Ha Giang Loop

Ride the Ha Giang Loop in Northern Vietnam

Are you ready to be wowed by gorgeous mountain scenery, visit small hilltribe villages, and feel the rush of steep climbs, followed by sheer drop-offs? From mountain passes and ricefield valleys to a H’mong king palace and a 54m² flag in the most northern part of Vietnam – it’s easy to see why exploring the Ha Giang Loop has made it to the top of everyone’s list of must-do‘s in Vietnam.

Itinerary of the Ha Giang Loop

There is not one indicated/signedposted Ha Giang Loop. The loop is a combination of roads you can travel in the enormous Ha Giang Province, all starting and ending in Ha Giang City. This is most convenient, as the provincial captial is easy to reach by a 7 hour (sleeper) bus from bustling Hanoi.

The most popular itinerary for tourists exploring the Ha Giang Loop is a 3 or 4 day trip spanning approximately 400 kilometers. This route typically starts in Ha Giang City, taking in Yen Minh, Dong Van, and Meo Vac, and returning to Ha Giang City on the third day. If you prefer travelling off the beaten track – like we do! – you can consider adding Du Gia to your Ha Giang Loop adventure.

Ha Giang Loop in 3 days: Ha Giang City – Dong Van – Meo Vac – Ha Giang City
  • Day 1: Ha Giang City – Quan Ba – Yen Minh – Pho Bang – Sung La – Dong Van (160 KM)
  • Day 2: Dong Van – Lung Cu – Ma Pi Leng Pass – Meo Vac (90 KM)
  • Day 3: Meo Vac – Mau Due – Yenh Minh – Quan Ba – Ha Giang City (150 KM)
Ha Giang Loop in 4 days: Ha Giang City – Dong Van – Meo Vac – Du Gia – Ha Giang City
  • Day 1: Ha Giang City – Quan Ba – Yen Minh – Pho Bang – Sung La – Dong Van (160 KM)
  • Day 2: Dong Van – Lung Cu – Ma Pi Leng Pass – Meo Vac (90 KM)
  • Day 3: Meo Vac – Mau Due – Du Gia (75 KM)
  • Day 4: Du Gia – Yen Dinh – Ha Giang  City (75 KM)

If you have even more time to spare, it’s worthwhile to include Ba Be National Park or easternmost Ban Gioc Waterfall in your itinerary.

Exploring the Ha Giang Loop by motorbike

The best way to explore the Ha Giang Loop is by motorbike. Feel the wind in your hair while you enjoy the lush landscape. The winding mountain roads in northern Vietnam are beautiful and spectacular. However, it can be quite dangerous to go on this adventure all by yourself. Quality of the roads can be poor, corners are often blind, and drop-offs are steep. Needless to say: unforgiving towards the inexperienced motorbike driver.

Don’t neglect your safety and allow yourself an awesome motorbike adventure with our Easy Riders! We’ve been around since 1991, use only high-quality equipment, and our English-speaking guides are licensed, experienced, and fun. For the Ha Giang Loop by motorbike in 3 days (clockwise), Ha Giang Loop Easy Rider Tour in 4 days (counterclockwise) or Ha Giang Loop & Ban Gioc Waterfall Combo (5 days), we only ride small-group tours with 2 to 6 people.

There are a lot of tour agencies offering the Ha Giang Loop as ‘Easy Rider experience’ and quality differs greatly. We’ve seen the most astonishing things: groups of up to 40 people, guides driving in flip-flops or without helmets, scooters that couldn’t make it to the top on steep climbs… On some tours, ‘accomodation included’ means sharing a dorm with 15 others. Great fun, but maybe not the best way to recharge for another day of focused driving on small winding mountain roads. All we’re saying is: make sure you know what you’re getting before booking anywhere!

Highlights of the Ha Giang Loop

The Ha Giang Loop traverses the Dong Van Karst Plateau – designated by Unesco as a National Geopark in 2011 – and is packed with sights and activities. Some highlights of the Ha Giang Loop are:

Heaven’s Gate / Quan Ba Pass

The unofficial entrance to the stone paradise that is the Dong Van Karst Plateau Unesco Global Geopark. From here, you have a panoramic view of the Tam Son valley, including the Twin Mountains or ‘fairy bosom’.

Lung Cu Flag Tower

The northernmost point of Vietnam: Lung Cu flag tower. The 54 sq metred flag waving from the tower represents Vietnam’s 54 official nationalities.

Ma Pi Leng Pass

The road between Dong Van and Meo Vac is considerd the most beautiful part of the loop and the Ma Pi Leng Pass might just be the reason for that! This impressive winding mountain road takes you to an altitude of 2000m.

