Northern Vietnam: Route 2-79

Overview

Our Vietnam Route-279 cycling tour travels on frequently deserted back roads and trails through a quiet, beautiful region of Vietnam little visited by western travellers. The tour will be supported by one or two vehicles (dependant on group size), a local guide (Phong), and a Western tour leader (David).

 

Highlights

• Hanoi’s bustling Old Quarter. 
• Climbing the 2000 metre Trung Son Pass beneath that summit of Mount Fansi pan. 
• A rest day in the colonial hill station town of Sapa.  
• Above all else, cycling through Vietnams beautiful rural mountain scenery, the delicious national cuisine, and the friendly people of Vietnam beyond the tourist hordes.

 

David proved his excellent skills. Dedicated and very concerned about our wellbeing: faster, or a slower cyclist as I am, he shows that he has a heart for all of us, and that is what makes the difference to other cycling tours.

Lieve Deneve

 

Included in this tour

• All accommodation.
• Local guide and tour leader. 
• National park entrance 
• Support vehicle (1 or 2 depending on group size).
• Meals on cycling days.
• Snacks and drinks during cycling.

 

Joining instructions

Arriving at Hanoi's International airport you will be met by a driver and transferred to our joining hotel. Full joining instructions will be given during a couple of weeks before the tour begins. Typically though the group will meet the tour leader in the hotel lobby early evening (between 5 and 6) for a briefing drink and dinner.

 

Southern Thailand was my second trip with Painted Roads and the team came up trumps again. The trip took us through beautiful places off the beaten track.

Mel Whitmore

 

Difficulty

With an average daily distance of 92kms, this tour is for those who like to cover some distance on their bikes and is certainly not for novices. There are also climbs of 15kms or more.

 

Bicycle advice

Suitable Bicycle. MTB, Touring Bike, Cyclocross/Gravel bike.

The roads on this tour are sealed and generally in good condition.

At PaintedRoads we hold firmly to the opinion that using your own bike, the bike on which you feel at home and comfortable is the finest way to enjoy a cycling adventure.

Most kinds of bicycle, except light-weight racing bikes, are suitable for this tour: touring bikes, mountain bikes, hybrids or cyclocross bikes are all fine. Road conditions vary from asphalt to gravel and possibly some hard-packed dirt tracks. Tyres from 35mm in width upwards will be fine but we recommend 40mm or more for comfort.

If bringing your own bike please bring along a selection of tools and spares specific for your bike such as few spare spokes, brake pads, a tyre and a couple of tubes, etc. If in doubt please ask at your local bike shop.

Southeast Asia is generally a warm place so the ability to carry one or two water bottles is essential (either on your bike or in a backpack). Our back-up vehicle carries water and tools although for those competent with tools bringing your own pump, puncture kit, and multi took is recommended as it would speed up repairs and minor adjustments. A means of carrying your camera, sunblock etc is also useful – either an on-bike bag, handlebar or saddlebag for example or a lightweight day-pack.

•Recommendation: Although our hire bikes come equipped with a saddle if you have a saddle you use and are happy with it is strongly recommended that you use it on tour. If you use SPD type shoes please bring your own matching pedals. We are happy to fit these for you. You may also like to bring bar ends if you use them at home.

ESSENTIAL! Please be sure that your bicycle is in perfect condition before you leave home. Again, if in doubt please consult your local bike shop.

Rental Bicycles

Rental Bikes: If you wish to hire a bicycle we can arrange for the hire of good quality cycles from our in-country agent.

Rental Bicycle Recommendation. Although our hire bikes come equipped with a saddle if you have a saddle you use and are happy with it is strongly recommended that you use it on tour. If you use SPD type shoes please bring your own matching pedals. We are happy to fit these for you. You may also like to bring bar ends if you use them at home.

Accommodation

Although rapidly moving forward, Vietnam is still a developing country and therefore one must not expect the same standards that may be found on a cycling holiday in Europe. In Hanoi, Dien Bien Phu and Ba Be we choose fine comfortable well-located hotels of a three or four-star standard. Elsewhere along the route, we use the best accommodation available that, although at times basic, feature air-conditioned ensuite rooms with hot showers and wifi.

