Dalat motorbike tour: the BEST way to explore Dalat with kids

Motorbikes and mopeds are everywhere in Vietnam and are the primary means of transportation for most of the population. So, if you’re keen to get a true local perspective on this captivating country, it makes sense to join the throng, strap on a helmet and hop on the back of a motorbike.

If you’re visiting the hill town of Dalat, the motorbike tours make for an ideal day trip direct from your accommodation, from where you’ll be whisked around the town and surrounding countryside on a whistle-stop tour.

Why do a motorbike tour with kids in Dalat

It’s not uncommon for visitors to Vietnam to hire their own motorbikes and race off into the countryside. Whilst this is a romantic image, do remember that you’ll need a valid licence to hire a motorbike and Vietnam really isn’t the place for novice riders. Factor in the extra weight of carrying a passenger, unfamiliar roads and road rules, plus the stress of getting lost, and it’s far easier to book a Dalat motorbike tour and let someone else take the strain.

Motorbike tours are an ideal activity with kids, especially if they’re aged from eight upwards, are able to hold on themselves, and understand they’re not on a fairground ride. Our boys loved the freedom of riding off on the lead bikes and breathlessly told us how much more fun it was than being in a car.

On that note, another advantage of a motorbike tour over hiring a Grab taxi is that bikes can reach places cars can’t, including down narrow tracks and tiny village streets.

Dalat itself is a perfect place to explore on motorbikes, with sweeping roads and endless green vistas waiting for you around every bend. The town of Dalat is interesting to wander around for a few hours but it’s not really the type of place you’d want to spend days and days, so it helps to have a tour booked to fill up one of the days.

The knowledgeable guides are great with kids (and adults) and know when to speed up, when to take things steady, and when to pause for a bum break. They were always happy to lift the boys in and out of their seats and handed out high-fives at each stop.

Is it safe?

Safe means different things in Vietnam than it does back home, so you need to apply some common-sense and perspective on the tour. Road safety in Vietnam isn’t world-beating by any stretch of the imagination, and that applies to buses, taxis, cars and mopeds. There’s also more of an inherent risk to riding a motorcycle in the event of a collision.

It hopefully goes without saying, but we never put our kids intentionally at risk. We judged the motorbike tour to be a safe and fun activity for the kids, but we’d not have done it three years ago when the kids were that much younger. Now that our youngest is nine years old, we knew he was old enough to respect the rules, listen to his guide and, most importantly, hold on properly.

Easy Riders do set a minimum age limit of five years old.

Helmets are provided (including kid-sized) but no other safety gear such as leather padded jackets. The truth is, the locals don’t wears anything like that themselves, so it’s rare to find it in Vietnam. It might be possible to buy some of this protective gear in Dalat if you decide it’s a show-stopper, but factor in how hot and uncomfortable it’ll make the kids.

In any case, it’s a good idea to wear long sleeves and trousers, plus some decent footwear. At the end of the day, you need to gauge the risk yourselves, but we had no regrets on booking the tour, and felt totally safe with the professional guides at all times.

What to expect on a Dalat motorbike tour

Back in 2007, when we first visited Dalat before we had kids, there seemed to be an assortment of places to book a motorbike tour, with every hotel, hostel and restaurant able to hook you up. Based on our recent visit, that seems to be a thing of the past, and bookings are now handled online. Similarly, all communication pre-departure will be on WhatsApp, which does make life easier.

You’ll be collected directly from your accomodation in Dalat and after a brief introduction, it’s simply as case of hopping onto the back of the bikes. If you’ve never ridden pillion before, don’t worry as it really is quite straightforward, although it can be quite tricky to get your leg over at first. The kids will find it simple though, either by jumping on themselves or being hoisted up by the driver.

On our tour, the boys’ bike had storage boxes either side of them, so they were snugly kept in place. Under the seat are handles to grab onto when you need some extra stability.

The guides are friendly and professional, with good levels of English spoken (much more so than in other parts of Vietnam where only Vietnamese is spoken). The opportunities for conversation are limited when you’re on the road, but at each of the stops the guides will answer any questions you may have. The tour is well organised, with each guide taking the ‘lead-guide’ role at each stop. They’re knowledgeable and manage to make the stops interesting rather than becoming a lecture.

