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Day 1 - Hanoi/Hochiminh city - Dong Hoi - Phong Nha (D)
Take flight from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Hoi. Upon arrival at the airport in Dong Hoi, you will be picked up by the guide and transfer to reach Hochiminh trail to start the riding.
Overnight at hotel in Phong Nha
(Ride up to 30 – 50km) – the distance is varied based on the time of arrival.
Difficulty: Easy
Day 2 - Phong Nha - Cam Lo - Khe Sanh (B,L,D)
After an early morning exploration of Paridise Cave we’ll transfer for about 1.5 hours and then continue riding on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, across the DMZ (also known as the 17th Parallel) to Cam Lo. The road is now quite flat and we make good time. Stop en route to visit Truong Son cemetery, a memorial to the tens of thousands of North Vietnamese soldiers who were killed in the Truong Son Mountains along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. It’s just 14 kilometres further to the town of Cam Lo and here the trail heads across the border into Laos. We transfer to Khe Sanh, the site of a former US marine base and the infamous 1968 battle, near the Laos border to overnight.
Overnight at hotel in Khe Sanh
(Ride up to 80km)
Difficulty: Medium
Transfer:1.5hours
Day 3 - Khe Sanh - A Luoi (B,L,D)
We’ll start the morning with a visit to the Khe Sanh combat base where relics of the war are exhibited and see the airstrip, where to this day nothing will grow. We ride through spectacular scenery, mainly downhill, from the Laos border to Dakrong River. We cross the bridge and ride along the river and what was considered the southern part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Again enjoy a traffic-free road, the terrain undulates and is a nice contrast to the flat plains of the previous day’s ride.
Overnight at hotel in Aluoi
(Ride up to 65km)
Difficulty: Medium
Day 4 - A Luoi - Hue (B,L,D)
Due to the bad roads south of A Loui, it is time to end the journey down the trail and to cut across the country to Hue, Vietnam’s Imperial City, recently designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site. We ride through the middle of Vietnam for 60 km on back roads before hitting Highway 1 just a few kilometres south of Hue. We transfer or ride into town.
Overnight at hotel in Hue
(Ride up to 70km)
Difficulty: Medium
Day 5 - Hue city and surrounding (B,L)
Following breakfast, enjoy a relatively easy cycle on the back roads of Hue through lush countryside on a mix of footpaths and quiet country lanes. Hue was the seat of the thirteen Nguyen Emperors from 1802 to 1945 and start of our day with a visit to the Imperial Citadel. After exploring the ruins of this grand monument to the emperors, ride the backstreets, along the banks of the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, the official symbol of the city. Scattered throughout the countryside of Hue are royal tombs from the Nguyen emperors and we continue to the Ming Manh mausoleum and loop back across the river to Hue via the funerary monument to Khai Dinh. Afternoon is free to explore Hue.
Overnight at hotel in Hue
(Ride up to 30km)
Difficulty: Easy
Day 6 - Hue - Hoi An (B,L)
Today is an epic ride with two short hills to conquer before the climb of the day, an 11km uphill to the Hai Van Pass with amazing views over the bay. The main road tunnels through the mountain so we’ll have little traffic on this old road up and over. We’ll lunch at Lang Co beach with time to swim and enjoy white sands and emerald waters before we coast down to Danang and then transfer the 35 km to Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site. In the evening explore the lanes of this ancient town. Dinner is on your own, but this pedestrian-oriented town offers plenty of choices, with some great small restaurants next to the river.
Overnight at hotel in Hoi an
(Ride up to 100km)
Difficulty: Medium - Hard
Day 7 - Hoi An - My Son - Hoi An (B,L,D)
An easy day ride to visit My Son, the ancient centre of Cham civilization, is needed after our century cycle. We transfer out of town to avoid the highway before cycling along scenic country back roads past paddy fields and through eucalyptus forest passing many scenic villages. The meandering road takes us to My Son, which was once Champa’s greatest city. Although many of the temples were destroyed by American bombs, there is still enough of the archaeological site to impress most visitors. We take lunch before spending the afternoon visiting the site. In the afternoon we transfer by bus back to Hoi An, where you can wander around and soak up the atmosphere of this quaint town.
Overnight at hotel in Hoi an
(Ride up to 54km)
Difficulty: Medium
Day 8 - Hoi An - Departure (B)
At leisure until your flight back to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
NOTE: An itinerary may at times be altered by our guides due to local conditions, the skill of participants and other unexpected circumstances. Our priority is always the experience and safety of our clients.
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