North Vietnam Joined Group Motorbike Tour 8 Days

This North Vietnam joined group motorbike tour 8 days (7 nights) is a guided small-group motorcycle loop of about 1,480 km from Hanoi, from US$1,280 per rider. You ride Honda trail bikes past Ba Be Lake, over Ma Pi Leng Pass on the Ha Giang plateau, up to Sapa and O Quy Ho Pass, through the Mu Cang Chai rice terraces and down to Mai Chau, with a guide and mechanic.

Status (checked October 2026): this group motorcycle tour runs on fixed departures in 2027 (listed below) for 6 to 10 riders, with 2027 prices from US$1,280 per rider; the same itinerary can run privately on any date. The day-by-day plan is our standard route; your guide may adjust it on the day for weather, road works or the group’s riding level.

North Vietnam Group Motorbike Tour at a Glance

2027 Group Departure Dates

Join one of the scheduled small-group departures below and ride with other travellers. Each departure starts and ends in Hanoi. If none of these dates suits you, we can run the same route as a private tour on any date – send us your dates.

The 12 February 2027 departure falls in the week after Tet (Lunar New Year, 6 February 2027), when the mountains are busy with festivals and some shops and restaurants close for a few days.

North Vietnam Joined Group Motorbike Tour 8 Days Price 2027

The price of this group motorbike tour depends on the bike you ride and whether you share a room. All prices are per rider in US dollars for the full 8 days on the 2027 fixed departures:

• Per rider: a solo rider joins the group at the same price; the single-room rate gives you your own room every night.
• Small group: 6 to 10 riders per departure, with an English-speaking guide and a mechanic.
• What affects the price: low or high season and special requests. Private tours on your own dates are quoted separately, as private per-day rates depend on group size.

What the Group Motorcycle Tour Price Includes

Guide and mechanic, a Honda XR150L, CRF250L or CRF300L with all fuel, helmet, gloves, knee and elbow pads and rain gear, all meals on tour, all twin-share accommodation (or single at the single-room rate), boat rides and river crossings in the itinerary including the Da River ferry, all entrance fees and permits, hotel pick-up and drop-off in Hanoi, a quality video of your trip and souvenirs from our team (café cup, cap).

Not Included

Medical and travel insurance (it must cover motorbike riding), 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 arranged at extra cost.

Check seats on a 2027 departure or ask us for a private quote.

Is 8 Days Enough for a North Vietnam Motorcycle Tour?

Yes – eight days is enough to ride a full loop through both halves of the north: the limestone karst of Ha Giang in the northeast and the high passes and rice terraces of the northwest around Sapa and Mu Cang Chai. It works because every day moves forward on a new road, with no backtracking, and the mountain stages are linked by a few faster sections.

What eight days cannot do is leave much slack. Most days mean six to eight hours on the road, including stops, and only Day 5 has a free morning in Sapa. If you want a rest day, more time on the Ha Giang loop or a gentler pace, ask us about a private version with an extra day.

Motorbike Tour Highlights: Ha Giang, Sapa and Mu Cang Chai

1. Ba Be Lake and a Tay Homestay in Pac Ngoi

The first night is spent beside Ba Be Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in Vietnam, ringed by forested limestone cliffs. The national park around it became a Ramsar wetland of international importance in 2011. You sleep in a Tay stilt house in Pac Ngoi village and eat dinner with the family.

2. Ma Pi Leng Pass and the Nho Que River

Ma Pi Leng Pass runs for about 20 km between Meo Vac and Dong Van, cut into near-vertical cliffs above the jade-green Nho Que River and Tu San Canyon. For many riders it is the most memorable road in Vietnam, and there are safe pull-outs for photos along the way.

3. Dong Van Karst Plateau, the Vuong Palace and Quan Ba Heaven Gate

The rocky highlands of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac form the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, recognised as a UNESCO Global Geopark in October 2010. On Day 3 you visit the Vuong Palace, home of the Hmong Vuong family, and stop at the Quan Ba Heaven Gate viewpoint. Since Vietnam’s 2025 provincial merger, Ha Giang has been part of Tuyen Quang province.

4. Sapa and the Hoang Lien Son Range

Sapa sits at about 1,600 m beneath the Hoang Lien Son range, which includes Fansipan, at about 3,143 m the highest peak in Indochina. You arrive by motorbike on Day 4 and have the next morning free – enough time to walk to the Stone Church or look over the Muong Hoa Valley.

5. O Quy Ho Pass

Leaving Sapa, the road climbs O Quy Ho Pass (Tram Ton), which tops out at about 2,000 m on the border of Lao Cai and Lai Chau provinces. On a clear afternoon the views over the Hoang Lien Son mountains go on for miles; in winter it is often in cloud, and much colder than Sapa.

6. Mu Cang Chai and Tu Le Rice Terraces

The terraces of Mu Cang Chai, carved by Hmong farmers, were recognised as a national scenic site in 2007. On Day 6 the road climbs over Khau Pha Pass and drops to Tu Le, another valley known for its rice terraces. The fields are flooded around May and June, green in summer and golden around late September and early October.

7. The Da River, Moc Chau Plateau and Mai Chau Valley

Day 7 follows the Da River reservoir, crosses it on a local ferry and climbs to the tea hills of the Moc Chau plateau. The quiet Hua Tat road then drops into the Mai Chau valley, where the last night is spent in a White Thai stilt house in Poom Coong village.

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

Choose this tour if you:

• are a confident rider with a valid motorcycle licence and a 1968-convention International Driving Permit;
• want to see both Ha Giang and the Sapa–Mu Cang Chai region in one trip;
• enjoy long days in the saddle, simple homestays and riding with a small group of 6–10 riders on fixed departure dates.

