Day 1: Hanoi-Mai Chau (  L , D )
Pick up at your hotel at 7:30 Am. Transfer out of Hanoi city to Luong Son – picturesque landscapes. Stop to cycle to Mai Chau village via Kim Boi hot spring and Bai Chao villages. Lunch at a local restaurant. cycling to Cao Phong and Man Duc villages. Biking from Thong Khe passes along Hoa Binh lake. Arrive in Mai Chau villages and overnight in the homestay of white Thai ethnic.

Summary

Accommodation: Homestay

Meals   Break, Lunch, Dinner

Cycling distance: 75 Km

Day 2: Mai Chau – Ngoc Lac ( B , L , D )

Breakfast in Thai village house before setting off along a spectacularly beautiful river valley towards Hoi Xuan along an undulating tarmac road. The road follows the flow of River Song Ma. This is an old supply route of the HCM Trail that fed the main trail with ammunition during the American War with Vietnam.. just passing scenes of local village life and rice paddies. Dinner at the hotel.

Summary

Accommodation: Gold Time hotel

Meals: Breakfast,  Break, Lunch, Dinner

Cycling distance: 80 Km

Day 3: Ngoc Lac – Thai Hoa ( B , L , D )
Early morning starts to beat the heat of the day. The route takes us away from the river and appears to contour through the same range of mountains that stretch from Cam Thuy to Thai Hoa on Ho Chi Minh trails. The road gets more beautiful the closer you ride to Ngoc Lac with looming karst limestone cliffs and lush vegetation. The route is tarmac all the way but quite hard riding due to the undulating terrain. We ride for the first time on the newly built two-lane Ho Chi Minh Highway. It hardly warrants two lanes as there is no traffic! The road makes for smooth fast riding, and for those who prefer there is always the old highway dirt and gravel – that weaves around the new highway allowing for plenty of exploring possibilities along the way.  Ride to Muc Son, on the banks of River Song Chu. On the outskirts of this small town are the famous Kan Linh historical relics – a pagoda where the first king of the Ly dynasty, Le Thai To, ruled, in 1428. Continue riding on the trail to Yen Cat. The distance covered today is quite long and there will be the chance to transfer some sections by the backup vehicle to rest weary legs. There are fewer villages today as the route cuts through forests and jungles. Picnic lunch en route. Overnight Thai Hoa guesthouse. 90+ km.

Summary

Accommodation: Giao Te Hotel

Meals: Breakfast,  Break, Lunch, Dinner

Cycling distance: 90 Km

Day 4: Thai Hoa – Huong Khe ( B , L , D )
Continue riding the incredible Ho Chi Minh Trail. Have lunch on the way - Nghe An province and Kim Lean villages are the famous museum and birthplace of Ho Chi Minh in 1890. This province has a reputation for producing charismatic revolutionary leaders; not only Ho Chi Minh but also Phan Boi Chau – another fervent anti-colonialist -was born here. Reach Huong Khe town overnight. Overnight in Huong Khe Town. 90 km.

Summary

Accommodation: Duc Tai Hotel

Meals: Breakfast,  Break, Lunch, Dinner

Cycling distance: 90 Km

Day 5  : Huong Khe –  Phong Nha National Park ( B , L , D )
After local breakfast and coffee and cycling from the hotel in Huong Khe, the mountains rise and the road winds up, down and along the hillsides. The scenery is spectacular, the road tranquil. Ride up to 80km then transfer the last few km to Phong Nha National Park. The park contains one of the most spectacular caves in Vietnam, It is a true speleological wonder. Visit the cave by boat then wander through the cavern, past the foundations of ancient Cham ruins. Pause to admire the incredible formation of stalactites and stalagmites. Formed approximately 250 million years ago Phong Nha was used as a hospital and ammunition depot during the war, the entrance still showing evidence of fighter aircraft attacks. There are community projects underway with Flora and Fauna International and it may be possible to visit village initiatives and learn more about the forests of the National Park. Overnight at the National Park. 80 km.

Summary

Accommodation: Saigon - Phong Nha Hotel

Meals: Breakfast,  Break, Lunch, Dinner

Cycling distance: 80 Km

Day 6: Phong Nha National Park-Hue ( B, L )
Explore Phong Nha Cave in the early morning and continue riding on the Ho Chi Minh Trail across the DMZ  (better known as the 17th Parallel,) to Cam Lo. The road is now quite flat and makes for good cruising! Stop en route to visit Truong Son Cemetary, a memorial to the tens of thousands of North Vietnamese soldiers who were killed in the Truong Son Mountains along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.  Fourteen miles further on is the town of Cam Lo – the Trail here intersects a strategic feeder road (H9) from Dong Ha and at this junction part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail heads across the country into Laos. We finish our exploration of the Ho Chi Minh trail here. This is where we end the cycling section of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Transfer to Hue visiting war relics en route. Overnight your Hotel in Hue. Say goodbye to your team. End The Tour

Summary

Accommodation: None

Meals: Breakfast,  Break, Lunch.

Cycling distance: 70 Km

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