VIETNAM INSIGHTS BIKING

Welcome at Noi Bai International Airport by our English speaking tour guide and private transferred to Hanoi city center for hotel checking-in.
At 16:00, meet your tour guide and drive to Hanoi Old quarter. Have an overall view of the capital by a “electric car” visit, which will go through the fascinating network of narrow alleys and shop houses also known as ‘The 36 Streets’ – each street being named after the merchandise traditionally sold there, ranging from fabrics to crafts and from medicines to tombstones. Drop by at Ngoc Son Temple located on the Hoan Kiem Lake. Welcome dinner at the local restaurant. Overnight in Hanoi.
Note: Normal check in time at hotel is 14:00 – 15:00, early check in is subject to availability

Cycling data - Total distance of cycling: 40-50 km - Rural paths and river dyke - Support truck: Yes.
Cycling duration: 5  – 6 hours. Hard Level: Easy/moderate
Start your interesting biking trip from Long Bien Market, we cycle along Long Bien Bridge to across the Red River heading outskirt of Hanoi. Long Bien Bridge is a historical site and a signature of Hanoi, built under French colonial time with more than 100 years old. After that keep cycling along the red river dike to the countryside, the scenery of green farm, rice paddy fields, and people working on their farm appear on your sight. Stop to visit a traditional wet market where you will have unique experience of how a local market is in the remote area, interact with the local and buy some fruits if you want. We then continue biking through the dirt roads and rural village to reach Co Loa ancient citadel, was built in 275 BC, where you will have some knowledge about a period of Vietnam history, learn the way of set-up and keeping the country as well as flighting against foreign invaders of Kind An Duong Vuong. After that, we visit a fruit garden and cycle back to downtown for lunch at local restaurants with the typical dishes of Hanoi.
Afternoon visit Hoa Lo Prison, also known as Maison Centrale, well-known as one of the most inhuman prisons with terrified punishment. In this prison, you’ll see the horrified iron shackles and many artifacts and photographs of prisoners who are wearing leg chains. Prisoners often starved, tortured, are always beaten and isolated.
Tasting Vietnamese Coffee on train street will be an exotic experience that you must try during your city tour. Savor a cup of strong flavor authentic coffee with condense milk (hot or with ice) while seeing the train running thru the narrow street that you almost can touch will assure you a second to none experience. Return to your hotel and stay overnight in Hanoi.
 

Cycling data - Total distance of cycling: 30 km - Rural paths and river dyke - Support truck: Yes.
Cycling duration: 2.5 – 3 hours. Hard Level: Easy
Enjoy breakfast in the hotel. At 8:00 am, you check out the hotel and meet our tour guide, then private transfer to Tam Coc. You go on boating in 2 hours across Ngo Dong river with rice fields, rural villages, karst moutains and caves. Enjoy lunch at local restaurant in Tam Coc.
Afternoon you cycle from Tam Coc along the river dyke and rural villages to Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam. You will be excited because the offroad route is very typical for rural villages in North Vietnam with lush rice fields, tranquil bamboo trees, communal houses, children jumping onto the river, buffalo swimming in damp.
End at Hoa Lu ancient capital in the 10th century, home to 3 dynasties and 6 kings. You visit King Dinh temple and Kindg Le temple. Know more about Vietnamese history.
Drive back to Hanoi. Check in day-use hotel to fresh up before transferring to Hanoi Railway Station to catch a night train to Lao Cai. Stay overnight on train (4-berth cabin with AC)
 

Cycling data
Distance 25  - 30 km
Elevation gain: 490m
Elevation lost: 855m
Highest elevation: 1010m
You will arrival early in the morning in Lao Cai, have breakfast and transfer to Sapa. The drive is approximately 1 hour.
The amazing and challenging mountain biking tour starts from Sapa by a transfer downhill on a windy road running along Muong Hoa valley, which is home to Black H’mong, Giay and Red Dao minorities. From the road you will have many opportunities to enjoy amazing scenery of mountains and rice paddy terraces. Upon arrival in Su Pan, you will get on the bikes and cycle downhill on a paved road, some parts are bumpy. Before noon, your ride will be more challenging with about 10km up and down. The view is still amazing with the Muong Bo River snaking in the bottom of the valley. You will soon reach the Thanh Phu Bridge, where you take a short heartbreaking ascent and arrive at the Thanh Phu village of Tay minority. Here you will have lunch while experience the friendly atmosphere of the Tay people.
In the afternoon, keep pedaling along the rocky road to My Son Village, home to Xa Pho ethnic group. Spend half an hour exploration this captivating village before continuing our adventure to Nam Cang Commune, 10 km away. The area is dominant by the Red Dao minorities people who lives in a scenic village. The route offers stunning views of Nam Sai Valley, paddies rice fields, waterfall. Late afternoon, picked up and transferred by bus back to Sapa town to stay overnight.
 

