7 DAY NORTHWEST LOOP TOUR

Welcome to the 7 Day Northwest Loop Tour. On this road trip we’ll be riding into the heart of Vietnam’s mysterious, mountainous, northern highlands. Known as the roof of Indochina, this area is home to some spellbinding scenery. From the fertile flood plains of the Red River to the remote ethnic minority villages along the Chinese border, from the soaring peaks of the Tonkinese Alps to the lush fields and wooden stilt homes of the limestone foothills; this is a journey that will linger long in your memory. Covering over 1,000km of twisting tarmac, we’ll be spending a lot of quality time in the saddle, watching Vietnam’s glorious landscapes pass by, and waved on our way by smiling locals and their energetic children. But don’t worry, there will still be plenty of time to make unplanned stops by the roadside in order to admire in the views, chat to hospitable locals, and dine on the region’s famous food (not mention trying a shot or two of rice wine). This part of Vietnam is populated by dozens of ethnic minority peoples, many of whom still live off the land, using techniques and traditions unchanged in centuries. Famous for their colourful clothes and bustling markets, we’ll have lots of opportunities to interact with these friendly and fascinating people along the way. The tour itinerary below gives you a flavour of what you’ll experience on this incredible ride. For more information regarding tour inclusions and price see the additional details listed at the end of this itinerary outline.
TOUR PRCE: $2650.00 AUD

TOUR ITINERARY OUTLINE:
DAY 1:
Hanoi to Yen Bai: 170km
Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital city, has a thousand years of history packed into its narrow, busy little streets. After a riders’ briefing we’ll hit Hanoi’s bustling roads and get a flavour of this beguiling city. Hanoi is dotted with serene, tree-lined lakes, and riding around them is a great introduction to the charm of this city. We’ll delve into the network of tiny alleyways that make up Hanoi’s famous Old Quarter. Filled with old shophouses, temples, pagodas, and cafes, this is Hanoi’s ancient, beating heart. We’ll stop for a Vietnamese espresso on the sidewalk to soak up the atmosphere, before poking our heads into the incense-filled courtyards of a temple or two. Now that we’re familiar with our trusty Lifan motorcycles and acquainted with the way of Vietnamese traffic, it’s time to hit to highway and head out of the capital and into the provinces. As with any large city, Hanoi has its fair share of dirty, unattractive industrial suburbs. But grin and bear it because it’s not long before we emerge from the smoke and find ourselves in a landscape of shimmering rice fields. This is the Red River valley, Vietnam’s original source of life. The nation started here, on the banks of the muddy waters of this wide, sluggish river. The regular flooding of this waterway and the rich nutrients it brought, laid the foundations for the earliest settlements in Vietnam. It is here that Vietnam’s semi-mythical Hung Kings ruled over the land thousands of years ago. Continuing through lush forests and fruit plantations we arrive at the unassuming city of Yen Bai. A quiet little place with some faded French colonial buildings and good local food, Yen Bai makes a pleasant rest stop after our first day on the road. OVERNIGHT: Yen Bai    

DAY 2:
Yen Bai to Bac Ha: 170km
We get an early start from Yen Bai to begin a long, lush, and steamy stretch of winding road, which will bring us into the mountains. Heading away from the Red River the soil here is rich and the land bursts with foliage. Banana, mango, jackfruit, papaya, and guava trees grow up the hillsides, their branches spilling over the road. Concrete disappears and all the roadside homes are made from wood, raised on stilts above the ground. Many of these homes belong to ethnic minorities, and some of them operate as rustic roadside diners. We’ll make a stop and try out some of the minority speciality dishes, such as grilled mountain goat rolled in sesame seeds. The meandering road twists through the dense jungle, eventually following the course of the Chay River. We will be crossing the path of this fast flowing river over and again during the next couple of days, as we make our way into the remote and high borderlands. From the crossroads town of Pho Rang it’s a smooth, straight ride to the turn off for Bac Ha. This is where the mountains really start. We climb up a helter-skelter pass of hairpin bends, each turn revealing grand views over terraced rice fields and deep valleys dotted with tiny wooden villages, squeezed in between the pleats and folds of the mountainsides. The air temperature gets cooler as we climb higher. Pine forests replace jungle, and colourfully dressed ethnic minorities emerge from the landscape, carrying wicker baskets full of roots, leaves, and food that they’ve foraged from the hillsides. Finally we reach the market town of Bac Ha. Situated around 800 metres above sea-level, this is a quiet little town that’s famous for its Sunday market, which attracts hundreds ethnic minority people from across the region to buy and sell their wares. Tomorrow morning we’ll have the chance to experience this spectacle. OVERNIGHT: Bac Ha