Consider another option if you:

• have little riding experience or have never ridden on gravel – the Northwest Loop Vietnam Motorbike Tour 6 Days is shorter;
• want to focus on Ha Giang only – choose the Ha Giang Loop Motorbike Tour 6 Days;
• want more time in the saddle – the Vietnam Motorcycle Tour 12 Days: Hanoi – Sapa – Ha Giang covers the far north at a slower pace;
• prefer not to ride at all – our Hanoi – Sapa Tour 3 Days is a non-riding alternative.

Accommodation Options

Overnight stops follow the route, so the type of accommodation depends on the town. Hotels are simple, clean local hotels; homestays are traditional stilt houses with mattresses on the floor, mosquito nets and shared bathrooms. All rooms are twin share at the standard rate; book the single-room rate if you want your own room.

Why Book Direct with Vietnam Tour Expert

• Local team in Hanoi: we plan and run our group motorcycle tours ourselves, with riding guides and mechanics who know these mountain roads in every season.
• No middleman commission: booking direct means you pay a local price, with our best price guarantee for the same route, dates and services.
• Clear, published prices: from US$1,280 per rider, with bike, fuel, protective gear, guide, mechanic, all meals, accommodation, ferry, permits and Hanoi hotel transfers included – no surprises on the road.
• Fast replies: we answer every inquiry within 24 hours and can confirm a group seat or a private departure quickly.

Send us your travel dates and we will reply with availability on the 2027 group departures or a private quote.

Customise This Motorcycle Tour

The group departures follow the itinerary above, but the same 8-day route can run privately for your own group on any date, and we can adjust it:

• Private departure: ride with your own friends or family, at your own pace, on dates that suit you.
• Support vehicle: add a van for luggage and non-riding companions (at extra cost, not included as standard).
• Bigger bikes: ask us about larger trail bikes (at extra cost) if you are an experienced rider.
• Airport transfers: we can add Noi Bai Airport pick-up or drop-off at extra cost.
• Extra days: add a rest day in Sapa or more time on the Ha Giang plateau – see our Sapa travel tips.
• Before or after the ride: spend extra nights in Hanoi or add a Halong Bay cruise – our Halong Bay cruise guide explains the options.

Customise this tour – tell us your riding experience, dates and group size.

Compare Similar Vietnam Motorbike Tours

Motorbike tour prices are per rider on a Honda CRF250L with a twin-share room on joined group departures.

Local Expert Notes by Jimmy

These notes come from years of arranging group motorbike and motorcycle tours in northern Vietnam for international riders.

• Licence first: bring your home motorcycle licence and an International Driving Permit issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention. Vietnam does not accept 1949-convention permits, and unlicensed riders face heavy fines under Decree 168/2024 – and may find their insurance will not pay.
• Insurance: make sure your travel insurance clearly covers riding a motorbike of the engine size you will use, plus medical evacuation.
• Weather: the rainy season in the north runs from about May to September, when landslides can close roads for a few hours. December to February is dry but cold, with fog on the high passes – pack thermal layers.
• Tet 2027: Lunar New Year falls on 6 February 2027. The 12 February departure starts in the week after Tet, so expect busy markets and some closed shops.
• Helmets and gear: helmets are compulsory in Vietnam. We provide helmet, gloves, pads and rain gear; bring your own riding boots and jacket if you have them.
• Cash: carry Vietnamese dong in small notes for drinks and snacks – mountain villages rarely take cards.
• Pack light: your luggage rides with you, so a soft waterproof bag of about 10 kg is ideal; leave the rest at your Hanoi hotel.

More planning help: Hanoi travel tips, getting around Hanoi, how to get from Hanoi to Sapa, Sapa trekking guide, and our Hanoi travel guide and Sapa travel guide.

Ready to ride? Book your seat on this joined group motorcycle tour – tell us your preferred 2027 departure, riding experience and bike choice, and we will reply within 24 hours.

Updated 10 October 2026 · By Jimmy, Vietnam Tour Expert

About This North Vietnam Joined Group Motorbike Tour 8 Days

This 8-day, 7-night loop from Hanoi links the northeast and the northwest of Vietnam in one ride: Ba Be Lake, the Dong Van Karst Plateau and Ma Pi Leng Pass in Ha Giang, Sapa, O Quy Ho Pass, the rice terraces of Mu Cang Chai and the Mai Chau valley. Daily distances are about 150–240 km, mostly on paved mountain roads with some off-road sections and stream crossings. It runs as a joined group motorcycle tour for 6–10 riders on fixed 2027 departures, from US$1,280 per rider, and we can run the same route privately on other dates.

Brief itinerary

• Day 1: Hanoi – Ba Be Lake, about 240 km (L, D)
• Day 2: Ba Be Lake – Bao Lac – Meo Vac, about 170 km (B, L, D)
• Day 3: Meo Vac – Ma Pi Leng – Dong Van – Quan Ba – Ha Giang, about 180 km (B, L, D)
• Day 4: Ha Giang – Lao Cai – Sapa, about 220 km (B, L, D)
• Day 5: Sapa – O Quy Ho Pass – Mu Cang Chai, about 150 km (B, L, D)
• Day 6: Mu Cang Chai – Tu Le – Phu Yen, about 190 km (B, L, D)
• Day 7: Phu Yen – Da River ferry – Moc Chau – Mai Chau, about 160 km (B, L, D)
• Day 8: Mai Chau – Thung Khe Pass – Hanoi, about 170 km (B, L)

B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner. Distances are approximate.

• Prices are in US dollars per rider for the whole 8-day joined group motorbike tour, on the 2027 fixed departures.
• Small group, 6–10 riders; solo riders join the group at the same price.
• Prices can change with the low or high season and special requests. Private tours on your own dates are quoted separately (private per-day rates depend on group size).

Check seats on a 2027 departure or ask for a private quote.