Crossing Vietnam Top Gear Style: 22-Day Motorbike Adventure North to South

Tour Introduction

Ever since the Top Gear team rode the length of Vietnam, crossing the country by motorbike has topped the bucket list of adventure riders everywhere. This is that dream, done properly: a 22-day expedition from the far northern border to the streets of Saigon, tracing more than 3,800 kilometres of mountain passes, jungle trails, coastal roads and the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail.

This is Vietnam end to end and at your own pace. You'll ride the limestone highlands of Ha Giang and the fabled Ma Pi Leng Pass, climb Tram Ton — the highest road in the country — and drop through the Flower H'mong markets of Bac Ha. You'll follow the Ho Chi Minh Trail past wartime tunnels, cemeteries and the DMZ, weave through the primitive forests of the Truong Son range on what many riders call the finest road in Vietnam, and unwind in the lantern-lit lanes of ancient Hoi An. Then it's into the Central Highlands — coffee plantations, ethnic minority villages, hanging bridges and hidden battlefields — before the final run down to Ho Chi Minh City.

This is a genuine adventure ride, not a sightseeing shuttle. You'll ride nimble, dependable machines — the Honda CRF 250–300 and Tenere 700 — chosen to handle everything from smooth asphalt passes to muddy trails, stream crossings and landslide-scarred backroads. Every stage is fully guided by an experienced English-speaking rider, with accommodation, meals, fuel, permits and boat transfers all handled, plus homestays with Tay, Thai and H'mong families along the way. Come ready: this is the whole of Vietnam, coast to border, exactly as it should be crossed — on two wheels.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1 — Hanoi to Ba Be Lake · 240 km

Pickup at 7:30am and a quick bike test before we escape the city, staying off the busy main roads until a lunch stop at Cho Chu town in Thai Nguyen. From there it's on to Pac Ngoi village on the shore of Ba Be Lake — Vietnam's largest natural lake, formed some 200 million years ago and ringed by limestone cliffs and primary forest. Tonight you stay with a Tay family on the water's edge.

Day 2 — Ba Be Lake to Meo Vac · 170 km

The adventure gets real: after 40 km of small roads, the route drops onto jungle trails that splash across streams. Lunch in Bao Lac, then a spectacular climb to Meo Vac over high passes overlooking the emerald Nho Que River, reaching your homestay by around 5pm.

Day 3 — Meo Vac to Dong Van to Ha Giang · 175 km

A day of asphalt touring through remote country and a patchwork of ethnic communities. Highlights come thick and fast — the legendary Ma Pi Leng Pass, one of the north's four great passes; the Dong Van Rock Plateau UNESCO Geo-Park; the H'mong king's Vuong Palace; and the "Heaven's Gate" viewpoint. You reach Ha Giang in the afternoon for a Tay family homestay.

Day 4 — Ha Giang to Hoang Su Phi to Bac Ha · 155 km

Northwestern mountain riding with off-road sections, sweeping green rice terraces and remote H'mong villages. You arrive late afternoon in Bac Ha — the capital of the Flower H'mong, whose intricately embroidered costumes can take three to five months to make by hand. Hotel for the night.

Day 5 — Bac Ha to Sa Pa · 155 km

An optional visit to the famous Bac Ha Sunday market before 11am, then mountain riding with dirt-road stretches through H'mong villages, climbing to around 1,600 metres. Evening free to explore the hill town of Sa Pa and find dinner at your own pace.

Day 6 — Sa Pa to Than Uyen · 115 km

A relaxed morning in Sa Pa before checkout at 12:30pm. The day's centrepiece is Tram Ton Pass — at over 2,000 metres, the highest road in Vietnam — with jaw-dropping views over the Hoang Lien mountain range and tea gardens spilling down the slopes. Arrival by 4:30pm.

Day 7 — Than Uyen to Mu Cang Chai to Ta Xua to Bac Yen · 245 km

A big, rewarding day of high passes, tea country and rice valleys dotted with H'mong and Thai villages. Lunch in Nghia Lo, then an afternoon of off-road riding up to the cloud-hunting peak of Ta Xua before a late arrival into Bac Yen. Hotel overnight.

Day 8 — Bac Yen to Mai Chau (via Old Route 6) · 165 km

Paved road traces a scenic stream down to a reservoir and a ferry crossing. Then comes a challenging 50 km section — landslide-prone and rough — through Kinh, Black Thai and White Thai country. After lunch you join the historic Old Route 6 into a Thai village homestay in Mai Chau.

Day 9 — Mai Chau to Tan Ky · 268 km

The longest day so far follows the Ma River on winding roads before joining the Ho Chi Minh Highway through remote backcountry near the Laos border. In the afternoon the route swings east toward the coast, ending in peaceful Tan Ky. Hotel overnight.

Day 10 — Tan Ky to Huong Khe (Ha Tinh) · 160 km

Riding inland toward the border, you reach Kim Lien village, birthplace of Ho Chi Minh and a genuine shrine to the Vietnamese people. Through Thanh Chuong you cross the Lam River on the Ro Bridge, then reach Dong Loc Junction — the beginning of the Ho Chi Minh Trail — set among karst limestone scenery. Hotel in Huong Khe.

