THE FOUR CORNERS OF SOUTH EAST ASIA

A fantastic motorcycle tour criss-crossing South East Asia.

This 25 day tour is a bucket list tour of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia!

Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia

23 Riding & Rest days (3)

5,200 KM

From $10,090

Start - Chiang Mai /Finish in Pattaya

Chiang Mai / Bangkok Airports

150 - 400 KM Daily

95% Paved

*Map note

SCHEDULED DEPARTURES

  • 01/03/2025 > 25/03/2025
  • 28/02/2026 > 24/03/2026

*Note that a minimum of 5 riders is required to confirm this tour. In the case of a tour not proceeding due to numbers any deposits will be refunded or transferred to another tour.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Long Neck village, Road of 1,864 curves Golden Triangle, 5 UNESCO heritage sites, Golden Triangle, endless curves, great scenery, diverse cultures and food.

MAP

*This route has approx. 5% of gravel and/or broken road. Riders need to be confident to handle a motorcycle on some uneven or slippery conditions.

Tour OVERVIEW


If you are looking for a life adventure, this is probably it. An exhilarating motorcycle journey, full of diversity with beautiful scenery, multiple cultures, languages, food, etc. We will explore many places most people don’t even know exist. **The tour takes us to 5 UNESCO heritage sites.


From Chiang Mai in Thailand, we head to Mae Hong Son passing Doi Inthanon, Thailand highest mountain, visit the long neck hill tribe and ride the famous road of 1864 curves.


The Golden Triangle is the next highlight, once a flourishing opium trade center, where Laos / Myanmar and Thailand meet. Crossing the Mekong River to Laos where we enjoy our first rest day in Luang Prabang (UNESCO), once the royal capital of Laos.


After a couple more riding days we will enter Vietnam, visiting the spectacular rice terraces at Nghia Lo and riding to the mountain resort of Sapa. Parking our motorcycles in Hanoi, you can choose from exploring the Vietnam capital or a boat cruise on Ha Long Bay (UNESCO).


We continue south, heading to the imperial city of Hue (UNESCO). A walk in Hoi A (UNESCO) we will visit some of the most significant landmarks from the US – Vietnam War, such as the Vinh Moc tunnels and Khe Sanh battle ground.


From Pleiku we then enter our fourth country, Cambodia, crossing the Mekong River for the final time. During our last rest day we will explore the Angkor Wat Temple complex (UNESCO), one of the main tourist destinations in South East Asia. Back in Thailand we will conclude our motorcycle tour at the beach resort of Pattaya (close to Bangkok).



Download PDF of 2025 Tour

Day by Day Schedule

Day 1 / Chiang Mai, Thailand

Arrival at Chiang Mai Airport (no later than 1 pm). Transfer to the hotel. At 3 pm transfer to Bike Tour Asia for a welcome briefing, answer any questions you might have and motorcycle hand over. Short motorcycle ride back to the hotel. Please plan your arrival to Chiang Mai accordingly. In the evening we have a Welcome Dinner and a briefing about the tour. Overnight in Chiang Mai.

Day 2 / Chiang Mai – Mae Hong Son (Thailand)

Our first riding day, leaving Chiang Mai in a westerly direction heading for Mae Wang famous for its many Elephant camps. We stop at one of them. Continue on back roads up in the mountains towards Doi Inthanon, Thailand highest mountain standing at 2’565 meters. We will park our motorcycles 200 walking meters from the shrine on the summit. Passing a continental divide we spend the rest of the day on beautiful scenic curvy roads the whole way to Mae Hong Son. Before reaching Mae Hong Son we stop at the Japanese war museum in Khun Yam. Overnight Mae Hong Son.

Day 3 / Mae Hong Son – Pai (Thailand)

Before we ride today, we'll visit the Karen tribe’s people, better known by the less attractive tourist moniker of The Long Necks. They're actually natives of Myanmar who migrated across the porous border several generations ago and made Thailand their home, and the women of the tribe typically wear heavy brass rings around their neck (and arms and legs) to give a 'stretched' or elongated appearance, which they find more attractive. Then we head off to explore the roads for which northern Thailand is justifiably famous! It's a short half-day's ride to Pai through some absolute riding nirvana. We'll get there in time to explore the famous Pai Walking Street in the early evening. Overnight Pai

Day 4 / Pai – Chiang Rai (Thailand)

Today we have a diverse ride in front of us. Leaving Pai, heading back towards Chiang Mai for a while to complete the remaining 1864 bends we started yesterday. Lunch at Chiang Dao, a beautiful mountain formation famous for its many caves. Continue to Fang before crossing yet another mountain range to Mae Suai. Before reaching our hotel in Chiang Rai we stop at the famous white temple. Once you visit the temple you realize why it has become one of the main tourist destinations of North Thailand.

