- Distanceabout 350 km round trip from Ha Giang City; the 4-day products state 80–100 km per day
- Highest pointsQuan Ba Heaven Gate ≈ 1,200 m, Tham Ma Pass ≈ 1,500 m, Ma Pi Leng Pass ≈ 1,500 m
- Directionall four products ride clockwise: north via Quan Ba first, back via Du Gia
- Overnights3 days: Yen Minh/Dong Van and Du Gia · 4 days: Can Ty or Yen Minh, Meo Vac or Dong Van, Du Gia
- Fixed side tripboat on the Nho Que through Tu San canyon, all four
- 4 days onlyLung Khuy cave, Lung Tam weaving village, Thien Huong, Sa Ly Pass (depending on product)
The loop: places in riding order
From Ha Giang City you head north on national road 4C. Bac Sum Pass is the first climb, the Heaven Gate near Tam Son (Quan Ba) the first viewpoint over the karst cones. Via Can Ty Pass you reach Yen Minh, the usual lunch stop. Beyond it begins the Dong Van karst plateau geopark: Tham Ma Pass, the Hmong King's Palace at Sa Phin, the Lung Cu flag tower at Vietnam's northernmost point and the district town of Dong Van.
Between Dong Van and Meo Vac lies Ma Pi Leng Pass above the Nho Que gorge. The road down to the boat pier branches off here. From Meo Vac the loop leaves the plateau southwards via Mau Due and Sa Ly Pass into the Du Gia valley with its waterfall. The last day runs via Duong Thuong and Thai An back to Ha Giang.
We deliberately show no road map with timings: operators ride the same places in slightly different order, and roadworks or landslides change the route at short notice. Trust the rider, not a map.
Itineraries of the four products
From the operators' Viator product data, edited for length. Where a product puts an arrival night or a bus day first, it appears as “Getting there” before day 1.
The first pass, the Heaven Gate, and the karst begins.
From nine on road 4C northwards: Bac Sum Pass, the Heaven Gate near Tam Son, Can Ty Pass, lunch in Yen Minh. The 4-day loops add Lung Khuy cave and the weaving village here.
Hairpins, the Hmong King's Palace, the northernmost point.
Tham Ma Pass is the loop's most famous bend. Beyond it the King's Palace at Sa Phin, with four days the Lung Cu flag tower, then Dong Van.
The road on the edge. The Nho Que far below.
Between Dong Van and Meo Vac the road hangs above the gorge. All four products stop here; Hong Hao walks a stretch, with coffee at the viewpoint.
Down to the water, into Tu San canyon.
From the pass to the pier, boat between the walls, back up. Then Meo Vac and the ride via Mau Due and Sa Ly Pass to Du Gia.
Waterfall in the morning, paddies in the afternoon, the bus in the evening.
Swim at Du Gia waterfall, back to town via Duong Thuong and Thai An. Shower at the hostel, then the night bus to Hanoi – or on to Sapa, Ninh Binh, the airport.
The route in stages: altitudes and itineraries from the operator data, photos illustrate the places. The boxes show where the four compared offers differ at the same spot.
ZGO · 3 days from Hanoi 3 days · 3 nights
Pickup in Hanoi on the booking date, bus to Ha Giang.
☾ Bus / Ha GiangBac Sum Pass, Quan Ba Heaven Gate, Can Ty Pass, Tham Ma Pass.
☾ Yen MinhMa Pi Leng Pass, Nho Que viewpoint, boat trip, Lung Ho viewpoint.
☾ Du GiaVia Sa Phin and Yen Minh back to Ha Giang, shower at the hostel, bus back.
☾ BusQT Motorbikes · 4 days from Ha Giang 4 days · 3 nights
Start 9 am, Bac Sum Pass, lunch in Tam Son, Lung Khuy cave (4 km hike), Lung Tam weaving village, the “lonely tree”.
☾ Can TyTham Ma Pass, Hmong King's Palace, Lung Cu flag tower (400 steps), Ma Pi Leng Pass, 50-minute boat ride in Tu San canyon.
☾ Meo VacHmong houses in Meo Vac, Sa Ly Pass (M-shaped bends), lunch in Mau Due, Du Gia waterfall.
☾ Du GiaDuong Thuong, lunch in Can Ty, back via Thai An; ends 4:30 pm at QT Guesthouse.
Ha Giang Vision · 4 days from Hanoi 4 days · 3 nights
Night bus from Hanoi, arriving around 3 am.
