Ha Giang Bike Tour from Hanoi 7 Days

$ 455$ 567

Ha Giang Bike Tour from Hanoi 7 Days is a 7 day bicycle itinerary we customized for a cycle charity in 2018. The trip was very successful which makes us to publish here on Vietnam Cycling as a suggestion. 2 complete days are required for transfers between Hanoi…

Description

Ha Giang Bike Tour from Hanoi 7 Days is a 7 day bicycle itinerary we customized for a cycle charity in 2018. The trip was very successful which makes us to publish here on Vietnam Cycling as a suggestion. 2 complete days are required for transfers between Hanoi and Ha Giang city. There are 5 days left for you to enjoy this Ha Giang loop by bicycle. The itinerary is provided with backup vehicle, English-speaking biking guide, road or mountain bikes.

Ha Giang bike tour map

Ha Giang bike tour itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi – Ha Giang.

You will be picked up by our local team at your hotel in downtown Hanoi and transferred to Ha Giang city. Enjoy a full day road trip along the national road #2 via Viet Tri, Tuyen Quang to Ha Giang province. Have some stops on the way to take picture. Enjoy beautiful scenery of lush palm forests, tea plantations and stunning valleys as you travel through Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang. Lunch will be provided in a local restaurant en route. Arrival in Ha Giang city at about 3pm, check into a local guesthouse for overnight.

Day 2: Ha Giang – Quan Ba.

cycle ha giang quan ba

Setting off this morning we head out of town cycling for the first 25km on relatively flat road through the landscape of terraced rice paddy fields. Passing through minority villages we cycle the next 25km up winding roads into the vast limestone mountain range with its perpendicular walls of rock, climbing 800m towards the mountain road pass “Heaven gate 1”. As we pass through mountain villages sometimes covered by cloud, we will receive a friendly greeting from the local communities. From the pass we can look down at amazing views, including the famous vista of the Tam Son valley with the ‘Twin Hills and can spy Quan Ba town, our destination, in its beautiful location. It’s mainly downhill for the last 15km into Quan Ba. Overnight in Quan Ba at hotel.

Day 3: Quan Ba – Yen Minh

cycle quan ba yen minh ha giang

We will want to take our time today as our beautiful surroundings offer numerous photo opportunities and the rocky limestone and karst terrain is as diverse as it is beautiful. We cycle uphill for the first few km before a descent of around 10km and then relatively flat terrain for the next 10km. It’s a challenging up and down terrain to an altitude of 1.025m before we make a final descent for the last 15km into Yen Minh. We will have the chance to see the traditional homes of the local hill tribes. There are Chinese communities in this area. Overnight in Yen Minh at hotel.

Day 4: Yen Minh – Dong Van

cycle yen minh dong van ha giang

After breakfast, we keep cycling to Dong Van. Today’s ride is short, but climbs are harder, more spectacular, as you move into a higher altitude. You will climb through the black volcanic rock, where you will see various hill-tribes seeking out a living from this infertile ground. The colorful, traditional costumes of these people will help you to face the challenge of the mountains, and the views over these spectacular mountains and through the huge gorges will reward your efforts. Overnight in Dong Van at hotel.

Day 5: Dong Van – Lung Cu – Meo Vac

cycle dong van lung cu meo vac ha giang

Today you are about to ride one of the most scenic 10km of northern Vietnam. As you leave town, you descend slightly, but into the next climb you are delivered an optical encouragement as the valley floor down to your right drops at almost the same level as you climb. The huge gorges leading away from you at this point lead straight into the wild frontier land and Yunnan Province of China. Stop in Ma Pi Leng pass for a short rest/taking picture. Then keep cycling downhill towards Meo Vac. Overnight in Meo Vac at hotel.

Day 6: Meo Vac – Yen Minh – Ha Giang.

ha giang cycle meo vac yen minh

If today is Sunday we have the opportunity to visit one of the most interesting market in Vietnam which is open only on Sunday morning in the town of Meo Vac. Otherwise depart for Ha Giang. Enjoy a wonderful ride today as most of the time it is downhill. Climb up for about 5km, then ride downhill for about 30km on a nice smooth road. You then have some light up and downs through peaceful villages until you arrive back Yen Minh town where you will have lunch. Picked up again and transferred back to Ha Giang city. Overnight in Ha Giang city at hotel.

Day 7: Ha Giang – Hanoi

After breakfast, you will be brought back to Hanoi. The end of this Ha Giang Bike Tour from Hanoi 7 Days.

Tailor-made trip

Vietnam Cycling is a Hanoi bike tour operator housing an experienced team of biking guide, bike mechanic, driver, cycling tour consultant and bicycle specialists. We can create a unique, custom-designed independent itinerary that is fully adapted to your needs, whether you are traveling solo, with family and friends, or as a group.

The itinerary above is only a sample that can be re-designed to better fit your needs and/or budget. Please click here to let us know what you are interested in adding or excluding to customize a selected itinerary or to design a completely new program just for you.

