One of the most popular activities among backpackers on the ‘banana pancake trail’ in Southeast Asia is riding the Ha Giang loop in northern Vietnam. And I can tell you now: it is SO worth the hype.
The Ha Giang loop was one of our most anticipated activities of our time in Vietnam — actually, our whole year away! — and it was so incredible that I would happily go back and do it again and again.
Getting to Ha Giang
We travelled to Ha Giang, a small town in the far north of Vietnam right near the Chinese border, from Hanoi on a 7-hour sleeper bus for around £15 per person on 12Go Asia. This is the best way to travel in Vietnam and if you pay a few quid extra for a ‘VIP’ bus, you’ll find it very comfortable (trust us, we’ve learned the hard way).
We stayed at Lila Inn whilst we were in Ha Giang and enjoyed a very relaxing couple of nights in the fresh mountain air, wandering the town, drinking iced coffees and searching for the best banh mi on offer. Fast forward a couple of days and we had arranged our tour of the Ha Giang loop.
Choosing an easy rider tour
After initially wanting to just rock up in town, hire a bike and ride it ourselves, we quickly realised that joining an ‘easy rider’ tour (where you ride on the back with an experienced local) would be the best way forward.
The roads are tough to navigate, you need experience riding a proper motorbike (not just a little Honda Click like Joe had ridden throughout Thailand and Indonesia) and there are police checkpoints all along the route, where we’d need an international driver’s permit (which, spoiler alert, we did not have). Throw into the mix the difficulty finding accommodation en route as it’s so remote and the easy riders book out all the good guesthouses, and we knew we’d have to pay that bit extra for a tour.
Well, I am SO glad we did. We decided on the 3-day, 2-night tour with Lila Inn which currently costs 3.6 million Vietnamese dong (approx. 144 USD/£112). This includes all meals and guest house stays along the loop. My first recommendation is this: if you have the time, do the 4-day tour — we loved every moment and although after three days we had very sore bums, we would’ve loved to spend more time in the mountains! You can find Lila Inn’s full list of adventure tours, ranging from two days to a full week, here.
Liam from Lila Inn organised everything for us. We really lucked out too — our only trepidation was that we’d be amongst a horde of 18 year olds on the lash (are we getting old?), but our tour group consisted of myself, Joe and a lovely middle-aged couple from Utah, Jim and Emily. The four of us got along so well and had a lovely time getting to know each other and I really feel that the small group size made for an even better experience.
Day 1 of the Ha Giang Loop
After a couple of days hanging around Ha Giang, the day finally came to start the tour. We were so excited! The day started with a chat through the route with Liam at Lila Inn and we met our riders — huge shout out to my rider Minh who led the tour (with his adorable Pikachu helmet) and Thanh, Joe’s rider who was approximately half his height. They balanced each other out weight-wise on the bikes I guess.
We set off just before 9am and within 10 minutes we were out of town heading for the hills. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and I can feel the excitement and adrenaline that I felt in those moments as I write this. The roads started off really smooth and well paved and within an hour we were completely out in the middle of nowhere on our adventure. We stopped at a roadside cafe for a cold drink and to soak up the first views of the Ha Giang loop.
After our drink stop we continued on to a cave that (apparently) no one usually stops at on the Ha Giang loop. After 10 minutes or so bumping up and down along a mud track and walking through waist-high grass I believe that’s true as we didn’t see another soul! It was a fun, random stop on our first day and yet another reason why we loved doing this tour with Lila Inn, for the unique experience!
Back on the road and more winding along fantastic roads to another viewpoint. This blog post might sound super boring in a while as the whole trip was just WOW! Incredible views around every corner. Eventually Quan Ba came into view, where we admired the Twin Mountains (apparently two of the mountains look like boobs, a very giggly Minh informed us) and enjoyed a delicious lunch.
Another hour or so of riding ensued and we came to what was my favourite viewpoint of the entire trip. No kidding. I mean look at this…
Is there a better location to enjoy a cheeky beer? And I love that Minh was secretly taking photos of us here. The photo on the right is one of my favourite photos of us ever. It goes without saying that I could’ve happily stayed and camped in this spot for three whole days but after a while it was time to move on and head to Da Gia, a small village nestled in the mountains where we stayed the night in a lovely little guesthouse.
