Ha Giang Loop 4 Days: What the Fourth Day Buys

Lung Cu, and why three-day tours skip it

The circuit is about 350 km whichever length you book, so the fourth day is not extra road. It is extra time on the road you were already riding.

Lung Cu Flag Tower marks the northernmost point of Vietnam, on a hill above a valley that is already China on the far side. It is a detour off the Dong Van route, and a detour is exactly what a three-day schedule struggles to absorb.

The Hanoi pickup trip puts Lung Cu Flag Point on Day 3, with the ticket included. The $250 Ha Giang city trip does not name Lung Cu in its listing and spends its days on Lao Xa village, Ma Pi Leng, Nam Dam and Lung Khuy Cave instead. Check which landmark you want before you pick.

If you want the whole field rather than this slice of it, the full Ha Giang loop motorcycle tours comparison sits on the front page with prices and ratings.

The waterfall, and an afternoon that is not riding

Du Gia waterfall is a stop on both four-day routes, on Day 1 of the $230 trip and Day 3 of the $250 trip. Four days leave room to stop and swim rather than photograph it from the road.

The two listings also fill the extra hours differently. The $250 trip includes the Nho Que boat ticket. The $230 trip lists Ngoc Long River bamboo rafting and caves on Day 2, with Ma Pi Leng Pass, Tu San Canyon and the Skywalk the same day. Where a Nho Que boat is not in the price it costs about 250,000 VND (about $10).

Slack, which matters more than any single stop

Fog can sit on Ma Pi Leng for whole mornings. Rain slows a limestone road to half speed. On a three-day schedule a bad morning means the group rides through it.

The Infinity listing says the route may be adjusted to reach highlights when they are less crowded or to show the best views. A fourth day gives that adjustment room to work. That flexibility is invisible in the listing and is the main thing you are paying about $45 for.

Who should not pay for it

If your body has never spent two consecutive days on a motorbike, the fourth day may land as endurance rather than reward. The $230 listing says the trip is not suitable for people with back problems.

And if you are riding pillion behind an easy rider, four days is four days on the back seat. Sit on the back of a bike for six hours before you decide that more of it is a treat.

Why the Easy Rider is the Default Here

The 4 Days, 3 Nights on the Loop with Lao Xa, Du Gia and Lung Khuy Cave runs a Honda Blade 110cc with an easy rider and lists no self-ride option. The 4-Day Loop from Hanoi with Infinity: Groups of 8 and an Extra Hostel Night is also easy rider only, and its listing says you can pay extra to upgrade to a different bike while still riding with an easy rider. Vietnam only recognises International Driving Permits issued under the 1968 convention with a motorcycle category, and US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand licences have no valid IDP route, which is one reason riders choose the pillion.

Lauren's Lighthouse prices a four-day trip with an easy rider at about 5 to 5.3 million VND (about $194-205) against about 4.3 to 4.5 million VND (about $166-174) without. In Between Travels puts it plainly: take the easy rider unless you are very experienced. The full licence picture, passport by passport, lives on the self-drive page.

Sleeper Bus, Limousine or Tour Bus

Standard sleeper berths from Hanoi cost 250,000 to 350,000 VND (about $10 to $14) and VIP cabins 380,000 to 480,000 VND (about $15 to $19), taking 7 to 8 hours, more in rain or at weekends, according to vietnamtourism.com. Overnight departures run from about 21:00 to 22:30, mostly from My Dinh bus station or with Old Quarter pick-up. A limousine van costs 350,000 to 450,000 VND (about $14 to $17) and takes 6 to 7 hours.

Lauren's Lighthouse puts the sleeper near $15 and a door-to-door limousine near $20. In Between Travels advises skipping the night bus entirely and arriving by about 22:00 the evening before you ride, so day one does not start on no sleep.

How Each Tour Handles the Arrival

The 4-Day Loop from Hanoi with Infinity: Groups of 8 and an Extra Hostel Night builds the arrival night in. The bus pick-up from Hanoi, Sa Pa, Ninh Binh, Cat Ba or Ha Long Bay is followed by an extra night in the operator's Ha Giang hostel, so the loop starts the next morning rested. The drop-off bus back is not included but can be arranged.

The 4 Days, 3 Nights on the Loop with Lao Xa, Du Gia and Lung Khuy Cave starts in Ha Giang city at 9:30 on day 1 and includes a dorm bed at Hong Hao Hostel the night before. Its round-trip Hanoi bus is included only on the Hanoi departure option. More on Hanoi departures sits on the tours from Hanoi page.

The Distances on Each Route

The 4 Days, 3 Nights on the Loop with Lao Xa, Du Gia and Lung Khuy Cave listing states its legs: 150 km on day 1, 140 km on day 2, 120 km on day 3 and 65 km on day 4, which adds up to 475 km, more than the 350 km most guides quote. The 4-Day Loop from Hanoi with Infinity listing names its stops but prints no per-day km. Lauren's Lighthouse, which rode Du Gia first, lists Ha Giang to Du Gia as 120 km in 4 to 4.5 hours, Du Gia to Dong Van 125 km in 4.5 to 5 hours, Dong Van to Quan Ba 115 km in 3.5 to 4 hours and Quan Ba to Ha Giang 63 km in 2 hours.

The Loop Tours 4-day runs 129 km on day 1 and 80 km on day 2. Direction matters too: the two bookable tours here ride the loop in different orders.

