Vietnam Lifestyle Biking Tour - 12 Days

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12 Days
  • 2012
  • 2013
  • Best time to travel: April-May / September-October
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Big cities, rice paddies, highlands, islands and bays — enjoy easygoing cycling and gorgeous scenery on this 12 day tour of diverse Vietnam.

You'll see charming the charming French-influenced capital Hanoi, tiny fishing and mountain villages, and kayak in idyllic HaLong Bay.

You'll visit the modern cities of Hué and HoiAn, a remarkable cave at CatBa National Park, and a colourful floating village.

Please Note: We also offer an 8 Day Lifestyle Tour, ending in Hanoi.

Hanoi to Saigon

Hanoi
  • Lifestyle
  • Grade
  • Tour price subject to minimum numbers
  • USD560 single room surcharge
  • This tour is invoiced in USD
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vietnam

Vietnam Lifestyle Biking Tour - 12 Days Fitness and Preparation

The biking is easy, with an average daily distance of less than 30 km. Your support van will be close at hand.

You'll stay at beautiful hotels and resorts throughout, and at HaLong, a real highlight: 2 nights on a comfortable floating hotel.

Easy Tours

Easy tours are specifically designed to allow you to experience a new activity and culture in a relaxed environment. If you’re after a peaceful holiday with a light introductory focus on one or more activities then easy torus are a great option. Routes chosen will be easy and often ridden entirely at your own pace, suitable for families.

Fitness required

An average level of fitness is required, exercising at least once a week prior to the tour.

Full Itinerary

DAY 1

Arrival Day: Hanoi

No cycling

Welcome to Vietnam! On your arrival at the airport you'll be picked up and transferred to your hotel in Hanoi (check in any time from 2 pm). Tonight you'll meet your other tour members and be treated to a traditional water puppet show (a pool of water forms the puppets' stage), and dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals: Dinner

DAY 2

Hanoi to Mai Chau

Cycling: 30 km

We leave the hotel bright and early at 8 am, drive west for about an hour and a half, and then hop on our bikes for the first time. You'll ride on a country road through rice paddies and small villages. There's time for a picnic along the way, and then we continue to Mai Chau, a beautiful valley filled with rice paddies and surrounded by limestone mountains. Dinner is at Mai Chau Lodge, where you'll stay for the next 2 nights.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 3

Mai Chau to Moc Chau

Cycling: 60 km

After breakfast, an hour's drive to the Moc Chau plateau, where we'll stop at Hua Tat. From there we start a beautiful and leisurely mountainside ride along the old colonial road No. 6. It's 25 km to Moc Chau town, and the journey is at your own pace (usually about 3 hours). Then we arrive in a beautiful Thai village at the foot of a limestone mountain, where lunch is waiting. Next, we'll visit a tea factory and discover how best to make excellent local Vietnamese tea. We then ride on a quiet road through plum orchards, trading ‘hellos’ with locals, before cycling back to Mai Chau.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 4

Mai Chau to Hanoi

Cycling; 20 km

In the morning, you will cycle through tiny Thai mountain villages. We'll ride along the rice fields at the foot of the mountains, maybe chatting with the friendly locals. Their lifestyle is simple and serene. You may see people weaving brocade. We will visit one of the families on the way and enjoy a cup of tea. After a circuit of the village, it's back to Mai Chau for lunch. In the afternoon: a 4-hour drive back to Hanoi, where we'll stay in a hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 5

Hanoi to Hai Phong to Cat Ba area

Cycling: 30 km

An action-packed travelling day today, with plenty of changes of scenery. After breakfast, we’ll drive 2 hours to Hai Phong City, Vietnam's 3rd largest, through the Red River Delta for an early morning ferry to Cai Vieng. From there, cycle past karst formations until Hien Hao village. We'll make a stop there and chat with local people about their daily life. After lunch, hop on your bike and head to Tran Chau fishing village, with its blend of coastal and jungle scenery. You'll stay overnight in the Cat Ba Sunrise Resort.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6

CatBa to GiaLuan to HaLong

Cycling: 15 km

This morning we cycle into CatBa National Park (5 km from the entry) then trek to NguLam peak. We visit the underground labyrinth of the formerly secret bomb-proof hospital in Hospital Cave. Then we head to GiaLuan where your boat is waiting for a cruise in the mythical HaLong bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You'll have dinner and spend the night on a junk boat in one of 10 cabins with ensuite bathrooms.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 7

HaLong Bay kayaking

No cycling — but as much kayaking as you wish!

