VIETNAM CYCLING HOLIDAYS

Day 1-: HANOI CITY TOUR (D)

 Our guide and driver will meet you up at your hotel in Hanoi, start the day  by cyclo tour around Old Quarter, The tour will visit the Temple Of Literature, Vietnam’s first university. Constructed in 1070, the gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past. Having a walking tour in the old quarter to experience the thousand year old town. overnight in Ha Noi.

 

Welcome dinner at Little Ha Noi  restaurant ,99 TA Hien str. Lunch on your own until puppet show.

• Overnight at your hotel

 

DAY 2-:  HANOI-HALONG BAY(L,D)

After breakfast, we will continue our trip to Ha Long Bay. The trip will take you on a journey through the rich farmlands of the Red River Delta. Observe everyday life of Vietnamese Villages as you see the villagers work the local rice fields, take live pigs to market on bicycles and plough the fields with their large water buffaloes. Upon arrival in Halong, embark on one of the most beautiful junk, enjoy your maverlous cruise.

• Overnight on junk boat

 

DAY3-: HALONG BAY-HA NOI-HUE (B,L,D)

Waken up early to experience the maverlous HaLong bay, while having breakfast, cruising to Supprise cave, and visiting it.

On the way back to the quay, a brunch will be served. Then check out, disembark the boat. Driving back to Ha Noi about 2:30pm.Dinner will be on your own.

Hue is o-ne of the main cultural, religious and educational central of Vietnam. Hue become the nation’s capital under the Nguyen Dynasty when  Emperor Gia Long, the first of the Nguyen Emperors, chose the location for the imperial city 1802.The city remained vietnam’s capital until 1945,when Bao Dai, the last of the Nguyen Emperors, abbicated. Many of Hue’s attractions are found along the banks of the romantically named Perfume river that flows through the central town. on the north part of the Imperial is the Citadel, built in along the line of Peking’s Forbidden City, enclosed by 10mete thick walls and surrounded by a moat.A few kilometers futher up the river perhaps Hue’s best-masusoleums of the Ngyuen Emperors, more like palaces than tombs, are scattered around the rural areas surrounding the city .The mausoleums of Emperor Tu Duc, Khai Dinh are particulary impressive being extravagant complexes of pavilions, temples, courtyards and lakes.Hue is also the enormous producing the Non La or conical hats in Vietnam and the places to buy these is at the enormous Dong Ba Market.

Spend the morning cycling to some of these top sights, having lunch in town. In the afternoon board the train to Hue

• Overnight on train

 

Day 4-: Hue cycling back roads (cycle 30km)(B,L,D)

Arrive Hue at 8:00am, drive to hotel for breakfast. As it is not be possible to check in until 12, so let take a city tour to the Imperial citadel.

Enjoy a special lunch at a local restaurant near citadel, sample special Hue pancakes and more.

In the afternoon, cycle along the banks of the perfume river to Hue’s best known religious site-Thien Mu pagoda.

Continue on along country lanes accompanied only be light local traffic, hondas, bicycles, buffalos..

The ride will bring you to the tomb of Khaki Dinh with some sections of off roads through lush country side eventually looping back to hotel.

Hue is one of the main cultural, religious and educational centres of Vietnam. Hue became the nation’s capital under the Nguyen Dynasty when Emperor Gia Long, the first danasty of the Nguyen emperors, chose the location for the imperial city in 1802. The city remained Vietnam’s capital until 1945 when Bao Dai abdicated. Many of of Hue’s attractions are found along the banks of the river named Perfume such as: Thien Mu pagoda, Dong Ba Market, mausoleums of the Nguyen emperors, Imperial citadel..

• Overnight at Cheris Hotel in Hue

 

Day 5-: Hue-Hoi An(70km cycling)(B,L,D)

Riding as much or little as desire, drive by bus beyond the city limits of Hue 18km out to the coast( 20minutes only),begin riding along a track for 40kms along a pictures , very narrow penisular road from Thuan An beach to Vinh Loc. Stopping to explore the hundred of ancestral tombs scattered in the large sand dunes. At the end of the penisular, ride further 11km along this spectacular trail to loop to H1.

You will come back to the road after lunch in Lang Co beach, this time you will climb the famous hill-Hai Van or Pass of Ocean and Clouds.The new tunnel through the mountain is completed, so your 11km of hill will be less traffic, but when you get to the top , you will be reward a break taking view !

At the end of the hill , transfer to Hoi An, a delightful old trading town and UNESCO World Heritage site.

• Overnight at Hoi An Trails Resort

 

Day 6-: Hoi An at leisure in the morning – Quang Ngai (B,L,D)

The day is at leisure. alternatively take a bike ride to My Son Cham Tower located 70km from Hoi An or charter a local boat tour to the beautiful Cham island set in sprit time  seas and with a gorgeous deserted beach.. few tourists have yet visited this gem!

Hoi An is a living museum, once known as Faifo, Hoi An was one of the orient’s major trading ports in the 16^th-17^thcenturies.After the Thu Bon river linking Hoi An to the sea silted up,ocean going ships were no longer able to sail into town and trade moved 30km up the coast to Tourane(Da Nang today).Despite the pass 200 years and the ravages of weather and war,the central of Hoi An remains much the same as it was in its heyday. A walking tour is the best way to see the wooden –fronted houses that once belonged to the town’s prosperous merchants, the Japanese-covered Bridge and the wonderful market. Hoi An is one of the best places in Vietnam to shop for souvenirs at bargain prices including silk, handicrafts, antiques and paintings.

