Vietnam Central & North Motorbike Journey Oct 2026

Today we take a test ride on the motorbikes and ride to My Son (30 km from Hoi An). My Son was the political and religious centre of the Champa. The Champa were people who worshipped the Hindu god Shiva from the 2nd century AD. Between the 4th and 12th century, an impressive 71 places of worship were built here. The complex has been abandoned since the 15th century. The war has left its mark, but it is still an interesting place to visit. You can spend the rest of the day exploring the city, Hoi An has an abundance of great restaurants and charming eateries. Colourful lanterns hang everywhere, making Hoi An look even more atmospheric in the evening. A boat trip on the river is also one of the options and you could visit the beach nearby.

We head north via the Marble Mountains of Da Nang. During the war, American ships bombed along the coast from caves. These caves are located in the mountains and are now marble stone pits. In the surrounding villages there are many artists working with marble. We then take a breathtaking mountain pass along the coast through Bach Ma National Park and end the trip in Hue. There we visit the old citadel of Hue Tu Cam Thanh, where the forbidden purple city is located. This was the private residence of the Emperor and is located exactly in the middle of the complex.

We visit the impressive Vinh Moc Tunnels. Where the Cu Chi tunnels in the south - near Ho Chi Minh City - were primarily war routes, the Vinh Moc tunnels were shelters for the villagers to protect themselves from the intense bombardments of the Americans. During that time, about 60 families lived in the tunnels and 17children were born there. After the tour we head back to our motorbike and follow a part of the Ben Hai River along the border with the Demilitarised Zone(DMZ). We visit an impressive monument and ride along a coastal path to Dong Hoi. Devastated during the Vietnam War, this town has been rebuilt from the ground up and has great beaches, colourful markets and wonderful Vietnamese coffee.

Today we take an adventurous motorbike route through a lesser travelled part of Ke Bang National Park. This park consists of an impressive 90% primal forest that has not been affected by humans. That ensures a high level of biodiversity and the interesting realization that thousands of years have gone by forming this area.This is also the most secret part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail: the DemilitarisedZone (DMZ)! During the Vietnam War, this was a neutral zone between North and South Vietnam. The US Secretary of Defense at the time Mc Namara first established this zone named after him, the Mc Namara Line. This is the narrowest part of Vietnam, only 90 km wide between Laos and the coast.  In the afternoon we take a boat trip to the largest caves in the world: The Phong Nha Caves. The caves developed about 250 million years ago and they are the most beautiful caves in Vietnam. The cave is at least 8km deep with a network of underground rivers. We park our bikes and stay overnight in a small village nearby.

We spend the day travelling today. We take the famous road to Ho Chi Minh. We stay on this road heading north. This legendary road was once a route through the jungle used by North Vietnamese troops to supply the Viet Cong in the south during the Vietnam War. Experiencing Vietnam on a motorcycle immerses your senses in a different world. The sights and sounds along the spectacular and remote trails through the mountains along the Vu Quang National Park are amazing. This is a remote area on the border with Laos. It is so remote that only a few years ago, the saola, or spindle horn, also known as the Vu Quang ox, was first seen here. It is one of the strangest looking animals in the world. The people living in and around the national park belong to the Muong, an ethnic minority group.

We follow the world famous Ho Chi Minh Trail and ride through small villages and rice fields until the road narrows and the region is more and more sparsely populated. There are hardly any tourists here, we see how beautiful life really is in the countryside of Vietnam. The road leads us further along small villages with rubber plantations, tea and grain fields, we see water buffaloes grazing and ploughing in the rice fields. In this area it is noticeable that there are less temples and more churches.

Today we take a one and a half hour trip in a rowboat which takes us through amazing limestone mountains into natural caves. We will see also traditional farming activities. From here, it is a short ride to another world famous place, Hoa Lu,the ancient capital of North Vietnam. There are several temples here built in honour of the first Vietnamese Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang (924-979) (r. 968-979).This was done after the liberation of the country from the rule of the southern Chinese Han dynasty.

Our route continues today and takes us in a westerly direction. We ride on narrow, quiet rural roads along a few nature parks to the fairytale like town of Mai Chan. This town lies in an idyllic valley, enclosed by hills and rice fields. The valley has several Thai villages, characterised by houses built on stilts. If we have enough time today, we will take a short diversions along off road paths through the hills and visit a chopstick factory.

We wake up to the impressive sounds and sights of nature around us. We hear streams rushing and birds singing. Today we travel narrow but paved roads again. It is a wonderful environment, there are many small villages and tea plantations along the route. In the morning we will meet mostly Thai people, but later in the day we will meet more and more Hmong people. We will cross the black river with a small ferry to reach the main road to Nghia Lo. Nghia Lo is located in the mountains and is growing fast. It is situated at a crossroads with two important roads. In the town we will see mostly Dao and Hmong people.

