TOTAL VIETNAM ADVENTURE

HA NOI TO HO CHI MINH CITY

22 Days

Day 1 Ha Noi (Approx. 0 km)

Meet at 9:00 am for full tour briefing. Have your passport, rider’s licence, International Driver’s Permit and 3 month visa for Vietnam ready to enable the authorisation for you to ride legally in Vietnam. We will introduce you to your Royal Enfield Himalayan. There will be time to enjoy a Vietnamese coffee and the rest of the day to explore Ha Noi. We will then meet you at 6:00 pm for dinner and drinks

Day 2 Ha Noi to Ba Be Lake (Approx. 230 km)

Our first day riding in Vietnam. During our ride we will visit the Royal Enfield showroom before heading out of the city very the easiest route and into countryside. We gradually see the towns get smaller and the roads less crowded as we take the easiest route out of the city. Hills and countryside abound for the second half of the day. Later, we’ll head into Ba Be National Park and make our way to the wooden stilt house we will stay in. We may have time to jump on a boat to explore the lake. Waterfalls, caves, jungle, and mountains make this a truly beautiful place.

Day 3 Ba Be Lake to Dong Van (Approx. 250 km)

Heading north, we’ll follow small roads through steep-cliffed mountains. As we enter the Ha Giang province, the limestone Karst formation mountains are the most impressive in the country and our road takes around, over, and through them on an amazing ride. The Ma Pi Leng mountain pass is surely one of the best roads in Vietnam. Along the way, we’ll make many stops to look out over the steep cliffs and high valleys. A climb of over 1,500 meters will take us to Dong Van town. Next to our hotel is the old French Fort set on top of a high cliff. The stairs are steep and many, but it’s worth it for the panoramic views of the area.

Day 4 – Dong Van to Ha Giang (Approx. 210 km)

To the north, the road is like a roller-coaster, winding over the Karst formation mountains up towards China. We’ll follow it all the way to the Lunc Cu tower, marking the northernmost point In Vietnam. Climbing the tower, you ’ll get great views across the border into China. Next is a visit to the old palace of the Hmong Emperor. Surrounded by steep cliffs, they were unassailable to both the French and Chinese. Following small roads, you’ll see more limestone Karst mountains as we head towards the beautiful Quan Ba mountains. Also known as ‘Heaven’s Gate’, this area is famous for secret grottos and caves as well as colourful plum and peach trees. As we enter the valley, you’ll be greeted by two amusingly shaped hills, famously known as the ‘stone breasts.’ Dropping out of the Karst mountains, we pass the route 4 kilometre marker and will spend the night in Ha Giang.

Day 5 Ha Giang to Bac Ha (Approx. 180 km)

Today we’ll see mountains, countryside, hill tribe villages, and more. The palace of King Hoang A Tuong is well preserved on the outskirts of Bac Ha. He ruled the hill tribes of the area with French permission as he controlled the trade routes out of the mountains, notably the opium trade. Bac Ha town is famous for its hill tribe markets. Here the different tribes of the area can be found bartering and swapping their goods

Day 6 Bac Ha to Sa Pa (Approx. 170 km)

 Today begins by heading back up to the border to twist and wind along the high peaks and steep valleys. Along the way, you’ll see stepped rice paddies everywhere and tiny wooden houses halfway up the slopes. We’ll take a stop at the Lao Cai border crossing to see the big Chinese city that towers over Vietnam, and then continue along a steep winding road that leads us up the mountain to and into the famous hill tribe town of Sa Pa.

Day 7 Sa Pa (Approx. 0 km)

Today is a free day to explore the town and visit the local markets. If you didn’t yesterday, today you’ll have another opportunity to visit the world’s longest cable car ride to the top of Fan Si Pan Mountain at 3,140 metres, the highest point in Vietnam.

Day 8 Sa Pa to Nghia Lo (Approx. 230 km)

We start our ride today to visit the Silver Waterfall reputed to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the region. We continue and ride through the O Quy Ho Mountain Pass (2,035 metres) it is the longest pass in Vietnam. We ride pass Ethnic minority villages with steep valleys and stepped rice terraces. There are some amazing views to be seen today but remember to concentrate on the road.

Day 9 Nghia Lo to Mai Chau (Approx. 220 km)

Today we pass tea plantations and cross the Da River by ferry. We travel on the Moc Chau plateau and see Tat Nang Waterfall and Hoa Binh Lake. We will see wooden stilt house villages and stepped rice terraces in the Mai Chau Valley. We will visit the local tribal markets to see what is on offer.

