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10 Day itinerary in Vietnam, Asia

Cycling in the Northern Vietnam

Ready to embark on an unforgettable journey through the heart of Vietnam on two wheels? This 10-day cycling adventure offers an exhilarating blend of physical challenge and cultural immersion in Northern Vietnam, where breathtaking landscapes and warm hospitality await. Starting from the historic ca... Read More

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Maya

By Maya

Overview

Physical Difficulty

Average
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Recommended Age

Everyone

Operated in

English

GUIDANCE

On Some Day Trips

starting point

Hanoi

trip type

Private

trip attributes

Hiking

Cycling

Historic & cultural landmarks

Outdoors & Nature

Start/End

Night

Highlights

1

Venture to the authentic corners in Hanoi by bicycle

2

Cycle and get immersed in the nature and learn about the ethnics in Mai Chau Valley and Pu Luong

3

Unlock the peaceful Van Long Nature Reserve and Cuc Phuong National Park by biking

4

Leisurely cruise on Halong Bay and admire the jaw-dropping landscapes of the karst mountains

Itinerary

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Day 1

place Hanoi arrival

Welcome to Hanoi!

Upon your arrival, you are welcomed by your local tour guide at the airport arrival hall; and then transferred to the hotel for check-in. Have a welcome dinner at a local restaurant and take a brief introduction about you cycling hotel.

 

Meals included: Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Driving distance: Noi Bai Airport to Hanoi City centre - 28km (17 miles) – 35 – 45 minutes

Note: Hotel standard check-in time is 14:00. Early check-in will be available upon room availability. 

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Standard Package: Khách sạn La Dolce Vita
  • Deluxe Package: MK Premier Boutique Hotel
Day 2

place Hanoi City Exploration

After breakfast at the hotel, meet your tour guide and begin the exploration of Hanoi City. You will visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex where lie iconic constructions such as the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh Presidents and the One Pillar Pagoda, then visit the Presidential Palace as well as the properties where Uncle Ho used to reside. Thereupon, pay a visit to the Museum of Ethnology to gain a glance at the history & culture of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups.

After lunch, you will head to the Temple of Literature which was constructed in 1070 and is well-known as the first university in Vietnam. Lastly, stroll around the Hanoi Old Quarter and get immersed in the local lifestyle.

 

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Tour duration: 8 hours 

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

  • Standard Package: Khách sạn La Dolce Vita
  • Deluxe Package: MK Premier Boutique Hotel
Day 3

place Cycling to the rural area in Hanoi

After breakfast at your hotel, you will begin your cycling journey to reach the authentic local places in the rural area of Hanoi. Kick-off with a short briefing about the trip, then begin cycling and passing by some corners in Hanoi city such as the West Lake. Afterward, go up to Long Bien Bridge and leave the city center for Co Loa Temple in Dong Anh District. There are a variety of chances for you to stop en route to photograph and visit local places of interest such as temples, pagodas, railway stations, local markets, agricultural plantations, etc.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you will carry on your cycling route and get back to your hotel this late afternoon. Have free time for freshening and resting on your own.

 

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Tour duration: 8 hours

Cycling distance: 35km – 5.5 hours

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

  • Standard Package: Khách sạn La Dolce Vita
  • Deluxe Package: MK Premier Boutique Hotel
Day 4

place Hanoi – Mai Chau

Check out the hotel in the morning, then travel by car to Mai Chau, a charming valley situated 140km (87 miles) in the south-west of Hanoi. Upon your arrival, you will check-in your accommodation and have lunch at a Thai minority people’s traditional house. In the afternoon, let’s hop on your bicycles and explore the valleys to discover different neighbourhoods here; and witness the daily lives of the ethnic minorities. Afterwards, you will get back to the accommodation to rest and have dinner.

 

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Local homestay in Mai Chau

Driving distance: Hanoi to Mai Chau - 140km (87 miles) – 3.5 – 4 hours

Cycling distance: 8 – 10km – 3 – 4 hours

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Standard Package: Mai Chau Homestay Countryside
  • Deluxe Package: Mai Chau Ecolodge
Day 5

place Mai Chau – Pu Luong

After breakfast, travel to Pu Luong Nature Reserve where you will make your way to the welcome gate of Dong Dieng Village and begin your cycling. Traversing the rolling hills along the hidden trails through the forest of beautiful, diverse flora, you'll finally reach the bottom of the valley, where you're completely enveloped by the lush rice fields of Kho Muong Village. Have lunch at local’s family. Thereupon, you will continue along the trails from Kho Muong Village toward Uoi and Don Village. The trails will lead through some mandarin gardens and bamboo forests, where you can gain a fantastic overview of the villages with their rice field terraces from above. Then, amble down a steeper dirt road to reach to Don Village. You will finish your hiking day and spend time resting at a local homestay in Pu Luong.

