Cycling The Famous Ho Chi Minh Trail, Hanoi to Hoian

📍 Transfer from Noi Bai international airport to hotel in Hanoi: 1.5 hours

Upon arrival to Noi Bai International Aiport, our local guide and driver will be waiting to provide transport to the hotel. After checking in to the hotel and freshening up, a trip briefing will follow to prepare for the ensuing journey. 
 
Overnight in Hanoi

Inclusions:

📍 Transfer: 3.5 hours Cycling distance up to: 50 km Difficulty: Medium

Leave the capital early this morning for a drive through rural countryside to Mai Chau, arriving in time to enjoy lunch at a local Thai village house. Hop on the bike for a ride through the spectacular, undulating valley of the Song Ma River on the way to Hoi Xuan. This route was used to carry supplies and ammunition during the war and linked to the main part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
 
Depending on personal preference, continue by bike or travel by car to the finish point. 

Overnight in Mai Chau

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Transfer: 45 minutes Cycling distance up to: 70 km Difficulty: Medium

After breakfast, transfer by road (about 45 minutes) to the start of the day’s ride. The route heads away from the river, riding through a range of mountains which stretch from Mai Chau to Cuc Phuong National Park and the ancient capital of Hoa Lu. During the cycle, the scenery gradually unfolds to beautiful limestone cliffs and lush vegetation. The route is challenging with several hills to ascend, but a support vehicle is always nearby.

Arrive in the town of Ngoc Lac late this afternoon for the overnight stay.  
 
Overnight in Ngoc Lac

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Transfer: 1,5 hour Cycling distance up to: 86 km Difficulty: Medium

Pedal along the newly-built Ho Chi Minh highway for today’s journey. The tarmac makes for smooth, fast riding We start the day with a short transfer to reach the newly-built Ho Chi Minh Highway, which we’ll have virtually to ourselves. The tarmac makes for smooth and fast riding with 360-degree picturesque scenery. Riding through the fertile area, we'll see such crops as coffee, rubber, tea, and various fruits. We will arrive in Thai Hoa late in the afternoon.

Overnight in Thai Hoa

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Transfer from Vinh to Pho Chau: 1 hour Cycling distance up to: 120 km Difficulty: Medium

Following breakfast, we are back for another day of cycling on the Ho Chi Minh Highway. The road winds through lush jungle and beautiful villages nestled under the Truong Son mountain range. During our cycle, take the time to admire the stunning scenery and the serene karst formations. We reach the remote town of Pho Chau in Nghe An province at the end of the day, where we stay at a local guesthouse.  

Overnight in Pho Chau

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Transfer: 1hr Cycling distance up to: 100 km Difficulty: Medium

From Pho Chau, the Ho Chi Minh Highway is still a dream to ride on and you’ll appreciate the smooth tarmac as the mountains rise and the road winds up and down along the hillsides. The scenery is impressive, and the road is tranquil. We ride to Phong Nha National Park, which contains one of the most magnificent caves in Vietnam. A true speleological wonder with 65 km of caves and underground rivers, formed approximately 250 million years ago, the caves were used as a hospital and ammunition depot during the war, and the entrance still shows evidence of attacks from fighter air-crafts. Nearby, there are community projects underway with Flora and Fauna International, and it may be possible to visit village initiatives creating habi-tat corridors to help to maintain the forest’s ecosystem. 

Overnight in Phong Nha

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Transfer: 1 hour Cycling distance up to: 80 km Difficulty: Medium

After an early morning exploration of Phong Nha Cave, transfer 1.5 hours by road to the Ho Chi Minh Trail to resume the ride. Pedal across the DMZ (also known as the 17th Parallel) to Cam Lo. Stop en route to visit Truong Son cemetery, a memorial to the tens of thousands of North Vietnamese soldiers who were killed in the Truong Son Mountains.
 
From there it’s only 14 kilometres further to the town of Cam Lo. It is here that the trail heads across the country into Laos. Finish today with a short transfer to Khe Sanh, a former US marine base and site of the infamous 1968 battle of Khe Sanh.
 
Overnight in Khe Sanh

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Cycling distance up to: 65 km Difficulty: Medium

Start this morning with a visit to the Khe Sanh combat base where relics of the war are exhibited. There is also an airstrip in the area. Then ride through spectacular scenery, mainly downhill, from the Laos border to the Dakrong River. Cross the river by bridge and ride along the waterway to what was once considered the southern part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Again, enjoy a traffic-free road with rolling terrain, a nice contrast to the flat plains of the previous day’s ride. 
 
Overnight in A Luoi

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Cycling distance up to: 70km Difficulty: Medium

Due to the bad roads in the south of A Luoi, venture off the Ho Chi Minh Trail and head across the country to Hue. The 60km ride through the middle of Vietnam is on back roads before hitting Highway 1, just a few kilometres south of Hue. Here there is the option of transferring by road or continuing by bike to the center of Hue.
 
Overnight in Hue

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Cycling distance up to: 30km Difficulty: Easy

After breakfast, enjoy a relatively easy ride on the back roads of Hue through lush countryside on a mix of footpaths and quiet country lanes. The day begins with a visit to the Imperial Citadel to explore the ruins of this grand monument to the emperors. Then, ride along backstreets following the banks of the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda. Continue through the quiet roads of Hue’s countryside to visit the royal tomb of Ming Manh, a former Nguyen emperor, and loop back across the river to Hue via the funerary monument to Khai Dinh.
 
Return to central Hue early this afternoon for time at leisure to relax or explore more independently.
 
Overnight in Hue

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Transfer from Lang Co beach to Hoi An: 1 hour Cycling distance up to: 100 km Difficulty: Hard

Today is an epic ride with two small hills to conquer before the intense 11 km climb uphill to the top of Hai Van Pass. Upon reaching the summit of the pass, cyclists are rewarded with the region’s most stunning views of the coastline. (Thanks to a recently opened tunnel through the mountain, there is now very little traffic on this uphill road.)
 
Cruise down the pass to Lang Co beach for a swim and lunch. Then transfer the final 35 kilometres by car to Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rest of this afternoon and evening is at leisure to explore the narrow streets and lanes of this charming town.  
 
Overnight in Hoi An

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Transfer: 1 hour Cycling distance up to: 60km Difficulty: Medium

The last day of the journey is an easy ride to My Son, the ancient spiritual centre of the Cham kingdom. Transfer a bit out of town to avoid the busy highway before cycling along scenic country back roads, beyond rice paddy fields, through a eucalyptus forest, and many picturesque villages. The meandering road eventually leads us to My Son, once Champa’s greatest spiritual city and now an impressive archaeological site. Enjoy lunch near the temples and spend an afternoon touring around the crumbling temples before transferring back to Hoi An by bus.  

Overnight in Hoi An

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

Enjoy the final day at leisure until transport (provided) to Danang International Airport for the departing flight.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch