Introduction

Vietnam Backroads designed this unique cycling tour with a combined all-terrain of roads and different types and levels of cyclists. The first day is to tour the capital city Ha Noi, and the second day is to explore Phong Nha Paradise Cave - the most beautiful and long cave in Asia. Following, we cycle through DMZ and the 17th parallel divided line Vietnam from 1954 to 19975. Then cross spectacular Truong Song mountain range on Ho Chi Minh trails, stay a night Khe Sanh- the serious battlefield during Vietnam War before cycling along the Laos border to Al Luoi. Stop at Hamburger Hill, then ride down to Hue,  Hoi An- World Heritage Sites then spends plenty of time exploring the beautiful central coast to Nha Trang. Stay a night in Dalat City and finally, fly to Ho Chi Minh for the International flight home.

Destination
Duration
Tour code
VCT: 15D - HANOI - HCM -1
Travel style
Tour meets
Tour ends
Accommodation
3 - 4 star hotels
Single supplement
475.00$
Number Of cycling days
10 days
Ages to ride
18 years old
Average distance per day
45Km
MTB Bike hire
US$130
Total cycling distance
645 km
E-Bike hire
$350.00
Small group
02
Large Group
14
Price in US$
USD $2885.00 2885.00
Price in VND
What's included
Private A/C vehicle takes up all cyclists, luggage
Truck to carry all bikes and spare bikes, tool kits
Helmets
All entrance fees, ferry tickets in countryside
Night train Ha Noi to Dong Hoi
Domestic flight Dalat to Ho Chi Minh
13 nights, double & twin share
B= 14 Breakfasts, L= 14 Lunches, D= 9 Dinners
Daily cold water, snack, fresh fruits, facial tissues
All airport in/out
Pick up/ drop off at hotels
English speaking guide throughout the tour
What's not included
Personal travel insurance
Other personal expenses
Visa to Vietnam
International Flight
Drinks are not included with any meal

Meet at the hotel for a full day to tour Ha Noi by bus before a night train to Dong Hoi City. Noi Bai Airport connects with more than 100 cities in different countries where you have a direct flight. Who travels to Ha Noi by internal flight! Vietnam Backroads could arrange airport transfers to pick you up. Those who come late today will dine with the group in the evening. If you are already in Ha Noi, join the city tour with the team. 

In the morning, we visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, which King Ly Thai founded in 1049, then to Hoa Lo Prison before lunch in town. After lunch, we visit the Literature Temple and Quoc Tu Giam and see Vietnam’s first university, constructed in 1070 - then to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. The rest of the day to walk to Hoan Kiem Lake, then through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, where you’ll then have a chance for some shopping and exploration. Enjoy Water Puppet Show, have dinner with the tour leader, tour-briefing before boarding a night train to Dong Hoi.

Lunch/ Dinner
Reunification Train
support vehicles

The train arrives at Dong Hoi Station at 7:00 am, welcome by Vietnam Backroads Team, stop in town for breakfast, coffee and tea before a transfer to Paradise Cave. The journey by bus takes about an hour and a half to the cave through the mountain scenery through sub-national park forest, passing lakes, valleys on winding road rolling limestone mountains. Explore Paradise Cave, one of the most beautiful caves globally, for many reasons: for its longest underground river, for its most beautiful underground lake. It's the World beautiful with a length of 31.4 km and the longest dry Cave in Asia. Then we continue our journey by vehicle through the limestone mountain range to a nice restaurant by the River to enjoy delicious lunch. After lunch, coffee and tea, we will discover the Dark Cave. It is located on the west Ho Chi Minh trail and by the peaceful River. Here is another adventure for you is the Zip-line to Dark Cave. This is a great opportunity to discover the inner cavern with mud bathing and swimming on the clear freshwater River. Return to Phong Nha township to check in the hotel and dine with the team.

Saigon Phong Nha ***
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
support vehicles

Have a leisurely breakfast, check out, and commence the day ride to Dong Ha- DMZ. There will be two sections: 

- 40 km in the morning

- Transfer 1- hour after lunch

- 25 km in the afternoon

In the morning, we explore Phong Nha's rural villages, surroundings, and calm rivers flowing to the sea. Phong Nha has mainly featured caves, quiet rivers, tiny villages, and its karst mountains. Most villagers live primarily in farming, rice crops, and fruit orchards but only a little fishing. 


