19 Days Northern Vietnam Mountain Cycle To Ho Chi Minh City

Discover the changing face of Vietnam while cycling from the Northern mountain of Vietnam to Saigon within 19 days. So come with us and our local guide will show you the hidden back roads. This tour provides opportunities to meet the locals and experience the culture in a way that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Visiting rural villages, working pagodas, rice paddies, local markets, and more, Vietnam’s rice paddies, jungles, and stunning beaches …

Tour Itinerary
Dates & Prices
Tour Map
Photos Gallery

Day 1: Hanoi cycle to Yen Bai ( B, L,D )

Pick up at your hotel at 7:30 AM and transfer by vehicle to Trung Ha bridge and start cycling to Yen Bai along the banks of the Red River. Lunch in Phu Tho town. Arrive late afternoon. Stay 1 night.

Summary

Accommodation: Hoa Mai Hotel

Cycling distance: 80 km

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2: Yen Bai cycle to Sapa ( B ,L ,D )

After breakfast. A demanding, hilly, day along the mountain and river range culminating with the ascent of the spectacular, visiting the Vietnam & China border gate if time permitting. Stay for 2 nights.

Summary

Accommodation : Sapa Hotel

Cycling distance: 80 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Sapa Cycling and Trekking to Village ( B )

Start from your hotel at 9 am, and bike to explore Sa Pa an old French hill station, in a spectacular location close to the Chinese border. This morning we will cycle to Village, Lao Chai and Ta Van village ( Red Dzao and H’mong people ) Cycling uphill back to Sapa, lunch and dinner by yourself.

Summary

Accommodation: Green Sapa Hotel

Meals: Breakfast

Biking Distance: 22 km

Meals: Breakfast

Day 4: Sapa Cycle to Lai Chau ( B ,L ,D )

Starting from your hotel for challenge 12 km to Tram Ton pass - our route back over the Tram Ton pass to Binh Lu junction and follow the road 4D northwest to Tam Duong and to Lai Chau. O / N in Muong Thanh hotel .

Summary

Distance: 90 km

Ride: 90 km on good quality asphalt road

Meal: Breakfast, L = Lunch , D = dinner

Accommodation: Muong Thanh Hotel

Day 5: Lai Chau Cycle to Muong Lay ( Old Lai Chau ) ( B, L,D)

Cycle to old Lai Chau via the Hang Tom suspension bridge, following the Nam Na through spectacular gorges and Black Dao villages. A long day with some climbs. Stay 1 night. Hoa Binh Hotel

Summary

Distance: 110 km

Ride: 80 km on good quality asphalt road, transfer 30 km.

Meal: Breakfast , L = Lunch , D = dinner

Accommodation: Hoa Binh Hotel

Day 6: Muong Lay Cycle to Dien Bien Phu ( B, L , D )

Our full day in Vietnam. Cycle to Dien Bien Phu – 104 kms. Dien Bien Phu was the scene of the historic French defeat in 1954. Stay 1 night. O / N in Him Lam Hotel & resort.

Summary

Distance: 110 km

Ride: 80 km on good quality asphalt road, transfer 30 km.

Meal: Breakfast , L = Lunch , D = dinner

Accommodation: Him Lam resort

Day 7: Dien Bien Phu Cycle to Son La ( B, L, D )

Cycle to Son La 150 km, along the mountain and river range culminating with the ascent of the spectacular, If time permits we will visit the Son La prison. O / N in Son La.

Summary

Distance: 150 km

Ride: 80 km on good quality asphalt road, transfer 70 km.

Meal: Breakfast , L = Lunch , D = dinner

Accommodation: Hanoi Hotel

Day 8: Son La – Mai Chau ( B, L, D )

Cycle to Mai Chau village around 120 km, along the mountain range culminating, Arrival in Mai Chau village. Homestay in Thai house. O / N in Mai Chau.

Summary

Accommodation: Home-stay

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Biking: 80 Km

Day 9: Mai Chau – Ngoc Lac ( B, L, D )

Breakfast in a 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 local restaurant

Summary

Accommodation: Gold Time hotel

Meals: Breakfast, Break, Lunch, Dinner

Cycling distance: 80 Km

Day 10: 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 Ngoc Lac 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 90+ km.

Summary

Accommodation: Thai Hoa Riverside Hotel

Meals: Breakfast, Break, Lunch, Dinner

Cycling distance: 90 Km

Day 11: Thai Hoa - Nghe An ( B, L, D )
Continue riding the incredible Ho Chi Minh Trail. Have lunch in Lat town. Kim Lien visited 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. Overnight in Nghe An Town. 100 km.

Summary

Accommodation: Beijing Hotel

Meals: Breakfast, Break, Lunch, Dinner

Cycling distance: 80 Km

Day 12: Nghe An- Phong Nha National Park ( B , L , D )
From Nghe An to 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: 70 Km

Day 13: Phong Nha National Park-Hue ( B, L )
Explore Phong Nha Cave in the early morning. 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. Explore dinner on your own. Overnight Hotel in Hue. 60 km.

Summary

Accommodation: Hue Asia Hotel