Northern Vietnam Cycling: Mai Chau To Pu Luong

HANOI – MAI CHAU

Cycling Distance: 60-70 km
Elevation Gain: 500-700 m

Meals Provided: Lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Mai Chau Eco Lodge
Website: https://maichau.ecolodge.asia

In the morning, a van will transfer riders outside of town where they will be treated to a hearty breakfast and a bike fitting.

We then begin our adventure by climbing through the remote ethnic minority villages of the Muong people, all the while weaving through terraced rice paddies. Hosting both challenging cross country paths and quiet paved mountain roads, we will be rewarded with fabulous views of misty green karst formations and the massive Hoa Binh Reservoir. After several climbs and fast downhills, we enter the magical valley of Mai Chau where steep mountains ring an expanse of electric green rice fields.

Relax with a fabulous home cooked meal.

MAI CHAU – PU LUONG NATURE RESERVE

Cycling Distance: 60-70 km
Elevation Gain: 500-700 m

Meals Provided: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Pu Luong Natura Bungalow
Website: https://naturabungalow.com/

Today's ride features two challenging climbs that pass by stunning vistas, remote traditional villages and some of the most beautiful rice terraces in Southeast Asia.

The first climb is a long uphill that will take us out of Mai Chau Valley and onto an elevated plateau in the mountainous part of the region. Following shaded paths beside crystal clear streams, we’ll then enter the Pu Luong Nature reserve and have a traditional lunch overlooking the village’s rice terraces.

After a breather of 10 kms cycling on flat terrain through green fields and ethnic minority villages, we make another short but steep climb to our Pu Luong homestay, where we can chill with a beer in the cool waters of their natural spring.

PU LUONG – NINH BINH

Cycling Distance: 60 km
Elevation Gain: 500m

Meals Provided: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Ninh Binh Hidden Charm Hotel & Resort
Website: https://hiddencharmresort.com/

Today begins with a bang: a screaming downhill through the village’s steep rice terraces. Safely in the valley, we embark on a wonderfully scenic and remote x-country track for 15 Km. Riverside bamboo forests shade us as we roll on, completely alone in nature.
We’ll then take an hour-long van transfer before cycling towards Ninh Binh, a mesmerising area known locally as “Ha Long bay on land” thanks to its magical riverine landscape, with sheer limestone mountains rising up from the paddies We’ll pass by limestone formations on the way. We’ll finally reach the Ninh Binh Hotel in the evening.

NINH BINH – HA NOI

Cycling Distance: 25 km

Meals Provided: Breakfast, lunch, farewell dinner
Accommodation: Le Jardin Hotel Haute Couture 
Website: https://lejardinhotels.com/hanoi-haute-couture/

After a hearty buffet breakfast, we 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 and will be paddled by a local guide for a 3 hours tour through pitch black river caves and hidden lagoons while learning more about Vietnam’s history.

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

HANOI DEPARTURE

No Cycling

Meals Provided: Breakfast

Breakfast is provided, but you will have a chance to make new culinary and cultural discoveries on your own in Ha Noi. You may also choose to take a city tour with a local guide. If you need to extend your holiday (eg. to visit Ha Long Bay), we are happy to assist.