Saigon to Hanoi Cycling Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival at Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon

Airport transfer upon request. On your first day in Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, you will meet the team of guides, mechanics, and drivers who will support you throughout your exciting adventure from Saigon to Hanoi.

A bike fitting is scheduled at 4:00 PM, followed by a welcome dinner at a local restaurant, where you’ll meet the cycling tour guides and support crew for your tour.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
Distance: None
Meals: Dinner

Day 2 Saigon to Bao Loc

The journey begins with an early morning departure, leaving the hotel at 6:00 a.m. Enjoy a relaxed breakfast along the way as you leave the bustle of Ho Chi Minh City behind and travel toward the cooler highlands and mountain landscapes. Later in the morning, you’ll mount your bikes and officially begin the cycling adventure as the scenery gradually changes.

Cycling starts in Định Quán District, an area characterized by banana groves, mango orchards, and climbing black pepper vines. Along the way, friendly local farmers and curious children often greet you as you ride toward Tà Lài Village and the edge of Nam Cát Tiên Forest. This region is traditionally home to the Chơ Ro and Mạ ethnic groups. The route combines flat sections with gentle climbs, followed by lunch at a local riverside restaurant.

In the afternoon, enjoy about an hour of easy cycling to conclude the day’s ride before transferring to Bảo Lộc, a highland town known for its tea plantations and cooler climate. Dinner provides a relaxed opportunity to share the day’s highlights and settle into the calm rhythm of the mountains.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Bao Loc
Distance: 60km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 3 Bao Loc to Da Lat

Today’s ride leads through the Central Highlands toward Da Lat, a region known for its cool climate and scenic beauty. The route features challenging climbs rewarded with sweeping views over coffee and tea plantations. A picnic lunch will be enjoyed along the way. Arriving in Da Lat in the late afternoon, you’ll check in to your hotel and have time to explore the town at your leisure.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Da Lat
Distance: 50km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4 Da Lat to Nha Trang via Hon Giao Pass

Departing Da Lat, you’ll cycle toward Nha Trang, descending from the highlands to the coastal plains. The route combines long downhill stretches with flatter sections along the way. Lunch will be enjoyed at a local restaurant en route. You’ll arrive in Nha Trang, a lively coastal city famed for its beautiful beaches, in the late afternoon.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Nha Trang
Distance: 80km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5 Rest Day in Nha Trang

Enjoy a well-deserved rest day and soak in Nha Trang’s relaxed coastal atmosphere. Spend your time unwinding on the beach, swimming in the sea, or exploring the city’s markets and cafés at your own pace. You may also choose to visit the Po Nagar Cham Towers, built in AD 781 and considered one of Vietnam’s oldest historical landmarks.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Nha Trang
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast

Day 6 Nha Trang to Tuy Hoa

In the morning, you’ll transfer for approximately 80 minutes to the Hon Gom Peninsula. From there, you’ll start cycling along the peninsula, riding past shrimp farms and the expansive rice paddies—the largest in central Vietnam—on your way to Tuy Hoa.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Tuy Hoa
Distance: 80km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Day 7 Tuy Hoa to Quy Nhon

After breakfast, you’ll cycle along the coast toward Quy Nhon, the provincial capital. Along the way, you’ll observe the region’s primary livelihood—fishing—highlighted by frequent views of coastal activity. As you approach Quy Nhon, you’ll encounter the area’s iconic basket-shaped fishing boats.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Quy Nhon
Distance: 65km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Day 8 Quy Nhon to Quang Ngai

After breakfast, you will van transfer outside of the city to avoid the bustling rush hour traffic. The remainder of the morning will be an 80km ride offering a view of coastlines as well as the local countryside. You will be able to observe the local shrimp and salt farms and meet friendly farmers along the way. After lunch at a local restaurant, you will take a scenic drive (transfer) to your hotel in Quang Ngai.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Quang Ngai
Distance: 80km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9 Quang Ngai to Hoi An

The first stop will be a guided tour at My Lai sanctuary, the site of one of the greatest atrocities committed during the Vietnam War. After My Lai, you will cycle along quiet village roads, past rice paddies, and through small fishing villages filled with colorful boats.

After lunch, you will transfer to Hoi An, a mid-sized village and UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its preserved architecture, unique atmosphere, distinctive buildings, and its colorful lanterns illuminating the Hoi An Old Town at night.

