Take a tour of Hanoi city in an open top Willys Jeep.
Stay at beachfront resorts.
Finish in Hoi An City - an ancient trading port.
Take a boat trip into the World's largest cave at Phong Nha National Park - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Visit a Ho Chi Minh Trail museum and ride parts of the infamous route.
Visit the underground tunnels at Vinh Moc.
Stay in a luxury lodge listed on National Geographic's 'Unique Lodges of the World'.
Visit the Sapa region and witness some of the most impressive terraced rice fields in the world.
Stay in the bustling 'Old Quarter' of Hanoi.
Spend a night on the waters of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, aboard our own private boat.
Experience an authentic homestay.
Witness the stunning mountain landscapes of Northern Vietnam.
This 14 day motorcycle tour of Vietnam combines the very best routes, scenery & accommodation! With exceptional riding from start to finish, you’ll ride through the Sapa highlands, touch upon the borders of China to the north, Laos to the west and the South China Sea to the East.
You’ll take a boat trip into the World’s largest cave, ride on parts of the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail, pass through hill tribe villages, witness mind-blowing views of terraced rice fields, take an overnight train journey and finish it all off on a private boat in the World-famous Ha Long Bay.
This motorcycle tour provides the perfect combination of accommodation, from a homestay with a local family to exceptional 5* hotels, luxury resorts and lodges, including one that is listed on National Geographic’s ‘Unique Lodges of the World’.
If you’re looking for the ultimate road riding motorcycle tour of Vietnam, you need look no further!
You’ll be met at Da Nang international airport and transferred to our fantastic oceanfront hotel. Take some time to relax on the beach or explore the beautiful city.
The group will get together in the afternoon to receive a briefing of the trip ahead. After this it’s out into the town for a welcome dinner of authentic Vietnamese food – it’s great stuff!
After meeting the local team and making some personal adjustments to the bikes, we hit the road and begin our journey north. It’s the first riding day of this luxury motorcycle tour of northern Vietnam and it’s an absolute corker!
We pass over the spectacular Hai Van pass and stop at viewpoints to take in the stunning views across the South China Sea. The roads are just brilliant – this is where the famous Top Gear trio did some of their best filming – a beautiful ride as we follow the coastal roads north to our destination of Hue, the former imperial capital.
An easy first day will arrive us at our luxury beachfront resort early afternoon, giving you time to explore the sights of the city or the elaborate tombs in the countryside. If this isn’t your cup of tea, there’s always the resort pool or beach!
Wake up to a beautiful sunrise across the ocean before saddling up for another cracking day of motorcycle riding in Vietnam. We continue north on coastal roads, riding alongside sand dunes and rice fields up to Vinh Moc tunnels. Here exists a network of tunnels where many villagers lived underground during the Vietnam war.
Leaving the coast behind for now, we head west and cross the width of the country, finishing up in Khe Sanh, a small town close to the Laos border.
We’ll start the day by visiting the site of a former US marine base. This was the target of a famous siege in the prelude to the Tet Offensive in 1968 – one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War.
Now riding parts of the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail, we ride north, passing a number of significant wartime locations en route, including overgrown remnants of the original trail.
In the afternoon we reach the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ke Bang National Park. It’s a beautiful ride as the roads cut through lush green jungle.
Phong Nha National Park is home to the World’s largest cave, where civilians and military took shelter from the bombings of the war. The best way to explore this monster cave is by water, so after breakfast we’ll hop on a boat and take a short trip deep into the cave.
The landscapes today offer some of the most stunning views in all of northern Vietnam, with karst limestone mountains towering above the green rice fields. The riding too is phenomenal, with twisting mountain passes that lead us up towards our destination of Vinh.
We finish the day with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Trail museum. You’ve read the books and seen the films, but there’s nothing quite like learning about the ‘American War’ from the point of view of Vietnamese locals.
It’s a big distance today, but the good roads along the Ho Chi Minh highway allow us to comfortably make good time.
