Biking Northwest Vietnam Adventure – A Wonderful15-Day To Discover
Biking northwest Vietnam adventure is exciting to take you through the country’s Northwest. You will arrive in Hanoi and depart to the mountainous northwest locations. This is an amazing cycling tour to explore the rustic beauty of rice terraces to the unique culture of the ethnic minority group.
Kids cycling home from the school in remoted mountain
This bicycle tour also gives you memorable experiences and a deep insight into the fascinating country’s history, culture, and natural beauty. Let’s read on to get useful information about your 15-day biking Northwest adventure.
Biking Northwest Vietnam Adventure – An Enjoyable 15-Day Itinerary
Day 1 – Hanoi Arrival
You will start the first day of Cycling in Vietnam from Hanoi after arrival at Noi Bai International Airport and enjoy your tasty breakfast at the hotel.
Take your cycle trip through Hanoi to enjoy Vietnam’s capital’s dynamic and antique atmosphere. Besides, you also explore some of Asia’s most impressive colonial architecture and a unique old-world charm.
Continue your exploration of the modern and ancient beauty of the Old Quarter with an exciting cyclo ride through Hanoi’s busy streets. Then, you will get a special warm-hearted dinner at a famous Vietnamese restaurant.
After check-in, feel free to relax at the Hanoi hotel and plan your bike tour itinerary for the next few days.
Cyclo driver taking tourist visiting old quarter on street in Hanoi
Day 2 – Hanoi – Cuc Phuong – Cam Luong – Pu Luong Cycle Tour
Take a shuttle bus to the Cuc Phuong National Park to enjoy the tranquil atmosphere and discover the biodiversity. A new day begins with cycling the back roads to the Central Gate to visit various rare primates at the Endangered Primate Rescue Center.
These primates include Loris, Gibbon, Langur, and other species under the threat of extinction.
Once finishing the biking tour to Central Gate, continue your cycle tour to the Pu Luong Nature Reserve to discover the pristine beauty of nature, breathtaking rugged mountains, rustic hill tribe villages, and spectacular rice terraces.
After lunch, keep your biking trip through rice terraces, sugarcane fields, cassava farms, and the Pu Luong Nature Reserve.
Biking in Cuc Phuong National Park
Day 3 – Pu Luong – Mai Chau Bike Tour
You should get up early in the morning to feel the attraction of the fresh air and the pristine nature in the Pu Luong Nature Reserve. Take your biking tour through Thai villages to better understand their long-standing culture and observe the locals’ daily life.
Start your new cycling tour from homestays on paved roads to Mai Chau through picturesque Thai villages and amazing rice terraces.
You may admire the fabulous charms of the Pu Luong and Mai Chau scenic areas. After a great lunch, go on your biking trip on the legendary Ho Chi Minh trail to Mai Chau.
Upon arrival at Sol Bungalow, check-in and relax. Have a tasty dinner at a local homestay and enjoy exciting live music.
Biking Pu Luong To Mai Chau valley
Day 4 – Mai Chau – Moc Chau Cycle Trip
Enjoy breakfast at Mai Chau and say goodbye to the city to arrive in Bai Sang and commence warming up with a pedaling tour along the Da River.
Today is a tough day with long climbs and potholes. It is well-known for its magnificent scenic beauty and friendly local people who live on both sides.
Continue discovering the official Route 6 to provide supplies and ammunition with Dien Bien Phu’s campaign through a bike tour. Stop along the way to freshen up and have a picnic.
After lunch, keep your biking trip to Moc Chau, one of the most pristine and beautiful plateaus in the northern mountainous region.
Biking in Moc Chau, Son La
Day 5 – Moc Chau – Son La Cycle Tour
After breakfast at the hotel, start your fifth-day cycling trip on the paved road and enjoy the specular mountain panorama of the Northwest. There are 26 ethnic minorities living in Son La province, including Thais and black Thais, making up the majority.
The spiritual and material life of the ethnic minority communities has developed. Each ethnic group focuses on preserving its unique culture and traditional customs.
Thai ethnic, Hmong, and Muong have become representative cultures of Son La Province.
Cycling is one of the best ways to get in touch and discover their culture and daily life along the way. Stay overnight at Muong Thanh Hotel.