The evening will be yours to start to explore this amazing town. Dinner on your own.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Hoi An
Distance: 60km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 10 Rest Day in Hoi An

A rest day allows riders to relax and see more of Hoi An at their own pace – enjoy the history, the local markets, or simply take it easy on the beach. Do not hesitate to ask your guide for recommendations for things to do and places to eat in Hoi An.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Hoi An
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast

Day 11 Hoi An to Hue

Day 10 will be the most challenging but rewarding day of the entire trip. The day will start with a short transfer out of the town and a ride along the coast to Da Nang before starting the climb to the world-famous Hai Van Pass. The road climbs gradually up to 480 meters with many switchbacks and offers stunning views of the countryside overlooking the East Sea.

This tough climb is followed by a long smooth descent to your reward: lunch. In the afternoon you will continue to ride seashore for another 44 km before getting to Hue, the old capital of the Nguyen Dynasty
Overnight Location: Hotel in Hue
Distance: 100km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Day 12 Hue to Hanoi

Cycling through Hue, you’ll explore the rich history of Vietnam’s former imperial capital while visiting its most important landmarks. The guided ride takes you to Vong Canh Hill, where you’ll enjoy panoramic views of the Huong (Perfume) River, as well as the tomb of Khai Dinh. You will also visit the Hue Citadel, once home to Vietnam’s emperors and royal court, and the seven-story Thien Mu Pagoda, the most important religious monument in the country and a symbol of Hue. To conclude your time in the city, enjoy a local lunch before transferring for a short, one-hour flight to Hanoi.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Hanoi
Distance: 30km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 13 Hanoi to Mai Chau

In the morning, you’ll hop on your bikes and begin a 30 km uphill ride toward Hoa Binh Lake, where a picnic lunch awaits. After lunch, the ride continues through scenic landscapes and ethnic Thai villages, offering insight into the life of one of Vietnam’s minority groups. Cycling across rice paddies on a mix of single-track paths and rough trails, you’ll eventually return to Mai Chau, where you’ll enjoy dinner and spend the night at a local hotel.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Mai Chau
Distance: 60km, 1000m ascent
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 14 Mai Chau to Pu Luong Nature Reserve

The morning will start off with a challenge: a long climb uphill towards Pu Luong nature reserve. Following shaded paths beside mountain streams, you’ll enter the reserve and have a traditional Vietnamese lunch overlooking the village’s rice terraces.

The next 10 km will be a flat ride through remote ethnic minority villages and some of the most beautiful rice fields in southeast Asia. After that, you’ll make one last short steep climb to your homestay, where riders can relax with a beer in the cool waters of one of the local natural springs. You’ll end the night with a fantastic BBQ dinner outdoors.
Overnight Location: Homestay in Pu Luong
Distance: 60-70km, 500-700m of ascent
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 15 Pu Luong to Ninh Binh

The day starts with an exhilarating downhill ride through steep rice terraces surrounding the village. Once safely in the valley, you’ll continue along a beautifully remote cross-country track for about 15 kilometers. Shaded by riverside bamboo forests, the route offers a peaceful ride immersed in nature.

Afterwards, an hour-long van transfer brings you closer to Ninh Binh, a captivating region often called “Ha Long Bay on land” for its dramatic river landscapes and towering limestone karsts rising from the rice paddies. Cycling resumes amid striking limestone formations before arriving at your hotel in Ninh Binh in the evening.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Ninh Binh
Distance: 60km, 500m of ascent
Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Day 16 Ninh Binh to Hanoi

After a hearty breakfast, you’ll take a leisurely ride through the stunning natural beauty and historic sites of Ninh Binh, stopping often for stories and photos. You trade in our bikes for boats, where you will be paddled by a local guide for a 3 hours tour through pitch black river caves and hidden lagoons.

After lunch in Ninh Binh, you transfer to Hanoi and arrive before 6pm. Check in to your hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and dress up for your farewell dinner!
Overnight Location: Hotel in Hanoi
Distance: 25km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 17 Hanoi Departure

Breakfast is provided, but you will have a chance to make new culinary and cultural discoveries on your own for the remainder of the day. If you need to extend your holiday (e.g. to visit Ha Long Bay), we are happy to assist.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast