Northwest Vietnam Cycling to the “Roof of Indochina”

Day 1: Travel to Ha Giang from Hanoi
You will be picked up by our local team at your hotel in downtown Hanoi and transferred to Ha Giang city. Enjoy a full day road trip along the national road #2 via Viet Tri, Tuyen Quang to Ha Giang province. Have some stops on the way to take picture. Enjoy beautiful scenery of lush palm forests, tea plantations and stunning valleys as you travel through Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang. Lunch will be provided in a local restaurant en route. Arrival in Ha Giang city at about 3pm, check into a local guesthouse for overnight.

Day 2: Hanoi to Sapa Lodge 45 km| 1,100 m
Our adventure in the northwest mountains begins with a transfer from your hotel in Hanoi to just shy of the border town of Lao Cai. Here it’s out of the bus and onto the bikes for the 45 km climb up to your lodge accommodation. We’ll arrive in time to enjoy the area, farmed by the Hmong, Dao and other minorities for centuries.

Day 3: Sapa Loop 106 km | 2,500 m ascent
We’ll say goodbye to your remote lodge, transfer into Sapa town for a quick coffee stop, then get into the day’s loop starting with almost 30 km of downhill. A bit further on, in Lao Cai, we will do a photostop at the border bridge to China. Then it’s on to discover some of the gorgeous back country with no shortage of climbing on the way home. Tonight we’ll enjoy the bustle of Sapa town, with Hmong-inspired cuisine.

Day 4: Sapa to Than Uyen, O Quy Ho Pass 96 km | 1,400 m
Today starts with a mostly gentle climb out of Sapa town to the top of the famed O Quy Ho Pass. Then it’s a screaming 20 km descent and a gently undulating ride to Than Uyen, where we find our lodgings for the night at the District Guesthouse. This humble institution is usually only frequented by traveling cadres, and will give you a taste of what it was like in the good old days of Central Planning and ration cards. We’ll find some cold beer and chicken glass noodle soup on the street for dinner tonight and perhaps check out the local market.

Day 5: Than Uyen to Mu Cang Chai - 80 km | 1,200 m
Another stunning day awaits us. We head back onto the Khau Pha Pass, a contender for the most picturesque part of our route. We’ll find some lunch on the way down before we complete the rest of the mostly downhill route to Nghia Lo. This town is a stopping point for Hanoites on the road and features a few creature comforts. We’ll seek out some honest frontier food and the awesome Bigken minikegs that seem to be all the rage in this friendly town.

Day 6: Nghia Lo to Mai Chau - 126 km | 1,750 m
Today’s route takes us on an undulating back country road through a series of very pretty villages and over a small, but challenging pass. We will then cross a lake on a ferry and do another shorter 6 km climb averaging 5% out of the Do River valley. From here we jump in the van like the real pros and let the driver take us to our destination.

If you still feel like it, you can tackle the last climb to Moc Chau and cover another 700 meters in altitude over 20 km. The town of Mai Chau is home to an ethnic minority group of Thai migrants. Tonight we’ll be rewarded for our efforts with a stay in luxury at a lodge complete with a pool.

Day 7: Rest in Mai Chau and Surrounds
After yesterday’s challenging ride, we’ll enjoy some downtime in beautiful Mai Chau today, making the most of our hotel’s facilities including pool and massage. To this we can add some gentle trekking or mountain biking into the stunning nearby countryside, dotted with Thai minority villages. Transfer to Hanoi next day and services end.

INCLUSION

• Air-conditioned vehicles with experienced driver
• English speaking licensed guide
• All admission fees as mentioned in the program
• VAT 7% and all Government taxes (no service charge)
• Accomodation based on twin/double/Triple sharing room

EXCLUSIONS

• Lunch meal
• Food and drinks
• Travel insurances
• Gratuities
• Sinlge Suplement