Vietnam South to North: Saigon to Hanoi Cycling Tour

Day 1: ARRIVAL (HO CHI MINH CITY – SAIGON)

No cycling

Meals provided: Welcome dinner

Accommodation: not included

Airport transfer upon request. On your first day in Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, you will meet the Mr. Biker team of guides, mechanics, and drivers who will support you throughout your exciting adventure from Saigon to Hanoi.

A bike fitting is scheduled at 4PM (Mr Biker Trung Son: 24 Street No.6, Trung Son Residence, Binh Chanh District) followed by a welcome dinner where you’ll meet the cycling tour guides and support crew for your tour.

Day 2: SAIGON – DA LAT

Cycling distance: 30km

Meals provided: lunch

Accommodation: TTC Hotel Da Lat

We will take an early flight to Da Lat lasting 1 hour.

After arrival and check-in at your hotel, you will take a relaxing ride along the lakeshore roads in the shadow of Mount Langbian discovering the region’s distinctive European influences, mountain scenery, and temperate climate.

In the evening, you will have the chance to explore Da Lat to try its local cuisine at the night market.

Day 3: DA LAT – HON GIAO PASS – NHA TRANG

Cycling distance: 100km

Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Navada Beach Hotel

Today is the first major cycling day on the tour, with a distance of 100 km covered.

After breakfast, you will transfer to Bi Doup Mountain outside of Dalat. Climbing up the hilly terrain is a challenge, but it is absolutely worth it as you are then rewarded with a 30km descent with unforgettable views of the mountains, forests, waterfalls, and ethnic villages below. After a well-deserved lunch, we will follow the flat roads towards the coast, finishing the day with a transfer to Nha Trang (approx. 1 hour) where you will be able to rest your legs.

Day 4: NHA TRANG – PHU YEN

Cycling distance: 80 km

Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch

Accommodation: Sala Tuy Hoa Beach Hotel

In the morning, we’ll cycle to the Po Nagar Cham Towers built in AD 781, one of Vietnam’s oldest historical sites. After the visit, you will ride towards Vietnam’s Highway No. 1 where we will transfer 80 km to the Hon Gom peninsula.

For the second part of the day, you will cycle along the peninsula past the shrimp farms and the largest rice paddies of central Vietnam to Phu Yen.

Day 5: PHU YEN – QUY NHON

Cycling distance: 65 km

Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch

Accommodation: Seagull Hotel

After breakfast, we will cycle along the coast to Quy Nhon, the capital city of the province. Throughout the day, you will see the province’s main economic activity: fishing. In particular, you will get a chance to see the region’s iconic basket-shaped fishing boats as you enter Quy Nhon, where you will spend the night.

Day 6: RELAX IN QUY NHON

No cycling

Meals provided: Breakfast

Accommodation: Seagull Hotel

A rest day allows you to kick back and relax on the beach. Breakfast is provided at your hotel.

Day 7: QUY NHON – QUANG NGAI

Cycling distance: 80 km

Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Thien An Riverside Hotel

After breakfast, you will van transfer outside of the city to avoid the bustling rush hour traffic. The remainder of the morning will be an 80km ride offering a view of coastlines as well as the local countryside. You will be able to observe the local shrimp and salt farms and meet friendly farmers along the way. After lunch at a local restaurant, you will take a scenic drive (transfer) to your hotel in Quang Ngai.

Day 8: QUANG NGAI – MY LAI MASSACRE – HOI AN

Cycling distance: 60 km

Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch

Accommodation: Lavini Boutique Villa

The first stop will be a guided tour at My Lai, the site of one of the greatest atrocities committed during the Vietnam War.

After My Lai, you will cycle along quiet village roads, past rice paddies, and through small fishing villages filled with colorful boats.

After lunch, you will transfer to Hoi An, a mid-sized village and UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its preserved architecture, unique atmosphere, distinctive buildings, and its colorful lanterns illuminating the Hoi An Old Town at night.

The evening will be yours to start exploring this amazing town. Dinner on your own.

Day 9 - REST DAY IN HOI AN

No cycling

Meals provided: Breakfast

Accommodation: Lavini Boutique Villa

A rest day allows riders to relax and see more of Hoi An at their own pace - enjoy the history, the local markets, or simply take it easy on the beach. Do not hesitate to ask your guide for recommendations for things to do and places to eat in Hoi An.

Day 10: HOI AN – HAI VAN PASS - HUE

Cycling distance: 100 km

Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch

Accommodation: Century Riverside Hotel Hue

Day 10 will be the most challenging but rewarding day of the entire trip. The day will start with a short transfer out of the town and a ride along the coast to Da Nang before starting the climb to the world-famous Hai Van Pass. The road climbs gradually up to 480 meters with many switchbacks and offers stunning views of the countryside overlooking the East Sea.

This tough climb is followed by a long smooth descent to your reward: lunch. In the afternoon, our team will take you the remaining 44 km to Hue.

Day 11: HUE – HANOI

Cycling distance: 30 km

Meals provided: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Le Jardin Hotel Haute Couture or similar

The morning will be spent cycling around Hue and learning about its most iconic sights, including Vong Canh Hill, the tombs of Khai Dinh, and the seven-story Thien Mu Pagoda. Hue is the ancient capital of Vietnam, so you’ll see some of the country’s most important political and religious buildings.

