Motorbike Tour Northeast Vietnam – 5 Days

DAY 1: HANOI – BA BE NATIONAL PARK (BAC KAN) (210KM)

The crew starts our Northeast Vietnam motorbike tour by getting out of Hanoi to head up Road 3. Busy motorbike ride in the morning until lunch. After that, we turn into most empty road, passing peaceful villages and rice fields before reaching Ba Be National Park.

Ba Be National Park is an abundant bioreserve region containing the world’s only fresh-water karst lake and several rare species of flora and fauna. Ba Be lake in Vietnam is 10,048ha park – home to 1,268 species of fauna and flora, a series of caves and a gigantic fresh water lake. It was established in 1992 by the Vietnamese Government to preserve forest ecosystems in the northeast.

Ba Be is home to over 3,000 people from the ethnic minorities of Nung, Dao, Tay and Mong, who live in 13 villages within the park. Tay people have inhabited Ba Be area for centuries and make up 58 per cent of the population within the park’s boundaries.

Ride into Pac Ngoi village which is located inside Ba Be National Park. We spend the night in home-stay of Tay’s family, which is right by the side of Ba Be lake with wonderful and peaceful view.

DAY 2: BA BE BOAT TRIP – CAO BANG CITY (130KM)

Half-day boat trip on the lake to the other side, where we can explore Dau Dang waterfall on Nang river. Viewed as one of the 27 ASEAN heritage gardens, Ba Be has the potential to draw nature lovers with its 450ha natural fresh water lake and 553 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians.

After the boat trip, the crew gets out to Cho Ra for lunch before riding up to Cao Bang Town. Cao Bang is a province of the Northeast area of Vietnam, home to many people belonging to Vietnam’s ethnic minority groups like Tay, Hmong Nung, and Dao. It borders with Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, Bac Kan, and Lang Son provinces.

Cao Bang also has common international border with Guangxi Province of China. It has some points of historical interest as well as many natural features such as the Pac Bo where Ho Chi Minh,, in January 1941, established a revolutionary force at Coc Bo cave, the Ky Sam Temple, the Mac King’s Temple, Coi Bin Church, the Thang Hen Mountain Lake and Ban Gioc waterfall at the international border between Vietnam and China. We overnight in Cao Bang in a lovely hotel.

DAY 3: CAO BANG – BAN GIOC WATERFALL – QUANG UYEN (CAO BANG) 140KM

We get out of the town, ride up to Ma Phuc Pass of Cao Bang. It is on the way between Cao Bang Town and the Ban Gioc Waterfall. The pass is not famous with the elevation or the danger like others in Vietnam, but with its natural beauty from the top. Keep riding to Ban Gioc waterfall, one of Vietnam’s most famous waterfalls.  It’s a extremely scenic spot, marking the border with China, but sees very few visitors. The name Ban Gioc, which is sometimes spelt Ban Doc, is derived from the Montagnard languages spoken in the area.

Although not the highest, the waterfall is the largest in the country. The vertical drop is 53m, but it has an impressive 300m span; one of its end is in China, the other is in Vietnam. It has three levels creating a sort of giant staircase. There’s enough water any time, almost years, to make the trip worthwhile.

The team has lunch in local restaurant before we get another way back to Quang Uyen. Here is the territory of Nung An people. Overnight in home stay in a host family and the hostess is a very good cook.

DAY 4: QUANG UYEN – LANG SON CITY  (140KM)

We motoride from Quang Uyen to Lang Son on the famous historical Highway 4, passing Dong Khe town, Battle of Route Coloniale 4.

Dong Khe was a major battle of the First Indochina War. The fight started on 15 September 1950 and ended on 18 September with French defeat. It ends with a Viet Minh victory.

Reaching Lang Son at noon. The riding team has a late lunch before time to discover this city which has become a big trading post between Vietnam and China. Lang Son is 150 km to the northwest of Hanoi and National Highways 1 and 1 A and passes the Chi Lang pass (the place of Le Lợi’s victory over 100,000 Ming invaders from China in 1427). Lang Son is 135 km from Cao Bang province on the National Highway no 4. Travelers can shop for cheap Chinese products at the nearby Dong Kinh market. Stay the night in hotel.

DAY 5 : LANG SON – HANOI – 160KM 

Ride on the new highway 1B, the last ride is an easy day back to Hanoi from Lang Son. You can wake up late or do some more shopping in Dong Kinh market in the morning because we think you can be tired after long riding days.
Get to Hanoi before rush hour, around 3pm. Hotel drop off. Tour ends.