Day 01: Hanoi
Arrival and transfer to your hotel. (Check in time is 14:00)
If time permits, we will spend the afternoon at the Ethnology museum which
will give you an overview of 54 ethnic minorities in Vietnam including the
Thai people who you will meet along the way.
Overnight in Hanoi
Day 02: Hanoi to Hoa Binh (B, L, D)
Cycling Hanoi – Hoa Binh 56/72 km
We leave Hanoi by car and start cycling from Luong Son to Hoa Binh town. The
town is famous for the biggest reservoir in Vietnam and also the culture
diversity of many typical ethnic groups such as Muong, Thai.
Overnight in Hoa Binh
Day 03: Ride Hoa Binh to Mai Chau (B, L, D)
Cycling Hoa Binh- Mai Chau 62 km: a beautiful landscape of mountains and red
soil hills, is covered by green sugarcane, cassava, corn and rice
fields. There are many shops on the way where you can find “Ruou Can” – the
unique rice wine of Hoa Binh province in brown jars, drunk with bamboo
straws. You also pass by some factories where they make brooms from “Dot”; a
new wonderful golf is located behind mountains; a place where is famous for
hot mineral stream- “Kim Boi”; some small villages of Thai & Muong and many
other interesting things you will see and learn on the way.
Overnight at home-stay of Thai ethnic in Mai Chau
Day 04: Ride Mai Chau to Moc Chau (B, L, D)
Cycling Mai Chau- Moc Chau 67 km: from low to higher area, from
houses-on-stilts of White Thai located in a big valley of rice field to Moc
Chau where wooden houses on ground of Blue & Flowered H’mong located in
small valleys and hidden among corn fields, plum and peach gardens and
surrounded by mountains. On the way to Moc Chau, you will also pass a
forested area to enjoy the shade & cool air in the middle of a hot summer
day. You should stop at a local restaurant to taste their famous
fresh local yogurt.
Overnight in Moc Chau
Day 05: Ride Moc Chau to Yen Chau (B, L, D)
Cycling Moc Chau- Yen Chau 60 km: Moc Chau is a famous
for its tea plantations. Tea plants cover the hills, some of which are 30- 40 years old. This area
offers you a great chance to cycle around the tea plantation to enjoy the scenery,
fresh air and get to know more about tea. We will end our day at Yen Chau, the area
well known for its fruit trees such
as mangoes, longans, bananas…
Overnight in Yen Chau.
Day 06: Ride Yen Chau to Son La (B, L, D)
Cycling Yen Chau- Son La 65 km: leaving this area after sampling some local
fruit, visiting local markets along the way and meeting some ethnic groups,
we will cycle to Son La and visit Son La prison built by French.
Overnight in Son La
Day 07: Son La, Rest Day (B)
Overnight in Son La
Day 08 Ride Son La to Tuan Giao (B, L, D)
Cycling Son La – Tuan Giao 90 km: we pass through a patchwork of rice fields
and plum orchards. It is a hard cycling day with many hills.
Overnight in Tuan Giao
Day 09: Ride Tuan Giao to Dien Bien Phu (B, L, D)
Cycling Tuan Giao – Dien Bien Phu 80 km: There is less traffic on this tar
road, which gives you more opportunities to enjoy the nice scenery of rice
fields dotted with water wheels. The area is habitated by White Thai and Kh’mu
people in their charming clothes. We arrive in Dien Bien Phu quite late in
the afternoon. Check in your cozy room, have a shower and dinner.
Overnight in Dien Bien Phu
Day 10: Dien Bien Phu- Muong Lay (B, L, D)
Leaving Dien Bien city and stepping back in time we
enter the world of rural Vietnam. We assemble our bikes and after lunch we
cycle on a thin tar road, seldom used by vehicles, through rolling
countryside filled with tropical trees, plantations and dotted with small
villages. After 60 km we board our back up vehicles and drive to our
destination is the village of Lai Chau, on the fringes of the Hmong tribal
region.
Overnight in Lai Chau.
Day 11- Muong Lay- Tam Duong (B, L, D)
This morning we cycle from the door of the hotel straight onto single track
routes which wind along through the fields and hillsides. After the single
trail ride we will drive by car for 40 km and then start cycling again along
the the Nam Na River to Pan Tan where we have lunch in a restaurant with a
great scenic views.
A gutsy climb of 17 km awaits us after lunch followed by an awesome downhill
enjoying the views of mountain ranges, lakes, rivers, jungle, and tiered
paddy fields rising and falling as far as the eye can see. We’re also
getting deeper into tribal lands and we’ll see Tay, H’Mong and Dzao tribal
people in their villages and tending their crops.
Overnight in Tam Duong.
Day 12: Tam Duong - Sapa (B, L, D)
Once again the day kicks off with single track riding through the villages
and we expect to see more tribal people in colorful dress, living their
lives the way they have for generation after generation.
Overnight in Sapa.
Day 13: Sapa- Rest day (B)
This is your time for discovering the beauty of Sapa town, market, orchid
garden by your own or little trekking to a near by village- Cat Cat of Black
H’ Mong group
Overnight in Sapa.
Day 14: Sapa- Ban Khoang- Lao Cai. Night train (B, L, D)
Sapa - Ban Khoang (high country road) with just deep blue skies and fluffy
white clouds, winding our way up higher and higher into the mountains. You
will be cycling HIGH for half day at 1400-1600m then comes the big descent
down to Lao Cai.
We then
have shower and dinner before getting on the night train back to Hanoi.
Day 15: Depart Hanoi (B)
Early morning arrive at the train station, transfer to Tamarind restaurant for
breakfast. There is time for a little shopping before leaving Hanoi for your
flight home. Transfer to the airport (3 hrs before your departure flight)
End of services