Have an early morning swim, or relax on the upper deck with a cup of tea or coffee, fresh fruit and cake. Soak up the beautiful HaLong Bay views of rocky islands rising from crystal-clear waters. At 8 am there's a brief paddling and safety introduction by our guide. Then, explore the bay by kayak at your own pace in peace and serenity, and head towards some hidden lagoons if tidal conditions permit. After lunch, we'll kayak to a lively village with floating houses, fish farms, and a primary school. We'll have dinner and stay another night on our beautiful boat.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 8

HaLong to Hanoi to Hué

No cycling

In the morning, have a light breakfast then visit one of the nicest caves in HaLong bay. There'll be more time for swimming. Then, enjoy lunch before cruising back to the harbour, and then car transfer to the airport for our flight to Hué late this evening. If any of your tour members have chosen the 8 Day Vietnam Lifestyle Biking Tour option, they will be leaving today. The rest of us will stay on here in Hué, a city of nearly a million people, known for its monuments and architecture.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 9

Hué to HoiAn

Cycling: 22 km

After breakfast we'll cycle to the former royal palace of Hué (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). There's time for a thorough visit of the extensive complex and outlying citadel. Our route will lead us to the famous royal mausoleums of Ming Mang. The unique fusion of the majestic architecture and gentle landscape is breathtakingly beautiful. After lunch, a comfortable tour bus will bring us to Hoi An via the Hai Van Pass, also known as the 'Cloud Pass'. We'll stay overnight at a comfortable hotel in HoiAn, a city of about 120,000 people. Tomorrow we'll explore its fascinating Old Town.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DInner

DAY 10

HoiAn

Cycling: 22 km

In the morning we'll ride into the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hoi An's Old Town, an ancient trading centre and former seaport on the banks of the ThuBon River. The local architecture reflects the influence of trade with the Portuguese, French, Dutch, Chinese and Japanese as far back as the 16th Century. After a tour around, our path leads through unspoiled nature to a fishing village where time seems to have stopped 100 years ago. A small boat will bring us along the ThuBon to a traditional ceramics studio.

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 11

HoiAn and surrounds

Cycling: 25 km

This morning, we'll take a local ferry to the Duy Hai fishing hub. It's the most isolated and colourful fishing village in HoiAn, and is filled with boats and sampans. You'll ride a narrow dirt road, chatting with locals off to school or the raucous Noi Rang market. After a restaurant lunch, enjoy 2 hours cycling through rice fields to Kim Bong craft village. We'll visit families producing sleeping mats and bowl-shaped coracle boats, and visit a ship-building yard. Next, a boat back to Hoi An. It's a photogenic view, with old houses, busy local docks and street-life along the river bank.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 12

Departure Day: HoiAn to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

Today marks the end of your unforgettable holiday in Vietnam. After a final delicious breakfast, we'll drive you to the airport for a flight to Saigon.

Meals: B

Tour Inclusions and Exclusions:

Tour Includes:

  • Airport transfers days 1 and 12 only
  • Local English speaking tour guide (Different guides North and central)
  • Transportation
  • Support vehicle
  • Accommodation (twin shared) with breakfast daily
  • Meals as mentioned
  • Domestic airtickets (Hanoi-Hue and Danand-Sai Gon)
  • Bike rental
  • Drinking water
  • Boat trip including kayaking in Halong Bay
  • Entrance fees as per itinerary
  • Sightseeing as per itinerary

Tour Excludes:

  • International flights
  • Travel Insurance
  • Other meals
  • Tips
  • Drinks and personal expenses
  • International Airport Tax
  • Visas