15 Days Northern Vietnam Cycling and Ethnic Culture Tour from Hanoi

15 Days Best Scenic Bicycle route in far North Vietnam have been already inspected and crafted carefully by our team, offered for those who are searching in both physical and cultural activities in North Vietnam for brilliant bicycle holiday
Without doubtly, Cycling is definitely amazing way to discover the untouched region , encounter friendly people, learn unique culture of Hill tribes, immerse stunning scenery and outstanding landscape, challenging incredible winding route with bend among zigzag and twist in towering limestone mountain ranges, overwhelming panoramic rice terrace picturesques covering around the hill.
Joining in festive atmosphere of regularly hill tribes market to learn about their traditional culture, hunting a vivid and vibrant pictures in each corner of market.
Cycling through three best sightseeings(Sapa Valley, Mu Cang Chai, Mai Chau Scenic Valley) in far North Vietnam, bring unforgetable experiences for riders.
Our bicycle trip will start in Hanoi – the fascinating city and capital of Vietnam, we hoop up our bike in Hill Top Town – Sapa to cycle on scenic route with breathtaking scenery and scenic beauty of Rice Terrace in Mu Cang Chai, , Challenge one of forth incredible pass on road lead to township.
We continue cycling further to North, passing untouched region to Muong Lo rice fields before challenging incredible pass to Phu Yen. We also cycle through misty region of Moc Chau Plateau to admire the vast green tea farm.
Snail Adventure Tours is proud of being a reliable and experienced adventure tour Operator, arranging unique and amazing bicycle holidays for those who are looking once alifetime cycling trip in far north Vietnam.
Day 1: Hanoi – Arrival
Welcome to Vietnam. Arriving at Noi Bai International Airport,Snail Adventure Tour guide and driver will greet and pick you up to the hotel at the heart of Hanoi capital. Hanoi, the antique and dynamic city of Vietnam, reserves a unique old world charm and several of the most striking colonial architecture of Asia. After the checking-in,Take relax by your own and do briefing itinerary with our guide for coming days. enjoy a cyclo ride through the bustling streets in the Old Quarter to discover the ancient and modern beauty of Hanoi. After the tour, you will be warmly welcome with a special welcoming dinner in a typical Vietnamese food restaurant. Stay overnight in Hanoi
Summary:
Activity: Transferring
Accommodation: The Light Hotel ****-
http://www.hanoithelighthotel.com/en/home.htm
Meals: D
Cycling distance: No
Day 2: Hanoi Lao Cai – Sapa
Following to hearty breakfast, we commence our cycling day on asphalt road and concrete road lead to Xuan Giao section. We turn off the paved road, cycling along river and hill side, lead to Thanh Phu section. We also cycle on winding route with some bent route and sharps turns. However, we will be rewarded by stunning scenery and extraordinary sightseeing mixed with soaring mountain ranges. Upon arriving of Cau Bo bridge, we spend our time for picnic lunch.
After fulling up energy, we gear up our bike to cycle ascending to Nam Sai on newly paved road lead to Sin Chai A.
Enjoy the last 20 km of scenic route to Sin Chai A Village where we stay overnight with Red Dao Hill tribe. Dinner and stay overnight with the family.
Summary:
Activity: Cycling
Accommodation:Ngan Nga Hotel***
Meals: B/ l/D
Cycling distance: 124 Km
Day 3: Sin Chai A – Nam Cang – Thanh Kim – Ban Ho – Sapa
Wake up early in the morning to participate with local activities or just walk around the village to enjoy pristine nature and peaceful villages. Have breakfast with traditional pancake and banana cake, try herbal tea with the Host . we start our cycling from homestay, passing villages and villages, rice terrace, streams and buffalo road lead to Nam Cang, Nam Sai, Ban Ho, have lunch in Ban Ho with Local Family. After lunch we continue riding up hill on off road and pothole road to Ban Den village for 7 km. Upon arriving in Ban Den. stop for refreshment and fill up energy. We continue to ride on undulating route and steep pass at the end of distance to Sapa Town. You will be fascinated by extraordinary scenery, sublime limestone mountain and peaceful hill tribe villages. Have dinne in Local restaurant, stay overnight in Sunny Mountain view hotel.
