This combination of mountain and road cycling takes you from the Central Highlands provincial town of Da Lat to the peaceful coastal town of Qui Nhon and is an excellent way to experience the rich culture of Vietnam’s Southern and Central regions. The winding mountain roads pass through dramatic scenery of colorful flower gardens, vast coffee plantations and terraced rice paddies with plenty of opportunities to interact with friendly ethnic minority people. The ride eventually leads us to the coast and the local beach resort areas of Nha Trang and Qui Nhon.

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) – Da Lat (by air)     

Day 2: Da Lat - Lak Lake      

Day 3: Lak Lake - Buon Ma Thuot  

Day 4: Buon Ma Thuot - Nha Trang           

Day 5: Nha Trang     

Day 6: Nha Trang - Tuy Hoa           

Day 7: Tuy Hoa - Quy Nhon            

Day 8: Qui Nhon

Day 9: Qui Nhon – Ho Chi Minh City (by air)  

Trip Grade:
Level of fitness and cycling ability is required.

Weather:
Undoubtedly, weather is one of the determining factors for your traveling decisions. If you are heading to Vietnam, then, take it easy to make up your mind. Vietnam’s climate is not just steamy hot as what you are frequently exposed to on movies. All year round here, there is always a perfect place where it is pleasant to stay. Basically, the whole country falls into the tropic and subtropics but its stretching length and diverse topography allow it to span several different climate zones. The weather thus, tends to vary considerably from season to season and also from region to region.

Northern Part
The North of Vietnam is generally cooler than other South East Asian regions in the same longitude. It experiences two main distinct seasons. In winter months, the weather gets colder and colder fromNovember to March and considerably warmer in April (a leap into summer). This is also time to observe much cloud and frequent drizzle. The average winter temperature is 17.2°C (62.9°F). Particularly, the mountainous areas (Northwest) are often much colder, temperature may keep below 10°C (50°F) for long period. Ice and snow even cover Hoang Lien Son Mountains and nearby Sapa town for some times with the lowest record of -3°C (26.6°F) in Feb 2008.
In the summer (from May to October), the whole region is quite hot. Temperature may rise to 37°C (98.6 °F) in the peaks of June and July. Hanoi and coastal provinces around the Red River Delta generally enjoy equitable weather with high average humidity (80%) all year round though they may occasionally be subjected to typhoons and heavy rain in late summers (September to November). Vietnamese people even identify four seasons in the Northern provinces (from Hai Van Pass toward the north) with their distinct features: pleasant spring (typically March-April) and autumn (October-December), a chilly winter (December- February) and a hot summer (June – July).

Central Part
The Central Vietnam with two sub-regions, coastal lowlands and central highlands, can be seen as an in-between climatic area of the North and the South. The coastal strip is usually dry and hotter than the rest in the summer, as the Truong Son Mountains do not allow it to enjoy most rainfall of south-western monsoon (from April to October). Unprotected coasts in their turn, however, make it wet and colder than the rest in winter-monsoon season (from November to March). Also, storms and typhoons strike this area more frequently than the northern coasts in summer months (from July to November). The Central Highlands in particular enjoys nearly double the average rainfall of the country. Two biggest towns in this plateau, Dalat and Pleiku, are ideally cool throughout the year. Near-the-south coastal cities, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang and Phan Thiet, on the contrary, experiences steamy hot weather (21°C-32°C / 70°F-90°F) all year round.

Southern Part
The South of Vietnam, merely 8 degrees north of the Equator, is typical of humid tropical climate which is excellent for growing rice. The region’s temperatures experience little variations in a year (around 27-32°C/80-90°F). There are two main seasons: the rainy and the dry. During the rainy/monsoon season (from May to November), downpours are expected to happen nearly every afternoon, resulting in occasional street flooding in and around Saigon. In the dry season, it is hot from late February to April then slightly cooler when first downpours come. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) enjoys rather equitable tropical climate with high humidity all year round. December to March is said to be the most pleasant time to hit this region’s center.

