Hanoi → HCM City | The Long Ride South - 12 days+

This is the completed experience of motorbiking Vietnam - a trip that many people dream of.

Distance: 180 km

Leaving Hanoi, we take the quickest way out - escaping what might be the craziest traffic in Vietnam.
No need to rush. A start around 8:30-9:00 AM works perfectly, once people have dropped their kids off at school and settled in at work.

About an hour in, we stop for our first coffee - right on time for coffee o’clock. Another hour down the road, we reach one of our favorite local lunch spots, set by the Black River.

From Thung Khe Pass toward Mai Chau, the ride begins to open up. This is where the mountains start, the roads get more interesting, and the journey really begins.

The highlight of the day is where we stay. It’s not fancy, but it’s perfectly placed in Pu Luong - tucked into the mountainside, surrounded by rice terraces and wide, open views. There’s even a panoramic pool to wind down after the ride. 

Distance: 100 km

Leaving Hanoi, we take QL1A - a long, straight stretch that gets us to Ninh Binh in about two and a half hours.
After a good local lunch, we park the bikes and hike up to Lying Dragon Mountain for a panoramic view over Tam Coc.

From there, we slow things down with a boat ride through the limestone karsts - Ninh Binh’s “Ha Long Bay on land” - passing through caves and stopping at small temples along the way, before checking into our hotel.

What we love most about Ninh Binh isn’t just the scenery, but the atmosphere. It’s calm, easy, and you feel it the moment you arrive.

In the evening, we wander into town - good food, a few drinks with friends, maybe meet some locals at a bar, and if the night goes right, a karaoke song or two. 

Distance: 280-290 km

This is where the Ho Chi Minh Road begins.

Don’t worry - around 300 km on this section isn’t too much. The roads are good, the riding is fun, and it’s a day that usually gets everyone excited. We often arrive at the hotel early.

We cruise along quiet, flowing roads, with the landscape slowly shifting from the Northern mountains to a more Central Vietnam feel.
Along the way, we stop at the Truong Bon Historical Site for a quick break and a few photos with a MiG-21 on display.

Vinh is a laid-back local city - also the hometown of Ho Chi Minh - and makes for a great overnight stop, with good hotels and plenty of local food options. 

Distance: 210 km

The road just keeps getting better - smoother, quieter, and way more fun to ride.
It’s one of those days where you don’t rush. Just settle into the rhythm, stop when it feels right, and enjoy the scenery as it rolls by.

We ride straight through the old Khe Gat airstrip - it has now become part of the main road - one of those random moments that makes the ride feel a bit different.

We get to Phong Nha early, leaving the afternoon wide open. A visit to Paradise Cave, then back to a riverside homestay - cold beers, a swim, and time to properly unwind.

We wrap up the day with a solid dinner at one of the best spots in town. 

Distance: 240 km

This is one of the best rides in Vietnam, in our opinion. If you’ve never ridden this section, you haven’t truly experienced the Ho Chi Minh Road.
The road is in great condition, with excellent grip and endless corners. We always take a lot of photos every time we pass through here.

Khe Sanh is a historic area where many events of the American War took place.
It is known for Highway 9, Lang Vei Camp, and Ta Con Airport.

We visit the Ta Con Airport museum before checking into the hotel.
Khe Sanh is a quiet local town. Sometimes we have dinner at the hotel, sometimes we go out to try Lao food. 

Distance: 210 km

This is a very interesting day. We ride towards the coast for a couple of reasons:

1. Both the Western and Eastern sections of the Ho Chi Minh Road are busy with large trucks heading to the Lao border.

2. Most traffic stays on the main highway (QL1A).

As a result, the coastal backroads are quiet and scenic. We stop along the way at the DMZ and the Vinh Moc Tunnels.
If you are a fan of seafood, today’s lunch will not disappoint.
We stay at a lovely hotel in the city center, enjoy a royal-style dinner for ourselves, then head out to DMZ Bar - Hue’s first bar, with over 30 years of history.

Distance: 180 km 

We ride over the Hai Van Pass - famously featured in the Top Gear Vietnam Special.

