Meet at Hotel 7:00 am, before we kick off, we will spend about 30 minutes to check over the bikes and insure you are familiar with the bike for maximum fun. Today we will not make many stops for visits, although this will be a great opportunity for you to test your biking abilities and get a feel for your bike. We will drive through Thai Nguyen city, and pause at the Museum of Ethnology, this is an important stop as we will be visiting many of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities and hill tribe people. Well prepared and fully briefed we will head North to Tuyen Quang province, then on to Ha Giang. We should arrive in Ha Giang at about 5:00 pm. Dinner and sleep in town.

Arrival at Noi Bai Airport, meet your guide, picked up and transfer to hotel. If time permits, a cyclo tour will be offered so you could have chance to stroll slowly along the busy and lively streets of Hanoi’s Old quarter and around. Feel the rhythm of time on each colorful street full of handicraft works and the vendors, the light reflecting from the lakess surface. Have dinner followed by a Water Puppet show. Overnight in Hanoi.

The ride from Sapa to Bac Ha takes ~3 hours, down from Sapa to Lao Cai (34 km) and up to Bac Ha (70 km) with stunning landscape. We check in Dang Khoa Hotel and have lunch. In the afternoon, we trek to Lung Phinh village (Phu La people). Stay overnight in Bac Ha.

Once out of the Red River Delta, which brims with traditional farming activity, we pass through limestone monoliths and into foothills populated by Muong people. We head straight at the main range before reaching a high and beautiful forested pass, which descends into the hidden valley of Mai Chau where we spend the night with friends in a traditional Thai stilt house.

Enjoy a full-day tour of Hueby coach. The morning sightseeing focuses on the Imperial Citadel, built in 1804 on a site chosen in accordance with the principles of geomancy, and the Dong Ba Market, famous for its conical hats in Vietnam. Then overland to the tombs of King Khai Dinh (ruled 1916 – 1925) and King Minh Mang (ruled 1820 – 1840) where the contrast between Oriental and Occidental architectures is shown. Take a boat ride on the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, surveying rural landscape and local activities at sunset. Overnight in Hue.

Drive from Hanoi to Mau Son on the beautiful newly sealed road with a stop for lunch in Lang Son. Mau Son is 30 km away from Lang Son, 1.541m above sea level. Quite cool in the evening! Night in the guesthouse of Mau Son Resort. Day 2: Mau Son - Quang Hoa. ~180 km, ~6 h. Breakfast and Lunch The road is a bit bumpy and dusty. It takes us 6 hours to reach the beautiful village of Quang Hoa, in the middle of a mountain cirque. This is the territory of Nung An people. Spend the night in our friend's house.

In the morning we take a short bus drive the Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum on the outskirts of Hanoi. The museum is a great place to learn about the historic trail which we will ride on. After the visit to the museum we will jump on our Minsks and spend sometime to get familiar with the bikes.Now, let's begin our adventure. We will ride on Highway 6 passing extensive farming lands comprising a sea of paddy fields split by tree-lined roads punctuated by limestone karst scenery.