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Route · My pick · Northern Vietnam
Vietnam in 14 days: Hanoi, the Ha Giang Loop and the bays
Two weeks in the north, without rushing it. Three nights in Hanoi, four days on the best road in Southeast Asia, then the karsts of Ninh Binh and a day on the water in Lan Ha Bay.
By Dylan Harris · I rode the Ha Giang Loop in July 2023 · Updated October 2026
Length
14 days, 13 nights
Fly in and out
Hanoi (HAN)
Round trip, no open jaw
Best months
Mar to May, Sep to Nov
Oct and Nov are peak
Getting around
Bus, motorbike, ferry
No flights inside Vietnam
Pace
Easy start, one hard week
Four days on a bike
Budget
About $750 to $1,150
Per person, before flights
If you only ever do one trip to Vietnam, make it the north, and do it like this.
I spent July 2023 working my way around northern Vietnam. Hanoi first, then Sa Pa, then the back roads of Ha Giang, then a boat on Ha Long Bay before heading south. The Ha Giang Loop was the best part of the whole trip, and it wasn’t close.
This is the route I’d hand a friend now, with what I’d change. A fourth day on the loop. Ninh Binh instead of Sa Pa. Lan Ha Bay instead of Ha Long, because it’s the same limestone with a fraction of the boats. And no backtracking through Hanoi when a night bus can skip it.
It skips central and southern Vietnam. Two weeks is enough for one region done well, or three regions done badly from a bus window. If Hoi An and Saigon are non-negotiable, the 24-day route is the one you want.
Good fit if
- You’d rather have mountains than beaches
- You can sleep on a bus once
- You’re fine on the back of a motorbike for four days
- You’re going between September and May
Look elsewhere if
- You’re going in June, July or August. It’s rainy season on the loop, with real landslide risk. I went in late July. Doable, not ideal.
- You want beach days
- You want Hoi An and Hue: see the 24-day route
On this page Map At a glance Day by day Getting around What it costs Questions
Tap the map to zoom. One loop, four bases, and Hanoi at both ends.
At a glance
Fourteen days, thirteen nights, and only one night spent moving.
| Days | Where | Nights | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Hanoi | 3 | Fly into Noi Bai (HAN) |
| 4 | Ha Giang city | 1 | Bus or van from Hanoi, 6 to 8 hrs |
| 5 to 8 | The Ha Giang Loop | 3 | Motorbike, 4 days |
| 8 | Night bus | 1 | Ha Giang to Ninh Binh, about 9 hrs |
| 9 to 10 | Ninh Binh (Tam Coc) | 2 | Arrive early morning |
| 11 to 12 | Cat Ba and Lan Ha Bay | 2 | Bus and ferry, 4 to 4.5 hrs |
| 13 to 14 | Hanoi, then fly home | 1 | Bus and ferry, about 3.5 hrs |
The one long night
Day 8 ends with a sleeper bus straight from Ha Giang to Ninh Binh. It skips the backtrack through Hanoi and buys you a full extra day in the karsts. Only one or two run a day, so book it before you start the loop.
Day by day
The route, stop by stop
01
Days 1 to 3
3 nights
Hanoi
Arrive: Noi Bai airport, then a Grab to the Old Quarter. About 45 minutes, $10 to $14. Stay in: the Old Quarter or near Hoan Kiem Lake
Three nights, not two. Day one is jet lag no matter what you tell yourself, and Hanoi is where you sort out everything for the week ahead: booking the loop, buying a rain jacket, getting cash. You want a slack day before four days in the mountains.
Hanoi is loud, hot, and runs on motorbikes. The first time you cross a street, walk at a steady pace and don’t stop. The traffic flows around you. Freezing halfway is what gets people clipped. Install an Airalo eSIM (my affiliate link) before you fly so Grab and Google Maps work the minute you land.
Three days in Hanoi
Day 1
Land and walk
- Grab from the airport, drop your bags, shower. That’s the morning.
