Vietnam Active Mountain Bike Adventure

Duration : 12 Days (7 days cycling)
Start & Finish : Hanoi
Skill Level :
Support : Support vehicle, guide, bike trailer & bike mechanic
Group Size : min 3 / max 10
Best Time : October to May

A 12 Day MTB tour pedaling off the beaten routes through Hilltribe villages and kayaking the hidden lagoons of Bai Tu Long Bay.

This is an amazing mountain bike tour...prepare to be challenged and awe-inspired by the vast and diverse beauty, mountain biking in Vietnam. Welcome to a world where the colours are more vivid, where the landscapes are bolder, the coastline more dramatic, where the history is more compelling, where the tastes are more divine. This the mountain bike trip to Vietnam you have been dreaming of!!!

Most travellers to Vietnam are attracted by the country's wonderful natural beauty. From green rice fields dotted with the conical hats of workers in Vietnam's north stretching to the fascinating bustle of the Mekong Delta in the south. Welcome to a world where the colours are more vivid, where the landscapes are bolder, the coastline more dramatic, where the history is more compelling, where the tastes are more divine, where life is lived in the fast lane. This world is Vietnam, the latest Asian dragon to awake from its slumber.

Nature has blessed Vietnam with a bountiful harvest of soaring mountains, a killer coastline and radiant rice fields, Vietnam is a cracker. Inland, peasant women in conical hats still tend to their fields, children ride buffalos along country paths and minority people scratch out a living from impossible gradients.

Our tour focuses on the northern part of Vietnam, off the main beaten track of the general tourist rush where a rider will experience the dramatic natural beauty of this awesome country. Interactions with remote mountain tribes serves to highlight the fabulous cultural experiences each person will.

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrival (D)
Day 2: Hanoi city tour. Night train to Lao Cai (B-L-D)
Day 3: Lao Cai- Bat Xat. Homestay (B-L-D)
Day 4: Bat Xat- Sapa (B-L)
Day 5: Sapa- Ban Ho valley- Sapa (B-L)
Day 6: Sapa- Heaven gate biking route- Than Thuoc (B-L-D)
Day 7: Than Thuoc- Than Uyen (B-L-D)
Day 8: Than Uyen- Lao Cai. Night train to Hanoi (B-L-D)
Day 9: Hanoi- Halong (B-L-D)
Day 10: Bai Tu Long (B-L-D)
Day 11: Halong- Hanoi (B)
Day 12: Departure (B)

TOUR COST
The cost of this tour is dependent on group size and is quoted in South African Rand for South African clients and in USD for foreign clients per person sharing.

Single supplement will be an additional R1,570 (USD = $198) per person

*Please note :
A group size less than 3 persons OR greater than 10 persons will be quoted separately
Quotes will be supplied for personally customized tours and additional activities not included in the tour price
Tour prices are subject to change due to international exchange rates

Day 1: Arrival (D)
On arrival to Hanoi airport, after clearing the Immigration formalities you are transferred to the city for check-in at your hotel. In the afternoon you will take a tour of the Hanoi old quarter whilst in the evening after dinner, you will be treated to a traditional water puppet show. Overnight in La Dolce Vita (Superior room or similar)

Day 2: Hanoi city tour. Night train to Lao Cai (B-L-D)
After having breakfast at your hotel, you will have another chance to discover the delights of Hanoi which include the Ho Chi Minh complex (Mausoleum, museum & his house on stilts) and see beautiful French architecture of many important buildings used by the government. You will then visit the lotus-shaped One Pillar Pagoda which emerges from the water and rests on a single stone pillar. This temple contains the statue of the Goddess of Mercy with its legendary “thousand arms and a thousand eyes”. You will then visit the Temple of Literature then have lunch at the Koto Restaurant where Hanoi orphans and street children are trained to become professional waiters and chefs. In the afternoon, we will complete our day with the most beautiful museum called Ethnology museum which you can get an idea about 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam and visit some typical rebuilt houses at the outdoor museum. We finish early today so you can have time to rest and prepare for the long biking trip up North. Overnight on train (soft sleeper- 4 people sharing a cabin)

Day 3: Lao Cai- Bat Xat. Homestay (B-L-D)
This morning you arrive early at Lao Cai railway station where you will have breakfast before driving to the town of Bat Xat and gear up for an amazing adventure up front. Discover the authentic hill tribe life in the Muong Hum area, the most remote village of the whole area nestled near the Chinese border. In the afternoon you will bike up to Y- Ty, the hidden village where you will be welcomed by the many H’mong and Ha Nhi people, many of them seeing for the first time people cycling on the mountain up to their “village in the sky”. You will cycle to Muong Hum and experience a homestay night with the locals.

