Easy Rider vs self-ride in Vietnam: which is right for you?

The biggest choice on a motorbike trip in Vietnam is not which road — it is who does the riding. A self-ride puts you on your own bike, in full control, with the paperwork and responsibility that come with it. An Easy Rider trip puts you on the back of a local guide-rider's bike, and they handle the route, the traffic and the decisions. Both are excellent ways to see the Central Highlands; they just suit different people.

The short version

• Self-ride: you need a 1968 International Driving Permit with the motorcycle category plus your home licence. You ride your own bike, you choose every stop, and you are responsible for it.
• Easy Rider: you sit behind a guide-rider. No licence needed. The guide rides, navigates, and usually arranges food and overnight stops. It costs more, and you give up the handlebars — but not the views.

Self-ride is right for you when

• You already ride confidently, or want the freedom to stop and change plans whenever you like.
• You want the cheapest way to cover a lot of ground, on a bike you can leave in another city with a one-way rental.
• You are happy carrying your own luggage and reading the road yourself.

If that sounds like you, pick a bike that fits the trip: an automatic scooter for Dalat and short hops, or the Honda XR150L and CB150X for passes and long days. You will need your licence and IDP sorted first — see our IDP guide.

Easy Rider is right for you when

• You have never ridden, or do not have a licence — on a guided tour you ride pillion, so no licence is needed.
• You want the local knowledge: a guide who knows the shortcuts, the viewpoints and the good food on the way.
• You would rather relax and look around than watch the traffic, the fuel gauge and the map at the same time.

Our day tours run from around $25 for a half-day city ride up to $80 for a full-day off-road adventure, and the multi-day Easy Rider Vietnam journeys run from about $75 per person per day — your guide, the bike, the route and overnight stops sorted, from Dalat to Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Saigon or Hoi An.

What the two have in common

Both start from the same shop in the centre of Dalat, both use serviced bikes, and both get you onto the same quiet mountain roads. The difference is simply where you sit and who carries the responsibility.

The honest answer

If you are a confident, licensed rider, self-ride gives you the most freedom for the least money. If you are not sure about the licence, the traffic or a long multi-day route, take the Easy Rider — it is the difference between staring at the road and actually seeing the country. Not sure which fits? Message us with how much you have ridden and we will say what we would do.