The short answer to “Ha Giang Loop tour what’s included”: a typical tour covers the motorbike (with a local rider or for you to ride), fuel, homestay beds, most meals, a guide, entrance fees and the border-area permit. What is usually not included is the bus from Hanoi, drinks beyond water, tips and a private room upgrade. The details change from company to company, so this guide lays out what a Ha Giang Loop tour usually includes, then shows our own lists line by line so you can compare like with like.
We run tours out of Ha Giang city, and the question we answer most on WhatsApp is some version of “what exactly am I paying for?” Two tours can look the same price and end up very different once you add the bus, the permit and a room for two. Here is how to read the list before you book.
Ha Giang Loop tour what’s included: usually, sometimes, rarely
This is the general picture across the market, not a promise from any single operator. Use it as a checklist when you read a tour page.
| Item | Usually included | Sometimes included | Rarely included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorbike and local rider (Easy Rider) | Yes | ||
| Motorbike for self-riders | Yes, often as a rental line | ||
| Fuel | Yes, for Easy Rider | For self-riders | |
| Helmet and protective gear | Helmet | Body and knee protectors | |
| Homestay beds | Shared dorm | Private room | |
| Meals | Breakfast, lunch, dinner on the road | Meals in Ha Giang city before departure | |
| Drinking water | Yes | ||
| English-speaking guide | Yes | ||
| Border-area permit | Yes | ||
| Travel insurance | Yes | ||
| Entrance tickets at stops | Yes | ||
| Nho Que River boat | On 3-day and longer tours | ||
| Bus Hanoi to Ha Giang | Almost always sold separately | ||
| Drinks, snacks, shopping | Not included | ||
| Tips | Not included |
The “sometimes” column is where prices get hard to compare. If one tour includes the guide, permit, insurance and boat and another does not, the cheaper one may not be cheaper by the end.
Ha Giang Loop tour what’s included with Ali Travel: our real lists
We sell two collections. Essential tours sleep in shared dorms at the homestays. Classic tours use private en-suite rooms and keep groups small. Below is what each one actually lists, taken from our live tour pages.
Included on every Essential tour
This applies to the Ha Giang Loop Express (2 days), Dong Van & Ma Pi Leng (3 days), Du Gia Waterfall (4 days) and the Grand North Loop into Cao Bang (5 days).
- Night 0 at Ali Hostel, free. A dorm bed in Ha Giang city when you arrive on the overnight bus, with early check-in from 04:00, plus pick-up and drop-off in the city.
- Homestay nights in a shared dorm. A private room is available for +350,000 VND per room per night.
- Meals as per the itinerary, home-cooked at the homestays. On the 3-day Dong Van & Ma Pi Leng that means 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 2 dinners.
- 1.5 L of drinking water per person per day.
- An English-speaking local guide for the whole trip.
- The bike. Easy Rider: motorbike, fuel and your rider. Ride by yourself: motorbike rental at cost, one bike per guest.
- Helmet, body and knee protectors for self-riders.
- Entrance fees for every scheduled stop.
- Border-area permit, filed and paid for you at cost. On the Grand North Loop it covers both Ha Giang and Cao Bang.
- Travel insurance with BIC for every guest, up to 50,000,000 VND.
The 3, 4 and 5-day Essential tours also include the boat through the Tu San Canyon on the Nho Que River. The 2-day Express does not list the boat; it stops at the Tu San Canyon viewpoint instead. The Grand North Loop adds Pac Bo, Ban Gioc Waterfall and Nguom Ngao Cave entrance tickets.
Included on every Classic tour
This applies to the Private Trail (2 days), White Cliff & Sky Path (3 days), Du Gia Valley (4 days) and the Ban Gioc Traverse (5 days).
- Private en-suite rooms every night, no dorms.
- Pick-up and drop-off in Ha Giang city.
- The same meals, water, guide, bike, protective gear, entrance fees, permit and BIC insurance lines as the Essential tours.
- Guided treks: the Khau Lan waterfall trek on all four, plus the Sky Path and White Cliff trek on the 3 and 4-day tours.
- A bamboo raft on the Ngoc Long stream on the 3 and 4-day tours.
- Small groups: six guests at most.
The Ban Gioc Traverse includes the Pac Bo, Ban Gioc and Nguom Ngao tickets, but the bamboo raft at Ban Gioc is optional and not in the price. Classic tours do not list the free Night 0 dorm bed, so if you arrive on the night bus, plan where you will wait for the morning start.
Two tours that work differently
- Ha Giang Village Trek (4 days): no motorbike or car on the trail. It includes 2 homestay nights in private rooms plus 1 night at Ha Giang Ecolodge, 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 3 dinners (the Day 1 breakfast is at Ali Hostel), a trekking guide, a local porter-guide for every 4 guests, entrance fees and insurance. No border permit is needed on this route.
- Ha Giang & Cao Bang by Private Car (7 days): private car with driver and fuel, 6 nights in private en-suite rooms, 6 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 6 dinners, the permit for both provinces, the Nho Que River boat, Ban Gioc Waterfall and the Ban Gioc bamboo boat. VAT 8% is already inside the price.