Approx: 10 - 12 km walking/ 5 - 6 hours/ 1.5 hours driving/ 1 hour for lunch. Supported van: yes
9.00 am: The car will drive you heading north of Sapa, along the way you can admire the majestic Fansipan Mountain and the beautiful valley. It is also a famous area for farming vegetables and flowers. Getting closer to Ban Khoang village is the amazing view of the valley, from the high road you can take some great photos and be impressed by how beautiful the landscape is. You will then stop for an easy walk to visit the village of Red Dao ethnic at Ban Khoang. The Red Dao women are very skillful at making their own embroidery as well as how beautiful their traditional costume. For hundreds of years of living in the mountain, the people here still maintain their culture of farming rice using buffalo and keep their own self-sufficient system.
Leave Ban Khoang and process to Ta Phin Village, well known for its pristine and stunning natural beauty and home to Hmong and Red Dao people. Once arriving at the village, the charming H’Mong women in their colorful traditional costumes may capture your heart at first sight. The H’mong ethnic is famous for making their clothes from hemp and dying with indigo plants. Admire the breathtaking scenery of mountains and rice field. The walk here is an opportunity to explore the village and enjoy the valley view. You might see some free-range animals running around or people working in their fields such as planning or harvesting rice. 
You will have transfer to Lao Cai station in the late afternoon, have shower time (shower cost included). Dinner at local restaurant before the night train back to Hanoi.
 

Cycling data - Total distance of cycling: 20 km - Road surfaces: Backroads & Asphalt city road – Support truck: No. Cycling duration: 2.5 – 3 hours. Hard Level: Easy.
Upon arrival in Hanoi, picked up and transferred for breakfast at a local restaurant with a very typical PHO – Noodle with chicken or beef. Banh Mi (bread) is also a recommendation if you want to try. After breakfast, transfer to your hotel for leaving luggage.
At 8:00am we will begin a fascinating day with visits to the Ho Chi Minh Complex, inclusive of Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (outside for taking photos only), Ho Chi Minh Museum, the simple but elegant House-on-stilts of Ho Chi Minh, and the One-pillar pagoda since 1049 AD. Reach the Temple of Literature the 1st social university of Vietnam. Lunch at local restaurant.
Afternoon, let’s warm-up our biking tour by cycling around the West Lake, the largest lake of Hanoi. West Lake is also a religious area of the city with dozens of pagodas, temples and old villages. Our guide and driver will take you to the West Lake, where a truck with your bikes is waiting for you. The first stop is Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest pagoda of North Vietnam founded 1,400 years ago during Kind Ly Nam De empire. Continue riding to West Lake Palace “Phu Tay Ho” worshipping Mother of Goddess, 1 of 4 most legendary characters of Vietnam. Also cycling to Lotus Pond, lotus is the national flower to take photos during sunset (best time from July to October). End the round 18km, transfer to your hotel. Check in and relax. Overnight in Hanoi.
Note: This cycling round doesn’t require stamina so you please avoid wearing tight and short clothes like short skirts or short clothes when visiting pagodas/temples. Also don’t make noise when you’re in the pagodas.
 

Breakfast at hotel.
At 9am, head East for about 3 hours to Halong Bay, the pride of the Gulf of Tonkin, a Natural World Heritage as designated by UNESCO in 1994 and 2006. Upon arrival in Halong, check in the overnight cruise to discover the magnificent beauty of this “Descending-dragon” bay, created by thousands odd-shaped limestone rocks and karst grottoes. After a lunch on board, we can visit the Grottos, stop for swimming or kayaking, passing floating houses and approach islets to enjoy their beauty in close distance. Back to the cruise, enjoy cooking demonstration before having dinner. Evening attend activities on the boat or relax at your own leisure. Overnight on the cruise. 
Please note the program may be little varied upon the cruise you choose. 

You should wake up early to enjoy the dawn on the sea in the early morning. The Vietnamese call the "East Sea" by a point-oriented name "Eastern Sea", so you may guess how miraculous seeing the sunrise over the islets of the Bay. After breakfast our boat will continue to cruise in marvelous areas, where almost each islet has its own name, adopting its shape or reminiscent like Sail Island, Fisherman’s head rock, Butterfly rock or Turtle islet etc. Check out your room and have brunch on board while the cruise coming back the pier. Disembark from the cruise, transfer back to Hanoi. Check in hotel and spend the rest of the day at your own exploration of this charming city. Overnight in Hanoi.

Note: Day 9: Hanoi – Departure [B]
Breakfast at hotel. Your time at leisure for relax or own sightseeing, shopping until transferring to the airport for the departure flight home.

