Motorcycle Touring Vietnam & Laos – 12 Days

Motorbike Tour Vietnam and Laos

Vietnam and Laos are good neighbours who have many things in different however Laos and Vietnam have something in common that make any tourist falling in love easily. They both have rich and interesting culture and history. North Laos and North Vietnam are both “must see” for people who love beautiful nature and for the fan of motorcycle touring…This special 12 day motorcycle touring around Northern Laos and Vietnam meets fully the needs of people who want to experience interesting traditional culture and beautiful nature of Laos and Vietnam by motorbikes.

Please click here to view the route! 

Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Hich. 190km (L,D – Home-stay)

8:00 AM. Pick you all up from the hotel in Hanoi then transfer to our shop to start this special Vietnam – Laos motorbike ride. It’ll be mostly on easy paved trails with nice scenery, crossing some beautiful villages of the Thai, Muong people who live in the houses on the stilts surrounded by green plantation. End the first day at Mai Hich village – the quiet villages of the Thai people. Stay in one of the nice stilted house of the local.

Day 2: Mai Hich – Cross Laos border – Samnuea . 227km (B,L,D – Hotel)

After breakfast with the family, Start the ride at around 8:30 AM. Ride on a beautiful and green trail along the Mai Chau valley and the Ma river. If the weather is not too bad, we can also do some 25km off-road before crossing the Na Meo border gate to get into Laos. The landscape suddenly changed in Laos side, much more quiet road, ride up/down many mountain passes. The last 80 km is quite bumpy. End the ride at around 5:00 PM. It’s the long day but it’s a memorable day of this Vietnam – Laos motorbike tour. Stay at mini hotel in Samnua.

 

Day 3: Samnuea – Xieng Khoang (Plain of Jars). 208 km (B,L,D – Hotel)

Leaving Samuea at around 8:30 AM, Continue the beautiful motorbike tour in Laos. We will ride up and down on many scenic passes. Take some easy off-road ride to some village of the local hill tribes along the way. Before arrive in Xieng Khoang, we will pay a visit to the famous Plain Of Jars. Stay in a little hotel in Xieng Khoang.

Day 4: Xieng Khoang – Luang Prabang. 287 km (B,L,D – hotel)

This is the longest and one of the most beautiful day of this 11 day motorbike tour Vietnam – Laos. Start the day earlier at around 8:00 AM. We will ride motorbikes on mostly smooth passes to Luang prabang with beautiful terraces. There will be many stops for photos of beautiful nature and many different local tribes. We will pay some visits to some local tribes to learn more about their daily life and local Laos culture. Arrive late in the afternoon.

Day 5. Free and easy day at Luangprabang (B – Hotel)

After some long riding days. It’s the necessary and enjoyable non-riding day of the tour. We’ll spend whole day to relax, wonder around to discover the ancient city of Luangprabang, a nice city with lovely food and plenty of things to visit you can also take a bikes and ride

around to see more tribes and waterfalls, pagodas… Meals by your own, feel free to choose your favorite local Laos food. Stay in a hotel.

Day 6: Luangprabang – Muang Xai. 200km (B,L,D – guesthouse)

 

Leaving the beautiful city of Luang Prabang, We continue the motorbike tour to Vietnam with another long day. The route today is a bit busier but still enjoyable with many stops to visit the villages of Hmong & Thai peoples. We will ride along the Mekong river and it’s the highlight of the day. We end the day at the liitle town of Muang Xai, stay overnight in a little hotel.

Day 7: Muang Xai – Vietnam border – Dien Bien Phu. 120 km (B,L,D – hotel)

Ending the motorcycle touring in Laos. Today is the relaxing and short day before saying goodbye to Laos. Head to the east where we will cross the border to get back to Vietnam after doing some paperwork. We continue the motorbike touring in Vietnam with the scenic ride all the way down hill through the rustic villages of Thai people before getting down on the flat spectacular valley of Dien Bien Phu. You will see a large and green rice field surrounded by mountains, the ride is pretty easy and we can have some stops and pay visits to the war sites or villages of the local people to learn more about local Vietnamese culture. Stay in a hotel in Dien Bien city.

Day 8: Dien Bien Phu – Muong La . 190 km (B,l,D – hotel)

Today, We will have a great offroad riding day with beautiful scenery in Northwest Vietnam. It depends on the weather or your expectation, we can make the day with 70% offroading. The route will be almost on the single tracks crossing the villages of the Thai people who (women) have very long hair and it’s the day you can learn more about the interesting history and culture of the black Thai.

Day 9: Muong La – Ta Xua: 160 km (off-road) (B,L,D – homestay)

 

It’s another interesting and really heard offroad riding day, we will ride up and up on some dirt tracks until the leval of around 2000 meters above the sea level where we can see the “dinorsaur backbone” with amazing view of nature…
We will stay at the basic homestay of the H’Mong people.

Day 10: Ta Xua – Tram Tau – Nghia Lo: 190 km (B,l, D – Hotel)

After a light breakfast with noodle soup or bread but with a great view from homestay we will ride down hill on another off-road tracks to Yen Bai province…It’s mostly down hill but the ride is not easy because of the bumpy dirt-tracks…however we will have a lots of stops to picture and refresh. Besides we can also pay lots of visits to some nice villages of the H’Mong and Muong people along the road.

We will arrive and stay in a little town of Nghia Lo, Yen Bai province.

Day 11: Nghia Lo – Vu Linh: 180 km (B,L,D – Homestay)

 

Nghia Lo is a little town but quite busy with some colorful markets where the local hill tribes come for selling buying things or just drinks some rice wine. It’s interesting to have a look around the market before leaving the town for Vu Linh.

The ride to day to Vu Linh or Thac Ba lake is quite easy to compare with 2 days before bt the scenery is quite green and peaceful. We will be in Vu Linh village at around 3:30 pm then we will get on the fishing boat of the local people to discover the beautiful Thac Ba lake before having dinner with the family of the Dao people who live right next to the lake.

Day 12: Vu Linh – Hanoi: 190 km (B,L)

Leave the family for Hanoi at around 8:00 am. We can do some off-road riding or just ride easily on the smooth back-roads back to Hanoi. We keep riding along the Red river to be away from busy highway. The last 20 km back to Hanoi is the most difficult parts of the tour with busy local traffic but it’s not so bad if you ride carefully and slowly after the guide. End this great Vietnam and Laos motorcycle touring in Hanoi at around 3:30 PM.