Itinerary
- Day 1
Hanoi
Touch down in Hanoi and get settled at your hotel. Your guide will adjust your bike fit and go through all the gear you'll need for the road ahead. Later this afternoon, hop on a cyclo and ride through the bustling streets to get a feel for how locals move around the city. Tonight there's a welcome dinner at one of Hanoi's top restaurants.
- Meals
- Dinner (Welcome dinner at Wild Lotus Restaurant in Hanoi)
Included Activities
- Bike fitting and equipment preparation
- Cyclo tour through Hanoi city streets
- Welcome dinner at local restaurant
- Day 2
Hanoi to Mai Chau to Pu Luong
Head out early from Hanoi, driving through rural areas toward Mai Chau. You'll have lunch at a local Thai village house, then cycle through the Song Ma River valley toward Hoi Xuan. The day gives you the option to keep riding or switch to the car for the last part. Sleep at a traditional Thai homestay positioned near Pu Luong Nature Reserve.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch at a local Thai village house)
Included Activities
- Cycling through Song Ma River valley
- Visit to Thai village homestay
Optional Activities
- Continue by bike to final destination (alternative to road transfer)
Landmarks Pu Luong Nature Reserve - Day 3
Pu Luong to Ngoc Lac
After breakfast, a 45-minute drive takes you to where the day's ride starts. From there, you'll cycle through mountains with limestone cliffs getting taller and vegetation getting lusher as you head toward Cuc Phuong National Park and the old town of Hoa Lu. The terrain is demanding with several climbs, but a support vehicle stays with you the whole time. You'll reach Ngoc Lac by late afternoon.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Cycling through mountain route from Mai Chau towards Cuc Phuong National Park
Landmarks Cuc Phuong National Park Hoa Lu - Day 4
Ngoc Lac to Vinh
Today follows the newly paved Ho Chi Minh Highway with smooth asphalt and light traffic. A rougher dirt option runs parallel if you want something tougher. Along the way, you'll stop at Ly Thai To Pagoda, which honors the first king of the Ly dynasty, and visit Kim Lien village to see Ho Chi Minh's birthplace and museum. Then it's a road transfer out of the mountains to Vinh, arriving in the late afternoon.
Included Activities
- Cycling along Ho Chi Minh Highway
- Visit to Ly Thai To Pagoda
- Visit to Kim Lien village and Ho Chi Minh's house
- Visit to Ho Chi Minh museum
Optional Activities
- Ride parallel dirt and gravel highway (alternative challenging route)
Landmarks Ly Thai To Pagoda Kim Lien village - Day 5
Vinh to Huong Khe
After breakfast, a 40-kilometer bus ride gets you to Pho Chau where the cycling starts. The Ho Chi Minh Highway winds through jungle and villages below the Truong Son mountains. There's time to take in the views and rock formations as you go. It's a long day of riding, and you'll finish in Huong Khe, a small town in Nghe An province.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Cycling on Ho Chi Minh Highway through jungle and villages
Landmarks Truong Son mountain range - Day 6
Huong Khe to Phong Nha
You'll keep following the Ho Chi Minh Highway toward Phong Nha, where smooth pavement makes for comfortable riding as mountains rise around you and the road curves up and down hillsides. After about 80 kilometers on the bike, you'll hop on a bus for a relaxing one-hour ride to Phong Nha National Park. There you'll explore one of Vietnam's most striking caves, which has 65 kilometers of passages and underground rivers and was formed 250 million years ago. During the war, it served as both a hospital and ammo storage.
Included Activities
- Cycling along Ho Chi Minh Highway
- Visit to Phong Nha Cave
- Optional visit to Flora and Fauna International community projects and village initiatives
Optional Activities
- Visit village initiatives with Flora and Fauna International
Landmarks Phong Nha National Park Phong Nha Cave - Day 7
Phong Nha to Khe Sanh
Wake early to spend more time in Phong Nha Cave, then drive 1.5 hours to get back on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. You'll cycle across the DMZ at the 17th Parallel heading toward Cam Lo, and stop to visit Truong Son cemetery in honor of North Vietnamese soldiers who died in these mountains. After pedaling the last 14 kilometers to Cam Lo where the trail crosses into Laos, you'll make a short transfer to Khe Sanh, a former US marine base and the site of a major 1968 battle.
Included Activities
- Early morning exploration of Phong Nha Cave
- Cycling across the DMZ to Cam Lo
- Visit to Truong Son cemetery
- Visit to Khe Sanh combat base
Landmarks DMZ (17th Parallel) Truong Son cemetery Khe Sanh combat base - Day 8
Khe Sanh to A Luoi
Start by visiting the Khe Sanh combat base to see military relics and the old airstrip. Then ride downhill through dramatic scenery from the Laos border down to the Dakrong River. Cross the bridge and cycle along the water on what was the southern stretch of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The road here is quiet with rolling ups and downs, quite different from the harder terrain before.
Included Activities
- Visit to Khe Sanh combat base and airstrip
- Cycling from Laos border to Dakrong River
- Cycling along Dakrong River
Landmarks Dakrong River - Day 9
A Luoi to Hue
The road conditions south of A Luoi aren't good, so you'll leave the Ho Chi Minh Trail and cut across the country toward Hue instead. This 60-kilometer route takes you through central Vietnam on back roads before linking to Highway 1 a few kilometers south of town. You can choose to keep cycling or transfer by car into central Hue.
Included Activities
- Cycling across back roads through central Vietnam
Optional Activities
- Continue by bike to Hue city center (alternative to road transfer)
- Day 10
Hue
After breakfast, an easier day of cycling goes through the countryside around Hue on a mix of footpaths and quiet lanes. You'll stop at the Imperial Citadel to walk through the emperor's ruins, then ride along small streets that follow the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda. From there, continue on peaceful roads to see the royal tomb of Ming Manh and Khai Dinh's funerary monument. After looping back across the river, you'll return by early afternoon with free time to relax or explore however you like.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Cycling through Hue countryside
- Visit to Imperial Citadel
- Cycling to Thien Mu Pagoda
- Visit to royal tomb of Ming Manh
- Visit to funerary monument of Khai Dinh
Landmarks Imperial Citadel Perfume River Thien Mu Pagoda Royal tomb of Ming Manh Funerary monument to Khai Dinh - Day 11
Hue to Hoi An
This is the big riding day with two small hills followed by an intense 11-kilometer climb to Hai Van Pass, where coastal views reward the effort. A new tunnel through the mountain has cut traffic significantly, making the uphill much more peaceful. After coming down the pass, you'll take a swim and have lunch at Lang Co beach. Then it's a 35-kilometer car ride to Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the rest of the day free to wander the charming old streets and alleyways.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch at Lang Co beach)
Included Activities
- Cycling to Hai Van Pass
- Cycling down Hai Van Pass
- Swimming and lunch at Lang Co beach
Landmarks Hai Van Pass Lang Co beach Hoi An - Day 12
Hoi An to My Son and Return to Hoi An
The last cycling day is a relaxed ride to My Son, the former heart of Cham civilization. You'll transfer slightly outside town to skip the main highway, then cycle through scenic country roads past rice fields, eucalyptus groves, and small villages. The winding route leads to My Son, which was once Champa's most important city and now sits as a significant archaeological site. Lunch happens near the temples, and you'll spend the afternoon walking through the old temple ruins. A bus brings you back to Hoi An.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch near the temples at My Son)
Included Activities
- Cycling through back roads to My Son
- Visit to My Son archaeological site and temples
- Lunch near the temples
Landmarks My Son - Day 13
Hoi An
The day is yours to do as you please until it's time to head to the airport for your onward flight.
