North Vietnam Family Explorer

Itinerary Details

1. Day 1Hanoi to Mai Chau

   Your guide will pick you up at your Hanoi hotel to start the 4 hour drive to Mai Chau, a rural town in Hoa Binh province, southeast of Hanoi. The scenery is dotted with limestone karsts and ethnic highlanders of White Thai, Hmong, and Zao living in the small villages that you will pass along the way. You will stop at the top of a pass for a panoramic view of stunning Mai Chau Valley so you can get an overview of where you'll be cycling. You will check into your lodging, have lunch, and then it's time to get on the bicycles and explore the valley. You will start pedaling on small paths, past green rice paddies and local stilt houses, and of course meeting friendly local villagers. Taking a break at Hoa Ban Plus, a weaving centre and living complex for disabled women, gives you a chance to see the traditional handicraft of weaving in action, and you can even give it a try. You'll leave with a new appreciation for fabric after seeing how complex and time-consuming it is to produce. You will continue cycling on to your homestay overnight at Pom Coong village. You will sleep in a stilt bamboo house in an open dormitory-style room with shared facilities.
   

   • 13.7 miles
   • Homestay
   • Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
2. Day 2Mai Chau to Buoc Village

   After breakfast, you'll ride up to the hills along a dirt road frequently used by local villagers. As you climb, the valley views open up to boundless, spectacular scenery. A steep 2 km (1.2 mi) climb is rewarded with a 10 km (6.2 mi) downhill through rustic villages and lush terrain. A quiet paved road and a small trail leads you to the White Thai village of Buoc. You can take a short walk around and learn about local village life, visit a few households, and see where families cook and sleep. You will then help with preparing lunch by making “Com Lam”, traditional sticky rice in bamboo. With a belly full of local delights, you'll cycle back to Mai Chau and have the rest of the afternoon free.
   

   • 21.7 miles
   • Homestay
   • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
3. Day 3Mai Chau to Cuc Phoung National Park

   Today, you'll be driven for one hour to Cho Lo where you can then get on the bikes. A flat ride on country roads follows where you'll have to watch out for chickens crossing the road and give right of way to water buffaloes. A bowl of Pho, noodle soup, will hydrate and fill you. Be sure to add in the greens, herbs, spicy pastes, and a squeeze of lime to make the soup taste to your liking. A short transfer takes you uphill to Cuc Phuong National Park in Ninh Binh Province, the oldest national park in Vietnam and its most significant biodiversity site. Time to get wild! A guided tour of a rescue center where monkeys and gibbons are being rehabilitated to return to the jungle will show you how many species there are in the jungle. After seeing the antics of the monkeys it's a short walk to the Carnivore and Pangolin Education Center, where you'll learn about and see civets and the unusual pangolin with their protective armour of scales and long tongues for capturing ants and termites. The rescued animals are in well-designed, spacious enclosures, and the center offers interactive displays to understand the threats to wildlife and learn about conservation. A fun and educational afternoon with wildlife!
   

   • 21.7 miles
   • Cuc Phuong National Park Guest House
   • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks

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     Cuc Phuong National Park Guest House

     Nested in the spectacular landscape of the Cuc Phuong National Park, the guest house is a lovely place to rest up before beginning the next adventure

4. Day 4Cuc Phoung National Park to Tam Coc

   A feast for the senses today, from the sight of the towering karsts to the sound of the river to the taste of your self-cooked dinner. Cycling from your guesthouse, you'll go downhill before riding along a dyke that provides a flat and safe ride, to the town of Hoa Lu. An ancient capital of the Dinh and Le Dynasties, you'll step back in time and visit a 17th-century temple built in the shape of a Chinese character. After lunch, you'll change from bikes to boats and relax and enjoy the amazing mountains that dominate most of the region. You will be rowed through a cave by local sampan rowers who use their feet as oars and enter a green and fertile land. Back on land, you will head to your resort amidst rice fields. Another hands-on meal as you'll assist in the preparation, learning the best technique to roll fresh spring rolls, and then feast on your creations.
   

   • 18.6 miles
   • Tam Coc Rice Field Resort
   • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks

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     Change the bikes for a relaxing boat ride

     Put your feet up whilst the sampan rower uses his feet to row you through a cave and onto luscious green landscapes

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     Tam Coc Rice Fields Resort

     Cosy up in a bamboo bungalow in this spectacular and peaceful location. Spend your last night in very comfortable and traditional surrounds; a unique spot.

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     Tam Coc Rice Fields Resort

     Cosy up in a bamboo bungalow in this spectacular and peaceful location. Spend your last night in very comfortable and traditional surrounds; a unique spot.

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     Tam Coc Rice Fields Resort

     Cosy up in a bamboo bungalow in this spectacular and peaceful location. Spend your last night in very comfortable and traditional surrounds; a unique spot.

5. Day 5Tam Coc to Bat Trang to Hanoi

   A change of pace as you get your hands dirty. Cycling away from the karsts, you will follow numerous rivers as they reach toward the coast. The scenery changes to flat plains as you cycle into the delta, a guaranteed flat ride. You can take a break at Phat Diem Stone Cathedral, which has a unique blend of eastern and western architecture illustrated by its pagoda-style roofs. You will then transfer to Bat Trang, a ceramic producing village that makes giant vases. Make your own souvenir tea cup or bowl using local techniques. Then it's time to head back to Hanoi for your onward travel.
   

   • 24.9 miles
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks