RIDING THE HA GIANG LOOP - THE ULTIMATE 2023 GUIDE (WITH MAPS)
11 JAN 2023 || SOUTHEAST ASIA
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The Ha Giang Loop, covering Vietnam’s most scenic region, has arguably the most magnificent roads in Vietnam, if not the entirety of southeast Asia. This legendary motorcycle trip in remote northern Vietnam, more than 300 kilometres north of Hanoi, is full of spectacular mountain passes clinging to dramatic cliffsides, forested mountain panoramas and secluded tribal communities. The multi-day circular route, along the border with China, could easily be the best days you spend in Vietnam.
If your image of Vietnam is steep rice terraces, soaring limestone pinnacles, constant vistas and twisting rivers, then this destination is for you. Especially at golden hour, when the sun is low, the scenery is simply some of the most magical we have ever seen across the entire world.
Are you are put off by the nightmare of tourist saturated, overdeveloped Sapa? If so, then consider Ha Giang as an alternative. It’s described as the Sapa of twenty years ago (although we cannot corroborate this claim!). Personally, we disliked Sapa, but loved Ha Giang after spending five days on our Bike exploring all this territory has to offer. It’s our top experience across many months in southeast Asia and by far the most enjoyable area over two months in Vietnam.
Here, we document absolutely everything you need to know to plan your own journey. We’ve included self-guided options, tours, types of bike rental, getting to Ha Giang, routes, maps, costs, food, safety and much more.
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IN THIS GUIDE //
Riding the Ha Giang Loop
HOW TO GET TO HA GIANG
SELF-RIDING THE HA GIANG LOOP WITHOUT A GUIDE
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RIDE THE HA GIANG LOOP?
BIKE RENTAL FOR THE HA GIANG LOOP
DRIVING THE HA GIANG LOOP WITH A CAR
FUEL ON THE HA GIANG LOOP
THE EASY RIDER OPTION
Valuables on the Ha Giang Loop
SAFETY ON THE HA GIANG LOOP
PHONE/CELL SIGNAL ALONG THE HA GIANG LOOP
ATMs IN THE HA GIANG REGION
Language ON THE HA GIANG LOOP
Ha Giang Loop Costs
Best Time to Travel THE LOOP
What TO PACK
ACCOMMODATION ON THE HA GIANG LOOP
Food AVAILABILITY
ROUTE FOR THE HA GIANG LOOP
Final Thoughts
HOW TO GET TO HA GIANG
Ha Giang is a border province, set right up in the north of Vietnam on the Chinese frontier. Ha Giang town is also the capital city of the province and the jumping off point for the renowned motorbike loop.
To reach Ha Giang, most people take a sleeper bus. Connections run from anywhere in northern Vietnam, including Hanoi, Cat Ba, Halong, Sapa, and Ninh Binh. For reference, the journey is around 6-7 hours from Hanoi and costs around 200-400k depending on bus company and quality.
The buses can be organised via your accommodation. Alternatively, in many cases, it is also possible to go directly to the bus station early morning or the night before your travel date. Do not worry about tickets running out, there are too many buses for that to ever be a problem (unless it’s Tet!).
There are numerous bus companies that traverse the length of Vietnam, so different accommodations will have different bus types and times. If you need a specific time, scout around and you’ll almost certainly find one that suits. Many people take an overnight bus from their previous destination. This saves a night of accommodation and means you can get straight on with the loop when you arrive (if you get any sleep on the bus!).
There are no trains that run to Ha Giang.
It is possible to organise a private driver to take you to Ha Giang, commonly from Hanoi. You can also ride the route yourself if you have rented a bike for an extended period (or even take your bike on the bus).
OUR BUS EXPERIENCE
We took a 12-hour bus from Cat Ba Island to Ha Giang that ran through the day and arrived at 10pm. This had a three hour wait in Hanoi Old Quarter included within that. The route to Ha Giang from Hanoi is not very wiggly, but our bus driver was a little crazy and nearly ran a few bikes off the road. There was one stop for a bathroom/food break. We were grateful to do this journey during the day time. The scenery is really beautiful as the route follows the river north and bus drivers tend to be a little less scary during the day!
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IS IT POSSIBLE TO SELF-RIDE THE HA GIANG LOOP WITHOUT A GUIDE?
The first thing most people ask us is ‘can I ride the Ha Giang Loop without a guide?’. Truthfully, there’s some seriously bad advice out there at the moment and a lot of outdated articles, so here’s our take.
