Vietnam Ha Giang & Cao Bang Tour

You reserve your spot for free and pay nothing to join, and reservations close 7 days before departure. Once enough travellers have signed on, usually around 10, we confirm the departure and email you a confirmation with an invoice for the full trip price. You pay it by card or bank transfer within 7 days, in US dollars, pounds, euros, Australian, Canadian or New Zealand dollars or Indian rupees.

A scan of your passport at least a week before Day 1, plus your e-visa or entry stamp as soon as you have it. The far north and the Ban Gioc area are border zones, and foreigners need a border-area permit for the communes near the Chinese border. We arrange it with our local partner, and the police post at Ban Gioc sometimes asks foreigners for a small border fee, so keep a little cash. Carry your passport on every riding day, and leave your drone at home, because flying one near the border is banned. Some passports get 45 days visa-free in Vietnam and others need an e-visa, and the rules change, so check our Vietnam visa guide before you book flights and only apply on the official site, evisa.gov.vn.

It's the same core loop through Yen Minh, Dong Van and Ma Pi Leng, but instead of looping back through Du Gia to Ha Giang, you keep riding east into Cao Bang province for two extra days: a quiet crossing to Bao Lac, then Nguom Ngao Cave and Ban Gioc Waterfall. Pick this one if you want more time in the far north and a waterfall finish.

Solo travellers aged 18 to 40, and most people come on their own. The maximum for each departure is shown with its dates, and it's never more than 12. We don't merge our group into other companies' convoys.

The Trip Host rides with the group for all seven days, sorts out the permits, the vans, the homestays and the meals, and is the person you go to if anything goes wrong. A licensed local guide rides with us too.

No. You ride as a passenger behind a licensed easy rider, so you don't need a licence, and we don't offer self-riding on this trip. Riding a motorbike yourself in Vietnam legally takes a motorbike licence from home plus a 1968-convention International Driving Permit, and permits from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India don't qualify. Without the right papers you risk a fine of about 2 to 4 million dong, and your insurer can refuse a claim.

October and November are the best months: dry and clear in Ha Giang, with pink buckwheat flowers from late October, and Ban Gioc still carries a good flow of water after the summer rains. March and April are also good. December to February is cold, with fog on the passes some mornings, and Ban Gioc runs thinner in the driest months. From May to September it's hot and wet, with landslide risk on mountain roads, so we don't run the trip then. We don't ride in heavy rain or thick fog. If a section isn't safe, the Trip Host and guide wait it out or change the route, and after heavy storms we skip the Nho Que boat because the river turns fast and brown.

Family-run village houses with simple rooms, clean bedding and shared bathrooms with hot showers. Some rooms are small shared dorms with mattresses on the floor. Evenings can be lively, with rice wine offered at dinner, but you can always say no, and the Trip Host keeps a quiet corner for anyone who wants one.

Bring one small soft bag, around 10 kg at most, which is strapped to your rider's bike. We carry the rest of your luggage separately and you get it back at the end of the trip. Pack a fleece and a windproof jacket (the passes are cold early in the morning, even in spring), long trousers you can sit in all day, closed shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen, earplugs for roosters and karaoke, a power bank and any medicine you need. Meals are included, so cash is mainly for drinks, snacks, tips and the Ban Gioc raft. ATMs in the mountain towns can be empty or out of order, and Ban Gioc is cash only, so bring enough Vietnamese dong from Hanoi. About 500,000 to 1,000,000 dong for your easy rider for the five days is a typical tip.

No mountain road ride is risk-free, and in March 2026 a young British traveller was fatally injured in a crash while riding as a passenger on the Ha Giang Loop. In mid-April 2026 the provincial tourism department announced new rules for loop operators: licensed operators only, roadworthy bikes, helmets and protective gear for every rider, and written contracts. We only book through a licensed operator, give everyone protective gear, keep the group small and ride at a pace you're comfortable with. You can ask your rider to slow down at any time.

Yes, it's a condition of joining. It must cover medical treatment and evacuation, and it must cover you as a motorbike passenger. Some policies exclude motorbikes entirely, so check the small print before you buy.

Reasonably fit. It's longer, not harder day to day: you ride behind an experienced easy rider, but there are five riding days instead of four, and Bao Lac to Cao Bang is the longest at five to six hours with stops. Sitting on a bike is tiring, especially for your back and legs. The walking is short overall, but the steps up to Lung Cu flag tower are steep, and Nguom Ngao Cave has some uneven, slightly slippery ground underfoot. If you have back problems, talk to us before you book.