2-Day Cao Bang Loop: Ban Gioc Waterfall & Motorbike Tour

Ride through limestone valleys and craft villages on your own motorbike

A 2-day motorbike tour of Cao Bang in northern Vietnam takes you through the UNESCO Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark to Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave, and Angel Eye Mountain, with a local guide, one night at a riverside homestay, and meals. You ride a Honda Wave Alpha 110cc semi-automatic bike yourself (or hire a driver for an extra charge). The tour starts in Cao Bang City and includes visits to traditional craft villages where artisans make incense, handmade paper, and forged tools by hand.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Craft Villages and Ngoc Con Valley

• Meet local guide and have breakfast
• Travel through Ma Phuc Pass and visit incense village
• Visit Dia Tren Paper Village and make paper
• Visit Phuc Sen Blacksmith Village
• Have lunch at local restaurant
• Explore Phong Nam Valley
• Travel to Ngoc Con Valley along scenic border road
• Check in riverside homestay and relax
• Enjoy home-cooked dinner at homestay

Day 2: Ban Gioc Waterfall and Angel Eye Mountain

• Optional cycling along Quay Son River and visit market
• Have breakfast at local market
• Visit Ban Gioc Waterfall
• Visit Truc Lam Phat Tich Pagoda
• Explore Nguom Ngao Cave
• Have lunch at local restaurant
• Discover Angel Eye Mountain and surrounding grasslands
• Return to Cao Bang City

The experience

The first day builds around the craft villages and river valleys that frame Cao Bang's working landscape. You meet your guide at 8 am for a traditional breakfast, then ride through Ma Phuc Pass to an incense-making village where artisans still hand-craft bamboo incense, then to Dia Tren Paper Village where you make your own sheet of handmade paper with a local family. A blacksmith village follows (the craftsmen forge farming tools using techniques passed down through generations) before lunch at a local restaurant. The afternoon ride takes you through Phong Nam Valley's rice fields and limestone mountains, then along one of Vietnam's most scenic border roads to Ngoc Con Valley, where the Quay Son River winds through the landscape. You stay overnight at a riverside homestay, eating a home-cooked dinner with your hosts.

Day two centers on the three major natural sites. An optional 12 km cycling ride at dawn follows the Quay Son River through villages and bamboo paths to Co La Waterfall and a traditional market (bike rental is an extra charge). After breakfast at the market, you ride to Ban Gioc Waterfall, the world's fourth-largest cross-border waterfall, where cascading water drops into emerald rice fields ringed by limestone mountains. Truc Lam Phat Tich Pagoda overlooks the falls from a ridge. Nguom Ngao Cave, explored in about 40 minutes, holds stalactites and rock formations carved over millions of years. Lunch comes at a local restaurant. The afternoon takes you to Angel Eye Mountain, where a giant natural opening in the rock gives the peak its name. The surrounding grasslands are open and untouched, with horses and buffalo grazing freely. You return to Cao Bang City by late afternoon.

The tour includes a Honda Wave Alpha 110cc semi-automatic motorbike, gasoline, a friendly local guide who speaks English or Vietnamese, one night at the homestay, dinner, breakfast, lunch, entrance fees, basic rain gear, and one 1.5-liter bottle of water per day. If you don't hold an International Motorbike Driving Permit or prefer not to ride, you can hire a local driver for an extra charge, or arrange a private car for a separate fee. Contact the operator at least 24 hours before departure to confirm your choice.

What’s included

• A Honda Wave Alpha 110cc semi-automatic motorbike and gasoline.
• one night at a local riverside homestay.
• dinner on day one and breakfast on day two.
• lunch on both days.
• entrance fees to all sites.
• a friendly local guide fluent in English or Vietnamese.
• basic rain gear and bungee cords for your bags.
• one 1.5-liter bottle of water per person per day.
• pickup in Cao Bang City.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (16 to 80 years) · Child (5 to 15 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish and Vietnamese

Audio guideEnglish and Vietnamese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 118

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Cao Bang Adventure

Is this one for you?The tour starts in Cao Bang City at 8 am, so you can arrive by bus, shared taxi, or hotel transfer the night before. If you're staying elsewhere in the city or arriving without your own transport, this pickup point works for anyone. You meet your guide and ride from there, and the motorbike is your transport for both days, so you don't need a separate vehicle to get around the region.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Vietnamese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 15 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

Do I need an International Motorbike Driving Permit to ride on this tour?

Yes, you must hold a valid International Motorbike Driving Permit to ride the motorbike yourself. If you don't have one or prefer not to ride, you can hire a local driver to ride with you for an extra charge, or book a private car option instead.

What is Ban Gioc Waterfall like when you arrive?

Ban Gioc Waterfall is the world's fourth-largest cross-border waterfall, with cascading water dropping into emerald rice fields surrounded by dramatic limestone mountains. You visit it in the morning of day two, and can also see it from Truc Lam Phat Tich Pagoda, which overlooks the falls from a ridge.

Where do you sleep on this 2-day tour?

You stay one night at a local riverside homestay beside the Quay Son River, surrounded by bamboo and rice fields. Dinner and breakfast are shared with your local hosts. A bungalow room upgrade is available for an extra charge if you prefer private accommodation.

What happens on the optional cycling morning?

The optional 12 km bike ride starts at dawn on day two along the Quay Son River, passing through quiet villages, bamboo-lined paths, and rice fields before stopping at Co La Waterfall and a traditional local market. Bicycle rental costs extra and is arranged at checkout.

How does the tour handle the motorbike if I don't want to ride?

You have two alternatives: hire a local driver to ride the motorbike with you for an extra charge per day, or book a private car option instead. Choose your preference when booking and confirm with the operator at least 24 hours before departure.

What is Nguom Ngao Cave, and how long do you spend there?

Nguom Ngao Cave is one of northern Vietnam's finest limestone caves, filled with stalactites and rock formations sculpted over millions of years. The exploration takes about 40 minutes on day two, after Ban Gioc Waterfall.