Hanoi is a unique city with tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and Oriental temples. The Vietnamese capital has many cultural and historic sites and we will have a half day guided sightseeing tour to take in some of the many highlights. Departing after breakfast, we will start with a visit to the nearby mausoleum complex of the historic figure and father of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh (viewed from outside), and also walk through the former president’s gardens including a visit to his house on stilts where he lived from 1958 to 1969. His former home illustrates the modesty of this Vietnamese revolutionary. After this depending on time we will visit one or two of the many pagodas that that are found around the central Hoan Kiem Lake. We will take lunch in the old quarter after which you will have the afternoon to explore this bustling area of narrow streets and alleys, home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. After an early evening meal we will go to the train station to catch the overnight sleeper (the King  Express) to Lao Cai, near Sapa. The train is a very civilized affair with compartments sleeping 4 and a refreshment carriage serving food and drink.

– ACCOMMODATION Sleeper Train

• MEALS ( B,L,D)

On arrival in Lao Cai around 0700 hrs, we meet our support vehicle and make the short 50 min transfer up to the former hill station of Sapa (1450 m) where we will have breakfast at our hotel. Depending on availability we will check into our rooms or use a day room to shower and change and will then either assemble our own bikes or are introduced to our hire bikes. Late morning we will set out on a ride to get those legs moving. We cycle from the hotel for 4 km on a tarmac road and branch off at Lao Chai junction and cycle downhill on jeep track to a Black Hmong village. We will ride 2 km of single track past rice paddies. When we reach Ta Van village, which is home to the Red Dzao people, we’ll go for a stroll around the village and learn about their unique culture and building style and then have lunch. We continue our cycle journey to Thanh Kim village riding on terrain of gentle hills and on a tarmac road. The village is situated in a high mountain area and from the Thanh Kim village we will have panoramic views of the Ban Ho valley. Depending on time and energy levels we can ride back up to Sapa or transfer back. Overnight at a hotel in Sapa.

– ACCOMMODATION Hotel

• ASCENT 850m
• DISTANCE 45km
• GPS DATA View now
• MEALS( B,L,D)
• DESCENT 850m
• TIME4 – 5 hrs cycling

We cycle 4 km on a tarmac road, then turn left and enjoy a 3 km off-road ride along a hillside. The undulating ride along a dirt track has a few short challenging hills but with beautiful mountain scenery. We cycle downhill to Ma Tra village, which is home to the Black Hmong. Here we’ll have lunch, before we continue cycling on a rough track looping to Ta Phin village and will experience dramatic mountain scenery. We take a break in Ta Phin village, which is one of the most beautiful villages in Sapa, and our guide will take you around and introduce you to the culture and customs of the Red Dzao people. From Ta Phin, there are several alternative tracks that loop and drop down to the main Lao Chai road. Depending on weather conditions these can be muddy and slippery but are great fun to ride. Once we get to the main road usually transfer back to Sapa to wash the bikes, but you can cycle the extra 15 km if you wish. Due to the nature of the trail the ride cannot be supported the whole way by jeep but there will be spots along the trail where we can rendezvous with the support vehicle. Late afternoon can be spent exploring Sapa before we have a meal in one of the towns many restaurants.

 -ACCOMMODATION Hotel

• ASCENT 300m
• DISTANCE 20kmGPS
• DATA View now
• MEALS( B,L,D)
• DESCENT 700m
• TIME 2 hrs cycling

Today we ride out of Sapa and complete the relatively easy 15 km road climb up to Tram Ton pass, the highest road pass in Vietnam at 2000 metres. We then have a superb 25 km descent into a beautiful valley. The countryside is truly wonderful as we pass tea plantations and all inhabitants are from minority tribes. The weather always seems to get clearer this side of the mountains and if we look back we should get views of Fansipan (3143m) the highest mountain in Indo China. At the small town of Tam Duong we will have lunch and then turn left off the main road to cycle 28 km on a lovely country lane through the remote villages of Ban Hon and ban Giang. We have now left any sign of other western tourists and are in a land of rice paddies, small coffee plantations and sharp limestone cliffs. We finish in Lai Chau a new modern open plan administrative capital.

 – ACCOMMODATION Hotel

• ASCENT 12000
• DISTANCE 75km
• GPS DATA View now
• MEALS ( B,L,D)
• DESCENT 1700m
• TIME5 – 6 hrs cycling

We start the day with an easy pedal from the sleepy town of Lai Chau, but things pick up after 10 km where there is a climb, followed by a long sweeping downhill. The first half of today’s route is amongst mountains and rice terraces, whilst the second part is alongside the Nam Na River, with towering mountains on both sides of the road. The afternoon ride toward Muong Lay is overall flat with a few slight dips and rises to keep things interesting. This pleasant town is at the triple confluence of the Nam Na River, the Nam Lay River and the Da River.

ACCOMMODATION Hotel

• ASCENT 1150m
• DISTANCE 105km
• GPS DATA View now
• MEALS  (B,L,D)
• DESCENT 1850m
• TIME6 – 7 hrs cycling

After a hearty breakfast we first follow the river for 15 km, an area which has suffered from severe flooding over the years, before starting our first climb of the day over a further 19 kms we reach a pass at 860 m which has an excellent tea shop for refreshments. The average gradient of the pass is relatively easy averaging around 6 -8%. Dropping down to a plateau around 400 metres we will stop regularly at some of the last hill tribe villages and have lunch in a local restaurant, where our guide can introduce you to the local customs. There is another short final climb up to a 650 m pass before we prepare a broad smile to greet the kids as we cycle through paddie fields on the final flat stretch into the historic town of Dien Bien Phu.