Day 11 — Huong Khe to Phong Nha (Quang Binh) · 210 km

Quiet highway riding passes Khe Ve Junction and Pheo, the very first branch of the Ho Chi Minh Trail into Laos. After lunch, a dragon-boat trip carries you into the spectacular Phong Nha Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Overnight in a hotel inside the national park.

Day 12 — Phong Nha to Dong Ha (Quang Tri) · 176 km + 80 km

A morning of highway riding with a stop at Truong Son National Cemetery, honouring the war's fallen, then across the Ben Hai River at Ben Tat Bridge. The afternoon is steeped in history: the Vinh Moc Tunnels, the DMZ, Doc Mieu firebase and the historic Hien Luong Bridge. Hotel in Dong Ha.

Day 13 — Dong Ha to Khe Sanh to A Luoi · 200 km

Highway 9 climbs into the Truong Son foothills, crossing the Dakrong Bridge after 16 km. You'll take in Khe Sanh — a famous forward base — and nearby Ta Con Airbase, then cross the Dakrong River onto Route 14 for a visit to Pa Co village and Pe Ke Pass before an overnight in A Luoi.

Day 14 — A Luoi to Thanh My to Hoi An · 240 km

Many riders call this the best day of the whole trip. A 110 km ribbon of one of Vietnam's longest, most stunning passes threads through primitive forest beneath the towering Truong Son range, punctuated by two long tunnels and almost no traffic. The final 40 km — older and bumpier — delivers you to the charming ancient town of Hoi An. Hotel overnight.

Day 15 — Hoi An · Free at Leisure

A well-earned rest day in UNESCO-listed Hoi An, the lantern-lit former trading port on the Thu Bon River. Wander the old town, get clothes tailored, eat superbly, relax on the beach, or take an optional trip to China Beach — the day is yours.

Day 16 — Hoi An to My Son to Kham Duc · 200 km

A morning at My Son, the Cham empire's answer to Angkor Wat, with brick temples dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The highway then narrows and turns challenging alongside the river, climbing through steep valleys past striking rock formations and waterfalls. Hotel in Kham Duc.

Day 17 — Kham Duc to Kon Tum · 190 km

Highway 14 rolls through bumpy stretches to De and Trieng minority villages along the Dak Po Ko River, famous for its many dramatic hanging bridges. Lunch at Tan Canh, then Se Dang villages and the wartime battlefields of Dak To and Charlie hill. In Kon Tum you can visit the wooden Catholic cathedral and orphanage or explore a Bahnar village. Hotel overnight.

Day 18 — Kon Tum to Buon Ma Thuot · 240 km

The historic Ho Chi Minh Trail (Highway 14C) runs alongside Highway 14, linking Kon Tum, Pleiku and Buon Ma Thuot. After lunch in Pleiku, the route follows the Tun River and climbs passes through coffee plantations and Gia Rai stilt houses. You descend Nha Rong Pass into Buon Ma Thuot — site of the final battle of the Vietnam War in March 1975 — for an evening of coffee tasting and local beer. Hotel overnight.

Day 19 — Buon Ma Thuot to Lak Lake to Da Lat · 200 km

Route 27 offers small, rough roads to Lak Lake, home to some 31 different ethnic groups with long traditions of elephant taming. Three forest passes — Krong No, Chuoi and Phu Son — wind through narrow, tree-lined switchbacks before a late-afternoon arrival in the hill town of Da Lat. Hotel overnight.

Day 20 — Da Lat Touring

A day in the "City of Eternal Spring": gardens, waterfalls and lakes, the cathedral and convent, the old university, pagodas, the Valley of Love and Vietnam's finest flower gardens. Hotel overnight.

Day 21 — Da Lat to Cat Tien National Park · 190 km

Road 20 winds down to the forests of Cat Tien, once an army headquarters and heavily sprayed with Agent Orange during the war, now a protected haven of rare wildlife. Guesthouse overnight inside the park.

Day 22 — Cat Tien to Ho Chi Minh City

The final ride brings you into the buzzing chaos of Saigon — the traffic gets wild as the city closes in — where the journey ends at the train station, with guide recommendations for onward lodging and dining. Twenty-two days, the length of a nation, complete.

Tour Conclusion

Twenty-two days. More than 3,800 kilometres. The entire length of Vietnam, from the limestone passes of the far north to the streets of Saigon — this is the crossing that inspired a generation of riders, done the way it was meant to be done. Ha Giang and Ma Pi Leng, Tram Ton and the Truong Son forests, the Ho Chi Minh Trail and the DMZ, ancient Hoi An and the coffee highlands: it's every side of the country strung into one unforgettable ride.

Every stage is fully guided by an experienced English-speaking rider, on dependable, capable machines — Honda XR/RX 150s as standard, with Honda CRF 250–300 and Kawasaki KLX upgrades for those who want more. Accommodation, meals, fuel, permits and boat transfers are all handled, and homestays with Tay, Thai and H'mong families put you right among the people who call these mountains home. If you're a rider ready for the ultimate Vietnam crossing, this is the adventure of a lifetime.

Ready to ride? Get in touch to check dates, choose your bike, and lock in your place on the 22-Day Crossing Vietnam Top Gear adventure.

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