Ride the loop.
Not the tourist bus.
Two, three and four days through the Dong Van karst plateau. You drive, a friend drives, or an easy rider does — the price is on the card either way.
- Group size
- Max 9
- Every night
- Private room
- Helmets
- ECE + DOT
- Support
- 24/7 English
The tours
Four routes. Pick how you ride first.
Every price below moves with the ride mode, because that is the decision most people are actually stuck on.
The Short Loop
- Nights on tour
- 2
- Meals
- 2B · 2L · 1D
- Bus from Hanoi
- One way
The Full Loop
- Nights on tour
- 2 + 1 in town
- Meals
- 3B · 3L · 2D
- Bus from Hanoi
- One way
Hidden Waterfall
- Nights on tour
- 3 + 1 in town
- Meals
- 4B · 4L · 3D
- Pace
- Relaxed
Highlands
- Nights on tour
- 3 + 1 in town
- Meals
- 4B · 4L · 3D
- Pace
- Relaxed
Placeholder — 3 and 4 day prices are the real figures from roadkingshagiang.com. The 2 day page publishes a single $189 with no ride-mode tiers, so the $209 and $239 shown here are inferred from the 3 day pattern and need confirming before this goes live.
What you ride in
The gear is the difference, not the itinerary
Every operator on this route rides the same passes. Not every operator tells you what is on your head.
Certified
ECE + DOT helmets
Both European and US standards, not a novelty shell. Ask any operator which rating theirs carries.
Scoyco
Body armour
Knee, elbow and shoulder protection, issued as standard rather than sold as an upgrade.
GIVI
Reusable rain suits
Proper suits that get washed and reused, not the plastic ponchos that tear on day one and end up in a ditch.
Day one
Skills assessment
Everyone self-driving rides a short test first. If it is not safe, you switch to an easy rider — we would rather have that conversation in the car park.
The bikes
Honda Blade 110, semi automatic
No clutch to think about on a mountain pass. If you are carrying a passenger you move up to a full manual, because a semi auto loaded with two people and luggage is not enough bike for Ma Pi Leng.
Riders
Photos from the road
Sent in by people who rode it. Each tile names the trip it came from, so it is evidence rather than decoration.
4 Day Highlands
3 Day Full Loop
3 Day Full Loop
2 Day Short Loop
4 Day Hidden Waterfall
4 Day Highlands
2 Day Short Loop
Placeholder — the first two tiles are Road Kings' own photos pulled from the current site; the rest are stock stand-ins. Tile captions are examples. Real submissions need the rider's permission before publishing, and no personal names have been invented here.
★★★★★
Placeholder review text. Pull the real ones from the Google and TripAdvisor listings and link each card back to its source.
★★★★★
Placeholder review text. Keep whatever name the reviewer chose to publish under — an initial is fine, an invented surname is not.
★★★★★
Placeholder review text. A review with a live link to the original outperforms a longer quote with no source.
Before you book
The awkward questions, answered
Do I need a licence to self drive?
Yes. An International Driving Permit under the 1968 convention, with a motorcycle endorsement, plus the home-country licence it was issued against. We check both. Riding without them is uninsured, and the police on this route do stop people.
What if I have never ridden a motorbike?
Take an easy rider. Ha Giang is not where you learn — the passes are steep, wet in the afternoon, and shared with trucks. There is a skills check on day one, and if it does not go well you switch to an easy rider at your own cost, so it is cheaper to be honest at booking.
What is the border area permit?
From June 2026, riders on this route need a border area permit: 250,000 VND per person, paid locally. We arrange it, you pay it on arrival.
Is travel insurance included?
No, and you need it. Check that your policy actually covers riding a motorcycle in Vietnam at the engine size you will be on, and that it does not void if you ride without a valid IDP. Many standard policies do both.
What happens if I damage the bike?
Self-drive riders are responsible for their bike. Damage or loss is charged at repair or replacement cost. We will show you the bike and note existing marks before you take it.
Is it a dorm or a private room?
Private room every night on tour. The night in Ha Giang City before the tour starts is a dormitory bed, and that one is included too.
Placeholder — the licence, border permit and damage answers are drawn from the current Road Kings pages. No company registration or tour operator licence number was published on the site; if one exists it belongs in the footer, because foreign riders check.
July and August are almost full
Message on WhatsApp and you will get a person, not a form. Tell us the dates and how you want to ride.