Ha Giang Loop: A Guide To Vietnam’s Unforgettable Motorcycle Loop
Let me set the scene: it’s July 2019 and I am 3 weeks into backpacking northern Vietnam. I met a fellow British man who asked me when I was going to complete the Hà Giang loop. “What’s that?” I asked completely unaware. I found out that the Hà Giang loop is one of the most amazing experiences in the entirety of Vietnam. He proceeded to explain this 3-5 day long motorbike ride through the mountains. I had never ridden a motorbike before. So it’s safe to say that I was somewhat reluctant about undertaking this challenge (scared is a more realistic word). Nevertheless, a few days later, I began my 4 day bike ride around the Hà Giang loop.
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Hà Giang
Hà Giang is a city located on the banks of the Lô River in the Northeast region of Vietnam and is the capital of the Hà Giang Province. Hà Giang is easily accessible from Hanoi via a bus; the journey should take around 7-8 hours. Going on buses in Vietnam is an experience in itself and I saw vehicles overtaking on blind corners and some truly reckless driving.
The Hà Giang loop is a 3-5 day motorbike trip through the mountains in Northern Vietnam. I personally completed the trip in 4 days, as unfortunately my visa was coming to an end. In my opinion, 5 days is the perfect amount of time, if you do not wish to rush or miss anything. You will see a vast number of mountains, quaint villages and beautiful untouched terrains. Almost all hostels in Hà Giang will be equipped with bikes for you to rent that are suitable for traversing the mountains that lie ahead.
I strongly advise that you rent a manual or semi automatic bike. This is because an automatic one may struggle to get you up some of the steeper stretches of the journey . I saw a few people that had to get off and push at some points.
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Day 1
The first day of my three day trip began at Hà Giang’s Jungleman Homestay. I rented a motorbike and started to scale the mountains via the QL4C road. After 31 miles, multiple pitstops to take photos of the stunning views and 4.5 hours of driving, I finally made it to my first stop on the trip, Yên Minh. I stayed at the 2A Homestay And Coffee hostel, and that’s about as much of Yên Minh as I saw unfortunately. I wasn’t prepared for how tiring riding a motorbike through the mountains would be. So I missed exploring the town in favour of resting in the homestay.
Day 2
I began day 2 by setting off on the QL4C road once again. My goal for this day was to reach the Đồng Văn district. Once again I experienced some of the most breathtaking views of my life. One of the most incomprehensible aspects of the entire trip was how empty the roads were. Miles upon miles of beautiful, winding stretches of roads without another motorbike in sight. Roads like these will make everyone feel like a professional motorbike racer!
The highlight of day 2 was hands down the Lũng Cú Flag Tower. This monument is located in Lũng Cú commune of the Đồng Văn district. It consists of a 30-metre tall tower on the summit of Lũng Cú Peak. The tower is topped with a large Vietnamese flag and was built to mark the northernmost point in Vietnam. From here you can see mountains that stretch endlessly. Some of them are not even part of Vietnam as they are over the borderline, this was my first ever glimpse of China.
Day 3
Day 3 consisted of finally travelling on a new stretch of road, the DT176. Thankfully the storm from the previous night had passed but unfortunately this road was a lot more rural than the built up QL4C. This meant mud. Lots of mud. The DT176 alternates between smooth tarmac and unstable rubble which makes riding pretty uncomfortable. Aside from the less than perfect road conditions this section of the drive was truly memorable. I remember driving for 30 minutes completely immersed in clouds. I was barely able to see the road a few metres ahead. Some words that come to mind are surreal, lonely and wet. I strongly advise bringing a raincoat and waterproof bag cover for this section of the drive.
The highlight of day 3 was stopping for lunch at the Diem Dung Chan Pit Stop. This beautiful mountainside restaurant provided even more stunning views of the mountains, a rest from riding the bike plus amazing local Vietnamese food. I even bumped into two of the friends we made from the hostel the night before!
After yet another long day of driving (39 miles / 3.5 hours) day 3 drew to an end at the Du Già Waterfall Homestay in the small town of Du Già. The night was spent playing cards and drinking with another group of Brits staying at the hostel.
Day 4
Day 4 was unfortunately the final day of my Hà Giang loop trip as I had pre-booked a bus from Hà Giang back to Hanoi and a flight from Hanoi to Luang Prabang, Laos the very next day. There was a lot of pressure to get back to Hà Giang in time, as my visa only had 2 days remaining at this point. The journey from Du Già back to Hà Giang was only 4.5 miles in total. I expected to drive the entire way back without stopping in no time at all, how foolish of me…
The road back consisted of winds every few metres, I would make my way forward and then have to brake harshly for the bends. A combination of this and all of the mud from the previous storm resulted in this simple 4.5 mile journey taking me 4 hours to complete! It is safe to say I was maybe a little stressed due to my time constraints.
Sure enough I made it back to Hà Giang in one piece (just about), and got the bus back to Hanoi completely exhausted.
What I Enjoyed
The highlight of the entire trip was simply driving along the quiet mountain roads. You may assume that the views of mountains would get boring after a while, but this would be incorrect. I was very happy with the roads being empty as it allowed me to feel complete tranquillity and at some points an almost meditative state.
What Would I Change?
The only thing I would change about my specific trip is to add more days into the drive. Many beautiful villages could only be viewed as I quickly drove through them, as I simply did not have enough time to stop at every beautiful place I drove past and there were many.
Conclusion
The Hà Giang loop is a complete must for anybody with a spare 3-5 days whilst in Northern Vietnam. Coming from someone with absolutely 0 experience with riding a motorbike before this trip, and someone who was absolutely terrified up until I set foot on the initial drive, please do not get put off by the thought of having to drive a motorbike through a mountain trail by yourself.
If you are still not convinced that riding a motorbike is something for you, there are many tours you can purchase where you sit on the back of an experienced motorbike rider with accommodation and photo opportunities all planned for you.
I can confidently say that this trip was a highlight of my time in Vietnam and honestly my life. If it had not been for this, I am confident that I would never have dared to begin my 5 week motorbike trip all the way from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, a few months later.
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