A Complete Guide to Vietnam’s Ha Giang Loop

When I first planned my month long trip through Vietnam, the Ha Giang Loop was nowhere on my list of “must-do”.  In fact, I hadn’t even heard of the Ha Giang Loop until I arrived and saw someone post an Instagram reel about it.  Intrigued, I decided to do some research.

Thankfully, I decided to venture to North Vietnam to participate in a motorbike ride along the Ha Giang Loop.  I can hands down say it was my favorite experience in all of Vietnam and it’s worthy of any Vietnam travel itinerary.  Below you’ll find everything you need to know about experiencing the Ha Giang Loop and why I believe, it’s the most beautiful place in Vietnam.

 

IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO MOTORBIKE THE HA GIANG LOOP, DON’T FORGET TO PURCHASE TRAVEL INSURANCE IN CASE ANYTHING WERE TO GO WRONG!

 

BEFORE READING FURTHER, IF YOU’RE PLANNING A TRIP TO VIETNAM, DON’T MISS…

• Everything You Need to Know About Planning a Trip to Vietnam
• The Perfect Northern Vietnam Itinerary – Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Sapa, & Ha Giang Loop

 

What is the Ha Giang Loop?

The Ha Giang Loop is a mountainous road in the north of Vietnam where the roads twist and turn offering jaw-dropping views the entire way.  Parts of the loop are part of the Dong Van UNESCO Global Geopark (one of only 195 in 48 countries around the world).

When you drive the loop, you’ll notice incredible natural beauty, small villages scattered throughout the mountainous terrain, waterfalls, rivers, canyons, and children running around.  Currently, about 55,000+ people live in the Ha Giang Province, and there are 22 different ethnicities (55% are Kinh and Tày people).

 

DON’T MISS THIS 3-DAY HA GIANG LOOP TOUR!

 

Where is Ha Giang?

Ha Giang is a province in the northernmost part of Vietnam covering 7,930 km².  It’s east of Sapa and shares a border with China and is well-known for its limestone and granite mountains.  The Ha Giang Province is where the capital city Ha Giang is – so when you hear “Ha Giang” someone is either referring to the province as a whole, or the capital city.  When you travel to Ha Giang, it’s most common to start and end your trip in the city of Ha Giang.

 

The Best Time to Visit Ha Giang

The best time to visit Ha Giang is when temperatures are cooler from September-November.  From April-June the temperatures rise a bit, and July and August can be very hot with heavy rainfall.

I visited Ha Giang in September and had a great experience.  It did rain at times but the rain was never heavy enough to deter our travel plans.  It was also warm enough without being too hot; but did get cooler the higher up in the mountains we went.

 

How to Get to Ha Giang

Perhaps the most popular way to arrive to the Ha Giang province is by taking a bus from Hanoi.  This will take about six hours and there are both day and night buses to choose from.  (If you’re flying into Hanoi and want to take a direct, private ride to Ha Giang, you can book that here).

I traveled to Ha Giang from Sapa, another six hour journey with both day and night buses to choose from.

Lastly, before booking your bus – ask your motorbike rental company if a bus ticket is included in the price of rental.

 

BOOK A BUS TICKET OR PRIVATE TRANSFER FROM ANYWHERE IN VIETNAM TO HA GIANG HERE!

 

IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO VISIT HA GIANG FROM HANOI, DON’T MISS:

• How to Spend 2 Days in Hanoi, Vietnam

 

AND IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO VISIT HA GIANG FROM SAPA, DON’T MISS:

• Everything You Need to Know About Trekking in Sapa, Vietnam
• From Sa Pa:  Visiting Cat Cat Village – Is it Worth it?

 

How Long Should You Spend in Ha Giang?

When I was researching the Ha Giang Loop, my biggest question was how long should I spend in the province?  From what I could tell, the shortest amount of time was a day trip through a sliver of the loop, and the longest amount of time was a five day, four night tour where you could experience the entire loop.

