Experiencing Vietnam’s Ha Giang Loop In Two Days

The Ha Giang Loop is home to some of Vietnams craziest experiences and insane scenery and is likely on most people’s itinerary that are travelling to Vietnam. With only a few weeks in Vietnam, we were determined to fit in as much as possible, including the Ha Giang Loop, but without sacrificing too much of our itinerary, we opted to squeeze it in 2 days – which turned out to be perfect for us. Here we will talk about the Ha Giang loop options, including days, travel, tour companies, and our experience!

What is the Ha Giang Loop?

The Ha Giang Loop is found in Northern Vietnam and is a wild ride through epic scenery on winding roads. Many people travel to Ha Giang to experience this loop by motorbike and there is a variety of routes and experiences along the way. The longer you stay, the more you will get to experience, however even in a short two day span we were able to pack SO much in and we felt we saw what Ha Giang has to offer.

How to get to Ha Giang?

Getting to Ha Giang is definitely a long trip. For us, we visited Ha Giang right after trekking in SaPa, and we took an evening bus from SaPa to Ha Giang. We booked this through the 12go.asia platform and they have a wide variety of options for travel times and types available. You can also book it in location, but it may end up being more expensive but it gives you greater flexibility if you aren’t on a tight schedule! The only way to get to Ha Giang is by road, and routes can be limited (i.e. only from specific places in Vietnam). Our biggest advice for Vietnam is to plan out your whole itinerary and make sure there are travel routes available between your two stops as finding travel outside of 12go.Asia would have been complicated for anyone that is not super familiar with Vietnams travel systems – this made it way easier.

The Best Way to Experience the Ha Giang Loop

There are a few different ways to experience the Ha Giang Loop:

• By Vehicle: You can take a car around the loop for those that don’t feel comfortable on the back of someone else’s motorcycle. I still probably wouldn’t recommend driving a vehicle yourself, and would rely on a guide as they know the routes best and the roads again can be in all sorts of conditions.
• By Motorbike (driving yourself): If you rent your own motorbike so if you are comfortable / know where to stop for food and accommodations then you could definitely do this without a tour guide. However, the road conditions along the routes can vary, and getting a LEGAL drivers license / proper insurance is probably a nightmare in the Vietnam especially if you are only travelling for a short stint. However, having your own freedom to stop whenever and not being a part of a tour group would definitely make this the most enjoyable option.
• By Easy Rider: This is the most common option! Easy rider is where you will hire someone and they will drive the motorcycle and you will hop on the back. We both did this and although it’s very close quarters, it was a fun experience.

Here are some tips to look into when doing your research:

• Tour Groups VS Private: This really depends on the type of traveller you are, but make sure you research who you are booking with. Do you prefer to be with large groups to meet new people? Book through the larger hostels in the area. Do you prefer a more private experience (i.e. small group or even private), make sure to do the extra research before planning as you could end up in a large group with long stops and family style meals.
• How Many Days: The Ha Giang Loop tours can range anywhere from 1-5+ day tours. Most people opt for 3-4 days – it really is up to how long you feel you can be on the back of a motorcycle for!
• Inclusions: Check what food / accommodation is included. We could update our tour to private accommodations and all the meals were included (and honestly so great). Also check out what they provide (i.e. helmet, gloves, eye protection, etc). They should provide a helmet but if they don’t provide the others be sure to bring them!

You’ll see below our general experience with Mama’s Homestay. 2 day tours are also harder to come by, which was one of the main reasons for going through that hostel. However we have heard really good things about Road Kings as well. You can also book some tour options through here as well:

• Ha Giang Jeep Tours
• Ha Giang 2 Day / 1 Night Tours
• Ha Giang 3 Day / 2 Night Tours
• Ha Giang 4 Day / 3 Night Tours

Our Two Day Ha Giang Loop Experience

We booked through Mama’s Homestay for a 2 day tour. The 2 day tour was perfect for us – we got to see so many insane views, experience the Ha Giang loop, but for us any longer would not have felt like the best use of our time. We are not motorcycle enthusiasts so two days on a bike was a great amount of time. Also, not many people opt to do the two days, so we ended up being in a group of 4! It was just us two and a group of two girls and we had such a good time. At night we were with a larger group from the same hostel, so there was still a big dinner / party at night, but during the day we stopped whenever, took our time, it was awesome.

Through Mama’s homestay we booked the 2 day Ha Giang Loop and private accommodations for the night before the tour, and the night during the tour. The accommodations were nice enough, and we arrived late the night before the tour anyways so we had a quick sleep and then we were up at about 7am to get transported to the hostel. Once we got to the hostel, they show you to a room where you can store your luggage – we put our overnight gear into a smaller backpack. We were provided breakfast, paid for the tour in a long line, and then when they called our name, we hopped on the motorcycle, put our helmets on, and we were off!

On day one we packed in a BUNCH. We went from Ha Giang town all the way up to Dong Van, stopping at some stunning viewpoints along the way. They also stop every 30 minutes – 1 hour so you’ll have plenty of places to go to the washroom, grab a snack or a drink. They also take you to a restaurant on the way where lunch is provided. The main reason for coming to Ha Giang is the scenery – it really is something else. There are so many stunning vista’s and that is what you will be spending your day doing. We also travelled to the most northern point in Vietnam, which borders with China.

After a day of checking out the views, we got to our accommodations and had a group dinner with everyone. This included people that were on different tours from the same hostel so it was a large group. All the meals were included in the price, and drinks were available (for an extra cost). There was also karaoke after dinner which meant some people were up late… bring earplugs! The accommodations were a mix of dorm rooms (bunk bed style), private double rooms, and even family style accommodations (2 double beds in a tiny cottage-style building). You reserve the type you want when you book the tour and double check that you’ve paid for it so you get the room you want.

The next morning we were awake for 730am and back for breakfast. The meals on this tour were outstanding. There was always a variety of options so there was something for everyone. Once we had breakfast we packed up and we were off. Today we also stopped at many viewpoints along the way (they can get quite busy), and took a different route back to the hostel. I think we drove about 300kms over two days on the back of a motorcycle! I think the views speak for themselves. We got back to the hostel at about 5pm.

Once we got back, we set up our own bus to take us back to Hanoi (straight to the airport), but you can also book it through Mamas Homestay too. They will organize transport for you to your bus stop as well which was free of charge!

Tips:

• Bring cash! There are lots of stops for food / souvenirs along the route. You will also need cash to use some of the washrooms on route.
• Dress warm. We did this during December so it was definitely colder for us, and we ended up wearing a puffy jacket, toque, gloves, and warm pants.
• Tipping: Definitely recommend bringing extra cash to tip the drivers – they bring you to great spots, drive you safely around, and take care of you for the whole trip!