– ACCOMMODATION Hotel

• ASCENT1600mDISTANCE100km
• GPS DATA View now
• MEALS (B,L,D)
• DESCENT 1500m
• TIME6 – 7 hrs cycling

Today we’ll explore war history of Dien Bien Phu. Our first stops will be the excellent new war museum which gives a really good insight on the climactic battle in 1954 when the Viet Minh communist revolutionary forces defeated the French Union forces in the Dien Bien Phu which led to Vietnam gaining its independence from colonial rule. Other stops on the bikes will include de Castries’ bunker and Glory Statue before we stop for lunch. We then head out of town and cycle towards Muong Phang Commune to visit the visit the site of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Headquarters. Shortly into our ride the climbing begins, which lasts for about 15 kms, but this section can be transferred. Thereafter our route takes us amidst forests and a large reservoir which provides water to two hydroelectric projects. We cycle back down to Dien Bien Phu where you arefree for the evening to discover local dishes.

• ACCOMMODATION Hotel
• MEALS ( B,L)

Today we say goodbye to Vietnam and hello to Laos. We start the day with a 20 km transfer to the quiet border crossing (1130m) where it takes between 1-2 hrs to complete immigration formalities. We’ll swap crews, pick up new hire bikes and begin the journey to the riverside town of Muang Khoua. The ride is beautiful as we descend at first on a recently built but very quiet road, cycling through remote villages mainly comprised of Red or Black Thai ethnic tribes. After lunch there is a short climb for 10 kms before dropping down to Tat Muang Khoua (390m) a small sleepy market town built on a steep hillside at the confluence of two rivers, offering plenty of great viewpoints

• ACCOMMODATION Hotel
• ASCENT 950m
• DISTANCE 70km
• GPS DATA View now
• MEALS (B,L,D)
• DESCENT 1700m
• TIME4 – 5 hrs cycling

No journey through the emerald lands of Laos is complete without experiencing a traditional long boat journey. Today, we kick back and relax as we have a day off the bikes and voyage to one of Laos prettiest riverside villages, Muang Ngoy. Inaccessible by road, our 4-hour boat trip provides a unique experience to watch the daily life on the river as we greet fisherman, traders and cheeky children along the way. After 2.5 hrs we will stop off at one of the local villages and go for a short 2km hike to another riverside village that is a centre for local handicrafts and excellent for souvenirs. Lunch on the beach and then rejoin our boats for the final hour to Muang Ngoy. Surrounded by jungle, sheer limestone cliffs carpeted in vegetation and looking down onto the river this is the number one chill out spot in Laos. It has only recently got electricity and a number of small restaurants and bars have opened, the first real coffee machine only arrived this year! On arrival we check into a small bungalow complex where the rest of the afternoon free to spend at your leisure. You are free to hike to the nearby ethnic Lao villages and there are also caves where locals lived during the “secret war” to explore. We meet up for a riverside dinner.

– ACCOMMODATION Bungalow

   MEALS (B,L,D)

After a short 15 min boat transfer to the western side of the river we will rejoin our bikes and ride down to Nong Kiau primarily on dirt tracks . This section will have no support vehicle. We’ll cycle through some ethnic Hamong villages, giving you plenty to see along the way. This undulating route will be jeep-width initially but narrows to single track in sections. It is not really technical but fast flowing hard pack with the some shallow stream crossings and should be well with the capabilities of anyone on this trip. The last 6 kms are on tarmac into the tourist town of Nong Kiau where we will have lunch and check into our comfortable and charming guesthouse that overlooks the Ou River. Anyone who wishes to jump on the boat instead of cycling is welcome to do so, it will bring the luggage down anyway. In the afternoon there is a chance to cycle to the fascinating limestone caves were the villages sheltered from the carpet bombings of the USA in the “secret war”.

• ACCOMMODATION Guesthouse
• ASCENT 400m
• DISTANCE25km
• GPS DATA View now
• MEALS (BLD)
• DESCENT 400m
• TIME2 – 3 hrs cycling

The last long ride of the tour! Cycling a relatively quiet undulating road, we head west along the Nam Ou River, which makes for a very scenic ride. The road undulates the whole way with a number of short climbs that never climb more than 50 metres at a time. It makes for a fast pace and although it is a reasonable distance it is satisfying to cycle into the beautiful and historic town of Luang Prabang to end our epic journey. Situated on a peninsula between the Nam Khan and Mekong River, LP is well-known for its numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries. Every morning, hundreds of monks from the various monasteries walk through the streets collecting alms. Once we reach this historic town we head to our central hotel and then freshen up for our farewell dinner.

• ACCOMMODATION Hotel
• ASCENT 900m
• DISTANCE 145km
• GPS DATA View now
• MEALS (BLD)
• DESCENT 900m
• TIME5 – 6 hrs cycling

We are Land Only package services end with breakfast at the hotel. You can arrange your transfer to Luang Prabang Airport with the assistance of the hotel reception desk.

• ACCOMMODATIONHotel
• MEALS (B)