Introduction

Vietnam Cycling Tours designed this 12-day biking tour for those who have limited time and want to travel through the country from Saigon landmark to Ha Noi capital city. The trip offers you an excellent opportunity to ride along stunning beaches in Quy Nhon, experience the rustic countryside in Quang Ngai, and stay a couple of nights in Hoi An. The ancient town is an enchanting and lively town that offers a glimpse of the former south-east Asia trading port. All traditional wooden houses, bridges and temples surviving in their original form and have been exceptionally well preserved. Then conquer the Hai Van Pass to the former capital city of Vietnam, which is set on the banks of the Perfume River. Ride to explore the charming countryside of Hue, visit the royal tombs of Nguyen Lors, spend a night train to Ha Noi, discover the significant Ha Noi landmark of colonial-influenced architecture. Ends your bike trip in Ha Noi capital city before boarding on an International flight home with a memorable experience. 

Destination
Duration
Tour code
VCT-12D - HCM - HANOI
Travel style
Tour meets
Tour ends
Accommodation
3 - 4 star hotels
Single supplement
405.00$
Number Of cycling days
8 days
Ages to ride
18 years old
Average distance per day
45km
MTB Bike hire
US$104
Total cycling distance
520 km
E-Bike hire
$280.00
Small group
02
Large Group
14
Price in US$
USD $2425.00 2425.00
Price in VND
What's included
Private A/C vehicle takes up all cyclists, luggage
Truck to carry all bikes
Helmets
All entrance fees and ferry tickets in countryside
10 nights: double room/ twin room
B = 11 Breakfasts, L = 9 Lunches, D = 6 Dinners
1 night on train to Ha Noi
Daily cold water, snack, fresh fruits, facial tissues
Pick up/ drop off at hotels
All airport in/out
English speaking guide throughout the tour
What's not included
Personal travel insurance
Other personal expenses
Drinks are not included with any meal

On arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport, you are welcomed by your guide and the driver and taken to the city centre to check-in at the hotel. Ho Chi Minh is the country's most important commercial centre and is known as Saigon formerly, and today locals often called it the city centre. It's one of the country's leading economic centres. Welcome lunch at one of the famous restaurant in town before spending the rest of the day exploring the Saigon dynamic city with your guide. The city offers tourists so much to see and do with entertainment, terrific foods,  day trips to enjoy livelily streets, historic sightseeing; Reunification Palace, General Post Office, War Museum, ancient pagodas and endless short trips from Saigon.

Northern Hotel ****
Welcome dinner
Airport in

Nam Cat Tien is the largest park of lowland tropical rainforests in southern Vietnam, and it is also the home to flora and fauna. The Javan rhinoceros still exists in the Cat Loc area, the last remaining population of this species on the Asian mainland. Other mammals include several primate species, including the endemic golden-cheeked gibbon, elephant, gaur and tiger.


Ho Chi Minh City is the country's largest city, and it creates plenty of works, so the town has been the most nationwide labour forces attraction. The traffic is bustling almost all day. Today's ride begins with an early start at 7:00 am to avoid traffic to save time for an adventure ride in the beautiful countryside. The areas we cycle through in the morning are lush farms and fewer rice paddy fields. This is a chance we experience people life and culture. The routes are tranquil and have different terrains.


Arrives at 8:30 am in a rural village, Trang Bom, Dong Nai. We cycle through a rubber plantation, ride paddy fields, and small jungle until we hit the Tri An lake. Then we continue cycling on small back roads along the lake and cross some lush farmlands before we reach Doc Mo, high way 1A. Take a transfer to the next La Nga town for lunch. Have 30 minutes transfer to Dinh Quan's rural village for the afternoon ride.


We follow small back roads through chilli paper, coffee plantations, and volcanic rocks down to Dong Nai River in the afternoon. The countryside is quiet and lush farmlands, small tracks alongside the river,  rice paddies and avocado orchards in Ta Lai village. Your guide will figure out the transfer to Nam Cat Tien before dark, check-in at the hotel. Join the night spotting tour by jeep to see wildlife that people rarely see. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight in the park.

Biking Saigon to Ta Lai, biking Ho Chi Minh to Nam Cat Tien National Park,
Cat Tien Jungle Lodge ***
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
25- 45 km
Easy/ moderate
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

In the early morning, take a walk on footpaths, experience wildlife, and spend a perfect time immersing in nature, enjoy stunning natural landscapes, and listen to birds singing. After your breakfast at the hotel in the morning, take s very short boat ride on Dong Nai River to Monkey Island- Dao Tien Endangered Primate Species center, where you can find many naturally releasing primates. Many of them had been victims of unlawful wildlife trades but are now protected carefully in the forest. Then we back to center of the park and join a 2 hours trekking tour to learn more about flora and fauna. An experienced & knowledgeable local guide will accompany you with a well-informed of flora and fauna.