Print Itinerary

Meals Key: (meals key: B = breakfast; L = lunch; D = dinner; S = snacks)

1: Hanoi Arrival

Arriving at Hanoi's international airport, you will be met and transferred to our hotel in Hanoi's bustling Old Quarter. After a long flight, you may like to take advantage of your quiet and comfy room to relax. If you feel energetic, the Old Quarter is a vibrant and exciting stage where people's lives play out amidst a maze of winding streets full of colour and texture and fading colonial architecture.

This evening the group will meet their tour leader and local guide for a briefing and our first meal together.

0kms. 

Meals: D

2: Hanoi to Yen Bai

Following breakfast, we will board of support minibus to transfer through the hubbub of Hanoi commuters until the atmosphere is calm and quiet. From here, we cycle north, following a course dictated by the flow of the mighty Red River, to our first rural overnight of our exploration of northern Vietnam. 

~65 kms. 

 Meals: B, L, D, S

3: Yen Bai to Nghai Lo

Our first full day of cycling is a spectacular, undulating route through a rural scene of lush green as, on a quiet rural byway, we cycle through tea plantations and past fields of rice and eucalyptus forests.

75kms. 

Climb 1200M.

Meals: B, L, D, S

4: Nghai Lo to Tu Le

Meandering byways lead us through a fairytale-like landscape of karst hills on today's ride. Along this stunning route, we pass through small villages populated by the minority peoples of the local hill tribes en route to the small town of Tu Le

50 kms

Climb: 900M

Meals: B, L, D, S

5: Tu Le to Than Uyen

Our day begins with a rewarding 20 km climb, during which we gain some 1100 metres of altitude. Our coffee break atop the pass is just the beginning of our reward, as over the next 60 kilometres, we descend 2000 metres before the final few undulating kilometres to the lakeside town of Than Uyen.

85 kms. 

Climb: M

Meals: B, L, D, S

6: Than Uyen to Sa Pa

Following an initial 60kms gently undulating through a fertile valley, we reach one of Southeast Asia's most iconic climbs. At 2000-meters, Trung Son is the highest pass in Vietnam and amongst the highest in Southeast Asia. During the twenty-two kilometres from base to summit, the stunning views are sure to distract from the physical challenge at hand. Fansipan is the highest mountain in mainland Indochina, and with some luck, the mist that often crowns the summit will lift as we pass by. 

After the obligatory summit photograph, a gentle 16-kilometre descent leads to our resort in the old colonial hill station town of Sapa. 

100kms. 

Climb 2000M

Meals: B, L, D, S

 7: Sapa Rest Day

At the southeastern extent of the Himalayan mountain chain and sitting at an elevation of 1500-metres, Sapa has a subtropical highland climate. The weather here flits between misty and beautiful sunshine, and when the mist lifts, the view from our resort is stunning. 

 Home to several minority groups, this old French hill station offers cultural and architectural interest for those wishing to wander the town. Those who want to see more of the surrounding countryside can join a day trip with a local guide or take the funicular railways and cable car to the summit of Mount Fansipan, Indo-China's highest peak. For those wishing to spend their rest day relaxing, the town offers many cafes, restaurants, and pubs, serving cappuccino and cake, local fayre, pizza, burgers, and steak and wine - in short, something for everyone. 

0kms. 

Meals: B

 8: Sapa to Bao Ha

We leave Sapa on the newly renovated road heading directly south. The first 20kms of our ride loses 1000-metres of elevation and offers magnificent views over the Hoang Lien National Park and the rice terraces of The Golden Valley. 

 As we turn east, the ride becomes more undulating, with the final 30 kilometres of our rural ride following the Red River south. 

85kms. 

