Hanoi Adventure Cycling To Luang Prabang 12 Days

Breakfast , Today we will tough cycle out of Nghia Lo passing large white limestone mountains as we explore the “Real Vietnam”.  Following rolling road, to end the day in Tu Le. Leaving Tu Le we travel through rugged terrain with dense vegetation and come into contact with the Black Hmong and the mysterious White Tay people, who are famed for their folk music, poems and songs. The road winds down out of the hills and we descend into valley to end  the day at Than Uyen.

Total Distance : 160 Km

Biking Distance : 100 Km ( 10 km road flat , 90 km mountain 5 to 12 % )

Meals : Breakfast , Lunch , Dinner

Accommodation : Hotel in Than Uyen

Transportation  : Support Bus and Truck

From Than Uyen we begin with a gentle 30km ascent to ride along the Hoang Lien Son mountain range through magnificent landscape. Then, from Binh Lu Junction there is another hard ascent of 30 km to the top of the Tram Ton Pass, on our way to Sa Pa. We stop on route to visit the “silver waterfall”, before descending into Sapa for the final 15kms.

Total Distance : 75 Km

Biking Distance : 75 Km ( mountain  tough 6 to 13 % )

Meals : Breakfast , Lunch , Dinner

Accommodation : Hotel in Sapa

Transportation  : Support Bus and Truck

After breakfast and this morning, we 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 to cycle downhill on jeep track to a Black Hmong village. We ride 2 km of single track past rice paddies. When we reach Ta Van village, home to the Red Dzao people, we can stroll around the village and learn about their unique culture and building style before having lunch. We continue our cycle journey to Thanh Kim village, riding on gentle hills and a tarmac road. The village is situated in a high mountain area, and from the Thanh Kim, we have panoramic views of the Ban Ho valley. Depending on time and energy levels, we can ride back up to Sapa or transfer back , Explore dinner by your own .

Biking Distance : 25 Km ( mountain  tough 4 to 13 % )

Meals : Breakfast , Lunch

Accommodation : Hotel in Sapa

Transportation  : Support Bus and Truck

We ride out of Sapa and complete the 15-km road climb up to Tram Ton Pass – the highest road pass in Vietnam at 2,000 m. 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 (3,143 m), the highest mountain in Indochina. At the small town of Tam Duong, we 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 the new city of Lai Chau.

Biking Distance : 75 Km ( mountain  tough 4 to 12 % )

Meals : Breakfast , Lunch , Dinner

Accommodation : Hotel in Lai Chau

Transportation  : Support Bus and Truck

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, but soon there will be a long, sweeping downhill. The first half of the road is amid mountains and rice terraces; the second one is along the Nam Na River with towering mountains on both sides of the road. The afternoon ride to Muong Lay is overall flat with a few slight dips and rises to keep things interesting, The town is at the confluence of the Nam Na River, the Nam Lay River, and the Da River.

Biking Distance : 110 Km ( mountain  tough 4 to 12 % )

Meals : Breakfast , Lunch , Dinner

Accommodation : Hotel in Muong Lay

Transportation  : Support Bus and Truck

Another hilly day, but we start nice and easy following a river for 15 km before starting our first climb of the day. Over a further 19 km, we reach a pass at 860 m. At the top, we take a break at a well-located tea shop for refreshments. The average gradient of the pass is relatively easy, averaging around 6-8%. Dropping down to a plateau around 400 m, we stop regularly at some of the last hilltribe 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 paddy fields on the final flat stretch into the historic town of Dien Bien Phu.

Biking Distance : 105 Km ( mountain  tough 4 to 12 % )

Meals : Breakfast , Lunch ,Dinner

Accommodation : Hotel in Dien Bien Phu

Transportation  : Support Bus and Truck

We explore war history in Dien Bien Phu. Our first stops will be the excellent new war museum, which offers good insight into the climactic battle in 1954 when the Viet Minh communist revolutionary forces defeated the French Union forces in the Dien Bien Phu, leading 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 Dien Bien Phu Campaign Headquarters. Shortly into our ride the climbing begins, which lasts for about 15 km, but there is a transfer option. Then, our route takes us among forests and a large reservoir, which provides water to two hydroelectric projects. We cycle back down to Dien Bien Phu, and you are free to explore the city. Dinner is on your own tonight giving you the chance to venture out and try new food and local drinks!

Biking Distance : 55 Km ( mountain  tough 3 to 8 % )

Meals : Breakfast , Lunch ,Dinner

Accommodation : Hotel in Dien Bien Phu

Transportation  : Support Bus and Truck

Early breakfast and  transfer to Tay Trang border . We say goodbye to Vietnam and hello to Laos. We start the day with a 20-km transfer to a quiet border crossing where it takes between 1-2 hrs to complete immigration formalities. We 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 km, before dropping down to Tat Muang Khoua (390 m) a small sleepy market town built on a steep hillside at the confluence of two rivers, offering plenty of great views.

Biking Distance : 69 Km ( mountain  tough 2 to 7 % )

Meals : Breakfast , Lunch ,Dinner

Accommodation : Hotel in Muang Khoua

Transportation  : Support Bus and Truck

No journey through the emerald lands of Laos is complete without 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 stop off at a local village and go for a short 2-km hike to another riverside village that is a centre for local handicrafts and excellent for souvenirs. Lunch by the water and then re-join our boats for the final cruise to Muang Ngoy. Surrounded by jungle, sheer limestone cliffs carpeted in vegetation, and looking down onto the river, this is an excellent spot to chill out. It has only recently been hooked up to electricity and some small restaurants and bars have opened, the first real coffee machine only just arrived! On arrival, we check into a small bungalow complex where the rest of the afternoon is free to spend at your leisure. Hike to nearby ethnic Lao villages, explore caves where locals lived during the “secret war”, or just relax on the river. We meet up for a riverside dinner.

Biking Distance :  0 km

Meals : Breakfast , Lunch ,Dinner

Accommodation : Hotel in Muang Ngoy

Transportation  : Support Bus and Truck

After a short 15 min boat transfer to the western side of the river, we re-join our bikes and ride down to Nong Kiau, primarily on dirt tracks. This section will have no support vehicle. We cycle through some ethnic Hmong 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 very technical, but fast flowing hard pack with some shallow stream crossings, and should be well within the capabilities of anyone on this trip. The last 6 km are on tarmac into the tourist town of Nong Kiau, where we have lunch and check into our comfortable and charming guesthouse that overlooks the Nam Ou River. Anyone who wishes to jump on the boat instead of cycling is welcome to do so, it will be bringing the luggage down anyway. In the afternoon, there is a chance to cycle to the fascinating limestone caves where villages sheltered from the US carpet bombings in the “secret war

Biking Distance :  24 km

Meals : Breakfast , Lunch ,Dinner

Accommodation : Hotel in Nong Kiau

Transportation  : Support Bus and Truck

The last long ride of the bike 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 some short climbs that never ascend more than 50 m 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 Rivers, Luang Prabang is well-known for its numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries. Every morning, hundreds of monks from various monasteries walk through the streets collecting alms. Once we reach this historic UNESCO World Heritage Site, we head to our hotel and freshen up for our farewell dinner.

Biking Distance :  120 km

Meals : Breakfast , Lunch , FAREWELL Dinner

Accommodation : Hotel in Luang Prabang

Transportation  : Support Bus and Truck