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Additional Information

Depart from

End at

Hanoi

Activity level

Availability

Upon request

Places to visit

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Travel style

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Trip duration

Tour Operator

VNC

Inclusions

Bike mechanic, Support truck

Exclusions

Accommodation, Beverage, Boat trips, Drinks at mealtimes, English-speaking guide, Meals, Personal expenditure, Sightseeing entrance fees, Snacks, Tips, Travel insurance, Travel permit

Availability

Tours and services may not be available on public holidays, or may be available at an additional surcharge.

Pick-up location

Most of our trips begin from our bike garage (both private and group tours), so transportation from your hotel to our bike shop (or v.v) is not included in the quote. We can arrange the service (with extra charge), and reservation needs to be made in advance.

Itinerary

Occasionally our tour itineraries are updated during the year to incorporate improvements stemming from past travelers’ comments and our own research. The information given in this itinerary may be slightly different to that in the service proposal. It’s very important that you print and review a final copy of your itinerary prior to travel. If you have any queries, please contact us.

Please note that while we operate successful cycling holidays in Vietnam throughout the year, some changes may occur in our itineraries due to inclement weather and common seasonal changes to timetables and transport routes. This can happen with little notice so please be prepared for modifications to the route. The order and timing of included activities in each location may also vary from time to time.

Price

Negotiating prices is a common practice in Vietnam, particularly in open-air markets, street shops, and rural areas. However, we are not good at bargaining and do not prefer this practice. Instead, we focus our time and efforts on tour arrangements, and our prices are fixed.

Inclusions

Depending on the type of the bicycle tour as well as the proposed option, the following services may be included in the trip price.

  • English-speaking guide.
  • Transportation.
  • Bike hire.
  • Lunch.
  • Sightseeing entrance fees.
  • Some snacks and bottled water provided while cycling.

Please bear in mind Vietnam Cycling specializes in tailor-made trips, so the price varies depending on the size of your group, date of tour as well as other details. Please contact us for more details.

Exclusions

Unless required most of the following services are not included in the tour price.

  • Visa.
  • Flight/Train tickets.
  • Accommodation.
  • Bicycle rental (option).
  • Bike mechanic (option).
  • Meals (option).
  • Drinks.
  • Travel insurance (required).
  • Tips.
  • Personal expenses.

Visa

Visitors are required to have a valid visa to Vietnam. A one month tourist visa is usually sufficient for most visitors, though it is possible to arrange three months or six month – multiple entry visa for regular visitors.

Money

The official national currency is the Vietnamese Dong (VND), but the US dollar is widely accepted in Vietnam. However, small towns and the villages the VND is preferred, ATM are available in all major cities and towns, tourist destinations, Vietcombank, Agriculture banks are the two largest networks with a limit a single withdraw limit. Most major currencies can be exchanged in Vietnam, but the USD is the most preferred. The exchange rate 1 USD = 23,280 VND. Please visit local bank’s website for updated information.

Weather

Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate. Broadly speaking, the weather in Vietnam is dictated by two seasons – the southwest monsoon from April to September and the Northeast monsoon from October to late march or early April.

Due to regional climate differences, there are no right or wrong seasons to visit Vietnam. The north Vietnam is cool, damp in winters between November and December and February with temperature in Hanoi falling to around 15oC. The summer months from April to October are hot and dry. The best time visit Vietnam is spring (February – April) or Autumn (late September – December) when it is not so humid. The weather turns quite cold and wet in January and this continues to march. The humidity can prove oppressive from May to the early September.

Safety

Wearing a helmet is compulsory on all our biking adventures. Our tour guide often carry first aid kit while riding. Please follow your guide while biking, and much attention is required while you cross streets.

Difficulty levels

To assist you visualize how our bike trip is difficult, we have graded our Vietnam cycling tours into three categories, easy, moderate, and challenging. We group many factors into consideration into this grading, including distant covered, terrain, altitude, and vehicle support.

Easy

Involves cycling for up to two to three hours a day at easy pace and usually, less than 3 days in duration. The cycling distances is around 15 – 30 km per day. There are likely to be no steep and sustained descents as well as demand for technical riding. We will normally ride on flat roads. Suitable for bikers who enjoy occasional weekend riding on trails at home. Push bikes are sometimes used for these itineraries.

Moderate

Involves biking for up to six hours a day at a steady pace and are usually between three to five days in duration. The cycling distance is about 35 – 55 km per day. Sometimes it can be long flat rides or medium ride with few up and downhill climbs. The support vehicle will not always be available. We will need a good level of fitness. We use either mountain bikes or road bikes for these itineraries.

Challenging

Involves biking in mountainous areas with big climbs for up to seven or eight hours a day and usually more than a week in duration. Cycling distance is about 60 – 80 km per day. There will be steep and sustained ascents and descents. The support vehicle will not always be available. These trips will provide a real sustained workout even for fit and experienced mountain bikers.

Accommodation

When cycling we mostly stay in small hotel, guesthouse or homestay. Some are more basic than others! Bear in mind that some of the places we overnight in are not on the standard tourist trail. In larger cities and towns, our hotels are generally more western style and are three or four star hotels (price option).