- Walk the Old Quarter down to Hoan Kiem Lake and across the red bridge to Ngoc Son Temple.
- Dinner on a plastic stool on Ta Hien Street with a glass of bia hoi, fresh draft beer for under a dollar.
Day 2
The old city
- Beef pho for breakfast at Pho Gia Truyen, 49 Bat Dan. Go early. The line moves fast.
- Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, founded in 1070.
- Bun cha for lunch at Bun Cha Huong Lien, where Obama and Bourdain split a $6 lunch in 2016.
- Hoa Lo Prison in the afternoon. Heavy, and worth it.
- Egg coffee at Cafe Giang, where the drink was invented in 1946.
Day 3
Set up the week
- Sunrise walk on Long Bien Bridge, the old French rail bridge over the Red River.
- Banh mi at Banh Mi 25 on Hang Ca.
- Confirm your loop, buy a basic rain jacket, and pull cash. Homestays on the loop are cash only.
- Early night. The bus north leaves in the morning.
Skip
- Water puppets if you’re tired. Nobody will check.
- Booking the loop through a random Old Quarter tour desk. Book with a Ha Giang company directly.
Where to stay in Hanoi
Budget
Old Quarter hostel
Dorm beds from about $8 to $12. Easy place to meet people doing the loop the same week.
Where I’d book
Small hotel near the lake
Private room, about $25 to $45. Walk to everything, sleep somewhere quiet.
Splurge
Sofitel Legend Metropole
Hanoi’s grand hotel, open since 1901. Expect $250 and up a night.
02
Days 4 to 8
4 nights + the night bus
The Ha Giang Loop
Get there: bus or limousine van from Hanoi, 6 to 8 hrs, $12 to $25 Ride: easy rider, unless you really ride Permit: required, your loop company sorts it
This is the reason to come. Switchbacks stacked on switchbacks, limestone peaks that look fake, and the Nho Que River sitting at the bottom of a gorge so deep it barely looks real. The photo at the top of this page is from Ma Pi Leng Pass. I took it, and I promise it looks better in person.
Day 4 is the ride up from Hanoi and a night in Ha Giang city, where you meet your rider and pick up a helmet. The loop runs days 5 to 8. Do it in four days, not three. Three-day loops usually cut Du Gia and turn the last day into a long haul back to town. Four days lets you stop when something’s worth stopping for, which is constantly.
Unless you already ride motorbikes in the mountains, take an easy rider: a local driver up front, you on the back. You still feel every switchback. You just get to look at them. There’s a legal reason too. If you’re American, the international driving permit AAA sells follows the 1949 convention, and Vietnam only recognizes the 1968 one. Ride yourself and you’re riding unlicensed, and your travel insurance can walk away from the claim.
Four days with an easy rider runs about $215 to $330, usually with homestays, meals, fuel and the border permit included, and often the bus up from Hanoi. Budget another $40 to $60 to tip your rider and a few dollars a night for beers at the homestay. Established Ha Giang companies like QT Motorbikes & Tours and Jasmine Tours run four-day easy rider loops; book direct, not through a Hanoi desk.
On day 3, pay the extra for the boat on the Nho Que River through the Tu San canyon. It’s the one add-on that’s worth it.
Book the night bus before you start the loop. Bang Phan runs the direct sleeper to Ninh Binh at about 8 pm from its office at 100D Tran Phu. A standard berth is around 285,000 dong ($11) at the counter, or $15 to $18 through 12Go. You arrive around 5 am. Ask the driver’s assistant to drop you in Tam Coc.
03
Days 9 to 10
2 nights
Ninh Binh
Arrive: the night bus drops you around 5 am Stay in: Tam Coc, not Ninh Binh city
You roll off the night bus into rice fields and limestone towers. It’s the same karst scenery as Ha Long Bay, except the water is a river and you’re in a small rowboat, ducking through caves cut straight through the rock.
