The Northern Vietnam cycling holiday Mai Chau To Pu Luong is a short but sweet intermediate-level tour. Join us to see some of the most beautiful nature in Vietnam
Northern Vietnam Cycling Holiday: Mai Chau To Pu Luong
This intermediate-level tour is short but sweet, showing off some of the most beautiful nature Northern Vietnam has to offer in just 4 days.
You’ll start in the Mai Chau Valley, which is awe-inspiringly beautiful with its rust-colored dirt roads and its electric green rice paddies.
You’ll continue to Pu Luong nature reserve, an exotic locale that will deliver a true jungle adventure.
Then you’ll go to the snaking rivers of Ninh Binh, a natural wonder that is many Vietnamese people’s favorite place in the country.
The tour is an exciting cycling experience due to its highly varied terrain, but it’s also a totally unique cultural journey; the minority hill tribes of the area and their lifestyle is unlike anything else in Vietnam. The combination of the two is perfect for those who are serious about cycling and won’t shy away from a challenge but also want to spend some of their excursion taking it easy while enjoying the local atmosphere.
More details for the Northern Vietnam Cycling Holiday: Mai Chau To Pu Luong
Tour meets: Hanoi
Tour ends: Hanoi
Group size: Minimum 02 - Maximum 16 riders
Number of cycling days: 4 days
Distance per day: 60-70 km per day
Total cycling distance: 225 km
Total elevation gain: 2700 m
Difficulty: Challenging
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1: HANOI – MAI CHAU
Cycling distance: 60-70 km
Elevation gain: 800-1000 m
Meals provided: Lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Mai Chau Eco House
In the morning, a van will transfer riders outside of town where they will be treated to a hearty breakfast and a bike fitting.
We then begin our adventure by climbing through the remote ethnic minority villages of the Muong people, all the while weaving through terraced rice paddies. Hosting both challenging cross country paths and quiet paved mountain roads, we will be rewarded with fabulous views of misty green karst formations and the massive Hoa Binh Reservoir. After several climbs and fast downhills, we enter the magical valley of Mai Chau where steep mountains ring an expanse of electric green rice fields.
Relax with a fabulous home cooked meal.
Day 2: MAI CHAU – PU LUONG NATURE RESERVE
Cycling distance: 60-70 km
Elevation gain: 1000-1200 m
Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Mr Ba’s Homestay
Today's ride features two challenging climbs that pass by stunning vistas, remote traditional villages and some of the most beautiful rice terraces in Southeast Asia.
The first climb is a long uphill that will take us out of Mai Chau Valley and onto an elevated plateau in the mountainous part of the region. Following shaded paths beside crystal clear streams, we’ll then enter the Pu Luong Nature reserve and have a traditional lunch overlooking the village’s rice terraces.
After a breather of 10 kms cycling on flat terrain through green fields and ethnic minority villages, we make another short but steep climb to our Pu Luong homestay, where we can chill with a beer in the cool waters of their natural spring before a fantastic BBQ dinner outdoors.
Day 3: PU LUONG – NINH BINH
Cycling distance: 60 km
Elevation: 500m
Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Ninh Binh Hidden Charm
Today begins with a bang: a screaming downhill through the village’s steep rice terraces. Safely in the valley, we embark on a wonderfully scenic and remote x-country track for 15 Km. Riverside bamboo forests shade us as we roll on, completely alone in nature.
We’ll then take an hour-long van transfer before cycling towards Ninh Binh, a UNESCO world heritage site. We’ll pass by limestone formations on the way. We’ll finally reach the Ninh Binh homestay in the evening.
Day 4: NINH BINH – HA NOI
Cycling distance: 25 km
Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch, farewell dinner
Accommodation: Le Jardin Hotel Haute Couture or Similar
After a hearty buffet breakfast, we take a leisurely ride through the stunning natural beauty and historic sites of Ninh Binh, stopping often for stories and photos. We trade in our bikes for boats and will be paddled by a local guide for a 3 hours tour through pitch black river caves and hidden lagoons while learning more about Vietnam’s history.
After lunch, we transfer to Ha Noi and arrive in the capital before 6pm. Check-in at your hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and dress up for our farewell dinner!
Day 5: HANOI DEPARTURE
Meals provided: Breakfast
Breakfast is provided, but you will have a chance to make new culinary and cultural discoveries on your own in Ha Noi. You may also choose to take a city tour with a local guide. If you need to extend your holiday (eg. to visit Ha Long Bay), we are happy to assist.
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