Northeast Vietnam Mountain Cycling Loops 13D/12N

Introduction

Ha Giang, in Northeast Vietnam, offers some of the most spectacular cycling terrain in the country, with winding mountain roads, dramatic karst formations, and rice-terraced valleys stretching across breathtaking landscapes. Our mountain biking tours feature carefully designed, tailor-made routes that lead you through remote tribal villages and stunning natural scenery unique to this region. Along the way, you’ll encounter wooden stilt houses with thatched roofs, home to diverse ethnic communities living among the limestone outcrops and rugged hills. From Lao Cai and Bac Ha to Hoang Su Phi, Yen Minh, Dong Van, Meo Vac, Bao Lac, Cao Bang, and Ba Be Lake, this journey is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to meet local tribes in their homes and experience the vibrant customs and daily rhythms of mountain life.
 

Destination
Duration
Tour code
VCT: HAN - 13D- HAN
Travel style
Tour meets
Tour ends
Accommodation
2 - 3 - 4 star hotels
Single supplement
445.00$
Number Of cycling days
11 days
Ages to ride
18 years old
Average distance per day
55k km
MTB Bike hire
$132
Total cycling distance
835km
E-Bike hire
$380.00
Small group
02
Large Group
14
Price in US$
USD $3155.00 3155.00
Price in VND
What's included
Private A/C vehicle takes up all cyclists, luggage
Truck to carry all bikes, spare bikes
Helmets
All entrance fees and ferry tickets in countryside
11 nights: double room/ twin room
1 night train Hanoi to Lao Cai
B = 12 Breakfasts, L = 12 Lunches, D = 12 Dinners
Pick up/ drop off at the hotels
English speaking guide throughout the tour
What's not included
Personal travel insurance
Other personal expenses
Drinks are not included with any meal
International flight

Meet in Hanoi at 2:00 pm; our shuttle bus will take you to the bike store to test the bikes and gear. Our mechanic will help install your saddle and pedals if you prefer to use your own. Welcomed dinner with the team, tour briefing, and take a night train to Lao Cai. 

Dinner
Pumkin Express Train****
support vehicles
cold water, soft drinks

The Train arrives at Lao Cai Train station at 5: 30 am. Our cycling guides and support vehicles will pick you up at the local restaurant for an early breakfast, change your cycling clothes, and be ready to rock and roll.


Following the hearty meal is a short transfer to a rural village; we begin our pedal to Coc Ly on a paved and scenic road. You will explore panoramic sightseeing and exotic nature on the way. Arriving in Coc Ly at 10 am, it's the right time we spend time participating in the local market, which opens every Tuesday. The colorful hill tribe market is where many tribes exchange with each other by dealing with what they have at the market; colorful traditional customs, agricultural bamboo tools, farm products, etc. The tribes also trade animals such as cows, dogs, big cats, and buffalos if they are valued or cost the same. Afterward, we continue the day on the dirt track to Bao Nhai Bridge and follow the road to Bac Ha town. Do check in and relax on your own. 


- Bac Ha Sunday market - 75 km from Lao Cai

- Coc Ly Tuesday market - 54 km from Lao Cai


Depending on your departure date, the itinerary will change to see the tribal market in action, and we might ride in the morning or the afternoon. (Optional cycling trip to Bac Ha on Sunday market. We will change the itinerary if you arrive in LAO CAI Sunday morning. Instead of cycling to Coc Ly for Tuesday market and then riding to Bac Ha, we can transfer to Bac Ha Market for your joining in the morning market. We will ride in the afternoon)

Sao Mai Bac Ha Hotel
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
25 - 65km
moderate/ hard
support vehicles
cold water, snacks, fruits

Start early in the morning from the hotel, and we ride to Lung Phing, then turn off the beaten path and single track to Sin Man, stopping for a picnic lunch en route. After lunch, we ride downhill to Coc Pai Town, then conquer the "Heaven Gate Pass 2" before riding to Hoang Su Phi town. Today's ride is an incredible adventure with spectacular scenery dotted with Flowers H'Mong, Tay, Nung, and Dao Phu La villages. Have dinner and stay in Thong Nguyen, Hoang Su Phi.