Five kilometers from the central of the town is Cua Dai beach, popular with both locals and visitors alike for its sandy beach, warm sea seafood stalls. Hoi An is known throughout Vietnam for its excellent seafood and it also boasts its own unique dishes such as Cao Lau, a delicious combination of noodles, port bean sprouts, mint and croutons.

Optional: Our guide is always free to take you on a bike ride to Cham holy land (45km bike ride)

 

Red bridge cooking class is also in plan to do.

• Overnight at Thien An Hotel

 

Day 7: QuangNgai-Qui Nhon (28miles cycling)(B,L,D)

A new day in the central of Vietnam, in a town without tourists return to the main road and drive southwards a short distance to a void the main traffic, cycle back roads to the coastal town of Qui Nhon, meeting friendly people along the journey. And stop at a minority ethnic group of Bana village, this is time to give out your unnessary things( cloths, pens books..) some things that you may don’t need, but people will like them.

The view and the road to day is just amazing, it seem like to be built for your cycling trip, mountain , hill, forest ,cows, children yelling and waving all along the way..

Our guide will arrange a BBQ luch for you if weather is good is enough.

• Overnight at Sea Gull 4 star hotel

 

Day 8: Qui Nhon-Whale Island(40miles cycling)(B,L,D)

Avoiding cycling on H1 we drive in the morning to the HON GOM penisualar, some 80km north of NhaTrang. Unloading the bikes we ride a short way past shrimp farms out along the penisular. Board a 15minutes boat to Whale island, an eco resort owned by a Frenchman and his Vietnamese wife. The island is small but there are plenty of optional activities to do such as catamaran sailing, snorkeling. relaxing, hiking the short nature trail around the island, and diving. The food is a fusion of French and Viet cuisine. Overnight in simple but very comfortable bungalows of Whale island.

• Overnight at Whale Island

 

Day 9: Whale island-Da Lat (12miles cycling)(B,L,D)

The boat trip will bring you back to your Van, heading to NhaTrang, turning off the H1.

Basket fishing boats, the most blue sea will be seen. The road is wide and quite, enjoy your ride with your pace, stop to take lots of photos you like.

 

Today’s the ride is predominantly uphill through pine forests ,villages and tea plantations as we go go nearly 1500m up to Dalat.

We are really ready to do this climb, we cycle with our biggest gears, we hit hill after hill..but our Van is always ready to support you or even give you a hitch hike if you surrender !

Or you can take half way up by Van and ride the rest to Da Lat. Remember that, the view today is amazing, gorgous, break taking, unbelievable..! when you get close to Da Lat, the weather is cooler and cooler, like a small town somewhere in Europe!

• Overnight at Da Lat Du Parc

 

 

Day 10: DA LAT-Ho Chi Minh city(18 miles biking)(B,L,D)

An early morning departure is necessary to get the riding of the trip completed. Dalat was established as a hill resort at the beginning of th last century by homesick French colonials who were attracted to its cool, spring- like weather, pine forests,water falls and lakes. Many reminders of Dalat’s colonial past can be seen in the hundreds of European style villas, chalets and other buildings still standing around town. One fine example is the cream-colored art deco villa that was onec the summer home of vietnam’s last emperor, BAO DAI. Another slightly grander example of Dalat’s colonial architecture is the superbly restored Dalat Palace Hotel overlooking the central Xuan Huong lake. On the opposite side of Xuan Huong Lake is Vietnam first golf course, originally built for Emperor Bao Dai and recently restored, it is now one of the top courses in the region. Apart from its colonial heritage Dalat is known in Vietnam for it market gardens growing, everything from carrots and cauliflowers to avacado and bananas as well as many varieties of flowers. For Vietnamese Dalat means romance, and with attractions like the valley of love it is the destination for choice for local honeymooners. A few kms from Dalat, at the base of Mount Langbian is the village of the Lat ethnic minority from whom Dalat takes its name. The Rugged country around Mount Lang offers some great off road and on road biking opportunities. From Dalat the fertile plateau of the Central High land stretches northwards for hundreds of kilometers.

The ride will be mostly downhill today, enjoy your cycling until lunch time, meet your Van, go for lunch and transfer to Ho Chi Minh city, and don’t forget to try the famous Vietnamese coffee in Bao Loc town.

Gala dinner at Indochine  restaurant or Indochine  cruise on Saigon river.

• Overnight at your hotel (book by yourself)

 

Tour end. Thank you very much !

 

 

INCLUSIVE

• English speaking guide for the whole trip
• A/C car for whole trip
• Boat in whale island
• Boat trip in Ha Long bay
• Train ticket from Ha Noi to Hue
• Snacks, water, fruits for the cycling days
• Meals as mentioned in the itineraries
• All sightseeing entrance fees
• Water-puppet show in Ha Noi.
• Accommodations
• Bikes for the cycling days
• Rickshaw ride in Ha Noi.

EXCLUSIVE

• Domestic/ International air tickets to/from Vietnam, tax.
• Visa to Vietnam. please assure to abtain visa before departure
• Extra drink during meals..
• Personal travel insurances
• Personal expenditures (telephone, laundry, shopping..)