Vietnam Motorcycle Tour 12 Days: Hanoi – Sapa – Ha Giang

This Vietnam motorcycle tour 12 days (11 nights) is a joined group, fixed-departure guided motorbike tour of about 2,060 km that loops from Hanoi through Mai Chau, Mu Cang Chai, Sapa, Ha Giang’s Dong Van Karst Plateau, Ban Gioc Waterfall, Ba Be Lake and Thac Ba Lake. From US$1,920 per rider, with a Honda trail bike, fuel, guide, mechanic, meals, hotels, homestays and boat trips included.

Status (checked October 2026): this small group motorcycle tour runs on fixed 2027 departures (dates below) for 6 to 10 riders, and we can run it as a private motorbike tour on other dates. The day-by-day route is set, but your guide may change the order of stops for weather or roadworks. Since 1 July 2025 Ha Giang belongs to Tuyen Quang province, Bac Kan (Ba Be Lake) to Thai Nguyen, Hoa Binh (Mai Chau) to Phu Tho and Yen Bai (Mu Cang Chai, Thac Ba Lake) to Lao Cai – the place names on the road are unchanged.

Vietnam Motorcycle Tour 12 Days at a Glance

2027 Joined Group Motorcycle Tour Departure Dates

Join one of these fixed departures and share the road with other riders on a small group motorbike tour of 6–10 riders. Prefer another date or your own group? We can run the same route privately on any date – send us your dates.

Vietnam Motorcycle Tour 12 Days Price 2027

Prices for this joined group motorbike tour are per rider for the full 12 days and depend on the bike and the room type. The headline price of US$1,920 is for a Honda CRF250L with a twin-share room.

• Per rider: each rider pays the rate for their bike and room; the daily rate is shown in brackets.
• Small group: 6 to 10 riders per departure, so solo riders can simply join a date.
• What affects the price: low or high season and special requests can change the rate. Private motorcycle tours on your own dates are available and quoted separately, as the daily rate depends on group size.

Included: experienced English-speaking tour guide(s) and a mechanic; a quality Honda motorbike (XR150L, CRF250L, CRF300L or other bikes) with all fuel; helmet, gloves, knee and elbow pads, rain jacket and trousers; all meals on tour (all breakfasts, lunches and dinners of local Vietnamese food); all accommodation in twin-share hotel rooms or homestays as in the itinerary; boat rides on the lakes and river crossings in the itinerary; all entrance fees and permits; hotel pick-up and drop-off in Hanoi before and after the tour; a quality video of your trip; and souvenirs from our team (café cup, cap).

Not included: medical and travel insurance, damage to the motorbike, personal expenses, drinks and tips, international flights, and the single room supplement unless you book at the single-room rate. A support vehicle, airport transfers and bigger bikes can be added at extra cost.

Send us your preferred departure to confirm the price and availability.

Is 12 Days Enough for a Northern Vietnam Motorbike Tour?

Yes – twelve days is about the shortest time in which you can ride both the northwest and the northeast in one loop without trailering the bikes. You cross the rice-terrace country of Mu Cang Chai, climb O Quy Ho Pass to Sapa, ride the karst plateau of Ha Giang and finish through the lakes and waterfalls of Cao Bang and Thai Nguyen, with no day longer than about 220 km.

The trade-off is that there are no rest days: you are on the bike every day, and only the short ride to Sapa (Day 4) and the easier Days 10 and 11 leave real free time in the afternoon. If you would rather ride less each day or add a spare day for bad weather, ask us about a private version.

Highlights of This Hanoi – Sapa – Ha Giang Motorcycle Tour

1. Mai Chau Valley and the Moc Chau Tea Plateau

The first afternoon drops you into the valley of Mai Chau, where you sleep in a Thai family’s stilt house. Next morning the road climbs onto the Moc Chau plateau, covered in tea hills, before following the Da River to Phu Yen.