Panhou Retreat
Breakfast/Lunch/ Dinner
25 - 75km
moderate/ hard
support vehicles
cold water, snacks, fruits

Ha Giang has a 270km long border line with Yunnan province of China. Covering an area of 7.927,55 km², comprising limestone peaks and outcrops, it creates gorgeous landscapes with its 22 ethnic groups, forming a colorful culture and tradition. We'll explore the most prestigious limestone mountains and marvelous rice terrace fields of Nam Khoa and Paradise Terraced Fields with listed National Heritage of Northeast Vietnam and stunning tribal villages that Ha Giang offers. We'll conquer some big hills before going down to Tan Quang, then take a transfer to Ha Giang town. 

Phoenix Hotel
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
25 - 75km
moderate/ hard
support vehicles
cold water, snacks, fruits

Begins our pedal this morning as we head out of town, cycling for the first 25km on a relatively flat road through the landscape of terraced rice paddy fields. Passing through minority villages, we cycle the next 25km up winding roads into the vast limestone mountain range with its perpendicular rock walls, climbing 800m towards the mountain road past "Heaven Gate 1". As we pass through mountain villages, sometimes covered by clouds, we will receive a friendly greeting from the local communities. From the pass, we can look at amazing views, including the famous vista of the Tam Son Valley with the 'Twin Hills, and observe Quan Ba town's countryside. The ride will continue to Yen Minh town. There will be a transfer to Yen Min in the late afternoon.

Phuong Dong hotel
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
25 - 83km
moderate/ hard
support vehicles
cold water, snacks, fruits

We begin our ride from the quiet town of Yen Minh, pedaling past lush rice fields before tackling the challenging ascent of Tham Ma Pass. At the summit, take in sweeping views over Yen Minh and its picturesque surroundings—a perfect introduction to the grandeur ahead.


The journey continues as we enter the heart of the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, a UNESCO-listed site celebrated for its towering limestone formations and remote highland villages. Along the way, witness locals tending their fields, admire vibrant green terraces cascading into the valleys, and soak in the raw beauty of the jagged karst mountains.


Cycling deeper into the countryside, we pass through small villages and wide agricultural plains, where seasonal buckwheat flower fields add splashes of pink and white to the landscape. The ride culminates with a visit to the Lung Cu Flag Tower, Vietnam’s northernmost point, offering panoramic views of mountains, rice paddies, and sweeping valleys.


After this memorable ride, we transfer to Dong Van for hotel check-in. Spend the rest of your day at leisure, wandering the atmospheric Dong Van Ancient Town and experiencing its charming blend of history and local life.

Hoa Cuong Hotel
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
25 - 75km
moderate/ hard
support vehicles
cold water, snacks, fruits

Cycling from Dong Van to Meo Vac to Bao Lac is a journey through some of Vietnam’s most awe-inspiring terrain. The ride begins gently from the ancient town of Dong Van before picking up pace on the winding ascent to the Ma Pi Leng Skywalk—a stretch renowned for its dizzying views and dramatic cliffs. This is the highlight of the day: rolling through high mountain roads with sweeping vistas that challenge both your legs and your sense of scale. The descent from Ma Pi Leng leads to a serene 1.5-hour boat ride along the Nho Que River, where jagged canyon walls and towering peaks create a landscape that feels untouched and otherworldly. After soaking in the stillness of the river, the journey continues by bike to Meo Vac for a well-earned lunch, then on through the rugged countryside toward Bao Lac, with each pedal stroke revealing more of the region’s raw, rugged beauty.

Pao La Hotel/Sunny Bao Lac
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
25 - 95km
moderate/ hard
support vehicles
water, snacks, fruits

Today gives us more opportunities to meet and exchange culture with minority people, sometimes along the borders.  Cao Bang, a far north province bordering China, offers incredible off-the-beaten tracks for cycling adventures, and it is home to many people belonging to Vietnam's ethnic minority groups. The most notable are the Tay, Nung, Dao, and Hmong. Today


We leave the hotel, cross the river, and follow the back roads along the Gam River, challenging Me Pia, the Khau Coc Cha Passes, and ascending the peaks, but we can not beat the stunning scenery and hillsides. View and enjoy views of Khau Coc Cha Mountain Pass, Me Pja Pass, and Na Tenh as we sometimes cycle along the China border. Then we'll enjoy downhill on the paved roads, through stunning scenery, untouched tribal villages, stilt houses nested on the side of a mountain, and views of the lovely valley, the limestone mountain range to Cao Bang City.
 

Luxury Hotel
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
25 - 82km
moderate/ hard
support vehicles
cold water, snacks, fruits

Tra Linh Mountain Dist is close to China. It's one of the non-tourist towns in the far north of Vietnam. Conical mountains surround a little town in the valley. From Cao Bang City, the beautiful mountain road DT208 will lead us to explore the life of colorful tribes, experience local style life and culture, and immerse ourselves in stunning mountain scenery and peaceful valleys.

