CYCLING TOURS: ACROSS VIETNAM 18 DAYS

A warmest welcome to Vietnam at the Nội Bài International Airport. Please look for the VIETNAM BY BIKE welcome sign. You will have time to relax at your hotel and adjust to the pace of Hanoi. The capital of Vietnam is one of Asia’s most enchanting cities, full of culture, history and the engaging contradictions of a rapidly developing and deeply traditional society. In the late afternoon we will have a group meeting being held in the 4 star hotel. You are then invited for a warm and hospitable meal with a Hanoi finest restaurant. Free explore the first impression of Vietnam.

After an early breakfast, we’ll spend the morning enjoying a brief sightseeing tour of Hanoi’s major landmarks including the gardens of the Presidential Palace within the Ho Chi Minh complex and the Temple of literature. We then have lunch at a local restaurant before heading to the bike depot where we will be equipped to start our ride. We depart directly from the depo along the dyke road out of Hanoi. We head North along the Red River, quickly exiting the urban jungle and the road changes into a quaint rural route. The ride takes us through cultivated areas and carpenter’s villages. The ride is about 35km until we reach Duong Lam ancient village. From there we continue another 10km on a flat road and end up with a 600-meter elevation climb to the heights of Ba Vi National Park. Check-in and relax for the evening.

After a greedy breakfast, we hop in the vehicle for a 20km transfer to our starting point. From here we descend down Mountain Ba Vi then ride through the National Park to its most western edge where the Da River flows. Our ride today is a total of 75km, first across the National Park and then along the Da River for about 25km. Here we hop on a local ferry to cross the river. Lunch will be arranged en-route at a local restaurant. After the river crossing, the following 40km takes us slowly up a scenic road in the mountains of Hoa Binh Province before the 10km descent to the huge Da Reservoir. Welcome to the wild and remote Muong ethnic lands, a natural haven providing an edge of the world atmosphere. We are welcomed into a traditional Muong house by the host family. Enjoy a refreshing swim in the lake before sitting down for a home cooked dinner.

We’ll bid farewell to our hosts and load our bikes on a local boat to set sail across this beautiful blue reservoir surrounded by towering jungle-covered mountains. Sit back and enjoy the stunning scenery as the crossing takes around an hour. From the pier, we start with a fairly steep 4km ride uphill to exit the foothills of the reservoir and get back on the road. We continue for another 20kms along flat roads before reaching the Mai Chau mountainous region. Enter the territory of the White !ai, a large valley carpeted in rice fields, hamlets of stilted houses and surrounded by limestone mountains. We cycle to a traditional guesthouse on stilts where we break for lunch. 

In the afternoon, we have a 40km ride to our lodge. We continue cycling towards the Laos border before veering to the east to enter the Pu Luong Nature Reserve. The scenery changes, the road tracks the mountainside with overviews down deep and tight valleys of terraced rice fields. !e changes in elevation are insignificant for the initial 15 km before we start a 15km ascent before being rewarded with a 10km downhill. We’ll arrive at a beautiful lodge perched on the mountainside. Enjoy a dip in the swimming pool with the most spectacular views.

Today we complete our journey across the reserve. It starts with a 10km ride downhill to Pho Doan Village and the gates of the nature reserve. From here we take a hidden route that very few know which leads us towards the historical Ho Chi Minh trail. This stretch is particularly scenic and the local people living here are renowned for being incredibly friendly. The following 60km are along gently undulating terrain before we get the bikes in the truck and hop on the bus to transfer to our resort at the doorstep of Van Long Nature Reserve. Check-in the room before gathering at the pier nearby to enjoy a traditional sampan ride on the waters of the largest wetland reserve in the country. !is area is famous for the abundance of waterfowl.

After riding 280km across some of the most beautiful landscapes of Northern Vietnam, we take a break from riding and indulge in two days of rest. Early breakfast for an early departure to HaLong Bay. We drive across the Red River delta and reach the coast little before noon where we embark on a beautifully crafted wooden junk for a 1 night cruise in the legendary turquoise seascape of Ha Long Bay. Once aboard, we are served a delicious seafood at lunch as we cruise between the soaring limestone karst. In the afternoon we reach a less traveled area and will devote ourselves to relaxation, sunbathing and visiting a cave if you wish. The program is not fixed and depends on the time of the year and weather. We end the day with sundowners and will hopefully be treated to a spectacular sunset. It is time for an aperitif or to attend a cooking demonstration before dinner.

Rise early to catch the sunrise and enjoy a Tai Chi session on deck or just relax with a tea or coffee. We have the chance to visit a floating village before making our way back to land. While cruising back to the pier brunch is served on deck for your last opportunity to take in the amazing scenery. Upon disembarkation we drive to Hanoi, where you will have time to refresh and have dinner before heading to the train station. !e night train has long been a staple in long distance travel in Vietnam and to visit without experiencing this as the locals do is definitely missing out. After trundling through the Tam Diep Mountain range of the north we pass through the Annamite range of central Vietnam before reaching our destination, Hue citadel city!

The train arrives at about 9am. Hue is a cradle of culture and the last imperial capital of Vietnam. This morning we’ll visit the major landmark of Hue’s heritage, the Imperial Citadel. It gives us an interesting insight into Hue’s recent feudality and helps us to understand the changes which occurred in just a few decades in Vietnam. 