I spent these days in Sa Pa in 2023. Sa Pa has beautiful terraces, but on this route Ha Giang has already given you the mountains. The second stop should look different, and Ninh Binh does. Book your room for the night before you arrive, so they’ll let you check in at dawn and sleep.
Two days in Ninh Binh
Day 9
Arrive and slow down
- Sleep off the bus. Nobody does anything useful before noon on day 9.
- Rent a bicycle and ride the back roads to Bich Dong Pagoda, built into the side of a cliff.
- Climb Hang Mua for sunset: about 500 steps to a stone dragon on the ridge. 100,000 dong.
- Dinner: mountain goat (de nui) and com chay, crispy burnt rice. Those are the two things Ninh Binh is known for.
Day 10
The boat
- Trang An boat at 7 am, before the heat and the day-trip buses from Hanoi. About 250,000 dong ($10), 2 to 3 hours through caves.
- Bai Dinh Pagoda in the afternoon, Vietnam’s biggest temple complex. Take the electric cart in.
- Book tomorrow’s bus and ferry to Cat Ba at your hotel.
Skip
- Doing both the Trang An and Tam Coc boats. Pick one. I’d pick Trang An.
- A day trip here from Hanoi. Stay the night.
Where to stay in Tam Coc
Budget
Family homestay
Private room from about $12 to $20, often with a home-cooked dinner.
Where I’d book
Bungalow in the rice fields
About $30 to $60. Pool, bikes, karsts out the window.
Splurge
Resort in the karsts
Full resorts in the valleys around Van Long, from about $120.
04
Days 11 to 14
2 nights + Hanoi
Cat Ba and Lan Ha Bay
Get there: bus and ferry from Tam Coc on one ticket, 4 to 4.5 hrs, $8 to $10 Stay in: Cat Ba town
Ha Long Bay is the famous one. Lan Ha Bay sits right next to it, has the same karst islands, and gets a fraction of the traffic. Base yourself on Cat Ba Island and you’re already there, with no three-hour transfer from Hanoi each way.
Three days on Cat Ba
Day 11
Over to the island
- Morning bus and ferry from Tam Coc. Book through 12Go or your hotel.
- Sunset from Cannon Fort, the old gun battery on the hill above town.
- Book tomorrow’s boat at your hotel tonight.
Day 12
Lan Ha Bay
- A full day on a boat out of Cat Ba town, $30 to $40 with lunch.
- Kayak through the caves, swim off the deck, and stop at Monkey Island, where the macaques will take anything you leave unattended.
- Seafood dinner on the harbor road.
Day 13
Back to Hanoi
- If your legs still work, hike to Ngu Lam peak in Cat Ba National Park. About an hour up.
- Take the 12:30 bus and ferry back. You’re in the Old Quarter by late afternoon.
- One last bowl of pho. Fly home on day 14.
Skip
- The overnight Ha Long cruise packages sold in Hanoi, unless the boat is the whole point of your trip
Where to stay on Cat Ba
Budget
Cat Ba town hostel
Dorms from about $8. Most can book your boat trip for you.
Where I’d book
Harbor-view hotel
About $25 to $45 for a room looking over the bay.
Splurge
Resort on the island
Quieter beach resorts outside town, from about $100.
Free guide · First 24 Hours in a New Country
Landing in Hanoi tired and confused is optional.
The night before, hour by hour after landing, and the traps. Free with the monthly letter.
Getting around
Every leg, how long it takes, and roughly what it costs per person in 2026. Prices in US dollars at about 26,000 dong to the dollar.
