Ho Chi Minh Road (Western Branch)
Vietnam, asia
1,200 km
1,400 m
moderate
February to August
The Ho Chi Minh Road is a modern highway that follows much of the route of the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail, the wartime supply network that ran through the jungles and mountains of central Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The western branch of the road stretches roughly 1,200 kilometers from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City through the Truong Son (Annamite) mountain range, far from the busy coastal Highway 1.
This route passes through some of Vietnam's most remote and stunning landscapes, including Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park with its enormous cave systems, the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) region, the A Shau Valley, and dense tropical forests that still show bomb craters from the American War. The road sees very little tourist traffic, offering an authentic journey through rural Vietnamese life with minority hill tribe villages, waterfalls, and sweeping mountain vistas. Sections are beautifully smooth tarmac cutting through pristine jungle, while others are rougher and more adventurous.
Where is it?
Ho Chi Minh Road (Western Branch) is located in Central Highlands, Vietnam (asia). Coordinates: 17.4700, 106.4000
Driving Tips
Best experienced by motorbike over 5-7 days. Detour to Phong Nha caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Carry extra fuel as gas stations are infrequent in mountain sections. The road is less traveled than the coastal route so accommodation options are basic homestays. Avoid the October-November monsoon period when flooding and landslides occur.
Road Surface
Paved asphalt with rough sections
Road Details
- Country
- Vietnam
- Continent
- asia
- Region
- Central Highlands
- Length
- 1,200 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,400 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Surface
- Paved asphalt with rough sections
- Best Season
- February to August
- Coordinates
- 17.4700, 106.4000
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