Day 5 / Chiang Rai – Luang Namtha (Thailand - Laos)

Quickly leaving Chiang Rai behind we ride to the famous Golden Triangle where the three borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet. We will drive up to the temple Wat Sop Ruak where you have a great view over the Golden Triangle. Visit the ‘House of Opium’ and learn the interesting history of this area and the once flourishing opium trade. From here we continue the paradise road to Chiang Khong and the Thai – Lao border. This is our first land border crossing for the trip. Just relax and enjoy the bureaucratic “show” and let our tour guides work their magic! Once in Laos you will notice the difference, we ride on the right side, the country is much poorer and less populated than Thailand. Riding on the main transit road to China we ride over mountains passing some remote villages and small towns to Luang Namtha, today’s final destination.

Day 6 / Luang Namtha – Pak Beng (Thailand - Laos)

From Luang Namtha we continue towards the Chinese border for a while before turning east towards Muang Xai. Here you will see the new high speed railway connecting Vientiane (Lao capital) with Kunming in China). The railway line is financed by China and has significantly changed north Laos. From Muang Xai we continue to Pack Beng, located along the Mekong River. Pak Beng developed as an overnight stop for both cargo and passenger ferries. Set in a scenic spot where the Nam Beng flows into the Mekong (Pak means mouth and Beng is the name of the river) Enjoy a cold drink and the view from the hotel's infinity pool.

Day 7 / Pak Beng – Luang Prabang (Laos)

First stretch today is to Hongsa, most “famous” for its huge lignite power station. It’s an enjoyable stretch of road, snaking its way over gentle mountains (Enjoy the Lao villages). From Hongsa we take the new road over the mountain to Luang Prabang. The scenery is beautiful, not many people are living in this part of Laos. There is still plenty of virgin jungle in this area. In the afternoon we shall reach Luang Prabang with its gleaming temple roofs, fading French architecture and stunning mountain backdrop. It has been claimed by UNESCO to be ‘the best-preserved city in South East Asia’. Overnight Luang Prabang.

Day 8 / Luang Prabang (Rest Day) (Laos)

This is a rest day to enjoy at your own pace. In the morning you will have the option to rise early to view the procession of monks on their daily outing collecting alms, a practice that dates back centuries. It is done early, as the monks cannot eat anything after midday. By giving food to a monk you make merit, which should augur well for your next life. You may also want to visit the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfalls. It’s possible to swim in the lagoons so take your swimming gear. 

Another option is a boat ride cruising a couple of hours on the Mekong River to the Pak Ou Caves. Shorter sunset boat tours are also available and we can arrange any of these for you.

In Luang Prabang city you can visit the major temples, including the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong, which nestles at the meeting of the Mekong and the Nam Khan Rivers, and Wat Wisunalat, which is the oldest temple in the city. Another great optional activity is to sample a traditional Lao massage and herbal sauna. Along the walking street you find plenty of antique shops, bakeries, bars etc. 

Whatever you choose - Enjoy!

Day 9 / Luang Prabang – Muang Xai (Laos)

Once on the motorcycles we ride north along the Nam Ou River, it’s a pleasure to ride this road with its gentle curves. Once in Pak Mong we will be crossing over the Song Cha mountain range. A couple of years ago this 120 km stretch took the whole day (sometimes longer). Now there is a new road snaking its way over the mountain. Today it’s an absolute pleasure to negotiate the curves and enjoy the scenery. Passing Muang Xai we ride out into the countryside and to our beautiful resort in the jungle. Overnight Muang Xai.

Day 10 / Muang Xai – Dien Bien Phu (Laos - Vietnam)

Our Motorcycle Tour continues in an eastern direction on low traffic density, provincial roads to the Vietnamese border. The first stretch we will ride along the Nam Phak River, enjoying the scenery. At Pak Nam Noy we start climbing up the mountains towards the Vietnam border. This is a remote area of Laos, not many villages & the scenery is spectacular. Not much is happening at the Lao / Vietnam border, that said, it can still take some time to work through the paperwork. Our Vietnamese guide will wait for us at the Tay Trang border crossing and together we will ride to Dien Bien Phu. You will notice how things have changed once crossing into Vietnam, different landscape, more people, villages & traffic.

