Ha Giang Loop: 3 Days Motorbike & Trekking Tour

Ride the highest passes, then walk the hidden villages on foot.

A 3-day motorbike and trekking tour of Ha Giang combines riding through the Dong Van Karst Plateau's most famous passes—Pacsum, Heaven Gate, Ma Pi Leng—with guided treks through remote villages where Dao and Tay ethnic minorities live in clay houses. You ride between stops, trek 6–8km each day through mountain terrain and valleys, stay in private rooms, and eat all meals with local families; an English-speaking guide and driver accompany the whole journey, with pickup from your hotel in Ha Giang City.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Motorbike and trekking in Ha Giang

• Pick up at hotel or meeting point
• Motorbike ride to Bac Sum Pass viewpoint
• Drive up to Heaven Gate viewpoint
• Trek 6-8 km from Heaven Gate through villages
• Visit Nam Dam Village and local family
• Lunch with local family at Nam Dam Village
• Relax after lunch
• Trek to Lung Tam Village and visit handicraft weaving
• Motorbike ride to Yen Minh town for overnight

Day 2 — Yen Minh motorbike and trekking tour

• Breakfast in Yen Minh
• Motorbike ride on Tham Ma Road
• Visit Hmong King Palace and national flag tower
• Motorbike ride to Dong Van town for lunch and check-in
• Afternoon trek to Thien Huong Village
• See 1000 year old tree and clay house architecture
• Motorbike ride back to Dong Van town for overnight

Day 3 — Ma Pi Leng Pass motorbike and trekking

• Breakfast in Dong Van
• Motorbike ride to Ma Pi Leng Pass
• Trek 3-4 km around Ma Pi Leng Pass and Sky Path
• Admire 360° valley and Nho Que river views
• Drive through Lung Ho and Mau Due villages
• Lunch in Mau Due Valley
• Motorbike ride back to Ha Giang City
• Take limousine or night sleeper bus to Hanoi

The Experience

The motorbike portion starts at 8:30am from Ha Giang City and climbs into the mountains before Tam Son, crossing Bac Sum Pass to a panorama viewpoint overlooking the valley. From there you ride up to 1,500 meters to Heaven Gate, where twin mountains frame the whole view of Tam Son town below. The road itself is the first thing you notice—winding, high, and open to the landscape on both sides.

Day one's trekking begins from Heaven Gate and covers 6–8km downhill through countryside roads, villages, and mountain trails where you meet local people and visit a family home. The path leads to Nam Dam Village, where Dao families live in clay houses built to stay cool in summer and warm in winter—the architecture is the structure itself, not decoration. You eat lunch with the local family, then trek on to Lung Tam Village, where you see traditional cloth weaving before the day ends. That night you stay in Yen Minh.

Day two starts with a ride to Tham Ma Road and the Hmong King Palace, passing the national flag tower where you can see across the Vietnam Loop and toward the China border. After lunch in Dong Van, you trek 4km in the afternoon along the valley road that separates Vietnam and China across the Nho Que River, passing a 1,000-year-old tree on the way to Thien Huong Village, an ancient settlement of Tay people. You sleep in Dong Van.

Day three is the ride most people remember: Ma Pi Leng Pass at 2,000 meters, called the "king" of passes in Vietnam for its craggy cliffs and winding road. After a 3–4km trek from the peak to see the full 360-degree view of the valley and river below, you ride down the Sky Path, then continue through Lung Ho and Mau Due villages for lunch before heading back to Ha Giang City. From there, transport to Hanoi is arranged separately.

What’s included

• All nine meals (three breakfasts, three lunches, two dinners).
• entrance fees to villages, caves and historical sites.
• motorbike, fuel and professional licensed driver.
• 1.5 liters of water daily.
• English-speaking guide.
• hotel and homestay pickup and drop-off throughout Ha Giang City.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Authentic Ha Giang - Easy Riders - Motorcycle - Dirt Bike Tours

Is this one for you?The motorbike carries you between the high passes while the treks on foot take you into the villages where the people actually live—so you see both the landscape and the life inside it, without building the logistics yourself.

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Top questions

What's the actual riding like on the Ha Giang Loop motorbike tour?

You ride as a passenger on the back of a motorbike with a professional driver, traveling between the major passes and villages. The roads wind through the Dong Van Karst Plateau at high altitude—some sections reach 2,000 meters—and the route covers famous passes like Pacsum, Heaven Gate, and Ma Pi Leng, which are known for steep climbs and dramatic cliff views. You stop frequently at viewpoints and before each trekking section.

How much trekking is there each day, and what's the terrain like?

Day one is 6–8km of trekking downhill from Heaven Gate through villages, countryside roads, and mountain trails to Nam Dam and Lung Tam villages. Day two includes a 4km afternoon trek along the valley road between Vietnam and China, passing through Thien Huong Village. Day three has a 3–4km trek from Ma Pi Leng Pass to see the valley and river views. The terrain is mountain and valley paths, mostly downhill or gradual, and you walk through villages and past local homes.

Do I stay in hotels or homestays, and what are the rooms like?

You stay in private rooms in traditional houses—one night in Yen Minh and one in Dong Van. The operator describes them as nice traditional houses with private rooms, and you have time to rest before afternoon activities.

What villages do I visit, and what will I see there?

You visit Nam Dam Village (Dao ethnic minority), Lung Tam Village (known for traditional cloth weaving), and Thien Huong Village (an ancient Tay settlement). The clay houses are built to regulate temperature naturally, and you eat lunch with a local family on day one. You also pass a 1,000-year-old tree and see how people live in remote mountain areas.

What meals are included, and where do you eat?

All nine meals are included: three breakfasts, three lunches, and two dinners. Lunch on day one is with a local family in Nam Dam Village. Other meals are arranged at stops along the route or in the towns where you stay. The operator provides 1.5 liters of water per day.

Is this tour suitable for someone who has never ridden a motorbike before?

Yes—you ride as a passenger, not as the driver, so no riding experience is needed. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Children from age 1 are welcome, and specialized infant seats are available.