VIETNAM 11 DAY BICYCLE TOURS
If your party exceeds 5 guests, feel free to ask about discounts
This is an 11-day cycling tour in Vietnam with a total of 9 cycling days covering a distance of 565 km. The tour begins and ends in Ha Noi, and includes a night train to Lao Cai. The tour is designed for a small group of 2, but can accommodate up to 14 people.
The tour cost is $2195.00 and includes a private vehicle, truck for bikes, Giant MTB with hydraulic brakes, helmets, water, entrance fees, meals, accommodations, and an English-speaking guide.
However, personal travel insurance, personal expenses, single supplement, drinks with meals, international flights, and Vietnam visa are not included in the tour cost. Riders must be at least 18 years old.
Full Itinerary
– Day 1: Meet In Ha Noi – Train To Lao Cai
On Day 1, the group will meet in Ha Noi, have their bikes checked and gear installed before enjoying lunch in town. They will then have a walking tour of the Old Quarter of Ha Noi and explore the 36 ancient commercial streets named after products. After dinner, the group will board a night train to Lao Cai.
– Day 2: Lao Cai – Sapa – Ta Phin Discovery
Day 2 will start with a big breakfast before an hour drive to Sapa. The group will then explore Ta Phin, home of the Red Dao Ethnic, passing through wooden stilt houses, terraced rice fields, and undulating dirt tracks, and concrete paths. After enjoying the warmth of local hospitality, the group will ride to Sapa town, have lunch, and explore the city on their own until dinner.
– Day 3: Sapa – Binh Lu – Than Uyen
On Day 3, the group will transfer out of Sapa town and take smooth roads through lush hill farms. They will enjoy mountain views and challenge small hills to the Sapa Heaven Gate, one of the highest mountain passes in North Vietnam. The group will have a great descent down a winding road to Binh Lu and then ride off roads, winding through stunning tribe hamlets of Thai, through tiny towns, and have lunch en route. They will end today’s ride at a rural market and transfer to Than Uyen.
– Day 4: Than Uyen – Huynh Nhai
Day 4 will see the group cycling from the hotel and taking gravel roads to the rural areas, undulating through villages of Black Thai tribes and riding along the shallow river. They will bike on national road 279 to Ban Chat and rest on vehicle transfer along Thuy Dien Lake and the karst mountain range. After lunch, they will challenge Cap Na Pass, ride downhill through Muon Gion, and cross the Da River on the new Pa Uon bridge to Quynh Nhai.
– Day 5: Huynh Nhai – Muong Lay
On Day 5, the group will bike through the town and its outskirts on almost flat roads through paddies before undulating the jungles on winding roads. They will follow national 6 and enjoy the wilderness and incredible scenery of rice terraces and challenge some baby mountain passes, flower Pass, and the spectacular winding road through the forest, down to Mun Chung villages, and enjoy lunch in a small town. They will transfer to Muong Lay in the afternoon.
– Day 6: Muong Lay – Dien Bien Phu
We set off after breakfast, cycling through the town and pedalling along the river for a couple of kilometres until we reach national road 12. Today’s journey takes us along this road to Dien Bien Phu, where we will experience the natural beauty of diverse mountain regions, winding roads, green grassy hills, rice paddies, and lush rural farms. We’ll also have the opportunity to challenge Ma Phi Ho Pass, also known as Heaven Gate, and enjoy a lunch break in the tiny town of Muong Cha.
In the afternoon, we’ll cycle through undulating lush agricultural farmlands, passing small towns and Black Thai tribes selling their products on the roadside before finally checking into our hotel and dining in Dien Bien Phu City.
– Day 7: Dien Bien – City Tours – Muong Phang – Tuan Giao
We’ll travel by vehicle to visit the De Castries Head Quarter Bunker, Dien Bien Phu Museum, and former French Military A1 Hill Base. After lunch, we’ll ride to Muong Phang, visiting the Viet Minh commander base of Dien Bien Phu Campaign, passing many remote hamlets of tribes and exploring the rainforest jungles and lowlands of Muong Phang. We’ll cross Ba Khoang Lake on numerous small and suspension bridges, pass small fish farms and tiny villages, and visit local farms, admiring the peaceful scenery of the lake. Then, we’ll visit the Muong Phang historical relic, a giant stone monument featuring a general military commander of Vo Nguyen Giap and many Viet Minh leadership after him before transferring to Tuan Giao.
– Day 8: Tuan Giao – Pha Din Pass – Son La
We’ll cycle from the hotel, undulating a couple of kilometres through tiny towns along the river before challenging the Pha Din Pass, one of the most stunning rides of our cycling journey. There are two roads in between the middle part of the mountain top, and depending on your cycling skills and ability, you can choose the route to challenge and enjoy one of the most beautiful and spectacular karst mountain passes in northern Vietnam. After a lunch break at Binh Thuan local market, we’ll enjoy a leisurely afternoon ride through Black Thai hill tribes, green valleys, and verdant fields of farm products before being transferred to Son La city.
– Day 9: Son La – Moc Chau – Mai Chau
After an early breakfast, we’ll transfer to Moc Chau, which offers rich fertile soils, cold climate, and a fascinating plateau in North Vietnam for nature lovers to explore. We’ll cycle on old national road 6, passing through small towns and lush valleys before stopping for lunch. The route is less trafficked and well-maintained, with the support vehicle travelling always behind us. We’ll then transfer to Mai Chau, checking into a rustic homestay.