Day 4: Bat Xat- Sapa (B-L)
If it happens to be a Sunday, you will join the small but charming market of the H’mong people in Muong Hum before a challenging day on the back route to the hill-station of Sapa. Today you will bike the hidden high country road along the Chinese border with deep blue skies and fluffy white clouds, winding your way uphill through unspoilt forests and through the remote H’mong village. We arrive at Sapa in the afternoon, check in and rest. This evening is for you to discover the town on your own. Overnight in Bamboo hotel in Sapa – Superior room or similar

Day 5: Sapa- Ban Ho valley- Sapa (B-L)
This is a day trip with mixture of dirt road, single track, trekking with the bike and experiencing the steep down hills. You will be walking and cycling from one village to another, sometimes the trails running through a local’s backyard (Don't worry, those guys don't mind it at all). If you happen to be first rider into a village, watch their jaws drop to the ground in amazement - but by the time the last rider has passed through, everyone has come out of their houses and are jumping up and down with excitement ......
Overnight in Bamboo hotel in Sapa – Superior room or similar

Day 6: Sapa- Heaven gate biking route- Than Thuoc (B-L-D)
After an early breakfast, gear up for your exciting ride. 8am - It’s a tough climb out of Sapa to Heaven's Gate, so your support vehicle will transfer you to the starting point at the Silver Waterfall. A 3km climb (30-60 mins) over the stunning Tram Ton Pass (the highest in Indochina) provides great views of the Hoang Lien Valley before a free-wheeling 26km (1.5hrs) glide to Binh Lu Junction. Heading off the main road, ride 20km of occasionally rocky road to Than Thuoc, a charming little tea town where you'll spend the night in a local guesthouse.

Day 7: Than Thuoc- Than Uyen (B-L-D)
Your support vehicle will transfer you up a steep mountain pass to the starting point to glide 20kms down to Than Uyen through valleys of old growth forest, tea plantations and rice paddies. After lunch in Than Uyen, spend a wonderful afternoon exploring single track trails and visiting villages of local ethnic minority communities, including the interesting Lu with their distinctively black teeth. Arrive back in Than Uyen for dinner and overnight in the local guesthouse.

Day 8: Than Uyen- Lao Cai. Night train to Hanoi (B-L-D)
A 40km ride around the other side of the spectacular Muong Kim Valley provides plenty of time to stop and take pictures of the local sights. Arrive in Van Ban for a late lunch before taking the support vehicle back to Lao Cai. Freshen up with a shower in Lao Cai before heading out for dinner en route to catch your train. Overnight on train (soft sleeper- 4 people sharing a cabin)

Day 9: Hanoi- Halong (B-L-D)
Upon arrival in Hanoi, you’ll transferred to the Tamarind café for a light breakfast and refreshments before leaving Hanoi for HaLong city through the Red River Delta stopping off along the way. You will arrive at Halong City at about 12h30 and start cruising towards Bai Tu Long Bay while you check in your cabin. A fresh local seafood lunch will be served on board (vegetarians catered for) while you embark on a cruise into the Holy bay to see the incredible karst formations. After learning the basic paddle strokes and information about your paddling route, it’s time to start exploring the amazing limestone karst formations. A fresh seafood dinner is served onboard and then it’s an overnight experience aboard the boat.

Day 10: Bai Tu Long (B-L-D)
The whole day is spent paddling and exploring the Bay at your leisure. Have a closer look at the amazing karsts. There are plenty of deserted beaches out there just for you. Cruise to overnight spot for one more night in Halong bay.

Day 11: Halong- Hanoi (B)
Early risers can have a swim or enjoy a morning view of the Bay’s landscape with a cup of tea or coffee, fresh fruits and cake. Sitting on the upper deck, you can enjoy the breath-taking beauty of the rocky islands rising from the crystal-clear water of the Bay, then explore Sung Sot (Amazing) cave, swimming and relaxing at Soi Sim beach. As the junk cruises back to Ha Long City, brunch will be served. Check out is at 11:35 with the boat arriving back at the harbour by 12:00. Drive back to Hanoi, arriving around 4pm. Overnight in Maison D’Hanoi – ROH room

Day 12: Departure (B)
Breakfast, then take the bus to the airport to catch the flight home. Please be informed that check-out time is by 12.00. Tour ends.

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

• Local English speaking guide as per program
• Private transportation with air-con
• Accommodation with daily breakfast
• Train ticket Hanoi- Lao Cai- Hanoi (soft sleeper- 4 people sharing one cabin)
• Mountain bike and gears (currently use Trek 4500 bikes)
• Kayaks and gears
• Meals as dedicated (B- Breakfast, L- lunch, D- dinner)
• Entrance fees, permits and water puppet tickets
• Private boat trip in Halong bay with Huong Hai Deluxe Junk
• Drinking water and snack

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED?

• International flights to and from Hanoi
• Airport taxes
• Visas
• Other meals,
• Tips
• Drinks
• Single room supplement
• Personal expenses
• Any optional additional tours or activities during free time
• Late check out from the hotels
• Things not mentioned in the above list.

Please email us to book this trip.