Cao Bang and Halong Bay Motorbike Tours: See The Wonders in 9 Days

Introduction

Cao Bang and Halong Bay Motorbike Tours take you to see stunning villages on the slopes, endless mountains, golden terraced rice fields, and magnificent waterfalls. 

You’ll enjoy the beauty of the Vietnamese North. The journey departs from Hanoi and goes through a beautiful and romantic land: Yen Bai, paradise of golden apricot—Bac Can, autumn heaven—Cao Bang, and the first eight scenes—Lang Son. 

Whether a newbie or a professional motorcyclist, you should also try experiencing it once.

9 Great Days for Cao Bang and Halong Bay Motorbike Tours

Today’s weather is wonderful, and a bowl of mixed vermicelli with Hanoi flavor is also delicious. With a full stomach and ready luggage for traveling, it was time to say goodbye to the capital city and begin the Hanoi motorcycle tour to Halong Bay. Let’s go!

Day 1 – Hanoi to Vu Linh Motorcycle Journey

Escaping Hanoi in the early morning, our team rode along the Red River. We admired the poetic and majestic natural scenery, green alluvial plains, peaceful villages, and gently flowing water. 

When we came here, we wanted to enjoy snail dishes, such as snail hotpots or Vietnamese ham with periwinkle snails. Therefore, we chose to stop at a rustic restaurant for lunch before continuing to roam the vacant lands of the stunning towns and harvested-season rice fields. 

We arrived in Vu Linh in the afternoon. Located next to the blue Thac Ba Lake, Ngoi Tu cultural village (Vu Linh commune), Yen Binh district is a culturally rich destination. This place still retains the intact lifestyle of stilt houses and the image of kitchen smoke spreading over the green hills. 

Day 2 – Thac Ba To Na Khan Motorbike Trip

The Dao people living in Vu Linh Commune are friendly and hospitable. Before we moved on to the next destination, Na Khan, Bac Can Province, they gave us a little local specialty. 

First, we visited the Tan Trao historical site in Tuyen Quang, a Special National Relic with 138 relics and relic clusters. This place recorded important battles and meetings and contained deep memories of Uncle Ho, the beloved father of Vietnam.

Going through Highway 37 took about 1 hr 59 min, and then we came to Cho Chu Prison Monuments, Thai Nguyen province. These monuments mark the crimes of French colonialism and are also proud symbols of the intelligence and fighting spirit of revolutionary soldiers’ sacrifice.

Our trip didn’t stop, and we kept going towards the Na Khan—-Nung people’s village, which belongs to Bac Can Province. At the end of the day, we stayed overnight here.

Day 3 – Na Khan to Ba Be Motorcycle Tour

We left Na Khan at 8 am and headed to northern Bac Kan. Following Highway 3, passing Phu Thong, crossing Giang Pass, our motorcycles turned into Ba Be district from Na Phac junction.

Our group also entered the beautiful road under the thick canopy of leaves that no sunlight could penetrate. After about ten minutes, we saw Pac Ngoi village, located on the back of a mountain reflecting on Ba Be Lake. We would sleep a night here in Tay people’s homestay.

But first, we spent our afternoon exploring Ba Be National Park—an ideal eco-tourism destination with stunning landscapes and biodiversity, gathering more than 1,200 plant species and about 80 rare animal species on the list of conservation. 

Day 4 – Ba Be to Cao Bang Motorbike Route

The early morning in Ba Be National Park is cool and fresh. We quickly finished breakfast and departed for Cao Bang City. The journey on the fourth day was about 130 kilometers, so we first stopped at Cho Ra, the capital of Ba Be district, Bac Kan province, to enjoy lunch.

It continued heading out to Highway 3 and crossing Cao Bac Pass, named after the first word of Cao Bang and Bac Kan Provinces. With a height of 1000m and a length of more than 10km, this winding pass passes through majestic mountains and pristine forests, so it is often foggy in the morning and evening.

Before 6 pm, we were in Cao Bang and stayed the night there. 

Day 5 – Cao Bang to Ban Gioc Motorcycle Ride

Goodbye, Cao Bang! The scenic spot on our fifth day is Ban Gioc Waterfall. It was still Highway 3 to Ma Phuc Pass—the most beautiful 7-storey pass in Cao Bang province. Crossing Ma Phuc Pass, we admired the majestic, poetic, breathtaking views with undulating, overlapping mountains. However, it wasn’t easy because one side was mountainous, and another was a steep drop. Take care!

Appearing before our eyes now was Quay Son River, a beautiful river in the border region. This showed that we had arrived in Ban Gioc. From June to September, Ban Gioc waterfall in Cao Bang welcomes showers with strong water flow and white foam; luckily, we came at this time to admire the majestic beauty of nature here.

We had lunch in a local restaurant and then rode to Quang Uyen district. Many ethnic minorities, especially Nung An people are living and working here, which makes it ideal for renting an affordable homestay for the night.

Day 6 – Quang Uyen To Lang Son With Vietnam Motorbike Tour

Members of the team would go to the famous Dong Khe town, so we chose to ride south of Quang Uyen on Highway 4A. In the early 2000s, Dong Khe Fortress Relic restored some items, such as the Exhibition House, which stored documents and images related to President Ho Chi Minh and the 1950 Border Campaign, the French barracks, underground bunkers, and more. We all felt proud when visiting here.

Our journey continued when we rode to Lang Son province. If you come here, remember to participate in shopping at Dong Kinh market, which is the biggest commercial center of Lang Son.

Day 7 – Lang Son To Halong Road Adventure

After a good night’s sleep at Lang Son, we were strong enough to start a 220-kilometer trip to Ha Long City. Departing onto Highway 1B, we went through the districts of Cao Loc—Van Quan—Binh Gia—Bac Son—Vo Nhai—Dong Hy. 

It was about 135 kilometers, so we had a simple lunch in a local eatery and then turned on Highway 18—the route connecting HaLong and Cam Pha and between the East and West of Quang Ninh province. Now, it is wider and more optimal than a few years ago when we passed through here. 

The roadside scenery was also more beautiful, making us forget the long, hot road. Today, our Vietnam motorcycle tour finished with a delicious dinner at the homestay where we would be staying the night.

Day 8 – Discover Halong Bay in One Day

Because yesterday’s route was long, we allowed ourselves a morning off. Members could comfortably sleep in and walk if desired. After lunch, we would gather to visit Halong Bay. 

The weather favored us, with clear skies, white clouds, and cool temperatures. A Halong Bay cruise tour with delicious food was a perfect combination. Furthermore, the natural scenery was wonderful.

There was Titov Island with a 500 m2 beach, which allowed you to join many interesting activities, such as swimming, soccer, beach volleyball, and kayaking. This was a rare opportunity to explore a series of caves: Sung Sot Cave or Luon Cave. 

Day 9 – Go Back to Hanoi And End Our Vietnam PG1 Adventure Tours

We were still fascinated by Halong Bay’s beauty, so we decided to spend another morning discovering it, particularly Bai Tu Long Bay. Besides the rustic, magical beauty of limestone islands and schist islands undulating on the waves, this place includes hundreds of large and small islands.

We finished the nine-day route with a late lunch at a coastal restaurant, and then everyone prepared to return to Hanoi in one day. 

Final Thought

Cao Bang and Halong Bay motorbike tours are always unforgettable experiences. Motorcyclists must cross rough and dangerous roads before reaching beautiful lands. 

Moreover, the delicious meals will dispel your fatigue after long routes. Each region has different specialties. 

The culture is also a plus point. Every night, you sleep at a local homestay; the homeowners often tell interesting stories about the lifestyle and people there. Let’s go and experience everything!

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