Intro
Vietnam is a beautiful country located in Southeast Asia. The diverse beauty of this country can vary from tranquil villages, a cool party city, and a coastal city to historical sites. Therefore, we decided to take the most optimal option to explore Vietnam via a motorbike tour from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Here are 6 routes we have tried!
The Itinerary Of Motorbike Tour From Hanoi To Ho Chi Minh City
#1. Cao Bang City – Pac Bo Cave Motorbike Tour
The first destination will be Bac Po Cave in Cao Bang province, the nearly furthest point of Northeast Vietnam. The total length of motorbike tours from North Vietnam to South Vietnam will be around 2,000 kilometers.
The route in Cao Bang started in Global Geopark Cao Bang. We were amazed by the size of the park, which covers more than six districts of Cao Bang province. We rode our motorbikes on mountain roads to witness the spectacular, pristine nature of the park. Besides, we got a chance to meet some indigenous people on our way.
We visited famous Vietnam historical monuments like Pac Bo Cave and Tran Hung Dao Forest. Both of these monuments are linked with the fundamental events in Vietnam’s history.
Firstly, Pac Bo Cave used to be the safe place for President Ho Chi Minh to live and prepare everything for his leadership during the revolution of Vietnamese people in the war against invasion. Tran Hung Dao forest witnessed the establishment of the present People’s Army of Vietnam.
We also challenged ourselves with the rough road conditions along the rugged trails to Ban Gioc Waterfall. Evergreen forests surrounded the roads, and sometimes, we noticed small and charming streams. Our motorbike tour came to an end in Cao Bang with a dinner full of Vietnamese specialties, like Banh Cuon, freshly made sausages, and Trung Khanh chestnut.
#2. Mai Chau Valley – Pu Luong Motorcycle Tour
Our motorbike ride to Mai Chau, a district in Hoa Binh province, was a real cultural trip. We passed the remote villages of Thai people located beside the majestic mountain range and green paddy fields.
We also spent time chatting with amazing people to learn more about their daily lives and activities. The indigenous people offered us a light lunch, including the specialties of Hoa Binh, like Lam rice and grilled fish caught from Da River.
Next, our team moved on to Pu Luong, Thanh Hoa province. If Mai Chau impressed us with the tranquil villages and peaceful lives of Thai people, Pu Luong brought us the majesty of North Vietnam’s nature with hundreds of Karst rocks and limestone mountains.
Furthermore, after conquering the off-road routes, we managed to reach the Pu Luong peak, which is 1700 meters high. From the peak, we could have a breathtaking panoramic view of primitive forests and rustic villages in Pu Luong. The precious sight was truly a reward for us after long hours of riding motorbikes on the uneven terrains.
#3. Pho Chau – Phong Nha Ke Bang Motorbike Trip
The next route of the North to South Vietnam motorbike ride began from Pho Chau to Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park. You can’t miss this off-road motorcycle route if you are an adventurous motorbiker. Apart from completing the rough terrains and contemplating the breathtaking sights along the route, we learned a lot about the bravery and patriotism of Vietnamese people from historical sites.
While riding motorbikes on the beautiful winding road, we faced curvy passes and dirty trails along primitive forests. We couldn’t forget the Da Deo Pass and the story behind it.
The Da Deo Pass was the 10-kilometer manually constructed pass in Vietnam’s resistance against the US invasion. Many young volunteers sacrificed their lives to ensure smooth transportation from North Vietnam to the Southern battle sites and vice versa via the Da Deo Pass.
After paying respect to the amazing people of Vietnam, we continued our motorbike trip on mountain roads to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, one of Vietnam’s World heritage. The total area of Phong Nha-Ke Bang is about 400,000 hectares, which also includes Laos’ territory.
The number of beautiful caves in the National Park left us in awe. Professional explorers are still determining the exact number of caves in Phong Nha-Ke Bang. Yet, the task seems to be impossible due to the massive complex of caves.