We return to the park and carry on our bike adventure; we ride on the dirt track to sub-Nam Cat Tien forest via Dak-Lua, the lush eco-system of a semi-evergreen forest and wetland-flooded evergreen forest. We will stop to bike in the rural village of Ma Da Gui for a transfer to the next town for late lunch today. After lunch, we relax in our vehicle driving to Dalat in the late afternoon.

Biking Nam Cat Tien Park to Madagui,  cycle through the jungles,
Hôtel Colline ****
Breakfast/ Lunch
25 - 65 km
Moderate/ hard
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

The new road undulates through spectacular mountain ranges stretching from central highlands to the seaside city, with 29 km down the Khanh Le Pass is incredible. This is your opportunity to views the breathtaking views, mountain landscapes,  deep valleys, waterfall, and lush tropical forests with endless photos.


Begin the morning with 1-hour vehicle transfer to Bidoup National Park. Then, we will find the perfect adventure mountain biking from central highland to seaside coastal city-Nha Trang. This road offers incredibly spectacular mountain views, so we use cycling skills on a challenging climb through the pine forest, then tropical rainforests of Bidoup-Nui Ba Pass to Hon Giao Pass. Then we have a vehicle transfer to the peak to avoid the mountain route with serious hills. After a coffee break with snacks, we enjoy a fantastic bike downhill 29 km to a small village with delicious lunch by the river.


In the afternoon, we pedal into idyllic villages and bike on a rural suspension bridge, stopping along the brick factory, staying on dirt tracks along the calm rivers, past sugar cane fields, biking on a small suspension bridge, taking your easy ride, view the peaceful countryside, visit ancient house and ride Dien Khanh-the old Citadel. Take a transfer to Nha Trang City.

Bicycle adventure Dalat to Nha Trang, Viet Nam's spectacular beauty at Khanh Le Pass
Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel & Spa
Breakfast/ Lunch/
30 - 85 km
Easy/ moderate/ hard
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

After an hour transfer north of Nha Trang, we start the day ride to Qui Nhon is on the flat countryside with undulating paths and some small hills; through the iconic fishing villages along the coast, see locals harvesting seafood, villagers collecting salt from the fields, and women drying fish along the routes before we cross the railways to Dai Lanh beach.


The afternoon makes the ride easier as the sun is behind and the temperature is almost down. We mingle with locals on pushbikes on country roads and the gentle mountain, experience local culture along the lagoons, and see farmers harvesting tapioca and sweet potatoes. We continue to bike to the coast, have a water stop, walk along the fishing villages, and capture photos of bamboo baskets, boats, and colorful boats anchored near the fish farmings. Afterward, we continue the rest of the day on tracks to the river and cycling on the longest wooden bridge to Ganh Do, where we have a Quy Nhon City transfer.

A break stop be the hillside of Tuy Hoa, hilly lush farmlands
Royal Hotel & Healthcare Resort ****
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
30 - 65 km
Easy/ moderate
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

Quy Nhon and Quang Ngai provinces owned beautiful seaside back roads in central Vietnam. The well-maintained paths and minor roads along sand dunes and tiny villages along Thi Nai's sea lake allow your ride more leisure, to get close to people and to experience their livings. The seaside coasts are stunning with mountains views, local sandy beaches, and fishing villages. Mostly are flat, and some are undulating, with baby hills.


After breakfast at the hotel, have a support vehicle that takes us to the peninsula of Nhon Hoi. We cycle on undulate roads, past sand dunes, tiny villages, small towns until Cat Tien. Followed by the beautiful coast to De Ghi, the routes run along with mountains, some quaint fishing villages,  with incredible landscapes—great places for mountain bike and nature lovers. We continue to explore the rustic countrysides and authentic villages before having lunch at a local restaurant.


Take a 1-hour rest on the vehicle to shorten the routes to the next town, where you ride to the lovely fishing village hidden town. There are many little circular boats, fishing boats in different colors on sand beaches. Most people live mainly on fishing, but they could not afford big ships. Afterward, carry on biking to experience the local culture, the life of people along the villages to lake/lagoon, enjoy the lovely scenery of the largest lagoon in the afternoon. The landscape along the lake is beautiful, with gentle mountain views and lush cultivating lands before the ride down to the coast,  past shrimp farms along the way. Your guide will figure out the last transfer to Quang Ngai in the late afternoon.

