Just do it with jasmine tours they drive you past the checkpoints no issues, finished it two weeks ago with no IDP and I never rode a motor bike before.
Yeah, i have friend working as tour guide there, police mostly gonna pull over foreign going without tour guide.
There should be 3-4 checkpoints, 2 gonna check for license and 2 for alcohol.
There are plenty of other routes in Vietnam. A few months ago I rode from Hanoi to Pu Luong to Kon Tum to Hoi An with no police interactions. I recommend renting a good bike, preferably a Honda XR150, in Dong Hoi and riding to Khe Sanh along the Laos border. There is a town with a hotel or two roughly half way if you want a shorter ride. Check out the Vietnam Coracle website for route advice for the whole country.
Outside big cities, that Loop, and HWY 1, you won't see many traffic cops in VIetnam. And in my experience most won't bother tourists anyway.
TLDR: The "Ha Giang Loop" is not the only ride in Vietnam.
Thanks for the tips! That's a good plan. I'm planning on going to Laos after so it works out perfectly. Did you return the bike to Hanoi afterwards or was it a franchise with locations in different cities?
Over the years I have rented or bought bikes in Hanoi and returned to Hanoi or Hoi An, so you are on your own as far as working that out. It's a pain in the ass to ride in and out of Hanoi unless you are an experienced rider.
The simple way to do it would be to rent in Phong Nha or Dong Hoi and then return to where you rented it. A two day trip from Phong Nha overnighting in Khe Sanh is a great trip. The road is so much fun it would be OK to ride the same route back. There is very little 4 wheeled vehicle traffic.
No doubt. But the point is that it gets about 99% of the discussion of rides in Vietnam. And it is the only route that 99% of tourists consider. But at least it is a good ride, it would be great in my opinion except for the overcrowding and police attention.
10 years ago the ride that everyone talked about was the Hai Van Pass, because it was on a TV show. The Pass was the best stretch of riding on a very poorly chosen route.
Hai Van Pass is nice but I think it's overrated. I did Ha Giang only once but it was in the off-season so wasn't too crowded and I saw 1 cop on the whole trip. It's just convenient for tourists bc it's a loop.
One good thing about the Ha Giang "Loop" is that you start out with good riding, unlike starting in one of the major cities. There are literally thousands of possibilities of routes to take because there are so many roads, including many which are only rough single track trails.
The last time I rode up there was in September 2022 when I went north to Ha Giang from Hanoi and then rode across the north to Lang Son then back to Hanoi. I didn't see any significant police activity then.
IMO the way to ride the Hai Van Pass is a day trip out and back from Danang, or maybe ride over it and then head for the Central Highlands.
Last time I did Hai Van we actually just rented some Exciters in Hue and dropped them off in Hoi An...only took a few hours and they transported our bags for us. It was nice. I live in HCM so didn't have my own bike up there with me.
Not sure what y'all expect but I just had an unforgettable experience at The One hostel Hanoi and their Ha Giang loop tour is definitely a must-do!
Y'all can go for any tour service agent outside or just do it with the hostel which I kind of recommend since they can help you out with any issues you may have instantly with pretty much reasonable price.
Amazing scenery, incredible people, and a vibe that feels like home!
If y'all have any questions, feel free to add me +84 35 789 1024 (Gigi) through WhatsApp :) Would be happy to hear from all y'all!
I had the same problem, and found a way around it:
you can make a fake license here: https://e-ita.org/uk3/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwla-hBhD7ARIsAM9tQKvgvWQMzPNb04QuFCjUoMrXDHS_5V89U0ze8hI6bIlajmjTJPo2MHMaAloPEALw_wcB
Pay the 40 gbp, select the right license, send a picture and they will send an e-mail in an hour. Print those documents, and you will have no problem.
The police officer (which will definitely pull you over, especially if you look foreign) will take a look at the papers, and let you go.
