Cycling Northern Vietnam

VIETNAM CYCLING ITINERARY

 Day-1: Arrival Vietnam, Hanoi airport

Arrival and transfer to your hotel. If time permits, we will spend the afternoon at the Ethnology museum which will give you an overview of 54 ethnic minorities in Vietnam including the Thai people who you will meet along the way.

Overnight in Hanoi

Day-2: Hanoi to Hoa Binh (B, L, D)

Cycling Hanoi - Hoa Binh 56/72 km: We leave Hanoi by car and start cycling from Luong Son to Hoa Binh town. The town is famous for the biggest reservoir in Vietnam and also the culture diversity of many typical ethnic groups such as Muong, Thai.

Overnight in Hoa Binh

Day-3: Cycle Hoa Binh to Mai Chau (B, L, D)

Cycling Hoa Binh- Mai Chau 62 km: a beautiful landscape of mountains and red soil hills covered by green sugarcane, cassava, corn and rice fields. There are many shops on the way where you can find 'Ruou Can' - the unique rice wine of Hoa Binh province in brown jars drunk with bamboo straws. You also pass by some factories where they make brooms from 'Dot'; a new wonderful golf is located behind mountains; a place where is famous for hot mineral stream- 'Kim Boi'; some small villages of Thai & Muong and many other interesting things you will see and learn on the way.

Home-stay of Thai ethnic in Mai Chau

Day-4: Cycle Mai Chau to Moc Chau (B, L, D)

Cycling Mai Chau- Moc Chau 67 km: from low to higher area, from houses-on-stilts to rice fields On the way to Moc Chau, we cycle through a rain forest and enjoy the shade & cool air in the middle of a hot summer day. With many grass fields on hills along the way it also offers beautiful scenery. You should stop at a local restaurant to taste a very famous fresh local yogurt.

Day-5: Cycle Moc Chau to Yen Chau (B, L, D)

Cycling Moc Chau- Yen Chau 60 km: Moc Chau is famous in the North for its tea plantations. Green tea crop cover the hills. Many plants are 30- 40 years old. This area offers you a great chance to cycle around the tea plantation enjoying the scenery, fresh air and getting to know how hard to make a cup of tea. We will end our day at Yen Chau, the area of fruit plants such as mango's, longans, bananas...

Day-6: Cycle Yen Chau to Son La (B, L, D)

Cycling Yen Chau- Son La 65 km: leaving this area after having some local fruit, we visit a local market along the way and meet some ethnic groups in their most beautiful traditional dresses. We then cycle on to Son La and visit Son La prison built by the French.

Day-7: Son La, Rest Day (B).

Day-8 Ride Son La to Tuan Giao (B, L, D)

Cycling Son La-Tuan Giao 90 km: we pass through rice fields and plum orchards. It is hard cycling day with up-and-down hills.

Day-9: Ride Tuan Giao to Dien Bien Phu (B, L, D)

Cycling Tuan Giao -Dien Bien Phu 80 km: There is less traffic on this tar road, which gives you more opportunity to enjoy the scenery of rice fields dotted by water wheels. The area is inhabited by White Thai and Kh'mu people in their charming clothes. We arrive in Dien Bien Phu quite late in the afternoon.

Day-10: Dien Bien Phu- Muong Lay (B, L, D)

Leaving Dien Bien city far behind we enter the world of rural Vietnam. We assemble our bikes and after lunch cycle on a thin tar road, seldom used by vehicles, through rolling countryside filled with tropical trees, plantations and small villages. After 60 km we climb into our back up vehicles and drive to our destination is the village of Lai Chau.

Day-11- Muong Lay- Tam Duong (B, L, D)

This morning we cycle onto single track routes which wind through the fields and hillsides. After the single trail ride we load up for 40 km and start cycling again along the the Nam Na River to Pan Tan where we have lunch.

A gutsy climb of 17 km awaits us after lunch followed by an awesome downhill enjoying the views of mountain ranges, lakes, rivers, jungle, and tiered paddy fields. We are also getting deeper into tribal lands and we'll see Tay, H'Mong and Dzao tribal people in their villages and tending their crops.

Day-12: Tam Duong - Sapa (B, L, D)

Once again the day kicks off with single track riding through the villages and we expect to see more tribal people in colorful dress, living their lives the way they have for generations.

Day-13: Sapa- Rest day (B)

This is your time to discover the beauty of Sapa town, market, orchid garden or go trekking.

Overnight in Sapa.

Day-14: Sapa- Ban Khoang- Lao Cai. Night train (B, L, D)

Sapa - Ban Khoang (high country road) with just deep blue skies and fluffy white clouds, we head back into the mountains. You will be cycling HIGH for half day at 1400-1600m then comes the big descend down to Lao Cai.

Shower and dinner before getting on the night train back to Hanoi.

Day-15: Depart Hanoi (B)

Early morning arrive at train station and head to Tamarind restaurant for breakfast. It is time for little shopping before leaving Hanoi for your flight home. Transfer to the airport (3 hrs before your departure flight)

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