Ha Giang Loop Motorcycle TourHa Giang Loop 2 Day Tour: Enough, or a Compromise?
A Ha Giang loop 2 day tour is $123.55 per person, the cheapest way onto this road, and it does reach Ma Pi Leng. What it cannot do is stop. Two days means about 5-6 hours of riding on day one and 6-7 on day two, which leaves no room for the Nho Que boat, the skywalk, Lung Cu or the night in Du Gia. Book it if two days is genuinely all your calendar has. If you are choosing two over three to save $60, book three.
About the two-day loop
One homestay or hotel night, usually in Dong Van
Per person, the lowest price on this site. Bike, guide, meals and the night included
Roughly 5-6 hours on day one, 6-7 on day two
No Hanoi bus in the price, so add your own transport north
Still required. The two-day route crosses the same border districts
Up to 24 hours before departure
Check dates
Live calendar for the two-day departure from Ha Giang city.
What two days covers, and what it cuts
You do get the road everyone comes for
Day one runs Bac Sum Pass, Heaven Gate at Quan Ba, lunch in Yen Minh, then the switchbacks of Tham Ma and Chin Khoanh onto the Dong Van karst plateau. Day two is Ma Pi Leng, the 20 km of cliff road above Tu San canyon, then Meo Vac and the southern route home.
That is the postcard. Nobody who does the two-day version comes back saying they missed the scenery. They come back saying they were always about to leave.
If you want the whole field rather than this slice of it, all the Ha Giang loop tours side by side sits on the front page with prices and ratings.
What comes off the list
The Nho Que boat and the Ma Pi Leng skywalk each add two to three hours, and the two-day schedule has neither. You will see the river from above and ride past the pier.
Lung Cu Flag Tower is a detour north and does not happen. Du Gia village and its waterfall sit on the southern loop that two days does not reach, so the homestay night that everyone writes about becomes a hotel in Dong Van instead. The plateau villages are ridden through rather than stopped in.
- Nho Que river boat through Tu San canyon
- The Ma Pi Leng skywalk on foot
- Lung Cu Flag Tower and the border viewpoint
- Du Gia village, the homestay night and the waterfall swim
- Anything described as an optional stop
The riding days are long
Six to seven hours in the saddle on day two is not a scenic drive. It is a working day on a mountain road, with a lunch stop and two coffee breaks in it. First-time pillion passengers feel it in the lower back by the afternoon.
That matters more than the missed stops. A three-day tour rides the same 350 km with a third more time to do it, which is the difference between arriving somewhere and passing through it.
When two days is the right answer
When your Vietnam itinerary is already full and the alternative is skipping Ha Giang. Two days on this road beats zero days by a distance nobody argues about.
It also works if you are riding yourself and want the road rather than the villages, or if you have been to northern Vietnam before and are back for Ma Pi Leng specifically.
The two-day schedule
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Day 1, 08:30
Briefing and out of Ha Giang
Breakfast, the bike, and a short flat stretch to get used to the gears before the climbing starts.
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Day 1, 10:00
Bac Sum Pass and Heaven Gate
The Quan Ba viewpoint over Tam Son and the twin mountains. Photo stop, then on.
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Day 1, 12:30
Lunch in Yen Minh
Included. The last unhurried hour of the day.
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Day 1, 14:30
Tham Ma and the plateau
The zigzag pass, Chin Khoanh, then the Dong Van karst plateau geopark.
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Day 1, 17:30
Dong Van
Check in, dinner, and the old quarter if your legs are still working.
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Day 2, 07:30
Ma Pi Leng Pass
Early start for the cliff road. Viewpoint stops, coffee above the gorge, no skywalk.
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Day 2, 11:00
Meo Vac
Through the town, then the southern route back rather than the Du Gia loop.
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Day 2, 16:30
Back in Ha Giang
In time for an evening bus to Hanoi if you booked one.
Know before you book
Getting to the start
This tour begins in Ha Giang city, not Hanoi, so the sleeper bus is on you. It leaves Hanoi around 21:00 and takes 6-7 hours, arriving near 04:00, and costs roughly $15 to $20 each way booked directly.
Add that and the two-day tour lands close to a cheap three-day Hanoi departure with the bus included. Run the arithmetic before you assume it is the budget option.
The border permit still applies
Two days does not put you outside the border districts. Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac all sit inside the border area, so the permit costs the same 200,000 to 250,000 VND, about $10, and your operator files it from your passport details.
Operators report tighter checks since 1 June 2026, though no official notice confirms the date. Carry the passport itself.
Pack lighter than you think
One night means one change of clothes. Everything else stays in Ha Giang city or Hanoi.
- A daypack that closes, strapped to the bike and wrapped in plastic
- Warm layer for the Dong Van evening, which is colder than Ha Giang city
- Waterproof shoes and a buff for dust
- About 500,000 VND, roughly $19, for two days of coffee stops and tips
- Passport for the checkpoints
Who it suits, and the rules
Two days is not suitable for anyone who wants the boat, the skywalk or the homestay night, and it is a hard ask for a first-time pillion passenger: day two runs six to seven hours in the saddle.
What to bring: one change of clothes, a warm layer for the Dong Van evening, waterproof shoes, a buff, sunglasses, your passport and about 500,000 VND, roughly $19, for two days of coffee and tips.
Not allowed: riding without a helmet, and taking the handlebars without a home motorcycle licence and a 1968-convention IDP. Checkpoints on this route impound bikes rather than issue warnings.
The two-day route
North to Dong Van on day one, Ma Pi Leng and back on day two. The southern Du Gia arc is the part you do not ride.
Questions about the two-day loop
Is 2 days enough for the Ha Giang loop?
Enough to ride Ma Pi Leng and the plateau, not enough to stop at them. The two-day tour costs $123.55 and skips the boat, the skywalk, Lung Cu and Du Gia.
How much does a Ha Giang loop 2 day tour cost?
$123.55 per person including bike, guide, meals and one night. The Hanoi bus is not in the price, so add roughly $30 to $40 return if you are coming from there.
What do you miss on the 2-day loop?
The Nho Que boat, the Ma Pi Leng skywalk, Lung Cu Flag Tower and the Du Gia homestay night with its waterfall. Those come back on the three-day version.
How many hours a day do you ride?
About 5-6 hours on day one and 6-7 on day two, across roughly 350 km. Long enough that a first-time pillion passenger feels day two in their back.
Can I do the two-day loop from Hanoi?
Yes. The Chestnut Travel trip sells a two-day version with the sleeper bus both ways at $164.33, which is the simpler booking if you are starting in the Old Quarter.
Do I still need the border permit for two days?
Yes. The route crosses the same border districts as every other itinerary. It costs about $10 and your guide files it.
What riders said
Great trip. Unreal value for money. I did the 2 day tour. Felt like that was plenty of time to do everything. I would recommend the sleeper bus.
Very good experience, drivers were fine and Four is a perfect guide and very nice! So I recommend it!
It was very good. And the tour guide Sun was amazing, he answered all of our questions and was good fun.
If you can find a third day
What it changes
A third day is the difference between riding past the Nho Que pier and getting on the boat, and between a hotel in Dong Van and a family dinner in Du Gia. It costs about $60 more with the same operator.
All the departures sit together with prices and inclusions on the main comparison page, including the ones that let you pick two or three days at checkout.