Most people see Vietnam on the back of someone else's motorbike. You’ll be taking the reins through 1,259 kilometres. Your group, your bikes, your pace. This is the kind of access to Northern Vietnam that most travellers never get close to. Because this is a private trip, the route, the daily distances and the rest stops can all be shaped around your group. Ride through the north yourselves on Honda XR150Ls, CRF250Ls or CRF300Ls through the most extraordinary part of Vietnam. Cloud-heavy mountain passes, limestone formations that look like nothing else in the country, rice terraces cut into hillsides that have been worked the same way for centuries, and ethnic minority villages where the road turns to dirt and the map runs out, but your guide knows exactly where he is going. The suggested route moves through Ba Be Lake, Meo Vac, Ha Giang, Sa Pa, Than Uyen, Muong Lo, Phu Yen and back to Hanoi before swapping wheels for water on Ha Long Bay. On-road and off-road riding, with mountain passes, river crossings, forest trails and remote villages connecting the dots between overnight stops.
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
Fully Customisable, Start to Finish
This is the whole point of the trip: nothing is fixed until you say it is. Your group picks the dates, the pace, the accommodation, and what areas you’d like to spend more time in, with the route fully built around you.
There's a specific kind of trip that only happens when you're with your favourite people. The inside jokes get better. The playlists get more precise. Travelling as a private group means you get all of that with the logistics handled: the good accommodation booked, the transfers sorted, and a local guide who actually knows where to go. No strangers to break the rhythm, no compromise on pace, and day after day of shared stories that only your crew will get.
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 Lake
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
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)
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)
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
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)
Muong Lo
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
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
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)
Ha Long Bay
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
Red River Valley
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 Lake
The route through the Bao Lac area and Dong Van Karst Plateau region introduces your group to the limestone mountain country that defines the northern border region of Vietnam.
Remote Mountain Roads and Limestone Landscapes
Bao Lac
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
Ma Pi Leng Pass
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
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
O Quy Ho Pass
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
Muong Lo Valley
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
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
Ha Long Bay
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
Ha Long Bay
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.