DAY 3:
Bac Ha to Sapa: 180km
Rising early we’ll take a short stroll from the town centre to Bac Ha Sunday market. A riot of colour and produce, this market draws ethnic minorities from the surrounding mountains. It’s a dazzling sight with all the women and girls dressed in their traditional colourful dresses, shawls and jewelry. On sale you’ll find everything and anything; from giant vats of local liquor – made from rice, fruits, and roots – to live animals, exotic fruits, traditional clothing, and household appliances. The hot food section is packed with minority men slurping delicious noodle soups, smoking bamboo tobacco pipes, gossiping, and downing shots of rice wine (at 7 o’clock in the morning!). We’ll join in the fun and games with a bowl of soup, a toke on a pipe, and a chat to some local lads (perhaps aided by a sip of the local brew). Leaving the bustling market behind, we’re back in the saddle for a full day’s ride to one of the remotest corners of Vietnam. A remarkable, stairway-to-heaven-type mountain pass brings us even higher to the isolated town of Xi Ma Cai. Close to the Chinese border, this town has almost mythical status in Vietnam, due to its wild location, nestled in the peaks and clouds of the Chay River Massif. The town is undergoing a major facelift with giant new boulevards and government buildings being constructed, which gives it a very surreal atmosphere. Leaving Xi Ma Cai, now it’s time for the slow crawl along the Chinese border. A rarely used road snakes over mountains, rivers and valleys, sometimes within a stone’s throw of China. Army outposts and forgotten minority villages dot the landscape, but other than that this area is way off the beaten path. An extraordinary sense of wilderness and freedom hits you as you ride along the precipices and deserted mountainsides. Terraced rice fields and waterfalls cascade down into the valleys, making it look like a Southeast Asian Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The road is carved out of sheer rock just before reaching Muong Khuong, a mysterious border town high up in the mountains. From here we descend all the way back down to the Red River valley again. After passing through Lao Cai City – one of the busiest border gates between Vietnam and China – we point our bikes to the sky once again. An epic 30km pass curls up to Sapa, a former French colonial hill station, 1,500 metres up in the Tonkinese Alps. Circled by giant peaks on all sides, Sapa is a pretty town perched on the mountainside, offering breathtaking views over the roof of Indochina. To celebrate a long but rewarding day of riding, we’ll treat ourselves to a few ice cold beers on our balconies. OVERNIGHT: Sapa

DAY 4:
Sapa rest day & visit to a H’mong village:
Today we have a well-earned rest….well, sort of. On the one hand we’ll be relaxing in Sapa, taking in the views from town over the spectacular mountains. On the other hand, we’ll take a visit to one of the ethnic minority villages that lie on the mountainsides all around Sapa. This mountainous region is famous throughout Vietnam as a centre for exploring ethnic minority culture and customs. While tourism is booming in Sapa right now, we’ll get off the beaten path with a trip to a local village. Here we’ll meet the incredibly hospitable H’mong people, who are the largest minority group in the area. Originally from China, the H’mong have established themselves in the Vietnamese mountains since the 18th century. During the wars that tore Vietnam apart in the 20th century, H’mong people were often recruited by, first the French then the USA, to fight on their sides against the Vietnamese. After the wars ended, H’mong people suffered persecution from the Vietnamese government, resulting in many H’mong fleeing to America and Europe. Now days, the H’mong are a massive draw for foreign and domestic tourists alike. We’ll get up close and see how H’mong people live: How they make their luminous embroidery and colourful clothing; how they practice traditional agriculture and intriguing shaman religious rituals; and how they live in wood and earth houses in the often harsh climate of the Tonkinese Alps. Fascinating and humbling, this experience can’t help but make you realize just how different life is for the H’mong compared to our own lives, but also how fragile their culture is, especially in the face of mass tourism that’s heading Sapa’s way. OVERNIGHT: Sapa