To finish the day, you will enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Perfume River back to Hue before catching an hour-long flight to Hanoi.

Day 12: HANOI - MAI CHAU

Cycling distance: 60 km

Elevation: 1000m

Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Mai Chau Eco House

In the morning, we’ll van transfer 2.5 hours out of Hanoi before getting on our bikes and starting a 30 km uphill ride to Hoa Binh lake, where we’ll stop for a picnic lunch.

After lunch, you will encounter more stunning views as we pass through ethnic villages of the Thai, an ethnic minority in Vietnam. We’ll cycle across rice paddies on a mix of single-track paths and rough trails before returning to Mai Chau, where you will have dinner and spend the night at a hotel.

Day 13: MAI CHAU – PU LUONG NATURE RESERVE

Cycling distance: 60-70 km

Elevation: 1000-1200 m

Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Mr Ba’s Homestay

The morning will start off with a challenge: a long climb uphill towards Pu Luong nature reserve. Following shaded paths beside mountain streams, we’ll enter the reserve and have a traditional Vietnamese lunch overlooking the village’s rice terraces.

The next 10 km will be a flat ride through remote ethnic minority villages and some of the most beautiful rice fields in southeast Asia. After that, we’ll make one last short steep climb to our homestay, where riders can relax with a beer in the cool waters of one of the local natural springs.

We’ll end the night with a fantastic BBQ dinner outdoors.

Day 14: PU LUONG – NINH BINH

Cycling distance: 60 km

Elevation: 500m

Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch

Accommodation: Ninh Binh Hidden Charm

We’ll start the morning by tearing downhill down several of Pu Luong’s steep terraced rice fields. The next 15 km will be spent on a remote x-country dirt track found by our route-planning team. The track passes by fortress-like karst formations and bamboo water wheel irrigation systems in traditional villages.

After an hour van transfer and a traditional lunch, we rode a collection of quiet country paths and canal roads towards the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ninh Binh.

Day 15: NINH BINH – HA NOI

Cycling distance: 25 km

Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch, farewell dinner

Accommodation: Le Jardin Hotel Haute Couture or Similar

After a hearty breakfast, we’ll take a leisurely ride through the stunning natural beauty and historic sites of Ninh Binh, stopping often for stories and photos. We trade in our bikes for boats, where we will be paddled by a local guide for a 3 hours tour through pitch black river caves and hidden lagoons.

After lunch in Ninh Binh, we transfer to Ha Noi and arrive before 6pm. Check in to your hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and dress up for our farewell dinner!

Day 16: HANOI DEPARTURE

Meals provided: Breakfast

Breakfast is provided, but you will have a chance to make new culinary and cultural discoveries on your own for the remainder of the day. If you need to extend your holiday (e.g. to visit Ha Long Bay), we are happy to assist.

Airport transfer will be provided upon request.

BOOKING PAYMENT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• For a single-day trip, full payment upon confirmation.

• For multi-day trips: Deposit of 50% of total payment is made upon confirmation date /or 14 days before the starting date of the trip.

• The remainder of balance is due 07 days before the starting date of the trip for multi-day trips.

CANCELLATION POLICY 

• 20% of total invoiced payment is charged if the cancellation is made from 10 to 05 days before the scheduled date of departure for the booked itinerary.

• 45% of total invoiced payment is charged if the cancellation is made from 04 to 02 days before the scheduled date of departure for the booked itinerary.

• 75% of total invoiced payment is charged if the cancellation is made 01 day before the scheduled date of departure for the booked itinerary.

• 100% of total invoiced payment is charged if the cancellation is made on DAY 01 or in case of NO SHOW.

• Domestic flight tickets are non-refundable. 

Things to think about:

Even though we provide modern bikes and safety gear, we understand that sometimes customers wish to have their own personal items. We would suggest customers bring their own helmet and cycling gloves for comfort and our mechanics can even fit customer’s own seats and pedals.  All bikes will be labelled with customers’ names so that they have the same bike each day.

Transportation arrangements:

Where-ever possible we will cycle from point A to point B meaning the guests have as much experience as possible exploring on their bicycles. At certain points, we will use our comfortable and modern 16-seater minivan to transport guests safely to start and endpoints. These vehicles are equipped with air conditioning.

If a customer wishes to not continue after lunch, they can be safely transported inside the minivan. The vehicles are present along the way for emergency purposes and can be used as necessary.

Food and Dietary Requirements:

At Mr Biker Saigon we believe in providing fresh and local food wherever possible. This means eating delicious locally sourced and home cooked food and giving the guests a real authentic experience. We can also cater towards allergies and dietary requirements such as vegetarian, vegan or other simple requests.

Food will always be local but with some minor changes to cater towards a Western pallet of tastes. We will also provide snacks along the way such as seasonal fruits and energy food.

Liability and Personal Health Insurance:

Mr Biker Saigon does not provide personal liability insurance to the guests on the trip. We suggest that each guest has the relevant Personal Health Insurance for travelling in Asia and that it covers activities such as cycling.

Customers using our services please carefully read this waiver form in the link below and noted that this form will be signed before your departure:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ewkPPVKtdO6PqIfKcrYmhWR0anEQYn_hYBMtuONu4tk/edit

In the mountains of Northern Vietnam, there is not extensive first aid support such as ambulances and modern medical practices. We provide a support vehicle for such instances.