– Day 10: Mai Chau – Ha Noi
On Day 10, we will begin the day with breakfast before embarking on a relaxed cycling excursion along concrete paths. We will pass through rice terraces, making our way to Poom Coong and Lac villages, where we will have the opportunity to visit family businesses selling Thai ethnic costumes and interact with the locals. Afterward, we will return to the hotel via a different route. Following check-out, we will take a short transfer to Hoa Binh lake, where we will ride along the lake, taking in the stunning scenery of the lake and Da River, winding our way through lush jungles on narrow roads. Our cycling adventure will continue as we travel through Ba Khan village, crossing rice paddies and passing stilt houses, undulating through vast agricultural lands, tiny villages, and concluding at Phu Cuong market. We will enjoy lunch along the way before a three-hour transfer back to Ha Noi.
– Day 11: Ha Noi – Departure
On Day 11, we will have the opportunity to explore Ha Noi, the political center and capital city of Vietnam. The city features a blend of contemporary and classical architecture, particularly in the Old Quarter of Ha Noi. You can spend your day shopping until it’s time for your transfer to Noi Bai airport for your international flight home. This will mark the end of our tour.
More Info
– Road Conditions:
Two-thirds of the country’s mainland is comprised of mountain ranges, tropical forests, remote hillsides, and valleys in northern Vietnam with a sparse population. Most small towns and cities in the northwest and far north, near the Laos and Chinese borders, are home to hill tribes. Due to peak mountain ranges, slopes, deep valleys, and a sparse population, most rural gravel roads and dirt tracks are the primary means of transport for locals. Many roads are closed to traffic due to rivers, streams, and high mountains, while minor and high roads have less traffic. Mountain biking tours in northern Vietnam include both on-road and off-road experiences, with fewer off-road routes in rural districts where rural roads are unsafe and dangerous.
Weather:
Hanoi and North Vietnam experience two distinct seasons: winter and summer. The relaxed but primarily dry winter lasts from November to April when temperatures average 17-22°C, with the coldest months being December to February. The hot and humid summer lasts from May to October, with the highest rainfall occurring from May to August.
In the northeast, the rainy season usually occurs from May to August, with heat and low humidity, while the far north experiences the rainy season from June to August and a cold winter from December to February.
Northwest and far north Vietnam’s agriculture depend on the wet season, particularly rice crops on terraces. Rice plants require plenty of water to grow and develop themselves. The yearly rice crop in the northwest and far north is only one crop, starting after the first rainy month to make the soil more workable before seeding begins. The different times to seed the rice plants are from 2 weeks, depending on the location, high or low terraces, and how much water is available from rain or streams and rivers.
The best time to explore north-west and far-north Vietnam is during the farming season, not at the beginning, when there is too much rain and only young seedling rice plants. From early September to late October are the harvest seasons, offering opportunities for travelers to admire stunning colorful rice terraced fields, lush country farms, green rainforests, waterfalls, and vast vegetation. Travelers can also meet hill tribes on farms and in their homes.
Private Support Vehicles:
We organize cycling holidays, cycling adventure trips, and mountain biking tours that are flexible and include luxury, fully air-conditioned vehicles to support riders on the entire journey. The vehicle support services will be well-arranged to satisfy your travel needs, depending on how many riders are in the group. There are air-conditioned 16-seat van/minibuses to transport all riders, luggage, and a truck to hold all bikes during the trip.
Every morning, the vehicles will transport you out of the bustling city, and you will ride to explore the stunning countryside. You will then return to the vehicles to avoid traffic in town when the day’s ride ends in the late afternoon. Every 20-25 km, the support vehicles will be waiting on the high road if you are tired and would prefer to ride in the A/C van. Your guide will escort you to the vehicles easily because many country back roads are linked to the main roadways where vehicles are on standby.
You can relax on a support vehicle while others in the group continue cycling as long as they wish! You will meet the others at the next point/destination where you can re-join the group and continue to ride. All your luggage, suitcases, and day bags are safe on the vehicles and well-kept by the company’s drivers and its team.
– For groups of 2 to 4 riders, there is one air-conditioned 16-seater van available that can accommodate all passengers, luggage, and bikes. The van has four rows of seating for passengers, with two people per row. The third row is reserved for luggage and suitcases, while the last row of seats can be folded up to make room for all the bikes.
For medium-sized groups of 5 to 7 people, there will be two vehicles to support the riders throughout the trip. One 16-seater van will be available to carry all passengers, luggage, and suitcases, while a separate truck will be used to transport all the bikes, spare bikes, tool kits, iceboxes, and other necessary equipment.
For larger groups of 8 to 14 people, one minibus will be used to transport all passengers, luggage, and suitcases, while a separate truck will be used to carry all the bikes, spare bikes, water, cold drinks, snacks, and iceboxes.
For groups with more than 15 riders or more than 20 people, we provide two vans and one minibus, along with a truck to ensure the safety and comfort of all riders. Our professional guide will lead the team with support vehicles to provide the best possible service for all riders.
BIKE TOURS HANOI/HANOI BICYCLE TOURS
91 Thợ Nhuộm street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Call us 24/7 or Whatsapp to book!
English Speaking +84 98 2416518
Vietnamese Speaking +981090989
Email: info@biketourshanoi.com
Website: http://www.biketourshanoi.com/
