16 Days Vietnam Discovery by Bike

Brief information

Tour type: Private, soft-adventure tour

Hotel options: 2-star; 3-star; 4-star

Duration: 16 days

Departure/end: Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City or vice-versa

Highlights: Hanoi, Hoa Lu ancient capital, Halong Bay with a romantic night on board, Hue Imperial citadel, Hoi An ancient town, Cu Chi Tunnels, Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh city.

Features:
- Various means of transportation: car, flight, boat, bike
- Different accommodation type: hotel, on boat
- 3 days long biking in Mekong Delta, day biking in Tam Coc, Hoi An and Hue
- Combination of activities, landscape, life style, climate in different parts in Vietnam.

Price: From US$1133

Brief itinerary and service:

Itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi arrival
Our driver and tour guide will pick you up at Hanoi airport then transfer to your hotel in Hanoi. Depending on your arrival time, you may have time to explore a little of downtown and enjoy a stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake by yourself. 
Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi city tour
After breakfast, your tour guide will greet you at hotel lobby and take you for a full day city tour of Hanoi. We will visit Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest one in Hanoi, located on a semi island in West lake. Then heading to Ho Chi Minh mausoleum complex, visit his stilt house and museum telling you about his life and revolutionary cause. The next stop is One Pillar pagoda, located right within the mausoleum complex area, one of the most iconic pagoda in Vietnam. The morning tour ends with a visit to the Literature Temple, the first university of Vietnam, built in 1070 at the time of King Ly Thanh Tong. This ancient site offers a lake of literature, the Well of Heavenly Clarity, turtle steles, pavilions, courtyards and passageways that were once used by royalty.

After lunch at local restaurant, we continue to visit Vietnam museum of ethnology where introduce lifestyles and cultures of 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups. Beside the indoor exhibition, the museum also has out-door area displaying number of houses modeling after the traditional architecture of ethnic minorities which makes the museum stand out from others. Optionally, we visit Hoa Lo prison, built by French colonist to keep Vietnamese political prisoners and later for American pilots. After this visit, have some time hanging around until the Water Puppet show being started. You are free in the evening for dinning and relaxing. Stay overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi - Hoa Lu
Pick-up at your hotel and depart for Ninh Binh province, about 100km away from Hanoi. Upon arrival, we will visit Hoa Lu ancient capital with the old temples of Dinh's Dynasty and Previous Le's Dynasty. Learn about the history of Dai Co Viet's foundation (Dai Co Viet means The Great Viet, one of the old names of Vietnam). From here, we will start our biking trip to Tam Coc, which is so call "Halong Bay in land". After having lunch at local restaurant, we embark a small hand-rowed boat, rowing along the river passing through 3 grottoes (Tam Coc means three grottoes), enjoy spectacular landscape of rice fields lying among limestone mountains and rain forest.

Back to the dock, we continue biking to Jade Cave, visit the three ancient pagodas built on the mountain cliff (Lower, Middle and Upper pagoda). Spend sometime at the souvenir shops near the entrance of Bich Dong (Jade Cave) before cycling to your hotel near Hoa Lu. Stay overnight in Hoa Lu (Ninh Binh).

Day 4: Hoa Lu - Halong Bay
Leave Hoa Lu in the morning to depart for Halong. Upon arrival, board our traditional wooden junk boat, have a brief introduction about your trip with welcome drink before checking in. Feast on a delicious lunch as you cruise among hundreds of islets (Dinh Huong islet, Ga Choi – Fighting Cock islet, Dog islet, Finger islet, etc.) to discover untouched pockets of Halong Bay; and visit Sung Sot cave, one of the most imposing grottos of the Bay. You will then go kayaking from the Soi Sim beach to Luon Cave to enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the bay. When the night comes, enjoy dinner on boat with seafood, then attend squid fishing or just relax with your friends or family. Stay overnight on board.

