14 Day Incredible Hanoi to Saigon Guided Motorbike Tour in Vietnam

Overview

Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Thanh Hoa, Vietnam Join this two-week motorbike tour to Saigon via a Demilitarized Zone. The Ho Chi Minh Trail is the perfect way to discover Vietnam and all its wonders. At the end of the tour, riders will have gotten an insight into local culture, diverse food, glorious history, and stunning destinations with beautiful villages, magnificent countryside, amazing passes, and gorgeous caves. Take this chance to wind your way through Vietnam in your bike!

Highlights

• Starts in Hanoi and ends in Saigon
• Discover the beauty of Hoi An
• Ride on the famous Ho Chi Minh Trail
• Explore the Central Highlands and the coastline
• Visit the lively central market and the old rail station in Da Lat
• 13 nights accommodation

Itinerary

1. Day 1: Hanoi to Pu Luong (160 kilometers / 99 miles)

   After having breakfast at the hotel, you will jump on your iron horse to ride along the dike of the Red River, where you may have a chance to witness the peaceful and green villages with bamboo trees, gardens of flowers, paddies, and local markets. The Pu Luong limestone landscape is an area of outstanding beauty, culture, and high biodiversity value stretching from Mai Chau in the North to West to Cuc Phuong National Park in the South East. It is blessed with a rich forest, limestone panoramas, magnificent rice terraces, and a breathtaking scenery. Established in 1999, the Pu Luong Nature Res

2. Day 2: Pu Loung to Vinh City (268 kilometers / 166.5 miles)

   During the second day, you will say goodbye to the villagers and then head south on a beautiful winding road, which follows the banks of the Ma River. After some hours riding on the undulating quiet road, you will join the new Ho Chi Minh Highway. This newly carved route will lead you to the south through the remote backcountry not far from the Laos border. Lunch will be on the way with local foods. In the afternoon, you will cut eastward to the coast and stay the night in the peaceful city of Vinh, which is close to where Ho Chi Minh was born. You will have dinner at local restaurant and over

3. Day 3: Vinh to Huong Khe, Ha Tinh (160 kilometers / 99 miles)

   On the third day, you will head inland towards the Laos border. After a 40-minute ride, you will reach the birthplace of Ho Chi Minh in the Kim Lien Village. This village is truly a shrine to the Vietnamese and is visited by few Westerners. After paying respects to Uncle Ho, you will head to the Ho Chi Minh Highway via the Thanh Chuong District. You will cross the Lam River on the Ro Bridge and then drive primarily on the beautiful new highway of Ho Chi Minh. You will enjoy a lunch break in Pho Chau Town, a tiny town about 40 kilometers / 25 miles from Thanh Chuong. After lunch, you will conti

4. Day 4: Huong Khe to Dong Hoi, Quang Binh (210 kilometers / 130.5 miles)

   The fourth day’s ride is in a very quiet section of the new highway. En route, you will come to Khe Ve Intersection and Pheo, which is the very first branch of the Ho Chi Minh Trail into Laos. Continuing on from Pheo, you will arrive to Phong Nha around noon. After lunch in a local restaurant, you will board a dragon boat to explore the famous Nature World Heritage Site of Phong Nha cave. After the exploration of Phong Nga, you will ride 30 kilometers / 19 miles eastward to the coastal town of Dong Hoi, which will be this day's overnight spot. You will have dinner at the hotel and spend the ni

5. Day 5: Dong Hoi to Dong Ha, Quang Tri (256 kilometers / 159 miles)

   During the fifth day, the ride is also on the new, quiet highway. Along the way, there will be a short stop at the Truong Son National Cemetery to pay respect to the soldiers who fought and died on the trail during the American War. Then, you will head to the Dong Ha town passing the Ben Tat Bridge, which was built by the VC over the Ben Hai River. After arriving in Dong Ha, you will check in the hotel and have lunch. In the afternoon, you will drive to the mystic Vinh Moc Tunnel and the famous Demilitarized Zone, the Doc Mieu fire base, and the historic Hien Luong Bridge. You will enjoy dinne