2. Mu Cang Chai Rice Terraces

Day 3 is a rider’s favourite: quiet mountain roads past the terraces of Mu Cang Chai, recognised as a national heritage site in 2007, with Hmong villages along the way and a long pass down to Than Uyen.

3. O Quy Ho Pass and Sapa

O Quy Ho Pass runs for about 50 km between Lai Chau and Lao Cai and tops out at about 2,000 m, with views towards Fansipan, Vietnam’s highest peak. You reach Sapa around midday and have the afternoon free to walk the town.

4. Hoang Su Phi and the Dong Van Karst Plateau

The ride from Bac Ha to Ha Giang passes the terraced slopes of Hoang Su Phi. The next day you climb onto the Dong Van Karst Plateau, a UNESCO Global Geopark since 2010, and ride over Ma Pi Leng Pass above the Nho Que River to Meo Vac.

5. Ban Gioc Waterfall

On the border with China, Ban Gioc Waterfall spills over several tiers on the Quay Son River and is often listed as the fourth-largest waterfall on a national border. You have lunch nearby and time for photos before riding back to Cao Bang.

6. Ba Be Lake

The largest natural lake in Vietnam lies inside Ba Be National Park, listed as a Ramsar wetland in 2011. Explore it by boat in the afternoon, then sleep in a Tay family’s house on stilts.

7. Thac Ba Lake

Your last night is beside Thac Ba Lake, a reservoir created by a hydropower dam completed in 1971 and dotted with about 1,300 islands. A boat trip or village walk ends the day before a stilt-house night with a Dao family.

Who This Group Motorbike Tour Is For – and Who Should Choose Another

Choose this tour if you:

• hold a motorbike licence, ride confidently on winding mountain roads and want the whole north of Vietnam in one loop;
• enjoy riding with a small group of like-minded riders (maximum 10), with a guide who knows the roads and a mechanic on hand;
• like homestays as much as hotels and are happy with simple, comfortable rooms rather than resorts.

Consider another option if you:

• are a beginner or have never ridden a geared bike – the tour is rated challenging, and our Northwest Loop Vietnam Motorbike Tour 6 Days is a shorter start;
• want rest days – you ride every day, between about 110 and 220 km; the North Vietnam Joined Group Motorbike Tour 8 Days is a shorter loop through Sapa, Ha Giang and Ba Be Lake;
• only want Ha Giang – the Ha Giang Loop Motorbike Tour 6 Days focuses on the karst plateau;
• prefer travelling by car with a driver – our Hanoi – Sapa Tour 3 Days or a private car tour suits you better.

Accommodation on the Motorcycle Tour

Accommodation on this group motorcycle tour is fixed: clean standard hotels in the towns and family homestays in the villages, all on a twin-share basis. Single rooms are possible in most hotels if you book at the single-room rate; homestays usually have shared sleeping areas with mattresses and mosquito nets.

Why Book This Motorbike Tour Direct with Vietnam Tour Expert

• Local team in Hanoi: we plan the route, guides and bikes ourselves, so you deal directly with the people who run your ride.
• No middleman commission: booking direct means a local price with our best price guarantee – from US$1,920 per rider for the full 12 days – not an online agency mark-up.
• Clear inclusions: bike and fuel, riding gear, guide and mechanic, all meals, accommodation, boat trips, entrance fees and permits, Hanoi hotel transfers, a trip video and team souvenirs are included – no surprises on the road.
• Fast replies: we answer every inquiry within 24 hours, and you can reach us on WhatsApp on +84 88 626 1368 before and during the tour.

Send us your travel dates and we will confirm the price and a seat on the group.

Customise This Tour

Joined group departures follow the fixed route, but a private version of this 12-day motorcycle tour can be adjusted:

• Private dates: ride the same loop with your own group on any date.
• A different bike: ask about a lighter Honda XR150 or bigger bikes at extra cost, subject to availability.
• Support vehicle and airport transfers: add a van for luggage or a spare seat if you get tired, and airport pick-up or drop-off, at extra cost.
• Extra nights: add a rest day in Sapa or Dong Van, or a night in Hanoi before and after the ride – see our Hanoi travel tips.
• Room upgrades: single rooms (at the single-room rate) or better hotels where the towns have them.