☾ NachtbusStart 9:30 am, Bac Sum Pass, Tam Son Heaven Gate (1,200 m), hemp weaving, homestay.
☾ Yen MinhTham Ma road, Hmong King's Palace, Lung Cu flag tower, Thien Huong ancient village.
☾ Dong VanMa Pi Leng Pass, Nho Que canyon by boat, lunch in Meo Vac, Mau Due valley, Du Gia waterfall.
☾ Du GiaDuong Thuong valley, Thai An river, return in the afternoon; bus to Hanoi.
☾ BusHong Hao · 3 days from Ha Giang 3 days · 2 nights
Arrival, dorm bed to rest, breakfast 8 am, start 9 am: Bac Sum Pass, Heaven Gate, Can Ty Pass, Tham Ma Pass, Hmong King's Palace; campfire in the evening.
☾ Hotel Dong VanWalk on Ma Pi Leng Pass, coffee at the viewpoint, Nho Que boat trip 11 am, M Pass and Lung Ho, Du Gia at 5:30 pm.
☾ Homestay Du GiaSwim at Du Gia waterfall, Duong Thuong viewpoint, back at 3:30 pm; bus to Hanoi or onwards.
Stops and walking times from the operator's Viator product data, edited for length. Maps and figures illustrate the route and are not for navigation.
What the fourth day adds – and what it doesn't
Shorter riding days. With three days the longest legs are six to eight hours in the saddle (ZGO lists ten hours of programme including the boat for day two alone). The 4-day products spread the same distance over four days of 80 to 100 km; QT starts at 9 am and reaches the homestay around 5 pm.
One more night on the plateau. The three-day loop skips either Dong Van (ZGO sleeps in Yen Minh and Du Gia) or Meo Vac (Hong Hao sleeps in Dong Van and Du Gia). Four days allow both: Can Ty or Yen Minh, then Meo Vac or Dong Van, then Du Gia.
Side trips that otherwise drop out. Lung Khuy cave with a 4 km walk, Lung Tam weaving village, Lung Cu flag tower with 400 steps, Thien Huong village, Sa Ly Pass – the 4-day products name them explicitly; the 3-day products do not mention Lung Cu.
What the fourth day does not add: more passes. Ma Pi Leng, Tham Ma and Bac Sum you ride either way. If you only have a four-day window from Hanoi, a 3-day loop plus two bus nights fits; the 4-day loop realistically needs five to six days from Hanoi.
Total trip time from Hanoi
| Product | Riding days | Nights on the loop | Bus from Hanoi | Time from/to Hanoi (realistic) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZGO 3 days | 3 | 3 (incl. arrival) | included, both ways | 4 days: evening of day 0 to night of day 3 |
| Hong Hao 3 days | 3 | 2 + rest at hostel | depends on option | 4 days with night bus both ways |
| QT 4 days | 4 | 3 + dorm night on arrival | not included | 5–6 days incl. night bus both ways |
| Vision 4 days | 4 | 3 | included, both ways | 5 days: night bus, four days, bus back |
Night bus Hanoi–Ha Giang about six to seven hours; arrival between 3 and 5 am. If you start the same morning, you ride day one after a night on the bus.
Questions about the route
Can I ride the loop anticlockwise?
All four compared products ride clockwise (up via Quan Ba, back via Du Gia). They do not offer other directions as an option.
Is Lung Cu on every tour?
No. The flag tower at the northernmost point is in the itineraries of QT and Vision (4 days), not of ZGO and Hong Hao (3 days). If you want Lung Cu, choose four days or ask beforehand.
How long is the boat trip?
QT states 50 minutes in Tu San canyon; the other products list the trip without a duration. All four list it as included.
Sources and check status
Show 4 sources
- www.viator.com/tours/Ha-Giang/Motorcycle-Tour-of-Ha-Giang-Loop-4D-3N-a – QT: itinerary with kilometres and times (Viator Partner API) (accessed 22 September 2026)
- www.viator.com/tours/Hanoi/Ha-Giang-Loop-Tour-4-Days-3-Nights-with-Qui – Ha Giang Vision: itinerary with kilometres (Viator Partner API) (accessed 22 September 2026)
- www.viator.com/tours/Hanoi/From-Hanoi-3-Day-Ha-Giang-Loop-Adventure-Cu – ZGO: itinerary (Viator Partner API) (accessed 22 September 2026)
- www.viator.com/tours/Ha-Giang/Ha-Giang-Loop-Ultimate-3-Day-Tour-with-L – Hong Hao: itinerary with times (Viator Partner API) (accessed 22 September 2026)