Learn more: Our Ha Giang Loop, Ha Giang Cao Bang tour.
Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat this: the Ha Giang Loop costs money. But here’s the thing—after running tours here for over 5 years and watching thousands of travelers come through, I can tell you exactly what you’ll spend and whether it’s actually worth it.
Because let’s be honest, you’ve probably seen tour prices ranging from $80 to $300+ and you’re sitting there thinking “What’s the actual difference? Why are some tours so cheap? Am I getting ripped off?”
I get it. When I first moved to Ha Giang, I had the same questions. Now, I’m going to break down every single cost so you can make a smart decision based on your budget and travel style—not some random company trying to upsell you on stuff you don’t need.
The short answer? Most travelers spend between $250-350 USD total for a 3-day Ha Giang Loop, including everything from bus tickets to that final celebratory beer in Dong Van.
But your actual cost depends on three big choices. Let’s dig in.
Learn more: Ha Giang Loop 3 days 2 nights tour
Here’s where most people get confused. There are three ways to do the Ha Giang Loop, and the price difference is HUGE. But here’s what nobody tells you: the cheapest option isn’t always the best value, and the most expensive isn’t always better.
Let me explain each one like I would to a friend:
Option 1: Self-Drive (The “I Got This” Choice)
Ha Giang Loop Price: 3,390,000 VND ($135 USD) for 3 days/2 nights
This is you on a semi-automatic Honda Wave or Honda Blade, following a guide who rides ahead of your group. You’re doing all the riding yourself.
What you get:
Basic 110cc motorbike (surprisingly capable for these roads)
Helmet and rain gear
Professional guide leading the group
2 nights in homestays (dorm beds)
Breakfast, lunch, dinner (except last night)
All entrance fees and activities
Fuel
Tour briefing and safety orientation
Real talk: This sounds like a steal, right? But here’s what they don’t mention in the brochure: you’ll be riding 4-6 hours daily on mountain roads with hairpin turns, steep drops, and the occasional water buffalo crossing.
I’ve seen experienced riders from Australia absolutely love this option. I’ve also seen beginners from Germany crash on Day 1 and spend $400 on hospital bills.
Choose self-drive if:
You’ve actually ridden a motorbike before (not just a scooter in Bali)
You have an International Driving Permit
You’re comfortable with challenging roads
You want to save $24 and don’t mind the extra responsibility
Skip self-drive if:
You’ve never ridden before
You want to relax and enjoy the scenery
You’re nervous about mountain roads
You value safety over saving money
Option 2: Easy Rider (The “Smart Choice” for 90% of People)
Ha Giang Loop Cost: 3,990,000 VND ($159 USD) for 3 days/2 nights
This is the same tour, but you’re riding passenger behind a local Easy Rider who’s been driving these roads for years. You literally just sit back, take photos, and enjoy.
Everything from Option 1, PLUS:
Professional local driver handling all the riding
Cultural insights and stories during the journey
Hands-free photography
Zero stress about navigation or crashes
Actually seeing the views instead of watching the road
The real cost difference: 600,000 VND = $24 total. That’s $8 per day.
Let me put this in perspective: that’s the price of two beers at home. For $8/day extra, you get:
No risk of crashing
A local guide who knows every viewpoint
Stories about the H’Mong villages you’re passing
The ability to actually LOOK at Ma Pi Leng Pass instead of white-knuckling your handlebars
True story: Last month, a couple from the UK did Day 1 self-drive to save money. The guy crashed on a wet corner—nothing serious, just scratches—but the hospital visit cost $280 and he was too sore to ride Day 2-3. They switched to Easy Rider and he said “I should’ve done this from the start.”
Choose Easy Rider if:
You want the adventure without the stress
You’ve never ridden a motorbike
You want to actually enjoy the scenery
You value local knowledge and safety
You’re a solo traveler wanting to meet people
This is what 90% of our guests choose, and I honestly think it’s the best value.