If you’ve never ridden a scooter or motorbike before, we definitely wouldn’t advise it. Although the route is not particularly tricky, there are steep, gravelly corners and switchbacks, a few crazy Vietnamese bus and truck drivers and narrow sections with substantial inclines. Riding a bike in Vietnam is also a little more hectic than in other southeast Asian countries like Thailand.
If you’re experienced, have ridden before and have road experience, then you shouldn’t have any issues riding on your own. Be aware that it’s harder with a pillion passenger, especially with the steep gradients, tight corners and a big backpack!
⋅ Licenses Needed to Ride the Ha Giang Loop ⋅
We thoroughly advise having a full motorbike license from your home country, accompanied by a 1968 international driver’s permit (IDP) with the relevant boxes ticked (this has been a requirement on the Ha Giang Loop since October 2018). Although nobody will ask to see these documents when you rent a bike, your travel insurance will not cover you for any accidents without them.
There is also a permanent checkpoint now outside Ha Giang town, where the police might pull you over and check your papers. This means you do legally need a valid bike license from your home country accompanied by the 1968 IDP, or a Vietnamese equivalent. We’ve read about bribes getting you through this blockade, however that does not always work and paying bribes is an incredibly unethical way to progress on your journey.
If you are from the United States, Australia and a host of other countries, you will not be able to get a 1968 IDP as your country has not ratified the agreement. Our hostel was asking everyone if they had the correct IDP and offered a driver to take you and your bike for a fee past the checkpoint if you did not have the correct documentation.
⋅ permits needed to ride the Ha Giang Loop ⋅
Officially, we’d read that there was a permit you needed to purchase in order to access this area and ride this route. We pressed the staff several times at our hostel who were insistent that this was not necessary, so we did not buy one. They are supposed to be around $10 per person.
Nobody asked us for one over the five days we rode around the region.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RIDE THE HA GIANG LOOP?
There are various itineraries, options of which we detail below, but at a minimum you should have three days, two nights to see the main highlights. We recommend 4-5 days to see everything and not feel rushed.
Stopping for a little longer and enjoying the scenery and villages/towns justifies the additional time. It is also worth noting that if you’re not used to riding a bike (or being a pillion on a bike) then it can get kind of uncomfortable after a while so build in extra time for breaks – your butt and back will thank you.
BIKE RENTAL FOR THE HA GIANG LOOP
There are lots of specialist outfitters that rent bikes for the Ha Giang Loop, most doubling as hostels and hotels. They even supply proper helmets! There are dedicated motorbike rental shops too. Automatic, semi-automatic and manual bikes of varying engine sizes are available at all rental places we investigated.
Check out any bike you rent before taking it. Ensure that everything works (especially the lights and brakes), that the tires are in good condition and any major damage is noted. A quick video is a smart move here.
⋅ The Best Type of Bike for the Ha Giang Loop ⋅
One that works well! Whatever you feel most comfortable riding is the best bike. There are no hills, corners or routes that a simple automatic scooter cannot manage under normal conditions. If riding with a pillion passenger or more baggage you might want to consider a slightly bigger engine though. Semi-automatic bikes are popular in Vietnam (a manually geared bike but without a clutch) and are a good choice if you’re comfortable with them.
Daily motorbike/scooter rental costs in 2022/23 are around:
♦ 180k dong – semi-automatic Honda Blade 125cc
♦ 250k dong – automatic Honda Airblade 125cc
♦ 550k dong – manual Honda XR 150cc
Additional insurance for the bike (and only the bike) is in the region of 100 – 250K dong per day depending on the bike type. This insurance does not cover you for any injuries or third-party damage.
These prices are far higher than rental costs across the rest of Vietnam. However, from our experience, the bikes are in far, far better condition and you get decent quality helmets included with the fee.
From our personal experience, we fully recommend Hong Hao Hostel and Motorbikes. Having spoken with people on the loop and also after extensive investigation, other highly recommended companies include:
♦ QT Motorbikes
♦ Lila Inn & Motorbike Rental
♦ Bong Ha Giang Hostel
OUR EXPERIENCE - HA GIANG BIKE RENTAL
We rented a brand-new Honda Airblade 125cc automatic for our ride around Ha Giang from Hong Hao Hostel and Motorbikes. The company had run out of a few of the bike types that day (we arrived on a weekend). Our bike was amazing and never struggled even with two people and a backpack. It was reliable and everything (fuel gauge, speedometer, lights etc.) worked. (A miracle in Vietnam from our experience).
