The Northeast Loop: An E-Bike Expedition

Arrive into Hanoi, where your driver and guide will be waiting to welcome you into the city in comfort. Settle in for the afternoon before gathering this evening for a welcome dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, a chance to meet your guide and hear more about the days of riding ahead. Overnight in Hanoi.

Transfer around two hours out of the city to begin the first day's riding. Follow Route 313 to Ha Hoa Bridge, then a sealed road along the shores of Thac Ba Lake before turning onto smaller roads for the final stretch into Vu Linh, a quiet commune and home to the Dzao ethnic minority. Its lakeside setting is one of the region's most peaceful, and a warm welcome awaits at a homestay run by a local family. Around 80 kilometres of riding today, rated medium. Overnight in Vu Linh.

Follow a quiet road lined with palm trees and framed by mountains on either side, riding steadily toward Hoang Su Phi. The district is known for its striking scenery: terraced hillsides rolling into the distance and villages of traditional roof-colour houses tucked into the folds of the land. The road winds and climbs throughout, making for a demanding but rewarding day in the saddle. Around 80 kilometres of riding today, rated hard. Overnight in Hoang Su Phi.

Set off early, riding 32 kilometres back to the national road before continuing on to Ha Giang city. From there, follow Road 4C uphill for around three hours and 46 kilometres, climbing the spectacular Quan Ba Pass, with stops along the way at villages of the Tay and Hmong communities and plenty of chances to take in the scenery. From the summit, known locally as Heaven's Gate, the Tam Son valley opens up below, its rice fields and flower farms framed by the limestone peaks known as the Twin Hills. Descend into Tam Son for a lunch break, then spend an hour on foot exploring Nam Dam, a village of the Dao community set at the foot of the Quan Ba mountains, before arriving at tonight's stay. Around 90 kilometres of riding today, rated hard. Overnight in Quan Ba.

Today's ride runs deep into the world-listed Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark. Descend around 10 kilometres on asphalt through a Hmong village, cross a bridge and follow a scenic riverside road to the day's first climb, a demanding stretch of up-and-down terrain rising to an altitude of 1,025 metres, before a final 15-kilometre descent into Yen Minh, through some of the most beautiful terraced scenery in Vietnam. (If travelling on a Sunday, the morning brings the option of an hour at Yen Minh's market, where Hmong, Dao and other communities gather to trade in colourful traditional dress.) From Yen Minh, climb back uphill toward Dong Van on a road that winds through steep mountains and sharp bends, with frequent stops for the scenery and a handful of highlights along the way: the centuries-old hamlet of Pho Bang, with its clay walls and yin-and-yang tiled roofs; Sung Muoi village, home to the traditional way of life of the Hmong; and the historic Vuong Palace, once home to the family that ruled the region and controlled its opium trade. Around 105 kilometres of riding today, rated hard. Overnight in Dong Van.

Continue downhill for around 28 kilometres over the legendary Ma Pi Leng Pass, one of Vietnam's most celebrated stretches of road, tracing walled limestone mountains above an 800-metre canyon carved by the Nho Que River. From there, descend toward the Gam River and into Bao Lac district in Cao Bang province, the scenery shifting between bamboo forest and green hillsides, with terraced rice and cornfields worked by local ethnic communities along the way. Depending on the day you travel, there may be the chance to join a local weekly market en route, whether in Meo Vac, Lung Phin or Niem Son, each drawing Hmong, Dao, Lo Lo and San Chay communities from the surrounding villages. Around 95 kilometres of riding today, rated hard. Overnight in Bao Lac.

Pedal out along quiet backroads from Bao Lac toward Cao Bang, following the Gam River past remote villages and mountain ranges that trace the China border. The terrain rolls between hills, terraced rice fields and fruit orchards before climbing into the mountains proper, taking on two of Vietnam's most scenic and demanding climbs, the Me Pja and Khau Coc Cha passes. Descend through the Xuan Truong valley, its colourful rice terraces spread out below, then climb once more over the Ta Nenh Pass, winding through untouched tribal villages and stilt houses, before a final downhill run into Ha Quang district. Around 70 kilometres of riding today, rated hard. Overnight in Ha Quang.

Ride out through rural villages to Pac Bo, a historic site just three kilometres from the China border and the former hideout of Ho Chi Minh, who lived and worked here for four years, planning the country's path to independence. The route winds through rolling hills, small villages and valleys nestled between limestone peaks. Continue to Tra Linh, passing charming towns, bustling markets and peaceful valleys, then wind through forested jungle to reach a string of small hill tribe villages, each offering a glimpse of local ethnic culture. Venture deeper still into remote countryside, where farmers and water buffaloes work the fields, before rolling into the town of Trung Khanh. Cross the Quay River and continue through hamlets along the hillside and riverbank, the countryside opening up into terraced rice fields and farmland along the China border, before arriving in Ban Gioc. Around 96 kilometres of riding today, rated hard. Overnight in Ban Gioc.

Rise early to walk down to Ban Gioc Falls, one of Vietnam's most spectacular waterfalls, shared with China along the river below, before returning for a hearty breakfast. From there, ride toward Quang Uyen on a new frontier road, taking in picturesque limestone mountain ranges and passing hill tribe villages of the Tay and Nung communities, with the chance to visit a local house and learn a little about daily life here. Lunch is taken en route. In the afternoon, continue along undulating village roads to a village known for a traditional craft practised entirely by hand: incense making. Check in at tonight's homestay and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Around 58 kilometres of riding today, rated hard. Overnight near Quang Uyen.

Get back on the bike for a challenging climb to the far side of the mountain, rewarded at the top with a stunning view over the village below and its surrounding peaks. From there, ride on tarmac roads toward Ba Be National Park, crossing a bridge, following village roads and joining the national road along the river toward Bac Can, with lunch taken en route amid striking limestone scenery and rice terraces. Ba Be National Park is one of Vietnam's oldest protected areas, its semi-tropical monsoon rainforest wrapped around the country's largest natural freshwater lake, and home to several ethnic minority communities including the Tay, Red Dao and White Hmong. Around 80 kilometres of riding today, rated hard. Overnight at Ba Be.

This morning, board a local boat to cruise the clear waters of Ba Be Lake, the largest natural lake in the mountainous heart of Indochina, ringed by high, forested mountains. Afterward, get back on the bike for the final day of riding, following a scenic route between Ba Be and Thai Nguyen through verdant tea farms, palm groves and ethnic minority villages. The ride finishes after lunch, with a transfer by road to Hanoi for the evening. Around 80 kilometres of riding today, rated hard. Overnight in Hanoi.

The day is free until check-out at noon, before a transfer to the airport for your onward flight, bringing your journey through Vietnam's far northeast to a close.