Biking to remote fishing villages, discover untouched villages along the seaside villages
NewCC Hotel & Serviced Apartment ****
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
30 - 85 km
Easy/ moderate
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

After a leisurely breakfast, we'll transfer to the My Lai Village and visit Massacre Memorial and its museum. Then we pick up the bike and follow narrow paths to the river, then we stay on the smooth roads, with less traffic by the local beach. Stop at Tinh Ky port and see villagers busy with sorting fishing; fishing boats return to the docks after a night in the seas. Great opportunity to see locals' real-life at Tinh Ky ports and villages around, colorful small and bigs moving in and out of the dock. It's your opportunity for endless photos taken. Then we reach the local ferry, crossing the river to Sa Ky town and its biggest fishing port, where we see bigger boats and more.


Afterward, we continue the morning ride to Binh Phu through scenic villages, beautiful countryside, and farmlands. We'll have a transfer for lunch in town and will continue the day by Truong Giang River. The paths are flat, giving you a more leisurely ride at your own pace, past many houses with stacks of straw for buffalos and cows. You can learn more about local culture and meet friendly people in their homes before we head to the coast and have some ferry crossing to little fishing villages along rivers. Enjoy amazing landscapes through quaint villages, rice paddy, and money bridges linking creeks to rivers in vast green farmlands before we speed up the Cam Kim Bridge  to Hoi An Ancient town.

Biking adventure to Hoian, cross rivers on small wooden bridge, ride to Hoian
Ann Retreat Spa & Reosrt ****
Breakfast/ Lunch
30 - 75 km
Easy/ moderate
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

Hoi An is an ancient town located in central Quang Nam Province and is on the north bank near the mouth of the Thu Bon River. The inscribed property comprises 30 ha, and it has a buffer zone of 280 ha.  It is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a small-scale trading port active in the 15th to 19th centuries, which traded widely, both with Southeast and East Asia countries and the rest of the world. Enjoy your free day on your own time in Hoi An, walk to discover its culture, have a conversation with locals, and relax for the rest of the day at the resort's swimming pool.

Ann Retreat Spa & Reosrt ****
Breakfast

Depart from Hoi An today, and journey across the fantastic Hai van Pass, the fortified gateway from Hue Imperial Citadel to the south during the Vietnam Feudalism society ends in 1945. After an hour of vehicle drives to Da Nang city, we can choose an option; to conquer Hai van Pass or take a visit on vehicle transfer to the Hai Van mountain top.


Enjoy riding on a winding mountain road to the peak and view the incredibly scenic scenery over Lang Co beach and south Da Nang city. Make some photo stop en route, then enjoy downhill riding to Lang Co beach, where our selected seafood lunch is arranged at a restaurant by the beach.


In the afternoon, we keep on this journey onward to Hue. Pedal on the beautiful coastal route, and lagoon, we ride off roads to the oceanic countryside into small fishing villages, past colorful pagodas and green farmlands. Some fruit stops along the way and the chance to take in the sights and experience local lifestyles. Lastly, the support vehicle takes us to Hue City.

Biking along the lagoons, passing tiny  fishing villages, explore peaceful Hue's countryside
Imperial Hue ****
Breakfast/ Lunch/
30 - 75km
Hilly - easy/ moderate/ hard
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

Imperial Citadel was established as the feudal capital of unified Vietnam in 1802. Hue was the political and cultural, and religious center under the Nguyen dynasty that ended in 1945. The South Vietnamese was celebrating Tet Holiday in 1968, and the capture also began by Viet Cong. Later the Imperial Citadel was almost destroyed during the Tet Offensive. We take a half-day to explore the Forbidden Purple City and Thien Mu Pagoda. The rest is the countryside bike trip to discover the tombs, pagodas, typical blend of French and Vietnam’s architectures and historical relics. 


After visiting Imperial Citadel and the beautiful pagoda by Perfume River, we enjoy a relatively easy cycle on back roads, through lush countryside and along Rivers. Ride past Mandarin houses, rice paddy fields, visit some family workshops produce conical hats, handicrafts before visiting Khai Dinh Tomb. Then we continue the ride through charming villages and spends an hour exploring Minh Mang Tomb. We return to the hotel by a support vehicle. Relax until diner with the team before we board the Reunification Express for the overnight train to Hanoi.