Day 10 Mai Chau to Vinh (Approx. 300 km)

 Today begins by heading down the valley through the small villages and small farms, passing through the chopstick-making village of Co Luong. Later, we’ll ride through Pu Luong national park where incredible stepped rice paddy terraces climb up steep cliffs and thick bamboo forest. Next, we’ll join the Ho Chi Minh Trail and follow it south through rolling hills and peaceful farmland before having a local style lunch at one of many roadside rest areas. Along the coast, there are beautiful beaches and countless shrimp farms as well as small fishing villages. As we get to Vinh city, we’ll finish at our hotel relaxing by the pool.

Day 11 Vinh to Phong Nha (Approx. 210 km)

The day starts with tanks, missiles, planes and other military vehicles parked up at the Vinh museum. From there we’ll head to Dong Loc Junction, the official start of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Following the trail, you’ll see all types of countryside and farming styles in the small villages and have a local-style lunch on the lake. Continuing along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, we’ll start to climb into the mountains and eventually reach the limestone Karst formations that mark the edge of Phong Nha National Park. Finishing our ride with some of the most amazing mountain scenery in Vietnam, we will reach the Farmstay in time to watch the sunset over the rice paddies.

Day 12 Phong Nha (Approx. 0 km)

There are options to book any one-day Phong Nha-based activity. Today is a rest day. You can book an excursion to explore the national park if you wish. There are many other options including trekking, bicycle rides, boat trip, buffalo ride, or just relaxing by the pool.

Day 13 Phong Nha to Lao Bao (Approx. 250 km)

We follow the historic Victory Road through the jungle and out towards the Laos border through Phong Nha National Park, a UNESCO Heritage area of natural beauty. Next, we’ll join the Ho Chi Minh Trail West road. One of the best roads in Asia for bikers, this road should be on everyone’s bucket list. As we come to the start of the giant limestone Karst formation mountains we can stop for lunch in a small hill tribe town. in the seemingly endless mountains and jungle, you can see small wooden stilt house villages where the tribes live a peaceful traditional style. After that is an 1100 meter climb over a mountain pass in untouched jungle followed by a visit to the Khe Sanh combat base. The longest battle of all the wars in Vietnam took place here and we can see tanks, helicopters, and planes still sitting on the runway as well as a small museum. Finally, just a short ride through the coffee farms brings us to Lao Bao..

Day 14 Lao Bao to Hue (Approx. 220 km)

We’ll follow Route 9 past the remains of many US Bases and out of the mountains and start to cross the DMZ itself, now covered in rubber plantations and pine trees. From there you can visit the 17th Parallel Marker and see the famous Hien Luong Bridge. Then it’s down to the coast to find the incredible underground tunnel network at Vinh Moc village. The entire village lived underground for 8 years to escape the American bombing! A truly amazing place. We’ll have a local style lunch at Vinh Moc before following the coast through small fishing villages and aqua-farming ponds. Then we’ll cross the beautiful Tam Giang Lagoon and take the small back roads into Hue city to find the hotel..

Day 15 Hue to Da Nang (Approx. 120 km)

Begin the day with a visit to the imperial citadel of Hue, a UNESCO world heritage site, and home to the last emperors of Vietnam.

Heading out of the city, you’ll quickly find yourself back in endless rice paddies and riding small roads through the countryside where you can see the massive square fishing nets spread across the giant Tam Giang lagoon system. Afterwards, we’ll visit the City of Ghosts, Vietnam’s most luxurious cemetery followed by lunch on the beach. Next is a real treat: a short ride down the beautiful Lang Co bay brings us to the incredible Hai Van Pass, where 21 kilometres of sweeping bends over 500 metres of jungle-covered mountain gives us the most amazing coastal views in central Vietnam.

Day 16 Da Nang (Approx. 0 km)

Today’s a rest day, with many options available. A day wandering the streets of Hoi An ancient town is delightful, and diving and snorkelling are available in the summer months. If you choose to stay in Da Nang, keep in mind that Da Nang’s beach is one of the nicest in Vietnam. Diving and snorkelling are available in the summer months.

Day 17 Da Nang to Kon Tum (Approx. 320 km)

We’ll start by heading down the coast past the Marble Mountains and along the beaches of Hoi An. Leaving the coast, we can see the mountains ahead as we slowly climb through small villages and rice farming areas. The rice farming turns to acacia tree plantations and later to jungle as we climb into the hills. In the dense jungle, we’ll find waterfalls and other impressive sights. Lunch will be local style in a remote hill tribe town. The road from here is only a few years old and we often have it all to ourselves as we’ll climb up to about 1800 metres. From here, there are amazing views of untouched jungle as we ride through small ethnic minority hill tribe villages. We’ll come to Dak To with time to pose for a photo on the army tanks in the town square. A last stretch of the Ho Chi Minh trail brings us down to Kon Tum.

