3-Day Ha Giang Loop Motorbike Tour: Dong Van Karst Plateau

Ride mountain passes and stay in villages where the people who live there show you around.

A 3-day motorbike tour of the Ha Giang Loop in Northern Vietnam with a local guide, staying in traditional homestays in ethnic villages. You ride through Dong Van Karst Plateau, cross Ma Pi Leng Pass above the Nho Que River gorge, visit the Vuong Family Palace, and stop at terraced fields, weaving villages and waterfalls. The tour moves at a slow pace with time to rest, eat local food and connect with the communities along the route.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Ha Giang City to Du Gia Village

• Pick up at Ha Giang City
• Drive through Bac Sum Pass
• Visit Quan Ba Heaven Gate Pass
• Drink at cafe on mountain top
• Climb stairs to Twin Mountain viewpoint
• Lunch in Quan Ba
• Visit Lung Tam weaving village
• Drive through Duong Thuong and Lung Ho valleys
• Explore rice fields and Tay stilt houses in Du Gia
• Visit Du Gia Waterfall
• Stay overnight at local Tay house
• Dinner with Tay cuisine and Ngo wine

Day 2: Du Gia to Dong Van via Meo Vac

• Visit terraced fields around Mau Due
• Pass M-shaped bend and Happiness Road
• Relaxing cruise on Nho Que River
• Admire Ma Pi Leng Pass and Nho Que River
• Stop at Ma Pi Leng monument
• Stay overnight in Dong Van
• Enjoy street food at Dong Van Old Quarter
• Join local dancing and singing

Day 3: Dong Van to Ha Giang City

• Visit Vuong Family Palace
• Explore Sung La Valley H’Mong villages
• Visit Chin Khoanh Pass
• Stop at Tham Ma slope
• Coffee break and photos
• Pass Yen Minh and Can Ty slope
• Check in Co Don Tree and Van Chai Rock
• Visit Thai An waterfall
• Coffee and rest at Tu San alley in Cat Ly
• Return to Ha Giang City

The experience

The tour starts in Ha Giang City and heads north through Bac Sum Pass toward Quan Ba Heaven's Gate, a mountain pass where two peaks rise side by side. You stop at a cafe on top to take in the view, then descend halfway to climb stairs to the Twin Mountain viewpoint. After lunch in Quan Ba, the route passes through Lung Tam Village, a traditional weaving settlement where H'Mong artisans still make brocade by hand. The road winds through valleys toward Du Gia, where Tay ethnic stilt houses sit among rice fields. The first day ends at Du Gia Waterfall. You cool off in the water, then stay at a local's house and eat Tay cuisine with Ngo wine, the local drink called "Happy Water."

Day two takes you through terraced rice fields around Mau Due, then onto the M-shaped bend and Happiness Road. A boat ride on the Nho Que River lets you float beneath the Tu San gorge, the highest limestone gorge in Southeast Asia. The afternoon climbs Ma Pi Leng Pass, one of the most dangerous stretches on the loop. You stop at the monument and walk to viewpoints that show the pass from above and the river far below. You overnight in Dong Van, explore the Old Quarter at night, and can join locals dancing and singing in the square. Your second night is in an H'Mong ethnic homestay.

The final day visits Vuong Family Palace, the seat of the H'Mong king, to see the blend of H'Mong, French and Chinese architecture. Sung La Valley holds some of the oldest H'Mong villages on the loop. The route crosses Chin Khoanh Pass and Tham Ma slope, a UNESCO-listed pass in the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark. You stop for coffee and photos, pass through Yen Minh, and check in at spots like Co Don Tree and Van Chai Rock. Before returning to Ha Giang City, you see Thai An waterfall and rest at a miniature Tu San alley in Cat Ly, ending the tour in the late afternoon.

What’s included

• Motorbike (depending on your option: as a passenger, self-drive rental, or with an Easy Rider).
• local guide in English.
• three nights in traditional homestays.
• one bottle of drinking water per day.
• dinner on nights one and two.

Options for this experience

3 options

Ride Behind Your FriendGuide in English · No fixed timeAnans Home – Ha Giang Loop

Self DriveGuide in English · No fixed timeAnans Home in Ha Giang

With Easy RiderGuide in English · No fixed timeAnans Home: one free night in a dormitory room at Anans Home Ha Giang

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 70 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go 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.

Prices and times updated 17 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Anans Travel

Is this one for you?Choose Self Drive if you want to control the pace and handle the bike yourself. Choose Ride Behind Your Friend or With Easy Rider if you'd rather relax and let someone else navigate the mountain roads while you take in the scenery and take photos.

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Top questions

What's the difference between riding behind a friend, self-driving, and going with an Easy Rider on this tour?

You choose your option at checkout. Ride Behind Your Friend means you travel as a passenger on a guide's motorbike; Self Drive means you rent your own bike and ride independently with the guide leading; With Easy Rider means a professional motorbike taxi driver takes you on their bike. All three options follow the same 3-day route and stay in the same homestays.

Do I need a motorbike license to book this tour?

A valid license is required only if you choose the Self Drive option. If you ride behind a friend or with an Easy Rider, no license is needed.

What are the homestays like on nights one and two?

Night one is in a Tay-style bungalow at a local's house in Du Gia, where you eat dinner with the family. Night two is in an H'Mong ethnic homestay in Dong Van. Both are traditional family-run accommodations in the villages, not hotels.

How much time do you actually spend riding each day?

The tour is built around slow travel, so you're not rushed between stops. Each day includes multiple passes, villages, viewpoints and natural sites with time to rest, eat and connect with locals. The exact riding time varies depending on how long you linger at each place.

What's included in the price and what do I need to bring money for?

Included are the guide, motorbike rental (depending on your option), three nights' accommodation, one bottle of drinking water per day, and dinner. You pay separately for lunch, snacks, coffee stops, and any tips for the guide and riders.

Is there a permit needed to visit the border area on the Ha Giang Loop?

An entry permit to the border area is not included in the tour price, so you'll need to arrange or purchase it separately if required for the sections of the route near the border.