13 Days Northern Vietnam-Yunnan(China) Cycling Tour from Hanoi to Kunming via Ma Lu Thang Border

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.
Trans Asia Discovery 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 City
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

In the morning, we will ride 51KM from Lai Chau City to Ma Lu Thang border, which is a new entrance to China. Cross the border to Jinshuihe Town(金水河镇) in Jinping County of Yunnan Province in China.
We will continue the riding from Jinshuihe to Jinhe Town(金河镇) of Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County.
Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County is located in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, China, bordering Vietnam’s Lai Châu Province to the south. Jinping is home to the Red-headed Yao minority group who wear a pointed red hat on their heads after they get married.
Saty in Jinping County
Day 6 Jinhe Town(金河镇)-45KM-Tongkuang Town(铜厂乡)58KM-Laomeng Town(老勐乡)
It will be a beautiful riding today. If you are lucky enough, you will pass by some local ethnic markets on the way.
Going to the market is one of the few recreations that people in the remote countryside. All over China in the rural areas where there are significant numbers of minorities, Market Days (赶集) are important days indeed. Minorities from all around the villages where the Market Day is held will flood into the village, both to buy as well as to sell all sorts of things.Market Days are significant events in the weekly calendar of most minorities. It is an occasion for some to earn something extra by selling excesses from their farms; for others it is their weekly shopping experience. However more significantly, it is a major social event in their calendar. Most minorities, especially the ladies will dress up in their best and most colorful traditional dresses to go to the market. It is an opportunity for them to meet and to exchange news and gossip with others.In Jinping County of Yunnan Province, China, fascinating ethnic minority market can be seen in all its glory once a week at the Sunday Laomeng Market(老猛赶集). Laomeng(老猛) holds the most flamboyant market every Sunday. One can see people from six different ethnic minorities, with women and children dressing up in colorful dresses, different in their own traditional style. Market Days are great opportunities to see the various minorities in their traditional dresses.Day 07 Laomeng Town-13KM-Huangmaoling Town-21KM-Laohuzui Rice Terraces-20KM-Duoyishu Rice Terraces
Today, we will ride up a big slope to Laohuzui Rice Terraces via Huangmaoling Town(黄茅岭乡) and Panzhihua Town(攀枝花乡);

Laohuzui Rice Terraces, also called Tiger Month Rice Terraces or Mengpin Rice Terraces, is core area of Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, the 45th World Heritage Site of China which announced by UNESCO in 2013.

With an area of 460 hectare, Laohuzui Rice Terraces consists of Mengpin Village, Dongfu Village, Baoshanzhai Village, Amengkong Village, etc. It is the steepest, the grandest, the most magnificent Rice Terrace among all the rice terraces of Yuanyang. Besides, it has strong layering, three-dimensional sense, contrast color, making Laohuzui Rice Terrace a beautiful Chinese painting. Laohuzui Rice Terraces is the best site for SUNSET.
We may stop here for the sunset view of Laohuzui Rice Terraces in Amengkong Village(阿勐控村) and Yiwanshui Village(一碗水村) if the weather is good enough. Or we will continue the cycling to the highlights part of Yuanyang Rice Terraces. Ride into the small country road to Dongpu Xinzhai Village (硐浦新寨) and Puduo Xiazhai Village(普朵下寨), we will arrive at Duoyishu Rice Terraces in the late afternoon.
Stay in Duoyishu Rice Terraces.

Day 08 One Day Yuanyang Rice Terraces Hiking and Cycling Tour 
We will spend one day cycling and hiking in the rice terraces of Yuanyang including Bada, Qingkou, Longshuba, Duoyishu rice terraces and villages.

The hiking route is Pugaolaozhai village-Xinzhai-Houzizhai Village-Duoyishu Xiazhai Village-Azheke Village-Niuluopu Village-Pingan Village. Along the way, enjoy the more than 9,000 acres of Hani Rice Terraces with mushroom-shaped house, sacrifice house, water-powered roller, the sacred forest of the village.

Duoyishu Village is the best place to enjoy the sunrise of Yuanyang Rice Terrace Fields when the sun appears above the eastern horizon. The terraced fields are ring upon ring and cascade one by one. They go along the hillside up to the sky. You will see the scenery of the terraced fields from the top of the mountains to the bottom. They are all farms under the sunshine and cloud and mist. The landscape is spectacular.
Day 9 Yuanyang-114KM-Jianshui
Day 10 Jianshui-76KM-Tonghai
Day 11 Tonghai-11KM-Xingmeng Town-Fuxian Lake-Chengjiang City (80KM)
Day 12 Chengjiang City- 53KM-Kunming
Day 13 Departure from Kunming