Vietnam Enduro Tour to Northeast Vietnam – 9 days

Our 9-day tour exploring the Northeast of Vietnam will begin at around 9 AM after breakfast and a short briefing. Today’s destination is Vu Linh commune in Yen Bai province. Leaving the bustle and hustle of Hanoi, we will come to places where the beauty of nature dominates. After overcoming a long way of trails and highways, our team will encounter Thac Ba Lake – “Halong Bay of the Southeast”. This nickname derives from the fact that there are up to 1300 islets of different sizes here. This is one of the three largest artificial lakes in Vietnam. In short, we cannot skip this place on our journey.

After that, we will continue to move to the Vu Linh commune. We will stay at Ngoi Tu village for the rest of the day. This tranquil village is the home of the Yao people so we can find out more about the traditions and cultures of this ethnic group. You will have a delicious dinner with plenty of distinctive local delicacies. Tonight we will rest here under these villagers’ heartwarming care.

Summary:

• Distance: 180 km
• Meals: Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Homestay

Today will give you even more extraordinary experiences than yesterday. The road from Vu Linh to Ba Be is challenging, so we need you to ride as carefully as possible.

We start our second day with a short ride around Thac Ba Lake. Then we will come by Na Hang and Ban Thi village before joining an off-road track through Ba Be National Park. A 30-kilometer track across the forest is probably enough to arouse your sense of adventure. A restricted military area is also included in today’s route.

As soon as you see Ba Be Lake in Ba Be National Park, you will find your effort paid off. This is one of the twenty most beautiful freshwater lakes in the world. With abundant flora and fauna, Ba Be National Park has an irresistible enchantment.

Summary:

• Distance: 210 km
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Homestay in Ba Be National Park

Let’s bid farewell to the lovely Ba Be Lake and continue our trip! Today we will traverse one of the best tracks in the whole tour. After passing Cho Ra, we will take an off-road route to Tinh Tuc across Phia Oac Mountain. The weather in Phia Oac is so cold that sometimes we can find snow. We will have lunch here before riding to Tinh Tuc. On the way to the town, you will see several tin mines. Also, the route cross villages of Yao and H’ mong people. This is an excellent opportunity for us to witness these people’s everyday life.

The next 30-kilometer smooth asphalted road is not something too challenging. It is actually a short break before we confront another off-road track. Only after conquering dozens of curves on hillsides, you can approach the Bao Lac district in Cao Bang province. Our team will stay here overnight to recover energy.

Summary:

• Distance: 210 km
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Homestay in Ba Be National Park

Don’t skip your breakfast because we have a long way to ride today. Let’s get started with a ride near the Vietnam – China border. This 40-kilometer off-road track is attached with breathtaking spectacles, and you will love it. We consider the fourth day a big challenge for even experienced riders as we have to pass dirt trails, single tracks, off-road sections, and enduro paths. This is what you expect to have in an enduro tour, right?

The next obstacle is exciting yet incredibly hazardous. Me Pia Pass, also known as the 14-stage pass, has attracted thousands of backpackers and adventurous tourists every year. People come here to behold its majesty, but we are here to conquer it. Constant sharp turns are ready to discourage even professional bikers. Double your attention while riding here, or else your excitement will be snuffed out. After the pass, we just need to ride downhill to reach Cao Bang city.

We will let our fifth day commence by conquering Ma Phuc Pass. The pass is 3.5 kilometers, yet you should not underrate its danger. Awaiting you are sharp curves with lofty cliffs and deep abyss aside. In return, the landscape of the valley along the pass is spectacular. If you are a photography lover, this is an exceptional background to snap some pictures.

After Ma Phuc Pass, we will drive to. “Thung” here means “having a hole”. From a distance, you can already see a towering mountain with a hole in the middle. It’s time to show all your enduro riding skills because the rough terrain here won’t let you go quickly.

The next 40 kilometers are not going to be any smoother. We hope that those potholes on the off-road tracks won’t irritate you. Keep moving until we reach Ban Gioc Waterfall – the site every tourist wants to visit while they are in Vietnam. This is one of the four largest cross-border waterfalls in the world. The silver fall, the vast paddy fields, and the continuous sublime mountain ranges together conspire together to create a striking scenery that no one can forsake swiftly. Having lunch amid these splendid scenes sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it?

It will be a pity if we lose our chance to visit Nguom Ngao Cave, which is only three kilometers away from the waterfall. Nguom Ngao Cave in the Tay language means “the tiger cave”. Don’t worry; there is no hungry tiger in the cave. Instead, you will behold sparkling stalactites and stalagmites of thought-provoking shapes. Then our crew will ride on new off-road tracks across forests for about 40 kilometers to Quang Uyen. This is the town we will stay in tonight.

Let’s wake up early to breathe some fresh air and have a hearty breakfast before departing. Say goodbye to lovable Quang Uyen and head to Lang Son city. We have a mix of roads to subdue today. After 40 kilometers of riding off-road, we will arrive at That Khe town to have lunch and take a break. Another memorable experience on the sixth day is crossing the Ky Cung River by raft. The serene river is to bring you peaceful moments and helps relieve stress. Lang Son city will be there welcoming us warmly. Tonight we will rest in Lang Son hotel.

We’ll kick off the seventh day by enduro riding to Dong Cao. Prepare yourself because you are going to drive over eighty kilometers through the jungle after the jungle. Those bumpy off-road tracks make this tour a real enduro trip. We are supposed to arrive at Dong Cao for lunch. This upland is known as one of the best camping sites in the country. In the afternoon, more and more enduro courses will feed your thirst for adventure before hitting a broad path to Halong city. Let’s save energy today now that we will spend the whole of tomorrow exploring Halong.

There is no need to hurry, so let’s wake up a little bit late today. At around 9 AM, we will hit the road to enjoy the beauty of Halong city – driving or walking; it’s your choice! Do you know what the best way to explore this gorgeous bay is? It’s joining a cruise. We will have lunch on board to enjoy both tasty food and a phenomenal seascape. Halong Bay was recognized as a World Natural Heritage by UNESCO, and it is one of the most beautiful bays in the world. Tourists from all over the world, including plenty of celebrities, come to Vietnam to visit this site.

On the emerald water are nearly 2000 towering rocky islands. We will visit one of the most famous islands here – Titop. This island offers not only an exceptional view of the whole bay but also a tranquil beach. After exploring Titop, we will return to the cruise and join another exciting activity. The cruise chefs will show you how to prepare some traditional Vietnamese food. At 7:15 PM, we will have dinner. Then you can follow some locals to experience cuttlefish fishing. We’ll probably have a vibrant night on the ship.

Summary:

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Luxurious cruise

This is already the last day of the trip, but we will still have more precious experiences ahead. After breakfast, our cruise will take us to. Sung Sot here means Astonishment, and you will quickly find out where the name comes from. Sung Sot is one of the largest caves in Halong Bay. Besides the astonishing size, the cave capture tourists’ attention with sparkling stalagmites and stalactites. As we reach the highest point of the cave, a verdant garden will spread in front of you. You will see a crystal clear lake and plenty of strange plants and birds.

After lunch, we will check out of our hotel at about 11:30 AM. It’s time to get back to Hanoi, and we’d better take the smoothest route to avoid the terrible rush hour. That’s the end of the trip, and we hope you have met your satisfaction.

Summary:

• Distance: 180 km
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch