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Highlights
See the best of Vietnam's stunning landscapes on this active 14-day adventure tour
Hike through rice terraces to the ethnic villages of Northern Vietnam.
Cruise among the mysterious limestone islands of Bai Tu Long Bay.
Explore the Mekong Delta by boat and bicycle.
Visit Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City.
See Vietnam the adventurous way on this 14-day hiking and cycling tour, which takes you to some of the country’s most stunning locations. Be amazed by the scenery of the Muong Hoa Valley and Bai Tu Long Bay. Try your hand at living like a local in traditional homestays. Explore Hue and Hoi An, with their decorative temples and pagodas, and visit the buzzing metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City.
This adventure tour is jam-packed with fun experiences. Exploring by bike and on foot, you’ll see local life up close and have memorable encounters with Vietnamese people. With all the exercise, you’ll keep fit too! All the active elements of this tour are suitable for beginners, as well as the more experienced.
See Vietnam the adventurous way on this 14-day hiking and cycling tour, which takes you to some of the country’s most stunning locations. Be amazed by the scenery of the Muong Hoa Valley and Bai Tu Long Bay. Try your hand at living like a local in traditional homestays. Explore Hue and Hoi An, with their decorative temples and pagodas, and visit the buzzing metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City.
This adventure tour is jam-packed with fun experiences. Exploring by bike and on foot, you’ll see local life up close and have memorable encounters with Vietnamese people. With all the exercise, you’ll keep fit too! All the active elements of this tour are suitable for beginners, as well as the more experienced.
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Hike, Bike and Boat Vietnam Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in Hanoi
Today you are transferred to your hotel and have free time to spend in Hanoi. Why not visit the Old Quarter with its maze of streets, or dive into the city’s delicious street food scene? In the evening, watch a traditional water puppet show or folk music performance.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Hanoi
Distance: None
Meals: None
Day 2 Exploring Hanoi
Learn about life in rural Vietnam today on a visit to a local village. Watch a cooking demonstration and have lunch in the company of a local family. Then hop on a bike to explore the village and surrounding area. In the afternoon, you’re transferred to Lien Mac for another bike ride and a trip to a village where you can discover how tofu is made. Arrive back at the hotel around 4.30 PM. There’s free time for dinner and a rest before you board the night train to Lao Cai.
Overnight Location: Sleeper train to Lao Cai
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 Hiking the Muong Hoa Valley
During the night you’ll travel 350 km to Vietnam’s Northern Highlands. The day begins with a trek (13 km) through rice terraces and to Hmong villages. Afterwards, learn the art of batik during a demonstration by a local Hmong woman. Dinner and your bed for the night is in a homestay hosted by a local family.
Overnight Location: Homestay in Muong Hoa Valley
Distance: 6 hours, 13 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 Short hike in Muong Hoa Valley
There’s time for another short hike this morning (5-6 km) seeing several mountain villages along the way. Lunch is in a Hmong restaurant overlooking the rice terraces. In the afternoon you have free time to spend in Sapa, the region’s main town and tourism hub. Have a shower and pick up some souvenirs before boarding the night train.
Overnight Location: Sleeper train to Hanoi
Distance: 5-6 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 5 Cruise to Bai Tu Long Bay
On arriving in Hanoi you’ve time to freshen up before transferring to the port for your cruise to Bai Tu Long Bay. Bai Tu Long Bay has the same incredible scenery as Ha Long Bay but is further away from the port and so is less crowded. Take in the views of limestone islands rising from the sea, go for a swim or a kayak. In the evening, enjoy dinner and cocktails onboard as the sun sets.
Overnight Location: Boat in Bai Tu Long Bay
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 Explore Bai Tu Long Bay
You wake this morning to find yourself surrounded by magnificent scenery. If you’re up early enough, catch the sunrise over the bay. This morning you leave the main boat and explore the bay in a sampan or traditional rowing boat. Lunch is served on the way back to the port. In the afternoon you return to Hanoi. There’s time to rest and shower before boarding the night train to Hue.
Overnight Location: Sleeper train to Hue
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 7 Hue
Wake up in Hue, a former imperial city on the banks of the Perfume River. Freshen up in the hotel before embarking on a tour of the city’s temples, pagodas and ancient streets. After lunch cruise down the river and observe local life on the riverbanks. Then it’s time to get back on the bike for a tour of local flower and craft villages. This includes Thanh Tien which is famous for its delicate paper flowers which decorate homes and temples. Have a go at making one yourself!
Overnight Location: Hotel in Hue
Distance: 14 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 8 A Luoi
There’s lots to see and do today. In the morning, visit Dong Ba market where you can find handicrafts and intriguing foods. Then you’ll explore Hue’s ancient Royal Tombs. After lunch, you leave Hue behind and head west to the A Luoi district. Today this mountainous area is beautifully unspoilt, but during the Vietnam War, it was destroyed by agent orange. Visit Aka Chi village and learn about textile weaving and how rice is grown and farmed. Tonight, you’re the guests of a local family in their traditional stilt house.
