Cycling Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is an exciting and absorbing city where bicycles battle with trucks and temples stand defiantly alongside modern developments. Devastated by the Vietnam War, Ho Chi Minh City is now a bustling free market city where anything goes. If you arrive with some time to explore, the Ben Thanh Market and Notre Dame Cathedral are within easy walking distance and highly recommended. Around 6pm, say xin chào to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. Your tour leader then ensures a big Vietnamese welcome by arranging a group dinner at a local restaurant. Want extra time in Ho Chi Minh? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative. Upgrade to an executive room today – speak to your sales representative for more details

This morning we drive out of the city, before riding to the Cu Chi tunnels. This offers a great introduction to cycling in Vietnam and a chance to fine-tune the bikes. The tunnels were Viet Cong sanctuaries, used by the guerrillas as living quarters and escape routes. The network covers three levels and approximately 149mi (240km) of tunnels. Some parts have been widened for tourists, but the tunnels were originally very narrow and it is still necessary to crawl on hands and knees. If you prefer not to visit the tunnels you can have an unguided free day in Ho Chi Minh City. Places of interest include the Emperor of Jade and Giac Lam pagodas, the former Presidential Palace (now the Reunification Hall), Ben Thanh market and the War Remnants Museum. Upgrade to an executive room today – speak to your sales representative for more details

After an early breakfast, head out of Ho Chi Minh City by bus and then start cycling towards the coast. We hit the backroads and head through tropical fruit and rubber plantations, also passing a small fishing village as we make our way closer to the coast, finishing our ride in time for lunch. We then transfer (approximately three hours) to Mui Ne, a tranquil white-sand beach where we can witness our first sunset over the East Sea. We spend four to five hours on the bus today.

We cycle towards Dalat; the route is undulating with occasional climbs. Along the way we pass coffee and tea plantations, flower gardens and pine forests as we reach higher altitude. We rejoin the bus before the road climbs steeply to the mountain town of Dalat. We spend approximately 3hr 30min on the bus today. Dalat is a pleasant hill station, formerly known as Le Petit Paris, and has been described as the most beautiful town in Vietnam. It was favoured by the French for its climate, and is now a popular honeymoon resort for the Vietnamese.

Today's ride is predominantly undulating and approximately 19mi (30km) downhill through pine forests and paddy fields as we descend nearly 4,921ft (1,500m) and travel through Bidoup Ba National Park. This area is home to rare pine forests, plus small villages inhabited by the ethnic minority people of the central highlands. Once we arrive at the coast, we head by bus (approximately 90 minutes) to the coast near Nha Trang before boarding a boat to our tropical island retreat of Whale Island for the next two nights. Today you can cycle up to 55.9mi (90km) according to preference.

Relax and unwind today. Join a boat trip in the morning for snorkelling and sea swimming before a seafood lunch. During our boat trip, we pass a small fishing village and see the Whale temple on a small island (please note, only local people are allowed access to this island). In the afternoon, you have the option to relax on the beach or walk around the island to the viewpoint for a 360-degree view of the mountainous coastline and the surrounding coves and white-sand beaches.

We set off early in the morning and first take a short transfer from Whale Island through Dai Lanh and Ca Pass before setting off on our bikes at Vung Ro Bay, where we ride along the coast to Tuy Hoa and O Loan Lagoon to Chi Thanh. In Chi Thanh, we stop for lunch and a short rest before continuing to La Hai where we complete our longest ride of the trip (62.2mi/100km). From La Hai, we then transfer one hour to our hotel in Quy Nhon. We spend approximately two hours on the bus today.

It’s been an unforgettable cycling adventure through Vietnam, but this morning marks the last breakfast of the tour. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on all that you’ve seen and achieved and, perhaps, to start planning your next big adventure.