You’ll have some control on the itinerary, but on the whole it’s pre-planned and only really changes if the weather isn’t behaving (which in Dalat is often the case). We asked to skip one stop because we were enjoying the time on the bikes and wanted to keep going. The tour didn’t ever feel too rushed and there’s a good balance between long sections and the number of stops.

We found limited bum-numbness, although we were ready to finish for the day by 5pm. The bikes are comfortable with plenty of space to store day bags under the drivers seat. As the drivers knew we were bike novices, they took their time on the corners and always factored in the kids and their tolerance for long-distances. They do try to stay in convoy and that’s achieved most of the time, but they never speed up to stay together, which is a good thing. If your group does get split up, the lead rider tends to slow down to regroup and they’re always in touch via mobile phone. If you do decide you want to stay within sight of your kids at all times, let the drivers know before you set off.

Dalat gets its fair share of rainy days so it pays to prepare for the occasional downpour. We’d extremely optimistically decided not to bring wet weather gear to Vietnam in July, so we were slightly concerned we’d get caught in a downpour. Luckily, Easy Riders provide their own extensive wet weather gear which was needed towards the end of the tour. They provide everything you might need in the event of rain, including waterproof boot covers and day-bag protectors.

The general itinerary includes:

• A quick stop at the flower farm to see various flowers being grown under plastic roofs. It transpires Dalat is one of the main growing areas for flowers in Vietnam.
• Weasel poo coffee farm. Yes, that’s not a typo. Visit a working coffee farm and take a tour around the grounds where, amongst other growing techniques, you’ll learn how weasels are encouraged to eat coffee beans, digest and poo them out, before the produce is used to make excellent coffee. Be sure to try out a cup of weasel poo coffee at the end. Juice is available for the kids or adults who prefer non-poo based drinks.
• Cricket farm where you can see the different stages of a cricket’s life before tasting the fried version at the end. There’s also rice wine if you fancy a stiff drink (or need some paint-stripper).
• Visit a silkworm farm where local women operate giant machines that industrialise the entire process of producing silk. You can buy some of the finished product at the end of the tour.
• See the giant white Buddha statue which overlooks a waterfall and gardens.
• Descend some slippery steps to a large waterfall and pools area. Great for a photograph and quick snack before you continue the tour.
• We didn’t quite catch the significance of the Chicken Village, but it was interesting to jump off the bikes for a few minutes and check out the cool statues.

In our opinion, the motorbike tour is far superior to a tour in a cramped minibus, which is the only realistic alternative option. Ours definitely felt like the fun choice and we got a few envious looks from other groups when we sped off on the bikes.

The tour includes a stop for lunch (you pay yourself, it’s not included in the tour cost) at a pleasant tourist restaurant with views over the countryside. The menu is extensive but not expensive and we found several options for the boys (plus beer for the parents).

Aside from lunch and any snacks you buy, everything else is included in the price you’ve paid for the tour, so you don’t need to worry about any additional entrance fees, fuel, etc.

There’s no expectation of a tip at the end of the tour unless you decide you’d like to. The guides shake hands and wish you well before heading off on their bikes.

Final thoughts on exploring Dalat with kids on a motorbike

Our overwhelming memory of the Dalat motorbike tour was how much fun it was. The boys adored riding on the bikes and were in such great spirits as we arrived back into Dalat and weaved our way through the traffic to the hotel. After seeing thousands of moped and motorbikes during our visit to Vietnam, it felt like a very ‘Vietnam’ thing to do.

In fact, we loved it so much, we booked another motorbike day tour from Hoi An to Hue.

Dalat, and the surrounding countryside, is ideal for a motorbike tour with kids, thanks to its quiet roads, stunning countryside, and interesting activities. Safety does need to be a consideration but we felt safe throughout the trip and were pleased we’d chosen a reputable and professional company to take the tour with.

We made many memories on our trip to Vietnam but, seeing the boys ride off into the distance, with huge smiles on their faces and arms in the air, was perhaps the thing we’ll remember the most.

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