Vietnam Cycling

Arriving at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll be met and driven to your hotel. You’ll have time to relax before a Welcome dinner. You’ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast, your guide will take you to visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels, a Byzantine maze of underground passages, chambers, rooms and booby traps used by both the Vietminh and the Viet Cong to suddenly materialise as if from nowhere, launch a lightning ambush, and vanish equally rapidly. After lunch, you’ll return to Ho Chi Minh City. Your guide will then show you around Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll visit the History Museum where there is a special exhibition of the 5th century ‘Oc Eo’ civilisation. (Alternatively, you’ll visit the Fito Museum (First Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine) is host to a large collection of relics, including traditional Vietnamese medicinal implements, and chronicles the history of medical practice in Vietnam from 2000 BC). The Museum of War Remnants provides a very partial, but riveting, perspective of the ‘American War’: not for the squeamish! The Binh Tay market is located in China Town which is the biggest one in Ho Chi Minh City. Your accommodation will be in Ho Chi Minh City

After escaping from Ho Chi Minh City’s urban sprawl, you’ll travel to Long An province by support car with your professional cycling guide. Arrive at Tan An – a small town from Long An you’ll take your bicycles (s) and start your biking tour through quite back roads to Cai Be. You’ll cycling along the off roads with the peaceful villages, orchards, buffaloes herd both side. You’ll pass over the small bridges and see the real life of the rural town. Box Lunch will be served on the way. If time permits we’ll call in at the beautiful and ancient Vinh Trang pagoda. Our car will then pick you up at Cai Lay Bridge and take you to Vinh Long where a Mekong River cruise will take you to visit the fruit orchards, a traditional family-run brick kiln, and some long established cottage industries. You’ll sleep in a family house in an orchard at the side of the canal.
Vinh Trang Pagoda is renowned for its architectural mixture of Chinese, Vietnamese and Angkor styles. It’s Located on a 2 hectare block with 5 buildings, 2 ornamental yards, 178 pillars and many valuable statues (especially the statues of 18 arahants which were carved from wood and made in 1907) the pagoda will give you a deeper look into the relationship between Vietnamese art and Buddhist beliefs.
Distance: 50 km

In the morning you’ll wake up with the peaceful and rural air. Then your route will take you along the narrow paths through the rice orchards, thatched house to Cai Mon – It’s a pleasant trip with plenty of interest. At first, the quiet road winds pass villages and fruit gardens, later the Nam Cong bonsai garden and Cai Mon will be your stops. After a picnic lunch you’ll pass over the main Co Chien before cycling along the road No 57 further to the Khmer town of Tra Vinh where many side tracks and trails are waiting for you to explore. You’ll spend the night at lodge in Vinh Long.
Distance: 40km

Your day will begin with a cycle to visit the attractions in Tra Vinh – the Khmer Minority People’s Museum and the Ong Met Pagoda – a large Khmer Pagoda with an antique structure; Ba Om pond with its magnificent lotus flowers. You’ll then leave to Can Tho. The route will pass by the paddle fields and rural scenery. Around 80 km, you’ll arrive in Can Tho where you’ll spend the night. Although it’s a long distance but cycling as much or as little as is preferred, we have a backup van which is being accompanied with you.
Distance: 40km or 80km

After breakfast and a boat cruise you’ll arrive at Cai Rang floating market on the Mekong Delta. Both the journey and the market provide insights into the rural Mekong Delta lifestyle. You’ll then take the flight to Hanoi where our car and driver are waiting to take you to the hotel where you’ll spend the night.

You’ll have the whole day to explore Vietnam’s capital city. Your guide will take you to the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam dating back to the 11th century, and a popular attraction, as is Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, his simple stilt house where he lived and worked, and the museum dedicated to his memory.
After lunch, you’ll call in at the serene Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest in Hanoi, on the banks of Hanoi’s Ho Tay (West) Lake. The centre of Hanoi, including Hoan Kiem Lake, the Ngoc Son temple and the bustling Old Quarter, is a magnet for visitors – it’s noisy and hectic, but definitely a ‘must-see’ attraction. The Old Quarter is a maze of shopping streets and restaurants with a hotchpotch of architecture – traditional tube houses, religious buildings, artisans’ workshops and cottages, colonial houses and modern concrete edifices.

In the evening, you’ll have tickets for a performance of traditional Water Puppetry (an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and a good, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture).
We’ll arrange your programme to avoid the busy times at popular destinations, but if there’s anything you particularly want to see, let us know.

After breakfast, we start Best Vietnam Tour today by transfer to Halong Bay – designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage site since 1994. Traveling through the scenic fertile Red River Delta countryside, we get to Ha Long Bay by noon. The natural world heritage site Ha Long Bay is truly one of the most impressive scenery that should not be missed if someone ever comes to the north.

Upon arrival at Ha Long, we embark on cruise for an exploration of the legendary Ha Long Bay. This exciting hours cruise passing by the evocatively shaped islets will provide us a fantastic view of the picturesque scenery blending with the sky and some 3,000 limestone islands and islets rising amazingly from the clear and emerald water. Enjoy a Sea food lunch while you cruising through the bay.

Arrival in Van Gia floating fishing village, take rowing boat through the village or kayaking to visiting around the floating fishing village. Visiting Halong Pearl Farm Village, and Swimming in the bay.

Back the cruise and relax, free fresh fruits are served. You’ll join cooking class guided directly by Chef of the Cruise. You have chance to practice Vietnamese traditional dishes such as spring roll or famous cuisine of Vietnam.

