Pick the perfect tour options for you!
With hundreds of different tour providers, it’s hard to feel like you’re not missing out on a better deal. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of all the different options when it comes to the Ha Giang Loop tours!
TLDR: The Ha Giang Loop tours all take essentially the same route, however the experience can vary significantly depending on the options that you choose. The choices you have to make are:
- Included activities
- Group tour or private tour
- Dorm or private room accommodations
- Roundtrip bus tickets
- Party vs. social vs. quiet vibes
- Self-driving or going with an Easy Rider
If you are someone that likes to analyze endless tour options, the Ha Giang Loop is your haven. If you don’t like to analyze, the endless options of the Ha Giang Loop will send you into decision paralysis. There are hundreds of tour offerings from both large and small companies, as well as independent guides. If you are considering doing the Ha Giang Loop on your own without a tour, check out our tips for Independently Driving the Loop. Here are all of the things you need to consider if you are wanting to do a tour:
1. Included activities – as part of the tours, there are several different activities that can vary depending on the tour provider
– Bamboo rafting
– Nho Que River boat trip
– Lung Khuy Caves
– Ma Pi Leng Sky Walk (2 hr hike)
– Khau Lan Waterfall
– Lung Tam Village (Traditional clothes weaving)
– China border
– Lung Cu Flag Tower
– Du Gia Waterfall swim
2. Group tour vs private tour – this is purely personal preference depending on whether you are travelling in a group, a couple or solo
Group tours are great to meet other people and enjoy the experience with people from other cultures. It creates a sort of ‘sleep-away camp’ feeling in the middle of rural Vietnam. In addition, the cost tends to be a little bit cheaper if you go with a group tour. If you are travelling in a group of people, or would just prefer to be on your own then private tours are the way to go. They include private accommodations and the tour guide to yourself, where you can ask endless questions and customize the route to your preferences. Want to move slower or faster, skip or add some spots? Private tour is the way to go!
3. Dorm room or private accommodations
This decision is primarily one of comfort vs. budget. The dorm rooms offer a cheaper alternative while the private rooms offer more luxury. However, some companies offer dorm rooms that are spectacular, while others are simply mattresses on the floor in an endless row of beds. Make sure you confirm with the company that you select what type of dorm rooms they provide. In some cases, it might be more worthwhile to upgrade to private rooms than others!
4. Round-trip bus transfer – often bus tickets can be included to and from Ha Giang, or you can choose to have these excluded and book your own transportation. The most common option is that the tour company will book the bus to and from Hanoi to Ha Giang for both before and after your trip. The benefit of having them book it is that your travel is seamless and if anything happens to go wrong, they will sort it out for you. Even if they don’t advertise it, the companies will also book your onward travel for you if you’re wanting to go to a different destination after the tour. (example: Cat Ba, Ninh Binh, Sapa, etc.)
There are 4 options of buses that companies can book you on – clarify with them what option they are selecting for you because they significantly vary in comfort.
1. VIP sleeper bus – the nicest option but also tends to be extra cost.
2. Sleeper bus – standard option
3. Limousine Bus – sitting seats rather than beds
4. Budget sleeper bus – avoid because they are overcrowded
For more details, please read our article on Buses in Vietnam.
5. Party vs. social vs. quiet – how to read the subtext in the tour offerings
The social vibes vary between the companies from party, to social, to quiet and relaxed. Pick whichever you’d prefer and then learn to rad the subtext in the tour offerings to understand which one is being offered.
“Party” companies either advertise that they are exactly that or you’ll notice that they are the large, main companies that are consistently coming up when you do research. These companies offer evenings filled with local happy water (rice wine), unlimited karaoke and dancing. During the day, they tend to offer beers at the stops and many of the drivers will request to make TikToks with you! If this is your vibe, go for it! It’s lots of fun!
“Social” – if you’re consistently seeing a company or reviews from travellers saying that the company is “small groups” but is popular over social media then this is likely a ‘social’ company. These tours are good for solo backpackers or people wanting to make friends and have the option to party, but not have it be an expectation.
“Quiet & local’ – by the nature of these companies, they are harder to find. This is simply because they attract customers that aren’t prioritizing vlogging and social media, which means they don’t get as much exposure. If you’re looking for a small, local company feel free to reach out to us and we can provide some suggestions. Alternatively, google maps and trip advisor offer some exposure to these smaller companies.
6. Self-driving or going with an Easy Rider – you can choose to drive your own motorbike as part of the tour group or opt to ride on the back of a professional driver’s bike (Easy Rider)
This decision is a bit more complicated as several factors need to be considered. In accordance with Vietnam driving laws, you are required to carry an International Driver’s License under the 1968 Vienna Convention. This is not the same as the 1949 International Driver’s License, so please double check what license your country issues. For example, Canada, United States and Australia do not issue the correct license.
If you do not hold the proper license, but choose to drive yourself anyway, there are two consequences. First, you will face fines of 3 -5 million VND ($150-250 CAD) at police checkpoints (and these checkpoints are frequent). Second, your travel insurance will not cover you for any accidents, damage to the bike, personal injury, or third party injury/liability.
If you do hold the proper license, you can avoid the two consequences above. However, you need to consider the fact that the Ha Giang Loop is not your typical road. The loop consists of broken pavement, narrow roads and the occasional buffalo trail – this road is not for beginners. Additionally, you need to be aware that this road can be extremely busy with local traffic, supply trucks and other tour groups. Along the loop, it is not uncommon to see goats, buffalo, cows, dogs and children running out onto the road. If you choose to drive yourself, you need to be confident in your ability to navigate steep, difficult roads, as well as avoid obstacles that could pop out at any moment.
Other practical things that you need to consider is the fact that if you drive yourself, you will need to be focused on the road. This might mean missing the gorgeous sights on either side of the road or not having the opportunity to take photos/videos from the back of the bike.
In contrast, if you choose to go with an Easy Rider then you can sit back and relax for the duration of the journey. This means having the chance to take in all of the sights, take photos and videos from the back of the bike, and not stress when traffic gets crazy.
How safe are the Easy Rider drivers? Good question! Just due to the nature of growing up in rural Vietnam, many of these drivers have been driving a motorbike since they were 15 or younger. This means that they have a SIGNIFICANT amount of experience on these roads. Many of the drivers live in mountain villages when they are not working, which means they drive these roads all of the time. That being said, ensure yu select a company that prioritizes safety and is not speeding through the tour just to get it done. The road conditions can change quite quickly with the weather and you want a company that is going to make sure you’re safe, not just stick to a schedule.
In summary, there are several different options that you can choose from to get the most out of your trip! Costs will vary so take some time to shop around but ultimately we would recommend going with the tour that consists of the options above that are most appealing – sometimes the cheapest tour means you will miss out on some of the best experiences!