A realistic north Vietnam 2 week itinerary covers four places, not seven: Hanoi, the Ha Giang Loop, Ninh Binh and Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay, with Cao Bang as the one swap worth making. Give the Ha Giang Loop four riding days, take a rest day in Hanoi right after the night bus back, and keep one spare day at the end for weather. Below is the north Vietnam 2 week itinerary we suggest to our own guests, built from the tours we actually run out of Ha Giang city.
We are Ha Giang Ali Travel, a licensed local tour operator based in Ha Giang city. We only know the Ha Giang and Cao Bang part of this trip from the inside, so that is where you will find exact routes, homestays and prices. For Hanoi, Ninh Binh and the bay we keep to planning advice rather than numbers we cannot stand behind.
Our north Vietnam 2 week itinerary at a glance (classic version)
This first version of our north Vietnam 2 week itinerary uses our 4-day Du Gia Waterfall tour as the Ha Giang block. It is the loop with the best balance of big sights and quiet back roads, and it ends with an evening bus straight to Hanoi.
| Day | Where | How you get there | Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanoi | Arrive by air | Hanoi |
| 2 | Hanoi, then the night bus north | Overnight cabin bus, about 300 km, 6 hours | Bus, then a free dorm bed at Ali Hostel |
| 3 | Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate, Lung Tam, H’Mong King’s Palace, Dong Van | Motorbike, about 150 to 160 km | Doan Ket Homestay, Dong Van Old Quarter |
| 4 | Lung Cu Flagpole, Lo Lo Chai, Ma Pi Leng Pass, Nho Que boat | Motorbike, about 100 km | Da Nho Homestay, Meo Vac |
| 5 | Back road south to Du Gia village and waterfall | Motorbike, about 90 km | Ngoc Homestay, Du Gia |
| 6 | Du Gia to Ha Giang city | Motorbike, about 110 km, then evening bus | Night bus to Hanoi |
| 7 | Hanoi | Rest day | Hanoi |
| 8 | Ninh Binh | Road, plan roughly half a day | Ninh Binh |
| 9 | Ninh Binh | Boat and bicycle days around the karsts | Ninh Binh |
| 10 | Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay | Road, plan roughly half a day | Cruise boat |
| 11 | Back to Hanoi | Road, plan roughly half a day | Hanoi |
| 12 | Hanoi | Old Quarter, food, museums | Hanoi |
| 13 | Spare day | Weather buffer or a day trip | Hanoi |
| 14 | Fly out | Airport | – |
The Ha Giang block of the itinerary, day by day
The Ha Giang Loop is the heart of any north Vietnam 2 week itinerary, and the night before it is what we call Night 0. You take the overnight bus from Hanoi, and on this tour a dorm bed at Ali Hostel is free, with early check-in from 04:00, so you can sleep a few hours before riding. Then:
- Day 1: Ha Giang to Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate, Lung Tam village, the H’Mong King’s Palace and Dong Van, about 150 to 160 km.
- Day 2: up the 286 steps to Lung Cu Flagpole, the northernmost point of Vietnam, then Lo Lo Chai, Ma Pi Leng Pass and the boat through the Tu San Canyon on the Nho Que River. About 100 km, boat ticket included.
- Day 3: the quiet back road south to Du Gia, the least ridden stretch of the loop, and a swim under the waterfall. About 90 km, with a night in a Tay stilt house.
- Day 4: an easy final ride of about 110 km to Ha Giang city and the evening bus to Hanoi.
The tour costs $140 if you bring your own bike, $160 if you ride one of ours, and $213 with an Easy Rider (a local rider drives and you sit behind). Homestays, meals as per the itinerary, an English-speaking guide, entrance fees, the border-area permit and BIC travel insurance are included. Bus tickets to and from Hanoi are sold separately. See the full route on the Du Gia Waterfall 4-day tour page.
Prefer private rooms and a smaller group?
