Ha Giang Loop: 3-Day Motorbike Tour with Private Room & Local Meals

Summary

Ha Giang’s wild passes, riverside villages and slow mornings

You’ll wind through Ha Giang’s wildest passes by motorbike with a local guide who knows every shortcut. Eat lunch in mountain towns, float down the Nho Que River beneath towering cliffs, try Tay home cooking (and “happy water”), then sleep off-road in your own private room each night. It’s not polished — but you’ll remember how it felt.

What’s the experience like?

“This is the ‘happy water’ — just a little!” That’s what our host in Du Gia said as he poured out the corn wine. I laughed because my legs were still wobbly from that day’s ride — those switchbacks on Ma Pi Leng Pass are no joke. We’d started early in Ha Giang City, after a night at the hostel (they let us stay for free before the tour), and by mid-morning we were already winding through Quan Ba Heaven Gate. Our guide, Minh, kept pointing out things I’d never have noticed — a lone tree clinging to a cliff, women in bright scarves selling fruit by the roadside. The air smelled faintly of woodsmoke and something sweet I couldn’t place.

Lunch was always simple but good — noodles or rice in little towns like Yen Minh or Meo Vac, where everyone seemed to know Minh. He’d chat with someone over tea while we stretched our legs. Sometimes I’d just stand there and watch clouds move over those sharp hills. At Sung La valley, we stopped at Lung Cam village; there was this old H’Mong house from some famous movie (Minh called it “Pao’s house”) and I tried to say hello in their dialect. Didn’t go well — got a lot of giggles from the kids though.

The second day was wild: boat ride on Nho Que River under these cliffs that made me feel tiny. The water was cold if you dipped your hand in — not that I fell in or anything (almost). Dinner that night was Tay food at our homestay, everything cooked over an open fire. We sat on low stools and passed around bowls of “happy water.” It tasted like something between whiskey and moonshine, honestly. There’s a moment when you’re sitting outside after dinner, stars overhead, everyone tired but happy… I still think about that quiet.

Last morning we walked through Du Gia village before breakfast — just slow steps past buffaloes and old women weaving hemp cloth. Later we stopped at Lung Tam weaving village too; you could smell dye and wool everywhere. The road back to Ha Giang felt different somehow — maybe because it was ending? Anyway, if you want a real Ha Giang loop tour with local guides who actually live here (and don’t mind your bad pronunciation), this is it.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Ha Giang to Dong Van Town

• Have breakfast
• Start Ha Giang loop journey
• Check in KM 0 Milestone and Bac Sum Slope
• Visit Quan Ba Heaven Gate and Doi Mountain view
• Pass Can Ty pass and check in lonely trees and Van Chai cliff
• Have lunch at Yen Minh town
• Continue to Dong Van via Tham Ma pass and Pho Cao village
• Visit Sung La valley and Lung Cam cultural village
• Visit "Pao's house", Tam Giac Mach field, and Moon rock field
• Overnight at local homestay in private room

Day 2 — Dong Van to Du Gia

• Depart Dong Van town
• Visit Ma Pi Leng Pass
• Take boat on Nho Que River
• Have lunch at Meo Vac town
• Travel from Meo Vac to Du Gia via M pass, Mau Due, Lung Ho
• Arrive Du Gia commune center
• Check in local homestay private room
• Enjoy dinner with Tay cuisine and corn wine

Day 3 — Du Gia to Ha Giang City

• Have breakfast
• Walk around Du Gia village
• Bathe in Du Gia waterfall
• Depart back to Ha Giang city
• Stop at Duong Thuong valley and Lung Tam weaving village
• Have lunch at Tam Son town - Quan Ba
• Return to Ha Giang city
• Shower and rest at hostel or homestay

Top questions

Is hotel pickup included for this Ha Giang loop tour?

No hotel pickup is included from Hanoi, but they can arrange sleeper bus transport upon request. Free stay at a hostel is offered before the tour starts in Ha Giang City.

What kind of accommodation is provided during the tour?

You get a private room each night at local homestays along the route.

Are meals included on this 3-day Ha Giang loop tour?

Yes, all meals are included during the tour—breakfasts, lunches, and dinners with local cuisine.

Can beginners join if they can't ride a motorbike?

Yes—there's an "easy rider" option where an experienced driver takes you as a passenger.

Which places does this Ha Giang motorbike tour visit?

Main stops include Dong Van Town, Ma Pi Leng Pass, Meo Vac, Du Gia Village, Quan Ba Heaven Gate and more local villages.

Is this tour suitable for people with health issues?

No—it isn’t recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy or poor cardiovascular health.

How long does it take to return to Ha Giang city after finishing?

The group returns to Ha Giang city around 5:00 p.m. on the last day; showers/rest are available before onward travel.

What’s included

Your journey covers three days riding modern 110cc motorbikes (or as passenger with an easy rider), all fuel costs and helmets provided. You’ll have all meals included—local breakfasts, lunches in small towns like Yen Minh or Meo Vac, home-cooked Tay dinners—and two nights’ private room stays at village homestays along the route. There’s also free hostel accommodation for one night before departure plus time to shower and rest back in Ha Giang City before heading onward.