Routes
Route Map: Hanoi to Bac Son by Motorbike
Bac Son is around 150–160km northeast of Hanoi and makes a very useful first night if you are beginning a longer motorcycle tour towards Lang Son, That Khe, Cao Bang or Ban Gioc.
The first part of the ride out of Hanoi is not especially exciting, but that is quite normal. Once you turn away from the busier main roads and begin entering Bac Son Valley, the whole character of the day changes. Traffic becomes lighter, the roads smaller and the scenery much more rural.
For riders who do not want to begin a northern Vietnam trip with a 250–300km first day, Bac Son is also a good place to stop, get used to the motorcycle and continue deeper into the Northeast the following morning.
Route Map: Hanoi to Bac Son by Motorbike
The direct route is around 150–160km depending on exactly where you stay and which roads you use. Allow roughly 4–5 hours of actual riding, but considerably longer once you add coffee, fuel, lunch, navigation and stops.
| Route | Distance | Riding Time | Road Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | 150 – 160km | 4 -5 hrs | Mainly paved | Easy first day |
| With Detour 1 | + about 30km | + about 1hr | Paved and small rural roads | More exploring |
| With Detour 2 | Small addition | Variable | Small road / surface may change | Riders with spare time |
If this is your first day riding in Vietnam, there is no real advantage in rushing. Our guide to planning the first one or two days out of Hanoi explains why a shorter first day can make much more sense than immediately trying to ride 250 or 300km.
The Direct Route from Hanoi to Bac Son
The most straightforward option is to leave Hanoi heading northeast towards Bac Ninh and Bac Giang before turning towards Bac Son.
The first 80–100km is mainly about making progress. There is traffic, development and some larger roads, so this is not the part of the day where I would plan too many stops. Settle into the bike, have a coffee when you need one and keep moving steadily northeast.
Once you leave the main corridor and turn towards Bac Son, the ride becomes much better. The roads become smaller, the traffic thins and limestone hills begin appearing around the valley.
You can roughly divide the day into:
Morning: Hanoi to the Bac Giang / Ba Nang area — around 100km
Afternoon: Continue into Bac Son Valley — around 50–60km
This is one reason we like Bac Son as the first night of a Northeast trip. You get the less interesting roads out of the way in the morning and finish the day somewhere much more enjoyable.
If you are still deciding which direction to take from Hanoi, our Northern Vietnam motorcycle route guide gives you the wider picture.
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You do not have to ride directly into Bac Son. If you have left Hanoi reasonably early, there are a couple of small detours that make the second half of the day more interesting.
Detour 1
This option adds roughly 30km and around an hour to the journey, depending on stops and road conditions.
The reason to take it is not because there is one major attraction along the way. It is simply a nicer piece of riding. You leave the larger road and pass through smaller villages, farms and rural lanes before eventually reconnecting with the route into Bac Son.
You can shorten the detour if you are running late, so there is no need to commit to the entire loop.
Detour 2
This is a much shorter exploratory detour close to the end of the day.
When we last rode it, part of the road was still rough and undergoing work. Roads like this can change quite quickly in Vietnam, so treat the map as a suggestion rather than a guarantee of the current surface.
If the weather has been wet, you are riding a heavy bike or daylight is beginning to disappear, there is no reason to force it. Continue to Bac Son and save the exploring for another day.
Staying in Bac Son and Continuing Northeast
Bac Son is small, so accommodation is simple rather than luxurious. For us, that is part of its usefulness. You can arrive relatively early, park the motorcycle, eat and get ready for the next day’s ride.
Quynh Son Village
Quynh Son is the more atmospheric option if you would rather stay outside the town.
Traditional homestays in the village often have shared stilt-house accommodation as well as private rooms, and many can also arrange dinner. The exact room types and prices change, so it is better to check directly rather than plan around a particular price.
We have previously used:
Bac Son Town
If you simply want a private room, air conditioning, your own bathroom and somewhere easy to park, Bac Son town is straightforward.
Options we have used or checked include:
These are practical overnight stops rather than destination hotels.
Where Should You Ride Next?
This is where Bac Son becomes particularly useful.
If you are continuing northeast, you can ride towards That Khe and Dong Khe, then follow QL4A north towards Cao Bang. Alternatively, Bac Son can form the first stage of a much larger trip through Cao Bang Province and eventually Ban Gioc.
Our 7 routes from Hanoi to Cao Bang guide shows how the Bac Son route fits into the bigger journey.
For a complete multi-day trip, have a look at our Northeast Vietnam 6-day motorcycle loop. Bac Son is a natural first or final stop on this side of the Northeast.
You can also browse the Vietnam motorcycle route map collection and build the trip one section at a time.
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What Motorcycle Works Best for Hanoi to Bac Son?
You do not need a large motorcycle for this route. Most of it is paved and relatively straightforward, so bike choice should depend more on what you plan to do after Bac Son. For someone continuing into Cao Bang, Ban Gioc and the smaller roads of the Northeast, a lightweight manual bike is usually a very practical choice.
The Honda XR150L is light, simple and well suited to smaller mountain roads. It does not have huge power, but that is rarely a problem once you leave the faster roads behind.
A Honda CB500X is much better if you want more comfort, are carrying more luggage or are travelling two-up. The trade-off is weight. On small broken roads or muddy tracks, the lighter XR is much easier to manage.
A semi-automatic such as a Honda Future, Wave or Blade can also make the trip perfectly well, particularly for a solo rider travelling light. You will simply have less luggage capacity and a smaller fuel tank.
There is no need to choose the biggest motorcycle available. Choose the bike that suits the roads you want to ride, your luggage and your own experience. You can compare our motorcycle rentals in Vietnam before deciding.
Bac Son Is a Good Way to Start the Northeast
Hanoi to Bac Son is not one of those days where every kilometre is spectacular. The first part is mainly about getting away from the city and making progress northeast.
But that is exactly why Bac Son works.
At around 150–160km, the distance is manageable, particularly if this is your first day on an unfamiliar motorcycle. By the afternoon you are on quieter roads, the landscape has opened up and you finish the day in a valley rather than pushing another 100km simply to say that you reached Cao Bang.
From here, you can go head towards That Khe, Dong Khe, Cao Bang and Ban Gioc, or use Bac Son as part of a longer independent rental or guided motorcycle tour.
For many riders, that makes much more sense than trying to escape Hanoi in one enormous first day.