Cycling The Red River Delta

📍 Transfer: 2 hours Cycling distance: up to 60km Difficulty: Easy

Begin the cycling tour with a short transfer out of Hanoi to avoid the busy capital city streets. Start with a lovely ride on a dyke along the Red River, a perfect quiet place to get used to cycling in Vietnam. 
Once out of the city, start cycling along the Red River toward the ceramic village of Bat Trang. After a brief tour, continue heading south into the heart of the Delta, passing many traditional villages, rice fields, pagodas, and temples along the way. After that, we will have a two hour transfer to lunch in Tam Coc. In the afternoon it's back on the bikes to ride a bit off road amongst karst cliffs to a small pier. We board a boat for a leisurely cruise on the Ngo Dong River, and float through three natural caves, the largest of which is 125 m long. Sit back, relax, see rural Vietnam from a different perspective and take in the dramatic limestone karst jutting out from the green rice fields. We disembark and cycle back through the karst cliffs to visit Thai Vi Temple, one of the oldest temples in Vietnam, built in the 13th Century.

Overnight in Tam Coc.
 

Inclusions:

🥘 Lunch

📍 Cycling distance up to: 70km Difficulty: Medium

Begin the day with an 8AM departure for a full day of cycling. Once out of town, the route runs along numerous rivers fingering out towards the coast. Pass a number of very rural communities during this picturesque cycle towards the sea. After a local lunch, loop back to Ninh Binh with a stop at Phat Diem Church. Take note of the passing scenery, changing from the flat plains of the delta to the limestone mountains of Tam Coc (nicknamed the “Halong Bay on Land.”)

Overnight in Tam Coc
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Cycling distance up to: 60km Difficulty: Easy

After breakfast, board a sampan for a leisurely cruise along the dramatic limestone karst mountains that dominate the region. As the boat gently slices through the water, explore caves cut from the mountains and enjoy a tranquil ride under the gaze of the enormous limestone karsts jutting out from the green rice fields.  For the adventurous type, climb up to Bich Dong Pagoda (1428) on nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain, comprising of three structures: Ha, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas. 

After lunch, hop back on the bikes and ride to Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of the Dinh and Le dynasties. The route is stunning passing along green rice fields amongst forest-covered mountains. From here, continue cycling to the temple complex of Bai Dinh, soon to be the largest temple in Vietnam. Following a short visit, it’s on to Cuc Phuong National Park with a chance to experience its thick, tropical rain forest.

Overnight in Cuc Phuong
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Transfer: 1.5 hour Cycling distance up to: 60km Difficulty: Easy

Spend the morning riding into the center of the park, with a chance to take some short treks into the forest. Visit the animal rescue center, home to a wide variety of native monkeys and gibbons currently being rehabilitated to return to the wild. Continue cycling from the park through small towns situated along the banks of the Boi River. After lunch, transfer one and a half hours back to Hanoi, wrapping up the cycling excursion. 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch