Vietnam – Central Coast Cycling & Walking Tour (Partially Guided)

Welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival at the airport, your driver will be waiting for you and will take you to the famous Hoan Kiem district. After check-in, you will meet your self-guided assistant in the hotel lobby, who will provide you with everything required and answer any questions you have about your tour and upcoming schedule. Then, you will follow the pre-loaded itinerary in our easy-to-use app, and wander through the old quarter. You will explore different markets, hidden pagodas, small alleys as well as iconic colonial buildings such as the Hanoi Opera House. The itinerary also includes a walk next to the famous Hoan Kiem Lake and our favorite coffee shop!

In the evening, we recommend that you follow the street food tour loaded in our app. You can try some of the Hanoi & Vietnam’s signature dishes: Banh Cuon (filled steam rice sheet), Bun Bo Nam Bo (stir-fried beef noodles), Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich) and Bia Hoi (beer station). Cost of self-guided activities, such as the street food tour, are not included.

Meals: on own
Highlights: orientation, explore Hanoi, optional street food tour
Overnight: Hanoi

This morning you will be picked up at your hotel to travel to the other side of the Red river for your cycling escape. You will come to the Long Bien district and ride along the less frequented back roads of a Hanoi suburb and then into the countryside. Along the way, you will discover smalll villages, such as the ceramic village of Bat Trang, the new ceramic museum and Phung Cong flower and bonsai village. The ride will offer you the chance to learn more about the traditional way of life of the Vietnamese people, rural agriculture and the diversity of northern Vietnam. Discover the historic Chu Dong Tu temple and the area called Eco Park.” Enjoy lunch in a traditional house, which gives you the opportunity to taste the local northern cuisine of Vietnam.  After lunch you will travel back by vehicle to Hanoi, arriving late afternoon.

Meals: breakfast & lunch
Distance & Duration: 35 km / 22 mi, ~4 hrs
Overnight: Hanoi

Today is another day of self-guided activities. In the morning, you will meet a driver (no guide) and travel to Ha Long. From there, you will embark on a cruise in the must-see La Han Bay, which is part of Halong Bay. This world-famous bay is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Vietnam, with its giant rock islets covered in lush vegetation overlooking the waters. Halong Bay includes some 1,900 islands and islets of rocky peaks, often uninhabited and unvisited. This scene creates a spectacular marine landscape, which earned its UNESCO World Heritage status in 1994. You will be served lunch and dinner aboard with excellent, freshly caught seafood from the bay.

Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Highlights: cruise tour in Halong Bay, UNESCO site, seafood
Overnight: Halong Bay Junk

Early in the morning and depending on the season, you will wake up to enjoy the sunrise over the aquamarine waters of the bay. Then, the cruise will tour around the bay until you disembark at the end of the morning. You will then return to Hanoi where you will arrive in the early afternoon. The rest of your day is yours to enjoy Hanoi at your leisure.

Meals: breakfast & brunch
Highlights: Ha Long Bay sightseeing
Overnight: Hanoi

Today includes a mix of self-guided and guided activities. After check-out, the driver (no guide) will meet you and transfer you to Noi Bai airport for your in-country flight from Hanoi to Dong Hoi. Upon arrival in Dong Hoi, you will meet a local guide and start your journey to Central Vietnam. Have lunch in a local restaurant, and then you will travel deep into the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) to visit the Paradise Cave. Climbing uphill to the entrance, you then take another easy walk following a wooden walkway (about 1 km) underground to visit Paradise Cave – a feast for the eyes and soul. In the late afternoon you will return to your hotel.

Meals: breakfast & lunch
Highlights: Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Paradise Cave visit
Overnight: Phong Na

Today, you will enjoy a fully guided and supported day, starting with a cycling tour into the villages of Phong Nha. Here, you will eperience the local lifestyle and culture. The tour takes you along Son River to reach the villages of Bong Lai Valley. Here, you will have the opportunity to join in local farming activities in the rice paddies or peanut fields, or learn how Vietnamese-style popcorn is made. You will be cycling on unpaved roads and paths, crossing many rice fields. After some uphill climbing, descend into Bong Lai Valley, where you will be visiting a local farm run by a Viet Cong veteran couple. Learn how they farm green peppers and other vegetables, and enjoy the seasonal fruits on their farm.

After lunch, you will cycle back to the town to explore the impressive Phong Nha water cave. After 45 minutes of cycling, you will arrive at the boat landing in Phong Nha National Park. A boat ride up a scenic river leads to a gaping maw in the mountain. The motor cuts off, the roof is drawn back, and you are paddled into a surrealistic wonderland. Columns and stalactites of many colors capture the eye one after the other, remarkably resembling giant flowers and mushrooms. There are also some walks to visit Fairy Grotto. After the visit, travel back to your hotel.

