Day 1 - Orientation (Ho Chi Minh City) - no cycling - D
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. At this point, you will also receive a bike fitting before meeting up for the tour briefing and the welcome dinner in the evening.
Day 2 - HCM - Ben Tre - Tra Vinh - Ride 70km - L/D
Pick up at your hotel at 7 am in Ho Chi Minh City followed by a transfer to the Mekong of approximately 2 hours. Arriving at one of our favourite local coffee shops, all of the cycling machines for this journey will be ready to ride. Together, we will perform a quick A-B-C [air, brakes and chain] check of the bikes, ensure that they are adjusted for your needs and discuss cycling etiquette. From here, we will set off together on our cycling adventure!
70% of today’s riding will be through the largest area in the Mekong for coconut production. The pleasure of riding in this area is that more than half of our journey today will be spent shaded by the Mekong sun. The irrigation system of this region is a vast network and we will traverse numerous small canal bridges.
After lunch and with our cycling energies recharged, about 10km out of town, we will have an opportunity to stop and visit a traditional coconut-by products factory. Here, you will see firsthand how the residents of the Mekong convert the unused coconut husks into a sturdy rope through an artisanal weaving method as well as how the shells are made into coal for cooking. No part of the coconut goes to waste!
On this brief stop, Mr Biker Saigon’s expert cycling adventure guides will facilitate a dialogue between our riding family and the local population in order to further understand how coconuts are essential to the livelihoods of the Mekong residents.
Back on your bikes, we will witness colorful scenes along the riverside while pedalling past charming delta homes and villages with coconut at the core of their economy. As we progress, we will continue on routes that are generally flat and paved, but there will be some opportunity to challenge ourselves on narrow sections through the coconut plantations.
After crossing one of the Mekong’s tributaries, we have only 5km left of cycling to our overnight residence in Tra Vinh City center where we will shower and relax before enjoying a community dinner and an evening of exploration.
Overnight in Tra Vinh City.
Day 3 - Tra Vinh - Can Tho - Ride 80km - B/L
After breakfast, we will head out at 7 AM for what many members of our cycling family have described as the most beautiful landscapes of their multi-country adventures. Today will be special because of the natural beauty and our opportunity to explore Khmer architecture and culture. This region is mostly populated by Khmer people, one of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups.
Leaving Tra Vinh City, we will cycle a short distance to Ba Om Pond, an 800 years old Khmer architectural beauty, to see its famous seasonal lotus flower. Whereas the first day of the journey was spent in the Coconut Kingdom, today we will see rice paddies take prominence in our landscape views. We will see rice paddies interspersed along the route and coconut trees fill the horizon. This is quite spectacular to behold and definitely worth stopping for a picture. This region is renowned for being the second largest producer of rice in Vietnam.
In the afternoon We will leave our cycling machines behind and spend 1 hour in a comfortable A/C equipped vehicle for transfer to a hotel in Can Tho where we will have the opportunity to relax with nightlife and rooftop views from restaurants in the city center. Be sure not to miss out on its well-known night markets!
Overnight in Can Tho
Day 4 - Can Tho - Rach Gia - Ride 80km - B/L/D
After breakfast before 7 am, more adventure awaits!
The excursion will be divided into two parts; The morning on the water and the afternoon on land. Departing Can Tho, we will take a boat to head towards the famous Cai Rang floating market.
The first part of the day’s adventure begins with a boat exploration of the canal system of the Mekong where we will see some of the canals that were used to transport boats during the Vietnam War. This segment of our adventures for the day will take about 60 minutes. Arriving at the Cai Rang floating market, we will take time to explore the area and make purchases from the vendors.
As soon as everyone is ready to depart, we will head off along the river on paved and isolated roads where we will be treated to views of the region’s fruit gardens growing alongside the countryside trails. Shortly thereafter, we will have our first water stop of the day, where there will be healthy snacks like watermelon and banana as well as a chance to rehydrate and fill our water bottles for the next segment.
Heading off again, our next segment runs alongside another scarcely-transited canal where the countryside begins to give way to another large area of rice cultivation. As we ride through this area, we often are the only people within view for kilometers at a time. It is peaceful, tranquil and a great chance to meditate on the value of solitude and community.
For those who opt to complete the cycling at this point, there will be an A/C-equipped van awaiting their arrival which will whisk them 40 minutes away to our day’s final destination in Rach Gia beach city.
Overnight in Rach Gia.
Day 5 - Rach Gia - Chau Doc - Ride 80km - B/L/D
After another filling and delicious local breakfast, we will transfer 60 minutes via our private shuttle to the seat of the Southern Kingdom of Vietnam as it was recognized 2000 years ago. Upon arriving, we will visit a local museum dedicated to the history of the region and specifically the cultural importance of the region’s jewel production. For many in this area, pride in their family history as rulers of the South is still evident today.
After a fully immersive cultural experience facilitated by Mr Biker Saigon’s expert cycling adventure guides, we will depart toward Chau Doc. As this region floods annually, compared to our previous days of cycling, there are few local routes through the rice paddies. Those that we do encounter along the way will be raised and reinforced to withstand the flooding.