What we do not include
- Bus tickets to and from Hanoi (or onward from Cao Bang on the tours that end there), which we book at the operator fare.
- Personal spending, drinks beyond the included water, and shopping.
- Tips for the guide, driver and homestay hosts.
- The private room supplement on Essential tours.
- Anything not listed in the itinerary.
Prices start at $107 per person for the 2-day Express with an Easy Rider, permit and VAT included. You can see how the full lists sit against a real route on the Dong Van & Ma Pi Leng 3-day tour, which prices each way of riding separately: bring your own bike $110, ride by yourself $125, Easy Rider $163.
Costs people forget
No answer to “Ha Giang Loop tour what’s included” is complete without the lines that are left out. These do not appear in the headline price of most tours, ours included. Budget for them before you compare.
The bus from Hanoi
Ha Giang city is about 300 km from Hanoi, roughly 6 to 7 hours by road, and most travellers take an overnight bus. Our current fares, one way: sleeper 250,000 VND, luxury and limousine from 300,000 VND, VIP cabin 350,000 to 550,000 VND. Double it for the return. Classic tours and the Cao Bang routes also list transport to Ha Giang and onward from Cao Bang as separate.
A private room on a dorm tour
If you are a couple on an Essential tour and want your own room, add 350,000 VND per room per night. On the 4-day Du Gia Waterfall tour that is three homestay nights. If you want a private room every night anyway, a Classic tour may make more sense than adding supplements. Our Ha Giang Loop guide for couples goes through that choice.
Tips
Tips are not included on any of our tours and they are not compulsory. Many travellers do tip their rider and guide at the end, and it adds up across several people and several days. Our Ha Giang Loop tipping guide covers what is normal.
Drinks, snacks and the evenings
Water is covered. Beer, rice wine, coffee stops, soft drinks and snacks along the way are not, and homestay evenings are where most of this spending happens. Carry cash in small notes, because card payment is rare in the villages.
Card fees on the deposit
Our tours take a 500,000 VND deposit per guest plus the card fee when you book online, and the rest is paid in full before departure.
Your licence, if you ride yourself
Choosing “ride by yourself” is cheaper than an Easy Rider, but you need to be legally allowed to ride in Vietnam, and whether your home licence counts depends on your country. Read our guide to the international driving permit for Vietnam before you pick that option.
For a full trip budget beyond the tour itself, see our Ha Giang Loop cost breakdown.
Questions to ask before you book any Ha Giang Loop tour
Ha Giang Loop tour inclusions vary more between companies than prices do. Whoever you book with, send these questions and get the answers in writing. A good operator will answer every one without hesitation.
- Is the border-area permit included, or do I pay it on the day?
- Is travel insurance included, and what is the cover amount?
- Is fuel included for my way of riding (Easy Rider or self-ride)?
- Are all entrance tickets and the Nho Que boat included, or only some stops?
- Is the guide English-speaking, and are they with the group the whole time?
- Do I sleep in a shared dorm or a private room, and what does an upgrade cost?
- How many meals are included, day by day?
- Is drinking water included?
- Is the bus from Hanoi included, and if not, can you book it?
- Where do I wait if the bus arrives before dawn?
- What protective gear comes with a self-ride bike?
- Is VAT in the price, or added at the end?
If an answer is vague, treat that item as not included and add it to your budget.
FAQ
Is the bus from Hanoi included in a Ha Giang Loop tour?
Usually not. On our tours the bus is sold separately at the operator fare: sleeper 250,000 VND one way, luxury and limousine from 300,000 VND, VIP cabin 350,000 to 550,000 VND. We can book it for you.
Is the border permit included?
On our motorbike and car tours, yes. The border-area permit is filed and paid for you at cost. The Grand North Loop, Ban Gioc Traverse and 7-day car tour cover both Ha Giang and Cao Bang. The Village Trek route does not need a permit. More detail is in our Ha Giang border permit guide.
Is an all inclusive Ha Giang tour really all inclusive?
Rarely in the literal sense. Even a very complete tour leaves out the bus from Hanoi, drinks beyond water, tips and personal spending. Read the “not included” list as carefully as the “included” one.
What is the difference between Essential and Classic tours?
Essential tours use shared dorms at the homestays, include a free Night 0 dorm bed at Ali Hostel, and offer a private room for +350,000 VND per room per night. Classic tours use private en-suite rooms every night, keep groups to six guests at most, and add guided treks and, on the 3 and 4-day tours, a bamboo raft on the Ngoc Long stream.
Is insurance included?
Yes. Every guest on our tours is covered by travel insurance with BIC, up to 50,000,000 VND.
Ask us before you book
If you want to check what’s included in a Ha Giang Loop tour on a specific date or way of riding, message us on WhatsApp or Zalo at (+84) 787 652 333 or email info@hagiangalitravel.com. We will send the full included and excluded list for your tour, plus the bus options, before you pay anything.