We stop for a good local seafood lunch along the way, then ride up the Monkey Mountain pass to reach Ban Co Peak for panoramic views over Da Nang city. After that, we head down to the beach for a short fun stop - riding on the sand, hanging out, and watching local fishermen at work.

We then continue on to Hoi An, check into our hotel, and enjoy a free evening exploring the old town at your own pace.

Distance: 250 km

This marks the start of the second section of the journey - where the focus shifts more toward the riding itself.

From Hoi An, we head inland into the Eastern Truong Son mountains, leaving the coast behind and getting back into quiet jungle roads and long, flowing sections of the Ho Chi Minh Road. This is where the ride really opens up.

It’s a fast and enjoyable day, with good road conditions and very little traffic - the kind of riding that makes you just settle into the rhythm and keep going.

As always, we stay respectful when passing through local minority villages - easing off the throttle and taking it in.

We arrive in Mang Den in the afternoon, a small mountain town with a completely different feel. We stay at a lovely hotel in town, and it’s just a short walk to dinner - where we found some of the best fried chicken and bamboo sticky rice we’ve ever had.

Distance: 200 km

From Mang Den, we continue riding along the Eastern Truong Son mountains - another proper riding day. The roads are winding, in great condition, and offer some of the best grip of the whole trip.

This is where the rhythm really kicks in - long corners, quiet roads, and just you and the bike.
The highlight of the day is the old KBang airfield, once used during the American War - now part of the road itself. One of those unique stretches you don’t come across every day.

From here, we drop down toward the coast, starting the next phase of the journey: riding in the mountains by day, and resting by the sea.

We arrive in Quy Nhon, a laid-back coastal city where you won’t see many foreigners unless they’re riders. People come here for the fresh seafood and quiet local beaches.

Distance: 280 km

QL1A is the main north-south highway - busy, chaotic, and not the kind of road we’re looking for. Google Maps will always suggest it as the shortest route, but we don’t fall for that.

Instead, we take a detour into the mountains via QL19C - better scenery, less traffic, and even with an extra 50 km, it often turns out to be the faster and far more enjoyable ride.
Along the way, there used to be a cool wooden bridge - we’ll see if it’s still there after the last typhoon.

We roll into Nha Trang, a lively coastal city known for its beaches and great food.
After days on the road, arriving in a bigger city like this feels well-earned - and we always have a great time here.

Distance: 240 km

The truth about riding in Vietnam is this - the best roads are in the mountains. The coast usually means traffic. We do enjoy staying by the sea, but when it comes to riding, the mountains are where it’s at.
That said, today is an exception.

Instead of taking the direct 150 km route from Nha Trang to Da Lat, we make a detour along the coast via Phan Rang - one of the few coastal sections in Vietnam that’s actually worth the ride.

The views are breathtaking. We ride along a winding mountain pass with the ocean right beside us - clear blue water, quiet roads, and endless photo spots. Along the way, we pass through fishing villages, see local markets, try some fresh local grapes, and stop for coffee whenever it feels right.

Before checking into our hotel in Da Lat, we visit Linh Phuoc Pagoda - a unique and colorful stop to wrap up the day.

Distance: 210 km

Leaving Da Lat, we ride down a mountain pass into the countryside - a more relaxed day with a mix of riding and local experiences.
Along the way, we make a few stops: coffee plantations, weasel coffee, local rice wine, even a cricket farm and a silk factory.

This is a very local ride.
You’ll sometimes come across Vietnamese riders on big, flashy bikes - always friendly, always up for a quick chat or a selfie.

The roads aren’t big, but they’re twisty, smooth, and fun - winding through quiet pine forests and endless plantations of coffee, cashew, rubber, and durian.

We arrive at a great homestay, grab a cold beer by the pool, then head out on a short boat trip to explore Cat Tien National Park.
We wrap up the journey with a proper end-of-trip dinner here.

Distance: 150 km

We take the best route into Ho Chi Minh City, keeping things smooth and well-timed. It’s about four hours of riding, with a few stops along the way for lunch, coffee, and a quick smoke.

The goal is simple - get into the city before the rush hour kicks in.

Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, was once the capital of South Vietnam.
Today, it’s a busy, international city with everything you might need after a long journey.