NORTHEAST VIETNAM MOTORBIKING

7 days, 6 nights Northeast Tour by motorbike.

About Northeast Tour

In general, this spectacular Northeast ride on a mostly sealed road. The ride takes us to a fairy tale region. In fact, incredible karst scenery dominates the road for hundreds of kilometres through areas populated by Nung, Tay, Kinh, and H’mong peoples. In addition, we visit the amazing Ban Gioc Waterfall right on the Chinese border and ride out to Pac Bo Cave where Ho Chi Minh started the Vietnamese resistance. Moreover, you cruise on the pristine Ba Be Lake surrounded by a national park, stay overnight in hill tribe villages, and enjoy side trips to any one of 29 weekly markets.
– Ride length: 1,000 km
– Difficulty: Moderate

Below is a video clip that has some portions of this Northeast Vietnam motorbike trip. In case you want to watch more videos of our Vietnam motorbike tours please check our YouTube channel.

 

NORTHEAST VIETNAM DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Hanoi – Lang Son, ~150 km, ~5 hours.

After a hearty breakfast, we tie up and make the break out of the city limits. Then cruise through the lowlands and plains of the Red River Delta. We pass a wall of limestone on the left as we head out north-east. You might leave the main road and climb up to the peak of Mau Son mountain and enjoy fantastic views out over China and down towards Ha Long Bay. Alternatively, you can also take time to explore the karst around Wind Cave.

Day 2: Lang Son – Cao Bang, ~160 km, ~6 hours.

In the morning we strike directly northwest, on the legendary Highway 4, passing the Dong Dang ‘Friendship Gate’ on the Chinese border. Then we re-join ‘Highway 4’ where the Viet Minh forces carried out numerous raids over the many passes found in this remote border region. We follow the border through the remote backcountry road all the way to Vietnam’s major city in the north-east: Cao Bang (literal translation: ‘High Plateau’). Overnight in Cao Bang.

* Cao Bang: At 300 kilometres north of Hanoi, Cao Bang is used as a base camp for all our expeditions to destinations close to the Chinese border. The region north of Cao Bang is dominated by limestone. Hence its scenery is similar to that of Ha Long Bay or Guilin (China) and offers unprecedented driving enjoyment amongst some of the most spectacular surroundings in Vietnam.

Vietnam Motorbike Hanoi Tours - Northeast Tour 7 Days. Vietnam Offroad Tours motorbike riding to Northeast Vietnam. Ban Gioc waterfalls.

Day 3: Cao Bang – Ban Gioc – Cao Bang, ~120 km, ~4 hours.

We explore into the magical region of the far north-east with its impressive limestone karst scenery. Then meander around and through the countless rock monoliths. Finally, arrive at the huge Ban Gioc Waterfall which sits on the Chinese border. In Ban Gioc, we can swim under the falls and picnic on bamboo rafts. Then in the afternoon, we loop back to Cao Bang past even more spectacular karst scenery.

* Ban Gioc Waterfall: In this closed-off region, where thousands of limestone monoliths loom high above paddy fields tended by Nung, Tay, and Green H’mong peoples, you will find sealed, winding roads which make for excellent driving. The entire area rewards those willing to take the time to explore and share life with its people.

Day 4: Cao Bang – Pac Bo – Cao Bang, ~160 km, ~5 hours.

In the morning we strike northwest to the border, marked by a massive range of peaks. While riding, you stop at Pac Po Cave where Ho Chi Minh made his return to Vietnam in 1941. Then we head straight up on a challenging road, pass through deep, remote karst country and rest at a secluded lake deep in the forest. In the late afternoon, ride on a sealed road back to Cao Bang for a soothing massage. Overnight in Cao Bang.

* Pac Bo Cave: North-West of Cao Bang and right up along the border with China. In reality, the cave is well known to mainly Vietnamese for having been the first refuge of Ho Chi Minh on his return to Vietnam in 1941. At the point where the famous Lenin Stream cascades down a waterfall from China, we will continue by foot to penetrate into the mystery of Vietnam’s Independence Movement and its surrounding jungle.

Day 5: Cao Bang – Ba Be, ~170 km, ~7 hours.

We move southwest from Cao Bang and breach several passes en route in an area hosting huge mountain scenery. In fact, the Cao Bac Pass offers breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. Descending the pass we see hillsides carpeted with apiaries, Vietnam’s most famous honey-producing areas. Then in the afternoon, we ride to Ba Be Lake in the heart of a National Park. Overnight with a family in a Tay minority stilt house on the shores of the lake.

* Ba Be Lake: This pristine mountain lake, arguably Vietnam’s most beautiful lake, is situated 240 kilometres north of Hanoi. Surrounded by primary jungle and limestone cliffs, the surrounding areas are inhabited principally by Tay and H’mong peoples.

Vietnam Motorbike Hanoi Tours - Northeast Tour 7 Days. Vietnam Offroad Tours motorbike riding to Northeast Vietnam. Ba Be motorbike tour

Day 6: Ba Be Lake, Boating.

A day to explore at Ba Be Lake. Take in some markets, enjoy a boat cruise, go fishing, explore caves, and dine with friends at the edge of a waterfall. In addition, you enjoy the hospitality of the minority peoples who inhabit this area. We will take a boat up the seven-kilometre length of the lake to the Dau Dang waterfalls on the Gam River and also visit the 300 m long Puong Cave. During the war, the cave was one of the rare natural shelters for the local population hiding from the bombing.

Finally, overnight with a family in a Tay minority stilt house on the shores of the lake.

Day 7: Ba Be – Hanoi, ~240 km, ~8 hours. End of Northeast motorbike ride.

Staying off the main road for as long as possible we head back towards the Red River Delta, passing through areas inhabited by H’mong, Dao, Tay, and Nung minority peoples. A mixture of both challenging track and glorious sealed road all the way back to Hanoi.

Contact us at [email protected] in case you need more details and options for this Northeast Vietnam motorbike tour.

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