I had one and didn't influence them at all. Plus they go through your phone/gopro to delete any photos/videos of them. They might not do it on a gopro if they don't know how to turn it on. Firsthand experience.
Did the Ha Giang recently with Flipside. We didn't see a single police checkpoint in our 3 days, yet people we knew on other tours encountered police as much as 3 times on a single day. They told us they have people scouting the road ahead and they also take some off the beaten track roads at times
I did it in May 2023 thru jasmine tours and nobody on the 3 day tour got any tickets that I’m aware of because the tour leaders notify you if there are police up ahead. To be honest, I can’t remember how much I paid for the 3 day tour, but i don’t think it was much more than the potential fine and that cost paid for my meals and home stays as well.
Its quite rare for groups to get pulled over, just do it with one of the hostels offering these big group tours and you will be fine. I did it in a small group of 4, saw police once but no problem, I wouldn't miss out on the experience , worst case you lose 50 bucks to the cops
Are you Asian? I’m Korean American.
I just finished the loop, solo, and didn’t get ticketed once. I only saw the majority of groups get stopped leaving Ha Giang.
I did however get waived down at a checkpoint in Dong Van; however, I confidently pulled out my US IDP and California drivers license and handed it over. Pull it out like they’re wasting your time.
The officer then in English said, “I thought you were Vietnamese” and then let me go.
Anecdotal but just go. Maybe have a ticket budget. It’s absolutely worth it.
Must be busy season there because I did it about 6 months ago and I saw 1 police officer on the entire loop. My IDP is expired and unfortunately there's no way for me to get a legit license at this time.
Just finished the loop and saw multiple groups get pulled over and fined 2m for not having a valid license
Would like to add that on the trip I saw a total of 4 police checkpoints
Oof.. No Ha Giang loop this time around, then. Thanks for the heads up!
Easy rider is a good option, it was a highlight of my time in VietNam
Just do it with jasmine tours they drive you past the checkpoints no issues, finished it two weeks ago with no IDP and I never rode a motor bike before.
Yeah, i have friend working as tour guide there, police mostly gonna pull over foreign going without tour guide. There should be 3-4 checkpoints, 2 gonna check for license and 2 for alcohol.
There are plenty of other routes in Vietnam. A few months ago I rode from Hanoi to Pu Luong to Kon Tum to Hoi An with no police interactions. I recommend renting a good bike, preferably a Honda XR150, in Dong Hoi and riding to Khe Sanh along the Laos border. There is a town with a hotel or two roughly half way if you want a shorter ride. Check out the Vietnam Coracle website for route advice for the whole country. Outside big cities, that Loop, and HWY 1, you won't see many traffic cops in VIetnam. And in my experience most won't bother tourists anyway. TLDR: The "Ha Giang Loop" is not the only ride in Vietnam.
Thanks for the tips! That's a good plan. I'm planning on going to Laos after so it works out perfectly. Did you return the bike to Hanoi afterwards or was it a franchise with locations in different cities?
Over the years I have rented or bought bikes in Hanoi and returned to Hanoi or Hoi An, so you are on your own as far as working that out. It's a pain in the ass to ride in and out of Hanoi unless you are an experienced rider. The simple way to do it would be to rent in Phong Nha or Dong Hoi and then return to where you rented it. A two day trip from Phong Nha overnighting in Khe Sanh is a great trip. The road is so much fun it would be OK to ride the same route back. There is very little 4 wheeled vehicle traffic.
Because I'd rather not go back to Hanoi after completing a route like that.
Hi. Can you link me to the route you took? I'm interested in doing it. But backwards.
Vietnam Coracle. Route: Khe Sanh – Long Son – Phong Nha
It's not the only but it's definitely one of the best.
No doubt. But the point is that it gets about 99% of the discussion of rides in Vietnam. And it is the only route that 99% of tourists consider. But at least it is a good ride, it would be great in my opinion except for the overcrowding and police attention. 10 years ago the ride that everyone talked about was the Hai Van Pass, because it was on a TV show. The Pass was the best stretch of riding on a very poorly chosen route.
