Day by Day

1. Friday: Arrive Hanoi. Bike check. See the Old quarter.

2. Saturday: Hanoi to LaoCai. Bike to BacHa.

3. Sunday: Visit BacHa market. Bike to Sapa

4. Monday: Sapa to ThanUyen.

5. Tuesday: ThanUyen to TuanGiao.

6. Wednesday: TuanGiao to DienBien.

7. Thursday: Around DienBienPhu.

8. Friday: DienBien to ThuanChau and SonLa.

9. Saturday: SonLa to MocChau and on to MaiChau.

10. Sunday: MaiChau to Hanoi.

Tour Description

• • • Difficulty: Moderate with some challenge hills. Pls. see Garmin link below.
    • Mini Van support all the time with water, fruits etc…
    • Features: Remote area with spectacular scenery and rich hill-tribes culture.
    • When to ride: September to May. 

This is a short clip of cycling northwest Vietnam from MuongPhang to DienBien.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Hanoi 

Arrive in Hanoi. Transfer to hotel. Time relaxing for promenade around Hoan Kiem Lake and ancient, yet lively Old Quarter. Time to test your bike and short ride around Hanoi. O/N at hotel in the Old quarter Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi to LaoCai. Bike to BacHa. (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Early start out of Hanoi to YenBai and on to LaoCai express.  Then we start biking from PhoLu to BacNgam, and to BaoNhai. Lunch break en route. Then we start a big climb up the mountain to BacHa (alt + 900m) the homeland of flower Hmong people. O/n in BacHa.
Cycling ~ 36km (with 19km climb pass to BacHa)

Day 3: Bac Ha Sunday Market. Bike to Sapa. (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Breakfast, we spend relaxing time for promenade around BacHa sunday market. Visit the most colorful hill tribe market day. We bike to see an Old Hmong’s King house, then back in town for lunch break. In the afternoon we cycle to Sapa. It’s about 18km almost down hill from BacHa to Nam Mon and on to Coc Ly and we ride along the river until meeting the main road. Our van pick up for transfer to LaoCai. We have a quick photo stop at China from the border milestone, then we keep on to Sapa. (alt. +1,550m). If time permitting, we will hop on our bike for a 10km climb up from Taphin to Sapa. It’s a great warm up for cycling northwest Vietnam.  Late afternoon,  we walk around Sapa, visit to Ham Rong mountain with panorama view of Sapa town and surrounding. O/N hotel in Sapa.
Cycling ~ 65km ( 30km climb pass to Sapa)

Day 4: Sapa – Heaven gate – Than Uyen (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Cycling northwest Vietnam to the highest pass and best mountain view today. It takes about one hours up hill, with a stop over Silver waterfalls for relax before we conquer the highest mountain pass Oquiho. Then decending down the great panoramic view of HoangLienSon mt. range. Lunch en route. Nice villages of Hmong and Dao near BinhLu, then we keep on new road to ThanUyen. O/N in DucDuy guesthouse.
Cycling ~ 98km. (25km down hill from Oquyho pass).

Day 5: Than Uyen – Tuan Giao (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)

In the morning, we bike outside the town to boat ferry, crossing to TaHua village, then we cycle again to MuongGion and ride to PaUon bridge. Lunch break and short transfer to summit. Then we cycle down hill to MuongThang and onto TuanGiao. Some part of the road is bad, but great view along NamMu river branches. Scenic Da river from PaUon bridge. O/N Tuan Giao guesthouse.
Cycling ~ 125km.

Challenge to ride the whole way? It’s a great day and could be the longest day of cycling northwest Vietnam. Put on your tough suit and start early in the morning. Garmin details here .

Day 6: Tuan Giao – DienBien. (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)

A nice ride day with stop over the white Thai village before climb up to Tang Quai pass. Road condition today is good. Cycling northwest Vietnam will bring you to the hidden valley where mountain surrounding the powerful French head quarter of DienBienPhu – a hardly beaten place of the French. O/N Muong Thanh hotel ***.
Cycling ~ 75km.

Garmin details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/99040662

Day 7: Around DienBien (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)

A relaxing day for easy touring around DienBien. We ride back to the former French battlefield : Eliane hill, DeCastries bunker, DienBien museum you will see some old US weapons, and a French army tank in the runway of DienBien airport (used to be MuongThanh airfield). O/N MuongThanh hotel***.
Cycling ~ 20km.

Day 8: DienBien – PhaDin pass – SonLa (Breakfast, lunch, dinner) 

After breakfast, we have van transfer one and half hour back to TuanGiao, then we mount on our bike, 6km warm up then the climb start. This is the famous PhaDin pass (Heaven and Earth pass), one of the longest pass of cycling northwest Vietnam loop, with 12 km winding up hill and 14 km down hill. Nice landscape of green rice fields and karst valley. Light traffic, wandering water buffaloes, Thai and Hmong kids. Garmin details of this day here . O/N in SonLa.

Hot bath in SonLa ? Possible to end the day at Ban Moong hotspring (5km from SonLa), warm water bathtub, have dinner at this village, then back to SonLa for the night.
Cycling ~ 80km.

Day 9: SonLa – MocChau – MaiChau (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)

We have van transfer in the morning to Moc Chau plateau, then start cycling on the old route 6 to MaiChau. The road passes beneath spectacular karst cliffs with the valley floor visible far below. Lots of Black Thai villages, descending to MaiChau – our last destination of the cycling northwest Vietnam.
Cycling ~ 62km.

Garmin details. O/N homestay on stilt house of Thai people.

In the evening, we dance with the Thai people:

Day 10: MaiChau to Hanoi (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Waking up by the sounds of poultry underneath your stilt house. After breakfast, we start the day on a little small cycling track to BanLac village. The scenery is beautiful in every bend of the hills. We have opportunities to interact with the locals. Nice day cycling around Maichau area. It will be around 25km easy ride around the Thai villages. After lunch, we transfer to Hanoi via HoaBinh freeway.
Farewell dinner. O/N hotel in the Old quarter Hanoi.

Prices & What Included

• 66,000,000 vnd / person ($US 2,750) (group of 2)
• 46,500,000 vnd / person ($US 1,940) (group of 4)
• 42,350,000 vnd /person ($US 1,650) (group of 6person)
  Single supplement: 8,470,000 vnd ($US 350).

Services included:

• All entrance fees for sightseeing.
• Accommodation: Standard hotel.
• Meals: Full board: Breakfast, lunch, dinner with local Vietnamese food.
• Transportation: A/c bus or minivan support with drinking water.
• Good mountain bike / hybrid bike (or road bike on request).
• Guide: Experienced cycling tour guide.

Not Included:

Insurance, personal expenses.

Here is another traditional bamboo jump of Thai people in MaiChau