In September 2025, I traveled from south to north in Vietnam, exploring different cities, and I ended up in Ha Giang. I booked a 4-day 3-night Ha Giang Loop motorbike tour. And it was one of the best trips of my life.
This blog post serves as a guide for you on what you need before, during, and after the Ha Giang Loop.
- How to book your trip
- 3D2N vs 4D3N
- What to bring and prepare?
- How to get to Ha Giang?
- Easy Rider vs Self ride
- What to expect during the tour?
- Where will you go in Ha Giang Loop
How to book the trip?
There are a lot of tours that you can join. I personally joined the Ha Giang Motorventure because of the good reviews I saw on TikTok. There are other famous ones like Mama’s Homestay and Bong Hostel. Overall, I was very satisfied with Ha Giang Motorventure, and one of the main reasons is that they have smaller groups. For example, there are 3 groups that go at the same time, but in each group it’s max is 8-9 people. You can also bond more with your group members in smaller groups.
How to book is by simply chat them via WhatsApp number they have in the website. I didn’t make any deposit at the time. I paid all of it when I arrived in Ha Giang.
3D2N vs 4D3N
There are two options for the Ha Giang Loop, the 3D2N or 4D3N. Obviously, the 3D2N you will see fewer places and will rush your loop compared to the 4D3N. I did the 4D3N, and for me, the pacing of the journey is great. I would suggest taking the four-day trip because Ha Giang is so far up north of Vietnam, and it’s not a destination that you will do often. So, in my head, I might as well just go for the longest trip to fully immerse myself in the experience.
Tip: Add one extra day before and after the loop. Whether you choose 3D2N or 4D3N—if you’re not already in Ha Giang city—you’ll need to add an extra day before and after the loop.
From Hanoi to Ha Giang with a sleeper bus takes 6 hours. I went on an overnight sleeper bus and arrived just a bit after midnight, and the Ha Giang motorventure trip includes a night at their hostel. It’s very common to have this itinerary; they call it Day 0.
What to bring and prepare?
This depends on the month you visit Ha Giang. I was traveling from the south to north of Vietnam with a 45L Forclaz backpack in September. It was the beginning of the typhoon season, but still considerably warm. I brought one jacket, tank tops, t-shirts, short pants, one pair of shoes, and one pair of sandals. I was lucky that I didn’t experience any rain, but there’s nothing wrong with being safe. Some of the areas can be very dusty when it’s dry, so bring a mask/balaclava mask and sunglasses. Bring a swimsuit and a microfiber towel because there are waterfalls, and you definitely want to swim in them.
You can get my backpack packing list for free here.
I also recommend that you to bring a smaller backpack because you will need to put your big backpack in the storage in Ha Giang (the city, not the loop). You just need to bring your essentials for the next 3-4 days in a smaller backpack.
My packing list in my small, 10L backpack:
- 3 – 4 outfits (3 tops and 2 bottoms, and I mix and match them)
- Microfiber towel
- Small toiletries
- Charger and powerbank
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- Medicines
- Rain jacket (I rarely take it out)
- A pair of sandals and shoes
- Airpods
I put my laptop and other electronics in my big backpack in the storage. Don’t forget to bring a small lock for your big backpack.
How to get to Ha Giang?
If you booked with one of the tour agents, they usually will arrange a sleeper bus from cities like Hanoi and Sapa to Ha Giang. When I booked with Ha Giang Motorventure, the overnight sleeper bus price was already included in the tour. You can choose between VIP and normal prices. I booked the VIP, and I think you should too. On the VIP sleeper bus, you can get your own chamber, and it’s so much more spacious and comfortable. Mind you, it’s around a 6-hour drive from Ha Giang to Hanoi. So you want to be comfortable and rest before going on the Ha Giang Loop.
Easy Rider vs Self ride
There will be another two options for this tour, whether you want to drive the motorbike yourself or be a passenger princess. I will just give you the pros and cons
Easy rider:
- Pro: Be a passenger princess. Focus on enjoying the scenery and taking nice photos and videos.
- Cons: It might be uncomfortable being at the back of the bike, especially if you’re not used to riding motorbike.
Self ride:
- Pro: You can do a self-guided tour, go on your own, and control your pacing. You can take longer breaks or go faster.
- Cons: You cannot take photos or videos of the beautiful scenery along the ride. You also need an international driving license. Roads can be challenging if you’re not an advanced driver. I will not recommend it if you have never driven a motorbike ever.
The self ride will be slightly cheaper than the Easy Rider. The tour agent will tell you in advance that you will pay a fine if you don’t have an international driving license. The fine will be around 3 million VND. And trust me, you WILL get the fine, because the police officer checks before the start of the loop.
What to expect during the tour?