We stopped our motorbike ride for a while to go on a cruise floating along the Son River. The next stop was Tien Son dry cave, where we could witness the million-year-old stalagmites, stalactites, and rock formations inside the cave. We also tried kayaking when visiting Dark Cave.
#4. Phong Nha Ke Bang – Khe Sanh Motorcycle Trip
Saying goodbye to the largest cave complex in Vietnam, we moved on to Khe Sanh, another renowned historical place in Vietnam. During the war against the US Army, the motorbike route between Phong Nha- Ke Bang to Khe Sanh used to be known as Truong Son Tay Road. Although the road conditions are now far better than in the past, the quiet road is still covered by primitive forests, huge mountains, rough passes, and the signs of wild animals.
We spent about 24 hours finishing the 250km length of the route. Of course, we also took a rest to sleep and refilled our energy with delectable Vietnamese foods. In the evening, riding our motorbikes on the Phong Nha-Ke Bang to Khe Sanh route was a scary experience for us. We felt tiny and lonely under the majestic nature of Khe Sanh.
We suggest you shouldn’t take a single motorbike tour on the road from Phong Nha-Ke Bang to Khe Sanh. If a problem suddenly emerged, it would be extremely panicky and challenging to cope with.
#5. Buon Ma Thuot – Da Lat Motorbike Route
The fifth route in our North to South Vietnam motorbike tour was to experience the roads and sights in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
Buon Ma Thuot is the biggest and culturally rich location for coffee production in Vietnam. We rode our motorbikes, passing the large coffee plantations in Buon Ma Thuot. And we couldn’t forget to enjoy a cup of fresh coffee there to get rid of the sleepy sense.
In particular, we visited the World Coffee Museum, where we could find everything related to the coffee industry of Vietnam. The museum is equipped with modern and updated technology to allow visitors to join interactive activities.
Besides coffee, Buon Ma Thuot is famous for an iconic animal, the elephant. We arrived in Don village, the special location closely associated with the image of elephants. Previously, tourism agencies offered elephant riding trips for tourists. Yet, the government presently cancels the service for the preservation and well-being of elephants.
Leaving Buon Ma Thuot, we headed to one of the most romantic cities in Vietnam, Dalat, Lam Dong province. In Dalat, we found every spot poetic and tranquil for no reason. Along with the chilly and mysterious vibe in Dalat, the charming destinations seemed to bring us to the scene of a romantic movie. Our itinerary covered many hotspots, including Lang Biang Plateau, Xuan Huong Lake, and a series of Buddhist pagodas like Truc Lam, Van Hanh, Linh Son, Linh Phuoc, Linh Quang pagodas, to name a few.
In the late afternoon, the feeling of enjoying a cup of hot soya milk and eating unique cakes made in Dalat was a nowhere-to-be-found experience.
#6. Cat Tien National Park – Ho Chi Minh City Motorcycle Route
On the last leg, before reaching the final spot in the North to South Vietnam tour, we decided to opt for an off-road motorbike trip throughout Cat Tien National Park to avoid the infamous traffic jam of Ho Chi Minh City in rush hours.
We hired a tour guide for our offroad tour because we knew that the tour would take more than one day. It’s not a good idea to spend the whole day in a primitive forest in a strange country. The diversity of the ecosystem in the park really impressed us. Sometimes, we captured the scenes of giant trees, strange and colorful flora, and wild animals.
The dirty and muddy trails of the park made our control of motorbikes more difficult than we had expected. Yet, we still managed to reach Ho Chi Minh City and finish our Vietnam motorbike tour.
Bottom Lines
When taking a motorbike tour from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, it means that you are nearly going through the length of Vietnam. Our completed tour focuses on the mountainous and provincial roads, but we plan to take another tour along the coastal roads in the future. What about you? Kick off your pedal and explore the magnificent Vietnam now!
What riders have said about Vietnam Motorcycle Tours on Tripadvisor!