Day 5: Halong Bay - Hanoi - Hoi An
Enjoy sunrise with light breakfast served on board. Continue to explore the amazing beauty of the Bay when sailing past through numerous rock formations such as: Man’s Head islet, Tortoise islet, Butterfly cave, Lion islet, Bai Tho Mountain. Arrange your luggage and do the check out onboard at around 9.00 am. Enjoy a wholesome brunch as your boat weaves through strange-shaped limestone rock formations.
At about 11.45am, arrive back at Halong city for disembarkation where your driver waits to take you back to your Hanoi, on the way call on a ceramic village to see craftsmen do their works. You will have some free time for dinner on the way at your own cost before continue your trip to the airport for departure flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival at Da Nang airport, car transfer to Hoi An. Overnight at hotel in Hoi An.
Day 6: Hoi An countryside biking
Today, we will go "off the beaten path" to visit some peaceful countryside villages around Hoi An. Cycling through lush farm land and rice filed on narrow roads or dirts, stopping along the way to visit local villagers and seeing how they use their surrounding resources to craft a living with aged old methods.
Your guide will meet you at hotel lobby, then you will cycle around Hoi An toward Tra Que vegetable village. About 150 farmers and 400 owners live there and cultivate about 20 types of vegetables and herbs such as mint, lettuce, basil, cilantro, broccoli and many more. Upon arrival, let walk around the village and meet local people working on their farm. They are willing to tell you all about cultivation methods and how to protect vegetables from insects. You will have chance to join farmers in their gardening activities such as raking the ground, sowing, watering greens and transplanting.
Continue riding through paddy fields, Ba Le market, local schools... until reaching Van Lang fishing village and Bay Mau coconut water forest - about 7 hectares, surrounded by mangrove forests, canals and leaf-roofed houses. Enjoy warm welcome from local family, taste green tea - the traditional drink of Vietnamese and stroll around the village. Then, experience basket boat within hands of skillful locals and discover their techniques of traditional fishery in water coconut forest. Visit a local family to enjoy footbath with medicinal herb before getting ready to prepare lunch with the them. Your lunch will feature many local delicacies such as Tam Huu spring rolls, banh xeo (local pancake), grilled fish in banana leaf and so on...
Free time after lunch to hanging around and relaxing before cycling back to Hoi An. Stay overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

Day 7: Hoi An free day
Have your free day in Hoi An for relaxing or exploring more about this charming old town in your way. Overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

Day 8: Hoi An - Hue
Say goodbye to Hoi An, we leave for Hue via Da Nang. On the way, we will stop at Cham museum and Marble Mountain for short visits. Then continue the trip through Hai Van Pass, the highest and one of the most scenic hillside road in Vietnam. On nice days, you can enjoy the whole vista of Da Nang city, the Tien Sa sea port, Son Tra peninsula, Cham island and long sandy beaches from the pass.
Arrive in Hue, check in hotel and have your free time to relax or explore the city by yourself. Stay overnight at hotel in Hue.

Day 9: Hue city by bike
Located in the central part of Vietnam, along the bank of the Perfume River, the poetic city of Hue was once the capital city of Vietnam for approximately 150 years during the feudal time under the rule of Nguyen’s Dynasty. Despite being severely damaged during the war, many valued historic architectures are still well preserved such as Imperial Citadel area, Royal Tombs of Ming Mang, Khai Dinh and Tu Duc, Quoc Hoc High School, Thien Mu pagoda…which have helped Hue earn a place in UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in 1993.
In the morning, we will cycle to visit Imperial Citadel and Purple Forbidden city with entrance gates, flag tower, Outer and Inner Courts, Pavilions and Gardens. Next, we cycle along the poetic Perfume river, enjoy the tranquil atmosphere and observe local daily life on the river's bank until reach Thien Mu pagoda, a symbol of Hue. The pagoda has seven stories and is the tallest pagoda in Vietnam. After visiting Thien Mu, we have lunch and take short break. Afternoon, continue your biking to the surrounding countryside where we will find the Royal Tombs of Nguyen Emperors; we will visit Tu Duc tomb or Khai Dinh tomb. After that, cycle back to Hue city, stay overnight at hotel.

Day 10: Hue - Ho Chi Minh City
Morning flight from Hoi An to HCMC. Upon arrival, have a guided tour to visit the main attractions in the city including Reunification Palace, War Remnants museum, Old French colonial buildings (Centre Post Office, City Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral...), Ben Thanh market.