 

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Local homestay in Pu Luong

Driving distance: Mai Chau to Pu Luong – 50km (31 miles) – 1.5 hours

Trekking distance: 10 – 12km – 7 hours

Note: Depending on today timing and your physical health, today trekking route can be flexibly adjusted accordingly.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Standard Package: Pù Luông Homestay Ngọc Dậu
  • Deluxe Package: Puluong Bocbandi Retreat
Day 6

place Pu Luong – Ninh Binh – Van Long Nature Reserve

Head out from Pu Luong and arrive at the site of Hoa Lu by taking a road that crosses through beautiful, picturesque landscapes. At the beginning of the afternoon, you will start to explore the Van Long Nature Reserve and take a pleasant bike ride on the dam levee. After cycling through the countryside, step aboard a small rowboat for a peaceful journey through the flooded rice fields and the spectacular landscape of rocky peaks, canals, and vegetation. You will then make your way to the Cuc Phuong National Park for overnight.

 

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Lodges in Cuc Phuong National Park

Driving distance: Pu Luong to Ninh Binh – 110km (68 miles) – 3 hours

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Standard Package: Cuc Phuong National Park
  • Deluxe Package: Ninh Binh Hidden Charm Hotel & Resort
Day 7

place Cuc Phuong National Park full day cycling

Take the day to explore the verdant green jungles that stretch along in seemingly-endless blankets of foliage. Magnificent limestone mountains rise up from behind the picture-perfect rice terraces and traditional stilt houses of the Muong hill-tribe, and suddenly, you’ll find yourself at the heart of the beautiful, authentic Vietnam.

 

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Lodges in Cuc Phuong National Park

Distance & duration of cycling: 50 km (31 miles) - 5 to 6 hours

Terrain: path and paved road

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Standard Package: Cuc Phuong National Park
  • Deluxe Package: Ninh Binh Hidden Charm Hotel & Resort
Day 8

place Ninh Binh – Halong Bay

After breakfast, you will travel by land from Ninh Binh to Halong Bay. Upon arriving at the harbour, you’ll embark the overnight cruise and explore Halong Bay, a world-famous destination that includes over 1,900 islands and islets of karst islands offering spectacular marine scenescapes that made Halong Bay a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Besides cruising, you also get off the boat and explore the unhabituated islands, caves, lagoons, etc.

 

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Halong Bay overnight cruise

Driving distance: Ninh Binh to Halong Bay - 180km (112 miles) – 4 hours

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Standard Package: Mila Cruises Lounge
  • Deluxe Package: Starlight Cruise Halong official
Day 9

place Halong Bay – Hanoi

Wake up on the bay with fascinating scenery and peaceful atmosphere. You will have breakfast on the boat, then carry on exploring the other parts of Halong Bay before sailing back to the shore at noon. After lunch, you will get off the boat and start traveling back to Hanoi.

After check-in at your hotel in Hanoi, you will have the rest of the day free at your own leisure.

 

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Driving distance: Halong Bay to Hanoi 150km (93 miles) – 2.5 hours

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

  • Standard Package: Khách sạn La Dolce Vita
  • Deluxe Package: MK Premier Boutique Hotel
Day 10

place Hanoi Departure

Have breakfast and rest at your hotel. ave hAt an appointed time, you will see your tour guide at the hotel lobby for the transfer to Noi Bai Airport for your flight to the next destination. 

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

What’s Included

Accommodation expand_less

  • Khách sạn La Dolce Vita
  • Mai Chau Homestay Countryside
  • Pù Luông Homestay Ngọc Dậu
  • Cuc Phuong National Park
  • Mila Cruises Lounge
  • MK Premier Boutique Hotel
  • Mai Chau Ecolodge
  • Puluong Bocbandi Retreat
  • Ninh Binh Hidden Charm Hotel & Resort
  • Starlight Cruise Halong official

Meals expand_less

  • Dinner (6)
  • Breakfast (9)
  • Lunch (8)

Transport expand_less

  • Private air-conditioned transportation
  • Mountain bicycles with an escorted mechanic (day 3-day7) and truck/van for bicycles

Activities expand_less

  • Professional English-speaking tour guide
  • Boat trips and entrance fees for all sightseeing included in the program
  • 2 bottles of water/ day in the city; 6 bottles of water on the day tour with cycling
  • Snacks for day tour with cycling

Not Included expand_less

  • International flight tickets
  • Vietnam visa arrangement and visa stamping fee (if any)
  • Services not mentioned in the program
  • Tips & gratuities

About Maya

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Expertise: 

Hiking

Rural home stays

Indigenous culture

Meditation

Wellness retreat

Kayaking

Cycling

Visit markets

Meet local people

Historic & cultural landmarks

Outdoors & Nature

Classic Sights

Food & Drink

Travel with Purpose

Beach & Sea

I studied English language and interpretation at University. With a hobby of exploring and learning about new places, I chose to work in tourism. Besides consulting tours to the guests, I spend time exploring new places and have been to 8 countries

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FROM PRICE PER TRAVELER

$2,359.00 USD