We had to sign a rental vehicle agreement and had the option of purchasing insurance. We did not leave our passport or license as a guarantee (and would never suggest you do so either).
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DRIVING THE HA GIANG LOOP WITH A CAR
It is possible to drive the Ha Giang route in a rental car. While on a motorbike, we saw lots of local cars and buses along the route. The section between Du Gia and Meo Vac on the DT176 was under construction in late 2022, so might currently be risky/impossible in a rental car without decent ground clearance, plus that route might invalidate your rental insurance.
Some people do this loop with a hired car and driver who knows the routes and has adequate knowledge and insurance. This can be arranged with various agencies in Ha Giang town.
FUEL ON THE HA GIANG LOOP
The main gas station brand is Petrolimex (search for this on Google) and can be found at every main town on the Ha Giang Loop. It would be very difficult to run out of gas! Our bike had a six-litre tank which lasted for what felt like forever.
At Vietnamese petrol stations an attendant will fill your bike for you. The attendants understand basic English, so you can request for a full tank of fuel or a set number of litres.
Petrol costs when we visited at the end of 2022 were around 23k dong per litre. There are also stands selling petrol in bottles along the roads for emergencies, although these are not as cost effective as buying direct from the petrol stations. You also cannot be sure the bottled petrol is 100% petrol which could cause issues with your bike in the future.
THE EASY RIDER OPTION ON THE HA GIANG
The ‘Easy Rider’ option for the Ha Giang loop basically means getting someone else to ride the bike for you, while you sit on the back as a pillion passenger. It’s a great option if you do not feel comfortable riding a bike on your own.
There are some obvious pros and cons:
+ You get a competent, knowledgeable rider who is familiar with the terrain
+ Frees you up to enjoy scenery and the ride
+ All the logistics are sorted on your behalf – accommodation, route, food etc.
– You don’t have much flexibility on the route
– Costs a lot more
–/+ You’re often in a group and depending on your preferences, these can be a bit alcohol-fuelled which is hit or miss!
The other choice with Easy Riders is to ride your own bike but as part of a group with a guide. This offers support along the route and the option to meet new people, while still allowing you to have the experience of riding yourself.
WHERE TO LEAVE YOUR BACKPACK AND VALUABLES
Most hostels will store your larger backpack, so you do not need to carry it around along the motorbike loop. If you have valuables, like laptops for example, we recommend checking if your hostel has lockable storage in advance.
At Hong Hao Hostels and Motorbikes, they stored our bag for free in their bike storage area. If you have valuables, they provide a locker for 50k dong for the duration of our trip which fit all our bags.
QUICK FACTS ABOUT HA GIANG
Province population density: 110 people per square kilometre
Total loop distance: 350 kilometres
Number of Ethnic Groups: 43 (government recognised)
Dominant Ethnic Group: Hmong
Best time to visit: not summer (June, July, August)
Interesting Fauna: includes Tigers and Pangolins
Number of languages spoken: at least 13
Province creation: 1991
Durians: rare
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IS THE HA GIANG LOOP DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS?
This depends on your level of expertise. Our opinion is that the Ha Giang Loop is not a dangerous route, however we have a full motorbike license and experience riding in Vietnam.
We were a little anxious from stories we’d heard about the roads being narrow, precipitous and twisting. We’d read about local drivers being extreme and running people off the road. There were tales of extremely high, cliffside drop-offs with no barriers. Stories of road works that blocked parts of the loop for hours at a time alarmed us slightly too.
We experienced none of these things that gave us any cause for concern. The other drivers were, in the most part, courteous and did not speed excessively, the drop-offs were not anxiety-provoking and road works manageable.
⋅ Hazards ⋅
The biggest hazard would be rain. Certain sections could be quite tricky when wet, however we luckily did not receive any rain during our trip. There are videos out there of piles of people slipping off their bikes on muddy hills, so slow down and be extra careful if it rains. We personally recommend you just stop and wait for it to end if there is heavy rain. The roads can become really dangerous, very quickly.
A manual bike gives you more control in difficult conditions. Having said that, we didn’t experience any difficult conditions and most people we saw had rented automatic or semi-automatic bikes. Often, the rental companies can show you how to use a semi-automatic if you’re unfamiliar.
We saw one accident during our five days, involving a resident with a pillion passenger who came off their bike on a steep gravelly hairpin corner near Du Gia. He went headfirst off the bike and broke some teeth. There was some blood, but he was okay. It is worth noting that he was not driving to
