triệu thúy kiều

Thúy Kiều (Grace) is a travel blogger and content contributor for Loop Trails Tours Ha Giang. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Tourism from Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and has a strong passion for exploring and promoting responsible travel experiences in Vietnam’s northern highlands.

September 5, 2026
8:03 pm

Ha Giang Loop from Australia: The 10 Day Plan

Vietnam is one of the few genuinely long haul destinations that Australians can do properly in ten days, and northern Vietnam is the part worth flying for.

The Ha Giang Loop is a circuit through a limestone plateau in the far north, on roads cut into cliff faces above a river gorge, through villages that have been there a very long time. It is the best thing in the country and it is a long way from the beaches most Australians book.

This guide is written for people flying from Australia: the ten day shape that actually works, the visa you do need, and the licence problem that catches out almost every Australian who assumes their International Driving Permit is going to be enough. That last one is the important part, so it is near the top.

The short version

Learn more: Ha Giang Loop Tours

You need an e visa. Australia is not on Vietnam’s visa exemption list. Apply online before you fly.
You almost certainly cannot legally ride a motorbike. Australian IDPs are the wrong convention for Vietnam. This is the single most important thing on this page.
Ten days is the right length. Long enough to justify the flight, short enough for annual leave.
September and October are the best window, and they line up with Australian school holidays.
Book the easy rider or the jeep, for reasons that are legal rather than preferential.

Getting there

Learn more: Ha Giang Loop 2 Days 1 Night

Flights. Several carriers fly direct from Sydney and Melbourne to Hanoi, and travellers from other cities usually connect through a Southeast Asian hub. Perth is closer to Asia than the east coast and often has better connection options. Schedules and fares move constantly, so compare properly rather than defaulting to whoever you have points with.

Fly to Hanoi, not Ho Chi Minh City. The loop is in the far north. Landing in the south and connecting north costs you the better part of a day at each end.

Jet lag is not really a factor. Vietnam is three hours behind eastern Australia in winter and four hours behind during daylight saving, and one hour behind Perth. You will lose a night on the plane and very little else, which is a real advantage over Europe.

Hanoi to Ha Giang. Overnight sleeper buses and limousine vans run from Hanoi. The overnight option is the sensible one: you sleep on the bus, arrive early and start riding the same morning without paying for a hotel night or losing daylight.

Luggage. Bring something you can carry. Most accommodation in Ha Giang City will store the bag you do not need on the loop, and you will not want a large suitcase anywhere on this trip.

The visa: you do need one

Learn more: Ha Giang Loop 3 Days 2 Nights

Australia is not on Vietnam’s visa exemption list, so unlike travellers from Britain or most of Europe, you cannot simply turn up.

The straightforward route is the e visa, which is applied for online before you travel, is issued for stays of up to ninety days and allows multiple entries. Processing takes a few working days.

Practical notes:

Apply on the official Vietnamese government portal. There are many agency sites charging more for the same thing, and some of them are not agencies at all.
Apply well ahead, not the night before. Processing times are usually short but they are not instant, and errors need fixing.
Check your passport validity and blank pages before you start.
Print it. Airlines and immigration will sometimes want to see it on paper.
Fees and processing rules change, so check the current position rather than trusting any figure you read in an article.

Smartraveller is the appropriate source for Australian government travel advice on Vietnam, and it is worth a read before you go regardless.

The licence problem

Learn more: Motorbike License IDP Guide 2026

This is the section that matters most and the one nobody tells Australians until they are standing next to a motorbike in Ha Giang City.

Vietnam recognises International Driving Permits issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.

Australia issues International Driving Permits under the 1949 Geneva Convention.

Those are two different documents under two different treaties, and Vietnam does not accept the 1949 version. The practical consequence is that an Australian visitor on a tourist visa, holding an Australian licence and an Australian IDP, is generally not legally licensed to ride a motorbike in Vietnam.

This is not a technicality that nobody enforces. Riding without correct documents can result in a fine, and the range usually quoted runs from 2,000,000 to 6,000,000 VND. Rules and enforcement change, so verify the current position rather than relying on this or any other article.

Things that do not solve it:

Buying an IDP from a website that promises a 1968 version. Many of these are not issued by an authorised body and are worth nothing.
Assuming a rental shop that hands you a bike without checking has cleared you legally. They have not. They are simply not the ones who check.
Converting to a Vietnamese licence, which requires a longer term visa or residence permit rather than a tourist entry.

What this actually means for your trip: take the easy rider option and ride pillion behind an experienced local rider, or take a jeep. Both are legal, both cover the entire route, and neither requires any licence at all. You see the same passes, the same gorge, the same villages and the same markets.