Biking in Son La, Northwest Vietnam
Day 6 – Son La – Tuan Giao Biking Trip
Today is a great day and a challenge when taking a biking northwest Vietnam tour. Overcome and conquer one of the longest paths, “Pa Din Pass”, 32km long (18km up, 14km down) between Son La and Tuan Giao.
Departing from the hotel, from Son La Town, transfer uphill for 7km. Afterward, go down the newly paved road through the stunning countryside with limestone mountains from the valley floor.
Arrive at the Summit for refreshments and take some nice photos. Check your gear and brakes before the 12km descent to Tuan Giao Town. Check in and refresh yourself at the hotel with a soft drink or cold beer. Enjoy your good dinner at a local restaurant.
Biking Tuan Giao – Son La
Day 7 – Tuan Giao – Dien Bien Cycle Trip
Today, enjoy a hilly bike tour from Tuan Giao to Muong Ang, try a 7km uphill stage, and descend to Dien Bien City. From Tuan Giao, head straight west to Dien Bien Phu to enjoy a special day through multiple H’mong and Black Thai villages.
The curiosity and smiles of the local people you meet along the road will keep your impression lasting, proving that tourists rarely use this route. You will admire the rustic beauty of banana plantations and rice fields.
Keep your biking trip on this route to discover the interesting history and evidence at Dien Bien Phu. In the late afternoon, you will have time to get to know Dien Bien Phu, famous worldwide as the battlefield of the First Indochina War.
Dien Bien Phu, Dien Bien, VIETNAM. A group of Black Thai ethnic minorities are on the go for cultivation purposes, One in which the traditional hat of Vietnam.
Day 8 – Dien Bien – Muong Lay Cycling Tour
The 8th day will be the longest biking trip, with the first departure on a good road. Upon arrival at Dien Bien Phu in the afternoon, continue your cycling tour on the roads to enjoy the magnificent nature. Your biking is downhill and flattens out once you go to Dien Bien Phu.
You can wander through the local market and view spectacular mountains and vast rice fields surrounding the bustling city. Climb to over 1000m altitude and enjoy another breathtaking view before descending 20km to Muong Lay.
Enjoy a perfect lunch at a local restaurant or a picnic lunch at a local hotel. Stay overnight at Tan Binh hotel.
Day 9 – Muong Lay – Muong Te Cycling Trip
Wake up early to take in the pristine and scenic views of the Black River and enjoy breakfast at your hotel. Start your cycling tour from the hotel, through the bridge, and turn left onto National Route 12, along the Black river.
Take your pedaling trip on the newly paved road to T-junction, turn left on Route 217 and follow the slope along the Black river to Muong Te township. Muong Te is one of Dien Bien province’s most remote and impoverished districts, located between the Da River and the Lao border.
Fascinating views and limestone mountains across the river await you. Meet and chat with curious hill tribes along the trails you pass.
Cycling Near Black river in northwest Vietnam
Day 10 – Muong Te – Phong Tho – Lai Chau Cycle Tour
On the tenth day of cycling northern Vietnam, take a stroll through town in the early morning and discover a colorful and enjoyable hill tribe market. Meet and talk with the hill tribe people to understand their culture and life.
Return to the hotel and have breakfast. Start a new bike tour from your hotel to Lai Chau city. Today is a difficult and long day in our journey.
Finish the first 7 km on hilly roads before conquering 28 km at the summit. On the way to the summit, you will get more opportunities to enjoy the breathtaking scenery and dense forests.
Enjoy tea and coffee at the summit before descending to Patan. After lunch along the way, head to the new town of Lai Chau on a tarmac road.
H’mong tribe in Muong Te
Day 11 – Lai Chau – Tam Duong- Sapa Biking Tour
This day is a highlight for our amazing Vietnam mountain bike tours. On the way to Sapa, cycle to Tram Ton Pass (1,900 m; 6,230 ft), the highest mountain pass in Vietnam.
Start with a 7km cycling trip to reach the first two major climbs. After an 8km hard ride, prepare for a 26km monster climb.
As the second climb begins, you may witness the beauty of Mount Fan Si Pan, the highest peak in Southeast Asia.
