15 days Ha Noi Vientiane Mysterious Cycling route

Highlight: undoubtly, Cycling is one of the most brilliant way to  experience stunning scenic beauty  and rich cultural treasure in the noth Vietnam and Laos. One of the most populardestinations in Asia, Vietnamabounds with natural andcultural splendours that aresecond to none in the region.When you venture away fromfrenetic Hanoi, you will discoverthe untouched natural beauty and charming people of northern Vietnam. We cycle through a series of traditional villages, towering karst mountains,refreshing forest, and fertile rice fields and see Vietnam in a new perspective before crossing the border to Laos for more action. We stop for a visit to Vieng Xai, aka The Hidden City, with hundreds of caves used to shelter the Laos Communist Party combatants during the Second Indochina War. The ride then continues into the Nam Et-Phou Louey conservation area where you’ll enjoy a night safari on a long-tail boat and stand a great chance of spotting exotic wildlife. The next stop is the famous Xieng Khouang Plateau, the resting place of the Plain of Jars, a tentative World Heritage site. The region is also one the heaviest bombed during the American War, otherwise known as the Vietnam War. Cycling among mysterious stone jars and bomb craters, we’ll learn about the significance of the plateau, which dates back to the Bronze Age. The tour culminates in Vientiane capital. it boasts unique architecture between traditional and colonial ones.

Itinerary Details

Day 1: Hanoi arrival

Upon arrival at Hanoi Airport our Guide who will accompany you to your Hotel will welcome you. There are no activities planned for today but your guide will be able to offer advice and assistance as required. This evening your guide will return to your hotel to escort you to sample some of Hanoi’s superb cuisine. Overnight in Hanoi

Day 2: Hanoi –Cuc phuong National Park

After hearty breakfast in hotel. Our cycling guide and shuttle bus will pick you up at 7:30 a.m in hotel. Leaving the hustle and bustle of city behind. The shuttle bus transfer us to Xuan Mai, southwest of Hanoi. Upon arriving in Cycling point. We learn how to control the bike and gear, the rule on the road and safety ride in this trip. We commence riding on tarmac road, passing many peaceful villages, local market, temples and pagodas, vast green rice paddies. Arriving in Duc Khe, Stop for Lunch meal and take some awesome pictures of Huong Son scenic beauty. After lunch meal. We continue riding back road cross the bridge and cycle on paved road , passing rice paddy and countryside village to Van Long Wet land Nature Reserve. Admire magnificent limestone mountains and quaint villages in afternoon. Keep riding through stunning kask mountain and wetland Van Long Nature Reserve. Take a short trnasfer to Hotel.

Day 3: Cuc Phuong N/P – Phu Luong Nature Reserve

This morning you will have the opportunity to explore Vietnam’s first national park and hopefully sight one of the 97 species of mammals said to inhabit the park. After breakfast, we transfer to the park’s centre, then start pedaling on the beautiful concrete lanes passing the jungle to the park’s headquarters. Visit the Endangered Primate Rescue Center where a wide variety of native monkeys and gibbons, including critically endangered langurs were saved from wildlife smugglers and are being rehabilitated to return to the wild. After the visit we continue cycling out of the park. The scenic ride past peaceful lakes, authentic villages and rice paddies . have lunch on Hochiminh highway. After lunch , we start to explore the magnificent scenic beauty of Phu Luong Nature Reserve as ride through sugar farms and lush green forest. Stop on the way to admire water wheels, meet and talk with local people. Arriving in Eco homestay, we enjoy primitive scenery amongst eco village, have dinner and join in traditional music performance.

Day 4: Phu Luong Nature Reserve – Quan Son

Enjoy tasty breakfast prepared by host family, we start our cycling day from Eco – homestay, cycle on scenic route to admire breathtaking rice terrace and brilliant limestone panoramas, passing rustic villages to local Market. If we are lucky we will meet on weekend. Our journey continue riding along the river to admire beautiful rice paddy dotted with water wheels. Arriving in Hoi xuan stop for lunch. Following lunch meal, we cycle on contrast scenery route into dense tropical forest, ride through bamboo forest and rice terrace paddy. Conquer some passes before arriving Qaun Son Town. Have dinner and stay overnight in Quan Son.

