6. From Hanoi: Ha Giang Loop 3-Night 3-Day Motorcycle Tour
Explore the Ha Giang Loop with a private 3-day trip from Hanoi. Visit the Hmong King Palace, enjoy traditional Vietnamese food, and ride through winding mountain passes on a motorcycle. Begin with a night ride from Hanoi to Ha Giang in a comfortable sleeper bus, unless you choose the private car option. Ride until about 3:00 A.M. before checking into a homestay in Ha Giang for a nap. In the morning, enjoy a delicious breakfast before starting your adventure. Day 1: After breakfast, meet your easy rider tour guide and get kitted out with knee and elbow pads. Hop on the motorbike, and head towards Bac Sum Pass and Heaven Gate. Stop to take in the beautiful scenery of the mountains and Tam Son town. Hop off your bike for a traditional lunch in Yen Minh Town and then continue to Dong Van, passing through the picturesque Chin Khoanh Pass. As you ride, admire the stunning geo-heritage site, Dong Van Karst, and the surrounding landscape of endless rice terraces and limestone rocks. Keep an eye out for a glimpse into the life of the local hill tribe people as they work on the surrounding land as you ride to Hmong King’s Palace. Explore the palace before spending the night at a family-owned hotel in Dong Van. Day 2: After breakfast, leave Dong Van Town and make your way to the “King” of mountain passes in Vietnam, the 2,000-meter-high Ma Pi Leng Pass. Visit the Sky Path, which offers a 360° panorama of Ma Pi Leng Pass, and enjoy stunning views of the Nho Que River from the mountain pass. Drive down to reach the river and paddle along the turquoise waters. Then, continue to drive through the rustic villages of Meo Vac, Mau Due, and Lung Ho, where lunch is served. In the afternoon, pass through the epic mountains to Du Gia rural homestay in the middle of green rice fields. Enjoy a home-cooked dinner with your host family and new friends. Don’t forget to try the “Happy Water,” what the Vietnamese affectionately call rice wine. Day 3: Head out with your swimsuit ready and drive to a nearby waterfall for a refreshing swim. Next, learn about the art of H’mong textile making in Lung Tam, a H’mong village where local women work tirelessly to produce pieces of textile art. Continue to Quan Ba town and admire the massive Nui Doi mountain. Head back through Bac Sum Pass to return to the Ha Giang hostel in the early afternoon. Around 4:30 P.M., hop into a comfort limousine van to return to Hanoi Old Quarter by late evening.