If you choose the four-day Easy Rider tour, this is what your day-to-day looks like: You will be assigned to your driver for the next four days—basically your riding buddy for the trip. You’ll wake up early for breakfast, and the team leader (one of the drivers) will usually give a short briefing on the day’s itinerary, including how many stops you’ll visit and how many kilometers you’ll ride. And then you will ride for the next 20–30 minutes (it rarely goes beyond 30 minutes) before taking a break.
Breaks are usually at scenic viewpoints around Ha Giang. During these stops, you can stretch your limbs, take photos or videos, and replenish with some snacks. Snacks and drinks are available at the stops.
In the afternoon, you’ll visit a local restaurant for lunch. After completing all the day’s stops, you’ll head to a homestay. Take a rest and a shower before dinner time, it’s usually about 2 hours. You eat dinner with your group. The drivers will also give you “happy water” before the start of dinner. Happy water is a strong, local liquor, and you can say no if you don’t drink alcohol. After dinner, there’s usually karaoke time with other groups and also the drivers. Once the karaoke wraps up, you can head to bed and rest for the night.
You repeat that for the next three days.
Road Conditions:
About 80% of the time, the roads are fairly smooth. There are some gravel or dirt sections, but they are minimal. I’d be more cautious during the rainy season or on rainy days, as handling a motorbike in the rain is a completely different ball game.
Weather Variability:
If you’re doing the loop during the shoulder or rainy season, be prepared for weather changes throughout the day. During the dry season, bring extra sunscreen.
Accommodation & Food:
The homestays are very simple, but they are clean and have basic amenities. Tours usually provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner, typically served family-style with 5–7 dishes, including rice, vegetables, and protein. You can’t choose the menu, but in my experience, the food is quite good. They will give you a new, big bottle of water every morning. Bring extra cash for snacks, and if you want additional food outside of meal times.
Local Culture:
Tipping your driver at the end of the loop is common. Tourists are discouraged from giving money directly to children or local ethnic minority communities, as it can negatively affect long-term livelihoods. If you want to give something, consider buying drinks or snacks instead, and they’ll take photos with you in return.
Safety & Emergency:
Bring your own basic medicine, such as migraine medication, antiseptic (like Betadine), and band-aids. Pack mosquito repellent and extra sunscreen, especially if you’re prone to sunburn. If you’re doing a self-guided trip, make sure to get emergency contact numbers (ambulance, police) as well as your bike or tour provider’s contact details.
All the stops in the Ha Giang Loop
This is the itinerary that I copied from the Ha Giang Motorventure web page:
- Day 1: Ha Giang City – Thái An – Ba Tiên – Đường Thượng – Lũng Hồ – Du Già Village – Du Già Waterfall
- Day 2: Du Già Village – Lũng Hồ – Mậu Duệ – Mèo Vạc – Nho Quế Boat trip – Mã Pì Lèng Pass – Đồng Văn Town
- Day 3: Đồng Văn Town – Lũng Cú Flag tower – Chinese border – Hmong King Palace – Thẩm Mã Pass – Yên Minh Town – Nặm Đăm Village
- Day 4: Nặm Đăm Village – Lùng Khúy Cave (trekking) – Quản Bạ Heaven Gate – Khau Làn Waterfall (trekking) – Bắc Sum Pass – Hà Giang City
To be perfectly honest, I don’t remember all the names of the stops. I lost track of the names, but the ones that I bolded above are the memorable ones for me.
- Lũng Hồ – Highland village surrounded by rice terraces and misty mountains, offering an authentic glimpse into rural life in Hà Giang.
- Du Già Waterfall – Hidden waterfall, perfect for a swim and dive after a long day on the road.
- Nho Quế Boat Trip – Scenic boat ride through the Nho Quế River, in between the dramatic limestone cliffs of Tu Sản Canyon.
- Đồng Văn Town – Historic mountain town with stone houses and a lively old quarter.
- Lũng Cú Flag Tower – Vietnam’s northernmost point with panoramic views of border villages and surrounding mountains.
- Thẩm Mã Pass – Iconic zigzag road with sharp curves between two stone walls
- Mã Pì Lèng Pass – One of Vietnam’s most iconic mountain passes, featuring jaw-dropping views of the Nho Quế River far below.
- Vuong Castle (Hmong King Palace) – Historic residence of the Hmong royal family, blending Chinese Qing traditional and Hmong unique architecture amid a mountain valley.
- Lùng Khúy Cave – Located in the Dong Van UNESCO Global Geopark, is a limestone cave discovered in early 2015. There’s a legendary “Fairy’s well” inside the cave, where during holidays, people come here to ask for water, pray for good weather, good crops, good health, happiness, and to have kids.
Personally, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that everyone needs to do. Not only is it a soul-cleansing trip, but also a trip that shows me how small we are as humans. Mind you — at this point — I have already traveled to almost 30 countries. You will pamper your eyes for the next 3–4 days by seeing the beautiful scenery of Ha Giang.
Hope you find this post useful. See you in my next post!
Michelle