6. Day 6: Dong Ha passing Khe Sanh to A Loui, Quang Tri (200 kilometers / 124 miles)

   Continuing the motorbike tour west on Highway 9, you will climb into the Truong Son foothills. About 16 kilometers / 10 miles from Khe Sanh is the Dakrong Bridge and the road turns winding and narrow. A bit further, you will come to Huang Hoa, once known as the Khe Sanh Base, which was established as a forward base by General Westmoreland near Laos to secure Highway 9. About three kilometers / two miles from Khe Sanh is the Ta Con Airbase. You will enjoy lunch in Khe Sanh and then head out across the famous Dakrong River Bridge on Route 14. Near the town of Ta Rut, you will stop for a visit to

7. Day 7: A Luoi passing Hien, Than My, to Hoi An, Quang Nam (240 kilometers / 149 miles)

   This day’s riding is the best riding of the whole route. For the first 110 kilometers / 68 miles, you will cross one of the longest and most stunning passings in a new and quiet road. In here, you will get to see the stunning scenery of primitive forests backed by the imposing Truong Son mountain range. There are also two long tunnels and very little traffic. The next 68 kilometers / 42 miles from Hien to Thanh My will be on a good road with some gentle climbs. You will have lunch on the way at a local restaurant. The last 40 kilometers / 25 miles of the day will be on an older, bumpier road a

8. Day 8: Hoi An

   Hoi An is nestled on the banks of the Thu Bon River. Before the river silted up, Hoi An was one of the most important trading ports in Southeast Asia and a center for exchange and trade between the East and the West. The rooftops of Hoi An retain an Oriental magical old-world feeling and are a favorite subject for Vietnamese artists. In the early 1980s, Hoi An’s ancient quarters and historical monuments came under the protection and restoration efforts of UNESCO and the Polish government. During this day, you may ride up to the Da Nang Beach, where US marines first landed, otherwise, you may e

9. Day 9: Hoi An passing My Son - Dong Phu to Kham Duc, Phuoc Son (200 kilometers / 124 miles)

   During this day, you will leave Hoi An in the morning and head to My Son, a world heritage site that is the Cham version of Angkor Wat. Most of the temples are dedicated to the Hindu god, Shiva, considered by the Cham as the founder and protector of their dynasties. From My Son, you will continue along the highway, busy at first, until the road shifts and becomes smaller, although paved. Then the drive will become challenging, but still fun though progress will be slower. You will continue riding along the river, but the road itself, new and not very busy, will climb up along a steep valley wi

10. Day 10: Kham Duc to Kon Tum (190 kilometers / 118 miles)

    After having breakfast in a local restaurant, you will continue riding north on Highway 14 on a bit of a bumpy section of the road to Kon Tum. On this day, you may visit different minority villages. You will ride over Lo Xo Pass, making lots of stops along the way to meet De and Trieng minorities, who live along the Dak Po Ko River. Along the river, there are many amazing hanging bridges, built by the local people to cross to the opposite shore. You will have lunch in Tan Canh and you may visit a village of Se Dang, before driving on to Kon Tum. Along the way, you will also pass one of the key

11. Day 11: Kon Tum to Buon Me Thuot (240 kilometers / 149 miles)

    The new Ho Chi Minh Highway was built on the old trail, but from Kon Tum to Daklak, the historic Ho Chi Minh Trail in Highway 14 C, runs parallel to Highway 14 linking Kon Tum, Pleiku, and Buon Me Thuot. You will continue riding Highway 14 on this day, finding that traffic is busier than usual. You will have lunch in Pleiku. From here, you will ride along the Tun River and up over a passing. During this ride, you will get to see there are coffee plantations and the stilt houses of the Central Highland’s largest ethnic group, the Gia Rai. Eventually, you will cross the Nha Rong pass down into B