If you were set on riding yourself, this is genuinely disappointing news and we would rather you heard it now than at the counter. Check your own position with your state authority before you travel, because rules change and we would be glad to be out of date on this.

Working out which version to book? Australians almost always end up on the easy rider or jeep options, and it is worth knowing that before you plan rather than after. Tell us your dates and group size and we will tell you which fits.

Insurance follows the licence

Learn more: Ha Giang Loop 4 Days 3 Nights

The part that turns an administrative problem into a financial one.

A very large number of travel policies exclude motorbike accidents unless you held a valid licence for that class of vehicle, in the country you were riding in, at the time of the accident. Some also exclude engine sizes above a threshold, or riding without a helmet, or riding as a passenger on somebody else’s bike.

Put the licence position together with that clause and the conclusion is uncomfortable but simple: an Australian who rides a motorbike in Vietnam without valid documents is likely to find a claim declined.

A medical evacuation out of a mountain province is a serious bill. Read the exclusions section of your actual policy wording, not the summary page, and check specifically whether you are covered as a pillion passenger on a guided tour, because policies differ on that and it is what most Australians on this trip will be doing.

If your policy does not cover pillion riding, take the jeep. It is not a difficult decision once you have the numbers in front of you.

The 10 day plan

Learn more: Ha Giang Cao Bang 5 Days 4 Nights

Ten days is the shape that makes the flight worth taking. Here is the version we would book, and it uses the overnight buses to travel while you sleep rather than burning daylight.

Day	What
1	Land in Hanoi. Eat, walk the old quarter, sleep off the flight
2	Hanoi properly. Night bus to Ha Giang in the evening
3	Arrive Ha Giang early. Loop day one: Bac Sum pass, Quan Ba, Yen Minh
4	Loop day two: the Dong Van karst plateau, Lung Cu, Dong Van
5	Loop day three: Ma Pi Leng, the Nho Que boat, into Meo Vac
6	Cross east through Bao Lac and over the Khau Coc Cha pass into Cao Bang
7	Cao Bang: Ban Gioc waterfall, Nguom Ngao cave, the Quay Son valley
8	Cao Bang: craft villages and God’s Eye Mountain. Night bus to Hanoi
9	Hanoi, or a day trip out to Ninh Binh
10	Fly home

That is the five day Ha Giang and Cao Bang combined route with Hanoi at each end, and it is the best use of ten days from Australia that we know of. You cross two provinces without backtracking, and the connecting road through Bao Lac is one of the finest rides in the north and almost nobody takes it.

Build in a buffer if your flight home is tight. Mountain weather and bus schedules both move, and a plan with zero slack before a long haul flight is a plan with a bad ending waiting to happen.

Two other 10 day shapes

Learn more: Ha Giang Cao Bang 6 Days 5 Nights

Not everyone wants two provinces of mountains.

The mountains and the water version. Hanoi for two days, the four day Ha Giang Loop with Du Gia and the waterfall swim, back to Hanoi, then Ninh Binh and a night on the water at Lan Ha Bay or Cat Ba, and fly home. Gives you the loop at a proper pace plus the limestone seascape everyone associates with Vietnam.

The slow version. Hanoi, the three day loop, then back down south for Ninh Binh, Phong Nha for the caves, and out of Hanoi or Da Nang. More travel days, more variety, less depth in the north.

What we would not do in ten days is try to cover Hanoi, Ha Giang, Ha Long, Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. It is a common plan and it produces a holiday spent almost entirely in transit. Vietnam is longer than most Australians expect: roughly the distance from Brisbane to Melbourne, on worse roads.

When to go: aligning with Australian holidays

Learn more: Cao Bang Loop 3 Days best kept secret

Australian school holidays and public holidays do not line up with Vietnamese seasons in the way you might hope, so this is worth planning around.

Your break	Roughly when	Ha Giang conditions	Verdict
Summer holidays	Late Dec to late Jan	Cold, foggy, quiet, occasional frost on the plateau	Good if you pack for it. See the season warning below
Australia Day	26 January	Same, and often near Tet	Check your dates against Tet
Easter	March or April	Warm, drier, good visibility	Very good, and a comfortable time to ride
April school holidays	April	Green, warm, start of the wet	Good
Anzac Day	25 April	Good conditions, but see the warning below	Check Vietnamese holidays
King’s Birthday	June	Hot, green, heavy rain	Fine, expect to get wet
July school holidays	July	Wettest period, dramatic skies, full waterfalls	Workable, the roads are slippery
September and October school holidays	Late Sep to mid Oct	Rice harvest, buckwheat starting, dry roads, clear air	The best window of the year
Melbourne Cup weekend	Early November	Buckwheat flowers, clear air, dry ground	Excellent
Christmas	Late December	Cold, fog, cloud inversions, empty roads	Excellent if you pack properly

The September and October school holidays are the standout. They land almost exactly on the best conditions Ha Giang gets all year: the rice turning gold, buckwheat flowers coming out across the plateau, dry roads and clear air. It is also the busiest period in the north, so book early rather than expecting availability.