Visit the Purple Citadel, learn more about the traditional culture of Nguyen Royal Dynasties
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
25 km
Easy
Reunification Train
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

The train will arrive at Ha Noi Railway station in the morning. Meet your guide and driver for a transfer to the hotel for breakfast, enjoy tea, coffee, and be ready to explore Ha Noi city's sights at your leisure. The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long was the ancient capital and a relic of Vietnam’s history and culture. Spend a full day to explore Ha Noi city with beginning at 8.00 am from the hotel. We begin with a visit to Ho Chi Minh complex, included Uncle Ho’s stilt house. Then we travel to the Temple of Literature – the first University and temple for Confucius in Vietnam.


The afternoon city tour includes the Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi Hilton Prison. Explore the Old Quarter of Ha Noi, take a walk through some of the 36 tree-shaded streets of these historic districts, See how busy people are! Have a chance to take plenty of photos of women on conical hats carrying bamboo baskets to sell fruits, bananas, peanuts, sweet potatoes, and so on. The tour will finish around 5:00 pm. 

The Light ****
Breakfast/ Lunch
support vehicles

After your breakfast, spend your time shopping until a transfer takes you to Noi Bai airport to catch your international flight home. Tour End!

Breakfast
Airport out

Dates

Currently, this tour have no schedule, yet.

Overall we have very, very positive feelings about our trip to Vietnam. Here are the things that we were very happy with through Vietnam Backroads: * Above all, we feel truly lucky that we had Loc Dang as our guide. He was WONDERFUL. We told him that a hundred times, but you can tell him again for us. ;-) * The bikes were in good shape, the van was in good shape, and the driver was good. * We did not feel pressured to "stick to the agenda" with Loc. If a particular route was too difficult or if it was too rainy, Loc was fine letting us ride in the van for a while. Most of the bike routes were very interesting. * Overall we were happy with the food provided by Vietnam Backroads. * The arrangements with Vietnam Airlines and the Paloma Cruise company in Halong Bay were very good. We were happy with those arrangements. Here are the things that we felt could have been better with Backroads Vietnam: * The floating market at Cai Rang near Can Tho was a BIG letdown/disappointment. I had expected to see LOTS of floating boats with people selling produce and flowers. Instead there were just a few boats actually selling, and it seemed very, very touristy (there were more tour boats than boats with people selling/buying things). We felt cheated not getting to see something better/bigger. * For US $4,798, some of the 11 nights spent in hotels could have been much better. We booked our own hotels in Saigon (before the trip began) and Hanoi (after the trip ended) ourselves, so we know that it is so very easy to get a great hotel at a very good price (US $80 or so is enough to get a very nice hotel). The hotels chosen by Vietnam Backroads in Saigon and Quang Ngai were especially bad; we should have stayed at much nicer hotels after spending so much money for the tour. We want your company to make a profit and we felt happy with some of the hotels (Hoi An, Hanoi, etc.), but we are unsure whether we could recommend Vietnam Backroads to our friends due to some of the hotels chosen for us. This definitely needs to be improved. * We did not like having to ride through the heavy traffic of Hue city on the last day of riding bikes. It was SCARY for Americans to be riding through Vietnamese traffic. We would have preferred having the van pick us up out in the countryside. Also, the route around Hue probably could have been better. It seemed to be not really planned well. So, overall there are good points and less good points about our experience. Even though it rained a lot we are glad we chose to go to Vietnam. Due to the reasons outlined above, though, we would have to talk very carefully with our friends here in the US before we could actually recommend using Vietnam Backroads as a touring company. 03 -14 Dec, 2016

Ronald Wilson …

Hi Van,
we've just finished our a wonderful trip, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Thai and Mr Hoang looked after us beautifully, and the scenery was fantastic. It was a great way to experience Vietnam.
Now, we are now keen to do a cycle tour (4 days/3 nights) in the Mekong Delta from 18 January to 21 January 2012.

Jessie Harman …

I was just looking at our photos and everything from the bike trip from Saigon to Hanoi. The pictures are awesome and we keep talking about how great it was to see Vietnam on bicycle. Everyone is very impressed with our stories and experiences. We really had a wonderful trip! Thank you so much. Vietnam Backroads 03 Mar 2011

Randy & Yaacov…

We had an absolutely fantastic cycling experience with Vietnam Backroads. Our guides, Dat and Happy were superb. The trip ran without a hitch and we were really looked after, brilliant cycling tailored to our needs. Highly recommend. 4 happy UK. 14 - 25 October 2018

Damaris Hitchc…
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Cycling from Saigon to Ha Noi 12 Days/ 11 nights