Tours out of Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam
The length of Vietnam
Ten riding days, with the van behind you
Cycling is the best speed at which to see rural Vietnam, and the worst way to cover its length. So the bicycles come out where the riding is good and the van or a plane does the rest. Ten riding days, each graded, none over sixty kilometres.
Overview
How the riding works
Every riding day has a van behind the group carrying water, fruit, spares and your bags, and it will take you and your bicycle on board at any point, without any fuss. The riding guide sets the pace to the slowest rider and knows the back lanes. The distances are modest. What makes it demanding is heat and humidity, particularly in the delta, where 45 kilometres at 33 degrees feels like far more.
We grade each day: easy means flat and shaded with long stops; moderate means longer or hotter; hard means the Hai Van climb or rolling valley roads. Bicycles are good-quality hybrids or mountain bikes, fitted on day one; helmets are provided. Many riders bring their own saddle and pedals, which is worth doing.
- Length
- 14 days, 13 nights
- Riding days
- Ten, 30–60 km each
- Total
- About 410 km
- Biggest climb
- Hai Van pass, about 500 m
- Support
- Van, driver and riding guide
- Grade overall
- Demanding in the heat
Nights
Where you sleep
Day by day
Day by day
Day 1
Arrive in Saigon, fit the bikes
Setting up your bike
Pick-up, then bike fitting and a briefing in the late afternoon. Dinner with the riding guide.
Day 2
Ben Tre coconut lanes — easy, 40 km
The lanes after 15:00, when the heat drops
Two hours by van to Ben Tre, then flat, shaded lanes between coconut groves and small canals, with a lunch stop in a garden.
Day 3
Across the rivers to An Binh — moderate, 50 km
The ferries
Village roads west with two ferry crossings, finishing on the island opposite Vinh Long. Heat is the main difficulty; we start at 06:30.
Day 4
To Can Tho — easy, 35 km
Orchard paths
Island lanes in the morning, the van over the highway bridge, and a last stretch into Can Tho. Afternoon off.
Day 5
Floating market, fly north — rest day
Cai Rang at dawn
Cai Rang by boat at 05:30, the van to Saigon (about 3.5 hours) and an afternoon flight to Da Nang (about 1 hour 20 minutes). The bicycles stay in the south; a second set waits in Hoi An.
Day 6
Hoi An countryside — easy, 30 km
Cam Kim island
Tra Que, the river islands at Cam Kim by small ferry, and the coast road back. Flat all the way.
Day 7
Towards My Son — moderate, 45 km
Arriving at My Son by bicycle
Back roads inland through rice country to the Cham sanctuary, then the van back to Hoi An.
Day 8
The Hai Van pass — hard, 55 km
The summit, earned
Van to the foot of the pass, then the climb of about ten kilometres to the summit at around 500 metres, a fast descent to Lang Co, and the van on to Hue. Anyone can ride the descent only.
Day 9
The tombs of Hue — easy, 35 km
Minh Mang by the lake
Pine hills and quiet lanes between the tombs of Tu Duc and Minh Mang, and Thien Mu pagoda on the way back.
Day 10
Fly to Hanoi, drive to Ninh Binh — rest day
The first sight of the karsts
A flight of about 1 hour 10 minutes, and two hours south to Ninh Binh. A third set of bicycles is ready there.
Day 11
Tam Coc and Van Long — easy, 45 km
Van Long wetland by boat
Flat riding between limestone towers and rice fields, a rowing boat at Van Long, and lunch in a village.
Day 12
Into the hills to Mai Chau — moderate, 35 km
The drop into the valley
Van for two and a half hours west, then a rolling ride down into the Mai Chau valley and its White Thai villages.
Day 13
Mai Chau valley — moderate, 40 km, then Hanoi
The last ride
A loop of the valley floor and the smaller side valleys with some short climbs, lunch, and the van to Hanoi, about four hours.
Day 14
Departure
Legs that know where they have been
Transfer to Noi Bai.
Price
Price
| Travellers | Tier 1 — simple | Tier 2 — comfortable | Tier 3 — the good ones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 travelling | from 2195 | from 2745 | from 4170 |
| 4 travelling | from 1800 | from 2250 | from 3420 |
| 6 travelling | from 1625 | from 2030 | from 3085 |
The price includes three sets of bicycles, a riding guide and a van for each region, which is why it costs more than a car-based trip of the same length. The more riders, the more of that is shared. Bringing your own bicycle does not make it cheaper; it makes the logistics harder.
Included
What is included
What the price includes
- Hybrid or mountain bike, helmet and repair kit in each region
- Riding guide and support van with driver on every riding day
- Our own team in the south; partner cycling teams in the centre and north
- Thirteen nights: hotels in your tier, a homestay and a stilt house
- Both internal flights, meals as listed, water and fruit on the rides
What it does not include
- International flights and visas
- Travel insurance that covers cycling
- Drinks, tips and meals not listed
- Your own pedals, saddle or shoes if you prefer them
Timing
When to ride
● ideal · ◐ workable · ○ poor.
February and March are the months for this ride. The delta is dry and at the cooler end of its year, the centre is dry and around 25 degrees, and the northern valleys are warming up without the summer heat. Late January and early April are fine too. From May, riding in the delta at 35 degrees stops being enjoyable, and in the north the humidity becomes a serious problem by June.
October and November suit the northern end very well but cross the central storm season; we run a north-first version then, with the Hai Van day marked as weather-dependent. December and January are cold and often damp in the northern valleys.
Not for everyone
Who this does not suit
If you have not ridden 40 kilometres in a day recently, train before you come or choose a single-region cycling trip first. Road cyclists wanting long days and fast tarmac will be frustrated: these are village lanes, shared with motorbikes, buffaloes and children on their way to school. And it does not suit anyone who hates heat. The delta days are hot even in February, and the van exists because some afternoons defeat everyone.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Can non-riding partners come?
Yes. They travel in the van and meet the riders at lunch and at the hotel. Some ride the easy days only.
Are e-bikes available?
In Hoi An and Ninh Binh, usually yes, if we arrange it early. In the delta the supply is patchy, and we will tell you honestly when you book.
How busy are the roads?
The lanes are quiet by Vietnamese standards. Wherever the route would join a main highway, the van takes over.
Related
Read next
Southern Vietnam
Mekong Delta
Canals, floating markets and orchards — done properly.
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Central Vietnam
Hoi An
Old town, beach, tailors and the honest timing.
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Northern Vietnam
Ninh Binh
Karst, rivers and rice fields ninety minutes from Hanoi.
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Northern Vietnam
Hanoi
The capital: Old Quarter, food, and the northern base.
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Example journey
Vietnam with children
Saigon, a beach week near Hoi An, Hanoi and the bay, with short drives.
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Tours
Tours
Day trips, regional routes and full-length itineraries.
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Start planning
Tell us about the trip you have in mind
Dates, party size and the places you care about are enough to start. You get a draft route and an indicative price, not a brochure.
Or talk to us:+84 766 045 399