Which Direction Each Tour Rides

The 4-Day Loop from Hanoi with Infinity: Groups of 8 and an Extra Hostel Night starts soft, with the A Boong waterfalls and the Du Gia waterfall on day 1, saves Ma Pi Leng Pass and Tu San Canyon for day 2, and rides Tham Ma Pass to Lung Cu Flag Point on day 3. The 4 Days, 3 Nights on the Loop with Lao Xa, Du Gia and Lung Khuy Cave heads straight for the plateau, with Lao Xa village and Vuong's Family Palace on day 1, Ma Pi Leng and the Nho Que boat on day 2, and the Du Gia waterfall and Nam Dam on day 3. Vietnam.travel puts the Lung Cu Flag Tower side trip at about three hours of detour, which is why a day that includes it needs the slack a fourth day gives.

The border permit

The border area entry permit applies in the border districts, and a four-day itinerary spends more time there than a short one. Both four-day listings list the permit as not included and print no amount. Operator blogs put it at 230,000 to 300,000 VND (about $9 to $12), and the listings that do state a figure say $10. Ask your operator at booking whether it files the permit for you.

Bring the passport itself, not a photograph of it. Source: ZingHome.

Private rooms

Three nights of shared homestay rooms is where a four-day trip separates people. A reviewer of the $230 trip advises booking a private room because the shared accommodation was not great. The $250 listing includes private accommodation in a hostel, hotel or homestay.

Ask at booking what your room type is rather than assuming the cheapest fare includes a private one.

• Ask the group size before you pay, not after
• Ask which nights are homestay and which are hotel
• Ask whether the boat is included or paid at the pier
• Ask about the drop-off bus: on the $230 trip it is not included but can be arranged

What four days costs beyond the fare

One more day of coffee stops, one more dinner where drinks are extra, and one more round of tips. Drinks are not included on either listing and neither are tips, so carry cash in small notes for the loop.

Who it suits, and the rules

Four days is not suitable for first-time passengers who have never spent consecutive days on a bike, or for anyone whose back already objects after an afternoon. It is also the wrong booking if your Vietnam calendar is tight, because the fourth day is time rather than distance.

What to bring: three changes of clothes at most, warm layers, waterproof shoes, a buff, sunglasses, your passport and cash in small notes.

Not allowed: riding without a helmet. Both four-day trips are easy rider only, so you do not ride yourself. Drones are restricted near the border districts, so ask your guide before you fly one at Lung Cu.

The Short List

In Between Travels describes one small bag strapped to the bike each morning, out of reach until the overnight stop, so keep your camera, phone and money in a small shoulder bag on your lap. Large luggage stays in storage in Ha Giang, which both tours here include. Rain gear is supplied on both the 4 Days, 3 Nights on the Loop with Lao Xa, Du Gia and Lung Khuy Cave and the 4-Day Loop from Hanoi with Infinity: Groups of 8 and an Extra Hostel Night, along with helmets and protective gear.

Lauren's Lighthouse adds the item most people skip: a mask or balaclava for dust. It also lists closed-toe shoes, long trousers, a swimsuit and quick-dry towel for the Du Gia waterfall, and earplugs for karaoke nights. Vietnam.travel says ATMs are scarce outside Ha Giang city, so bring cash.

Add warm layers for cold plateau nights.

• One small bag to strap to the bike, rainproof
• Small shoulder bag for phone, camera and cash
• Mask or balaclava for dust
• Closed-toe shoes and long trousers
• Warm layers for the plateau nights
• Swimsuit and quick-dry towel for Du Gia waterfall
• Earplugs
• Cash, big luggage left in storage in Ha Giang

Where You Sleep, Night by Night

The 4 Days, 3 Nights on the Loop with Lao Xa, Du Gia and Lung Khuy Cave starts with a dorm bed at Hong Hao Hostel the night before, then a hotel in Dong Van, a Tay stilt house homestay in Du Gia and a Dao homestay in Nam Dam, and its listing says private accommodation. The 4-Day Loop from Hanoi with Infinity: Groups of 8 and an Extra Hostel Night beds you in the operator's Ha Giang hostel before the loop, then a Du Gia homestay, a Dong Van hotel and a Nam Dam homestay, and one reviewer of that trip advises paying for a private room. Lauren's Lighthouse says most rooms and bathrooms on the loop are shared.

In Between Travels describes dinners at one long table with the whole group and loud karaoke on some nights, so bring earplugs. Both tours include meals: 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 3 dinners on the Infinity trip, all meals on the Hong Hao trip.

The Dry Windows and the Wet Months

Ha Giang city climate data shows the split clearly: July peaks at 545.3 mm of rain while November gets 84.1 mm and December 42.2 mm. In Between Travels calls October to April the best window, with October and November the peak months. Lauren's Lighthouse calls June to August hot, rainy and slippery, and vietnamtourism.com puts the rockslide season at May to September.

Lauren's Lighthouse describes a mid-October rice harvest, chilly November nights and December days of 5 to 15 °C with clear skies. vietnamtourism.com says fog is worst from November to February, which is where the fourth day earns its keep: with slack in the schedule a fogged-out morning becomes an afternoon stop instead of a missed one. Pack warm layers for November and December.

The shorter versions

Three days covers the entire circuit at a firmer pace and is what most people book. Two days compresses it further and costs $133 on the Hong Hao short loop.

Prices, ratings and inclusions for every length sit together on the full price comparison, which is the fastest way to see what an extra day costs with each operator.