Summary:
Activity: Cycling
Accommodation:Ngan Nga Hotel***
Meals: B/L/D.
Cycling distance: 56 Km
Day 4: Sapa – Tram Ton Pass – Binh Lu – Lai Chau
After breakfast, You can ride up or travel by car to Tram Ton Pass – The highest and longest Pass of Vietnam. On the way, you can take a short walk to Silver Waterfall and then head to Heaven Gate, where you will be amazed by breathtaking view to mountain surrounding included Fansipan, the highest peak of Indochina. Your ride will be mostly downhill toward Binh Lu. You will stop by Chu Va village of Black Hmong for a break before you arrive in Binh Lu. Here you will have lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch, you start to cycle mostly uphill for the rest of today through Pabe, Na Hum and Ban Hon village of Lu minority, which requires incredible effort. You will be able to stop by a village You will then probably need the help of the supply car in some portions, before enjoying the easy ride downhill all the way to Lai Chau, where you stay overnight in a hotel.
Summary:
Activities: Cycling
Accommodation: Muong Thanh Lai Chau Hotel***
Meals:B/L/D
Cycling distance: 75
Day 5: Lai Chau – Nam Loong – Seo Lang – Sin Ho
Leaving Lai Chau town before breakfast to start a full day cycling up hill to conquer the pass and reaching to Sin Ho plateau. Riding to Nam Loong village for a short break, giving you a glimpse of the stunning vistas and impressive rice terraces. Continue to conquer the long pass, that challenges the perseverance and determination to overcome your yourself. From this biking path weave across the hills you can see the panoramic valleys. Lunch is provide on the way. Arriving in Sin Ho town in the afternoon, you have opportunity to research Sin Ho town. Overnight in Thanh Binh Hotel
Summary:
Activities:Cycling
Accommodation: Thanh Binh Hotel****
Meals:B/L/D
Cycling distance: 67 Km
Day 6: Sin Ho – Mo village – Chan Nua – Phieng Ban – Muong Lay
Today’s ride will be mostly downhill. You will have time to enjoy beautiful scenery as well as stop by a village of Thai minority, the largest group ethnic in this area. Biking on the road along the river where the villages of the ethnic groups living along the riverbanks, they still keep their original culture such as traditional house on stilts of Thai people. Lunch is provided on the spot. Keep heading to reach Muong Lay town for staying overnight in a hotel. In the rest of afternoon you can ride around the town to discover the town upstream of Da River (the Black River).
Summary:
Activities: Cycling
Accommodation:Thanh Binh Hotel
Meals:B/L/D
Cycling distance: 58 Km
Day 7: Muong Lay – Muong Cha – Dien Bien Phu
Today will be a longest ride. You will start out on a good road, which makes your ride very comfortable. You arrive in Muong Cha at noon time. Here you will be able to take a walk around a local market. You will have either lunch in a local restaurant or picnic lunch prepared by the hotel.
After lunch, you head toward Dien Bien Phu. You will continue on the good road and the ride is even more enjoyable in a beautiful nature. The ride will be downhill and then flat upon your arrival in Dien Bien Phu. The busy town is surrounded by mountains and huge rice fields. Here you spend the night in Muong Thanh hotel. You will be able to take a walk to a nearby market to spread your legs.
Summary:
Activities: Cycling
Accommodation: Muong Thanh Dien Bien Hotel
Meals:B/L/D
Cycling distance: 102 Km.
Day 8: Dien Bien Phu – Tuan Giao
Breakfast in Hote, we spend our quick time to visit some historical relic in Dien Bien City such as Dien Bien Phu Museum, Hill A1, De Castry Head quarter. We commence our new cycling from Dien Bien Phu to Tuan Giao on new paved tarmac road for 74 km. Today our trip will be divided into two sections.
The first stage is more hilly and harder than the second section in afternoon, more descendingly road and more brilliant scenery.