We reach the Nam Ma River and visit a bamboo chopstick factory in the afternoon – with absolutely zero health & safety considerations in place, it’s always an interesting visit!
We reach our destination of Pu Luong valley, where we’ll be staying in a stilted house with a local family. It’s a beautiful setting and the host family put on an incredible feast (and no doubt a few shots of rice wine!).
Wake up to the sounds of the village coming to life, as the locals walk their buffalo out to the fields and the ducks and chickens peck around our bikes.
Continuing our journey north, we ride up to meet the Black River (more beautiful than it sounds!). We board a local ferry which will chug us over to meet highway 32 on the other side. It’s a great afternoon’s ride through rolling hills and villages.
Now reaching the highlands of North Vietnam, we travel through the mountains and witness incredible views of the impressive terraced rice fields that line the hills.
The villages up here are just beautiful as we pass through minority communities of Hmong and Dao tribes, where the locals are colourfully dressed in red and black attire. This is the real Vietnam, right here!
Continuing through the highlands, we pass alongside forests and tea plantations. We cross numerous passes, including the highest pass in Vietnam: Tram Thon pass, at 1900m. This pass is known as ‘Heaven’s Gate’, due to the incredible views that open up in front of you at the top.
The terraced rice fields become more and more impressive as near Sapa. We arrive at an incredible resort, high up in the hills with 360° views of rolling hills of rice terraces. Listed on National Geographic’s ‘Unique Lodges of the World’, it would not make sense for us to spend only one night here! So take some time to relax and recharge the batteries before the final day of riding and overnight train to Hanoi.
Relax by the pool and take in the view. For those that can’t sit still, there’s plenty to see and do around the hills of Sapa and we’ll happily take you out for some more riding!
It’s the final day of riding on this motorcycle tour of Vietnam and it will not disappoint! We pass through more tribal villages and reach the Red River and the border of China.
Descending from the highlands, we reach Lao Cai. Here we will have time to take a shower and have dinner before boarding an overnight train to Hanoi.
Arriving in Hanoi at 6:30am, we will collect the bikes from the train and take a short ride through the backstreets of Hanoi to the workshop. We’ll have some breakfast and be scooped up by a minivan that will drive us out to Ha Long Bay, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here awaits our private boat.
Ha Long Bay is a stunning place, with karst limestone mountains sticking out of the blue waters all around us. After such an epic journey, this is the perfect way to bring it all to an end! Relax on the deck, have a swim in the crystal clear waters, or take one of the kayaks for a paddle through small coves.
Sunset cocktails on deck? Why not.
Sunrise in the bay often comes with a low lying fog, which, combined with the views of the karst mountains, provides an almost eery feeling. It’s certainly a relaxing place to wake up!
We’ll travel back to Hanoi where our journey comes to an end. Our hotel is perfectly located in the Old Quarter, where the bustling streets lend endless opportunities for souvenir shopping or just an entertaining stroll!
We’ll go out for a farewell dinner and no doubt a few celebratory drinks. Hanoi is a very lively city!
Saying our goodbyes, we’ll arrange for a taxi to take you to Noi Bai international airport. Bon voyage!
On this trip we stay in a mixture of hotels & resorts, traditional homestays and guesthouses. Please see the daily itinerary detail for more info on each nights accommodation.
You’ll be collected from Da Nang International Airport (airport code: DAD) on the morning of the first day. (You are of course welcome to arrive a day or two earlier, but there will be an extra cost for airport pickup).
At the end of the trip we will arrange transfers from our final hotel to Nội Bài International Airport in Hanoi (airport code: HAN).
Take a boat trip deep into the depths of the World’s largest cave!
All entrance fees or boat fees for river crossings during the ride.
Your tour will be led and managed by a highly experienced member of the Ride Expeditions team (trained as a wilderness first response medic).
Ride Expeditions Ltd is committed to customer satisfaction and consumer financial protection. At no extra cost to you, and in accordance with ‘The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018’, all passengers booking with Ride Expeditions Ltd are fully insured for the initial deposit, and subsequently the balance of monies paid as detailed in your booking confirmation form.
