Vietnam Classic Cycling Tour - Ha Noi to Ho Chi Minh 13D/12N

In the morning, we'll transfer 1.5 hours to Hoa Binh Lake, hop on our bikes, and enjoy the lush countryside. We undulate on the back road to Hoa Binh Lake. It's about 25 - 30km to view the panoramic view over the lake and peaceful local life.

In the afternoon, we'll discover more stunning views, ride through the ethnic villages of White Thai, make some stops along the Lac village, and meet locals at their homes. The routes are a mix of single-track paths throughout the lush valley.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will pick up our bikes and make a loop ride to explore the stunning scenery of mountainous areas and experience the daily life of the White Thai ethnic minority. Gear up for some hills on smooth trails, enjoy views of Na Meo rice terrace fields, and continue on winding paths through the forests before going downhill to Buoc, Sam Khoe, and Mai Hich villages. There are plenty of opportunities to stop at the homes of locals along the hillsides and learn more about the culture and customs. We'll resume cycling through Lac Village to our hotel.

After lunch, we'll transfer 3 hours to Ninh Binh. Check-in at the hotel and spend the rest of the day at the pool.

After breakfast, we'll spend 1.5 hours on a paddle boat among limestone mountains and cliffs, admire the colorful floating rice fields, and pass through three grottos: Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba. We'll hop on our bikes, encounter stunning views of mountain karst, ride through rice paddies and small villages, and experience the life of villagers in Tam Coc and Bich Dong. The bike ride is just 10km but it's great time for endless photo opportunities. Make a short climb to Hang Mua, which is the most attractive viewpoint of Ninh Binh. At the highest peak, you will see a panorama of the Valley. We'll return to the hotel after lunch and rest until dinner, as we have a late checkout. Board on a night train to Hue.

The Reunification train arrives at Hue's railway station around 6:00 am, meets Vietnam Cycling Tours' team, and stops at a nice restaurant for breakfast. Take a tour of the Purple Citadel of Hue, Vietnam's former capital of the last Nguyen Dynasty, constructed in 1804 and faced the Perfume River. The Forbidden Purple City is where the eunuchs, concubines, and royal servants are allowed. We will learn about the history of the feudal royal Nguyen Dynasty of 12 Lords and the modern history of Indochina and the Vietnam Wars.

After lunch in town, we check in the hotel, and have a rest. In the late afternoon, indulge in a local street food tour, a culinary adventure that will introduce you to the vibrant flavors of Hue. Explore the famous 'royal cuisine' of Vietnam's former imperial capital, a gastronomic journey that is sure to delight your taste buds. 

We have a short vehicle transfer to Thuan An local beach to bike toward Hoi An. This fantastic biking offers folk scenery, villages with endless local royal culture, and a sleepy mountain photo opportunity. Then, following the narrow concrete paths, we cycle through traditional villages and pass many old temples and former Mandarin houses before exploring the local life along lively lagoons. We cycle along tiny fishing villages, shelters, and little fishing boats. Lunch at Lang Co beach before a transfer to Hoi An with a stop at Hai Van Pass.

A free day to explore Hoi An acient and stay on beach

Begin with a short transfer to a small fishing village on the other side of Thu Bon River. Next, we bike on shaded roads and enjoy the scenery of rice paddies, bamboo bridges, and country villages surrounded by bamboo trees before we reach Truong Giang River. Great opportunity to see the daily lives of locals living in the area for generations; two to three generations live together in the same house along the river. The paths are mostly flat with smooth concrete surfaces. Enjoy the most lovely rural landscape with experience culture. There is plenty of coffee breaks and stops along rural villages to find your way like a local. Take your easy ride along the river; we cycle along the countryside paths, view the small fishing boats, see buffaloes help farmers working on farmlands, see ox carts along the old hamlets, and cross rivers by local ferries. We have a vehicle transfer to Son My village. Visit the memorial before going to the hotel by vehicle to check-in.

Today, we begin with a short vehicle that takes us to untouched backwaters to explore. This is an opportunity to enjoy both rural landscapes and entire villages. We cycle small open roads through water palms, admire ancient temples and simple houses built with local materials, stop to explore the old house with betel-lined trees, ride over many irrigation bridges, and cross many small rivers. The routes are nice and smooth, through green farmlands, rice paddies, lush vegetable fields, and authentic countryside. We have ferry crossings, then resume riding toward coastal routes, pass fish farms, passing beaches, little fishing villages, and fishing ports. We might be lucky to see a small local market where fresh fish comes directly from the ocean. Break for lunch in Sa Huynh, and we'll transfer to Quy Nhon in the afternoon.

The option after lunch is to ride on coastal back roads to Quy Nhon in the afternoon if the group want to.

The morning's cycle kicks off with an exhilarating hour of vehicle transfer on the scenic coastal road to Xuan Tho, near Song Cau market. This is just the beginning of your thrilling mountain biking adventure, spanning 35 km through mountains, rolling hills, and jungles. You'll then ride down along the river to La Hai, turning left onto a tarmac road that parallels the river and train line. The undulating road will keep your adrenaline pumping as you ride more down than up to Chi Thanh. We'll refuel with a delicious lunch at a handpicked restaurant in town.

Following lunch, ride on undulating rural roads through lush paddies to Da Dia reef. The area is about 100 meters wide and 250 meters long, with an estimated 35,000 columns of basalt rocks. The rocks are dark lava columns with roughly flat surfaces of different shapes—round, pentagon, hexagon, polygon, etc. Ghenh Da Dia looks like a gigantic beehive or a pile of dinner plates, hence its name (The Sea Cliff of Stone Plates).

Taste Vietnamese coffee and get some fresh fruits and snacks before we cycle to An Hai village,  In the afternoon, we continue cycling to Tuy Hoa city. You will experience authentic attractions along the coast, stop at one of the most beautiful pagodas, ride through the sweet potato, corn, and tapioca farmlands and paddy fields, and view the beautiful countryside to the outskirts of Tuy Hoa city. 

We depart at 8:00 am from the hotel with a 20-minute vehicle drive us out of the city. The ride will start near the Phu Yen domestic airport. We explore vibrant villages and farmlands. Sometimes, we ride on a dirt track along railways and stop at some small local markets. Say hello to kids going to school by little pushbikes. Ride passes, primary schools, some railway station points, and lovely scenery along country paths before we turn to the coastal line and pass many small fishing villages and seafood farms along the coast to Vung Ro Bay. We'll transfer 15-minute to Dai Lanh Beach for lunch.

Following lunch, we pedaled up 2.5 km Co Ma Pass, a small pass with less traffic since the vehicle tunnels opened. Ride down the mountain, take a dirt track to the seaside farmlands, ride through rustic villages, past smaller markets and a tiny town, and end our adventurous ride at Van Ninh; finally, we have an hour's transfer to Nha Trang City.

After breakfast, we'll be transferred to Can Ranh Airport and take a domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh. We'll then be transferred to Saigon's downtown and checked into the hotel. Explore the city on your own for the rest of the day. 

After a leisure breakfast, spend your time shopping in town until a transfer to the airport. Tour End!