Biking Hanoi to Luang Prabang

We meet at our tour hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam’s vibrant capital city, for a trip briefing and welcome dinner.

In the morning we discover some of Hanoi’s most iconic sites such as the Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake, and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. In the evening we board an overnight train to the mountains of Lao Cai Province where our biking adventure begins the following morning!

Our train arrives in far northern Vietnam and we transfer to the town of Sapa. We’ll enjoy a fun, 38 km warm up ride passing through hill tribe villages and overlooking terraced rice fields.

We ride a thrilling loop in the Tha Phin Valley, a beautiful area filled with dramatic mountain scenery and villages of the Black Hmong and Red Dzao tribes.

We begin our traverse west, starting with a climb to Tram Ton Pass, Vietnam’s highest mountain pass. After a fun descent, we then ride through country lanes to the town of Lai Chau.

We climb up and down the mountains of Lai Chau to reach the Nam Na River and trace its meandering southward course all the way to the small town of Muong Lay. This is blissful, leisurely cycling in remote northern Vietnam at its finest!

We head for the historic city of Dien Bien Phu, where the colonial French army was defeated, along the way climbing up and down some mountain passes and enjoying more scenes of rural and remote northern Vietnam.

In the morning we learn about the importance of Dien Bien Phu in Vietnamese history. In the afternoon, we ride on a loop out of town to discover the impressive surrounding countryside, including some scenic reservoirs.

We say goodbye to Vietnam and sabai dee (hello!) to Laos. After crossing the border, we ride on country roads through untamed wilderness and the rustic countryside. We spend the night in the sleepy town of Muang Khoua.

A rest day to lean back and relax in a longtail boat as we cruise down the Nam Ou River. Enjoy scenes of towering limestone cliffs and daily life on the river banks before reaching the picturesque village of Muang Ngoy.

After a short boat trip, we ride primarily on dirt roads past ethnic villages in a region that few people ever visit. We overnight in Nong Kiau at a guesthouse that overlooks the river.

Cycling an undulating road away from Nong Kiau, we head west along the Nam Ou River to Luang Prabang, the crown jewel of heritage sites in Laos and a UNESCO World Heritage awarded city. In the evening we meet for a farewell dinner.

Extend your stay to discover more of Luang Prabang or head to the airport for your onward flight.