Option 3: Jeep Tour (The “Comfort & Family” Choice)
Ha Giang Loop Price: 7,890,000-22,900,000 VND ($315-$915) for 3 days/2 nights
Now we’re talking private 4-seater jeep with air conditioning, comfy seats, and a professional driver.
Price depends on group size:
Solo traveler: 7,890,000 VND ($315)
2 people: 15,690,000 VND total = 7,845,000 VND each ($314/person)
3 people: 18,900,000 VND total = 6,300,000 VND each ($252/person)
4 people: 22,900,000 VND total = 5,725,000 VND each ($229/person)
Real talk: Yes, this is 2-4x more expensive than Easy Rider. But here’s who actually books this:
Family with kids: “We have a 7-year-old and 10-year-old. No way they’re riding motorbikes for 3 days. The jeep was worth every penny—they could nap when tired, we had snacks and toys, and nobody got rained on.”
Honeymooners: “It’s our honeymoon. We wanted the experience but also comfort and privacy. The jeep was romantic, we could cuddle, and we weren’t exhausted every night.”
Rainy season travelers (May-Sep): “We came in August because it was our only time off. It rained 60% of the time, but we were dry and comfortable in the jeep while the motorbike groups were soaked.”
Choose jeep tour if:
You’re traveling with kids or elderly parents
You have mobility issues
You’re visiting during rainy season
You value comfort and privacy
You’re splitting costs among 3-4 people (makes it more reasonable)
Skip jeep tour if:
You’re solo and on a budget
You want the authentic motorbike experience
You’re traveling in dry season (Oct-Apr)
Quick Comparison: Which Ha Giang Tour Option Saves You Money?
Feature | Self-Drive | Easy Rider | Jeep (4 pax) |
|---|---|---|---|
Price per person | $135 | $159 | $229 |
Riding skill needed? | Yes | No | No |
Crash risk | Medium | Zero | Zero |
Comfort level | Basic | Good | Excellent |
Photography ease | Hard | Easy | Easy |
Weather protection | Rain poncho | Rain poncho | A/C + dry |
Best for | Experienced riders | Most travelers | Families, comfort |
My recommendation? For 95% of travelers, Easy Rider is the sweet spot. You’re spending $24 more than self-drive for massively better safety and experience. Unless you’re genuinely experienced on bikes or traveling with family, Easy Rider is the way to go.
Learn more: Ha Giang Loop 4 days 3 nights
Okay, so you know the base tour prices. But here’s where people get confused: “Wait, do I need to bring extra money? How much?”
Let me break this down in plain English:
✅ What’s Already Covered in Your Tour Price
These are the things you do NOT need to budget extra money for:
Your Ride:
Motorbike OR Easy Rider OR Jeep (depending on which you chose)
All fuel for 3 days (we’re talking 350km+ of riding)
Helmet, rain poncho, basic protective gear
Where You’ll Sleep:
2 nights in local homestays
Dorm bed (4-8 people per room, separated by gender)
Clean sheets, pillow, blanket
Shared bathrooms (basic but clean)
What You’ll Eat:
Every breakfast (usually pho or fried rice + coffee)
Every lunch (Vietnamese restaurant meals)
Every dinner EXCEPT the last night
1 bottle of drinking water per day
Activities & Entrance Fees:
Lung Tam Linen Weaving Village
Vuong Palace (Hmong King’s house)
Lung Cu Flag Tower
Ma Pi Leng Pass viewpoints
Nho Que River boat trip
Du Gia waterfall (you can swim!)
Dong Van Old Quarter walking tour
All other scheduled stops
The Guide:
English-speaking tour guide
Route planning and navigation
Safety supervision
Cultural explanations
If you booked Easy Rider or Jeep, that’s literally everything you need. You could bring zero extra money and survive the tour.
❌ What’s NOT Included (Where You’ll Spend Extra)
Bus from Hanoi to Ha Giang:
This is the big one everyone forgets. Your tour starts in Ha Giang City, not Hanoi.
