
> Where necessary, entry fees and boat fees for all visits mentioned in the program
> Lunches and dinners (as specified in the itinerary) in the best local restaurants, or picnics where no suitable restaurant is available (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
> Private motorbike tour in Ha Giang with easy rider 3 days/2 nights
> Bottled water and wet wipe during transfer and sightseeing
> VAT and other taxes


:>> Our prices do not include:
> International flight and airport taxes
> Drinks and other meals not clearly mentioned
> Surcharge for public holidays, and special request on food arrangement.
> Entrance fees, permits and guide service during free time.
> Insurance, gratuities and personal expenses, and other service not stated in the program
> Visa stamp fee for Vietnam
> Travel Insurance