Customise this tour – tell us what you would like to change.

Compare Similar Motorbike Tours

Local Expert Notes by Jimmy

These notes come from years of arranging North Vietnam tours for international travellers.

• Licence first: Vietnamese law requires riders to carry their home-country motorcycle licence plus an International Driving Permit issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention – a 1949-convention permit is not recognised in Vietnam. Riding without valid papers can lead to fines and may void your insurance, so check your policy covers motorbike riding.
• Helmets are compulsory for every rider in Vietnam. We provide helmets, gloves, knee and elbow pads and rain gear, but bring your own riding jacket and boots if you have them.
• Rain and heat: the north’s rainy season runs roughly from May to September. Showers usually come in the afternoon, but landslides can close mountain roads after heavy rain, and your guide will reroute or wait if needed.
• Cold and fog: from December to February, Sapa and the Ha Giang plateau can be close to freezing at night, with thick fog on the passes. Pack thermal layers for the January, February and December departures.
• Tet 2027: Lunar New Year falls on 6 February 2027. The 15 February departure leaves after the main holiday, but villages may still be celebrating and some shops and homestays keep holiday hours.
• Passport on the bike: carry your original passport every day – hotels and homestays must register foreign guests, and police check documents in the border areas of Ha Giang and Cao Bang.
• Cash: ATMs are scarce between towns and in the villages, so carry Vietnamese dong in small notes for drinks, snacks and tips.

More planning help: Sapa travel tips, Hanoi travel tips, how to get from Hanoi to Sapa, what to eat in Sapa, and our Sapa travel guide and Hanoi travel guide.

Ready to ride? Book your seat on this joined group motorcycle tour – send your preferred departure date and riding experience, and we reply within 24 hours.

Updated 10 October 2026 · By Jimmy, Vietnam Tour Expert

About This Vietnam Motorcycle Tour 12 Days

This 12-day joined group motorbike tour – a guided, fixed-departure motorcycle tour – loops from Hanoi through the mountains of the northwest and northeast: Mai Chau, Mu Cang Chai, Sapa, Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Ba Be Lake and Thac Ba Lake. Daily distances range from about 110 to 220 km, mostly on sealed mountain roads with some easy off-road sections, and riding days usually finish between 16:00 and 17:00. It runs on fixed 2027 departures for a small group of 6–10 riders, from US$1,920 per rider, and privately on your own dates on request.

Brief itinerary

• Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Chau Valley (170 km) (L, D)
• Day 2: Mai Chau – Moc Chau – Phu Yen (160 km) (B, L, D)
• Day 3: Phu Yen – Mu Cang Chai – Than Uyen (220 km) (B, L, D)
• Day 4: Than Uyen – O Quy Ho Pass – Sapa (110 km) (B, L, D)
• Day 5: Sapa – Bac Ha (160 km) (B, L, D)
• Day 6: Bac Ha – Hoang Su Phi – Ha Giang (190 km) (B, L, D)
• Day 7: Ha Giang – Dong Van – Meo Vac (170 km) (B, L, D)
• Day 8: Meo Vac – Cao Bang – Quang Uyen (200 km) (B, L, D)
• Day 9: Quang Uyen – Ban Gioc Waterfall – Cao Bang (180 km) (B, L, D)
• Day 10: Cao Bang – Ba Be Lake (150 km) (B, L, D)
• Day 11: Ba Be Lake – Thac Ba Lake (170 km) (B, L, D)
• Day 12: Thac Ba Lake – Hanoi (180 km) (B, L)

B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner.

• Prices are per rider in US dollars for the full 12 days of this joined group motorcycle tour; the daily rate is shown in brackets.
• Small group of 6–10 riders on fixed 2027 departures. Private motorbike tours on your own dates are available and quoted separately.
• Prices can change with the low or high season and special requests – send us your date for the exact price.