Camping is not available on cycling tours in Vietnam unless it is required and this should be booked months in advance. Camping is only available in a limited number of places such as Cat Ba island beach, Cuc Phuong national park…Please see the details on the quote.

Tour guide

Most of our tour guides speak English. Some other speak French. Few speak other language such as German, Russian, Spanish. All our guides have great knowledge of history, local culture, and religions of the area where you are cycling. Our guides have been trained in this field and is fully licensed in tour guiding.

Bike mechanic

We arrange a bike mechanic only for large groups or when it is required (with surcharge). When there is no mechanic, our guide will take care of problem which may occur during the bike ride.

Transportation

Depending on the nature of the tour, our cycle journeys will be accompanied by an air-conditioned car/minibus cover the larger overland sections. We often use mini bus or bus for transfer and back up (guided tours).

  • 1 – 2 travelers: we use minivan to support and carry bikes. Sometimes we use a car for passengers and a truck for transport of the bikes.
  • 3 – 6 people: we use one minivan for passengers and one truck for the bikes.
  • 7 – 12 people: we use one bus (coach) for passengers and one truck for the bikes.

We provide bike rental and truck for self-guided bike tours.

We sometimes use local push-bikes (single-speed bicycles) where possible or when it is required. In this case, our cars will be arranged as follows.

  • 1 – 2 passengers (with a tour guide): 4 seat car.
  • 3 – 6 passengers (with a tour guide): 15/16 seat minivan.
  • 7 – 12 passengers (with a tour guide): 29 seat coach/bus.

Bikes repairs

Basic spares and tools kit are generally carried by our guide or bike mechanic or on the support vehicle, although we can not guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem.

Food and drinks

All the meals which, are mentioned in itinerary (B=Breakfast; L=Lunch; D=Dinner), are included in the tour price. Most of meals are Vietnamese local food. Vegetarians are certainly welcome and are always accommodated, please let us know of any dietary concerns at time of booking. Beverage and alcoholic drinks are not included at mealtime or in restaurants.

Snacks and water

When we transfer, ride by minibus (no cycling day), our bottled waters are always available for you in the car/van. When we have cycling days, we will offer cold water (summer) plus fresh tropical fruits, soft drinks are also available in the car/van. Please take a look at the “Inclusions” section on our our service proposal to see whether the service is included in the price. Please note drinks are not included at mealtime or in restaurant.

Packing

Comfortable lightweight clothing in natural fabrics such as cotton is most suitable for traveling in Vietnam. The dress code is fairly casual as in most parts of the tropics but it is advisable to cover arms and legs in the evenings against biting insects. A lightweight raincoat is a good idea in the rainy season. During the winter months warm clothing is needed for visiting the north of Vietnam. Visitors should not wear shorts, short skirts or other skimpy clothing when visiting religious buildings such as pagoda, temple and shoes should be removed before entering a private home.

What you take will naturally depend upon where you are traveling and the style of journey you are undertaking, and it can often be difficult to decide what to pack. Nevertheless, the following should act as a useful checklist of essential items worth thinking about taking.

Clothing

  • 2 pairs of riding shorts
  • 2 riding jerseys (quick-dry)
  • 2 pairs of quick dry socks for cycling
  • Comfortable shoes for biking and walking
  • Riding gloves
  • 2-3 t-shirts or casual shirts
  • Trousers or jeans
  • 1-2 pairs of casual socks for non-cycling activities
  • 3-5 sets of underwear (quick-dry)
  • Cool-weather jacket or rain jacket
  • Extra layers and gloves for cooler season or climate (thin, thermal, water-wicking)
  • Bathing suit
  • Sandals

Toiletries

  • Tooth brush and tooth paste
  • Razor
  • Hair brush
  • Shampoo
  • Deodorant
  • Hand sanitizer

Miscellaneous

  • Passport, wallet and ID
  • Health insurance card
  • Travel insurance card
  • Cash and/or credit cards
  • Camera (with spare battery)
  • Plastic bags (for dirty laundry, wet clothes)
  • Electronic chargers (for camera, e-reader, cell phone)
  • Adaptors or convertors

Tipping

Tipping for good services is always appreciated. It is customary, though not compulsory, to tip tour guides and drivers at the end of the tour. Hotels and station porters should also be tipped a small amount for.

We recommend about 4-6 USD/traveler/day for the tour guide, about 2-3 USD/traveler/day for the driver (or the mechanic). Of course you are free to tip more or less as you see fit, depending on your perception of service quality, the length and the difficulty of your trip.

Community

Prior to our tours, we contact and work with local community leaders to make sure we are welcome and in a manner that minimizes negative social and cultural impacts. We visit local development and community projects specific to the region, encouraging customers to donate and assist such a projects in appropriate and sustainable manner.

Where make sure that where and whenever possible our tours positively benefit the local community. We stayed at locally owned accommodation and visit cottage industries for local handicraft souvenir, generating income for local business. We often employ, hire support team such as local guide, motor-taxi drivers, cook assistants on all trips to ensure that the local community benefit not only short term but with increased employment opportunities for the future.

Need further information? Check our FAQ page here or contact us.

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