After 55km of riding, at Tra Su National Reserve and Bird Sanctuary.
We have designed our adventure route to deliver us to the National Reserve in the early afternoon, when the majority of the tourists have departed. We will have the opportunity to walk along a floating bridge that extends for a distance of 3 kilometers within the Biosphere. From here, you will see tea trees growing in vibrantly colored algae-covered waters. There will be guided boat tours available through the shaded canals of the reserve.
Lunch will be served after this relaxing experience before getting back on your bikes for a 25km segment to our overnight location in Chau Doc City. Chau Doc is known for its floating villages and for its multi-cultural identities combining the Vietnamese, Cham, Khmer and Chinese communities as well as mosques, temples and churches.
Day 6 - Chau Doc - Phnom Penh by Speed Boat - B/L
For this last day, your legs will get a well-deserved rest. You will check out of your accommodation and have breakfast at 6:30 am, you will then board on a comfortable speed boat heading to Cambodia at 6:45 am.
You will say goodbye to our team before boarding.
The ride will take about 4 hours and 30 minutes where you will be able to enjoy some snacks. Visa at the border will be arranged by the crew. Please prepare 2x ID photos (with a white background) as well as 35 USD in cash for the border (must be undamaged, no writing on them or torn or taped edges).
You will have the rest of the day to explore the capital and take a well-deserved break.
Day 7 - Phnom Penh Rest Day - B
After spending the last 6 days riding you can take a free day to sunbathe and relax by the pool, check out the busy city of Phnom Penh, or head out to the historical ‘Killing Fields’ and S-21 museum.
This day is yours to do as you please whether more exploration or as little as you want. We will catch up with you the next morning and take off again from there.
Day 8 - Phnom Penh - Kampong Thom - 70km - B/L/D
Departure in the early morning at 6 am. You will start the day by enjoying a cyclo ride along the Boulevard to the Independent Monument. You will be able to see Phnom Penh from the riverside and some stops for pictures of the Riverfront, Royal Palace, and see how the locals do dancing exercises on the roadside.
You will get back to your hotel for breakfast and then after at 8:30 am, you will check out and be transferred by van to the Mekong boat pier for a boat tour of 45 minutes upstream of the Mekong River to Koh Dach (Mekong Island) to where our riding point is.
You will start riding through the villages on the island, and stop to visit the villagers doing weaving, making scarfs, Sarong, and other silk products. You will also have an opportunity to visit a local pagoda and local school.
You will cross the river by local ferry to ride further along the riverside before being transferred by van to Sambo Prik Kuk of Kampong Thom for dinner and overnight in a local home with villagers.
Day 9 - Kampong Thom - Siem Reap - 65km - B/L/D
For your last destination before Siem Reap, you will start pedalling from your hotel to the UNESCO classified Sambor Prey Kuk Temple which consists of a hundred brick Hindu temples scattered through the forest.
From there you will continue to ride through the calm countryside for a total of 65km on this day. Our driver will await you for a transfer to your destination of Siem Reap. On the way, you will visit the lost temple of Preah Khan Kampong Svay.
Day 10 - Siem Reap to Angkor Wat - 45km - B/L
This day will be focusing on the visit to the famous Angkor temples, especially Angkor Wat with an experienced local tour guide. Cycling through Angkor Wat is the best way to cycle around the site and explore its uniqueness. Mr Biker Saigon’s team highly recommends a very early departure to avoid the tourist crowds at the temples.
We will meet at 6 am and start biking for this sunrise ride from your hotel in Siem Reap to Angkor Wat. You will first cycle up to Angkor Thom City where you will stop for breakfast before starting with the visits. You will pedal to the Bayon temple, then you will ride on small trails in the jungle to the Preah Khan temple.
A homemade lunch will be taken in a village, afterward, you will continue to ride on jungle trails to visit East Mebon, Ta Prohm, known from the Tomb Raider movie, and the famous Angkor temples. You will be transferred back to your hotel by support van.
Day 11 - Siem Reap - 45km - B/L/D
You will start this last day by getting on your bikes at 7 am and start riding the southern part of Siem Reap through the authentic villages heading to Tonle Sap Lake. Once there, you will embark on a local boat to Mechrey floating village before enjoying a kayaking experience for about 1 hour on the Tonle Sap Lake.
Kayaking is possible through the floating village and the Mangrove forest (Mangrove forest only from July to January). You will then take the boat back to the pier and transfer to Siem Reap where we will organize for you a farewell dinner and goodbyes with the local team.
Day 12 - Siem Reap - Home Sweet Home - B
On this last day, you will be able to relax and visit the city by yourself before continuing with your own travels or departure back home. The hotel check-out is at 12:00 if you need to transfer to the airport or to another location.
Notes: Please be aware that flight times, hotels and all other logistics, services and days of travel are subject to availability. If the listed hotel is fully booked, alternate accommodation will be offered. All hotels are rated according to local standards. All itineraries are flexible and can easily be altered to suit your needs and interests. Contact one of our travel consultants for more information.