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War between the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps and Viet Minh communist-nationalist revolutionaries. We can visit the Dien Bien Phu Museum, the notorious hill A-1 battlefield, the former French command post and a captured tank. Overnight in Dien Bien Phu

Day 11 / Dien Bien Phu - Sapa (Vietnam)

Today we have quite a long ride ahead of us, passing endless villages with plenty of photo opportunities on offer. Toward the end of the day we start climbing up the mountain & the scenery gets better by the hour. After an early breakfast, we depart follow the NR12 to Muong Lay, then head up to Taphin plateau to conquer a scenic and stunning road through the Sin Ho Valley. We stop at the Sin Ho Market, which is more lively and crowded if we arrive early. We continue this less travelled road until Lai Chau and drive the winding road to Sapa with a photo stop at the O Qui Ho pass where, at 2005 meters, also called “Heaven’s Gate”, if weather is clear, we have a spectacular view of Phan Xia Pang (3143 meters), Vietnam’s and South East Asia highest mountain. In Sapa, there are plenty of restaurants, souvenir shops and bars, something for every taste..

Day 12 / Sapa – Nghia Lo (Vietnam)

Today our journey takes us in the southern direction. We ride on good quality mountain roads to Nhiah Loh. During the whole day we pass through endless villages and rice fields. There are countless photo stops and possibilities to “mingle with the locals”. The closer we get to Nhiah Loh the more spectacular the landscape becomes, especially the valleys with their endless rice terraces. The road is especially scenic between Than Uyen to Nghia Lo. We will stop at a monument on pass 1570 and viewpoint No1 where we have the opportunity to climb the watchtower. The view of the rice paddies is best from here. Overnight in Ngiah Lo.

Day 13 / Nghia Lo – Hanoi (Vietnam)

Today we have a shorter riding day ahead of us. Leaving Nghia Lo behind. We are riding on country roads. Passing endless villages and tea plantations. Lunch break at the 1500 year old village of Duong Lam.  With banyan trees, water wells, communal courtyards, temples, winding village roads, small alleys, old wooden houses, and walls. From here we have 50 km left to Hanoi. The closer we get to the capital, the denser the traffic becomes. The last stretch into the city center is an experience by itself. Hanoi, a city with a population of eight million people, has a vehicle population of 6.4 million, including 5.6 million motorcycles (scooters). We are staying at a hotel at the old quarter, full of restaurants, bars and shops.

Day 14 / Hanoi or Ha Long Bay (Rest Day) (Vietnam)

Today we offer you two options;

Option 1:

Hanoi city tour, visit the main landmarks of Hanoi like, Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, Temple Of Literature ,Hoàn Kiếm Lake, Hanoi old quarter etc. If you are up for it, you can also watch a puppet show.


Option 2:

Hạ Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name Hạ Long means "descending dragon". The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various shapes and sizes.

Hạ Long Bay has an area of around 1,553 km2 (600 sq mi), including 1,960–2,000 islets. The limestone in this bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments. The evolution of the karst in this bay has taken 20 million years under the impact of the tropical wet climate.

You will visit Sung Sot Grotto, Luon Cave, Ti Top Island, Kayaking on the bay. Enjoy the lunch on the cruise.

This is a full day excursion, you will leave the Hanoi hotel 7 AM and return 9 PM.

Day 15 / Hanoi – Cua Lo (Vietnam)

Negotiating our way out of Hanoi, we stop at Tam Coc for lunch and a break. It’s a small town, full of guest houses, coffee shops, restaurants, and souvenir shops (good opportunity to buy inexpensive Vietnamese handicraft) etc. Once this was the ancient capital of Vietnam, settled in the 10th century. From here we continue south to Cua Lo beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam. This is one of the main weekend destinations, besides Sam Son beach and Sapa for the Hanoi crowd.

Day 16 / Cua Lo – Phong Nha (Vietnam)

We start to follow the main coastal highway connecting Hanoi with Ho Chi Minh City in South Vietnam. Our first destination of today is the town of Vinh, from here we ride inland along the “Ho Chi Minh” trail. Once on the inland roads we expect less traffic, enjoyable riding and scenery. Our final destination of today is the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2003. The park covers a total surface area of 123,326 hectares and shares a boundary with the Hin Namno Nature Reserve in Laos. The Park’s landscape is formed by limestone plateau and tropical forests. It features great geological diversity and offers spectacular phenomena, including a large number of caves and underground rivers. Overnight Phong Nha.

