21 days Central and Northern Vietnam Culture
21 days Central and Northern Vietnam Culture
$3770
21 days Central and Northern Vietnam Culture
21 Days Starting and ending in Hanoi, Vietnam
Visiting: Hội An, Thua Thien Hue, Đồng Hới, Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, Thái Hòa, Tam Cốc – Bích Động - Ninh Bình, Việt Nam, Mai Châu District, Nghĩa Lộ, Sa Pa, Bắc Hà District, Hà Giang, Đồng Văn District, Bảo Lạc District, Ba Bể District, Hanoi
Tour operator:
Tour code:
VIE
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
6 - 12
Age range:
18-99
Special diets catered:
Regular foods
Tour operated in:
English , GermanTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Private Available:
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Tour Overview
Through beautiful mountain roads, we visit colorful markets and see the most special tribes. We get a taste of Vietnam’s culinary diversity and explore historical sites. We start in beautiful Hoi An, which is situated along the river. We visit the historic Hindu site of My Son, walk through the forbidden purple city in Hue, and descend the tunnel complex in Vinh Moc. We ride through beautiful valleys and rugged mountain roads, enjoying the early morning mist as we pass vast rice terraces and small mountain villages with locals clad in colorful, traditional clothing. We will end this tour via dike routes in buzzing Hanoi. A journey by motorcycle through this unknown area will introduce you to the unprecedented and unadulterated beauty of Central-North Vietnam (Dai-Viet).?
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrival - Hoi An
Location: Hội An
Accommodation: Hotel
Depending on the airline, you will arrive at Da Nang Airport in the morning or afternoon. It is then about a 45-minute drive to the hotel in the center of the old town. Hoi Ann is a small town with traditional houses that many travelers experience as one of the most attractive and fun places in Vietnam. The town is located along the river, there is a colorful market and there are traditional streets filled with historic Chinese-influenced buildings and small Chinese shrines.
Day 2 : Hoi An - Accomodation - Half-Day Tour
Location: Hội An
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we test the motorbikes and ride to my Son (30 km from Hoi An). My Son was the political and religious center of the Cham people. These are the descendants of the inhabitants of the ancient kingdom of Champa. Although the war has left its mark, it is still an interesting and attractive place to visit. You can spend the rest of the day exploring the city. You can take a boat trip on the river or to the nearby beach. There are delicious restaurants and charming cafes in Hoi An.
Day 3 : Hoi An - Hue
Location: Thua Thien Hue
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
We start driving through the Marble mountains in Da Nang. During the war, American ships were bombed from the coast and the caves in these mountains. Today it is a marble quarry and the surrounding villages are home to marble artists. Then we take a breathtaking mountain pass along the sea, then past Bach Ma National park, and we end in Hue. There we visit the ancient Citadel of Hue, where the Forbidden Purple City is located.
Day 4 : Hue - Dong Hoi
Location: Đồng Hới
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
We visit the Vinh Moc tunnel complex. Where the Chi-Chi tunnels in the south - near Ho Chi Minh City - mainly functioned as war routes. The Vinh Moc tunnels were shelters for residents of the village to escape the intensive American bombing. At that time, approximately 60 families lived here and 17 children were born here. This horrific war is still visible in the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). DMZ was the dividing line between North and South Vietnam during the war. After the tour, we get on the motorbike and ride along the coast to Dong Hoi. This city was destroyed during the Vietnam War. The city is located along the and is now very attractive again because of the beautiful beaches, colorful markets and delicious Vietnamese coffee.
Day 5 : Dong Hoi - Phong Nha
Location: Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we have an adventurous route through part of the Ke Bang National Park. This park consists of 90% primary forestation. This forest is therefore not influenced by humans and that results in a high degree of biodiversity. Here we also find the most secret part of the Ho Chi Minh route. This was a logistical system of trails, roads and rivers that connected North Vietnam to South Vietnam via the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia. Through this infrastructure, the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam and the Vietnamese People's Army supplied their troops during the Vietnam War. The route came about after the American army closed the sea route, forcing the North to transport its transport over land. The path was subject to bombardment from 3 million tons of explosives. In the afternoon we take a boat trip to visit the Phong Nha caves. These caves were formed about 250 million years ago and are the largest and most beautiful caves in the country. The cave is at least 8 kilometers deep with a network of underground rivers. We will spend the night in a small village nearby.
Day 6 : Phong Nha - Thai Hoa
Location: Thái Hòa
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we spend the whole day on the road. We are driving on an infamous road towards Ho Chi Minh, and we follow this road north. This legendary road was once just a road through the jungle that the North Vietnamese forces used to supply the Viet Cong in the South during the Vietnam War. We follow almost deserted roads through spectacular mountains and ride past the Vu Quang National Park, a remote area on the border with Laos. A few years ago, the saola or spindle horn, also known as the Vu Quang ox, was spotted for the first time. It is one of the rarest animals in the world. People from the Muong ethnic minority group live in and around this national park.