I settled on a four day, three night tour (mostly for money reasons), and I think it was the perfect amount of time.  Personally, I don’t think that anything less than three days, two nights would be worth it… so as long as you have two nights to spend I would highly recommend experiencing this thrilling ride.  At the end of my three nights, I felt like I had seen enough “remote-ness” and was ready to get back to a private room with a comfortable bed and private shower.

Keep in mind, depending on whether you’re arriving/leaving on a night bus you might need to factor in extra time in the city of Ha Giang.  For example, I arrived to Ha Giang at 3 pm so I spent the night in the city and left on the motorbike tour the next day.  When I left Ha Giang, I took a night bus so I spent a total of four nights in the province; three nights doing the loop, and one night in the city before the ride started.

 

Is the Ha Giang Loop Dangerous?

The Ha Giang Loop is a very challenging, unpredictable ride.  If you don’t have experience driving in these conditions or don’t have a guide, I would say that yes, of course parts of it can be dangerous.  However, if you take proper safety measures then you can enjoy the loop worry-free!

Whether or not you have experience on a motorbike, I highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance to cover you in case anything were to go wrong.

 

Road Conditions and Safety

There are parts of the road that are easy to navigate.  The ride is smooth, you can clearly see around the turns, etc.  But then there are parts of the road that aren’t as safe.  Areas where it’s rocky, the roads have pot holes, areas where there was a previous rock slide, and areas that you can’t see around the corner.  In these cases, you need to be familiar with a motorbike to get through.

General safety precarious to to follow include:

• Wear a helmet
• Wear knee pads/elbow pads
• Know your limits and hire a driver if needed
• Use your horn to identify yourself around sharp turns that you can’t see around
• Go slow
• Wait it out if it’s raining too hard

 

Should You Drive Yourself or Hire a Driver?

When you’re deciding to do the Ha Giang Loop I think one of the most important questions to ask yourself is whether or not you should hire a driver.  In Vietnam, drivers are called “easy riders” and they are locals who are highly experienced with motorbikes and the terrain.

I did decide to hire an easy rider as I have very limited experiences on motorbikes.  My easy driver started driving motorbikes when he was 12-years old and had been driving tourists around the loop for 10-years.  I had such an enjoyable experience not needing to stress out about driving and just being able to sit back and enjoy the views.

I also joined a group tour of ten people.  Four people decided to drive themselves and out of those four people, three of them were in accidents.  Nobody was hurt (the worst was a scraped hand), but it’s just something to consider.

 

How Much does Motorbiking the Ha Giang Loop Cost?

The cost of the Ha Giang Loop varies greatly depending on how you’re planning to do the loop.  Are you doing it alone or joining a tour?  Are you driving yourself or hiring an easy rider?  How many days will you be gone?

I joined a tour, hired an easy rider, and spent four days/three nights on the loop and it cost $250 (6,000,000+ VND).  The price included all food, water each day, all homestays, a bus ticket to/from Ha Giang, motorbike rental, easy rider, motorbike insurance, gas, storage of excess luggage, and the Ha Giang Loop permit.  The money was well worth it and it felt like a lot was included in the tour.  (By the way, the tour I joined was through QT Motorbikes and Tours).

 

What’s the Food Like in Ha Giang?

During my loop tour, all of the food was pretty much the same.  You can expect to eat a lot of rice, meat, tofu, fresh vegetables, and spring rolls.  There wasn’t too much variety so by the end of the trip I was happy to come back and have more food options.

If you join a tour, you’re pretty stuck in terms of where to eat as that will all be set up for you and included in the price.  If you do the loop alone or hire a private driver, you’ll have more autonomy as there are tons of food options throughout the loop.  I’m not sure how different each option is from one to the other, but there are many different restaurants.

Also to note, there were a couple of people on my tour who were vegetarian.  All dietary needs were respected and we didn’t have any issues with that.

