8:00 am, be ready to go to your hotel's lobby, meet your guide & driver, and transfer out of Ha Noi on a private vehicle. Arrive in the rural area of Duong Lam, pick up the bikes to discover the hidden charm of Duong Lam's countryside, bike through rice paddies, and visit the Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung temples that worship two national heroes against the Chinese during the Tang Dynasty. Visit and learn more about Vietnam's ancient history before cycling to Mia Pagoda, built in the 15th century. The pagoda has 287 statues of different sizes, famous Buddha sculptures in the Himalayas, and the statues of the Eight Vajra Deities. Then, continue riding around the village to discover locals' daily life and farming work along the fields with a stop at two ancient houses: the most significant old house was built 200 years ago, and the most ancient house from 400 years ago. Here is your opportunity to experience these older ways of life in Duong Lam and find yourself making friends with the warmly welcoming villagers whose childhoods are pure agriculture. We resume exploring the architecture of ancient houses along their narrow alleyways on good-quality MTB bicycles. Enjoy your tasty lunch at the ancient house, walk along narrow alleys to visit Mong Phu communal house in Mong Phu hamlet, and immerse yourself in the beautiful countryside. Drive back to Hanoi around 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm.
Commence your adventure with a pick-up from your Hanoi hotel at 08.00AM. As we drive southwest to Mai Chau, the gateway to the breathtaking mountain scenery of Hoa Binh. You'll immerse in a visual feast of mountains, valleys, sugarcane farms, and rice paddies. We'll make a stop en route for a refreshing break. Upon reaching Mai Chau, we'll pause in Pom Coong village, a Thai ethnic minority village, for a delicious lunch in a local home. Post-lunch, we'll set off on a biking tour to explore Lac Village, meet locals, and stop at local homes where people produce traditional handmade costumes. Check-in at the hotel and spend the rest relaxing by the pool.
After a leisurely breakfast, we'll pick up our bikes and start cycling from the hotel. We'll follow the paths through peaceful landscapes and rice terrace fields to Mai Hic, Van Mai, and Xam Khoe villages. In hillsides and valleys, you can see the real life of villagers and witness their daily lives. We'll ride across lush farmlands, undulate on smooth paths, and sometimes ride along small rivers. This is your opportunity to meet ethnic people and have a photo taken. We'll transfer to Tam Coc with lunch en route.
After lunch, we'll take 1. 5 hours of boat paddling amongst limestone mountains and cliffs, admire the colorful floating rice fields, and pass through three caves: Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba. We then enjoy a fantastic ride as you leisurely explore the incredible Tam Coc countryside of large limestone karst cliffs covered by forest. We ride along the paddies, waving to the locals, and visit the ancient Bich Dong pagoda hidden in the mountain karst. This bike ride loop ride is 10 km, and it makes you regularly stop along the countryside of the fantastic landscapes. Your guide will arrange a standard hotel so you can shower and have dinner before a night train to Hue.
Be met at the railway station and taken to a local restaurant for breakfast. Our first stop is the Hue Imperial Citadel, the former capital of Vietnam before 1945. This majestic structure, though almost totally destroyed in the Vietnam War during the Tet Offensive, still holds Vietnam's Royal past treasures, including tombs and pagodas, a typical blend of Western and Oriental architecture. The Purple City, a place where only the emperor and his eunuchs, servants, and concubines were allowed, is a testament to the grandeur and exclusivity of the royal court. We'll then continue our journey to Thien Mu Pagoda, a symbol of Hue and its Buddhism.
In the afternoon, we'll cycle through authentic villages, explore the highlight sites of Hue, pass Mandarin houses, old pagodas, and military bunkers, cross the Perfume River, and resume cycling to Minh Mang Mausoleum—the most traditional, beautiful royal tomb in Hue. After the visit, we'll return to Hue and check in at the hotel.
After a leisurely breakfast, a short transfer takes us out of the town, where we cross the rice paddies on beautiful smooth paths leading to the ancient tile-proof wooden bridge- Thanh Toan, a charming village in Thuy Thanh commune. We continue a leisurely ride along the calm river, small markets, and traditional houses and travel through vast vegetation farmlands to lagoons. See fishermen on small, long wooden boats along the lagoons. You'll have plenty of opportunities to stop at rustic fishing villages and meet fishermen who come to work from their villages, carrying fishing nets and casting them out into the waters simultaneously, slowly pulling them. This is your endless photo opportunity to meet the villagers and capture amazing images of this stunning scenery.
