Vietnam – Guided Central Coast Highlights Bicycle Tour

Upon your arrival in French colonial Hanoi, your guide will welcome you at the airport and then transfer to your hotel for check in. After settling into hotel room, you will have a bike fitting and logistics talk before going through the Old Quarter by walking tour. Discover the bustling streets of the “Quarter of the 36 guilds’’ – a place of unique charm and endless activity: artisans, tinsmiths, jewelers, calligraphers, carpenters, leather or rattan goods, people selling fans, lacquer ware, silk, mats, paper, pipes and so much more. Then, take a stroll around Sword Lake and stop to visit the beautiful Ngoc Son Temple on an island in the middle of the lake, accessed via a red wooden bridge. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at a nice local restaurant where you will begin your exploration of the culinary delicacies of Vietnam, and have a trip orientation and talk about how to bike in Vietnam with your guide.

Meals: dinner
Highlights: orientation, explore Hanoi, welcome dinner
Overnight: Hanoi

This morning, you will be picked up at your hotel in the morning and travel to the other side of the Red river where you will start your cycling escape. You will come to the Long Bien district and ride along the less busy back roads of a Hanoi suburb and then into the countryside. Along the way, you will discover various peaceful villages, still less developed and well-preserved, such as the ceramic village of Bat Trang, the new ceramic museum and Phung Cong flower and bonsai village. The tour will see and visit a mix of historical and modern sites, such as the Chu Dong Tu temple. After lunch you will travel back in your vehicle to Hanoi where you will arrive at around 3pm.

Meals: breakfast, lunch
Distance: 35 km / 22 miles, ~4 hrs; mostly paved flat roads
Overnight: Hanoi

In the morning, you will travel to Hai Long city and arrive around noon. From there, you will embark on a cruise in the must-see 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. At the end of the day, you will have the chance to enjoy a night fishing session on the boat!

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

Wake up early in the morning to enjoy the aquamarine waters of the bay at its best! After breakfast and an early swim (if weather permits,) we continue cruising to visit an isolated beach and floating village. Disembark and head back to Hanoi Airport for an evening flight to Hue City, the former capital of Vietnam and also known as a UNESCO Heritage Site of Centre Vietnam. Upon arrival you will be welcomed by local guide and transferred to your hotel for check in.

Meals: breakfast
Highlights: harbor cruise, Hue City UNESCO site
Overnight: Hue

In the morning your guide will meet you at your hotel and a short briefing will be given. The tour will start by cycling to the Imperial Citadel. Following a tour of the Citadel, you will pedal towards Phu Mong Village, a former Mandarin village with ancient and charming architecture. Then you will continue the ride in the cool shade 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, along with fresh fruit from the garden. After saying good bye to your host you will continue your journey to Thien Mu pagoda.

Next, you will cross the river with a local ferry before continuing cycling towards Thuy Bieu Village. Here, you can admire the quiet and superb landscape of Hue: rice fields, fruit trees and vegetable gardens. You will then arrive at your lunch place, which is a very nice house. In the afternoon you will follow and admire the marvelous Perfume River. After the descent, you go through a village where you can learn about making incense and traditional hats. Moving on, you will pedal until arriving at Tu Duc Tomb. After the visit of the Tomb, you will cycle to the Lagoon to enjoy a tour at the fishing village, see the fishing farm and enjoying a sunset on a local restaurant. After this experience you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Meals: breakfast, lunch
Distance: 45 km / 28 miles – mostly flat; paved and dirt roads
Highlights: Imperial Citadel, garden house visit, pagoda, Tu Doc Tomb
Overnight: Hue

Today you will begin cycling along the village road from Ngoc Anh to the village of Vinh Ve and Chuon Lagoon, which is part of the famous Tam Giang Lagoon. This old village attracts visitors with its beauty of traditional architecture, old pavilions, complex designs and intricate carvings of dragons. Rural paths and the river take visitors through golden paddy fields, which extend to the Chuon Lagoon. Take a break at the local coffee shop and enjoy the picturesque view! Continue heading to Tu Hien Beach, where your route finishes, via village paths, enjoying the tranquil landscapes and the freshest air. After lunch, your last ride is to Phuoc Tuong. Here you will be transferred by car to Hoi An via the scenic road and the Hai Van Pass.

Meals: breakfast, lunch
Distance: 65 km / 40 miles – light climbing +60m; mostly flat, paved roads
Highlights: Chuon Lagoon, Tu Hien Beach
Overnight: Hoi An

Today you start cycling by following the small paths that link the many small villages of the area, passing by multiple rice fields, shrimp ponds and the blue canal of Old Town. Walk your bicycle through tiny alleys, exploring the culture and lifestyle of Hoi An, just as a local would. Continue the ride to another small village, where you will be surrounded by tall areca trees that tower up into the sky. Here you will have time for a break and can try some delicious grilled seafood and coconut rice paper, offered to you in welcome at a local home. Take a ride through lush sedge fields to a mat weaving village and from there, the local ferry will return you to Ancient Town. Continue cycling to Tra Que Village – the charming little village that is famous for many kinds of vegetables, passing through rippling fields silhouetted by gently swaying coconut trees. Visit with a local host in Tra Que, then relax with a foot massage and enjoy a local meal. In the afternoon, you will return to the city by car or cycling (maximum 5 kilometers.) Rest at the hotel before heading back out for sightseeing in the old town of Hoi An. End your day with a delicious cocktail besides the beautiful canal.

Meals: breakfast, lunch
Distance: 35 km / 22 miles
Highlights: Old Town exploration, home visits, local experiences
Overnight: Hoi An

Today, set out on Hoi An’s characteristically narrow streets before reaching a small pier, where you’ll take a local ferry to cross the river. At your first stop, you will meet a local craftsman and get a closer look at the beautiful wooden furniture. After this visit and some more cycling, you will have the opportunity to stop in a local house and try your hand at rice paper making, a delightful, authentic experience that seems simple, but requires some talent! After you make and eat your delicious snack, continue on the main road for a few minutes before heading off the beaten tracks to completely immerse yourself in the rural countryside.

After the lunch break, you will visit the My Son sanctuary: the most important Cham archaeological site in central Vietnam. Dating back to the 4th up to the 13th centuries, the 70-building complex demonstrates that the Cham civilization was contemporary with and rather close to Khmer civilization, which makes My Son comparable to sites like Angkor in Cambodia, Borobudur in Indonesia, and Bagan in Myanmar. After exploring the sanctuary, you will travel directly to Danang airport for your departure flight.

We recommend pre-booking a flight from Danang and arranging a hotel for this night. Ask us for assistance.

Meals: breakfast, lunch
Distance: 45 km / 28 miles
Highlights: UNESCO-listed My Son