Day 5: Quan Son – Na Meo – Vieng Xai ( Laos)Say good bye Vietnam – Hello Laos

This morning you bid farewell to Vietnam as you cycle the short distance to the border crossing to Laos . Completing immigration. We meet our’s Laos Cycling guide on the other side of the border and start our ride to Vieng Xay. Our ride will be along streams and through karst landscapes interspersed with rice paddies. Our destination today is historic Vieng Xai, once the war-time headquarters of Laos’ communists, famous forits remarkable landscape of karst limestones honeycombed with caves that were used as shelter during the relentless bombing raids. Along the way we’ll see a number of historic caves, including the Lao-Cuban Hospital Cave.

Day 6: Vieng Xai – Sam Nuea

After breakfast, we’ll head to the Vieng Xai Caves Visitor Center to get ourbearings and get ready to go on the audio tour. The Vieng Xai Caves are an extensive network of caves in limestone mountains.Four hundred and eighty of these caves were used by the Communist Party army to shelter from American air raids during the Second Indochina War, also known as the Vietnam War. We’ll use our bikes to get from cave to cave and walk through the caves listing to the commentary and audio effects. After lunch,we’ll get back into the saddle and cycle to Xam Neua, Houaphanh’s provincial capital through a number of traditional ethnic villages.

Day 7: Sam Nuea – Nam Nern 94 km

Today we will have a rest and go on a different type of tourism adventure, a safari within the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area. The area is known for its primary forest, high level of biodiversity and endangered species including tiger, gaur, Sambar deer, and white-cheeked gibbon. We’ll transfer from Sam Neua to the starting point of this adventure in Ban Sonkhoua. Along the way, we will stop to see the 100m-long cascade overrock slabs of Saleuy Waterfall. We overnight at simple but well-appointed bamboo huts with the sounds of the jungle surrounding us. When dusk comes we’ll head out for wildlife-spotlighting down the Nam Nern River on long-tail boats that drift downriver to allow for the best chances of spotting wild animals.

Day 8: Nam Nern – Muong Kham

After breakfast our boats will float back to Ban Sonkhoua where we’ll get on our bikes to start riding again. Today is all about magnificent downhills! Our first spectacular descent will bring us to lunch on the Nam Nern River bank in Ban Sop Lao. After lunch, we’ll transfer to the village of Ban Souanmon, from which we’ll cycle through the mountainstowards our second outstanding descent onto the Xieng Khouang Plateau. The day ends at the Ban Xang Hot Springs, where we’ll be staying the night in acommunity lodge.Ban Xang Community Lodge. Ride 51 km. +1,120 m. B L D.

Day 9: Muong Kham – Phounsavanh ( Plain of Jars)

After a hot spring bath and breakfast we’ll start our journey of the plateau,which is home to the mysterious Plain of Jars, which is now on Laos’ tentative World Heritage list. On the way, we’ll visit and have lunch at Tad Ka Waterfall in Tachok, a spectacular jungle trail that winds its way up andcrosses the waterfall several times. We ride out of the forested mountains and down into sprawling Phonsavanh set amidst grassy plains.This area was one of the most heavily bombed in Laos and evidence of unexploded ordinances (UXO) are everywhere. Resourceful locals use bomb casings and other remnants and put them to use as fences, tools, vegetable planters, decorations and barbecue fireplaces. Vansana Plain of Jars Hotel. Ride 66 km.

Day 10: Phonsavanh – Phoukhuon 134 km

We’ll head east to Phou Khoun with the first 50 km to Nongtang, a large natural lake surrounded by high limestone cliffs, a relatively flat ride. We’ll explore the temple ruins, visit a cave and have lunch. After we will continue on our bikes for another 27 km to Ban Nam Chat, from which we will transfer the final 60 km uphill to Phou Khoun.Sala Phou Khoun. Ride 77 km. +947 m. B L D.

