Cycling Hanoi To Hoian: 15 Interesting Days To Explore Half Of The Country
Cycling tours have become a favorable trend in tourism due to their health benefits and amazing experience for travelers. Particularly, the bike tour takes place in a country with spectacular and wonderful beauty spots like Vietnam.
Cycling Hanoi to Hoian
Cyclists like you and us will desire the tour more than ever. During the fifteen-day cycling Hanoi to Hoian tour, we could witness the one-of-a-kind natural beauty in Vietnam and learn more about the local culture there.
The tour covers routes from the majestic mountainous areas to the poetic coastlines. Scroll down to see more.
Detailed Itinerary Of Cycling Hanoi To Hoian Trip
Day 1: Arrival In Hanoi
We arrived in Hanoi in the afternoon and went to a hotel in the center of Vietnam’s capital. After completing the check-in stage, we discovered the hidden charm combined with the lively atmosphere in Hanoi on a cyclo ride.
The Old Quarter of Hanoi remained the extraordinary architecture from the colonial period, but somehow it could still fit the modern and rapid development of Hanoi. Then, we enjoyed a dinner with traditional Vietnamese foods at the hotel.
Day 2: Hanoi – Halong Bay (45km Cycling)
We started the first cycling mile in the tour, crossing some peaceful villages in the countryside of Northern Vietnam. The rural sights under the windy weather seemed to be a remedy to ease our minds after a hard day at work. We reached the Phu Lang traditional ceramic village and got impressed by the talent of the craftsmen there via the handmade ceramic products.
We wished we could have had more time to chat with the local people to understand more about their daily life, but we had to rush for the cruise in Halong bay. Halong bay is a perfect picture of natural oceanic views. We contemplated the emerald water along with thousands of limestone islands. Besides, we delighted in an exciting swim exploring hidden grottoes.
Day 3: Halong Bay – Hai Phong (65km Cycling)
After a great night on the cruise, we woke up, had breakfast, and joined a short sampan sailing trip visiting Luon Cave. Next, we disembarked from the cruise, and we went to Vinh Bao town, Hai Phong city.
We cycled to explore Vinh Bao town, a typical rural area in Northern Vietnam with numerous paddy fields. Yet, the most impressive and unique scenery of the region was the spectacular tobacco farms, as well as the traditional crops of Vinh Bao. It was an interesting experience to learn how local people there made Vietnamese cigars. Then, we moved on to a ride to a hotel in Hai Phong city.
Day 4: Hai Phong – Nam Dinh (65km Cycling)
The fourth day of our tour to discover Vietnam by bicycle continued with a ride through the Red River Delta. We kept seeing the tranquil and picturesque ancient village views, but it was still amazing, like the first time we came to Vietnam.
We stopped at the Phat Diem catholic church and admired the ancient structure from 1865. Although the church didn’t entirely resemble the structure of the European churches, it matched the culture and surrounding vibe of the local area.
Day 5: Nam Dinh – Cuc Phuong (78km Cycling)
We visited Dinh and Le temples in Nam Dinh before going to Cuc Phuong national park. The tour guide shared a lot of information about the massive contribution of the Vietnamese Kings who had led the Vietnamese people to conquer the invaders and achieve priceless freedom and independence. Therefore, we understood more about the glorious Vietnamese history.
Next, we rode our bikes to Trang An natural beauty complex, and explored the site on a boat. The place was worth the name “Halong on land”. The majestic, ancient, and pristine mountains along the river took us back to the prehistoric times of humankind. When we finished lunch, we headed to Cuc Phuong national park.
Day 6: Cuc Phuong – Yen Cat (89km Cycling)
The sixth day of the Vietnam cycling tour began with our bike rides exploring the lovely and tranquil local villages. It was a memorable experience to observe how people at the Bamboo factories created bamboo chopsticks.
Afterward, we continued our rides from the Ho Chi Minh trail to Yen Cat town. The airy and clean atmosphere along the Ma river and bamboo forest made our ridings free from fatigue. Cycling for about 89 kilometers could be smooth and exciting thanks to the magnificent views on the route.
Day 7: Yen Cat – Dien Lam (110km Cycling)
We conquered a 110km cycling route on the seventh day of the Vietnam cycling tour. Firstly, we enjoyed the spectacular scenery of the sugar cane fields and tea farms on the road from Ba En national park to Tan Ky.
We saw the farmers harvesting sugar cane on oxcarts but with buffalos being the main force. When we rode over the fields, they gave us some newly cut purple sugar cane and taught us how to eat them without a knife. That was cool. We just used our hands and teeth to peel the hard skin and enjoyed the fresh, sweet sugar cane juice.