The policy also includes repatriation if required, arising from the cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Ride Expeditions Ltd. This insurance has been arranged by Towergate Travel through Evolution Insurance.
During the COVID-19 crisis, every rider that requested a refund was issued a cash refund.
All fuel for your motorcycle is provided by us.
This motorcycle tour is accompanied by a GPS tracker that displays our live location and track history on an online map. We will provide you with the link and login details which you can then share with your family at home so they can track your progress throughout the trip.
This motorcycle tour will be guided by an experienced local Vietnamese guide.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner is provided on most days.
Please see the daily itinerary to see what meals are included on each day.
A mechanic will be riding at the back of the group, ready to attend to any issues that may arise.
At least one member of the support team will have been trained as a Wilderness First Response medic.
An extensive medical kit including a defibrillator (AED) & stretcher is carried in the support vehicle.
We also have consulting doctors on call, 24/7, who are always ready to assist in the case of an emergency. Our doctors are fully briefed on all riders medical info prior to the tour, they know what we do, where we are riding, exactly what we have in our medical kit and what training our medics have.
Tours are accompanied by GPS trackers and a satellite messenger device so our doctor and office can see exactly where we are and can maintain communication.
If you have you your own suitable & reliable motorcycle at the start point, you are quite welcome to use that for this trip. If not, we will provide a rental motorcycle for you… Please see the Dates & Prices section for available bikes.
The cost of shipping your motorcycle to and from the start and end destination is also included.
Enjoy an overnight cruise on our private boat on Ha Long Bay.
Overnight sleeper train from Lao Cai – Hanoi.
Since the day Ride Expeditions started running tours in Cambodia back in 2012, we have been dedicated to supporting the local community.
Part profits from every motorcycle tour are donated to M’Lop Tapang – a local Cambodian charity dedicated to bettering the lives of young children & their families.
A Ride Expeditions riding jersey with your name printed on the back.
Playing our part in rainforest & wildlife conservation and in an effort to off-set our carbon emissions, we donate part profits to World Land Trust.
This tour is accompanied by a large support vehicle, equipped to carry your luggage, an extensive medical kit + stretcher + defibrillator (AED), drinking water, snacks, tools, and spare parts.
We’ll welcome you with a bag of Ride Expeditions goodies which will include:
3rd party motorcycle insurance is a legal requirement in Vietnam. We advise you first check if this is included (or can be added as an extra) in your travel insurance policy. If not, we can arrange this within Vietnam for an additional cost. Please see the 'Optional Extras' section for more information.
You’ll need to book a flight to arrive in Da Nang International Airport (airport code: DAD) on or before the morning of Day 1 of this trip. You will then fly out of Nội Bài International Airport in Hanoi (airport code: HAN) on the last day of the trip.
It is important you either:
Please be aware that you are liable for all damage to the motorcycle. Please see the 'Optional Extras' information on 'Damage Protection Plan'.
It is a condition of booking that you obtain appropriate travel insurance that covers you for riding the same capacity motorcycle that you’ll be riding on this motorcycle tour.
The insurance must cover emergency evacuation, medical bills, repatriation etc.
Enduro / summer weight adventure style kit is the way to go on this motorcycle tour, rather than road riding kit. If you are opting for enduro kit, we’d recommend you bring extra layers and waterproofs to keep out the wet stuff.
You'll want some decent armoured protection and please do bear in mind that we will sometimes be riding on the road... 'dress for the slide, not the ride!'
If you're unable to obtain this with your travel insurance, we can organise this within Vietnam.
All damage to the motorcycle is then covered by us. Please bear in mind that this excludes damage caused by irresponsible riding.
Single room accommodation is available at all of the resorts, guesthouses and hotels, but not the homestays.
Yes, and we advise you do. They’re cheap to top up and easily obtainable at the airport or small shops in the cities.
While the Vietnamese locals love their meat, it’s no problem for the restaurants / hotels to prepare vegetarian meals. Fresh vegetables & fish are plentiful in Vietnam. That said, the vegetarian options will be quite limited in the more rural areas.