The route takes us further north where the scenery again is stunning. On both sides of the road there are green rice fields built on the slopes. We ride through the mountains and cross a few high passes. This is the area of the Dao tribe. About 40 km before we reach Sa Pa, we climb the highest mountain pass of this motorbiketrip in Vietnam. Our trip is mostly off the beaten paths, but Sa Pa is very touristy. Unless we go to the market in the weekend, we will not see many tourists.

Sa Pa lies at an altitude of 1500 metres. During the French colonisation it was a summer retreat to get some relief from the heat in the lower parts of the country. This region is famous for its amazing landscape and the Black-Hmong people that live here. It is a nice place to stay and relax for a day, rent a bicycle or just stroll around the town and market.

The first few kilometres take us along a busier road. In Lao Cai, we stop to take a look at the Chinese border. The Red River separates the two countries, while a railway bridge connects them. After a coffee break, we turn onto a quieter country road that winds through small villages and rice fields. We reach Bac Ha for lunch. In the afternoon, the route continues through the mountains until we reach the less touristy town of Xin Man, where we stay overnight in a simple hotel.

Shortly after Xin Man, we cross a bridge and follow the river towards Hoàng Su Phì. This remote mountain region is known for its carefully cultivated rice terraces. Along the way, we pass numerous Nùng villages. Almost every bend offers a new view before we finally reach Ha Giang, the lively capital of the province of the same name.

Our tour takes us again through an exceptionally beautiful and unique area with karstmountains. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, also named "Karst Plateau Geopark" or "Don Van- Meo Vac" - after two of the largest villages. Immediately after Ha Giang, the road narrows and we climb over a beautiful pass. We take time to look at the breathtaking scenery and observe the industrious hill tribes who are able to grow maize in the most seemingly impossible places.

In the morning, the famous Ma Pi Leng Pass awaits you, one of Vietnam’s most impressive mountain passes. The route itself is quite short, but the views over deep gorges and rugged rock formations are spectacular. Vietnamese poets have celebrated this place as a symbol of beauty. We take our time to enjoy the scenery before continuing along a quieter route through hills and rice terraces to Bao Lac.

From Bao Lac, the route follows winding mountain roads into a more tropical landscape. If time allows, we visit a village of the Lolo, a small ethnic minority known for their colourful traditional clothing and who still live in houses on stilts. Along the way, there are plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy the views. In the afternoon, we reach Ba Be Lake, surrounded by the green mountains of northern Vietnam.

Today you have time to explore Ba Be National Park. Vietnam’s largest natural lake lies between steep karst cliffs and dense vegetation. Waterfalls, caves and unusual rock formations shape the landscape, which is home to rare wildlife such as black bears and king cobras. You can take a boat trip, go trekking in the jungle or explore the area on a short motorcycle ride. A relaxed day surrounded by nature.

Today we ride a long way back to the capital Hanoi. In the morning the roads are still quiet but after Nguyen the traffic becomes busier. It is the last leg of the trip but still perhaps the most impressive as far as the contrast goes with the last two weeks. Many of our participants find riding back into the city in overwhelming traffic a fantastic experience at the end of this amazing trip.

On the last day you can have a look around Hanoi. During colonisation, Hanoi was the capital of French Indochina. The French history is still clearly visible in the wide boulevards and the old elaborate villas. You can walk around the old quarter in the small streets and along the lively shops. You can also visit museums or pagodas,there is plenty to do here. In the evening you have the opportunity to enjoy the delicious Vietnamese dinner specialities.

Today you will transfer to Hanoi Airport for your flight back home.

If you wish, you can extend this trip with two days to visit Ha Long Bay by boat, one of the wonders of nature and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the morning you will be picked up from your hotel by minibus and transferred to Halong Bay. The journey takes about 4 hours. The peaked mountains in Halong Bay make this bay very special and it is beautiful to cruise through. You arrive at Halong Bay around noon. Here you board a traditional boat with other(international) tourists. You will then enter the bay and spend the night on the boat in a beautiful setting. If there is interest in caving, we will stop at various caves.

In the morning we come back ashore and get back into the minibus. There is a lot of traffic between the coast and the capital Hanoi, the closer you get to the capital the worse it gets. In the afternoon you could see old Hanoi around the old centre. Depending on your flight, you will travel to the airport in the evening or the next morning.

You get an aiport transfer to the airport in Hanoi.