Day 7 : Thai Hoa - Tam Coc
Location: Tam Cốc – Bích Động - Ninh Bình, Việt Nam
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
We continue the infamous Ho Chi Minh route and ride through small villages and rice fields. The road is getting narrower, this region is sparsely populated. We hardly encounter any tourists here. We get to know life in rural Vietnam. We ride through small villages, past rubber plantations, tea and grain fields and see past bulls grazing and plowing in the rice fields. What is striking about this area is that there are more churches than temples.
Day 8 : Tam Coc - Stay
Location: Tam Cốc – Bích Động - Ninh Bình, Việt Nam
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we take a boat trip of approximately 1,5 hours to view the beautiful limestone mountains, natural caves and authentic agricultural activities. It is a short ride to Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Northern Vietnam. Some temples were built in honor of the first Vietnamese emperor Đinh Tiên Hoàng (924-979) (r. 968 – 979), after the country's liberation from the rule of the southern Chinese Han dynasty.
Day 9 : Tam Coc - Mai Chau
Location: Mai Châu District
Accommodation: Homestay
Meals Included: Breakfast
We continue our journey in the west direction. We ride on narrow and quiet country roads and pass a few national parks on the way to Mai Chau. The town is situated in an idyllic valley, hemmed in by hills and rice fields. The valley holds several Thai villages, characterized by traditional stilt houses. If time and weather permits, we can take an optional loop through the hills and partially unpaved tracks to visit a chopstick factory.
Day 10 : Mai Chau - Nghia Lo
Location: Nghĩa Lộ
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
We are awakened by the birdsong and the water flowing through streams. Today we again follow a narrow but paved road. It is a beautiful area and along the route there are many small villages and tea plantations. In the morning we mainly meet Thai people, but later we see more and more Hmong people. We cross the black river on a ferry and continue our way to Nghia Lo. This is a rapidly growing mountain town and is located at the intersection of two major roads. In the city you will encounter Dao and Hmong people.
Day 11 : Nghia Lo - Sa Pa
Location: Sa Pa
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
We ride further north. The landscape is beautiful here. On both sides of the roads, there are green rice terraces built against the mountainsides. We ride through the mountains, crossing over a few high passes. There are more Dao people in this area. 40 kilometers before Sa Pa we will climb the highest pass of this trip. Sa Pa is the most touristic place we visit on this trip. However, since we avoid visiting during the weekend market we do not encounter too many tourists. Sa Pa is situated at an altitude of 1500 meters; during the French colonization it developed as a summer retreat to escape the oppressive heat in the lower parts of the country.
Day 12 : Sa Pa - Stay
Location: Sa Pa
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Sa Pa is a charming place to spend a day. You can walk in the valley just behind the town, rent a bicycle or quietly explore the town and the market.
Day 13 : Sa Pa - Bac Ha
Location: Bắc Hà District
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
We ride the first 110 kilometers of the day on a fully paved road. On the way, we stop in Lao Cai to take a look at the Chinese border. The Red River separates the two countries and a railway bridge connects the countries again. On the opposite side of the river, we see the tall buildings of relatively richer China. We take the highway for a few kilometers and then take an exit onto a small country road heading east along the Chinese border. This tour is full of hills, bends, rice terraces and river views. Bac Ha is a typical Northern Vietnamese village with lively people, located in a valley.
Day 14 : Bac Ha - Ha Giang
Location: Hà Giang
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Just north of the Bac Ha we turn right and follow a small road. We then ride through a spectacular area littered with jagged rocks. The people of the Hmong villages are surprised to see us. They rarely see foreigners here and certainly not on motorcycles! After a beautiful descent, we arrive in Xin Man. Just outside Xin Man we cross the bridge and turn right. We follow the river to the village of Huang Su Phi. There are many people from the Nung tribe here. There are also many Nung villages along the way. After every bend we have a view of the beautiful green rice terraces. The last part after Ha Giang we have to follow the main road. One has to be a little careful in busy traffic. Ha Giang is the capital of the province. We will spend the night in a resort on the river, just outside the center.
Day 15 : Ha Giang - Dong Van
Location: Đồng Văn District
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we leave for our ride through the exceptionally beautiful and unique karst mountain region. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site named ‘Karst Plateau Geopark’ and locally known as ‘Dong Van - Meo Vac’ after the two largest villages. Immediately after Ha Giang, the road narrows and we climb over a beautiful ridge. We take our time to experience and absorb the breathtaking landscape and the hardworking hill tribes that are able to grow maize on apparently impossible places.
Day 16 : Dong Van - Stay
Location: Đồng Văn District
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we take time to explore the area, relax in the city, or both. One option is to visit one of the former Hmong king's palaces. Also, a short but adventurous trail takes us further north, to the Chinese border. It is also possible to take a ride along narrow roads to visit small villages in the immediate area.
Day 17 : Dong Van - Bao Lac
Location: Bảo Lạc District
Accommodation: Homestay
Meals Included: Breakfast
This morning we wake up with a view of the spectacular Ma Pi Leng Pass. It is only 21 kilometers, but Vietnamese poets have expressed their love here. We will take plenty of time today to explore the area. It is a quiet route through an undulating landscape covered with rice terraces.
