This is Northern Vietnam in high gear – ARRIVAL style. Ten days, 1800km and every kind of wild in between. All with a bunch of new best friends. Ride mist-wrapped passes, crash markets in the clouds and carve through limestone borderlands. From Red River dust to Halong Bay calm, this ARRIVAL takeover cuts through rural Vietnam to deliver an off-road experience like no other. Homestays, history and handlebars – this one leaves a mark.
Highlights
The best bits
Itinerary
The day to day
Location
The setting
Host
The experts
Chi’s Wheels
Chi’s Wheels is a Hanoi-born outfit known for its grit, heart and realness. The team is made up of local legends who have turned backroads into playgrounds and cultural bridges. Expect laughs, care and the best damn roadside noodle stop you’ve ever had.
Accommodation
The quarters
Activities
The fun stuff
Fine Print
The small stuff
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Ma Pi Leng Pass
The most dramatic riding day on the route and the most extraordinary road in Vietnam. Ma Pi Leng clings to the cliff face above the Nho Que River on the border of Ha Giang and Cao Bang provinces, with views down to the jade green water hundreds of metres below. The pass is part of the Dong Van Karst Plateau, a UNESCO Global Geopark, and the road through it was carved by hand over several years by local ethnic minority communities. On a clear day the combination of limestone walls, river valley and open sky produces a view that riders don’t easily forget.
Day 1
Hanoi to Ba Be Lake.
Day 2
Ba Be Lake to Meo Vac.
Day 3
Meo Vac to Ha Giang via Ma Pi Leng Pass.
Day 4
Ha Giang to Sa Pa via Hoang Su Phi.
Day 5
Sa Pa to Than Uyen via O Quy Ho Pass.
Day 6
Than Uyen to Muong Lo.
Day 7
Muong Lo to Phu Yen.
Day 8
Phu Yen to Hanoi. Farewell Dinner.
Day 9
Hanoi to Ha Long Bay. Overnight Cruise.
Day 10
Ha Long Bay to Hanoi. Departure.
A lakeside homestay run by a local family on the shores of Ba Be Lake inside the national park. The first night of the trip and one of the most atmospheric. Simple, warm and well-fed, with dinner prepared by the host family using locally sourced ingredients. The lake at night, with the forest around it and no bright lights for kilometres, is the perfect introduction to what the north of Vietnam actually sounds and smells like.
Ba Be Lake Homestay (or similar)
Ba Be, VN
A comfortable guesthouse in Meo Vac town at the edge of the Dong Van Karst Plateau, well-positioned for the Ma Pi Leng Pass ride the following morning.
Guesthouse, Meo Vac (or similar)
Meo Vac, VN
A solid base in Ha Giang city for one night between the Dong Van Plateau and the Hoang Su Phi rice terrace region. Ha Giang is the gateway to the karst country and the last decently sized town before the route heads deeper into the mountains.
Guesthouse, Ha Giang (or similar)
Ha Giang 1, VN
Sa Pa sits in the Hoang Lien Son mountains at 1,500 metres above sea level and is the highest overnight stop on the route. The guesthouse here provides a comfortable base after the longest riding day of the trip and the cooler mountain air makes for some of the better sleeping of the ten days.
Guesthouse, Sa Pa (or similar)
Sa Pa, VN
A simple and comfortable guesthouse in Than Uyen after the O Quy Ho Pass descent. Than Uyen sits in a valley between mountain ranges and the quieter pace of the town provides a welcome contrast to the elevation of Sa Pa the night before.
Guesthouse, Than Uyen (or similar)
Than Uyen, VN
A guesthouse in the Muong Lo Valley, one of the most culturally rich overnight stops on the route. The valley is home to Thai ethnic minority communities and the surrounding landscape of rice paddies and low hills is a significant shift from the high mountain terrain of the previous days.
Guesthouse, Muong Lo (or similar)
Trung Tam, VN
A comfortable local guesthouse in Phu Yen for the penultimate riding night. Simple and well-located for the final push back toward Hanoi the following morning.
Guesthouse, Phu Yen (or similar)
Phu Yen, VN
A centrally located guesthouse in Hanoi for one night between the final riding day and the Ha Long Bay cruise transfer. Close to the Old Quarter for the farewell dinner and easy access to the private car pickup the following morning.
Guesthouse, Hanoi (or similar)
Hanoi, Hoàn Kiếm, VN
The overnight cruise on Ha Long Bay is the final accommodation of the trip and a deliberate contrast to the eight riding nights that precede it. Cabin style varies by cruise operator but all include meals, kayaking access, cave visits and a night anchored in the bay with the karsts visible in every direction. This is the decompression you’ll need before flying home.
Ha Long Bay Overnight Cruise (or similar)
VN
The opening ride north from Hanoi passes through the Red River Valley and rural communities before the terrain steepens into mountain roads and forest trails.
Red River Valley Ride and Rural Village Crossing
Ba Be, VN
Ba Be Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in Vietnam, surrounded by limestone mountains and primary forest. The lakeside homestay and local dinner on the first night is one of the strongest cultural moments of the trip.
Ba Be Lake Arrival and Lakeside Homestay
Ba Be, VN
The route through the Bao Lac area and Dong Van Karst Plateau region introduces the group to the limestone mountain country that defines the northern border region of Vietnam.
Remote Mountain Roads and Limestone Landscapes
Dong Van, VN
The most dramatic road in Vietnam. Approximately 20 kilometres of cliff-edge riding above the Nho Que River with views that require the guide to remind the group to keep their eyes on the road. A UNESCO Global Geopark and one of the genuine bucket-list motorcycle experiences in Southeast Asia.
Ma Pi Leng Pass
Dong Van, VN
The terraced rice fields of Hoang Su Phi are among the most extraordinary agricultural landscapes in Asia, covering the hillsides of Ha Giang province in a geometry built over centuries. The riding through this section is as visually significant as any cultural stop on the route.
Hoang Su Phi Rice Terraces
Hoang Su Phi, VN
One of the four great passes of Northern Vietnam and the highest, crossing the Hoang Lien Son mountain range at over 2,000 metres. Views toward Fansipan on a clear morning and a descent into the valley below that rewards the altitude with perspective.
O Quy Ho Pass
Binh Lu, VN
The Muong Lo Valley is home to Thai ethnic minority communities whose weaving traditions, architecture and cultural practices remain largely intact. The riding through the valley is a significant shift from the mountain terrain of the previous days.
Muong Lo Valley and Thai Ethnic Culture
Nghia Lo, VN
The route through Phu Yen passes through tea plantations and local farming communities on roads that see very little tourist traffic. One of the more genuinely off-piste sections of the entire route.
Tea Plantations and Remote Village Riding
Phu Yen, VN
The overnight cruise covers kayaking through cave systems, swimming in sheltered lagoons, a spring roll cooking class on deck and a night sleeping on the water with two thousand limestone karsts around the boat.
Ha Long Bay Cruise, Kayaking and Cooking Class
VN
Sung Sot Cave, also known as Surprise Cave, is Ha Long Bay's largest cave system at approximately 10,000 square metres of formations and chambers. The final excursion before disembarkation and the return transfer to Hanoi.
Sung Sot Cave, Ha Long Bay
Hồng Gai
Cancel 65+ days from departure for a 80% refund. Within 64 days of departure, we’ve locked in logistics, so no refund can be offered. Thanks for understanding – it keeps things running smooth for everyone. Please make sure your dates are correct before booking, and we strongly recommend travel insurance for extra peace of mind.