Note: In all, Vietnam climate is so diverse that there is almost no definition of an average temperature for the whole country. Thanks to these regional variations in weather, generally, you can drop in Vietnam at any time of year. Commonly, based on the duration of your stay, you should plan to catch the good weather and places by either dropping in Saigon in February or March then following the coast to north or hitting Hanoi in October-November then tracing southward.

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) - Da Lat
Meet at your hotel and transfer to the airport for the flight to Da Lat in the Central Highlands. On your arrival in Da Lat you will be transfer to your hotel where you leave your belongings as you start our cycle ride.  Your morning ride takes you alongside the Xuan Huong Lake before it veers off into the shadow of Lang Bian Mountain. You journey beside flower nurseries and vegetable gardens, through small villages with picturesque churches, ornate cemeteries, old colonial buildings and cobblestone streets. The terrain is undulating, and the road is mainly smooth with some broken sections and some gravel. Total riding distance is up to 40/50km; time variable, as the group may want to stop to visit a flower farm en route or have the chance to explore coffee plantations. The trail leads out to an area where the founder of Da Lat, Alexander Yersin, first wanted to build the city. It’s a beautiful spot overlooking a magnificent lake surrounded by pine trees. You spend the evening in Da Lat.

Overnight in Da Lat
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Cycling distance: Approx. 30km
Difficulty: Moderate

Day 2: Da Lat - Lak Lake
You leave Da Lat after breakfast, and enjoy a full day in the saddle exploring the regions hilly beauty. The first 17 km is downhill to Tanung, you then continue to ride on flat or rolling hills to Thanh Binh where you hit larger roads and a couple of passes to tackle. The road between Da Lat and Lak Lake winds over two mountain passes, the first of which we reach on our second day after leaving Da Lat. The riding is quite challenging, but worth the effort. The road may seem almost vertical but the views over the coffee plantations are spectacular. After a slow uphill of less than 10km you reach the peak and coast down the other side. The second Chuoi (Banana) pass begins soon after but seems to consist of mostly downhill. You ride past loads of beautiful wooden houses with piles of coffee beans drying in the sun and as we ride down towards Lak you have a great view of the town and the lake. You take the opportunity to rest and admire the view and then jump into your support van to transfer to Lak Lake where you spend the night in a traditional long house. 

Overnight in Lak Lake
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Total distance: 150 km
Cycling distance: Approx. 80-90 km
Grade: Moderate/Challenging

Day 3: Lak Lake - Buon Ma Thuot
after breakfast you head out to visit one of the old summer retreats of Emperor Bao Dai. You then take a boat to a remote village on the far side of Lak Lake. Some light trekking is possible from this village. You return to the long house at Lak Lake for lunch and a rest before the 50 km bike ride to Buon Me Thuot. (The road is mostly flat). The ride from Lak Lake to Buon Me Thuot City is pretty easy, with more spectacular scenery and dramatic views. You pass the ruins of a church, which was bombed by the Americans in the war and has been left as a memorial.

Overnight in Buon Ma Thuot.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Total distance: 60 km
Cycling distance: Approx. 60 km
Grade: Moderate

Day 4: Buon Ma Thuot - Nha Trang
Following breakfast, you set off on our bikes from you hotel, heading out on to road 26 towards the coastal town of Nha Trang. The ride is a mixture of ups and downs throughout the day. Along the way, there is some stunning scenery; you will stop regularly to take in the beauty of coffee plantations, Earkrong Buk River and the mountains. A stop for lunch at Ea Knop will give us a quick break before we descend to the coast. We hit Highway 1 at Ninh Hoa, where the shuttle will take us the last 30km to Nha Trang.  Driving this scenic coastal stretch past turquoise waters and scarlet fishing boats, we arrive at the bright lights of Nha Trang with its relaxing holiday options.

Overnight in Nha Trang.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Total distance: 190 km
Cycling distance: Approx. 80-90 km
Grade: Moderate.

Day 5: Nha Trang    
Enjoy a half-day cycle into the countryside on a 30km loop. Starting with a short drive and a boat trip we then cycle through villages on tiny roads and quiet lanes, stopping off at points of interest en route; there’s plenty of sights, sounds and smells to absorb. Lunch will be a picnic and there will be options to sample local restaurant food if you prefer. The afternoon is at your leisure to enjoy the beaches of Nha Trang.