The undulating road was an actual challenge for us, so we had to stop for lunch earlier than expected. Fortunately, the later route was smoother for us to make it to Tan Ky.
Day 8: Dien Lam – Huong Khe (125km Cycling)
We continued to pass many wonderful and peaceful rice paddy fields on the way to the Ho Chi Minh trail. Honestly, the iconic sights of rural areas in Northern Vietnam appeared almost every day from the beginning, but we were still amazed by their magnificence and tranquility.
Moreover, we took a slight break at a local market to roam through it. The adorable children and friendly local people welcomed us with the warmest attitude as if we had been familiar before. After having lunch, we headed to Huong Khe town.
Day 9: Huong Khe – Phong Nha (134km Cycling)
The ninth day of the cycling in Vietnam tour was an event to pay tribute to the sorrowful but glorious history of the Vietnamese people. We cycled on the renowned Ho Chi Minh trail and visited numerous historical places.
When we heard stories about how brave and consistent Vietnamese people were to endure and fight against the invaders, we couldn’t resist our tears.
It took a while for us to regain the positive mood for the cycling tour. Luckily, the magnificent sights and friendly local people reminded us of a far more developed, stable, and peaceful Vietnam than in the war times.
Day 10: Exploring Phong Nha
We were free of cycling on the tenth day of the cycling tours in Vietnam. We hired a boat to discover Phong Nha, which was mentioned as the kingdom of caves.
The Phong Nha exploration gave us a vibe of the prehistoric period due to the millions-year-old karst formation and hundreds of primitive caves and grottos.
It must have taken us the whole day to discover all the Phong Nha wet caves, so we disembarked and rented a motorcycle to explore the Paradise caves.
Day 11: Phong Nha – Dong Ha (135km Cycling)
We started the eleventh day of the cycling tour in Vietnam at the crack of dawn to witness the pure and pristine nature in the morning. And the spectacular scenery was worth our decision to wake up early.
We fulfilled our energy with a nutritious and delectable breakfast, and then we rode to Dong Ha town. The organized and colorful terrace, along with the vast rubber tree forests, were the presents for our ride.
Particularly, we had a chance to pay respect to the graves of more than 10,000 deceased Vietnamese soldiers during the American War at Truong Son national cemetery.
Day 12: Dong Ha – A Luoi (90km Cycling)
The former US Airbase in Ta Con was the first destination on the twelfth day of the Vietnam cycling tour. After visiting this historical site, we headed to Dakrong bridge. The route along the river bank was always favorable for cyclists thanks to the windy and fresh atmosphere.
Then, we ascended to Ta Rut township on an undulating hill road. We could witness some tribes in the less-concerned areas from the road. The majestic mountain ranges on two sides of the road made us feel tiny and overwhelmed. We reached A Luoi town in the late afternoon.
Day 13: A Luoi – Hue (79km Cycling)
After finishing a downhill cycling route, we arrived in Hue. We can declare that Perfume River deserves to be one of the iconic tourist attraction sites in Hue City. The poetic sights along the river bank were ideal for our photo shoots.
We spent a few minutes enjoying the tasty Hue sweet soups and contemplating the tranquil beauty of the Perfume River. Then, we visited the Imperial City of Hue to learn about the last feudal period in Vietnam’s history.
Apart from the prominent beauty spots, Hue impressed us with numerous delectable traditional foods, like Hue pancake (Banh Xeo), Hue beef noodles, etc.
Day 14 – 15: Hue – Hoian (87km Cycling)
Although the fourteenth day of the cycling tour in Vietnam didn’t cover a distant route as the previous days, we reached many renowned destinations.
We visited an ancient bridge in Thanh Toan village, which was constructed in 1776. We saved our memories there with some beautiful photos. Afterward, we took a lagoon to Thuan An beach, had some refreshments, and kept cycling to explore the dreamlike scenery of local villages.
We had nutritious seafood lunch at Lang Co beach before handling a real challenge in the afternoon, the Hai Van pass. The incredible panoramic views of Da Nang city and Lang Co beach from the summit were worth every mile of our ride. In the later afternoon, we took a transfer bus from Da Nang city to Hoian.
We spent the morning of the last day of the memorable Vietnam cycling tour going shopping for souvenirs. At noon, we said goodbye to Vietnam via a flight back home.
Bottom Lines
Cycling is a highly recommended method to discover a country having several breathtaking beauty spots like Vietnam. Therefore, the cycling Hanoi to Hoian tour will be an optimal choice for you if you plan to visit this wonderful South-East Asian country.
Vietnam always welcomes tourists with extraordinary hospitality at any time of the year, so you can witness various magnificent scenery there in every season. What are you waiting for but not coming to Vietnam? Sign up for more thrilling cycle tours in this charming country!
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