My 3-day motorbike trip through northern Vietnam’s Ha Giang Loop was amazing (and scary)

I’d never heard of the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam before visiting Southeast Asia, but as soon as I landed, I started hearing rumblings of its glory. One by one, travelers I met sang praises about the region’s natural beauty and the thrill of riding the roads that wound through it. 

Even if I was just a motorbike passenger, I knew I had to experience the allure of the region for myself. It ended up being one of my favorite activities in six months of solo traveling across Asia. 

I was left speechless at the raw, untouched scenery of Ha Giang and how free it felt to zoom through its hillsides. However, it was definitely scarier than I anticipated at times. 

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An Introduction to the Ha Giang Loop

The Ha Giang Loop is a 217-mile route that winds through the mountainous region of Northern Vietnam and takes around three days to complete. 

The journey starts from the district of Quan Ba and continues through Yen Minh, Meo Vac, and Dong Van before coming back around to the beginning. Motorbike rentals, hotels, and food are all fairly affordable and it’s possible to participate even with a limited budget for Vietnam. 

The loop is traditionally completed on a motorbike as the roads are very narrow and doing so provides a better view of the scenery. Along the way, you pass through local communities and unearthly landscapes that are reminiscent of Neverland from Peter Pan. 

While it is strikingly stunning, this is a high-intensity travel activity. It requires multiple full days on a motorbike through fairly treacherous roads and it is exhausting. To be real, the Ha Giang Loop was a lot more unnerving than I expected.

Why It Was Scary 

The roads are extremely twisty and narrow

The most frightening part about the Ha Giang Loop was taking on its super skinny, twisting roads with just barely enough space carved out to drive. On more than one occasion I dreaded the idea of having to pass someone going the opposite direction. 

The curves were so harsh in certain spots that I saw several bikers tumble over as they were trying to slowly conquer the bend. (Everyone was fine, though!). 

It’s not an experience for the faint of heart and this experience pushed my slight fear of heights to its limit. Especially since I was fully exposed to it all on the back of a motorbike. 

There are dozens of other bikers on the road at any given time

You’ll never be the only biker on those intricate roadways of Ha Giang. While it might not be the most well-known tourist hotspot for Americans, it’s a pretty famous activity in Vietnam. There are always lots of people participating in the loop. 

The only thing that could make the slim roads even more nerve-wracking is the fact that there are dozens of other bikes attempting the feat at the same time. Riders need to be extremely cautious to avoid any mishaps. 

Luckily, there are options for travelers who aren’t feeling confident about operating a motorbike in such tight circumstances. I saw a bunch of people riding with local guides who drove the bike for them. All they had to do was sit back and appreciate the landscapes. 

I experienced a bit of culture shock from time to time 

I learned just how different Vietnamese culture is from American culture on a few occasions during my month in the country. Like when I watched a mother speed by on the terrifying Ha Giang roads with a fresh infant precariously strapped to her back. 

Coming from a country where car seats are mandatory, it definitely gave me a bit of onlooker anxiety. However, they were just taking their everyday route home, not a worry in the world. It was a lesson in how different life looks around the world and how small my corner of it truly is. 

The very remote location made me worried about getting hurt

Being in such a primal, off-the-beaten-path environment was a recharge for my soul. I felt calmer and more connected to Earth after being in Ha Giang. However, the remoteness did freak me out every once in a while. 

The thought crossed my mind of how bad it would be to get hurt all the way out there in the mountains. Especially after watching a few minor falls with my own eyes. To be completely honest, I took comfort in knowing that I was protected by reliable travel insurance. 

I would never attempt something like the Ha Giang Loop (or any trip really) without travel insurance, like World Nomads. It made me feel secure that even if I needed to be air-lifted out of Northern Vietnam, I’d be covered. 

Even with all these hiccups of fear, completing the Ha Giang Loop was one of the most amazing travel experiences I’ve had to date. 

Why It Was Amazing

The otherworldly, mountainous landscapes took my breath away 

I have yet to visit somewhere that takes my breath away in the same fashion that Ha Giang did. The mountains went on for ages and had this irregular build that made everything look like a foreign planet. 

The landscapes were unreal, they almost appeared painted. I kept questioning how somewhere that looked so heavenly could exist on the same Earth I’d always lived on. It is the type of place where all I wanted to do was stare out into the mountains for hours on end. 

