Witness and experience two different cultures during this 14 day adventure across the stunningly beautiful countries of Laos and Vietnam. Both countries are…
Experience a homestay in both Laos & Vietnam.
Witness the stunning mountain landscapes of Northern Laos and Vietnam.
Ride through small rivers and cross large ones on local wooden boats.
Exhilarating dirt & tarmac riding through the mountains.
Visit the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang.
A cruise up the beautiful Nam Ou River.
Witness and experience two different cultures during this 14 day adventure across the stunningly beautiful countries of Laos and Vietnam. Both countries are similar in many ways – achingly beautiful, interesting and exciting – yet the local culture and feel of Laos and Vietnam differ vastly.
On this motorcycle tour of Laos and Vietnam you’ll ride a mix of terrain, from dirt and tarmac roads to single track trail & steep tracks. Extreme off-roading is not the aim of this tour, although it is available in some places for those that want it. This journey is all about experiencing these beautiful countries and cultures in the best way possible, using our beloved dirt bikes to venture into some of the most remote, beautiful and interesting parts of Indochina.
Packed into this motorcycle adventure are boat trips, riverside resorts, luxury hotels, modern motorcycles, rural homestays and much more. What’s not to like?
You will be greeted at the airport and transferred to your hotel for checking in. After a welcome briefing we’ll meet the trusty steeds that will be your close companion for the ‘Laos Leg’ of your adventure. If you require any adjustments to suit your personal preference then just say the word and we’ll get it done. We will then venture out for a test-ride around Vientiane, the capital city of Laos.
Vientiane has been the capital since 1563 after fears of a Burmese invasion of the North. Just like the rest of Laos in general, Vientiane has a very laid back and friendly atmosphere. In the evening we will enjoy a stroll along the banks of the Mekong River and quite possibly sample a cold ‘Beer Lao’ or two before further getting to know each other over a delicious welcome dinner.
Time to saddle up and hit the road for the first day of our Laos adventure! We head West, following the Mekong River along a mix of tarmac and dirt roads. You will find yourself instantly immersed in rural Laos as we pass through twisting tracks and villages, witnessing spectacular views of the Thailand / Laos Mekong border.
We’ll visit a large reservoir to enjoy lunch on a private boat before hopping back on the bikes for an incredible afternoon of riding. As we near our destination of Muang Fuang district we will explore a local market where we will buy ingredients for tonights BBQ!
Some cracking riding today! We ride on dusty roads, logging trails and single track. We will meet with our support vehicle at lunchtime where we’ll enjoy a western-style picnic lunch prepared for you by our team.
It’s then down to the river for an exciting crossing over the Mekong on small wooden longtail boats over to Ban Namphou. We will then ride winding dirt tracks through the hills before turning North on a scenic tarmac road through a national park.
This morning we will enjoy breakfast at an elephant sanctuary where the owner will give a talk to our group, explaining the hugely important role this place plays in North Laos. Whilst we won’t actually be able to meet the elephants here, it is still a beautiful place to have breakfast and a great way to learn more about the state of the elephant population in Asia.
Today we will ride some beautiful trails and riverside tracks, stopping to visit an amazingly beautiful waterfall before arriving at the riverside town of Luang Prabang – a city that has been awarded as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We will enjoy a sunset cruise along the Mekong river, after which you will have the chance to explore the town by yourselves… there is a fantastic night food market and some great riverside restaurants and bars in this town.
This morning if you feel up to the challenge, we will hop onto a ferry across the Mekong river to ride to a remote Hmong village, it is a very technical route as well as steep! We will have lunch in the village then head back and relax at the pool by 3pm-ish.
If you feel the need for some well earned rest, you are welcome to have a nice relaxing day at the pool, or a good explore around Luang Prabang – also a good option.
We say goodbye to Luang Probang this morning and make our way to Nam Ou. We will visit the Pak Ou caves, a short ride along the main road of Nam Ou – here we will dismount our steeds and spend some time visiting these special Buddha caves across the river.
Once back at the bikes, saddle up for the most beautiful so far… Riding high up in the hills, we will enjoy incredible views and pass through countless little villages where the locals are fascinated by us and the bikes!
Today is a really special riding day and it’s polished off by arriving at your beautiful riverside resort in the late afternoon. Refresh yourself with a dip in the infinity pool and enjoy a cocktail or cold Beer Laos while enjoying the view of the karst mountains over the river.
It’s time to kiss your Laos motorcycle goodbye as these will now be transported back to base in Vientiane.
Wake up at this gorgeous resort, sipping coffee on your balconies overlooking the river and mountains. We will then hop onto our private boat for a relaxed & scenic journey up the Nam Ou river to Muang Khua. Along the way we will stop for a BBQ lunch on one of the many riverside beaches.
A minibus will pick us up in the morning and take us to the border… GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!
As we reach Vietnamese soil we will find our new local support team waiting with a clean fleet of dirt bikes, all lined up and ready to take us on the next leg of the adventure. On the way through the hills towards Muong Lay we will stop for a picnic lunch before joining the first of many winding dirt tracks!
We’ll enjoy our first Vietnamese breakfast at the hotel before jumping back on the bikes to ride North along the Black River.
A picnic lunch will be provided by our new local support team. It’s then onwards and upwards as we climb up to the hill tribe town of Sin Ho – a small market town high up in the mountains, with welcoming locals and spectacular views across the hills.
Heading back down through the mountains we ride single track and double track before getting onto the asphalt and reaching our destination for the day, Mu Cang Chai.
A steady days cruising as we pass through landscapes that couldn’t look more Vietnamese if they tried!
Riverside riding, magnificent rice terraces up the side of mountains and beautiful hill-tribe communities – this is a truly spectacular country.
Today is a varied day of riding: quiet paved roads through tea plantations, narrow dirt tracks and back roads through the mountains and villages.
We arrive at our destination of Nghia Lo town where we can take a stroll to visit the local market and sample a cold beer or two. A perfect end to the perfect day.
After a local breakfast of the famous Vietnamese ‘Pho’, we get back on the bikes and ride through farming communities and over hills to the Black River. We cross the river on a local ferry and will enjoy a picnic lunch on the other side.
Riding back up the hills we will ride narrow roads towards the small village of Moc Chau. Our accommodation for the night sits in the middle of a tea plantation.
Another relaxing start in this beautiful Vietnamese village. After a tasty breakfast we jump back onto the comfy Hondas and ride over to Mai Chau – an area full of rice paddies and limestone karsts, it’s all quite picturesque if you ask us.
There will be plenty of rest stops to meet the local people and take some photographs of the amazing scenery.
We will arrive at today’s destination in the afternoon where we will have time to enjoy the welcoming pool for you to cool off in.
It’s the final day of this epic cross-border adventure, so we will leave on the bikes by 8:30am riding through local villages and rice paddies before joining the blacktop to make our way towards the busy city of Hanoi.
Celebratory beers await back at base in Hanoi. Later that night, it’s out onto the busy streets for a farewell dinner.
For those that want a big night, there is no shortage of bars and clubs in this bustling city. There are also plenty of places to sample the local brew – ‘Bia Hoi’ – a glass of this beer on the streets will cost you as little as 12c!! Yes, 12c, we’re not kidding. It’s no Stella Artois, but it’s surprisingly OK and you can have a lot of fun with just $1!
It’s the end of the road with your Laos-Vietnam motorcycle tour with Ride Expeditions, so we’ll arrange airport transfers for those leaving today and say our goodbyes.
But the fun doesn’t need to stop here. If it’s your first time in Vietnam, we would strongly recommend an overnight boat trip in Ha Long Bay. After nearly two weeks of riding, it’s certainly a nice way to wind down before your flight home!
Twin-share accommodation is included as standard – see ‘Optional Extras’ below for single room pricing.
On this trip we stay in a mixture of hotels, traditional homestays, guesthouses and a few riverside resorts thrown in for good measure.
Please note, neither twin nor single rooms will be available at the homestay accommodations.
Please see the daily itinerary for details on the type of accommodation.
You’ll be collected from Vientiane (VTE) airport (Laos) 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 Hanoi (HAN) airport (Vietnam).
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 Lao 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 the motorcycle to and from the start and finish destination is also included.
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.
The Laos leg of this motorcycle tour will be accompanied by a 4×4 support vehicle with a trailer and spare bike. On the Vietnam side, the support vehicle will be a large van. Both are equipped to carry your luggage, an extensive medical kit + stretcher + AED, drinking water, snacks, tools, spare parts and a satellite messaging device.
We’ll welcome you with a bag of Ride Expeditions goodies which will include:
You’ll need to book a flight to Vientiane, Laos (VTE) on or before the morning of Day 1 of this trip. You will then fly back out of Hanoi, Vietnam (HAN) airport on the last day of the trip.
It is important you either:
Please be aware that you are responsible for all damage caused to the motorcycle.
See ‘Optional Extras’ below for ‘Motorcycle Damage Protection’.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!'
All damage to the motorcycle is then covered by us. Please bear in mind that this excludes damage caused by irresponsible riding (for example, a failed wheelie attempt).
Single room accommodation is available for 10 out of the 13 nights.
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, the occasional meal and any other personal spending. $100 – $200 should be quite sufficient.
Yes, with the exception of a few of the overnight accommodations.
We only schedule our Laos-Vietnam motorcycle tours during the dry season, so we’re unlikely to get caught in too much rain (although it’s always possible, so we recommend bringing a lightweight waterproof layer that you can stuff into your backpack).
There will be a fairly wide range of temperatures, from as low as 10°c (possibly even lower if we’re unlucky!) in the hills, up to 35°c in the lower altitudes. It’s therefore important to carry a backpack with some extra layers inside.
Laos and Vietnamese locals enjoy their meat and there is very little on the standard menu that is 100% vegetarian or vegan. While we never let you go hungry, and we will bring extra supplies with us if required, please be aware that the options will be quite limited. We’ll ask you about your dietary preferences in a pre-tour form, and we’ll plan accordingly.
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.
This depends where you are from originally, but the likelihood is that you’ll need a visa for Laos. You can obtain tourist visas upon arrival at the airport, or get an e-visa in advance.
For Vietnam, many nationalities now do not need a visa if they plan to stay in Vietnam for 15 days or less.
Follow this link for Laos entry requirements.
Follow this link for Vietnam entry requirements.
These links are for 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.
Visa costs, if applicable, are not included in the tour price.
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.
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.
For the most accurate and up to date info, we advise you visit the ‘Travel Health Pro’ website. Follow this link for Laos info and 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 Laos & 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 Laos & Vietnam, we advise you to visit the foreign office website.
Follow this link for Laos advice from the UK foreign office. Follow this link for Vietnam travel advice. 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 active riding experience.
As this tour is predominantly off-road, it is more than preferable if you have a good amount of off-road riding experience before booking up. Should you have any doubts, give us a call and we can talk you through it in more detail.
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!
Laos and Vietnam have an array of plugs and sockets: type A, B, C, E and F.
