Saigon to Hanoi

This epic cycle trip covers the entire length of Vietnam, from bustling Saigon to the serene northern capital of Hanoi, we ride on country roads on either side of the main north–south artery of Highway One. Along the way we see many of Vietnam’s historic and scenic highlights, from the cool mountain air of Dalat we descend tothe beach resort of Nha Trang before riding back roads to historic Hoi An and Hue. The overnight Reunification Express train takes us to the amazing karst scenery of Ninh Binh and Halong Bay. The bicycle is still the most common form of rural transport in Vietnam and you will share the country roads and tracks with beautiful girls in flowing Ao Dais, school children

Tour Cost	US$2,695	Single Supplement	US$495
Bike Hire	US$195	Total Cycling Distance	766 kilometres
Tour Grade	out of 5	Number of Days	17 days / 16 nights
Number of Cycling Days	7 full days, 4 half days	Tour Meets	Saigon
Tour Ends	Hanoi	Group Size	Minimum 2. Maximum 16.
Minimum age on scheduled departures	18 years old

Day 1

Meet in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) for dinner at the enchanting Temple Club Restaurant.

Day 2

Transfer a short way out of town and ride to the famous Cu Chi tunnels.

Day 3

An early start to catch a plane for the short flight to Dalat, once a favored retreat for the French. Upon arrival, we'll rendezvous with our bikes and cycle lovely country lanes and back roads in the shadow of Mount Langbian.

Day 4

Riding from the hotel we tackle some big hills, including a 2,000 m pass, as we ride through dramatic mountains towards the beach resort town of Nha Trang.

Day 5

Taking a rest from the bikes we offer a boat trip to the coral islands for swimming and snorkeling.

Day 6

Riding from Nha Trang we stick to the coast, passing fishing villages and have time for a swim break. The afternoon ride is flat and on quiet countryside lanes.

Day 7

We start riding along a remote road and pass a mix of tribal and Viet villages, with gentle hills taking us to Quinhon.

Day 8

We follow the coastal road to Tra O lagoon, passing through many fishing villages. We have lunch before riding further up the coast to rejoin Highway One and transferring to Quang Ngai for the night.

Day 9

In the morning we’ll visit the interesting Thien An pagoda on our way to see My Lai, the site of one of the worst massacres of the American/Vietnam War. Our cycle route loops to Ha Lam through the picturesque countryside of Quang Ngai province and end our day in Hoi An.

Day 10

We ride to visit My Son, the ancient centre of Cham civilization. Although many of the temples were destroyed by American bombs, there is still enough of the archaeological site to impress most visitors. We transfer by bus back to Hoi An.

Day 11

This is probably the toughest ride of the tour, but is also one of the best. We start with a climb up Hai Van Pass, and are rewarded with beautiful views of the coasts. We then take a coastal side road all the way into Hue, the old capital of the Ngu Yen Dynasty.

Day 12

A day off the bike to tour of the Forbidden City and the Emperor's tombs, or you can go exploring on your own. We reconvene at the hotel in the early afternoon to transfer to the railway station for our overnight train trip to Nam Dinh.

Day 13

We cycle from our hotel through spectacular karst scenery. Soaring limestone mountains jut straight out of the paddy fields. At Cuc Phuong National Park we visit the primate rescue centre before checking into our accommodation.

Day 14

After exploring more of the park by bike we head east, riding some interesting back roads through many pineapple plantations. We then transfer to Haipong, one of Vietnam’s major ports.

Day 15

We’ll transfer in the morning to the harbor to reach our fast boat to Fulong, on Cat Ba Island. We disembark at Fulong and cycle 27 km taking the island’s only road. In the afternoon we’ll ride through some local villages to Gia Luan and then take a short transfer to our hotel.

Day 16

We spend a truly memorable day on a boat cruising through Halong Bay. The awesome limestone karst mountains rise dramatically out of the emerald sea. Halong Bay is one of the most incredible natural wonders of the world. We then transfer back to Hanoi and meet in the evening of our hotel to our farewell dinner.

