Discover the Thrill of Adventure Motorcycle Travel on our tour of Northern Vietnam & Laos!
Are you ready to ignite your wanderlust? Picture yourself riding through stunning landscapes, traversing lush mountains, and discovering hidden gems accessible only by motorcycle. Our Northern Vietnam & Laos tour provides an unmatched adventure motorcycling experience that will create memories to last a lifetime.
Motorcycle travel in Laos is a captivating experience that combines stunning natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and a wide range of thrilling activities. From mountainous terrains to lush jungles, Laos offers an array of adventures that cater to all types of explorers.
Discover golden rice fields, tropical beaches, fascinating history, exotic culture and world renowned cuisine with us on the ultimate Adventure Motorcycling tour of Vietnam. The majority of Vietnam’s tourists visit the big cities, Halong bay, and a few other towns along the coast often traveling by train, plane or bus along the horrible highway 1. The Overlanders tour often deliberately avoids some of these commercial tourist areas in favor of the REAL Vietnam – a Vietnam that can only be experienced on a motorcycle. Prepare for the ultimate assault on the senses – the sights, smells and sounds are like nothing we’ve ever experienced.
‘A country that has been through as much as Vietnam has to have some crazy music somewhere.’ – Henry Rollins.
‘From splendid green terraced fields carpeting the mountains to the thrilling winding roads to the biggest caves in the world to kitesurfing on the beaches – Vietnam is a total package if you love traveling and being outdoors’.
‘I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam… that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain.’ – Graham Greene.
‘They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived… promising everything in exchange for your soul. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from.’ – Graham Greene.
Introduction
There are various motorcycle adventures, expeditions, holidays, and round-the-world trips. This Northern Vietnam & Laos motorcycle tour is truly an exceptional adventure. This tour starts in Hanoi, Vietnam; a land rich in history and marked by centuries of conflict with global superpowers, offers unparalleled adventure travel, breathtaking landscapes, and a warm welcome from one of the world’s most resilient nations. There’s so much more to discover and experience in this dynamic, diverse country, shaped by its imperial past, French colonial influence, and the Communist regime led by the iconic Ho Chi Minh.
Our Vietnam & Laos motorcycle tour takes you to key scenic and historic sites from the First and Second Indochina Wars, as well as some of the country’s most stunning locations. We also venture off the beaten path to experience the authentic Vietnam, spending ample time away from the typical tourist attractions. To truly explore these remarkable regions, we will spend 18 days travelling through Northern Vietnam, right to the China border, before turning south and entering Laos for 7 nights and finally returning to Vietnam and finishing in the ancient city, and Unesco World Heritage site, of Hoi An (which translates to “peaceful meeting place”.
While it’s hard to capture the essence of Vietnam or Laos in words, we hope the photos from our previous tours and reconnaissance missions provide a glimpse into this amazing and captivating country. And don’t mind the off-road pictures and videos!
Discover:
- Hanoi’s Old Quarter on the banks of the Red River, a city locked in time yet simultaneously leaping forward.
- Ha Giang Province in the far north, bordering China. A journey back in time to explore some of Vietnam’s most rugged and grand landscapes all the way to Lung Cu – where a gigantic Vietnamese flag blows proudly at the border.
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Drive Ma Pi Leng Pass – The roads of Ha Giang serve up the ultimate motorcycle adventures. The drive into Dong Van is impossibly beautiful, however Ma Pi Leng — where the road snakes past the Nho Que River — is the jewel in Ha Giang crown
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Sapa; A town that stands at the head of a deep valley of magnificent rice terraces that are still farmed today as they have been for centuries. Backdrops don’t get much more spectacular. Enticing ribbons of road lead the eye down to the valley floor, white-water rivers rush among rice fields, and lush green mountains stretch into the distance as far as the eye can see.
- Climb Fansipan – the highest mountain on the Indochinese peninsula (comprising Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia), hence its nickname, “the Roof of Indochina”. Its height was 3,143 metres in 1909, and it presently stands at 3,147.3 metres.
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Discover Mai Chau – Here, small ethnic minority villages sit among a patchwork of paddy fields surrounded by green mountains. Discover Vietnam’s rural culture, dining on delicious home-cooked cuisine, and learning about the traditions of the ethnic groups.
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Why Vietnam?
Before Overlanders, we used to throw darts at a world map to decide our next motorcycle adventure. These annual trips were in addition to our regular summer biking holidays. This dart-throwing method led us to destinations like Albania and the Balkans in 2008, the Baltics, Russia, and Ukraine in 2009, Morocco in 2010 (the first year of Overlanders), Georgia and the Black Sea in 2012, South America in 2014 , Northern Thailand in 2015, Southern Africa in 2017, and more. In 2013, however, the dart landed on Vietnam, and we devised a plan to ride the Ho Chi Minh Trail from Saigon to Hanoi. Our trip preparation involved securing a visa and renting a few questionable bikes from what appeared to be a shady rental company. In early January 2013, three of the original amigos flew to Ho Chi Minh City and set off on a three-week adventure north through Vietnam, armed with just a paper map and no GPS.
Adventure motorcyclists often face the challenge of finding trips that surpass their last adventure, and we’re always mindful of this ourselves. It has to be better. Our 2013 trip to Vietnam exceeded all expectations, providing one of the most incredible motorcycle journeys we’ve ever experienced. In December 2017, three of the Rynhart’s returned for a three-week trail riding tour in the northern provinces near the Laos and China borders, where the scenery was among the best we’ve ever encountered.
We’ve been considering running a tour in Vietnam for years, but it was always postponed for various reasons. We’re thrilled to have finally launched our well anticipated Vietnam – The Blue Dragon tour in November 2023 and again in March 2024. This will be out third visit to the country in the past three years, adding seven riding days in Laos to the itinerary for 2025. Laos is a hidden gem for adventure motorcycling, offering a mix of breathtaking landscapes, winding mountain roads, and remote villages. With its lush green hills, picturesque waterfalls, and the mighty Mekong River, riders can explore a diverse range of terrains, from rugged trails to smooth highways. The low traffic and welcoming local culture enhance the experience, making it an ideal destination for those seeking both thrill and tranquility on two wheels.
Vietnam is a vast country where you could easily spend months exploring, but we believe our three-week itinerary—from the Mekong Delta, north along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and through the northern provinces to the China border—is truly exceptional.
Blue Dragon?
Vietnam boasts a lengthy coastline, a diverse aquatic ecosystem, and stunning landscapes, earning it the nickname “blue dragon country.” In contrast, China is referred to as the “red dragon,” North Korea as the “white dragon,” and Japan as the “black dragon.”