Two periods to avoid

Learn more: Ha Giang Loop Mistake to Avoid

Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. Usually falls in late January or February, which can catch Australian summer holiday travellers and Australia Day trips.

During Tet, transport across the country is packed and expensive, many businesses close and mountain homestays are often shut or hosting family rather than guests. Some operators do not run at all that week. The weeks either side are usually fine. Ask about your specific dates before booking anything.

Late April into early May. Vietnam has public holidays on 30 April and 1 May, producing one of the biggest domestic travel surges of the year. Anzac Day trips can run straight into it. The riding is still good, but accommodation fills and prices firm up, so book well ahead.

The same applies around Vietnam’s National Day on 2 September, which sits just before the Australian spring school holidays.

The reverse season problem

Learn more: Ha Giang Motorbike Rental

Here is the thing that catches Australians out more than any other.

You are most likely to travel during your summer holidays, in late December and January. That is winter in northern Vietnam, and the Ha Giang plateau is high.

Between roughly December and February it is genuinely cold up there, with fog sitting on the passes into the morning and, in the coldest spells, frost. If you are on the back of a motorbike moving through that at speed, it is colder again.

Leaving a 35 degree Sydney afternoon and arriving on a cold mountain plateau four days later is a bigger adjustment than it sounds, and people underpack for it every single year.

Roughly	What to expect
Dec to Feb	Cold, foggy, quiet. Proper layers, a warm jacket, gloves
Mar to May	Warm, drier, comfortable riding, good visibility
Jun to Aug	Hot, green, heavy rain, waterfalls at full flow
Sep to Nov	The best window. Dry roads, gold rice, buckwheat, and busiest

If you are coming in the Australian summer, buy the warm gear at home. There is limited useful cold weather clothing available in Ha Giang City and what there is will not be your size.

Money

Learn more: Ha Giang Loop Price

Currency. Vietnamese dong. Withdraw in Hanoi and Ha Giang City rather than expecting ATMs in the villages.

Cards. Widely accepted in Hanoi, patchy in Ha Giang City, essentially not accepted in the mountains. Entrance fees, homestay extras, roadside food and repairs are all cash.

Small notes. Ask for them. Nobody in a mountain village wants to break a large note.

Fees. Check what your Australian bank charges for international withdrawals and currency conversion before you go, because the difference between cards can be substantial over ten days. Take fewer, larger withdrawals.

Costs on the ground. Northern Vietnam is inexpensive by Australian standards, and Ha Giang more so than the coast. We broke down what a trip up here actually costs separately.

What to pack from Australia

Learn more: Ha Giang Packing list

You are packing for a climate you probably are not experiencing at home right now, which is the whole difficulty.

A proper warm jacket if travelling between roughly November and March. Warmer than you think.
Layers. Mountain mornings are cold in every month of the year.
A rain jacket regardless of season.
Closed shoes with grip. For the cave walkways, the wet rock and the village lanes.
Gloves, if you are on a bike at all, including as a passenger.
Sunscreen and sunglasses. You know this one already.
A dry bag for phone, camera and documents.
A power bank and a universal adapter.
Any medication you rely on, since pharmacies in the mountains are basic and Australian brand names will not be recognised.
Printed copies of your e visa, insurance details and passport page.

Which option is best for you: easy rider or jeep

Learn more: Ha Giang Loop by Wrangler Rubicon Jeep

For Australians this is a shorter decision than for most nationalities, because self drive is generally not legally available to you.

Easy rider is what most Australian guests take. You ride pillion behind an experienced local rider, your luggage is strapped down properly and you spend the day looking at the country instead of the road surface. No licence required. On a route like Ma Pi Leng, where the road deserves your full attention if you are the one riding, being the passenger is genuinely the better experience. Check that your insurance covers you as a pillion passenger.

A jeep if you are travelling as a couple who would rather be comfortable, as a family, with parents, with anyone who does not want to be on a bike, or in the wet season. Nothing on this route requires two wheels: the passes, the gorge, the boat, the villages and the markets are all identical from a vehicle. The price covers the whole vehicle rather than a seat, so a group of four is where it works out best. If you are travelling with children, it is the only sensible answer.