Swap in our Du Gia Valley 4-day tour. It includes the Khau Lan waterfall trek, the Sky Path, the White Cliff trek and a bamboo raft on the Ngoc Long stream, with private en-suite rooms every night and six guests at most. It costs $248 riding yourself, $267 with an Easy Rider or $342 by private car. It does not include the Night 0 dorm bed, so book a room in Ha Giang city for the night you arrive.
Variant 2: north Vietnam 2 week itinerary with Cao Bang
If waterfalls and caves pull you more than a bay cruise, this version of the north Vietnam 2 week itinerary rides east from the Ha Giang plateau into Cao Bang province and takes the bus back to Hanoi from there. No backtracking, and you see Ban Gioc Waterfall on the border.
| Day | Where | How you get there | Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanoi | Arrive by air | Hanoi |
| 2 | Hanoi, then the night bus north | Overnight cabin bus, about 300 km, 6 hours | Bus, then a free dorm bed at Ali Hostel |
| 3 | Quan Ba, Lung Tam, H’Mong King’s Palace, Dong Van | Motorbike, about 150 to 160 km | Doan Ket Homestay, Dong Van |
| 4 | Lung Cu, Lo Lo Chai, Ma Pi Leng, Nho Que boat | Motorbike, about 100 km | Da Nho Homestay, Meo Vac |
| 5 | Me Pia 14-turn pass, Bao Lac, into Cao Bang | Motorbike, the longest transfer day | Me Farmstay, Pac Bo |
| 6 | Pac Bo, Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave | Motorbike | Pa Hideaway, Dam Thuy (near Ban Gioc) |
| 7 | Angel Eye Mountain, Cao Bang city | Motorbike, then bus, in Hanoi about 19:00 to 20:00 | Hanoi |
| 8 | Hanoi | Rest day | Hanoi |
| 9 | Ninh Binh | Road, plan roughly half a day | Ninh Binh |
| 10 | Ninh Binh | Boat and bicycle days | Ninh Binh |
| 11 | Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay | Road, plan roughly half a day | Cruise boat |
| 12 | Back to Hanoi | Road, plan roughly half a day | Hanoi |
| 13 | Hanoi or spare day | Weather buffer | Hanoi |
| 14 | Fly out | Airport | – |
Days 2 to 7 are our 5-day Ha Giang & Cao Bang: Grand North Loop, $406 with an Easy Rider. On top of the Ha Giang highlights it includes the Pac Bo, Ban Gioc Waterfall and Nguom Ngao Cave tickets and the border-area permit for both provinces. The bus from Hanoi to Ha Giang and from Cao Bang back to Hanoi is sold separately. The route is on the Grand North Loop tour page, and our guide to extending the loop from Ha Giang to Cao Bang explains the road in more detail.
Two other ways to do the Cao Bang version:
- Ban Gioc Traverse, 5 days: private en-suite rooms, six guests at most, from $463 with an Easy Rider or $590 by private car. It ends about 12:00 in Cao Bang city, which leaves the afternoon for the trip back to Hanoi.
- Ha Giang & Cao Bang by Private Car, 7 days: $759, private car with driver and guide, and Ban Gioc twice, at sunset and at dawn from a bamboo boat. It is the slowest and most comfortable option, but it takes half of your two weeks, so in this plan you would drop Ninh Binh or the bay.
How to sequence the overnight buses on a north Vietnam 2 week itinerary
Buses are what make or break a north Vietnam 2 week itinerary. Our rules:
- Take the night bus north on day 2, not day 1. Long-haul flights and a night bus in the same 24 hours is how people end up riding Ma Pi Leng on no sleep. If you land early and feel fine, our guide to getting from Hanoi airport to Ha Giang covers the direct options.
- Pick the bus class for your sleep, not your budget. One way, a sleeper is 250,000 VND, luxury and limousine buses start from 300,000 VND and a VIP cabin runs 350,000 to 550,000 VND. We book it for you at the operator fare.