Overnight in Nha Trang
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Cycling distance: Approx. 80-90 km
Grade: Moderate. 

Day 6: Nha Trang - Tuy Hoa         
An early start takes us on a wonderfully scenic drive to the beautiful fishing village of Dai Lanh. Relax by the beach before we pick up our bikes and ride along the coastal road to Tuy Hoa. Along the way we ride through picturesque countryside, passing fish farms and a salt farm. There are many great photo opportunities of farmers and fisherman working in their fields. 

Overnight in Tuy Hoa.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Total distance: 150 km
Cycling distance: Approx. 50-60 km
Grade: Moderate.

Day 7: Tuy Hoa - Quy Nhon           
We start riding along a remote but well surfaced road running alongside the railway. The terrain is gently rolling, with beautiful views of the foothills of the highlands. We pass a mix of tribal and Viet villages. Ubiquitous potbellied pigs and bare foot children trot across your trail. Eventually we loop back to the main highway and transfer to Quy Nhon.

Overnight in Quy Nhon.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Total distance: 130 km
Cycling distance: Approx. 60-70 km
Grade: Moderate.

Day 8: Qui Nhon
After breakfast, we cycle to explore the countryside of Qui Nhon. You have a free afternoon to enjoy the beach.

Overnight in Quy Nhon.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 9: Qui Nhon – Ho Chi Minh City 
At your leisure until transfer to airport for return flight to Ho Chi Minh City. 

Ending of your Vietnam cycling trip!

This tour is private and can be tailor-made to suit your travel needs. As a result the price is quoted in US dollars and shown on a per-person basis. The 'Price From' quoted above is for parties of 2, 4 and 6 people and for accommodation in 3 star hotels. The final price will be privately quoted, based on the number in your party, your preferred time of travel, grade of hotel and any additional services requested. Please click on the BOOK NOW button and fill in the booking form, after which one of our travel consultants will customize the best value holiday for you.

REMARKS:
We are aware that a good tour must have good hotels. In Indochina particularly, hotel price makes up most of the cost of your Cambodia cycling, Vietnam cycling, Laos cycling, Myanmar cycling or Thailand cycling. All of our prices are calculated on a twin-shared basis. As a guide, Travel Loops defines hotel grades as follows:

>>Superior Level (3 star hotels in good locations): > 40 USD/room/night
>>Deluxe Level (4 star hotels): > 80 USD/room/night
>>Luxury Level (5 star hotels): > 180 USD/room/night

Price based on twin shared accommodation.
Tour price is indicative only, please enquire for a detailed quotation.
More people means more discount. Please enquire for more details

If, after reviewing the details of this tour, you would like to receive a "Special Offer" tour price, just click on the "INQUIRY" button below. If you wish to “Tailor Make" your trip, simply click on the "CUSTOMIZE TRIP" and enter your contact details.

COST INCLUDED:

• Experienced English speaking guide
• Private transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
• Accommodation in double/twin sharing rooms with daily breakfast
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary
• Bottled drinking water for sightseeing
• All sightseeing entrance fee where required in the itinerary.
• Mountain bike and helmet. 

COST EXCLUDED:

• International/domestic airfares & tax
• Visa fees
• Travel Insurance. (We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance from home)
• Personal expenditure (telephone, laundry, shopping and so on…)
• Tips for guide, driver, porters and project cost
• Beverage and alcoholic drinks
• Any other services not clearly mentioned on itinerary and trip inclusive portion.

The hotels listed below are just our suggestions offering the best value for this trip according to the hotel category chosen, but Travel Loops also offers more options to cater for different grades, personal taste, and budget. Please let us know if you have any specific choice of hotels, or personal preferences/requirements.
 

Note: Our choices for each level of accommodation have been highlighted in orange. As mentioned above our selection criteria are based on: prior client reviews, hotel management and staff training, facilities maintenance, location, business relationship and advantages given exclusively to our clients on price and service.