All it took was eye contact and a smile to meet a few travel buddies along the way

There were countless other travelers making their way along the Ha Giang Loop at the same time as me, making it super easy to make friends. 

This was important to me as a solo female traveler because I wanted to make memories in Ha Giang with other people. All it took was eye contact and a smile to meet a few travel buddies along the way. 

I ended up riding most of the route with a friend I met in Malaysia. Early on day one, we fell into pace with a Swiss couple. They were professional photographers and it was amazing to see the shots they captured of the spiraling roads with their drone camera. 

We all ended up staying at the same hostels with a group of around ten other people and finishing up the trail together. 

I stayed in a welcoming homestay with an incredible home-cooked meal

I stayed at more hostels in Southeast Asia than I can possibly recall, but one that I will never forget was my night at Fai Thiên Hà Giang Homestay. This charming family-run accommodation was the best spot to recharge for the night after a full day of motorbiking. 

My favorite part of the evening was the home-cooked dinner spread that was prepared by the owners. I couldn’t name a single dish on the platter, yet I thoroughly enjoyed every single bite. 

After dinner, all of us guests shared a beer, watched the owner’s kids do a dance-off, and played games until eventually turning in for bed. The whole night was filled with laughter and stories, which is my ideal kind of evening. 

It isn’t just a tourist activity, it’s a full-blown, adrenaline-inducing adventure

From the moment I saw how much protective padding came with the motorbike rental, I knew I was in for an extreme few days. It turns out, that gear was 100% needed because this was not your average day trip on vacation. 

As a self-proclaimed adventurist, I’m into any type of travel activity that gets my adrenaline levels up a little bit. The Ha Giang Loop delivered on my craving for excitement in Asia. 

Between the high cliffs, coiling roads, and fast speeds on the back of the bike, there wasn’t a moment when I wasn’t feeling exhilarated. I quickly realized this wasn’t just a tourist activity, it truly was a full-blown experience in adventure travel. 

The Ha Giang Loop is a world-class photo location 

The Ha Giang Loop made me fall in love with photography. Even though the only camera I had at my disposal was my iPhone and my Fujifilm Instax Mini, I was enamored with taking shots of the region’s magical nature. 

The jagged, uneven landscapes were unique from any mountains I’d ever seen before in the United States. While beauty like this is often difficult to capture well on film, Ha Giang translated gorgeously into photographs. It’s a dream for travel photographers. 

Additionally, the area was top-notch for candid street photography. There were little towns throughout the journey and well-trafficked viewpoints where I could capture exceptional candids. It was fun capturing photos of bikers racing down the winding roads. 

I had the chance to see the Vietnamese border with China

One of the more minimal, yet equally cool parts about traversing the Ha Giang Loop was that I got to see where Vietnam ends and China begins. I always find it trippy to stand somewhere that’s basically two distinct places at once. 

At the border, we climbed up a grueling series of stairs to reach a panoramic viewpoint of the area. I was able to spot Vietnam’s distinct landscapes and then turn around to catch a glimpse of China without ever visiting the country. 

My favorite part? I got glimpses of a new culture and lovely interactions with locals 

The adventure, photographs, and unforgettable mountains were spectacular. However, one of my favorite aspects about traversing the Ha Giang Loop was simply spending a few days in a new culture. 

We ate dinner cross-legged on the floor with our homestay’s owners. We shared a laugh with a local family selling flower crowns at a viewpoint along the road. We stopped in a rural town and offered a European chocolate bar to a group of young kids, which seemed to be a rare treat as they shared it with glee. 

A big part of the magic of Ha Giang for me was having these tiny moments of getting to know authentic Vietnamese communities. It was truly something special because it felt like I was fully enveloped in it all. 

📚 Related Reading: What to Pack for Vietnam

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Despite the parts that made me nervous, I relished every second of my three-day motorbike trip through the Ha Giang region and I would do it again in a heartbeat. One of my bucket list items is actually returning to Ha Giang to complete the loop with veteran traveler eyes (and camera gear!). 

I completed the loop around five years ago and I’ve become a different person since then. If you can relate, check out my piece on how I’ve changed since I started traveling. Happy wandering!