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Biking Hanoi to Luang Prabang
Duration
13 days
Site savings
$93
From
$3,007 USD
Come and cycle the majestic mountain ranges of Vietnam and Laos for a fresh perspective on these Southeast Asian countries that few others will ever have the privilege of seeing. The journey will lead you past flowing rivers, towering limestone cliffs, cascading green rice paddies and introduce you to fascinating hilltop tribal communities. Put simply: this is the adventure of a lifetime and one you will cherish forever.
- CategoryAdventurous
- TypeFully Guided
- Duration13 days
- Culture LevelAdventurous
- Skill Level3 - Intermediate
- Activity Level3 - Active
- Elevation2 - Moderate
- TerrainHilly
- Distance393.3 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance43.5 miles
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Quick Stats
- Duration13 days
- Main DestinationVietnam
- Distance393.3 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance43.5 miles
- Elevation2 - Moderate
- TerrainHilly
Route Map (click to view larger image)
Itinerary Details
- Day 1Hello to Hanoi
It is arrival time as you set foot in the high-octane Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. You will immediately be sucked in by the scene before you with scooters vying for space amongst beautiful French and Chinese buildings that hark back to their respective occupations of this land. This is a perfect opportunity for you to get your bearings in the city before meeting for dinner and discussing the exciting tour ahead.
- Church Boutique Hotel
- Dinner
- Day 2Diving head first into Hanoi before setting off for Sapa
- Day 3Sensational scenery in Sapa
Waking up on the train is an unusual but adrenaline pumping experience, particularly when you know that today is your first day on the bike. You'll arrive in Lao Cai at 7:00 am before taking a support vehicle the final stretch of the way up to the former hill station of Sapa and the hotel. Situated at 1,450m (4,757 ft) you'll be able to breathe in the cool air - a stark contrast to what you've experienced in Hanoi just a day earlier.
After a hearty breakfast it’s time to get those legs pumping as you finally hop on the mountain bikes. As it’s the first day riding, it will be relatively easy and you'll be able to soak up the sensational scenery of the Moa Huong valley that lays before you. Everywhere you look is green with rice fields which seem to stretch out forever. This historic and remote location is home to several traditional hill tribes and you'll be fortunate to meet the Red Dzao people in Ta Van village. Assisted by guides, you'll soon discover more about their culture and homes before having lunch.
More riding follows after a meal and then you'll pedal onwards to Thanh Kim village which has some gentle hills. This is excellent preparation for the bigger climbs that lay ahead on your mountain mission across Vietnam and Cambodia. The village itself affords glorious sweeping views of the Ban Ho valley and while on some days it may be cloudy, the hill-tribe people fill the area with colour. Depending on your mood and energy, you can ride back towards Sapa or opt to jump in the support vehicle.
- 26.1 miles
- 2,821.5 ft
2,821.5 ft - Chau Long Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 4Soaking up super Sapa
This brilliant area with cascading rice terraces and bursts of colour in the hill-tribes demands you explore it further. And that's whats in store today as you take a loop route along the hillside town. Switching between climbs and speeding downhill, you'll be able to soak up the beautiful vistas that Sapa has to offer. Every so often there will be a break from your riding spells so you can visits local villages such as Ta Phin where you can witness the kind-hearted nature of the Red Dzao people.
Sapa is a cycling paradise with numerous tracks and loops that you can take to fly down to the main Lao Chai road. The terrain can change as it becomes muddy and slippery, but this adds to the challenge and makes it exhilarating to ride. Having reached the road you can either transfer back to Sapa or push on and cycle the remaining 15km (9mi). The nature of the tricky roads means our jeeps will not always be available for support, but we will find spots to catch up with them. Having reached the hotel, the afternoon is free for you to wander round Sapa before meeting up again for dinner.
- 13.7 miles
- 984.3 ft
984.3 ft - Chau Long Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 5Rolling into remote lands on the Tram Tron pass
For all its beauty Sapa is a popular tourist spot and while the bikes enable you to escape this to a degree, it is understandable that you will want to go more remote on this tour. Today ticks that box as you roll through the gears and ride up to the highest road pass in Vietnam – Tram Ton. You'll feel the burn in those legs as you hit 2,000m (6562ft), but the descent into the soaring valleys will have you shouting with joy.