Day 11: HCMC - Cu Chi
Half day to visit Cu Chi tunnels, an interesting historic site in the war with American. Before entering the tunnels for a real experience, you will view a short video film and presentation about the construction of the tunnels and how it was built. After that travelers can try delicious manioc which is the main food in Cu Chi during the war. For those interested there is an opportunity to fire off rounds from an AK47 or MK16 at the nearby rifle range. Back to the city centre; free in the afternoon. Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 12: Biking Can Giuoc - My Tho
Pick-up at your hotel and transfer to Can Giuoc with bikes. Here, we start the cycling tour of the fertile Mekong Delta. Riding across the green countryside, quaint villages and along rice fields. Cross the rivers by ferry, observe daily activities on land and water, enjoy warm greeting from local people every time. Taste typical Vietnamese foods of the area at local restaurants and stay overnight at small hotel/homestay near the river in My Tho.

Day 13: My Tho - Tra Vinh
A delightful journey on narrow roads through the green landscape of rice paddies, banana plantations, maize fields, various types of fruit trees, coconut palms and thatched cottages. Today you cross by ferry the three northernmost tributaries of the Mekong river, every crossing offers great views. In the afternoon you will discover the area of Tra Vinh, where a variety of interesting Khmer pagodas are found. The unique Khmer architecture occurs nowhere else in Vietnam make this area well worth including in the trip. Stay overnight at hotel in Tra Vinh.

Day 14: Tra Vinh - Can Tho
The regional architecture is interesting and there are many Khmer temples to visit and admire en route .Our guide will design a special route for this day depend on your cycling ability; cross narrow canals by local boats . Lunch at the local market then keep riding to Tra On boat dock and take the boat to Can Tho city, the main town of the region. Free in the evening to visit this bustling town with night market. Overnight at hotel.

Day 15: Can Tho - Ho Chi Minh city
Today you get up early for a boat trip to visit Cai Rang - the largest and most beautiful floating market in the Mekong Delta. Early morning is the best time as the market is at its busiest. Cai Rang is known for its colorful floating market. From small sampans (shallow river boats) local people trade everything: noodle soup, tropical fruit, bamboo, nuts, rice, etc... It is a wonderfully chaotic body of interchangeably sailing boats, traders and the most exotic commodities: an unforgettable experience! We will cruise some more on meander canals to visit rice paper home workshop and rice mill if time permit, then get back your bicycle to ride around villages under the shade of orchard garden. Car will transfer you back to Ho Chi Minh city. Stay overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 16: Ho Chi Minh City departure
Free for your own activities before getting transfer to the airport for departure flight.

2020 Quotation & Services

Hotel categories	Net rate in US$/person in group of					Single supplement
	1	2-3	4-5	6-7	8 up
Tourist **	2725	1722	1366	1214	1133	308
Superior ***	2907	1813	1457	1305	1224	378
First Class ****	3485	2102	1745	1594	1513	600

Note:
- The price is not applicable on National Holidays, Christmas and New Year.

Includes:
Accommodation:
- 14 nights twin/double sharing at hotels with daily breakfast.
- 1 night on boat (private cabin for 2 people with bathroom).
Transportation:
- Land transfer by private vehicle for the whole trip.
- Bike with helmet, safety kit (for long biking).
- Sharing boat cruise in Halong Bay (private AC cabin for 2 people with bathroom)
- Boat cruise on Mekong river.
- Air tickets and all taxes: HAN-DAD, HUI-SGN

Others:
- Meals as mentioned. B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: dinner
- Snack and fruit on biking days.
- English speaking guides.
- Admission fees for all sightseeing places on tour.
- 1 bottle of mineral water and wet tissue per person on touring day.
- Free Vietnam visa approval letter.
- Service charge and Government taxes
Excludes:
- International air tickets.
- Visa stamping fee.
- Personal expenses.
- Drinks.
- Tips and gratuities.
- Services not clearly mentioned above.

LIST OF HOTELS ON TOUR