 

What to Pack for the Ha Giang Loop

Because you’ll be on a motorbike, you can’t take any large luggage with you.  You’ll only be able to bring a backpack of things, but you truly don’t need much on the loop!  Below are the items I’d consider a necessity…

• Backpack – This is my favorite backpack as it can fit a ton of things
• Face sunscreen
• Body sunscreen
• Light jacket (for when it gets cool)
• Long sleeve linen shirt (for sun protection)
• Sunglasses
• Close toed shoes
• Swimming suit (depending on how long you’ll be gone, some routes include opportunities to swim)
• Pajamas
• Toothbrush/toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Hair brush
• Face wash
• Phone charger
• Phone
• Passport (you’ll need to show your passport at each home stay)

 

For a more extensive packing list, don’t miss:

• The Ultimate Packing List for Vietnam

 

Ha Giang (4 Day) Loop Itinerary

 

Where to Rent a Bike in Ha Giang

I rented a bike from QT Motorbikes and Tours and had a great experience with them.  QT is a family-run business and they can rent motorbikes to you as well as set you up on a tour.  (You don’t need to join a tour to rent a motorbike from them).  There are other rental companies in Ha Giang, but because I didn’t personally use them, I only feel comfortable promoting QT.

 

Should You Join a Tour?

I would absolutely recommend joining a tour or hiring a private guide to show you around the mountains.  If you’re more of a “do it yourself” type of person, I also met people who were doing it this way too.  If you go at the loop by yourself, I would only do so if you are experienced in driving motorbikes.

I joined a tour with QT Motorbikes and Tours and would highly recommend them.  If they are full or don’t have rentals available, here are other tours I’ve heard great things about:

• 2 day, 1 night tour with easy rider
• 3 day, 2 night SMALL group tour with easy rider and a private room (6 people max)
• 4 day, 3 night self-driving guided tour (8 people max, option to hire easy rider for additional cost)
• 4 day, 3 night with easy driver and a private room (15 people max)

 

Where to Stay in Ha Giang

If you need to stay in Ha Giang before or after your motorbike tour, there are plenty of hotels in the city to choose from.  Because I did a tour with QT Motorbikes and Tours, I stayed at the homestay before the tour – but this was only for convenience.  I wouldn’t recommend doing so unless you’re going on a tour with them.

Other homestays I’d recommend in Ha Giang:

• The Palm Ha Giang Ecolodge
• NoMadders Ha Giang
• Phuc Lam Hotel

 

What to Know Before You Go

Before heading out on your ride, there are some things that you should know before you go.  First, it is required that you hold an international drivers license to rent a motorbike in Vietnam (get one here).  While most places will not request to see your license, you will get fined if you get pulled over.  From my understanding, cops do look for riders on the outskirts of Ha Giang, but once you get a bit away from the city it’s very rare for a tourist to get pulled over.

Second, you’re required to have a permit in order to be in the Ha Giang province.  Before stressing out about getting one, check with your motorbike rental company to see if they are able to help you with this.  If they aren’t able to help you, you’ll need to go to the Ha Giang immigration office and purchase one for $10.  Don’t forget to bring your passport and visa information with you.  (By the way, most countries need a visa to travel to Vietnam; you can get that here).

Lastly, I would absolutely make sure that not only do you have travel insurance, but that you also have motorbike insurance in case you were to crash.

 

Day 1 – Ha Giang to Du Gia

Highlights of day 1:  Heavens Gate + Thâm Luông Waterfall

 

BOOK YOUR STAY IN DU GIA – Du Gia Field View Homestay, Du Gia Panorama, Du Gia Village Homestay

 

You’ll want to start your day bright and early as you make the trip from Ha Giang to the Yen Minh district just northeast of the city.  You’ll start by heading north on the QL4C where you’ll get to the Don Van Karst Plateau, an UNESCO Global Geopark.  Make sure to stop at Heavens Gate as it’s one of the most beautiful viewpoints on the pass.

Once you start driving, you’ll notice tons of places to stop off for food and coffee.  Keep your eyes peeled for something that looks good!

