Cycling Vietnam to Laos - Ha Noi to Luang Prabang

The train arrives at the station of Lao Cai at 5:30 am. Our team’ll arrange your breakfast at local restaurant, then a transfer on windy road uphill to Sapa town. Check in and relax until your cycle riding starting from the hotel at 1:00 pm. Ride on the hilly back roads to Dao villages, past rice terrace paddy fields. We will ride on a dirty track to Ta Phin, stop at Ethnic at village’ market to chit chat with Red Dao. Ride to the high roads for a transfer back to Sapa.

On your cycling adventure today, you could smell and taste the real life as you cycling on hilly track through particular mountainous scenery, villages and markets on the way to home-stay where we stay tonight. From the hotel, we ride down hill on beautiful back roads with particular scenery along the country roads. We turn right on concrete path to downhill, past the home of Dao before we cross a river to continue our biking to local market of Ethnic people. Stopping and walking around this market and have some photos taken before we bike through rice fields to Tay villages for lunch. In the afternoon, we continue cycling into the home of Red Dao people and stay a night at luxury home-stay by stream

Bike routes are imaging today. They are mixed; single track, dirt country road through hills, mountains and valleys. We ride on hilly path along mountain areas through some villages of Tay Ethnic, passing some schools located by hills, remote villages and headquarter of local government. This morning ride gives opportunities to enjoy scenery on valley along the mountain ranges, streams and country back roads. You’ll meet different Ethnic people with colourful customs and having photo taken with them cannot be missed. Then we follow a trail to explore remote area, corn paddy, and many valleys of rice terrace, some young jungles forest, and waterfall. Lunch en route at the home of Tay Ethnic before the afternoon biking to Ban Ho. Today ride is end up here for a transfer back to Sapa.

On your bike ride adventure today is almost all downhill ride from Haven gate to Binh Lu, Tan Uyen and Than Uyen. To avoid pedal up to the Heaven Pass, we’ll have van/bus transfer to its peak. Then we enjoy easy ride bicycling downhill’s on rolling mountain ranges to Binh Lu, then we turn left on to small path, ride rolling hill through villages; see buffaloes on farming land, ride pass many lakes, stopping at family furniture workshop, tiny markets of Ethnic people on back road. Top for lunch in small town before the afternoon ride continue. The easy on flat land and down hills ride passing corn fields, tea and rubber plantations to Than Uyen.

Most gentle back roads on your cycling adventure today are almost windy and thoroughly mountain ranges, lovely lake, beautiful rivers and jungle area of Son La province. Check out of hotel and start the day ride from hotel, ride out the Than Uyen, then to Muong Kim where we undulate on the minor road, through villages, lush farmlands and hillsides, and sometimes along the rivers. Then back to the main road to Ban Chat hydropower station, where we stop to admire the large hydropower plant and peaceful mountain surroundings of the Reservoir. Afterwards, we climb up some small hills on winding roads and ride alongside the Ban Chat Reservoir and mountainous jungles. The road is tranquil, with many stilt houses along the water’s edge. Lunch en route. In the afternoon, we continue bicycling to Muong Gion, challenge some small hills before downhills, crossing Da River on Pa Uon bridge. Check in the hotel by the river.

Ride through the small town of Huynh Nhai, challenge some gentle hills, go through the forests, and enter the Dien Bien province; continue to ride down to Minh Thang, break for coffee, and explore a local market that sale local products made of bamboo. Then ride down to Tuan Giao, which benefits fantastic mountain views, rice terraced, lush valleys, and pass by small villages on the way. Have local speciality dishes at regional in the town of Tuan Giao.

In the afternoon, we'll climb up the Tang Quai Pass, at an elevation of 1700m, and the landscapes are stunning and incredible. The rests are gentle hills undulating along the rivers, passing tiny villages, wooden stilt houses, and small towns along, and the road is more down than up. The road is quiet and smooth through sleepy ethnic villages and sometimes along tranquil rivers to Dien Bien Phu. The historic battle where the Viet Minh defeated the French and forced the French to end it's war in Indochina.

Spend ½ day tour to visit A1 hill, cemetery of Dien Bien Phu, the former military head office of the General De Castries and Dien Bien Phu’s Museum. After lunch, we return to hotel and free to explore town by your own until dinner. 

Double check your passport before living Vietnam for Laos today. An early start transfers you to Tay Trang border. After we cross land border to Laos, meet our team and continue to discover this country, people and its cultures by bike on following days. From the border, we ride down on smooth road to  Muang Mai before chellange some hills to Hmong village. Lunch is well- prepared in village before we continue riding down, along Nam Ou River to Muang Khua.

Today we ride downhill through rubber tree plantation, teak tree plantation and jungle forest in the morning. Ride passes small wooden houses, thatch houses and tiny markets along river. In the afternoon, we will take an easy riding past beautiful rice fields, mountainous scenery along Nam Phak River.  There are many breaks along the tribal villages and some gentle hills to speed up then going down to Udomxai.

Today is a challenge day, and along ways as its more than 100 km. Your guide will cut off some serious hills and enjoy the best scenery along undulating roads. To avoid many big hills, we will have a transfer to the top for moderate biking through jungle. Ride past villages of ethnic people, stop and find out where plenty of wild animals’ meat selling on roadside. Stop for lunch at Pak Mong. From the fork/T-junction of Pak Mong, the road to Nong Kiaw is the best. With moderate hilly back roads, past local markets, rice terrace paddy fields and scenery along River bank and limestone mountains allows you challenge some gentle hills on your biking  to the cave, then riding to Nong Khiaw brigde, enjoy sunset as the sun is being down behind the mountains

Commence from the hotel with a 30-minute transfer to Pak Mong, turn left and drive furthermore 15 km, then start riding. We pedal on paved along the road, kids riding bicycles to schools, holding umbrellas to avoid getting tan. Umbrellas are very popular used as they can be seen almost everywhere in Laos. It is very helpful because of the long daylight rains and sunshine in mountainous country. Both woman and men are from teenagers to the old.

Take time with your easy time cycling on a smooth road along Nam Ou River. Lunch en-route. Continue today's ride to Nam Ou bridge, turn right on country back roads, bike 20 km through small villages, and view beautiful scenery along the rivers, passing colorful temples, and small markets until riding back to the man road. We end cycling here and hop on the support vehicles for a short transfer to Luang Prabang City. Trip End!