- Never stack two night buses. The evening bus back to Hanoi is fine because the next day is a rest day. Going straight from that bus onto another overnight journey is not.
- Arrive in Ha Giang, do not ride in. The bus reaches Ha Giang city in the early hours. That is why the hostel lets tour guests check in from 04:00.
Where to put the rest days
Every good north Vietnam 2 week itinerary has at least two soft days. We place them like this:
- The day after the loop. Four days on a motorbike, pillion or not, is tiring in a pleasant way. A slow Hanoi day with coffee and a massage stops the rest of the trip feeling like a chore.
- The day before you fly. Mountain roads, boats and buses all run late sometimes. A spare day at the end means a delay costs you an afternoon, not a flight.
- Not in the middle of the loop. Our loop tours move to a new homestay every night, so a rest day does not fit inside them. If you want an easier pace, choose a longer loop instead. Our guide to how many days the Ha Giang Loop needs compares 2, 3, 4 and 5 days.
Adding Sapa to a north Vietnam 2 week itinerary
Sapa is the other famous mountain area of the north, known for rice terraces and trekking between villages. We would not add it on top of the Ha Giang Loop in two weeks, because two mountain regions mean two sets of long road days. If you really want both, drop Ninh Binh or the bay and cut the loop to our 3-day Dong Van & Ma Pi Leng tour, from $110. Our honest comparison of Ha Giang vs Sapa helps you choose.
Ninh Binh and Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay are both limestone karst landscapes, one inland among rice fields and rivers, one out at sea. If your north Vietnam 2 week itinerary feels tight, pick one of them and keep the spare day. Our piece on Ha Giang vs Ninh Binh explains how to fit both into one trip.
Season: when this plan works best
The north has real seasons, and each one shifts a north Vietnam 2 week itinerary a little:
- Summer is the rainy season. Keep the spare day, and choose an Easy Rider over riding yourself if you have not ridden wet mountain roads before.
- Autumn brings the rice harvest and buckwheat flowers to Ha Giang, and it is the busiest time on the loop. Book the Ha Giang block first and build the rest around it.
- Winter is cold in the mountains and cool in Hanoi. Pack warm layers for the loop. Bay cruises can be cancelled in bad weather at any time of year, another reason to keep that buffer day.
2 weeks in north Vietnam with the Ha Giang Loop: FAQ
Is two weeks enough for north Vietnam?
Yes, for Hanoi, the Ha Giang Loop and one or two of Ninh Binh, Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay and Cao Bang. Trying to add Sapa as well usually means more time on buses than in the places themselves.
How many days of a 2-week trip should go to the Ha Giang Loop?
We suggest four riding days plus the night bus up, which takes days 2 to 6 of the plan, including the bus back. Three days works if you are short on time, and our Express tour covers the loop in two days from $107 with an Easy Rider.
Can I add Cao Bang without going back to Ha Giang?
Yes. The Grand North Loop and the Ban Gioc Traverse both run one way from Ha Giang into Cao Bang, and you take the bus back to Hanoi from Cao Bang city.
Do I need to book the bus to Ha Giang myself?
No. We book it at the operator fare: 250,000 VND one way for a sleeper, up to 550,000 VND for a VIP cabin. On our tours that start with a Night 0, the dorm bed at Ali Hostel is free.
What is included in the Ha Giang tour price?
Homestays, meals as per the itinerary, drinking water, an English-speaking guide, entrance fees, the border-area permit and BIC travel insurance up to 50,000,000 VND per guest. Bus tickets, tips and personal spending are extra.
Plan your two weeks with us
Send us your dates and which version of this north Vietnam 2 week itinerary you like, and we will fit the Ha Giang or Cao Bang block around the rest of your trip, buses included. Message us on WhatsApp or Zalo at (+84) 787 652 333, or email info@hagiangalitravel.com. A deposit of 500,000 VND per guest holds your tour.