After lunch we hop back on our bikes to cycle around 45km on flat roads. We head northeast on the impressive “road of the tombs” to the shore of the Tam Giang Lagoon. Here we hop on a local boat and journey across the lagoon, the longest of the country at 70km from north to south, and learn about the ancestral fishing techniques of the locals. Once we bid farewell to our boatman and ride south along the barrier beach road to Phu !uan and a lovely boutique resort located on the beach. Check-in then enjoy the remainder of the day relaxing. Choose from the sea or the swimming pool for a refreshing dip.

Enjoy a short transfer to coastal roads in Vietnam and starting your first day of cycling is off the beaten track along a picturesque lane shaded by coconut palms running alongside the peninsula from Thuan An beach to Phuoc Tuong Pass. This cycling enables you to pause on the way to explore some of the hundreds of ancestral tombs scattered across the high sand dunes. Stop for lunch at Lang Co beach before you have one of the biggest challenges of rolling hills 12 km to the peak of Hai Van. The Hai van pass is a real challenge for you. Then going down 42 km to Danang city before a transfer to HoiAn.

My Son is about 35 km from Hoi An Center. There are two Apsara shows in the day. If you want to enjoy it you can ride from My Son back to Hoi An. You can do a lovely drive from the Thu Bon River of Hoi An Center. Taking a Local Ferry boat to cross to Cam Kim island We can enjoy a morning Coffee iced as the Vietnamese style.

At My Son we visit the amazing temples of the Cham people to learn more about this Holy Land where the Cham people worshiped Shiva, the God of war. After a lunch of My Quang noodles at a local restaurant, you are transported back to the hotel. Bid farewell to the team. The rest of the day is on your own. 

In this free-day in Hoian, you will be advised to do any best activities along the Thu Bon River, relax around the center of the Ancient Town combined with shopping, and boating to Cam Kim or Kim Bong Carpentry Village.

Take a leisured cycling on paths from HoiAn through Thanh Ha, Dien Ban onto Tam Ky. Share the paths with kids cycling to school, walk some morning local markets along our biking route and experience rural architectures. Lunch is at a local restaurant with the finest chicken that is a famous "Gà Tam Kỳ" dish. Afternoon, transfer by support van to Chu Lai and continue our last biking mileage to visit the My Lai massacre village. Then, ride to hotel for check in and the remainder of the day is at leisure and dinner seafood on the floating restaurant.

Spectacularly cycling distance along the beautiful coastline with swimming, making picture if any group's case in the sunset on the beaches or lagoon Thi Nai in Qui Nhon, You today pedal on many mountainous sides which are unique biking loops and beautiful landscape blends along with local activities and their daily works such as salt making hamlet, sea-fish farms, rice paddy fields. Many gentle hills tailor your hard day but it is very nice & fun.

Cycling to Nha Trang is the various picturesque countryside roads out of Qui Nhon City, you will cycle on the longest wooden bridge in Vietnam to Ganh Da Dia which is a special featured karst attraction & through verdant seaside. You will have the best opportunity to conquer the numerous rock & roll over the historic site & Vung Ro Bay. Lunch will be served at the local beach's restaurant and siesta.

In the afternoon, you continue stunning along the single paths to the closest Tuy Hoa City with a 1,5 hours transfer to Nha Trang Beach City, End of our service after dinner.

Let’s see how big your challenge is if you want to conquer the Hon Giao Pass from hotel to hotel about 130km. This day will start at 7:30am in Dien Khanh village. We warm your leg up on the easy road before pedaling 33km to the summit for picnic lunch. In the afternoon, we cycle roll up and down hills and along a part of Ho Chi Minh Trails to Da Lat Valley.

The Vietnamese define that a temperature below 15 degrees is called cold!

So today you will experience cycling from a hotel in the highlands to the famous forest that is Madagui resort in the morning at 7h30am in that cold. We will stroll through the foggy city of Da Lat such as: Da Lat market, visit the Dalat flower garden with more than 100 unique and fancy flowers. Crazy house is famous for its architecture that can not be found anywhere else.

After that, we will cycle through the fields of vegetables and flowers, especially we also choose for you zig-zag cycling routes to create more impression of the Central Highlands when admiring the fields. Coffee which is famous as the coffee capital land of the world and the huge Elephant waterfalls will be our last highlight in the morning ride and we will finally be moved to the edge of the forest to pedal another 15km to Madagui resort for the night.

Madagui resort is considered more important than the lungs of Bao Loc residents, because the ecological forest covering Madagui resort not only brings fresh air, but also creates a poetic landscape and especially the voice of nature. course brought to you this morning!

Waking up with nature, you will enjoy the light at the resort's restaurant and hear the birdsong and the natural air that gives us and prepare for another meaningful cycling day.

Only about 1 hour to Tan Phu in the buffer zone of Nam Cat Tien National Park to cycle to conquer the village of Nung ethnic people living with Vietnamese people. We have a few highlights that we will stop to enjoy such as Ba Giot Waterfalls, Thanh Son suspension bridge, Dong Nai River, a market featuring the highlands and many beautiful scenes that will hold you back as you pedal through the mountains. cassava, corn, sesame fields..

After lunch, we will be transported directly to Saigon around 4pm to prepare for our farewell dinner on the Saigon river cruise.

The day is free at your leisure until transfer to Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport for your departure flight. We wish you a pleasant onward journey. End of services and hope to see you on the next cycling holiday that we call "cycling Vietnam Cambodia Thailand 14 days". Our biking tour operator just serves your best, that is why we love to talk all about your biking information in Indochina.