Before you, the green Vietnamese countryside lays ahead and on this ride you'll pass tea plantations, plus the inquisitive looks of minority tribes as you pedal ahead. While Sapa offers a mystical air and potential views, this side of the mountain provides clearer vistas and looking back you will be able to see the highest mountain in Indo China, Fansipan.
Lunch will be in the town of Tam Duong before jumping back on the saddle and riding past picturesque villages, rice paddies, coffee plantations and towering limestone cliffs. The environment on this tour is truly epic and you will feel in awe at countless moments as you push on before spending a night in the city of Lai Chau.
- 45.4 miles
- 3,897.6 ft
3,897.6 ft - Muong Thanh Lai Chau Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 6Meandering past mountains to Muong Lay
- Day 7Hauling up hills for the smiles
Start today with a gentle ride along the river before tackling the first climb. Once at the top, take the time to recover and check out the local tea shop. This is the highest pass you will take on today, but it’s not the last. Cycle on and drop down to a plateau where with the help of local guides, you'll meet some hill tribe villagers before enjoying lunch. Then it’s on to the pass as you climb up, up and away again and be rewarded by a sight of smiling children plus flat roads all the way to Dien Bien Phu.
- 64 miles
- 5,344.5 ft
5,344.5 ft - Muong Thanh Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 8Delving into the Dien Bien Phu’s deep history
It is time to explore some Vietnamese history again and Dien Bien Phu is the perfect spot for this. This historic city was the location of the decisive engagement in the Indochina War as the Viet Minh communist forces defeated French Union troops in 1954 to secure independence and free Vietnam from colonial rule.
You'll cycle to an excellent war museum which provides greater details into this life changing battle, while also stopping at other historical points such as the Castries’ bunker, Glory Statue and the campaign headquarters. Between these visits lunch will be squeezed in before it is back to some real mountain bike riding. Take on a short climb then cycle amid towering forests and a reservoir.
Afterwards, ride back into the quaint city, which is free for you to explore the rest of the day. Dinner is your own choice tonight.
- 31.1 miles
- 3,546.6 ft
3,546.6 ft - Muong Thanh Hotel
- Breakfast and Lunch
- Day 9Veering out of Vietnam into luscious Laos
- Day 10Lap up and relax in the real Laos
- Day 11Back to the bikes
Suitably relaxed and chilled out, head back to your bike and tackle the remaining couple days of riding. A short boat transfer takes you to some dirt tracks and from there get the wheels spinning again as you head to Nong Kiau. This is real, rural cycling and you'll be passing through ethnic Hmong villages. The undulating route gets pretty narrow at certain points and there are stream crossings to factor in too. It makes for an exciting beginning today before joining tarmac roads into the town of Nong Kiau for lunch and then checking into the guesthouse for the evening.
Overlooking the Nam Ou River you can opt to either take the boat or ride to the hotel before grabbing the bikes for an afternoon ride to the limestone caves that villagers used to seek refuge in from America’s carpet bombing tactics.
- 14.9 miles
- 1,391.1 ft
1,391.1 ft - Phaxang Resort
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 12Let’s go! Speeding off to Luang Prabang on the last day
The last day of riding is an absolute belter as you ditch the big mountains and hill climbs for some peaceful roads along the Nam Ou River. The silence by the river is astounding as you tackle minor hill climbs and enjoy riding at a real quick pace. Flying into the former royal capital of Luang Prabang, makes for a tremendous way to conclude this journey of incredible highs.
A listed UNESCO World Heritage site, the city is unrivaled for spirituality and is filled with endless Buddhist temples and monasteries. Its location on a peninsula between the Nam Khan and Mekong River adds to its overall allure. Each morning you can witness the monks from the monasteries walking the streets and collecting alms in a display that will make you feel lucky to be there. Once you reach this beautiful city, check into the hotel before heading for one final dinner to reflect on this incredible experience.
- 88.9 miles
- 3,028.2 ft
3,028.2 ft - Sanakeo Boutique Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 13Waving goodbye to the journey of a lifetime