DAY 5:
Sapa to Son La: 280km
Today is a long and mind-blowing ride, taking us right over the highest mountain range in Vietnam. From Sapa the road meanders ever upwards, passing silver-white waterfalls crashing by the roadside, until it reaches the top of the legendary Tram Ton Pass, Vietnam’s highest mountain road. From here, we’ll see the snaking pass unwinding into the distance. At 1,900 metres above sea-level there’s nowhere else to go but down. We’ll roll down on our motorcycles through the death-defying hairpin bends; leaning left, leaning right, negotiating through each switchback. To our right is a sheer wall of rock and jungle; to our left are uninterrupted views of Mount Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina, at 3,143m. The pyramidal peak pierces the clouds, soaring high above the deep valleys. Riding doesn’t get any better than this, and by the time we reach the bottom of the pass we’ll be in a daze. Now we turn south onto a long stretch of road in the shadow of Mount Fansipan. Although the mountain climate and steep slopes would seem a harsh environment for agriculture, crops are grown in terraced fields right up to the peaks of the mountains. As we get further from Fansipan we pass over dozens of raging rivers, rushing off the high slopes and irrigating the fertile valleys. Eventually, these tributaries run into the Da River, a wide and wild body of water, which we cross before the last leg of today’s ride to Son La. As the countryside becomes more populated, we’ll be greeted by waving children, smiling old women, and pipe-smoking men along the road. A large, busy city with excellent local food, Son La will seem like a metropolis compared to the mountain towns and ethnic minority villages we’ve passed over the last couple of days. After a fabulous dinner we’ll get some much needed rest in our comfortable accommodation. OVERNIGHT: Son La

DAY 6:
Son La to Mai Chau: 190km
After a hearty breakfast in Son La City, we take to the road once more. Staying on the excellent, smooth surface of Highway 6, we plough through the weird and wonderful limestone mountains that characterize this region. As we approach Moc Chau Plateau, tea and fruit plantations start to cover the hillsides. This area is famous for its tea, especially a flowery, citrusy variety called chè lá tÆ°Æ¡i, which uses fresh (not dried) tea leaves. We’ll stop at one of the roadside tea houses for a hot brew to warm us up in the cool mountain air. The landscape here is vast and desolate, yet hardy hill tribes have been eking out a living from this baron plateau for centuries. In fact, ethnic minorities (over 30 different groups) make up such a high percentage of the population in this province that, from 1959 to 1980, it was part of the Tay Bac Autonomous Region. So it is fitting that, after a long and winding descent from the mountains, tonight we stay in a White Thai ethnic minority village, in the green embrace of Mai Chau valley. This lush, verdant valley is a vision of rural paradise. Forested limestone mountains frame a flat valley with a clear river running through it; emerald rice paddies growing along its banks. Pretty wood and thatch houses stand on stilts above the rice fields, and this will be our accommodation for the night. Our hosts will fill the evening with warm hospitality, great food cooked over an open fire, rice wine, and maybe even a traditional dance or musical performance. Once the fun is over, we’ll retire to our mattresses on the bamboo floor. Lying under mosquito nets, the nighttime chorus of frogs and cicadas will lull us to sleep. 

DAY 7:
Mai Chau to Hanoi: 140km    
The final leg of our northwest mountain adventure starts with the epic Hoa Binh Pass. Carving out its path through enormous limestone mountains, this pass takes out of the Mai Chau valley and over the other side to the Da River valley. We’ll make the most of the rural scenery here, because before long we’ll be back in the urban excitement of Hanoi. Thankfully, Vietnam’s construction boom has resulted in hundreds of new roads, which have made the journey in and out of Hanoi much easier than it used to be. We take the wide new Thang Long Highway, which will whisk us right into the city centre. Back in the bustle of the capital city, we’ll settle down for some cold beers and reflect on our amazing adventure around the remote northwest mountains. Here we say our fond farewells to our bikes, crew, and tour companions, and head our separate ways.   
 
