TOP-GEAR VIETNAM CENTRAL MOTORCYCLE TOUR LOOP – 7 DAYS

* Brief Itinerary:

Day 1 : Hoi An Motorcycle Tour to Hue (The coast road)

Day 2 : Hue Motorbike Tour for Sightseeing

Day 3 : Hue motorcycle tour to Phong Nha (Tunnels and trails)

Day 4 : Phong Nha Adventure Motorbike Tour

Day 5 : Phong Nha Motorcycle Tour to Khe Sanh (Ho Chi Minh Trail)

Day 6 : Khe Sanh Motorcycle Tour to Prao via A Luoi (Hill tribe country)

Day 7 : Prao Motorcycle Tour to Hoi An

Day 1 – Top-Gear Vietnam Central Motorcycle Tour to Hoi An, Hue, Phong Nha:  Hoi An motorcycle tour to Hue (The coast road)

We drive the coast road along China Beach, stopping for drinks by the beach before heading up and over the Hai Van Pass, the highest point on Highway 1. We ride on big open windy roads where traffic is rare, enjoying some of the most scenic landscapes in Vietnam. We stop at Lang Co beach for a seafood lunch and continue along the coast through small fishing communities before arriving in the historic capital of Hue. Dinner is a unique experience dining on the famous specialties of Hue cuisine.
(Accommodation: Hotel***)
(Meals: Lunch, Dinner)

Day 2 – VIETNAM CENTRAL MOTORBIKE TOURS: Hue Motorbike Tour for Sightseeing

With a full day in Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam, we take time to find the best this historic city has to offer. Our motorbike tour takes in the citadel and royal tombs while snaking through the back streets of Hue. A delicious vegetarian lunch prepared by Buddhist nuns is served at a local pagoda. After lunch, we experience the rural surrounds of Hue, stopping to see traditional handicrafts being made as well as visiting some US war sites.

(Accommodation: Hotel ***)
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 3 – Top-Gear Vietnam Central Motorcycle Tour to Hoi An, Hue, Phong Nha: Hue Motorcycle Tour to Phong Nha (Tunnels and trails)

After an early start, we take small country roads up the coast. Crossing the former border between North and South Vietnam at the 17th parallel, we arrive at the Vinh Moc tunnels, where an entire village went underground in the 1960s to survive the bombing. After exploring the tunnels, we head to a local beach where you can cool off with a swim followed by lunch. We then head away from the coast on the eastern branch of the Ho Chi Minh Highway to Phong Nha-Khe Bang national park.

Tonight’s accommodation is in a newly built family-run farm-stay retreat where you can talk freely to the locals about their wartime experiences.
(Accommodation: Farm stay retreat***)
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 4 – Top-Gear Vietnam Central Motorcycle Tour to Hoi An, Hue, Phong Nha: Phong Nha Adventure Motorbike Tour

Awake to the sounds of rural Vietnam. With a day free to explore Phong Nha national park, we take a morning boat ride into the magnificent Phong Nha limestone cave, the second-longest wet limestone caves in the world, followed by a local lunch and an afternoon of tubing, kayaking or trekking through this amazing old-growth rainforest.
(Accommodation: Farm stay retreat ***)
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 5 – Top-Gear Vietnam Central Motorcycle Tour to Hoi An, Hue, Phong Nha: Phong Nha motorcycle tour to Khe Sanh (Ho Chi Minh Trail)

Today’s ride is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Obtaining special military permission, we are able to drive the remote western branch of the Ho Chi Minh Highway through majestic limestone karst and spectacular old-growth jungle. Be amazed at the tenacity of the Vietnamese people during the US war, as this road follows the original HCM Trail through some of the most rugged terrain on Earth.

Arriving in Khe Sanh, we visit the site of the former marine combat base, capping off an amazing day of riding and history.
(Accommodation: Hotel***)
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 6 – Top-Gear Vietnam Central Motorcycle Tour to Hoi An, Hue, Phong Nha: Khe Sanh motorcycle tour to Prao via A Luoi (Hill tribe country)

Leaving Khe Sanh early, we cross the Cuban-built Da Krong bridge, where the stilt houses of hill tribes still line the road. After climbing up to the A Shau valley, where Colin Powell was injured by a punji stick during the war. After a picnic lunch at the foothills of Hamburger Hill, we continue along one of the more remote stretches of the HCM Highway to the ethnic minority town of Prao. A local dinner is an experience in itself.
(Accommodation: Small hotel/guesthouse)
(Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 7 – Top-Gear Vietnam Central Motorcycle Tour to Hoi An, Hue, Phong Nha: Prao motorcycle tour to Hoi An

We take a small road out of Prao, passing ethnic tribes and stopping to swim and explore the villages as we descend from the mountains. Once in the delta, we follow our famous country laneway route into Hoi An, completing a seven-day grand loop of central Vietnam.
(Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch)

Optional Abseiling at Marble Mountain on day 7:
We walk up Marble Mountain into the rappelling area, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
The first rappel is a short walk from the practice area and enjoys a fantastic view of the ocean. This 22 meter line has great exposure, fantastic scenery and makes you feel like you are much higher than you actually are.

Then we do our final rappel; a monster 50 meter drop into a gaping hole so deep and dark that you can’t see the bottom. This fantastic cave rappel drops right out of the jungle down into a temple chamber. Get ready for a full on Tomb Raider experience!

Highlights of the tour

* Ethnic minority villages
* Hai Van pass
* Local cuisine
* Old-growth rainforest
* Mountain waterfalls
* Ho Chi Minh Trail
* Hamburger Hill
* Khe Sanh combat base
* Khe Sanh museum
* Crossing the 17th parallel
* Historic Vinh Moc tunnels
* World Heritage sites
* Sight-seeing tour in Hue
* Phong Nha National Park

Rider rating:
Inexperienced riders to sit on the back
Moderately experienced to drive yourself
Experienced riders

Tour rating:
easy day (last day)
long days
all paved road

Please note:
Tour departs with minimum of 2 people.
We do not offer a pillion discount for tours departing with only 2 people.

Tour includes:
– Experienced English-speaking guide
– Minsk motorbike or semi-automatic scooter
– 3rd party insurance for motorbikes
– Fuel
– 4 x Breakfast, 5 x Lunch, 4 x Dinner
– Snacks
– 4 night accommodation
– Entry fees and ferry crossings
– International safety standard helmet
– Drinking water and soft drinks
– Saddle bags, gloves & rain ponchos, if needed
– Long sleeve shirt

Tour excludes:
– Alcohol
– Personal & motorbike insurance (for motorcycle accident)
– Personal expenses/tips
– Damages to motorcycle