Vietnam Motorcycle Tour Companies: How to Choose

Vietnam's motorcycle tour market is bigger and messier than Thailand's. Hanoi alone has dozens of companies selling the Ha Giang Loop, many of them founded in the last few years, many of them subcontracting the actual riding to someone else. The gap between the best operators and the worst is wider here than in any other destination we cover, and the price difference between them is often trivial.

This guide covers the companies with Vietnam tours listed on Moto Mass, and — because the market is so crowded — spends as much time on how to vet an operator you find elsewhere as it does on the directory itself.

The five checks that matter in Vietnam

• Who is actually riding at the front? Ask whether the guide is employed by the company or hired per trip. Long-standing operators run their own guides and their own mechanics; resellers do not, and cannot tell you who you will meet at 7am.
• Is there a mechanic in the group? On northern routes this is not a luxury. Good operators run a guide at the front and a mechanic at the back, with a second guide once the group grows.
• What bikes, and how old? Honda XR150L, CRF250L and CRF300L Rally are the standard dual-sport fleet. A tired XR150 with 60,000 km on it is a different proposition from a two-year-old CRF300L, and both get advertised the same way.
• What happens if you crash? Get the answer in writing. Vietnam's licensing rules make insurance genuinely conditional, and this is where cheap tours cost the most.
• Is there a support vehicle? On a multi-day northern tour a truck carrying luggage, spares and a spare bike changes the character of the week — and lets a rider who is having a bad day sit one out.

The licence question deserves proper attention before you book anything. Vietnam recognises International Driving Permits issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention, and your home licence must cover the engine capacity you intend to ride. We have written it up in detail: Vietnam motorcycle licence and IDP requirements.

The operators

Vietnam Motorbike Tour Expert (Hanoi)

A Hanoi-based specialist running guided on- and off-road tours across northern Vietnam, the Ho Chi Minh Trail and onward into Laos and Cambodia. Their operating model is the one to look for: a guide riding at the front and a mechanic riding sweep, with a second guide added for larger groups. Fleet is Honda dual-sport — XR150L, CRF250L and CRF300L.

• Ha Giang Loop Motorbike Tour from Hanoi — 5 days, from $140, with accommodation, meals, bike, guide and fuel included.
• Ho Chi Minh Trail Motorcycle Tour — 12 days, Hanoi to Nha Trang via Phong Nha, Khe Sanh, Hue, Hoi An and Kon Tum.

Both are on the Vietnam Motorbike Tour Expert profile. If Ha Giang is the reason you are here, read the Ha Giang Loop guide first — it explains how the three-, four- and five-day versions differ.

RIDE Adventures (US-based, operating from Hanoi)

The premium end of the Vietnamese market. RIDE Adventures is an American company based in Bend, Oregon, running tours on five continents, and their northern Vietnam trip is the most heavily supported itinerary on the platform for this country: fourteen days, ten riding days, roughly 2,120 km, a stated 70/30 split of unpaved to paved, a bilingual guide, a support vehicle with driver-mechanic, and accommodation ranging from three- to five-star with a homestay night and a Ha Long Bay cruise built in.

• Northern Dual Sport Vietnam Tour with Guide and Support Truck — 14 days, from $2,850, on Honda XR150L, CRF250, CRF300 and CRF300L Rally machines.

The route is a genuine grand tour of the north — Mai Chau, Son La, Moc Chau, Lai Chau, Sapa, Ha Giang, Dong Van, Meo Vac and Ba Be — rather than a Ha Giang loop with extras bolted on. See the RIDE Adventures Vietnam profile.

Big Bike Tours (Chiang Mai, regional)

A Thai-licensed operator running since 2009 whose Vietnam involvement comes through multi-country expeditions rather than domestic trips. Groups are capped at ten to twelve riders and the emphasis is on larger-capacity machines than the Vietnamese norm.

• 20 Day Tour: Vietnam, Laos and Thailand — $7,100, three countries in three weeks.

Worth considering if Vietnam is one chapter of a longer Southeast Asian ride rather than the whole book. Profile: Big Bike Tours.

