Routes
Route Map: Hanoi to Pu Luong by Motorbike
Pu Luong Nature Reserve is a scenic area situated southwest of Hanoi. It is very easy to get to on the main highway and then smaller roads. It has become a very popular tourist spot over the last decade. The route is simple but there are some interesting detours you might like to take.
Route Map: Hanoi to Pu Luong by Motorbike
Hanoi to Pu Luong Nature Reserve is about 150km direct. It can be driven by motorbike in around 4hrs going on the highway. There are a few great places to stop off, and there are several great detours you might like to take.
Hanoi – Pu Luong – Direct Route
This route totals around 150km and will take around 4 hrs without stops. You can choose to do this direct if you are in a rush, or take a couple of detours that we show you below.
Be warned: You should be a reasonably confident rider and have good control of the bike for this. This is not only necessary to cope with the traffic in Hanoi and on the highway. The road up from Lung Van and over to Pho Doan is steep and winding. It also has a lot of gravel in the corners so good skills and caution are required.
Morning: Hanoi to Hoa Binh / 90km – 2 – 2.5 hrs
Afternoon: Hoa Binh to Pu Luong / 70km – 2.5 hrs
Honda XR 150 Motorcycle Rental
Ready for adventure? The Honda XR150 is your perfect companion for rugged backroads, mountain passes, and open highways.
✅ Lightweight, reliable, and fuel-efficient
✅ Comfortable for long rides and multi-day tours
✅ Trusted by riders across Vietnam for the legendary Ha Giang Loop
Hanoi – Pu Luong (Detours)
Hanoi to Pu Luong can be a very easy ride along the highway. You can get there very quickly if you want or you can meander a little and take one or two of these detours to spice up the ride.
Detour 1
This route is about 20km long and will take about 45mins without stops. The road is small back road and in quite good condition. It takes you through some small villages and there are a few little tracks that you might like to explore. But, be careful of dead ends. You will rejoin the CT03 just before the toll station.
Detour 2
This is a fun route of about 25km and it takes about 1hr. It will take you over to the Black River. The road is a little bumpy and muddy and can get slippery in places after rain. There is also some construction of a new road going through here.
You can choose to head straight to the main road down in Ky Son, or take one of the two ferries to the other side of the river and approach the Hoa Binh Dam from this side. There may be slightly less traffic and ferries are always fun 🙂
Detour 3
If you have taken the ferry to the other side of the Black River you can follow this detour for around 15km down to the Hoa Binh Dam. It is quite fun to drive through this and then go up to see the statue of Uncle Ho.
The road is smooth tarmac and easy to follow.
Detour 4
This detour is around 40km and should take a little over 1hr without stopping. You will pass the Muong museum, which can be a interesting stop if you have time. The road has been rebuilt and is quite good until you get to the suspension bridge. Then, you get onto smaller road that takes you through the villages.
You will see on the map that this brings you back to the Direct Route, which you can then follow. Alternatively, you might like to take the turning up to the Pu Bin Petrol station and then follow Detour 5. Make sure you have a few hours of daylight, if you plan to do this.
Detour 5
This route is about 50km and will take around 2hrs or more if you stop for photos. The road is quite and winding and you will pass through some very quiet villages on your way to Lung Van. After that, you join the direct route as there really is only one way over the ridge line and this is a fantastic ride. It takes you zig zagging up the ridge then then down on some very sharp hairpins.
You should be a fairly confident rider to take this route.
Where to stay in Pu Luong
There are so many places to stay in Pu Luong as it is a very popular tourist destination. We like to stay in:
- Pu Luong Mountain View Homestay
- Pu Luong Homestay Ngoc Dau
- Pu Luong Luna
- Pu Luong Treehouse
- Mr Nech Homestay
These are good clean homestays with good food and friendly families that run them. They also provide Dinner and Breakfast.
Where to next.
If you are not heading directly back to Hanoi from Pu Luong, you could be making a small loop and head round to Cuc Phuong or Ninh Binh and then back to Hanoi.
Alternatively, a larger loop would mean heading towards Mai Chau, Moc Chau and round the northwest. This could also take you over to Bac Yen and then Nghia Lo. From here, either to through Mu Cang Chai to Sa Pa or through Xuan Son and back to Hanoi.
Honda CB 500X Motorcycle Rental
Engineered to handle whatever the road throws at you Book NowWhat type of bike to choose
We would advise you to choose between a manual or a semi automatic bike. These are the best bikes for a long trip like this and also for when you get into the mountains of northern Vietnam. You have more control and they are less prone to overheating or break down.
Honda XR150
The XR150 is a great budget option that will perform well on the road and on the small tracks, if you choose to find them. The bike is lightweight, even if a little underpowered. There is plenty of room to fit a 40l bag on the rear, which should hold more than enough for a trip. The 12l tank and great fuel economy mean that this bike has a huge range of over 300km on a tank.
If you plan to ride two up, it might be a bit of a squeeze and you will have to pack very lightly or risk overloading the bike and making it quite rear weighted.
Honda CB500x
The CB500x is a great bike for the highway. It is big enough and powerful enough to overtake trucks on the highway and carry two people with ease. Using a rear box and side panniers will give you plenty of room for gear. The 17l tank means you will have enough range for a day’s ride with ease.
The only concern would be taking some of the smaller tracks off road as our bikes have road tyres and the bike itself is quite big and heavy. However, there are plenty of small, interesting tracks that have concrete and are wide enough for the CB500x.
Semi Automatic
The Semi Automatic bikes are a much more budget option. We can offer the Honda Wave, Honda Blade or the Honda Future and they are all quite similar. it is really best to ride single on this kind of bike as this will leave room for a backpack and also not overload the bike in the hills. They are very fuel efficient but only have a 4l fuel tank so will need filling more regularly than the manual options.
Hanoi to Pu Luong by Motorbike
Getting from Hanoi over to Pu Luong is a very easy ride and the only real thing to worry about is getting used to the traffic, which is not a big issue. As always, getting out of Hanoi is a bit of a drag. However, once you are on the CTO3 towards Hoa Lac most traffic will be going one way and is easier to handle.
The main route is just highway and is great if you want to get there fast, but we suggest you look at the many detours we offer and take at least one of them.