TOUR PRICE & INCLUSIONS:
Date:
Special Events Tour: 7 Days Northwest Loop Tour
Tour Code:
Tour price: $2650.00 AUD
To book this tour: email us at info@vietnammotorbiketours.com or call our bookings line on +61 3 5975 6333
Our tours are perfect for riders who want to discover amazing riding routes away from mainstream tourism, and meet like-minded riders in the process. We travel at a relaxed pace with plenty of time for random stops by the road in order to take everything in and for you to get the most out of this unique experience. We recommend you arrive at least one day before the tour begins.
Our special event tour prices cover all accommodation costs (including pre-tour nights) in comfortable twin-share rooms in quality mid-range hotels or guesthouses with private bathrooms.
All meals (breakfast, lunch) are included, as well as an esky filled with cold drinks, fruit and snacks when on the road. Our meals are set menus (including options for vegetarians) that showcase the very best of Vietnamese cuisine, which is justly famous as one of the most sophisticated in the world.
All our tours include a support van and driver, guides and a support crew. Our guides and crew have excellent English skills and are passionate about Vietnam and motorbiking.
We provide each rider with a detailed touring map of Vietnam, so you can follow the route while on the road, and retrace your adventure when back home. Also included is your very own Vietnam Motorbike Tours T-shirt. See below for a full list of tour inclusions and exclusions.
Prices includes:
•    Airport pick up and transfers. Private VIP car/mini van
•    Domestic flights transfers on Vietnam Airlines. Flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang and returning to HCMC or Hanoi from tour destination.
•    1 night pre tour accommodation. at our selected hotel .
•    Pre Tour rider briefing. evening before the tour start 6pm . meet the team of tour group . discuss the incredible ride and things to know .
•    Full motorcycle rental from our fleet of 25 Lifan motorcycle for the duration of the tour.
•    Motorcycle damage cover and limited 3rd party insurance .
•    Entrance tickets and permits.
•    Helmets – clean open-face with drop down screens "limited sizes" riders with xxxl or xxxsmall should consider to bring their own helmet – wet weather gear.
•    Quality mid-range, clean and friendly accommodation many would rank 4 star back home."Aust" All with WIFI, private bathrooms and air-con.
•    Twin-share basis: (single room supplement is an additional $45.00 per night). Limited single rooms in remote areas so let us know early.
•    Meals . Breakfast & Lunch. endless supply of bottled water and soft drinks, snacks & fresh fruits through-out the tour . Dinners not included. We find our riders prefer to arrange and select their own evening meals. allow around $10-$15.00 each for your evening meals. Vietnam is famous for great foods . restaurants are close to our overnight stays .
•    24hr back to base support. Medicines and first-aid kit . all guides carry working mobile phones .
•    All fuel costs, VMT Motorcycle service & maintenance throughout the tour .
•    9-seater minibus support vehicle and driver for luggage transport and assistance.
•    VMT motorcycle guides and support crew. VMT crew are highly experienced dedicated team. our much loved team are just one of the many highlights while touring Vietnam
•    Detailed touring map of Vietnam. Vietnam Motorbike T-shirt. VMT will select at least one night of "DRINKS ON US"
•    Pillion and passenger prices are 50% of the standard rate.

PRICE EXCLUDES.
•    Airfares to and from Vietnam (HCMC) approximately $1,OOO.00 AUD.
•    Travel Insurance policy covering the use of a motorbike (mandatory).
•    Personal expenses, such as shopping, souvenirs, laundry, all extra drinks.
•    Tips for staff at tour completion. Vietnam Motorbike Tour guides are well-paid so tips are optional but always appreciated. Aim for between $37.50-$62.50 AUD.
•    Medical examination and vaccinations before departure.
•    Tourist Visa. Your local travel agent can arrange visas for you or you can book online. You must make visa arrangements before entering Vietnam.