Extension to Central and South
Day 8: Flight Hanoi to Danang – Transfer to Hoian 
After Halong Bay cruise, transfer to the airport to catch a flight to Danang. Upon arrival, welcomed by the local tour guide and transfer to check in hotel in Hoian. Overnight in Hoian.
 

This morning, we will cycle to the isolated and remote villages on the other riverbank. Just a kilometer from Hoian bustling town, we will discover a tranquil area with boat-making factories, old brickyard, bamboo bridges, local sampans and fishing villages. Pedal on small tracks thru ricefields to the rivergate where we take another ferry back to Cua Dai beach.
Have lunch at a local restaurant by the river.
Afternoon, you take interesting walk over the tile-roofed Japanese Bridge, visit taciturn Chinese Assembly Halls, enjoy the attractiveness of ancient houses or listen to folk music of Central Vietnam at old club-houses. Later we can stop at shrines or stroll into the market located by Thu Bon river, where you may find the same feelings of the artists, who see the rooftops of Hoian a magical old world of Oriental feel and source of inspiration. This is also a wonderful town to shop for lanterns, soft silk, raw silk, or get your clothes tailored within a day. Evening, amaze the town lighten up with thousands of colorful lanterns and night market by the River. Overnight in Hoian.

This morning, we transfer to a local fishing village. Learn about the daily life of Vietnamese fishermen, their families and their community. Board on boat and commence cruising on the Cua Dai River. Join local fisherman on the river and enjoy hands on experience of round net or cast net. Learn how to paddle the Vietnamese unique bamboo basket boat. Explore the now tranquil coconut-palm flanked waterways of a past war and hear of the extreme conditions endured by soldiers of both sides. Back on-board, we will take the boat to Tra Que herb village to enjoy a Complimentary Traditional Fisherman’s Lunch prepared by our chef.
After lunch, cycling around the village before continueing to Thanh Ha Pottery Village located by Thu Bon River where you will visit a space of traditional occupational village preserved intact in cultural scenery such as: banian tree, dock, communal house, religious monuments and directly enjoy clever, skillful hands of the potters producing high quality utensils. You will also have chance to do some pottery product with the guide of the locals and of course you can keep it as a gilf of this land. Back to the town in the evening. Dinner at your own arrangement. Overnight at hotel in Hoian.
 

Cycling data: Total distance of cycling: 70 – 100 km – Backroads & City roads - Support truck: Yes. Cycling duration: 6 – 7 hours. Hard level: Easy/Moderate
After breakfast, we ride on a bike to My Son sanctuary via one of the most scenic and tranquil route offering the sights of rural villages with rice paddies, lotus farms, corn fields, rivers, boats, and a bamboo bridge also. Along the way, you have a chance to catch up with the local people, learning their daily life and work. Upon arrival, we can discover the hidden treasure of the Cham culture that once brightfully developed in the area of present Central Vietnam. Thanks to the beauty and secrets of building the Cham Towers hereby, My Son had been also designated by UNESCO as one of the five World Heritages in Vietnam. After the visit, a short drive to the pier where you will embark on a boat back to Hoian town. On the way, stop to visit Kim Bong Carpentry village. Overnight in Hoian.
 

Cycling data - Total distance of cycling: 40 km - Backroads & Asphalt road - Support truck: Yes. Cycling duration: 5 – 6 hours. Hard level: Easy/Moderate
Have breakfast at hotel then check out. Transfer to Danang, 30km from Hoian. After leaving your luggage at hotel, let start the biking tour to Son Tra Peninsula.
Son Tra Peninsula is 10km from the center of Da Nang City to the North-east and is 693m high above sea level. It is considered as the gift of God to the Central land. It is famous for its plentiful plants and fauna as well as the attractive scenery. Legend has it that the scenery is so romantic even fairies came from heaven to Son Trafor for singing, dancing and playing chess so Son Tra is also called Tien Sa (Fairies’ landing place).
Start our exciting trip today along the bank of Han River in the cool and fresh air. After a few minutes leisure biking, we across the Han River bridge considered as one of landmarks of Danang City that specially beautiful at night time to reach the palm-shaded beach. En route, we don’t miss the chance for shooting the stunning pictures of landscape and seascape and the fishing village nearby. We enjoy the biking on the zigzag paths with many stunning sights of jungles, waterfalls and beaches. Stop to visit Linh Ung Pagoda, where the huge Goddess of Mercy statue towers over Non Nuoc Beach. From here enjoy the panorama view of Danang and the East Sea. Continue biking along the very beautiful road hugging the shore to Marble mountain or Ngu Hanh Son Mountain (Five Elements Moutains), home to several Buddhist and Hindu grottoes. Spending your time walking up to a stairway of 156 steps leads to the summit of Thuy Son, the only marble mountain accessible to visitors. It allows a wide panoramic view of the surrounding area and the other marble mountains. From here cycling back to the city center. If time permit, we visit Cham Museum, the marvelous museum which tells us in advance about the Cham Culture, once brightened in Central Vietnam. Return to your hotel. Rest of the day, enjoy the beach. Overnight in Danang.
 