Day 11: Phoukhuon – Kasi – Vang Vieng

We should be able to do today’s ride in a single morning leaving extra relaxation time in Vanvieng. We continue along route 13 and although there are some short climbs most of the ride is downhill or flat. The scenery is just beautiful and you should really enjoy stretching your legs. We will stop for refreshments a few times along the way, but we make a main stop after 50 km at a big village of Ban Phatang. The last 18 km is a fast flat ride among the spectacular limestone mountains. We will reach the hotel in time to enjoy lunch overlooking the river. The afternoon is free to explore the town or take a swim in the river. Vangvieng has a lively traveler’s scene with all the usual accompanying facilities: e-mail, pubs, pizza and many young foreigners.

Day 12: Vang Vieng – Nam Ngum Lake

We have a long ride today and the heat may be the factor so we will want to leave early. We continue along the route 13 and stop for refreshment every 20 or 25 km. The rest of the morning is along undulating roads to Hinherb village. After 69 km we reach a long bridge, we stop for lunch in a restaurant. The afternoon ride is along fast flat roads. After 83 km, we turn left at a main junction of Phonhong town. After 15 km of riding along the flat road and takes, us into the town of Thalat near the NamNgum dam. We stay in Napakuang resort and have dinner at our resort.

Day 13: Nam Ngum Lake – Vientiane

We ride out of Thalat pass the NamNgum dam, we have one sharp hill in the morning then it is all fairly flat, we stop for lunch in a local restaurant when we feel like it. Riding today there are more traffic so please remember to keep riding on right side all the time and we regroup before getting into town and then we cycling to hotel. Dinner is at KuaLao restaurant.

Day 14: Vientaine – City Tour

Located along the banks of the mighty Mekong River, Vientiane is one of the least discovered capitals in Asia. To provide a comprehensive insight into this laidback capital, this full day tour explores the different highlights of the city, including gilded temples and important monuments, complimented with the chance to savor Lao cuisine at a vocational restaurant.
Today enjoy a guided tour to discover the hidden charms of Vientiane, whose name means ‘the city of sandal wood’. Vientiane is one of the quietest capital cities in the world, far away from the hustle and bustle of other Asian capitals.
Your guide will pick you up at 0900 this morning. Your tour begins at the serene Wat Sisaket, the only temple left intact after the Siamese (Thai) invasion in 1828. It is one of the most beautiful temples in the capital, and its breezy teak covered hallways are filled with thousands of miniature Buddha statues.
Continue on to the nearby Wat Phra Keo. Used as a religious museum, Wat Phra Keo displays a collection of both Lao and Khmer works of art. Also nearby, is the Presidential Palace. Although you are not allowed to visit inside, it is a good glimpse in to the town’s colonial past as this building formerly served as the French governor’s palace.

Day 15: Vientiane – Departure

Have hearty breakfast in hotel, relax by yourself until departure time. Our team will meet you again and escort you to International Airport to catch the next fight on wards. Our service will be finished. Thank for join a life -time cycling trip with us.

Tour included in:

English speaking cycling guide ( other languages upon requests)
Accommodations are based on double/ twin occupancy
Meals details in itineraries ( 14 breakfast, 14 lunches, 14 dinners)
A/C transfer/ and transportation
Van or bus supported during the cycling times.
Truck supported for the group size from 6 and above.
Trek mountain bikes – 4300 with disc brake and helmets
Sightseeing excursions as outlined itineraries
Bike tour pump, bike tools, spares tubes, spare bikes
First aid kit
Cold water box, small fresh towel.
Mineral water for drinking
Fruit and snack for cycling days

Tour excluded in:

International airfare
Travel insurance
Items of personal nature
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks in meals
Mineral water beyond that supplied
Optional excursions
Additional transport required due to any emergency situation
Personal expenses such as telephone, laundry bills.
Visa fee
Departure tax
Tip for team and guide
Visa fee in Laos ( 35 USD per person upon arrival + 02 passport pictures

Note: Hotels are subject to change due to availability. In that case we will choose equivalent accommodation
Meals: if you have any specific food requirements ( vegetarian, vegan, food allergies) please inform us in advance so that we can provide notice to our restaurant, tour guide, our partners so that they can server you better. If you are a food lover, Indochina explore tours can be your culinary guide and provide you opportunity to savor tempting local food and world famous – dishes.

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