Road Cycling Hanoi to Hoi An

Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital and the cultural heart of the North! We suggest arriving at least a day or two before the tour begins to explore this vibrant city infused with ancient heritage, a French colonial legacy, a revolutionary spirit and modern cosmopolitanism. Be sure to visit the Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake, and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and stroll through the lively Old Quarter. On arrival day, we meet at our tour hotel in the late afternoon and head out for a trip briefing and welcome dinner. Please let us know if you require assistance with airport transfers and pre-tour hotel bookings.

We transfer about 1.5 hours from Hanoi to our cycling start point on the eastern edge of Hoa Binh Province. Our adventure begins on a gently undulating secondary road through the quiet countryside. After approximately 40 km, we merge onto a main road, where we are introduced to the busier side of Vietnam’s provincial traffic and the country’s unofficial national language: honking! As we ride further west, the scenery becomes increasingly striking, with mountain ridges and limestone massifs emerging from the landscape. After a lunch break, we prepare for our first major climb starting at around 65 km. For 10 continuous kilometers, we ascend meandering roads to the top of Thung Khe Pass, accompanied by stunning views. The reward for our efforts is a winding 10 km descent into the Mai Chau Valley, which feels like entering a different world, with a patchwork of lush rice paddies surrounded by forested, rolling hills. We spend the night at a small hotel nestled in one of Mai Chau’s ethnic stilt house villages and enjoy a feast of highland delicacies for dinner.

After breakfast in the hotel’s traditional stilt house, we ride through quintessential scenes of rural life in the Mai Chau Valley. Depending on the season, early mornings are busy with farmers and their buffaloes working the rice paddies. At 15 km, we reach the banks of the gently flowing Song Ma River and follow its course for 45 km. The road cuts through the river’s narrow valley flanked by terraced fields and forested slopes. The ride is mostly flat, with just a few sharp bursts up and down the hillsides. After lunch at a local restaurant, we veer south of the river into the expansive, lush countryside of Thanh Hoa Province. We tackle two consecutive climbs of around 5 km each before arriving in the market town of Ngoc Lac, where we spend the night. Now firmly off the beaten path, you'll be hard-pressed to find tourists around here!

Today we join the Ho Chi Minh Highway. Constructed in the post-war period to foster development in the remote highland regions, today it is a 2,000 km long motorway connecting Hanoi in the north to Saigon in the south. Over the next three days we will savor some of the highway's most scenic and least busy sections, starting with today’s ride to Thai Hoa. The highway winds through the foothills of the Truong Son Mountains, offering an undulating route with a continuous rhythm of ups and downs. This makes for fun road biking as the smooth tarmac allows for a fast-paced journey across the terrain! Around halfway, we’ll stop for lunch at a roadside restaurant and continue, enjoying alternating views of mountains, farmlands, and forests. For the final stretch, we’ll leave the highway and take secondary roads to lead us into the small but lively riverside town of Thai Hoa through the backdoor. We’ll stay at a hotel right by the Hieu River and enjoy dinner with the town locals.

Departing from Thai Hoa, we begin today's ride on quiet secondary roads that meander through the expansive countryside. After 43 km, we rejoin the Ho Chi Minh Highway at a significant milestone – the “Kilometer Zero” marker of the historic Ho Chi Minh Trail. From this point onward, we ride on hallowed ground for the Vietnamese, a region once covered in dense jungle where northern revolutionary forces launched their key offensives against the U.S.-backed South. Today much of the region has been developed for agriculture and we follow the highway as it cuts through a large swath of farmlands pressed against the green, rolling hills. The ride ends with a short but sweet downhill to a secluded hotel in the district of Pho Chau. You can cool down with a dip in the pool before we meet for dinner.

Today's ride is visually stunning, as we approach the perimeter of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to some of the world's most impressive caves, underground rivers, and limestone formations. Departing from Pho Chau, we can make quick work out of the first 50 km, as we follow the Ho Chi Minh Highway on a flat and mostly straight stretch. We will then transfer approximately one hour further down the road. Resuming our ride, we trace the contours of hillsides surrounded by rugged, jungle-clad limestone towers, ascending gradually for the first 45 km, then entering a steeper 4 km climb. The final 20 km are a fun descent, after which we will have a quick transfer to our lakeside resort. This is our home for the next two nights, the perfect place to unwind and rest our legs!