Sapa is an old French hill station in the Hoang Lien Son mountains near the border with China. Its position is convenient for enjoying scenic views of the surrounding peaks.
Sapa Mountain Biking
Day 12 – Sapa – Muong Hum – Y Ty Biking Trip
Start your bike tour from your hotel and ride uphill past the Catholic Church and winding village roads to vegetable and flower farms. Enjoy the mesmerizing views and the Fansipan Mountains on your left.
At the T-junction, regroup and follow the paved road to O Quy Ho. Continue overcoming the long climb to Ban Khoang. Pedal to Muong Hum and enjoy stunning scenic beauty, dense forests, and picturesque hillside hill tribe villages.
Go on your bike tour through Ngai Tro, Den Sang, Nhieu Co san, and Y Ty; you will admire the pristine nature.
Plus, you can chase clouds and view the scenic hillside rice terraces. Interact with curious locals along the way upon arrival at Yty. Enjoy a hot honey tea and stay in a homestay or guest house.
Ethnic minority village with road, houses, terrace rice field in Y Ty, Lao Cai, north Vietnam
Day 13 – Y Ty – Alu – Amu Xung – Lung Pho – Lao Cai Biking Tour
Having morning pancakes with your host, take a cycle tour from the guest house, cruise around the city, and down to Ngai Thau – A lu Ngai Tro – A Mu Sung, Lung Po.
Continue your biking Vietnam tour along the Vietnam-China border and admire the scenic landscapes with rice terraces along the way.
You will also visit Lung Po, where the Red River enters Vietnamese territory. Travel along the Red River to the Trinh Tuong commune to explore the traditional architecture of the Ha Nhi hill tribe.
Stop at Lung Pho commune to have lunch. After a tasty lunch, keep your cycling trip to Bat Xat and Lao Cai city along the river.
LAO CAI, VIETNAM! Chinese side of the International board point Lao Cai (VIetnam) – Ha Khau (China), one of the China – Vietnam International boarders
Day 14 – Lao Cai – Lung Khau Nhin – Bac Ha Cycle Tour
You will have a hearty breakfast at the hotel. Then go on your bike trip early to Muong Khuong Sunday Market to experience the pristine area and the long-standing Hmong culture. Muong Khuong is a border district in Lao Cai province that borders Yunnan province and is home to 14 hill tribes, mostly Hmong.
After visiting the Sunday Market, start your bike tour from your hotel, first ride 7km to the top, descend to the Chay River, and challenge yourself to climb 35km to the top.
Pedal along the Vietnam-China border road leading to the town of Bac Ha town, enjoying breathtaking views of the Chay River and sloped rice terraces along the way. After lunch, conquer the final pass before descending into Bac Ha Town.
Bac Ha, Lao Cai, Vietnam! Cattle Market at Bac Ha Sunday Market
Day 15 – Bac Ha – Lao Cai – Hanoi Bike Tour
You will have the chance to visit Bac Ha Market to explore colorful ethnic minorities. Flower Hmong, Phu La, and Dao Tuyen make up a small number of the tribes.
Everyone joins together here to exchange and trade their products. Continue your biking tour from Bac Ha town to Trung Do on dirt and off-the-beaten-track roads.
Turn left and transfer along the village road to admire pristine nature, peaceful villages, and dense rainforests. Drive along the banks of the Chay River to Pho Lu until you reach the finish line.
Take a shuttle bus to come back to Hanoi via the new highway. Arrive in Hanoi at 7:00 p.m. Check in and enjoy a farewell dinner with your team.
A bridge crossing a wild river in the mountains around Lao Cai, Northern Vietnam
Conclusion
We’ve covered an impressive 15-day biking northwest Vietnam adventure. This cycling tour is exciting to experience and discover the unique traditional customs and culture of the ethnic minorities in Northwest Vietnam.
Besides, you can have more chances to enjoy the breathtaking landscapes of the scenic limestone mountains of Northern Vietnam and the peaceful beauty of terrace paddies.
You can conquer one of the amazing passes along the way and join a colorful hill tribe market for a deep understanding of their lifestyle. Hopefully, this article gives you useful information to complete your Northwest Vietnam adventure cycling tour. Please share this adrenaline-filled cycling tour with your pals!
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