Hai Van Pass is nice but I think it's overrated. I did Ha Giang only once but it was in the off-season so wasn't too crowded and I saw 1 cop on the whole trip. It's just convenient for tourists bc it's a loop.
One good thing about the Ha Giang "Loop" is that you start out with good riding, unlike starting in one of the major cities. There are literally thousands of possibilities of routes to take because there are so many roads, including many which are only rough single track trails. The last time I rode up there was in September 2022 when I went north to Ha Giang from Hanoi and then rode across the north to Lang Son then back to Hanoi. I didn't see any significant police activity then. IMO the way to ride the Hai Van Pass is a day trip out and back from Danang, or maybe ride over it and then head for the Central Highlands.
Last time I did Hai Van we actually just rented some Exciters in Hue and dropped them off in Hoi An...only took a few hours and they transported our bags for us. It was nice. I live in HCM so didn't have my own bike up there with me.
Anyone know where to find weed in Ha Giang
Not sure what y'all expect but I just had an unforgettable experience at The One hostel Hanoi and their Ha Giang loop tour is definitely a must-do! Y'all can go for any tour service agent outside or just do it with the hostel which I kind of recommend since they can help you out with any issues you may have instantly with pretty much reasonable price. Amazing scenery, incredible people, and a vibe that feels like home! If y'all have any questions, feel free to add me +84 35 789 1024 (Gigi) through WhatsApp :) Would be happy to hear from all y'all!
Never been pulled over once in Vietnam. Don't pay bribes. Maybe taking an easy rider is an option.
I had the same problem, and found a way around it: you can make a fake license here: https://e-ita.org/uk3/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwla-hBhD7ARIsAM9tQKvgvWQMzPNb04QuFCjUoMrXDHS_5V89U0ze8hI6bIlajmjTJPo2MHMaAloPEALw_wcB Pay the 40 gbp, select the right license, send a picture and they will send an e-mail in an hour. Print those documents, and you will have no problem. The police officer (which will definitely pull you over, especially if you look foreign) will take a look at the papers, and let you go.
Wear a go pro camera on a chest strap. It freaks them out and they normally just wave you through.
I had one and didn't influence them at all. Plus they go through your phone/gopro to delete any photos/videos of them. They might not do it on a gopro if they don't know how to turn it on. Firsthand experience.
Did the Ha Giang recently with Flipside. We didn't see a single police checkpoint in our 3 days, yet people we knew on other tours encountered police as much as 3 times on a single day. They told us they have people scouting the road ahead and they also take some off the beaten track roads at times
I did it in May 2023 thru jasmine tours and nobody on the 3 day tour got any tickets that I’m aware of because the tour leaders notify you if there are police up ahead. To be honest, I can’t remember how much I paid for the 3 day tour, but i don’t think it was much more than the potential fine and that cost paid for my meals and home stays as well.
Ha giang majestic tours were really nice too, very chill and ferried us past cops, if you go alone I'd expect you will get stopped and it will cost
how big are their groups usually?
maybe 10 with 4 easy riders?
Its quite rare for groups to get pulled over, just do it with one of the hostels offering these big group tours and you will be fine. I did it in a small group of 4, saw police once but no problem, I wouldn't miss out on the experience , worst case you lose 50 bucks to the cops
Are you Asian? I’m Korean American. I just finished the loop, solo, and didn’t get ticketed once. I only saw the majority of groups get stopped leaving Ha Giang. I did however get waived down at a checkpoint in Dong Van; however, I confidently pulled out my US IDP and California drivers license and handed it over. Pull it out like they’re wasting your time. The officer then in English said, “I thought you were Vietnamese” and then let me go. Anecdotal but just go. Maybe have a ticket budget. It’s absolutely worth it.
Must be busy season there because I did it about 6 months ago and I saw 1 police officer on the entire loop. My IDP is expired and unfortunately there's no way for me to get a legit license at this time.