12. Day 12: Buon Ma Thuot to Lak Lake to Dalat (200 kilometers / 124 miles)

    This morning, you will take a motor ride to Lak Lake on Route 27, a small paved road with a poor surfacing which is also quite busy. Here, you may have a break for refreshments and take a stroll by the lake. It is said there are about 31 different ethnic groups in Dac Lac, each with its own traditional dress and customs. Some of the villages are known for elephant hunting and taming, while some others are known for weaving and other arts. After lunch in Lak Lake, you will continue on to Da Lat. The road is narrow, winding, but not busy. You will have three passings to cross, Krong No, Chuoi, a

13. Day 13: Da Lat to Mui Ne (230 kilometers / 143 miles)

    Da Lat is known as the "city of love” and is a favorite holiday resort for Vietnamese people as well as French people. With evergreen forests, waterfalls, beautiful lakes, the country’s best flower gardens, and delicious fresh produce, Da Lat has always provided a welcome respite from the heat of the lowlands. Today, you will enjoy a drive through the charming pine hill to the summer residence of Vietnam’s last emperor Bao Dai. The emperor Bao Dai was forced to abdicate in 1945, shortly after the end of the World War II. His mansion displays a lovely collection of Vietnam treasures. This visit

14. Day 14: Mui Ne to Saigon (230 kilometers / 143 miles)

    During the morning, you will have breakfast before checking out. Then you will be at leisure on the beach for a while. After that, you will ride to visit the Duc Thanh School, the first school built in Central Vietnam where the National Hero Ho Chi Minh used to be a teacher. Then you will visit the Chua Ong Pagoda. There will be a stop to explore the central market before continuing to drive to Van Thuy Tu, a temple where fishermen in Phan Thiet believe and worship their God of the Sea. You will have lunch at a local restaurant before riding back to Saigon, which will mark the end of the trip.

Ride Details

Terrain

mix of asphalt and off-road

Bike

rental bike

Mileage

2,784 kilometers / 1,730 miles

Daily rides

160 - 268 kilometers / 99 - 167 miles

Riding gear

included: helmets, elbow and knee pads, gloves, bungee cords and nylon plastic bag for luggage water/dust cover

Meals

13 breakfasts, 13 lunches, and 12 dinners

Accommodation

During this tour, you may stay either in a private or a shared room in standard hotels and homestay accommodations. They have endeavored to select a combination of good quality hotels that reflect the character of the local area as well as being as centrally located as possible while striving to keep the cost affordable. During your trip, you will stay in a range of hotels and guesthouses with standardized quality. Please be aware that some hotel rooms, especially those in major urban centers or older cities, may be smaller than what you are used to in other parts of the world. Standards and ratings may also be different to your home country. Rooms are en-suite and either twin or triple shar

Food

During this tour, you will have 13 breakfasts, 13 lunches, and 12 dinners provided by Vietnam Motorbike Tour. Your included meals are detailed in the itinerary section. Breakfasts are included every day in the hotel except on the first morning. They are usually continental breakfasts, which are typical in most countries. A typical breakfast may consist of cereals with milk or yogurt, bread, croissants, cold meats, cheese and a range of spreads, with fruit juice, tea or coffee to drink. It is rare to get a hot breakfast in Asia, though on some occasions there may be some hot food available as well. Included evening meals are in local restaurants or accommodation places and are either two or t

Getting There

This tour will take place in Vietnam. You will ride from Hanoi to Saigon as the ultimate destination. During the tour, you will visit the cities of Pu Luong, Vinh, Huong Khe, Phong Nha, Khe Sanh, Dong Hoi, Dong Ha, A Luoi, Hoi An, Kham Duc, Kon Tum, Buon Ma Thuot, Da Lat, and Mui Ne. [+](https://www.tripaneer.com/vietnam-motorbike-tour/14-days-incredible-motorbike-tour-in-the-ho-chi-minh-trail-vie

Rider Reviews