Before checking into your homestay, visit the Thâm Luông Waterfall.  This waterfall is beautiful and has a little bar where you can get drinks and rent towels.  There’s free motorbike parking so once you park you’ll walk about 5-10 minutes until you reach the waterfall.

 

Day 2 – Du Gia to Đồng Văn Town

Highlights of day 2:  Tu San Canyon + Mã Pí Lèng Pass

 

BOOK YOUR STAY IN DONG VAN – Ethnic House Lounge

 

In my opinion, day two of the Ha Giang Loop was by far the most beautiful day.  Not only do you get to experience those thrilling mountain roads, but seeing Tu San Canyon from above is breathtaking!

Your second day will consist of making the motorbike journey from Du Gia to Tu San Canyon.  As you descend into the canyon, the deepest canyon in Vietnam, you’ll be greeted with turquoise green waters.  Park your motorbike and get a ticket to go on a one-hour boat ride through the canyon.

On your way up from the canyon you’ll drive the Mã Pí Lèng Pass which people argue is the most beautiful road in Vietnam.  (It was very beautiful, but I would argue that the Hai Van Pass is even better).  The Mã Pí Lèng Pass is a mountain pass on Highway 4C that’s approximately 20 km long.  This pass connects the towns of Đồng Văn and Mèo Vạc.

Once you finish the pass you’ll head to the ancient town of Đồng Văn for the night.  I was head over heels for this charming town.  It was so beautiful and there were very few tourists visiting.  There was also a great bar and restaurant scene for such a small place.  I highly suggest grabbing a nightcap – or morning coffee – from Phiên.

 

Day 3 – Đồng Văn Town to Yên Minh Town

Highlights of day 3:  Lũng Cú Flag + Vuong Palace

 

BOOK YOUR STAY IN YEN MINH TOWN – Homestay Bongbang

 

Day three of your motorbike adventure you’ll have a bit more action as there’s a lot to get out and see during this part of your journey.  First, head to the furthest point north – Lũng Cú Flag – where you’ll be able to see China.  Not only can you go all the way up the flag pole for views over Vietnam and China, but you’ll also notice a Vietnamese temple nearby.  That temple was recently built when China was trying to dispute the border.  The Vietnam government had a brilliant plan to build a temple right there so that China could no longer dispute where the border was – and it worked!

After you see the Lũng Cú Flag, head to the Vuong Palace.  The Vuong Palace belonged to Vuong Chinh Duc, the king of the Hmong people.  The palace holds great historical significance and is visited by many tourists.

 

Day 4 – Yên Minh Town to Ha Giang

Highlights of day 4:  Lung Khuy Cave

Before turning back to Ha Giang, stop at the Lung Khuy Cave.  This cave was just discovered in 2015, but they believed that it was formed 400 million years ago.  If you decide to visit, you’ll park your motorbike in the Lung Khuy village and walk nearly one hour up a mountain.  Once you get to the top, you’ll purchase a ticket to enter.  At the top you can also purchase water and other drinks to stay hydrated.

After visiting the cave, you’ll return to Ha Giang.  If you don’t want to spend the night in Ha Giang, I suggest booking a night bus to pick you up from the city.  (From Ha Giang I took a night bus to Ninh Binh and would highly recommend the area!).

 

Vietnam Essentials – What You Need & Need to Know About Visiting Vietnam

 

As I mentioned earlier, motorbiking the Ha Giang Loop was one of my very favorite experiences in Vietnam.  I highly suggest heading north to see what all the fuss is about.  If you have any more questions about the area, please let me know the in comments below!

 

FOR MORE ADVENTURES IN VIETNAM, DON’T MISS…

• A Complete Guide to Visiting Hoi An

 

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For more information on the Ha Giang Loop, make sure to check out my Instagram page/highlight reel by searching “#ppinvietnam” or under my highlights, “Vietnam”; alternatively you can check out my TikTok and look under my “Vietnam” highlights

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