Self drive, for completeness: we run it, and it is available to travellers whose home country issues 1968 convention permits, which Australia does not. If you believe your situation is different, tell us what documents you hold when you enquire and we will give you a straight answer. The paperwork guide covers the general position.

Book once your flights are confirmed. Most guests book one to three months ahead, and the September to November window fills first.

Mistakes Australians make

Learn more: Ha Giang Loop Photography Guide

Assuming the IDP works. The single biggest one, and it is usually discovered at the worst possible moment.

Leaving the e visa too late. It is not instant and mistakes need correcting.

Flying into Ho Chi Minh City. Wrong end of the country for this trip.

Packing for a tropical holiday. You are going to a cold mountain plateau if you travel in the Australian summer.

Trying to see the whole country in ten days. Vietnam is longer than it looks on a map. Pick the north and do it properly.

Booking Australia Day without checking Tet. They can land in the same fortnight.

Not checking pillion cover. Many policies treat riding as a passenger differently from riding yourself, and it is worth knowing which yours does.

Riding anyway. People do, and it is their call, but be clear about what you are accepting: no legal standing, a likely declined insurance claim, and a fine if stopped.

Ready to plan the ten days? Message us on WhatsApp with your travel dates, group size and whether you have any flexibility around the school holidays. We will tell you what fits, including if a different month would give you a much better trip for the same leave.

Learn more: Ha Giang Loop Easy Rider

faq

Do Australians need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Australia is not on Vietnam’s visa exemption list, so you need a visa before you travel. The e visa is the straightforward route: applied for online, issued for stays of up to ninety days, with multiple entries. Apply through the official government portal and allow a few working days.

Can Australians ride a motorbike in Vietnam?

Generally no, on a tourist visa. Vietnam recognises International Driving Permits issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention, and Australia issues them under the 1949 Geneva Convention, which is not accepted. Take the easy rider or jeep option instead, neither of which requires a licence.

Will my Australian IDP work in Vietnam?

No. Australian permits are 1949 Geneva Convention documents and Vietnam recognises the 1968 Vienna Convention version. Buying a supposed 1968 permit online does not fix it, since most of those are not issued by an authorised body. Rules change, so check your position before travelling.

Will my travel insurance cover me on a motorbike in Vietnam?

Often not, and the licence position makes it worse. Many policies exclude motorbike accidents unless you held a valid licence for that class in the country you were riding in. Check the exclusions in your actual policy wording, and specifically whether you are covered as a pillion passenger on a guided tour

How long is the flight from Australia to Hanoi?

Direct services run from Sydney and Melbourne, and travellers from other cities usually connect through a Southeast Asian hub. Fly into Hanoi rather than Ho Chi Minh City, because the loop is in the far north and connecting from the south costs you most of a day at each end

Is ten days enough for the Ha Giang Loop from Australia?

Yes, and it is the shape that makes the flight worth taking. Ten days covers Hanoi at both ends and the five day Ha Giang and Cao Bang route in the middle, or the four day Ha Giang Loop plus Ninh Binh and a night on the water.

When is the best time to visit Ha Giang from Australia?

The September and October school holidays, which land on the best conditions of the year: rice harvest, buckwheat flowers, dry roads and clear air. Easter is the next best. It is also the busiest period in northern Vietnam, so book early.

Should I avoid travelling during Tet?

Avoid the Tet week itself. Vietnamese Lunar New Year usually falls in late January or February, transport is packed, many businesses close and mountain homestays are often shut. Australia Day trips can land near it, so check your dates before booking.

How cold does Ha Giang get in the Australian summer?

Cold. Late December to February is winter on the plateau, with fog on the passes and frost in the coldest spells, and colder again on the back of a bike. This is the most common mistake Australians make, so buy warm gear at home rather than expecting to find it there.

Can I do the Ha Giang Loop without riding a motorbike?

Yes, and for Australians it is usually the only legal option. A jeep covers the entire route, and the passes, the gorge, the boat trip, the villages and the markets are identical from a vehicle. Riding pillion with an easy rider guide is the other option.

What is the best ten day itinerary in northern Vietnam?

Hanoi for the first two days, the five day Ha Giang and Cao Bang route through the middle, an overnight bus back and a final day in Hanoi or Ninh Binh. It covers two provinces without backtracking and uses the night buses to travel while you sleep.

How much cash do I need in Ha Giang?

More than you expect, in small notes. Cards work in Hanoi, patchily in Ha Giang City and essentially not at all in the mountains, so withdraw in the cities and check what your Australian bank charges for international withdrawals before you go.