Easy Rider (Dalat)

The Easy Rider model is a Vietnamese institution and works completely differently from everything above: you ride pillion behind an experienced local guide, or follow on your own machine, and the value is in the commentary and the stops rather than the mileage. Dalat is where the tradition started, and day tours out of the city into the Central Highlands remain the classic version.

• Dalat Countryside Easy Rider Tour — 1 day, $36, taking in Tuyen Lam Lake, Chicken Village and a mushroom farm.

At this price it is the cheapest way on the platform to find out whether Vietnamese roads suit you. Profile: Easy Rider.

Vietnam operators at a glance

OperatorBaseTours on Moto MassDuration rangeListed priceBest for Vietnam Motorbike Tour ExpertHanoi25–12 daysfrom $140Ha Giang and Ho Chi Minh Trail, local guides RIDE AdventuresBend, Oregon (US)114 daysfrom $2,850Fully supported dual-sport grand tour Big Bike ToursChiang Mai1 (regional)20 days$7,100Multi-country Southeast Asia expedition Easy RiderDalat11 day$36A first taste, or a rest-day ride

Vetting an operator you found somewhere else

Most riders arrive in Hanoi with a shortlist from a forum or a video. Here is how to reduce it.

Read the reviews for the failures, not the praise

Every Vietnamese tour company has glowing reviews. What differentiates them is how the negative ones read: a company that responds to a crash or a breakdown with specifics is telling you something useful; one that responds with a template is telling you something else.

Ask what happens on day three if it rains hard

Northern Vietnam's mountain roads slide. A serious operator has an answer ready — an alternative route, a truck, a rest day — because they have used it before. A vague answer means they have not.

Check whether the price includes fuel and entrance fees

These are small individually and add up quickly across a two-week itinerary. Vietnamese tour pricing is usually transparent about accommodation and meals and much less so about the rest.

Be honest about your off-road level

The single most common problem on Vietnamese tours is riders booking a dual-sport itinerary on the strength of road experience. Wet clay, loose rock and steep concrete village ramps are a specific skill set. Operators will tell you the truth if you ask directly, and several run easier road-biased versions of the same route.

Frequently asked questions

Is it cheaper to book a Vietnam tour in Hanoi or online in advance?

Walk-in prices in Hanoi's Old Quarter can be lower, but you are buying blind: you cannot check the bike, the guide or the insurance position in the ten minutes you spend at the counter. Booking in advance with an operator who publishes an itinerary and an inclusions list costs a little more and removes most of the risk.

Do I need an International Driving Permit?

Vietnam recognises 1968 Vienna Convention IDPs, and your home licence must cover the engine size you are riding — a car licence does not make a 150cc dual-sport legal for you. This matters mainly because insurance follows legality. The detail, including how to obtain a Vietnamese licence if you are staying longer, is in our Vietnam licence guide.

What size bike will I be given?

Expect 150cc to 300cc. The Honda XR150L is the workhorse of Vietnamese touring; CRF250L and CRF300L Rally appear on dual-sport itineraries. Large adventure bikes are rare and, on narrow village roads and loose climbs, actively worse. This is not a compromise — it is the right tool.

Are easy-rider tours real motorcycle tours?

They are a different product, not a lesser one. You ride pillion or follow a guide, distances are short and the emphasis is on places and conversation. For riders who want the country without the workload, or for a rest day in the middle of a longer trip, they work extremely well.

When should I go?

Northern Vietnam rides best from September to November and March to May. Summer brings heavy rain and landslide risk in the mountains; deep winter can be genuinely cold and fogbound on the high passes. The south and Central Highlands run drier from November to April. We compare the region's timing in Thailand vs Vietnam: best time to ride.

How much should a Ha Giang Loop tour cost?

The market spans a very wide range, from budget hostel-organised trips to fully supported multi-day tours. The five-day guided loop listed on Moto Mass starts at $140 with accommodation, meals, bike, guide and fuel included, which gives you a reference point. If a quote is dramatically below that, ask what has been removed.