Climb: 870M

Meals: B,L,D,S

9: Bao Ha to Viet Quang

We climb away from town on a well-surfaced gentle gradient road before swooping back down to the valley below. The hills are decked with cinnamon trees whose leaves are fermented for oil, the roots used for spice, and the wood itself stripped for plywood whilst the trunk's centre goes for broom handles; today ride is cinnamon scented. 

90kms. 

Climb: 1230M

Meals: B, L, D, S

10: Viet Quang to Na Hang

A day of two distinct halves lies ahead. A relatively flat and quiet rural road leads us through agricultural valleys of maize and rice dotted with traditional thatch-roofed wooden houses. Following a picnic lunch, this pastoral scene gives way to an altogether deserted byway undulating through jungle glad karst mountains. 

85kms. 

Climb: 1000M

Meals: B, L, D, S

11: Na Hang to Ba Be 

 We wind and climb through jungle-clad hills on a winding rural road empty of traffic as we make our way towards our rest day location at Ba Be National Park. Awaiting us at the midway point is perhaps the tour's most significant challenge as we climb ever higher on a twisting byway that rewards us with stunning views of the wild valley below. Gaining 500 vertical meters in just 5 kilometres, the road is as challenging as the views are spectacular, with the mountains and jungle of Ba Be stretching to the distance. At the foot of our descent, a narrow concrete lane leads us through the park to tonight's accommodation. 

85kms. 

Climb: 1800M

Meals: B, L, D, S

 

12: Ba Be to Yen Lak 

 

A long day awaits as we set off this morning. As always, the roads are quiet and generally gently undulating. Whilst the morning is on a wider smooth road, the afternoon's ride sees us on a delightful narrow country lane, winding through farming communities where a couple of gentle climbs challenge us before we reach our guest house. 

100kms. 

Climb 1800M

Meals: B, L, D, S

13: Yen Lak to Binh Gia

Through valleys scented with aniseed, we wind our way towards one of Vietnam's undiscovered beauty spots, the Bac Son Valley. For the most part we ride on little more than deserted single-lane byways, almost free of cars and passing through small rural communities. 

Arriving in town in time for lunch, we can settle into our comfy guesthouse before taking a ride in our support vehicle to visit Bac Son Valley, where those who nibble on foot can climb the rocky path to a view-point affording fine vistas. (Please be aware that this climb and descent are very challenging. If you are in doubt, please do not attempt the climb). 

65kms. 

Climb: 1150M

Meals: B, L, D, S

14: Binh Gia to Hanoi

Leaving the hotel, we undulate along a fertile valley to our morning break. The valley walls are tree-covered karst rock, and following our final roadside coffee, we descend to just above sea level through the stunning Vietnamese scenery that has accompanied us for the entire tour. 

We stop for an early lunch and to dismantle and load our bicycle into the support vehicle for the final leg of our journey back into the hectic hubbub of Hanoi.

50kms. 

Climb: 350M

Meals: B, L, D, S

15: Depart

 The tour finishes after breakfast. A transfer to Hanoi's international airport will be provided at any time throughout the day.

0kms. 

Meals: B

Key

Markers below are clickable as are the markers on the map itself.

Check trip dates and availablility below. Click the Book This Date button to go ahead and make a booking, alternatively you can make a no-obligation request for us to keep you informed about the status of a trip or changes to a trip by clicking the Register Interest button against a date.

£ Pound Sterling Payment Option

Our prices are all in US dollars but we can offer you the option of paying in GBP (£) based on the exchange rate at the time of booking. You can choose on the booking form, adjusted prices will be shown there.

Dates	Price	Availability
2024: 21 Sep - 05 Oct	$2990.00 **Early bird: $2850.00 *Single Suppl.: $550.00	Spaces	Book This Date	Register Interest

Bicycle Hire

Rental bike are not available.

*Single Supplement.

The prices quoted above are for a twin room share basis. If you are travelling alone you will be paired up with another lone traveler of the same gender to share with. Single room occupancy can be arranged, the single supplement rate shown is per person.

** Early Bird Discount.

Book with a deposit four or more months prior to the tour running to secure your place at this discount price.

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