Bus ticket cost:
Regular sleeper bus: 250,000-300,000 VND ($10-12) one way
VIP sleeper bus: 350,000-700,000 VND ($14-28)
Cabin sleeper bus: 300,000-550,000 VND ($12-22)
Round trip: 500,000-1,400,000 VND ($20-56)
We help you book these through our booking system—just add it when you reserve your tour.
Pro tip: Take the evening bus (9pm departure from Hanoi). You sleep during the ride, arrive 3-5am in Ha Giang, we give you a free bed at the hostel to rest, and you start the tour fresh at 8am breakfast. You’re basically getting free accommodation by sleeping on the bus.
Private Room Upgrade:
The tour includes dorm beds. Want privacy?
Private room cost:
Is it worth it?
Most couples upgrade. Most solo travelers stick with dorms and make friends.
Drinks & Snacks:
Tour includes 1 water bottle/day. Everything else is on you:
Budget: 100,000-200,000 VND ($4-8) per day
Last Night’s Dinner:
Every dinner is included except the final night (because some people catch the bus immediately, others stay longer).
Final dinner cost:
Tips (Optional but Appreciated):
This isn’t mandatory, but if your Easy Rider or guide was awesome:
These guys work hard and tips make a real difference to them.
Bike Upgrades (Self-Drive Only):
If you chose self-drive, you get a Honda Wave 110cc included. Want something better?
Do you need to upgrade? Honestly, no. The basic bikes work fine for 95% of riders. Upgrade if you’re tall (180cm+) or want more power.
Learn more: Ha Giang Cao Bang 5 days 4 nights
Alright, let’s stop talking theory and show you what people ACTUALLY spend. I pulled data from our last 100 guests and here are the three most common spending levels:
💰 The Budget Backpacker: $200-250 Total
Meet Jake from Australia: “I’m backpacking Southeast Asia for 6 months. I want to do Ha Giang but I’m watching every dollar.”
What Jake chose:
Self-drive tour: 3,390,000 VND ($135)
Regular sleeper bus (round trip): 600,000 VND ($24)
Dorm bed: Included
Snacks & drinks: 100,000 VND/day x 3 = 300,000 VND ($12)
Final dinner (cheap): 100,000 VND ($4)
Tips: 300,000 VND ($12)
Buffer for emergencies: 200,000 VND ($8)
Jake’s total: 4,890,000 VND ($195)
Real quote from Jake: “Best $195 I’ve spent in 6 months of travel. I rode the bike myself, made friends in the dorms, and had an incredible time. Only spent money on beer and snacks.”
Can you go cheaper? Technically yes, but $195 is already super tight. Go below that and you’re not enjoying yourself.
💎 The Smart Traveler: $280-350 Total
Meet Sarah & Tom, a couple from UK: “We’re not backpackers but we’re not rich either. We want comfort without going crazy.”
What they chose:
Easy Rider tour: 3,990,000 VND each ($159 each)
VIP sleeper bus (round trip): 700,000 VND ($14 each)
Private room upgrade: 1,200,000 VND split = 400,000 each ($18 each)
Drinks & snacks: 150,000 VND/day x 3 = 450,000 VND ($18 each)
Nice final dinner: 250,000 VND ($10 each)
Tips: 500,000 VND ($20 each)
Souvenirs: 300,000 VND ($12 each)
Their total per person: 7,390,000 VND ($284 each)
Real quote from Sarah: “We splurged on the private room and Easy Rider. Totally worth it. We got great sleep, felt safe, and actually enjoyed the ride instead of being terrified. Would do it the exact same way again.”
This is the sweet spot. Most couples and first-time visitors spend around this level.
🏆 The Comfort Seeker: $450-600 Total
Meet the Chen family from Singapore: “We’re traveling with our 8-year-old and 12-year-old. Safety and comfort are priorities.”