Day 18 : Bao Lac - Ba Be
Location: Ba Bể District
Accommodation: Homestay
Meals Included: Breakfast
We ride along narrow roads to Lake Ba Be. We have to put our motorbikes on small boats to cross the river. Than we arrive at our accommodation. The Ba Be lakes are located in the eponymous national park. The lakes are surrounded by jagged karst rocks. The National Park is made of limestone, so there are lakes, waterfalls, caves and strange rock formations in abundance. You can encounter special animal species such as the king cobra, the Asian black bear and the Asian golden cat, and there are more than 350 species of butterflies. The Ba Be lake is the largest in the country. It is about seven kilometres long and one kilometre wide. Within the park boundaries there are also a number of villages with ethnic minorities, such as the Tay, Red Dao and White H’mong.
Day 19 : Ba Be - Ha Noi
Location: Hanoi
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
This is a long day of driving back to the capital. In the morning the roads are quiet but after passing Thai Nguyen, it gets busier. It is the last stage of the journey but perhaps the most special. For many participants, riding in the city in busy traffic is a fantastic end to the motorcycle trip.
Day 20 : Hanoi - Stay
Location: Hanoi
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today you can explore Hanoi. During the colonial era, Hanoi was the capital of French Indochina. The French history is still clearly visible, partly through the wide boulevards and the old villas. You can walk around the old quarter through small streets and past busy shops. Or visit museums and pagodas. In the evening you can enjoy delicious Vietnamese dishes during dinner.
Day 21 : Departure
Location: Noi Bai International Airport
Meals Included: Breakfast
If you have not booked an extension for Ha Long Bay, then you will leave early in the morning to go to Hanoi airport for your flight back home.
What's Included
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All airport transfers
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All overnight stays with sometimes breakfast
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Boat trip on Lake Ba Be
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Dong Van permit
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Motorcycle rental from day 3 to day 20
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Support car with local driver
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Mechanic traveling in support car
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Multilingual tour guide on the motorcycle
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Extensive travel manual
What's Not Included
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Gasoline engines
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Personal expenses
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Visa costs
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Other meals and drinks
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Travel and cancellation insurance
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Boat trip Ha Long Bay
Accommodation
During this tour, we stay in a mix of accommodations from semi-luxurious to simple homestays.
Mode of Transport
During this trip you will ride a Kawasaki KLX 150cc. If you prefer a Honda XR 250cc engine, this is possible at an additional cost (see prices page), please indicate this when registering. The 250 cc are available in limited quantities.
A support car will accompany you during this trip. This is driven by our local driver. The support car will transport the luggage, parts and tools. There is room in the support car for any duo passengers who do not want or cannot ride on the back.
Check out our Q&As
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Medicines, illnesses and physical condition
If you are dependent on medicines (such as insulin) or if you have certain limitations due to your health, you should inform the tour guide of this at the beginning of the trip. If you are not sure whether you can carry out the trip in a responsible manner with a certain illness or health problems, contact your doctor well before departure. Keep in mind that the journeys can be physically and mentally strenuous and that this can be reinforced if the weather conditions or other external factors influence the journey. We expect each participant to be well informed about the difficulty of the journey. You must declare that you are in sufficient good health to complete the trip successfully and without any problems (see bottom of this page). Motor Trails is not responsible for the consequences of your own health and physical condition during the trip. Of course, if possible we will assist you en route for long as possible, provided that the rest of the group does not suffer too much from this.
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Clothing
The climate is different at each destination. At the furthest tip of Tierra del Fuego it can be around freezing, whilst in Cambodia it is rarely below 25 degrees. It is wise, therefore, to base your riding gear on the local temperature. Regardless, the minimum equipment comprises: - Sturdy long (mountain) boots or motorcycle boots - Gloves - Sturdy (motorcycle) jacket with added protection at shoulders and elbow, with or without removable lining - Helmet - Sturdy long (motorcycle) trousers preferably with knee protection or motorcycle trousers Additional advice on clothing and riding equipment is available upon request.
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Weather conditions and natural influences
Our trips are planned as much as possible in the most favorable season. Nothing, however, is as unpredictable as the weather. Especially in the areas where Motor Trails organizes trips, the weather is an important factor in the experience of the journey. The weather can force us to take alternative routes, to adapt the program or, in the event of a very bad weather forecast and in consultation with the participants, to end the trip prematurely. Natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions can also strongly influence the course of the trip. In this event, Motor Trails will offer alternatives and put these into practice in consultation with the group. Motor Trails is not in any way liable, however, for the consequences of these external influences on the trip. In such cases, Clause 9.5 of the General Terms and Conditions will come into effect.
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Low Deposit
Motor Trails requires a minimum deposit of 15% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 57 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of motor trails charges.
Up to 57 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 28 days before tour starts: Forfeit 75% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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