Cycling data - Total distance of cycling: 50 - 70 km - Backroads & Asphalt road - Support truck: Yes. Cycling duration: 6 – 8 hours. Hard level: Moderate
Have breakfast at hotel then check out. Today we depart for Hue conquering the most scenic and challenging route of Hai Van Pass.
Start on the beach with easy biking in warm fresh air. After a few kilometers, break with a photo shoot at a picturesque fishing village. Then start the moderate terrain ride along zigzag paths with stunning views, jungles, waterfalls and beaches. The 10-kilometer steep ride up to the summit of Hai Van Pass culminates in breathtaking views. After a rest on the summit, enjoy an exciting downhill ride to the scenic Lap An Lagoon and Lang Co Beach for Lunch.
Then, following a quiet narrow path, bike north-east on gentle rolling terrain along the well-known Tam Giang Lagoon, across bridges, beautiful fishing villages with friendly and hospitable locals. Dismounting, you will get deep insight the local  fishing life by touching fishing boats, nets, traps and other tools and interacting with fishermen.
 

After breakfast, start biking tour to visit the old capital city.
Being recognized by UNESCO as the 1st Cultural World Heritage for Vietnam, Hue is highlighted by the old royal architectural works and the most traditional Vietnamese lifestyle. We will discover the charm of the city from the Royal Citadel, Forbidden City, Hue Royal Museum. We then keep pedaling along the river bank to visit Thien Mu pagoda, the iconic of Hue city, settled on the hill overlooking to Perfume River. Continue biking trip to Thuy Bieu Village where your lunch will be prepared at the local  family. Relax your feet in a herbal bath. Post lunch, cycling to explore the villages’ highlights including garden houses, an ancient ancestral temple, paper painting family, joss paper making family where you will have chance to chat with the local family and learn more about the traditional custom and use of joss paper. Leave Thuy Bieu village, we keep biking to Thuy Xuan incence making village. If time permits, visit Tu Duc King’s Tomb before driving back to your hotel. Dinner at your own arrangement to explore the local cuisine.  Overnight in Hue.
 

Have breakfast then check out. Transfer to the airport to take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City, the biggest metropolis of Vietnam with a dynamic pace of life. The city is also called as Saigon by many locals. Upon arrival, welcomed by the local tour guide and transfer to downtown. 
Afternoon, start the sightseeing to visit the Reunification Palace, the witness of the fierce Vietnam War ended in 1975. The grand building today is a Museum and Hall of official receptions. Nearby the Palace are the Notre Dame Cathedral (view from outside only), built between 1877 and 1883 and colonial-styled Central Post Office, one of the city’s major landmarks. Coming to the War Remnants Museum, you can learn a part of how Vietnamese had struggled and fought for their independence, freedom, and peace of the nation and the locals' perspective of the Vietnam War. The exhibits, such as weapons, documents, and photographs, display in the museum are firm evidence of war crimes in Vietnam and speak for the heroic actions of the former Vietnamese generation. Then visit Ben Thanh market, a symbol of the City.
Evening, transfer to the boat station to embark on a cruise and savor a lavish dinner while the cruise gentle gliding on Saigon River; indulging in a romantic atmosphere with the sound of folk music and dancing performances; from a close distance, you will see a magical Saigon twinkle in nighttime reflecting on the river. Transfer back to your hotel for overnight.
 

In the morning, picked up at your hotel and transfer to Saigon Waterbus Station and embark on the luxury speedboat to depart for Cu Chi. Enjoy snacks on board with cake, water, seasonal fruits while witnessing the daily life of the local people living along the river banks. Here we come Cu Chi Tunnels after more than one hour moving, disembark and start the sightseeing.
Cu Chi Tunnels is an immense network of tunnels underground with more than 200km length including infirmary, many rooms, kitchens, storages, working rooms, roads underground. It was the haven of thousands of Vietnamese soldiers and people during the resistance and excellent way to move underground without being detected by American forces. Upon arrival, you will watch a short documentary film about the tunnels presenting the legendary history and how fierce the war was in this area. After that discover the tunnels systems including weapon factory, American tank, huge bomb craters, kitchens, different kinds of traps, and crawl under the tunnels for your own experience. There is also an option of gun shooting in the same area if you want to try (at your own cost). At 11:45, finish your tour, have Vietnamese traditional lunch before returning downtown. The rest of the day is your free time for own sightseeing. Overnight in HCMC.
 

Breakfast at the hotel. Time at leisure until check out time and transfer to the airport for the departure flight back to your sweet home.

Please note: Normal check-out time at hotel is 11:00/12:00. Late check-out is not included.