Meals: breakfast & lunch
Distance & Duration: 30 km / 19 mi, 3 hrs
Highlights: Phong Nha villages, cultural experiences, scenic boat ride, Fairy Grotto
Overnight: Phong Nha

Today includes another fully guided and supported. Depart from Phong Nha and travel for 1.5 hrs to the starting point of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which the Viet Cong started to construct in May 1959. The Ho Chi Minh original trail facilitated the movement of soldiers and war supplies from North Vietnam to battlefields in South Vietnam. Next, visit the National War Cemetery, home to over 10,000 soldiers. Pedal along the country roads through the rubber plantations and stop for a break under the shade of the rubber trees. Then, cycle onwards to the 17th Parallel – Ben Hai River, the demilitarized zone of Vietnam from 1954 to 1972. You will continue on more uphills and downhills on a single road through the pepper plantations, taking you to Vinh Moc tunnel complex – known as the legendary “Underground City” during the American War in Vietnam. Local people stayed underground for nearly 2,000 days without sunlight in order to remain in their homeland. Seventeen children were born during this time, all of them underground. Explore the historic tunnels and the beautiful sea view upon exit.

Enjoy lunch at the seaside restaurant at Cua Tung beach, then travel to Hue in the late afternoon. The guide and driver will meet you later today and transfer to a local restaurant for dinner.

Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Distance & Duration: 45-55 km / 28-34 miles, 5 hrs
Highlights: Ho Chi Minh Trail cycling, historical stops
Overnight: Hue

This morning, a fully guided and supported day awaits you! Your guide will meet you at your hotel and give you a short briefing. The day’s journey will start with a cycle to the Imperial Citadel. Following a tour of the Citadel, start pedaling towards Phu Mong Village, a former mandarin’s village distinguished by its beautiful architecture. Then, continue the ride under the cool shade of the trees towards an ancient garden house called Xuan Vien Tieu Cung. Here, you will be welcomed by a local family and share a cup of green tea and fresh fruits from their garden. After saying farewell to your hosts, your journey will take you to the towering Thien Mu Pagoda. After a one-hour visit, cross the river on a local ferry before cycling towards Thuy Bieu Village, where you can admire Hue’s absolutely superb landscapes, from the rice fields to the fruit trees, and vegetable gardens. Upon arriving at a quaint local house, enjoy a well-deserved lunch and a relaxing foot bath before heading out again.

In the afternoon, cruise the banks of the enchanting Perfume River. After the journey, you will make your way to a craft village, where you will learn more about making incense and traditional hats, until it’s time to pedal onwards to Tu Duc Tomb. After visiting the tomb, continue on to a local lagoon to enjoy a tour of an authentic fishing village, where you can see a fishing farm and enjoy the sunset at a local restaurant. At the end of the day, you will be taken back to your hotel.

Meals: breakfast & lunch
Distance: 30-45 km / 19-28 mi, 3-5 hrs
Highlights: Imperial Citadel, family visit, Thien Mu Pagoda, craft village, Tu Duc Tomb
Overnight: Hue

Today’s itinerary is self-guided. Beginning at 8:30, you will leave Hue and drive to Hoi An, enjoying the spectacular Hai Van Pass route which overlooks the bay and offers incomparable panoramic views. After arrival in Hoi An, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. We recommend to use a taxi or (basic) bicycles available at the hotel in order to cycle to the old town and begin exploring this beautiful maze of old houses. Remember to check the app for useful information, such as where to park your bicycle, where to enjoy some of the best signature dishes from Hoi An, or the best terraces for a refreshing drink. If you wish to learn more about the town and its history, you can purchase the ‘Hoi An Old Town Tickets’, which give you access to old shophouses, communal houses, or even to cross the Japanese Bridge. All of the most significant historical places are already loaded in the app, together with relevant historical information.

Meals: breakfast
Highlights: Hoi An history & exploration
Overnight: Hoi An

At 8:00 am, your mountain bike will be delivered to your hotel and you will be able to begin your cycling tour. Cycle through the old town in the morning on your way out into the picturesque countryside. Along the way you will pass through impressive rice fields, rarely-visited villages, see fishermen working on the river and past abandoned brick kilns. Feel free to take a break at one of the coffee stops recommended in the app along the way.

After following a narrow path, you will arrive in a fishing village with dozens of colorful boats and large fishing nets. Cycle back to Hoi An’s old town after passing the impressive Cua Dai Bridge, which offers a panoramic view of Hoi An’s countryside. Your afternoon is free to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of Hoi An.

Meals: breakfast
Distance & Duration: 28 km / 17 mi, 4 hours
Highlights: mountain bike through rice fields, quite farming villages, colorful fishing village
Overnight: Hoi An

After checking out (12 pm latest) you will meet your driver and travel to Da Nang airport for your flights home.

Meals: breakfast