After lunch in Dong Hoi, we'll rest on the transfer for 1 hour to Vinh Linh Dist, then continue to explore the scenic countryside to Vinh Moc tunnels. The seaside areas offer idyllic countryside of blooming trees and vast fields, providing beautiful backdrops and fish farming when we ride down the coast. Visit Vinh Moc Tunnels, stay on coastal back roads, pass locals' sandy beaches, and take plenty of photos along small fishing villages to Hien Luong Bridge. The last visit of today is to the famous Museum of Hien Luong Bridge that knows the 17 parallel divided Vietnam in 1954 until the war ended in 1975. We'll transfer to Dong Ha in the late afternoon

Saigon Dong Ha ****
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
25 - 65 km
Easy/ moderate
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

Quang Tri was Vietnam's most heavily bombed province during Vietnam War. Mine Action Visitor Center is a museum that provides an excellent historical overview – in English and Vietnamese – with plenty of photographs taken during the war. Around 15 million tons of U.S. munition were dropped over Vietnam between 1965 and 1975, and at least 10% of those failed to detonate. It cannot be missed before we ride to Khe Sanh.


Our selected routes will lead you to unspoiled areas. We ride through the untouched jungle offering spectacular landscapes and green farmlands. Afterward, we undulate along the villages, and sometimes rivers will see more rice fields and fruit orchards. Visit some old military bases of the Nguyen Dynasty. Break for lunch in a small town, and continue biking through local farms and some little villages, enjoying lush farmlands un we reach high roads where we have a transfer to Ta Con Airport. It is now the Ta Con Airport Relic Museum in Khe Sanh. After the visit, we'll transfer to Khe Sanh, and check in the hotel. 

New Khanh Phuong ***
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
25 - 55 km
Easy/ moderate
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

After breakfast, we check out and travel by bus to Historic Ta Con Airport. The one is many things related to Vietnam War; the airstrip used to transport troops and supplies, many US tanks, helicopters, weapons are still there. We visit the old Ta Con Airport, the former South Vietnam Army before 1975- Knows as the Khe Sanh combat base where relics of the war are exhibited and opens for tourists. After the visit, the bus ride continues to the south of the town to Dak Rong Bridge, about 4 km north of Khe Sanh. Dak Rong is the friendship bridge built by Cuban engineers. Then we start to rock and roll the trails of Ho Chi Minh (asphalt road today) The scenic ride is through spectacular scenery, mountain and jungle up and down the quiet roads along the river. We will pass many tribe villages, small towns—lunch en route before we challenge Pe Ke Pass. Then we enjoy downhill ride to A Lin then A Luoi.

Thanh Quang/ Do Thanh Hotel **
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
30 - 85 km
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

A Luoi is a small town close to the Laos border. It was a small village controlled by the former French colonial capital and Hue coastal city. We have breakfast, pick up the bikes from the hotel, and ride down hills a few km of an amazingly green mountain range, then we speed up a hills with spectacular scenery setting. Break for water, fruits and be ready for  off-the-beaten-track biking. The routes are mixed with concrete paths, dirt tracks through the jungle, and farmlands, and some parts along the sleepy river to Minh Mang tomb. After we visit and learn the history of the Nguyen Dynasty, we carry on our bicycle ride to explore the charming countryside of Hue. Past many Mandarin houses, old pagodas on the back road, ride along some parts of the Perfume River to Hue City.

Imperial Hue ****
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
25 - 55 km
Easy/ moderate/hard
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

After breakfast, we take a short vehicle transfer out of the bustling traffic city to a peaceful village. Ride on the fantastic route through the scenic countryside lane and enjoy some of the most impressive landscapes. The rural villages are quiet, charming, beautiful lagoons and stunning coast with the mix of dirt tracks, narrow concrete paths and asphalt back roads. Lunch en route before we challenge Hai Van Pass, enjoy the breathtaking views and beautiful Bay of Da Nang. Then we ride downhill to Da Nang, and all get on vehicle transfer to Hoi An.

Hoi An Beach Resort ****
Breakfast/ Lunch/
25 - 75 km
Easy/ moderate/ hard
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

Breakfast at the n hotel, and enjoy a free day as your own to explore Hoi An Town. It was a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century, and there are several exciting places to visit and explore. More than 800 traditional wooden buildings have European and Oriental architecture styles blending such as Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, and European- Colonist Villas. The people are so friendly, and the bustling riverside market is lovely to spend time wandering around. The town will be crowded, and the best time to stay is a couple of days when the lantern festival occurs.

Hoi An Beach Resort ****
Breakfast/

Today begins at the hotel, and we cross a bridge over the Thu Bon River that takes us through quiet villages and then into beautiful farmlands, where we take a break at a fresh local market where the fish come straight from the sea after villagers spend a night there. It gives you more time to see the real daily life of locals living there for generations. The rural areas we bike through have buffalos working on farmlands and monkey bridges over the natural creeks connecting the village to villages.


Break for lunch at Tam Thanh local beach, then follow the village path and ride past rural rice-farming villages; stay on small trails along the rivers, with many little fishing boats and bamboo baskets along. Cross village channels and local ferry boats along the way. Visit My Lai Massacre Memorial and have a support shuttle to the resort. 

NewCC Hotel & Serviced Apartment ***
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
30 - 70 km
Easy/ Moderate
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

We set off in the early morning, 1-hour transfer to Tam Quan- a small town. We cycle along some of the country's most sandy beaches and explore local's lives at fishing villages. We travel through villages among coconut trees, past fishing villages. The coastal back roads offer the most beautiful scenery stimulating us and are easily accessible along some hills and down the coast—beak for lunch at De Ghi fishing village.


Following lunch, continue today's adventures. It's a more leisurely ride along country roads, witness villagers' lives and enjoy the stunning landscape. We keep going to Quy Nhon, past local markets and schools on coastal routes to Cat Tien. Then we turn left and undulating road along Thi Mai Lagoon. Have a short transfer over the Thi Nai bridge to Quy Nhon City.

Royal Hotel & Healthcare Resort ****
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
30 - 80 km
Easy/ moderate
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

The morning's cycle begins the morning with an hour of vehicle transfer on the coastal road to a small town where we rock small mountains and through the forests. Turn on dirt track, experience local culture and hard life of farmers living in remote hamlets. The ruotes are smooth, undulating and roll small hills, then undulate along the sleepy river to a small town for lunch.


In the afternoon, we follow the country road, through lush farmlands and peaceful rivers. The routes are flat and smooth, through small towns, seafood farms to the coast, pass fishing villages, pedal along the lagoons, experience authentic attractions along the way! A short break at Ganh Da Dia- The Sea Cliff of Stone Plate is a seashore area of uniformly interlocking basalt rock columns located along the coast in An Ninh Dong Commune, Tuy An District, Phu Yen. Then we take a small paths along the sea and will stop at one of the most beautiful pagodas, and ride through the sweet potato, corn and tapioca farmlands, paddy fields, view beautiful countryside to the outskirts of Tuy Hoa city. Have a transfer to Nha Trang in the late afternoom.

Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel & Spa
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
30 - 65 km
Easy/ moderate
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

Da Lat's specific sights are pine woods and twisting roads full of marigold and mimosa blossom in the winter. The city's temperate weather contrasts with Vietnam's otherwise tropical climate that no other city in the country has. Mist covering the valleys almost year-round leads to its name "City of Eternal Spring". After breakfast, a vehicle transfer takes us to Dien Khanh's countryside. We take a leisurely bike ride to explore villages along the river and farmlands of sugar cane, rice paddies. The beautiful road takes us through beautiful countryside along the mountain to Khanh Vinh. Khanh Le Pass is 1500m above the level sea and it about 29 km to the peak. To avoid climbing up the Pass, we have a vehicle drive up the top after lunch. There are many good stops on winding roads so that we could admire the breathtaking views of mountain ranges, valleys and tropical forests. We cycle toward Dalat on undulating roads that pass through pine forests, lush farmlands to Dalat from the peak.

Hôtel Colline ****
Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
30 - 75 km
Easy/moderate
Support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

Enjoy a half-day ride on Dalat mountain biking trails, a fantastic bike ride through the countryside, pine forest, valleys, lovely lake, vegetable and coffee farms in rural villages on mountain hills, winding paved roads, and dirt tracks with stunning landscapes. Then we go kayaking in the largest lake in Dalat and admire peaceful and lovely scenes along the lake’s sides, bringing you a relaxing feeling. Return to the hotel by vehicles.

Hôtel Colline ****
Breakfast/ Lunch
25km
2 hours - kayaking
support vehicles
Cold water, snacks, fruits

After early breakfast, check out for an airport transfer to Lien Khuong Airport fly to Ho Chi Minh. On arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport, meet the team and transfer to Hotel to check-in. Enjoy lunch in a famous restaurant in the city center. We explore Saigon by bus, visit Reunification Palace, War Remnant Museum, then to Saigon General Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, before walking down Dong Khoi Street. Enjoy your own time explore Saigon City Center on foot in the evening.

Northern Hotel ****
Breakfast/ Lunch
Vietnam Airlines
Airport in/out

Enjoy breakfast, Vietnamese coffee- Cafe Sua Da, spend time shopping until the airport transfer is picked up for the international flight to depart. Tour End!

Breakfast/
Airport out

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We really enjoyed our trip and appreciated the flexibility of cycling distances, equally the efforts made by our tour guide to customise our trip. Everything ran on true and to plan which was really impressive.

As one small suggestion. Vietnam Backroads may wish to survey the experience/ fitness of tour guests ahead of the trip to help establish an itinerary/ distance ahead of time. We've noted this done by the tour company in the past for hiking tour we have been on. 21 December 2022 - 05 January 2023

Jane Hill from…

I enjoyed the variety of roads. The hotel in A Luoi was below the standard. I understand it is the best in the town. Other hotels were good with several being great. The tour guide was friendly and constantly nice and patient. 21 December 2022 - 05 January 2023

Richard Kingsf…
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Cycling DMZ- Ho Chi Minh Trails- Coast of Vietnam