| Leg | How | Time | Cost | Book through |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noi Bai airport to the Old Quarter | Grab, or Bus 86 | About 45 min | $10 to $14 by Grab, about $2 by bus | Grab |
| Hanoi to Ha Giang | Sleeper bus or limousine van | 6 to 8 hrs | $12 to $25 | Your loop company, or 12Go |
| The loop | Easy rider | 4 days | $215 to $330, plus tip | A Ha Giang loop company |
| Ha Giang to Ninh Binh | Bang Phan night sleeper | About 9 hrs | $11 at the counter, $15 to $18 online | 12Go or Vexere |
| Tam Coc to Cat Ba | Bus and ferry, one ticket | 4 to 4.5 hrs | $8 to $10 | 12Go or Bookaway |
| Cat Ba to Hanoi | Bus and ferry, one ticket | About 3.5 hrs | About $11 | Bookaway or your hotel |
| Old Quarter to Noi Bai | Grab | About 45 min | $10 to $14 | Grab |
Ferry times to and from Cat Ba move with the weather. Confirm the day before.
What it costs
Per person for the full 14 days, private rooms, eating mostly local with a few nicer meals, and a beer most nights. Flights not included.
Beds
$150 to $300
9 nights off the loop, private rooms at $15 to $35
Food and drinks
$150 to $250
10 days off the loop at $15 to $25 a day
Ha Giang Loop
$260 to $400
4 days with an easy rider, plus tip and homestay beers
Buses and ferries
$80 to $100
Every bus, ferry and Grab on this page
Things to do
$60 to $80
Trang An, Hang Mua, the Lan Ha boat, temples, a bike
Visa and data
$35 to $40
E-visa plus an eSIM for two weeks
The whole route
$750 to $1,150
About $55 to $80 a day all in. Sleep in dorms and skip the beers and you can get closer to $600. More on Vietnam →
Questions people ask
Is two weeks enough for Vietnam?
Enough for one region done well. The country is about 1,000 miles long, and if you try to cover north, center and south in 14 days, you spend a third of the trip on buses and in airports. That’s why this route stays north.
Do I need a license to ride the Ha Giang Loop?
To ride a motorbike yourself, you need your home motorcycle license plus an international driving permit under the 1968 convention, with the motorcycle category stamped. The permit AAA issues in the US follows the 1949 convention, which Vietnam doesn’t recognize.
With an easy rider, you’re a passenger, so none of that applies to you.
Do I need a permit for Ha Giang?
Yes. Foreigners need a border-area permit for Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac. It runs roughly 230,000 to 300,000 dong ($9 to $12), and loop companies and homestays sort it out with your passport. Carry your passport on the loop.
One thing that confuses people: Ha Giang province was merged into Tuyen Quang province on July 1, 2025. The town, the loop and the buses are all the same, but you may see either name on maps and booking sites.
Ha Long Bay or Lan Ha Bay?
Lan Ha. Same karst islands, same green water, a fraction of the boats, and you can reach it from Cat Ba without a long transfer from Hanoi. Ha Long is worth it only if an overnight cruise is the whole point of your trip.
What about Sa Pa?
I went, and the terraces are beautiful. But on a 14-day trip with the Ha Giang Loop, it’s a second mountain stop when you need something different. If you want both, take three days from Ninh Binh or Cat Ba, or look at the 24-day route.
Can I do this route in the rainy season?
You can, and I did, in late July. But June to August brings afternoon storms and landslide risk on the loop, and your views depend on the clouds. September to November and March to May are the safer bets. December to February is dry but cold up north, so pack a real jacket.
Do Americans need a visa for Vietnam?
Yes, but it’s an e-visa. Apply on the official portal, evisa.gov.vn, at least a week before you fly. It’s good for up to 90 days and costs $25 for a single entry. Avoid the lookalike sites that charge more for the same form.
What if I have more or less time?
With a week, drop Ha Giang and do Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay. With three weeks or more, add the center and south: fly into Hanoi, out of Saigon, with Hue and Hoi An in between. Both are on the Vietnam page.
More or less time?
Short on time
7 days, 6 nights
A tight loop from Hanoi: two nights in the Old Quarter, two in Ninh Binh, one on a boat in Lan Ha Bay.
See it all
24 days, 23 nights
Into Hanoi, out of Saigon. Ten days in the north, then Hue, the Hai Van Pass, Hoi An and the Mekong.
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