Start from Hotel we kick off our bike through city on two lane road, then we challenge 30 km on scenic and hilly road lead to Tang Quai Pass. You will rewarded by pristine nature, and stunning scenery, colorful hill tribes. Upon arrival of summit, we stop for picnic lunch. After lunch meal, we descendingly ride to Muang Ang Town the cycling on undulating route, along river and village lead to Tuan Giao Town
Summary:
Activities:Cycling from Hotel
Accommodation: Tay Bac Hotel
Meals:B/L/D
Cycling distance: 76 Km
Day 9: Tuan Giao – Son La
After fill up full energy, we commence cycling to challenges one of the most incredible pass in North Vietnam – Padin pass. With 45 km long distance, Pa Din pass becomes really challenging for both Vietnam and abroad cyclist.
We make warm up our leg for first 6 km then we conquer 15 km ascendingly ride on summit – the Pha Din pass (heaven and earth pass) to the summit of 1450 m. Upon arrival of slope, we take photo then wear jacket, check brake before descendingly ride to Thuan Chau town for lunch. On the way you will be captivated by nice landscape of green rice fields and karst valley. Light traffic, wandering water buffaloes, Thai and Hmong kids.
After enjoy delicious picnic lunch, we cycle on undulating some distances and challenge the last hilly pass before descendingly ride to Son La City.
Summary:
Activities: Cycling from Hotel to Hotel
Accommodation: Muong Thanh Hotel****
Meals:B/L/D
Cycling distance:: 81 Km.

Day 10: Son La – Mu Cang Chai
Enjoy tasty breakfast in Hotel, we kick off our bikes from lovely place, look forward to amazing scenery and landscape today. Cycling through untouched region with colorful hill tribes villages and rice terrace paddy field.
We cycle on newly paved road and along river to observe two giant hydropower in North Vietnam. Have lunch enroute. After lunch, we continue our trip to Mu Cang Chai village
Summary:
Activities: Cycling from Hotel – Hotel
Accommodations: Mu Cang Chai Ecolodge***
Meals:B/L/D.
Cycling distance: 107 km
Day 11: Mu Cang Chai – Tu le – Nghia Lo
Today we pass large white limestone mountains as we explore the “real Vietnam”. We will cycle through meandering roads before we finally end the day in Nghia Lo. It sits on a mountain ridge overlooking the Red and Black River and is home to the Thai, Nung, H’mong, La Ha and Ma peoples.
We also ride ascendingly from Mu Cang Chai and challenge one of the forth incredible pass in the north Vietnam – Khau Pa pass. Stop on the summit to admire extraordinary scenery befotre descedingly rolling down to Nghia Lo town. Have dinner and stay overnight in Nghia Lo.
Summary:
Activities: Cycling
Accommodation: Muong Lo Hotel
Meals:B/L/D
Cycling Distance:78 km
Day 12: Nghia Lo – Ta Xua – Bac Yen
Get up early to join in local hill tribe market in next door of hotel, you will be impressive on lively atmosphere and friendly people who are exchanging their own products with each other in every morning. Come back to hotel for having breakfast,
Following to hearty breakfast, we set off our way to challenge winding road and some steep passes ahead. You will be captivated by outstanding and magnificent scenery and landscapes on the way to Tram Tau and Ta Xua Nature Reserve. Cycling on slope of dinosaur backbone mountain of Ta Xua and admire stunning cloud will be unforgetable memory in our trip.
Have picnic lunch enroute, after lunch we hop up our bike to cycle descendingly to Bac Yen section, upon arriving in hotel late afternoon. Do check in and relax by your self. Dinner and stay overnight in Bac Yen Town.
Summary:
Activities: Cycling
Accommodation: Dong Tam Hotel***
Meals:B/L/D
Cycling Distance: 91 km

Day 13: Bac Yen – Moc Chau plateau
Today is leisurely day in our cycling trip, following to breakfast in hotel, we set off our way to Moc Chau plateau.