From the hotel, we'll have a short transfer to a rural village where we start the day cycling along Bang River, cycling through small villages and tiny towns, passing verdant farmlands and rice-terraced fields. After 10km, we leave the river behind and roll onto gentle mountains, hillsides, and cornfields. We'll meet hill tribes on the way; as we enter the Ha Quang rural Dist, we ride along the river, traveling through the little town, then we roll along mountain hillsides, enjoying the scenery of green valleys alongside small rivers and undulating the mountain road, through jungles to Pac Po. The place Ho Chi Minh organized a revolution again the French and Japanese. Later, he liberated the Vietnamese from the French in 1954. We break for lunch at a local restaurant and get ready to speed some gentle pass on winding forest jungles on Road DT210. We cycle and pass by small hill tribal villages and experience the rich culture of life of different ethnic minorities until we speed up to Tra Linh township-small border town.

Nha Moc Homestay
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
25 - 83km
moderate/ hard
support vehicles
cold water, snacks, fruits

The morning ride starts from the hotel. We quickly leave the town and will stop at a small village on the side road to see the bamboo water wheels by the stream. Then we roll hills onto the mountainous countryside and enjoy views of brilliant scenery and breathtaking landscapes. Break for coffee in the town of Trung Khanh, and we ride to Dinh Phong village, passing the Cao Vit Gibbon National Reserve of Trung Khanh. The project has established a new Cao-vit Gibbon Conservation Team of 11 members, including government staff and people from local communities who regularly monitor the gibbon population in the conservation area. After lunch at a local restaurant, we follow the single track couple of km to Quay Son River. This is your endless photo opportunity for stunning landscapes and lush rice paddy fields along the borderline. Cross Quay River on a narrow suspension bridge, we cycle a couple of km on road DT206 to Ban Gioc

Sai Gon Ban Gioc Resort
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
25 - 67km
Moderate/ hard
support vehicles
cold water, snacks, fruits

Get up early in the morning to expose the fascinating nature, walking down to discover the magnificent Ban Gioc Water Fall. Ban Gioc Water Fall is one of Vietnam's most beautiful waterfalls, sharing half of the River with China. Then we return to the hotel for breakfast and begin riding from Hotel to Quang Uyen Town today on frontier roads. We cycle along the river that is the border of Vietnam and China. In the first section of the river, we can see local Vietnamese and Chinese trading by crossing the river with little boats as smugglers. The new frontier roads offer picturesque limestone mountain ranges along the sleepy river then, where we cycle and pass by hill tribal villages of Tay and Nung hill tribes. We will have regular stops along the villages, learn about their life Have lunch en route. After lunch, we continued riding undulated village roads to Quang Uyen Town where we'll transfer to Cao Bang City. 

Luxury Hotel
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
25 - 72km
moderate/ hard
support vehicles
cold water, snacks, fruits

After a leisurely breakfast, we'll transfer out of the City, pick up the bike, and travel through tea plantations and corn fields, undulate the road QL34, passing little towns, peaceful countryside, and rice-terraced fields to Tinh Tuc, where we have lunch. After lunch, we hope to support vehicles to transfer to Ba Be Lake. Check in the local homestay by the lake, taste coffee, enjoy beautiful views, relax, or explore the area on your own until dinner at the homestay.

Local homestay
Breakfast/ Lunch/Dinner
25 - 45 km
support vehicles
cold water, snacks, fruits

After breakfast, we'll take a boat trip to admire the peaceful scenery of the lake and explore the lake's wildlife—cruise along the river, explore the cave, visit the village, and resume the ride about 20 km, enjoy views of high limestone ranges of the national park is Ba Be Lake – the largest freshwater lake in the country. Transfer to Ha Noi in the late afternoon. Tour Ends!

Breakfast/ Lunch
25km
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits
Bike Info
Trek Marlin 6. Size: S, M, L, XL
In the Northern Vietnam
In the Northern Vietnam
GIANT ATX 1 E-Bike. Size: S, M, L, XL
In Northern Vietnam
In Northern Vietnam
In Northern Vietnam
Burchda pro 70 mountain E-bikes. Size: S, M, L, XL
In the Northern Vietnam
In Northern Vietnam
In Northern Vietnam

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Northeast Vietnam Mountain Cycling Loops 13D/12N