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