Another point to make about Lila Inn’s tour was that they bagged us some amazing accommodation. I’d read that a lot of the guesthouses on the Ha Giang loop are very basic but we had the most comfortable beds every night of the trip, and the hosts were always wonderful and served us amazing home cooked food for dinner and breakfast. They also supplied ‘happy water’ and karaoke so it really was just the best fun!
Day 2 of the Ha Giang Loop
After a blissful sleep (fuelled by happy water) we had an early start and headed to a nearby waterfall for a swim. Minh told us that most tours visit in the afternoon on the first day and it’s really busy, so he made sure we’d be among the first people there in the morning. When we arrived there were a handful of people but by the time we left it was packed, so if you know that this is on your route, try to get there as early as possible.
We then spent the morning riding through the hills, further north towards the Chinese border, with the occasional stop for a coconut iced coffee and the most scenic toilet I’ve ever had the pleasure of using.
After lunch the tarmac turned into a rocky dirt road, winding up and up over the hills. The masks we’d been given on day one quickly became a necessity. Two hours of bumping along later — by this point we were starting to feel a little sore and really appreciated the regular drink stops and photo breaks — and we made it to a stunning viewpoint right on the border with China.
Right at the end of the gorge it becomes a sort of ‘no man’s land’ between Vietnam and China and the mountains right in the distance are in China. It was so surreal feeling like we were just a stone’s throw from China — I still have some mild trauma around leaving China in 2020 (long story but you can read a bit about it here) and don’t associate beautiful natural landscapes with the country at all, having only seen and lived in a huge cosmopolitan city. Safe to say I was very glad to be on this side of the border.
After a scramble up the peak behind us (Joe) and a selfie with China in the background (me), we rode on to Dong Van where we stayed the night — after a slight mishap in which Minh’s bike got a flat tyre and I had to squeeze on with both Emily and her rider all the way down steep hairpin bends into town.
The view from our little bungalow was amazing. Another evening of great food and karaoke made for the perfect end to the day. As I said, you get the best accommodation with Lila Inn!
Day 3 of the Ha Giang Loop
The third and final day of our Ha Giang loop tour was upon us. Our sore bums were glad but our hearts were not. I wish we could’ve stayed longer!
The day started with a quick visit to the Dong Van markets and a stroll around the old Hmong King’s Palace. We learned a lot about the Hmong people this morning — descended from the mountain tribes of southern China, this indigenous ethnic group can still be found in the far northern reaches of Vietnam, Thailand and Laos.
Throughout the morning we stopped at various viewpoints (as usual) and also visited a village where we met Hmong women who were showcasing their beautiful crafts. Textiles plays a huge part in their life and the women and children wear beautiful brightly-coloured hand-woven clothes.
After a few more hours riding south, we made our way out of the mountains and back to Ha Giang, where we were kindly invited to spend the night at a local’s new hotel as his first guests. But that’s a story for another time.
I’m sure it’s obvious from this blog post that riding the Ha Giang loop was literally one of the best things we did throughout our year of full time travel. In fact, one of the best things we’ve done ever!
If you’re planning a trip to Vietnam or to Southeast Asia, this has to be at the top of your list. Take it from someone who was terrified at the prospect of riding a motorbike and is now obsessed with it. Just make sure to do your due diligence and you’ll be happy and safe. My main tips for embarking on this adventure are…
- Book through a reputable tour company with as small a group as possible (Lila Inn, duh!)
- Take warm, comfortable clothing — it gets chilly riding in the breeze and the nights are cold in the mountains!
- Pack your own mini first aid kit just in case
- Tip your easy riders generously and treat them to drinks and ice creams at your refreshment stops — they really are the best and keep you safe throughout your trip 🙂
- Go easy on the happy water, it’s delicious but I’m not actually sure what it’s made from…
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Where's Liv 
I can easily see why riding the Ha Giang Loop in northern Vietnam is so popular – it offers stunning scenery, winding mountain roads and a chance to experience remote ethnic villages. I have to put this one on my travel wish list. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful day 🙂 Aiva xx
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Definitely deserves a spot on your travel wish list! Thanks Aiva x
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