After time for dinner enjoying special BBQ seafood on the cruise, you will be free for evening entertainments: play game on the cruise: cards game, chess, karaoke, squid fishing, and overnight on the Cruise.

(Note: Program may differ slightly base on cruise ships. An extra night can be added to the program. If your time is flexible, we highly recommend it)

Wake up in the morning to the calming sound of the waves crashing on the nearby islands, enjoy Tai Chi lesson on sundeck. Enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning and relax. Sitting on the upper deck, you can enjoy the breath – taking beauty of the rocky Islands rising from the crystal-clear waters of the Bay. The quiet is almost eerie; in summer you can hear birds singing, even that cicadas chirping ashore and the gentle lapping of the waves against our boat, the perfect soundtrack to accompany the fresh air and gentle breeze.
Arrive Sung Sot Cave (Amazing Cave) and joining with guide to visiting and explore the cave.
Our boat start cruising back and brunch buffet will be served on the way. Check out and arrive at the harbor by 11:30. You transfer another boat to cruise through Ha Long Bay to Cat Ba island. Arrive in Cat Ba harbour, cycling through Cat Ba National Park by forest road to the town.

After breakfast, get on the boat to cruise to Lan Ha Bay. Enjoy 5 km cycling through wonderful jungle to Viet Hai village. Visit and meet local people in Viet Hai village before cycling back to the harbour to take the boat to the town. After lunch time, you will then take speed boat to Ben Binh harbor, where our drivers wait to take you back to Hanoi.

Your morning will be free until your car and driver arrives to take you to the airport for your flight to Hue. When you arrive, you’ll be met by our guide and driven to cruise along Perfume River and visit Thien Mu Pagoda. You’ll spend the night in Hue.

In the morning, your bicycles will be at your hotel ready for you to ride through Hue’s rural villages towards the Thanh Toan Bridge (roofed in Chinese style). Nearby, a local market will provide you with views of daily life and local products. You’ll then return to Hue’s city centre with en-route visit the Ngoc Son Princess ‘garden house’. It has an attractive family altar and the owner is an expert on Hue’s culture and history – he will be pleased to explain the geomantic principles underpinning the building and garden’s construction.
After lunch, your route will take you past the Imperial Citadel to visit some of the garden houses in Phu Mong Kim Long village, thence ride toward one of the handicraft villages in Hue’s hinterland that specialises in a single product range of traditional cakes – ‘banh it’ and ‘banh phu the’ before looping back to your hotel for overnight accommodation.
The garden houses are a unique feature of Hue. The houses are traditional, privately owned, and set in attractive formal gardens. Some have connections with the old Royal Imperial Court. Hue traditional architecture has long had close associations with the natural environment. The garden houses reflect this association. Each is highly individual – house and garden, people and scenery, plants, clouds and water co-exist and blend with each other in a harmonious context. The narrow streets and abundant flora give the garden house area a country village feeling.

In the morning, your car will drive you to Danang. On the way, you’ll cross the Hai Van mountain pass. The views from the top are excellent – you should be able to see Lang Co beach and village, and the lagoon far below, with Danang spread out before you to the south.
Upon arriving in Danang and a brief look at the remarkable Hindu statuary in the Cham Museum, you’ll arrive at Hoi An. After lunch, you’ll have a guided visit to the Ancient Town of Hoi An and spend the night in Hoi An.
Hoi An town is a UNESCO World Heritage area. An ancient trading port, once the largest in Indochina, Hoi An was a meeting point for many cultures that left their mark in the different architectural features of its wooden buildings. The original traditional street pattern still exists, as does the quay that once welcomed ships from all over East Asia and beyond. Many remained there for months at a time, waiting for favourable trade winds to carry them home.
There are plenty of good restaurants offering a variety of cuisines and price levels. The town is also a good place for shopping for silk. You can have your clothes tailor-made within a day or two at reasonable cost.

The day starts with cycling the narrow roads through the countryside, passing by rice paddy fields, water buffalos, bamboo bridges and local farmers on their daily work. You’ll then board a boat to the mouth of the Thu Bon estuary where the river meets the Cua Dai Sea and cruise along the coastline observing the lives of the local fishermen.
After joining the fisherman to try your hand at catching fish in a traditional ‘Thung Chai’ basket boat, you will meander through the water palm coconut canal. During the American War, Viet Cong soldiers made use of this area as a highly effective hiding place from enemy attacks through their long struggle. Following an insightful visit to a local fishing village, you’ll be free to relax and enjoy a fresh seafood lunch before cycling back to your hotel.
Thung Chai Basket boats, similar in style to coracles in use throughout the ancient world, are widely used throughout Central Vietnam, and are highly suited to the local terrain and lifestyles of local fishermen due to their relative light weight and portability, often doubling as a carrier for various handy items. Circular and constructed of bamboo and tarred for waterproofing, these small boats can typically carry up to five people, and represent a fun-filled opportunity to touch the authentic rural soul of Vietnam. As a precaution, life jackets are provided for your safety during this excursion.

The days will be free for strolling in the town, lazing on the beach, shopping in Ancient town or whatever takes your fancy. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

You’ll be free in the morning until your car and driver arrive to take you to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. When you arrive, a private car will be waiting to take you to your hotel in the city centre. After checking in, you’ll be free for a preliminary wander around District 1. In the afternoon your car will take you to the Spa Centre where you can relax by a body treatment with the hospital and technical staff. Your night will be in Ho Chi Minh City

Your time will be your own until your private car and driver arrives to take you to Tan Son Nhat airport for your departure flight.