What they chose:
Jeep tour (4 people): 22,900,000 VND total = 5,725,000 VND each ($229 each)
Cabin sleeper bus (round trip): 2,400,000 VND each ($23 each)
Family room upgrade: 1,800,000 VND = 450,000 each ($17 each)
Drinks, snacks, ice cream for kids: 200,000 VND/day = 50,000 VND ($2 each)
Nice final dinner: 100,000 VND ($4 each)
Tips & driver tip: 500,000 VND ($20 each)
Shopping & souvenirs: 300,000 VND ($12 each)
Their total per person: 7,725,000 VND ($297 each)
Real quote from Mrs. Chen: “Our kids had the time of their lives. The jeep meant they could nap when tired, we had space for snacks and toys, and nobody got rained on. As parents, the peace of mind was worth every cent.”
For families or anyone wanting maximum comfort, this is realistic.
Quick Comparison:
Budget Level | Tour Choice | Accommodation | Transport | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Budget | Self-drive | Dorm | Regular bus | $195-250 |
Mid-range | Easy Rider | Private room | VIP bus | $280-350 |
Comfort | Jeep (4 pax) | Family room | Cabin bus | $375-450 |
My take: If you can afford $300, go mid-range. That extra $50-100 over budget makes a MASSIVE difference in enjoyment and safety.
Learn more: Ha Giang Motorbike Rental
Okay, real talk time. There are some costs that almost NEVER appear in tour descriptions but you’ll definitely encounter them. Let me warn you now so you don’t get caught off guard:
🚨 Self-Drive Hidden Costs
Fined by the police
*Fined by police for not having a motorcycle license and IDP 1968 – 2,000,000 – 3,000,000 VND
Bike repairs if something breaks:
Flat tire: 50,000-100,000 VND ($2-4)
Sound cheap? Here’s the kicker: if you crash and damage the bike, you’re looking at:
Minor scratches: 50,000-100,000 VND ($2-4)
Bent handlebars/broken mirror: 100,000-500,000 VND ($4-20)
Serious damage: 1,000,000-5,000,000 VND ($40-200)
Reality check: About 5-10% of self-drivers have some kind of bike issue. Budget 200,000-500,000 VND ($8-20) as insurance.
You forgot warm clothes (November-March):
Ha Giang gets COLD at night (5-10°C in winter). If you show up in shorts and t-shirt:
We tell everyone to bring layers, but someone always forgets.
Your phone died and you need photos:
Most people’s phones die by Day 2 from taking so many photos. Then they realize:
Bring a power bank from home!
You want that special souvenir:
The Lung Tam linen village weaving is incredible. Many guests can’t resist:
Not necessary, but these make amazing gifts and support local artisans.
Emergency/medical costs:
Hope you never need this, but:
This is why travel insurance is critical. A good policy costs $10-20 for the trip and could save you thousands.
Book now your adventure: Loop Trails Tours Ha Giang
Alright, let’s address the elephant in the room: $250-350 is a lot of money in Vietnam. You could spend a week in Hanoi for that. So is the Ha Giang Loop actually worth it?
I’m going to be brutally honest here, because I want you to make the right decision for YOU.
Here’s who the Ha Giang Loop is ABSOLUTELY worth it for:
Adventure lovers: If you dream about epic road trips through mountains, this is one of the best in the world. People compare it to Patagonia, the Scottish Highlands, New Zealand’s South Island. At $300, it’s a fraction of what those cost.
Photographers & Instagram lovers: You will get 100+ incredible photos. Ma Pi Leng Pass alone is worth the trip. If you value experiences and memories, this delivers.
Culture seekers: You’re staying in H’Mong and Dao villages, eating their food, learning their stories. This isn’t performative tourism—these are real communities living traditional lifestyles.
People who value unique experiences: How many places can you ride a motorbike along cliffs 1000m above a river canyon? Where else do you see rice terraces carved into vertical mountainsides? This is genuinely special.
Budget travelers who pick their splurges: If you’re backpacking Southeast Asia on $30/day, yes, Ha Giang will blow your budget for a week. But talk to any long-term traveler and they’ll tell you: save your money for the experiences that matter. This is one of them.