As for food allergies, we will make every effort to communicate your requirements to the kitchen. If you have concerns, please do get in touch so we can discuss these with you.
For the most accurate and up to date info on travel advice for Vietnam, we advise you to visit the foreign office website.
Follow this link for Vietnam’s entry requirements. This is a link to the UK foreign office website – if you are not a UK resident, please search for the equivalent info from your home country’s foreign office.
To secure your place we simply need a £500 non-refundable deposit. The remainder does not need to be paid until 60 days prior to the tour start date.
As this is a largely inclusive tour, you won’t need much. You will only need money for the items not listed as inclusions, which is mainly just alcohol, souvenirs and any other personal spending. Unless you go mad in the gift shops and bars, around £5 – £10 per day should be adequate. Shopping in Vietnam tends to be very reasonable so you can get quite a lot for not much!
Yes. Here at Ride Expeditions, we take the necessary precautions to ensure that we protect both ourselves and you as the customer, with insurances covering financial failure, public liability, professional indemnity and employers liability (you will need your own travel insurance).
To obtain this insurance we must meet strict safety standards and local regulations. We must also carry out thorough risk assessments about all aspects of a tour before tyres can hit tarmac (…or dirt!).
Yes. All passengers booking with Ride Expeditions Ltd are fully insured for the initial deposit, and subsequently the balance of monies paid as detailed in your booking confirmation form. The policy also includes repatriation if required, arising from the cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Ride Expeditions Ltd. This insurance has been arranged by Towergate Travel through Evolution Insurance.
Not riding the motorcycle, no (although this will of course depend on the extent of your limited mobility). However, we may be able to accommodate you in our support vehicle. We advise you to give us a call and we can discuss.
Yes, there is wi-fi at almost every overnight accommodation.
For the most accurate and up to date info, we advise you visit the ‘Travel Health Pro’ website. Follow this link for Vietnam info.
Please also consult with your own doctor at home at least 8 weeks before your trip.
To be legally riding in Vietnam you are required to carry your local driving licence, which must cover the size of bike you will be riding. This will also be a stipulation of any travel insurance company too.
You will also need an International Driving Permit (IDP). An IDP is basically an official, multi-language translation of your driving licence.
Average group sizes are 8-9 riders and we limit the groups to 12 riders.
If you cancel your booking before departure, cancellation charges will be applied as follows:
Please refer to our Terms & Conditions for further info regarding cancellations, changes and transferring your trip to a friend.
For the most accurate and up to date info on travel advice for Vietnam, we advise you to visit the foreign office website.
Follow this link for Vietnam travel advice from the UK foreign office. As we are a UK company, this is the official government advice we follow. If you are not a UK resident, we advise you search for the equivalent info from your own country’s foreign office, as travel advice may differ.
We’d like all of our riders to have at least two years of active riding experience before booking up. Should you have any doubts, please give us a call and we can talk you through it in more detail.
Expect a mix of conditions! We’ll be riding at varying altitudes where the temperatures will differ and the weather can become unpredictable. It could be very warm, it could be very cold. It could be bone dry, or we could get very wet!
While the average riding temperatures should be 20 – 25°C, you should prepare to ride in temperatures anywhere between 5 – 35°C!
As with all of our tours, we only schedule the trips for the very best riding months of the year. But it’s always better to be safe than sorry, so please pack plenty of layers and waterproofs to cover all bases!
Please also bring warm clothes for the evenings.
The minimum required number for this trip to run is 6 riders. We reserve the right to cancel the tour if this number is not met and we will provide you with a minimum of 56 days notice. Please know that this is an absolute last resort for us and we will always do everything in our power to avoid this happening.
We accept GBP payments by Visa, Mastercard & American Express and direct bank transfers. Please get in touch if you would rather pay in another currency – we’ll do our best to accommodate!
For Vietnam there are three associated plug types, types A, C and F. Plug type A is the plug which has two flat parallel pins, plug type C is the plug with two round pins and plug type F has two round pins with two earth clips on the side.
