Meet your guide in Hanoi for a warm welcome and a brief orientation about the upcoming tour. After the briefing, head to the local bike store to check and adjust your bikes in preparation for the days ahead.

Begin your exploration of Hanoi, a city with over 1,000 years of history and the cultural and political heart of Vietnam. Start with a visit to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university, followed by a sobering tour of Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the “Hanoi Hilton.”

Lunch at a local restaurant in the city center. In the afternoon, continue with a visit to the Vietnam National Museum of History, then take a guided walk through Hanoi’s bustling Old Quarter, a maze of lively streets that reveal the city’s rich commercial past.

Wrap up your day with a traditional Water Puppet Show, a uniquely Vietnamese art form, followed by dinner. Later in the evening, transfer to the train station with your guide and board the overnight train to Lao Cai, ready to begin the next leg of your adventure.