Located at 1340 metrescompare sea level, Moc Chau is one of the most pristine beautiful plateaus in the North mountainous region that brings the amazing attraction for all classes of people even for hard-to-pleasure tourists. The road between Moc Chau and Son La is mazing with picturesque scenic beauty and diversified ethnic cultures. Beside. Moc Chau is well – known for green tea and milk production. Spend our time to explore picturesque scenery and tea farms, learn how they process tea productions. You also meet Flower Hmong minority who have been living and preserving their own tradtional culture in this region for hundred years.Have dinner and stay overnight in Moc chau Plateau.
Summary:
Activities: Cycling
Accommodation: Muong Thanh Hotel****
Meals:B/L/D
Cycling Distance:100 km
Day 14: Moc Chau Plateau – Mai Chau Scenic Valley
Cycling adventure tours is one of the most fascinating way to explore marvelous scenery, interact with hill tribe people and admire pristine nature in and around Moc Chau.
Our cycling tour will depart from hotel to green tea farms and tea workshop to learn the process of how to make green tea and then we ride on single track, dirt road, passing a vast green tea farms to colourful flowers gardens or tropical fruit gardens. Stopping en route for tasting fresh cow milk and and green tea herb. Our cycling continue decsending on old National way No 6 to Bai Sang and Mai Chau. You have opportunity in exploring sublime limestone mountain range and picturesque scenery dotted with Thai and Muong hill tribes in hillside. Have lunch enroute. After lunch, we keep riding down to Bai Sang and turn right to Mai Chau Town. Upon arriving in Sol Bungalow, do check in and relax on swimming pool. Dinner and enjoy alive performance music of Thai people.
Summary:
Activities: Cycling
Accommodations: Mai Chau Sunrise Village
Meals:B/L/D
Cycling Distance: 62 Km
Day 15: Mai Chau – Hanoi
Waking up you early in the morning by birds and chicken sounding, you will be treated by Thai traditional cake for breakfast with hot coffee and tea. After hearty breakfast, we cycle through different villages on a mix of good single track paths link from villages to anothers, the view are stunning as the ride passes and cross lush rice paddies./ Unique to this area are fan palms, grown specifically to use for roofing.We pass hot springs, cycle cross suspension bridges and follow the contours around beautiful terraced rice fields. We stop for lunch en route in local family. After lunch, Transfer back to Hanoi.
Summary:
Activities: Cycling and Transferring
Accommodations:The Light Hotel****
Meals:B/L/D
Cycling Distance: 50 Km
Day 16: Hanoi onward
Have hearty breakfast in hotel, you will be free at your leisure until departure timne. Our team will be meet you again and depart to Air port onward.
Summary:
Activities: Cycling and Transferring
Accommodations: No
Meals:B/L/D
Transferring to airport
Note: Hotels are subject to change due to availability. In that case we will choose equivalent rooms.
Meals: if you have any specific food requirements ( vegetarian, vegan, food allergies) please inform us in advance so that we can provide notice to our restaurant, tour guide, our partners so that they can server you better. If you are a food lover, Snail Adventure tours can be your culinary guide and provide you opportunity to savor tempting local food and world famous – dishes.
Tour included in:
English speaking cycling guide ( other languages upon requests)
Accommodations are based on double/ twin occupancy
Meals details in itineraries ( 14 breakfast, 14 lunches, 14 dinners)
A/C transfer/ and transportation
Van or bus supported during the cycling times.
Truck supported for the group size from 6 and above.
Trek mountain bikes – 4300 with disc brake and helmets
Boat trip in Ba Be and Thac Ba Water Reservoir
Sightseeing excursions as outlined itineraries
Bike tour pump, bike tools, spares tubes, spare bikes
First aid kit
Cold water box, small fresh towel.
Mineral water for drinking
Fruit and snack for cycling days

Tour excluded in:
International airfare
Travel insurance
Items of personal nature
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks in meals
Mineral water beyond that supplied
Optional excursions
Additional transport required due to any emergency situation
Personal expenses such as telephone, laundry bills.
Visa fee
Departure tax
Tip for team and guide