Ha Giang Loop Tour Ma Pi Leng Mountain Pass

Ma Pi Leng Mountain Pass between Dong Van and Meo Vac on the Ha Giang Loop

Tu San Canyon

The Ma Pi Leng Pass has been cut into the side of a cliff, looking down on the turquoise Nho Que River. Plenty of viewpoints along the way give you a clear view of Tu San Canyon.

Ha Giang Loop Tour Tu San Canyon

View over the Tu San Canyon, located near Meo Vac, on the Ha Giang Loop

Lung Ho Viewpoint

Stunning viewpoint close to Mau Due, overlooking the road from Meo Vac to Du Gia, with plenty of rice paddies dotting the northern Vietnamese mountains.

Ha Giang Loop Tour Mau Due Viewpoint

Rice terraces can be seen from the Lung Ho Viewpoint near Mau Due on the Ha Giang Loop

HASSLE-FREE

No need to haggle over the duration, sights and price of your tour on the street or in a shabby shack. Browse, pick and book your tour undisturbed and online.

PLAN AHEAD

Start your motorbike adventure when your want, where you want. Our Easy Riders will pick you up and drop you off at locations of your choosing.

SAFETY FIRST

Your safety is our primary concern. During the tour you wear a helmet and protective gear for your upper body and knees – even if you are sitting on the back of the motorbike.

But hey, don’t take our word for it…

“We did a guided 3 days motorbike tour from Da Lat to Di Linh with Mr. Vu’s company and had an absolutely amazing time far away from the mainstream touristic road. We faced beautiful mountain landscapes, learned a lot about locals – life, numerous plantations and fabrics-, swam in and took a shower at a waterfall and enjoyed amazing local food. A million thanks to our guides Hong and Lukat who made this tour unforgettable – they explained us a lot about local traditions, showed us wonderful and hidden places in the countryside and answered every question. Both (and Mr. Vu himself, too) were super friendly, helpful and flexible, what is highly appreciated. Furthermore, we felt secure at every second on the motorbike – they are profis. We had a marvelous time together and a good laugh at all times with you, guys. Mot hai ba zo and don’t forget about the “silent fox” 🙂 Thanks a lot, all the best for you personell and the company. You do a fantastic job!”

“My friend and I took a 3-day tour from Phong Nha to Hoi An. The tour was amazing and we were so glad we booked it as we have seen a lot of interesting sites which we would not have visited otherwise. There was also a nice alternation between the enjoying nice views, swimming and sites related to the Vietnam war. We had Cuong and Hiep as our guides. They are really good drivers and we’re always very careful. They made us feel comfortable on the motorbike which ensured that we could enjoy the scenery while driving. Also of the motorbike, they looked after us, making sure our hotel room was good, that we enjoyed the food and they gave a lot of explanation at each stop. The tour was so good I would immediately book it again.”

“Mr Vu Rocks! 7 days, HCM to Hoi An via HCM trail. Great route thru Vietnamese backroads with Mr Vu sharing his passion and insights into Vietnamese history, culture, and love for his country was exceptional. You couldn’t ask for a better guide and itinerary. Go Mr Vu!”

“Me and my friend had an amazing time with Jack and LuKa. They tried their hardest to make it an unforgetable experience. 2 days before our long trip we did a day tour in Da Lat and wanted to finish our 4 week trip with an multiple day tour so we picked this one. We never felt unsafe on the motorbike and they drove very carefully. You’ll get to see a lot of things you wouldnt see if you werent on a motorbike trip with these experienced drivers. We stopped at multiple local restaurants where no other tourists stopped and visited some locals at their home. If we could do it over again we would choose multiple tours. Thanks for the amazing experience guys!!”

“I did this motor trip with my friend. We had very nice guides named Viet and dung. They showed us nice places and stopped at beautiful views for pictures. They drived save and they had protecting clothes for us. We liked it very much!!”

“We did have a great day with the easyriders today. We travelled from Hue to Elephant spring, had a great lunch ar Langco beach, then travelled to de Hai Van pass, Danang and Marble mountains. We loved the day also my teenagers loved it. We felt very save and secure. We had helmets and vlotjes. I recommend everybody to book with the easyriders. Thank you for one of the greatest day of our life.”

“We road from Da Lat to Ho Chi Minh. We road with Luu, Hoang and Ken and they are so nice and helpful. The whole trip was professional, they are open and they gave us a lot of information about the places we visited! We saw waterfalls, small villages, mountains, tried local food and a lot more! It have been a very exciting tour and it have been a pleasure to be with Luu, Hoang and Ken. We would recommend these guys to all they are the best! Thanks for the amazing tour we hope to see you again!”

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