Day 18 Kon Tum to Quy Nhon (Approx. 200 km)

We’ll start with a quick look at the famous wooden church of Kon Tum. Built by the French, this was the centre of Catholicism in Vietnam. After that, we can stop and marvel at the high thatched roofs on the hill tribe village halls in the SeDang tribal villages. Next is a drive through the endless pepper plantations and rubber tree forests before heading east. The road will start to drop steeply off the high plateau with endless zig-zag hairpin turns to bring us down the mountain. As we finish our descent we are back into the beautiful rice paddies and corn fields, we’ll pay a visit to the towering Banh It temple sat on top of a hill. Built in the 12th century by the Cham people, it gives great views down to the coast. Our hotel sits right on the beach and we’ll arrive in time for a swim or just chill out.

Day 19 Quy Nhon to Nha Trang (Approx. 250 km)

Following the coast, you can see traditional fishing villages and beautiful beaches. We’ll cross the famous bamboo bridge to head towards the Ganh Da Dia rock formation, where black basalt rock was formed into geometric shapes by volcanic forces. Passing by the newly built and unused Tuy Hoa airport, you’ll get amazing coastal views from up on the hills. A visit is possible to the old French lighthouse if you don’t mind a few hundred steps. We’ll take the road south through the countryside and, with a few more stretches of a sweeping coastal bend, get our first glimpse of Nha Trang. A boom in tourism sees nearly 5 million visitors come to this town each year. Not bad for a city of just 500,000. After checking into the hotel, it’s out to the beach or into the lively bars and nightclubs.

Day 20 Nha Trang to Da Lat (Approx. 140 km)

Leaving the city, we stop at the Dien Khanh Citadel. Built in 1793, it is still in remarkable condition. Now we’ll start to climb the Khanh Le mountain pass, one of Vietnam’s most fun roads. Climbing steeply to over 1600 meters, you can’t keep count of the zig-zag bends! Scenic viewing areas are abundant. As we come into Da Lat there are huge fruit and vegetable farms and fields of strawberries. Da Lat grows all the produce that needs a cooler climate. We’ll a local style lunch in Da Lat town, and in the afternoon we have time to visit 2 or 3 of Da Lat’s many tourist sights. Some are interesting, some are romantic, and some are just totally crazy! Riding between tourist sights lets us explore the small lanes and French colonial villas of the city.

Day 21 Da Lat to Cat Tien (Approx. 200 km)

The Da Lat area has many famous waterfalls, and this morning we have time to enjoy 1 or 2 of them. With rolling hills and great views, we make our way to Cat Tien National Park. Cat Tien is one of the largest areas of lowland tropical forests left in Vietnam. It has been a protected area since 1978 and is home to many rare animal species.

Day 22 Cat Tien to Ho Chi Minh City (Approx. 160km)

Leaving Cat Tien, we’ll follow the small countryside roads, staying away from the heavy traffic on the main highways. There are river crossings and the Tri An Lake to enjoy today. As we head south the traffic eventually gets a bit busier, but if we time it right we should reach Ho Chi Minh City early afternoon when the traffic is quieter. The city is full of amazing architecture with new skyscrapers everywhere we look. When we reach the city, we’ll park up the bikes and enjoy a nice cold drink. When we reach the city centre and our final destination is reached.

2021 Tour dates being released soon

22 Day Tour – Total Vietnam Adventure Summary & Pricing

• Start: Ha Noi
• Finish: Ho Chi Minh
• Distance: Approx. 3,920 kms
• Motorcycle: Royal Enfield Himalayan (410cc)
• 1 Rider / 1 Bike / 1 Room: From USD 6,699.00 approx AUD 10,305.00 per person.
• 2 Riders / 2 Bikes / 1 Room: From USD 6,039.00 approx AUD 9,290.00 per person
• Price for Pillion Passenger – From USD 4,859.00 approx AUD 7,475.00 per person

Details and approximate conversion as at 23 February 2020.

What’s Included:

• 21 Nights accommodation
• Experienced English-speaking tour guide
• Good quality, top condition motorbike
• All Meals while on tour
• Snacks, water & soft drinks while on tour
• First aid kit
• Accommodation fees during tour
• Entry fees, tolls and other ‘on the road’ fees
• Waterproof jacket & pants (if required)
• 15L dry bag (if required)
• Pick up & return to hotel (or airport)
• Adventure & excitement
• Groups of 6 or more include support van
• Groups of 8 or more include tour medic

What can be added to your tour: (Please contact us for pricing)

• Private room – our standard price is based on twin room
• Support Van – if not already included
• Helmet (EU or DOT Standard certified)
• Motorbike Jacket – Lightweight, mesh style – with back, elbow & shoulder protection
• Lightweight motorbike gloves
• Pre & Post tour accommodation – we can assist with hotel recommendations

What you need to provide:

• Appropriate riding clothing – no open toe footwear
• Alcoholic drinks (if you enjoy)
• Personal Travel Insurance
• Motorcycle Licence
• International Driving Permit
• Personal expenses
• Tips
• Visa – as required
• Smiles & laughs

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