Overnight Location: Stilt-house homestay in Aka Chi village
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 Hoi An
You’ wake up today in the tranquil surroundings of a mountain village. After breakfast, hike through a local forest, which is home to rare plants and mammals. There’s time for a cycle around the village before setting off for ancient Hoi An. The drive takes you along the famous Ho Chi Minh trail, through lush countryside dotted with stilt houses. Lunch is in a local restaurant.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Hoi An
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 10 Hoi An
Today is a lot of fun, as you visit some of the farming and fishing communities outside Hoi An. Meet local fisherman and have a hands-on experience trying to catch some fish and then have a go floating along the river in a traditional bamboo basket boat! Then it’s time for another bike ride along country roads to a vegetable-growing village, where you learn to cook some of the exquisite dishes that Hoi An is known for. In the afternoon you return to the city to see its photogenic temples and ancient houses.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Hoi An
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 11 Ho Chi Minh City
Say hello to Ho Chi Minh City, South Vietnam’s buzzing metropolis! Visit the Cu Chi Museum and learn about the remarkable tunnels built by the Vietcong. Visit a factory to see how Vietnamese rice paper – used to make summer rolls – is made. Explore the Cho Lon market which is packed with street food stalls, textiles and foodstuffs. There’s time to see some of the city’s other sights including the cathedral. The evening is free for you to have dinner and explore on your own.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast
Day 12 Mekong Delta
This morning you journey to the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s agricultural heartland. Cycle around Cai Lay, and see the amazing array of exotic fruits and vegetables that are grown here. The Mekong is famous for its coconut groves and you also pay a visit to a coconut candy factory. In the afternoon, cruise down the river, relax and watch life go past on the riverbanks. In the afternoon you see more of Vietnam’s ‘rice bowl’ by bike and visit an ornate Khmer pagoda. You sleep in a traditional homestay in Can Tho.
Overnight Location: Homestay in Can Tho
Distance: 30-50 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 13 Ho Chi Minh City
Today begins with a visit to Cai Rang Floating Market. This is one of many floating markets which are a vital part of life on these waterways. Watch local people trading everything from tropical fruit to live animals. Then it’s time to squeeze in another bike ride before lunch in a local restaurant in Can Tho town. In the afternoon you are transferred back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
Distance: 25 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 14 Ho Chi Minh City
Say farewell to Vietnam and transfer to the airport for your flight.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast
Hike, Bike and Boat Vietnam Tour Prices and Dates
This guided tour in Vietnam is always run as a private tour for your group only and the pricing depends on the size of your group.Prices below are per person sharing a double or a triple room:
- Guided Groups of 2: USD2550 per person
- Guided Groups of 3: USD2235 per person
- Guided Groups of 4-5: USD1995 per person
- Guided Groups of 6+: on request
Accommodation on Hike, Bike and Boat Vietnam Tour
On this tour, you’ll be staying in hotels and homestays and onboard a boat. Hotel upgrades are available on request. Please inform us if you want a room with a double bed rather than twin beds. Check-in (if not stated otherwise) is at 2:00 PM, and check-out is at noon. Early check-in is subject to availability. Homestays are basic accommodation. They allow you to learn about local culture by staying with an ethnic minority family and living and dining in the traditional way.
In some cases, the accommodation listed below may need to be substituted for other, comparable accommodations.
Single Rooms and Solo Travelers
You can pay a supplement to have a private room in a hotel when traveling with your group. Contact us to find out the prices for solo travelers.
What’s included in the Hike, Bike and Boat Vietnam Tour?
Meals
13 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 4 dinners are included.
Accommodation
Accommodation for 13 nights along the tour.
Transportation during the Tour
Transportation is included for you and your luggage. This includes all overland transfers, train tickets, boat transfers, domestic flight and airport transfers.
Also Included
- Guide services (including local Hmong guide in Sapa area)
- All entrance fees and taxes
- All activities mentioned in the program
- Bike and helmet rental on biking days
Not included
- Visa
- Insurance
- Personal expenses and tips
- Anything not stated as ‘included’
Optional Extras
- Additional night in Hanoi before the tour
- Additional night in Ho Chi Minh after the tour
- How hard is Hike, Bike and Boat Vietnam Tour?
- What is the minimum age to trek and bike tour?
- Do I need a Visa to travel to Vietnam?
- What should I bring to the trip?
- Passport
- Change of clothes
- Sunglasses & hat
- Toiletries
- Sunblock
- Insect repellent
- Flashlights
- Camera
- Proper sport boots/shoes
- Personal first aid kit & medicine
- Small VND notes for buying drinks
- If you feel the need, you can bring along a luggage lock for your belongings.
- Are meals included on the Hike, Bike and Boat Vietnam Tour?
- Do I need insurance?
- How do I get to Hanoi to start this tour?
- Is the Soft Eco-Adventures Vietnam Tour in English?
- Where does the Hike, Bike and Boat Vietnam Tour end?
- Do I need special vaccines to travel to Vietnam?
- Are there any travel restrictions for Vietnam?
- When is the best time to travel to Vietnam for this tour?
We rate this tour 3/5. If you are reasonably active and used to hiking and cycling similar distances already you should be fine.
The minimum age for this tour is 12 years with no exception.
Check with your local country about visa requirements. You could also try this website, though you should verify with your government.
13 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 4 dinners are included.
Yes, it is mandatory to have Health and Medical insurance to join this trip. Get your Travel Insurance.
You can get to Hanoi by bus or train from most of major Vietnam cities. The closest airport is Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, located 45 kilometres from central Hanoi.
Yes, the tour guide speaks English.
The tour ends in Ho Chi Minh City.
Check with your family doctor.
Please check with your local government about travel restrictions before you book your tour. This map from the US Department of State provides an overview of the current status in countries around the globe. The UK‘s Foreign Office and Government of Canada also provide advice on foreign travel. Note that the travel advice may change depending on your nationality.
The best time to travel to Vietnam for this tour is between September and April.
Customer Ratings
Footprint Vietnam is a boutique tour operator running adventure-based tours in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Footprint have been showing the best of adventure, culture and food since 2001, and have been featured in Frommers, Lonely Planet and Footprint Guides.