We cross the Truong Ha River, ride toward the local coastal routes, and keep experiencing the culture and lifestyle of locals, passing the colorful An Bang Cemetery City of Ghosts and pagodas along tiny villages to Vinh Hien market- Tu Hien bridge where we have lunch at the local seafood restaurant. After lunch, we'll transfer to Hoi An. On the way, we'll break for coffee and enjoy stunning views of Hai van Pass and Lang Co Bay.
We'll take a half-day to bike through Cam Tham Village to Tra Que. Village and attend a cooking class at Tra Que's local home. We pick up our bikes and cycle through Cam Thanh village, then to Tra Que's verdant organic vegetable farmland. We join the family to be particular farmers and help locals grow/ harvest vegetables. It's a great chance to smell and taste the local ingredients and spend more time with locals on the farms, learning about traditional cultivation ways. You then go back to your local home for the cooking lesson. Learn how to cook local and specialty dishes, and then enjoy your lunch as you have cooked. After lunch, you'll transfer to the hotel and spend the rest of the day on the beach.
After breakfast, we'll spend a half-day exploring Hoi An ancient town, on our own, shopping until checking out for a transfer to Da Nang to catch an internal flight to Ho Chi Minh. You will be met at Tan Son Nhat Airport and taken to the hotel in the city center.
Traveling to Cu Chi tunnel by luxury speed boat is a truly unique way to observe a different side of Vietnam as you head to the famed tunnel complex, where you'll see an enormous network of underground tunnels used during the Vietnam War. It's also a great way to witness the real life of locals along the River bank. Have an early breakfast for a speed ride to Cu Chi tunnel. Depart at 7:00 am; after you are met at the hotel, shuttle to Bach Dang pier. Watch a short documentary about Cu Chi during the war, explore the three levels of the tunnel underground, stop at the shooting range, and have lunch at a local restaurant by the river and returning to Saigon around 13:30 pm. Have a transfer to the hotel.
Depart from Ho Chi Minh City at 08.00 am. It takes two hours of driving to get to Cai Be' countryside. On the Mekong boat cruise along the Mekong River, you'll stop to sample some fresh tropical fruit and visit some cottage industries in the area. Visit some family workshops to produce candies and local snacks before a sampan rowing boat through beautiful Tan Phong Island. Then, you return to the Mekong boat and continue crossing the Mekong River to An Binh Island. Enjoy lunch- a special local lunch at the home of locals. After lunch, we nap on a hammock until the temperature drops for a leisurely afternoon bicycle ride. Explore a fantastic bike ride through the lush land, rich with orange, papaya, grapefruit, and mango trees. Experience the daily life of locals through quaint villages and the vibrant river network that zig-zag An Binh Island. Your ride today ends when you cross the Mekong River to Vinh Long City. Get in a car for a 45-minute Can Tho City afternoon transfer.
Can Tho is the capital of the Mekong Delta and is famous for it' Cai Rang floating market. This market is open all day, and the best time is from sunrise to about 9:00 am. The main items sold here are farm products. Many big boats are loaded with plenty of seasonal fruit; mango, bananas, papaya, pineapple, longan, grapefruits, and watermelons....when small boats with long tail engines move through to find a good dealer. Besides this, many coffee bars and grocery boats are also approaching for business. This is a truly unique floating market and can't be missed if you are traveling to the Mekong Delta region.
After breakfast, check out and get on a boat by the pier in front of your hotel. Enjoy views along the river banks, and watch the morning activities on the waterway to an actual floating market. Then we disembarked from your boat at An Binh land market and spent time experiencing people's activities here. Begines our last day ride to Binh Thuy rural Dist of Can Tho city. Pedal across small rivers, tropical fruit orchards, peaceful villages, and numerous lively local markets on countryside paths. End up cycling at Binh Thuy- an ancient house. Visit this ancient house- An old house featuring French colonial architecture and serene gardens. This was set in the movie "The Love". Enjoy lunch at cozy restaurants on the way back to Ho Chi Minh.
After breakfast, you'll transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport. Tour Ends!