North Vietnam Cycling Tour 6 Days

$ 371$ 468

North Vietnam Cycling Tour 6 Days is crafted by the Hanoi based tour operator Vietnam Cycling taking you to the Red River Delta where you enjoy some of Vietnam’s major travel destinations including Tam Coc, Nam Dinh, Hai Phong, Cat Ba, Halong bay.

Description

North Vietnam Cycling Tour 6 Days is crafted by the Hanoi based tour operator Vietnam Cycling taking you to the Red River Delta where you enjoy some of Vietnam’s major travel destinations including Tam Coc, Nam Dinh, Hai Phong, Cat Ba island and Halong bay. This is an easy cycling tour as you ride mostly on flat, paved road are countryside roads without up and downhill rides. Although we run the tour all year round, the best time to travel this itinerary is late September, early October, late April and early May.

Map of north Vietnam cycling tour

North Vietnam cycling tour itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi – Tam Coc, Ninh Binh.

7.30 am: You will be met up by Vietnam Cycling team at your hotel in Hanoi. Depart for Ninh Binh enjoying beautiful landscape of the Red River Delta. We will arrive in Tam Coc around 10.00 am. Take your bikes and start riding through Tam Coc village and paddy fields. The bike ride takes around two hours with optional stops en route for taking picture. Arriving back in Tam Coc town around noon, in time for lunch. Lunch will be provided in a local restaurant in Tam Coc. After lunch you take the boat trip to see Tam Coc that means ”three lakes” and is called ” Halong Bay on land ”, really amazing with the rocky mountains, and you will be completely dazzle when paddling through the green paddy fields on two sides of the lakes and more interesting to go through three caves. It takes about 2 hours to discover the beauty of the nature here before getting off boat to visit an old temple (Thaivi Temples), That is located on a nice scenery and more interesting to know about its history. Dinner and overnight in Tam Coc.

Day 2: Tam Coc – Phat Diem Cathedral – Nam Dinh.

After breakfast, you continue your bike tour with a car transfer to Ninh Binh. Arriving in Yen Ninh town, you make a stop then load the bike for the next bike adventures. This part of road is quiet with less traffic. Arriving in Phat Diem cathedral, remarkable for its vast dimensions and unique Sino-Vietnamese architecture. The vaulted ceiling is supported by massive timber beams and the main alter a single block of granite. You spend about a half hour visiting the pagoda then have lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch, you keep cycling to Nam Dinh province where you can see the vast of best sticky rice pockets. Keep cycling to Co Le Pagoda, visit Co Le Pagoda, characterized by the West’s original architecture, reserved for the worship of a well-known medicine monk, then get on the car again for a short drive to Nam Dinh town. Dinner in town and overnight in Nam Dinh at hotel.

Day 3: Nam Dinh – Hai Phong.

An early morning start to pedal to visit Tuc Mac temple, reserved for the co- worship of various Kings of Tran, a grand and powerful dynasty in the Vietnam history. This dynasty had forced the Yuan to yield for three times in 1258, 1285 and 1288, respectfully. Then, visit the Pho Minh tower, where various Kings of Tran dynasty had ever sit in religious meditation at their old age. Drive to Thai Binh town and set the bike in Vinh Bao town for continuing ride through the rich farming land of the Red River Delta, through home-land of tobacco – Tien Lang – to Hai Phong sea port city. Overnight in Hai Phong at hotel.

Day 4: Hai Phong – Cat Ba Island.

After breakfast, you cycle from Hotel to the Hai Phong Quay where you board a speed boat for Phu Long, to Cat Ba island. Arriving in Phu Long, you continue cycling through the island. The ride offers fantastic hilly and ocean views. Stop at Cat Ba National park for a short visit of this preserved forest. Cat Ba national Park is 15.000 hectares which is 9.000 hectares on land and 6.000 hectares in the water. There are rich wild life and precious tree as White Head monkey, Kim Giao tree…Dinner and overnight in Cat Ba Island.

Day 5: Cat Ba Island – Halong Bay.

In the morning, set out on our bikes and cycle through Cat Ba island to Gia Luan dock. On the way we make a stop for a visit to the cave used as an Army Hospital during the war. Arriving in Gia Luan pier, you will get picked up by boat for a cruise to visit Ha Long Bay. On roaming route in the labyrinth of this bay, we will visit the Sung Sot cave and Titop beach. Arriving in Halong dock, you will be picked up by our car and transferred to your hotel in Halong bay for overnight.

Day 6: Halong Bay – Hanoi.

After breakfast, you check out hotel and travel back to Hanoi. Arriving in Bac Ninh, you make a stop for the last bike ride to the But Thap pagoda. The pagoda has 10 buildings spreading for 100 meters from the three-entrance gate to the bell-tower and back house. Inside the temple are more than 50 statues of different sizes including the Triad Buddha, Manjusri (Van Thu) on a blue lion and Samantabhadra (Pho Hien) on a white elephant. The most remarkable is the thousand-handed and thousand-eyed Guanyin, which is described as a sculptural masterpiece of Vietnam. Car transfer back to Hanoi. North Vietnam Cycling Tour 6 Days is completed.

Tailor-made trip

Vietnam Cycling 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. 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 bike tour just for you.

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Additional Information

Depart from

End at

Hanoi

Start time

8.00 AM

Finish time

16.00 PM

Availability

Daily

Activity level

Bike

Hybrid Bike

Places to visit

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Travel style

,

Trip duration

Inclusions

Support truck

Exclusions

Accommodation, Beverage, Boat trips, Drinks at mealtimes, Meals, Personal expenditure, Sightseeing entrance fees, Snacks, Tips, Travel insurance

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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