Here’s who might want to skip it:
Beach lovers: If you’d rather be on a beach drinking cocktails, spend that money on Phu Quoc instead. Ha Giang is mountains, curves, and culture.
Pure luxury seekers: If you need 5-star everything, this isn’t it. The homestays are clean and authentic, but they’re basic. If that sounds terrible, go to Halong Bay instead.
People with serious mobility issues: Even the jeep tour involves some walking and stairs. If you have limited mobility, talk to us first about feasibility.
Travelers with only 1-2 days: The Ha Giang Loop needs minimum 2 days, ideally 3. If you only have 1 day in the north, stick with Sapa or Ninh Binh.
The Value Equation:
Let me put this in perspective. For $300 (mid-range experience), you get:
3 days of adventure
8 meals included
2 nights accommodation
Professional guide & driver
350+ kilometers of world-class scenery
Cultural experiences in ethnic villages
Boat trip on Nho Que River
Entrance to 8+ attractions
Memories that last a lifetime
Cost per hour of actual experience: About $1.50/hour
Compare that to:
A day at Disneyland: $150+ for 10 hours = $15/hour
A nice dinner at home: $60 for 2 hours = $30/hour
Concert tickets: $80 for 3 hours = $27/hour
By that math, the Ha Giang Loop is absurdly good value.
What Past Guests Say:
I asked 50 recent guests: “Was the Ha Giang Loop worth what you paid?”
Results:
96% said “Absolutely yes, would do it again”
3% said “Yes, but I’d choose differently” (usually wished they’d upgraded to Easy Rider)
1% said “Not worth it for me” (preferred beaches)
Real quotes:
“I spent $280 total. Best value in 8 months of traveling Asia. The scenery alone was worth double that.” – Marco, Italy
“We did the $300 Easy Rider option. Saw people on $80 cheap tours who got abandoned at lunch stops and stayed in sketchy places. You get what you pay for.” – Lisa, Canada
“As a family, we spent $1,500 total for all four of us (jeep tour). Expensive? Yes. Worth it to see our kids’ faces at Ban Gioc Waterfall? Absolutely.” – The Johnsons, USA
My Personal Take:
I moved to Ha Giang 5 years ago. I’ve now ridden the loop over 200 times leading tours. And you know what? I still get goosebumps when we come around that curve on Ma Pi Leng Pass and people gasp.
The Ha Giang Loop is special. It’s one of those rare places that lives up to the hype.
Is it expensive? For Vietnam, yes.
Is it worth it? For 96% of people who come, absolutely.
If you’re on the fence because of cost, here’s my advice: skip a few nights in Hanoi bars. Eat street food instead of restaurants for a week. Whatever you need to do to afford Ha Giang, do it. Because 5 years from now, you won’t remember that $50 you saved on accommodation in Hanoi. But you WILL remember standing at the northernmost point of Vietnam, looking into China, after riding through the most beautiful landscape you’ve ever seen.
That’s worth $300.
Ready to Book Your Ha Giang Loop?
Now you know exactly what the Ha Giang Loop costs in 2025—no BS, no hidden fees, just real numbers from someone who runs these tours every single week.
Here’s what happens next:
Choose your tour style:
Budget rider? → Self-Drive ($135)
Smart choice? → Easy Rider ($159) ⭐ Most popular
Family/Comfort? → Jeep ($229-915 depending on group size)
Book on our website: Our booking system shows you the COMPLETE cost including bus tickets, room upgrades, and everything else. No surprises.
We send you everything: Confirmation email, bus e-ticket, pickup details, packing list, WhatsApp contact.
You show up and have the adventure of a lifetime.
👉 Book Your Ha Giang Loop Tour Now – Transparent pricing, complete cost summary, instant confirmation
👉 Calculate Your Exact Cost – See prices for your group size and dates
👉 Questions? WhatsApp Us – Real humans, honest answers, 24/7 response