Day 17 / Phong Nha – Dong Ha (Vietnam)

Today we have a fairly short riding distance, you can chose between two options.


Option 1:

Start with visiting Paradise Cave, one of the most beautiful caves in the area. From parking to cave entrance it's a 600m-plus “sweaty” climb up to the cave entrance. With a length of 31.4 km and a height of 60m, 

The cave’s width varies from 30m to 100m, with some places up to 150m. The cave is known for its unique stalactite and stalagmite.

Continue to “Freedom Bridge” or Hien Luong Bridge crossing the Ben Hai River at 17th parallel where you will walk across the old DMZ demarcation line from South to North. There is a Memorial of National Unification, Frontline Flagpole etc. Continue East bound towards the coast to see Vinh Moc tunnel build by the locals to escape the brutal bombardment of the US Army. Total length of the tunnels is nearly 2,000m with six entrances to the tops of hills and seven entrances to the South China Sea.


Option 2:

Visit Khe Sanh military base;

For all of you interested in the Vietnam War, this is a highlight.

To get there we will ride QL15 road (Ho Chi Minh Trail), this is a truly road “Less Travelled”, all paved.

The site of the most famous siege of the American War, the USA’s Khe Sanh Combat Base was never overrun, but it saw the bloodiest battle of the war. About 500 Americans, 10,000 North Vietnamese troops and uncounted civilian bystanders died around this remote highland base. In 1968 the hillsides trembled with the impact of 1000kg bombs, white phosphorus shells, napalm, mortars and endless artillery rounds, as desperate American forces sought to repel the North Vietnamese Army (NVA).


The 75-day siege of Khe Sanh began on 21 January 1968 with a small-scale assault on the base’s perimeter. As the marines and South Vietnamese rangers braced for a full-scale ground attack, Khe Sanh became the focus of global media attention. During the next two months the base was subjected to continuous ground attacks and artillery fire, and US aircraft dropped 100,000 tonnes of explosives in its vicinity. But the expected attempt to overrun the base never came.


On 7 April 1968, after heavy fighting, US troops reopened Hwy 9 and linked up with the marines, ending the siege.

It now seems clear that the siege was an enormous diversion to draw US attention away from the South Vietnamese population centers in preparation for the Tet Offensive, which began a week after the siege started.


Today the site is occupied by a small museum, which contains some fascinating old photographs, plus a few reconstructed bunkers and American aircraft. Most of the area is now planted with coffee, and vendors offer high-grade local Arabica beans for sale at the entrance.

Day 18 / Dong Ha – Hoi An (Vietnam)

Today we are visiting two UNESCO world heritage sites. Starting with the historic old city center of Hue for lunch. Huế was the seat of Nguyen Dynasty emperors and the national capital from 1802 to 1945. We will visit the vast, 19th-century Đại Nội Citadel, surrounded by a moat and thick stone walls. It encompasses the Imperial City, with palaces and shrines; the Forbidden Purple City, once the emperor’s home. From Hue we cross the spectacular Ocean Cloud Pass on a high coastal road. We'll then bypass the busy commercial city of Da Nang before reaching our resort hotel in Hoi An, right on the beachfront. 

From the hotel we head to Hội An for dinner, known for its well-preserved Ancient Town, cut through with canals. The former port city’s melting-pot history is reflected in its architecture, a mix of eras and styles from wooden Chinese shop houses and temples to colorful French colonial buildings, ornate Vietnamese tube houses and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge with its pagoda.

Day 19 / Hoi An - Pleiku (Vietnam)

We'll continue down the coast for a little while before striking inland via the Violac Pass to the town of Kon Tum. There's an old wooden church and a Catholic seminary school here, a legacy of French missionaries from over 100 years ago. We'll then proceed to our hotel in Pleiku for the evening and our last night in Vietnam.

Day 20 / Pleiku – Stung Treng (Vietnam - Cambodia)

Today we have another border to cross. We head to Le Thanh and pass into Cambodia, our “fourth corner”. The usual four-stage process applies for passports and bikes, and then we are in Cambodia. This part of the country is full of pepper plantations. On our way we will stop at Yeak Laom, a volcano lake for lunch and a possible swim. You will notice that the countryside has become flat, roads are straight and we cover the last distance to Stung Treng quickly. At Stung Treng we meet the Mekong River yet again.