This morning, we’ll give our legs a rest from biking while still keeping them busy exploring Phong Nha’s otherworldly cave network! We’ll start by transferring to Paradise Cave, where we’ll climb 400 steps to reach the chamber entrance. The cave extends a staggering 31 km, with one kilometer accessible to visitors. We’ll walk along a well-maintained, well-lit wooden walkway, marveling at the majestic rock formations sculpted by millennia of water erosion. After re-emerging outside, we’ll head to a boat pier for a cruise along the Son River to Phong Nha Cave. The entrance bears scars from heavy bombing during the Vietnam War, when the cave was used to store supplies and serve as a hospital. Once inside, the boat’s engine will be turned off, and we’ll be gently rowed into a massive, mystical chamber adorned with stalactites and stalagmites that resemble slowly melting candle wax. After the boat returns us to the pier, we’ll enjoy lunch before heading back to the resort. The afternoon is yours to relax by the pool, paddle in the lake, or treat yourself to a massage.

This morning begins with a 30-minute transfer towards the coast of the South China Sea. Back on the bikes, we ride to the mouth of the Song Dinh River, where we rattle across a wooden bridge surrounded by colourful fishing villages. We then ride along Nhat Le Beach and through the lively port city of Dong Hoi. After soaking in the sudden visual shift from highlands to sea, we continue along secondary roads through flat, coastal plains filled with rice paddies, acacia tree plantations, and a seemingly never-ending string of rural communities. By the 50-km mark, we rejoin the Ho Chi Minh Highway for a fast-paced segment heading south before cutting east back towards the coast. Finally, we arrive in the village of Vinh Moc, located on a small, rocky headland. We end our ride here and visit the Vinh Moc Tunnels, an intricate network of underground passages dug during the American War for shelter from air raids. We’ll explore the tunnels' rooms, chambers, and living quarters for a sobering look at the harsh realities of the conflict. From here, a short drive brings us to the golden sands of Cua Viet, where we spend the night.

Departing Cua Viet, we cross the mouth of the Song Thach Han River and dart down the coastline. At the 50-km mark, we reach Tam Giang Lagoon, part of Southeast Asia’s largest lagoon system. Skirting along its shore, we look out over brackish waters dotted with floating gardens, aquaculture ponds, and colourful fishing villages. Before long, we find ourselves cycling through a sea of rice paddies thriving in the floodplains of the Song Bo and Perfume rivers. Today’s ride is the flattest of the tour, allowing us to make good time and arrive in Hue by early afternoon. This leaves plenty of time to explore the Imperial City, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This massive complex – a city within a city – was the political, cultural, and religious heart of the Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnam's last royal family. If time allows, we may also visit one of the ornate emperors’ tombs outside town (optional; entrance fee not included). With a variety of dining options available in this popular city, dinner is on your own tonight.

Maneuvering out of Hue’s city streets, we head east toward the coast. For the first 40 km, traffic tends to be busy as we leave Hue and turn south along the main road, lined by bustling communities on this narrow strip of land between lagoons and the sea. Eventually, we’ll take a detour onto smaller roads to visit An Bang Cemetery, ominously known as the “City of Ghosts.” One of the largest cemeteries in Vietnam, it is striking with its rows of colorful, ornately designed mausoleums stretching as far as the eye can see. The paths leading between the tombs are sandy so we’ll take it slow and let our eyes wander in awe. We then loop back to the main road which soon after runs along yet another scenic backwater world: the wetlands and mangroves of Cau Hai lagoon. A final 30 km on a mix of secondary and main roads brings us to Lang Co Beach, a stunning stretch of coastline with pristine sands and clear waters. The afternoon is yours to enjoy at the seaside resort where we spend the night.

From Lang Co, we start with a 15 km loop around the picturesque Lap An Lagoon, framed by mountains and dotted with oyster farms. Next, we tackle the iconic Hai Van Pass, a flagship achievement for cyclists in Vietnam! On smooth tarmac, we ascend nearly 500 meters over 10 winding kilometers, taking in views of the blue South China Sea and headlands covered in jungle and sandy beaches. We’ll catch our breath at the top before enjoying the thrilling 10 km downhill ride into Da Nang, Vietnam’s third-largest city. Expect some traffic as we navigate a bay-hugging road to our lunch spot. We then continue our ride down the coast, passing the famous Marble Mountains, and finally arrive in Hoi An, Vietnam’s darling UNESCO World Heritage-listed town. Once a major maritime trading center, Hoi An boasts beautifully preserved architecture with Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, and French influences. We conclude with a farewell dinner, celebrating our impressive cycling feat!

Our cycling tour has ended but we suggest you extend your stay to explore Hoi An’s Old World charm and beaches. Please let us know If you require assistance with airport transfers and post-tour hotel bookings.