Day 17

Onward travel from Hanoi.

• Guides were excellent. Their viewpoints, were refreshing, and added much to my knowledge of Vietnam.
  The itinerary was a good mixture of historical sites and leisure activities. The accommodations overall were excellent.
  Overall, I found Vietnam to be a fascinating country. People were great. With the itinerary we got a good cross section of Vietnam itself in the nearly three weeks we were there. This is my fourth Spice Roads trip!

  Bill Benson - March 2013

• It was an excellent way to see Vietnam from the ground up. I'm sure wee have a far more intimate acquaintance with the country than we would have got on a standard tour.

  Ruth - November 2012

• The trip was outstanding.

  Tuan, Dan and Ngia were all wonderful. The Bus driver Tuan in the last few days and Hop (?) the mechanic were also great, but we spent very little time with them. I feel I have made friends with Tuan and Dan, and would love them to take another trip I am involved in. Their knowledge of the country, the history, politics, and culture was excellent.

  Tuan is an outstanding guide, and Dan was excellent, especially for his first long trip away. We could not have been in better hands - nothing was too much trouble for them and they both went above and beyond their duties for us. I would also like to make a special mention for Usa in your office who was outstanding with her communication and assistance and patience prior to the trip.

  I will definitely book again with Spiceroads - this was one of the best experiences of my life and I am very keen to do more of it!

  Mandy Rhook - November 2012

• Our guide during our bike tour, Mr. Khong Thanh Binh, was excellent, a dedicated and caring professional who is a real credit to your company. And the driver we had for the first part of the tour, the Saigon-based driver was truly outstanding - such a sweet, caring, friendly, smiling man who did everything he possibly could to make sure we enjoyed our tour.

  And later, in Siem Reap, we had a one-day tour of Ankor Wat etc. Our tour guide during this part of our journey was a young man who's first name is Soo-one. He too was an excellent, very caring guide, who worked so hard to give us a great experience.

  The tour fully met our expectations. We have travelled extensively, and our tour with Spiceroads was among the best vacations we have taken. Once again, kudos to Binh, to the drivers during our bike tour, and to the guides Spiceroads provided during the Cambodia and Laos parts of our trip.

  Earle McVicar - October 2012

• I really enjoyed our guide, Binh. He was professional, very knowledgable about history, culture and the people. I enjoyed his humour and incite into the workings of the country and the life of the people as a result. He knew all a out the farming techniques and even took the time one day to show me peanuts growing! He was kind, considerate and adjusted the itinerary as needed to suit the nature and abilities of the group. I have taught many Vietnamese students so I personally found his accent understandable for the most part. Our drivers were kind and courteous and expert.

  Jeanine McVicar - October 2012

• We found the guide (Hai) to be excellent. Even when the trip took a downturn due to illness, he appeared to be trying hard to make it enjoyable for us.
  The drivers were also all very good, and we especially enjoyed the first driver (phuk?) who was very attentive.

  The routes were enjoyable and had quite a bit of variation in them.
  Our guide altered the route when road construction made an alternate route more appealing.

  Doug & Alison Chernoff - March 2012

• An excellent, well-chosen itinerary; I loved the variety and the fact that we didn't ride on major roads. I loved the 30 km and 13 km downhills and we certainly had some spectacular views. My husband and I had already traveled in Vietnam by bus from north to south and it was so much more interesting to visit many places by bicycle.

  I think our group really appreciated being the only ones on the boat on Halong Bay. That made it possible for us to really relax and not worry about our belongings. That was really terrific.

  Lastly, I'd like to say again how excellent Hai, our guide, was. He really helped make our trip an unforgettable experience and did his best to help us all when we were sick.

  Claudia Rock - March 2012

• The trip as a whole was very enjoyable. The organization and transport was excellent. It was a great way to see the country. Thanks very much for a good travel experience.

  Mark - February 2012