Day 21 / Stung Treng – Siem Reap (Cambodia)

Through small villages we wind our way to Siem Reap, which has become Cambodia's, and possibly Asia's, most holy of tourist pilgrimages. Prepare for a few more people than we've typically shared our space with over recent days! Siem Reap is a bustling commercial (dare we say tourist) town because of the nearby temples, but also boasts a vibrant nightlife of pubs, bars, pool rooms, music, restaurants. It's a great place to unwind and have a few drinks whilst soaking up the atmosphere.

Day 22 / Siem Reap (Rest Day) (Cambodia)

You're about to transition from those who haven't yet seen Angkor Wat, to those privileged few who have. It's right up there with Machu Picchu or the Taj Mahal or the medinas of Marrakech. The sheer scale of the temple complex is mind blowing, and a visit to Ta Prohm is particularly impressive, as the authorities have left much of it in the same condition as they found it, still covered in lush jungle growth and creeping vines. The place is truly awesome.

We will visit the temple area on tricycles. Our local guide will share the history of this vast area.

Day 23 / Siem Reap - Pailin (Cambodia)

On our way out from Siem Reap we ride along the West Baray. The largest baray at Angkor and one of the largest hand cut water reservoirs on Earth. It’s an easy gravel road, and along the lake (8 km) we will briefly stop next to a Buddhist temple and food stalls. Once turning off the main highway to Thailand we will take smaller roads towards our end destination Pailin passing small village, rice paddies, orange farms etc. We will visit a local market in the town of Bavel. This is the real rural Cambodia. 

Day 24 / Pailin - Pattaya (Cambodia - Thailand)

We are well and truly winding down the clock, as we cross the border back into Thailand (and cross to the other side of the road). It's a 260k final run into Pattaya Beach, where we'll probably have a cleansing ale or two before the famous promenade at our front door turns on its wild night scenes. On our way to Pattaya we will ride along the beach between Chantaburi and Rayong.

Day 25 / Departure Pattaya (Thailand)

Our tour officially ends with breakfast, then you're on your way to the airport. From one of the nearby airports you can fly Domestic or International, depending on your connections. 

Farewell & Thanks from the BTA Team

Tour Gallery


PRICES


All prices in USD.

Single Rider Pillion Single Room
Triumph Tiger Sport 660 / 850 10.090 4,000 1,340
Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro 10,340 4,000 1,340
BMW R1250 GS 11,340 4,000 1,340

NOTES:

  • * Shared twin room
  • A deposit of USD 1,000,- per is payable upon booking. Rest payment is due the latest 60 days before departure.
  • Motorcycle Damage Liability & Rental Agreement acceptance required upon handover of the motorcycle (see “Terms & Conditions”).
  • The price for a single rider in a sharing room requires another single rider booking with the same request in your group 
  • We are pleased to assist you with booking of additional nights in Chiang Mai / Pattaya or any other services in connection with the tour
  • Due to permits, the tour closes 45 days prior to departure. For later bookings please contact info@biketourasia.com

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Inclusions / Exclusions


  • Airport/Hotel/Bike Tour Asia’s Service Centre transfers in Chiang Mai and Pattaya on arrival and departure days.
  • 24 nights accommodation with Breakfast at carefully selected quality hotels and resorts.
  • Three meals a day except non-riding rest days; breakfast only, to allow maximum freedom
  • Water, soft drinks, coffee/tea in connection with the meals 
  • Entrance fees
  • Bike Tour Asia Support vehicle / van and Bike Tour Asia tour guide.
  • Experienced tour guide on own motorcycle
  • Late model BMW or Triumph motorcycle rental with unlimited mileage & Fuel
  • All custom and immigration services leaving Thailand with vehicles.
  • Local guides for Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, including  tourist police, government officials, etc as per each legal requirement.
  • Panniers and top box, basic motorcycle crash protection bars etc.
  • Tools & tire repair kits & service
  • Transfer of luggage in support truck
  • Tour description
  • Bike Tour Asia T-shirt and pannier bag

Not Included

  • Personal entry visas at border crossings Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia.
  • Flights
  • Personal Items, gifts, snacks, etc.
  • Special optional activities (rafting, fishing, etc.)
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • All services not mentioned as included and all items of a personal nature
  • Tips for support staff at completion; optional but always appreciated, US$100 suggested
  • Personal Travel Insurance (mandatory for all of our tours)

INQUIRIES & BOOKINGS


Four Corners of SE Asia

FLEXIBLE TOUR OPTIONS


Book this tour how you want!

SCHEDULED RIDES

Check out the calendar.



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