Cycling Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is an exciting and absorbing city where bicycles battle with trucks and temples stand defiantly alongside modern developments. Devastated by the Vietnam War, Ho Chi Minh City is now a bustling free market city where anything goes. The Ben Thanh Market and Notre Dame Cathedral are within easy walking distance and are highly recommended.

This evening there will be a welcome briefing with your leader followed by an optional group dinner at a local restaurant. Stay: Huong Sen Hotel (or similar).

This morning we drive out of the city, before riding to the Cu Chi tunnels. This offers a great introduction to cycling in Vietnam and a chance to fine-tune the bikes. The tunnels were Viet Cong sanctuaries, used by the guerrillas as living quarters and escape routes. The network covers three levels and approximately 149mi (240km) of tunnels.

Some parts have been widened for tourists, but the tunnels were originally very narrow and it is still necessary to crawl on hands and knees. If you prefer not to visit the tunnels you can have an unguided free day in Ho Chi Minh City. Places of interest include the Emperor of Jade and Giac Lam pagodas, the former Presidential Palace (now the Reunification Hall), Ben Thanh market and the War Remnants Museum. Stay: Huong sen Hotel (or similar) (B/L).

After an early breakfast we head out of Ho Chi Minh City by bus and then start cycling towards the coast. We hit the backroads and head through tropical fruit and rubber plantations also passing small fishing villages as we make our way closer to the coast finishing our ride in time for lunch. We then transfer approximately three hours to Mui Ne, a tranquil white-sand beach where we can witness our first sunset over the East Sea. We spend four to five hours on the bus today. Stay: Ocean Dunes Resort (or similar) (B/L).

We cycle towards Dalat; the route is undulating with occasional climbs. Along the way we pass coffee and tea plantations, flower gardens and pine forests as we reach higher altitude. We rejoin the bus before the road climbs steeply to the mountain town of Dalat. We spend approximately 3hr 30min on the bus today. Dalat is a pleasant hill station, formerly known as Le Petit Paris, and has been described as the most beautiful town in Vietnam. It was favoured by the French for its climate, and is now a popular honeymoon resort for the Vietnamese. Stay: La Sapinette Hotel (or similar) (B/L).

Today's ride is predominantly undulating and approximately 19mi (30km) downhill through pine forests and paddy fields as we descend nearly 4,921ft (1,500m) and travel through Bidoup Ba National Park. This area is home to rare pine forests, plus small villages inhabited by the ethnic minority people of the central highlands. Once we arrive at the coast, we head by bus (approximately 90 minutes) to the coast near Nha Trang before boarding a boat to our tropical island retreat of Whale Island for the next two nights. Today you can cycle up to 55. 9mi (90km) according to preference. Stay: Whale Island Resort (or similar) (B/L).

Today we relax and unwind. We join a boat trip in the morning for a spot of snorkelling and sea swimming before a seafood lunch.

In the afternoon, you have the option to visit a local fishing village, see the Whale temple or walk around the island to the viewpoint for a 360-degree view of the mountainous coastline and the surrounding coves and white-sand beaches. Stay: Whale Island Resort (or similar) (B/L).

We set off early in the morning and first take a short transfer from Whale Island through Dai Lanh and Ca Pass before setting off on our bikes at Vung Ro Bay, where we ride along the coast to Tuy Hoa and O Loan Lagoon to Chi Thanh. In Chi Thanh, we stop for lunch and a short rest before continuing to La Hai where we complete our longest ride of the trip (62. 2mi/100km). From La Hai, we then transfer one hour to our hotel in Quy Nhon. We spend approximately two hours on the bus today. Stay: Seagull Quy Nhon Hotel (or similar) (B/L).

Leaving Quy Nhon, we travel through a new economic zone over the Thi Nai peninsula and Nhon Hoi Bridge, the longest sea bridge in Vietnam. Getting off our bikes, we visit a market, where it's not unusual to be pulled aside for a photo as this part of the country does not see many western tourists. The coastline features secluded bays, dunes and beaches with colourful fishing boats bobbing on the East Sea.

We cycle until we arrive at Phu Ly and then drive to Hoi An. If time permits, we will cycle the last 7mi (12km) once we turn off Highway 1 into Hoi An. Hoi An, the original European trading port in Vietnam dating back to the mid-16th century is now a living museum, with attractive wooden merchants houses and pagoda-style temples with Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and European architectural influences.

It is also a marvellous place to wander around and enjoy the thriving riverside market. We spend two nights in Hoi An, which is also a fantastic place to buy local art or have some clothes tailor-made for you. It's best to bring a picture or a sample of what you want made. We spend approximately six hours on the bus today. Stay: Hoi An Sincerity Hotel & Spa (or similar) (B/L).

This morning we take a guided walking tour of Hoi An to explore some of the structures of historical significance in the Old Town, including bridges, temples, wells and houses. Those less interested in architecture can cycle the 3mi (5km) to the lovely Cua Dai beach or to the Marble Mountains, which are 11. 8mi (19km) from town. These five marble hills, formerly islands, contain many caves, some of which were used as Buddhist (and Viet Cong) sanctuaries.

Also nearby is My Khe beach, a R&R spot for US troops in the war, and Da Nang, where there is a Cham Museum, which despite being in poor condition, is very interesting. It is also possible to visit My Son, one of the most important Cham temple sites in Vietnam where Cham kings were buried as early as the fourth century. Although wartime bombing has destroyed much of the site, there are several interesting stone towers and sanctuaries. Stay: Hoi An Sincerity Hotel & Spa (or similar) (B).

Today we turn north again for the drive/cycle to Hue. The route traverses over the spectacular Hai Van Pass – the Pass of the Ocean Clouds. The views are stunning, though those who prefer to avoid the 1,903ft (580m) climb can always take a lift in the support vehicle. Once at the top it will all seem worth it as you plummet back to the ocean, then continue through small villages and timeless rural scenes to the outskirts of Hue, from where we transfer to our city centre hotel. We spend about 2hr 30min on the bus today. Stay: Park View Hotel (or similar) (B/L).

Hue is often claimed to be the cultural and historic centre of Vietnam and there is plenty to see. We take a guided tour of the city and surrounding tombs. The most memorable site is the citadel, with walls 6mi (10km) in length: inside are the palaces and halls of the Mandarins, and the remains of the Forbidden Purple City, where only the emperor and his eunuchs and concubines were allowed.

We then take a boat along the Perfume River to the elaborate tombs of the Nguyen emperors, who ruled Vietnam from Hue. Tu Duc's Tomb is very elaborate and set in beautiful gardens. Along the way we will visit the Thien Mu Pagoda, which has a centre for anti-government protests in the early 1960s. It also houses the Austin car that transported a monk, Thich Quang Duc, to Saigon in 1963 where he burned himself in protest against the president. The photograph of his self-immolation was printed in newspapers around the world.

In the afternoon we will board the Reunification Express for the overnight ride to Hanoi, 428mi (688km) to the north. Stay: Overnight train (B).

We usually arrive in Hanoi in the early morning and stop for a local breakfast and a stretch of the legs, before we are met by our bus for an approximate four-hour drive to Ha Long Bay. This is one of the most beautiful sights in South East Asia with around 3,000 limestone peaks rising directly from the clear emerald sea. We cruise among this amazing karst scenery, stopping to kayak in the sea (weather permitting), allowing us to get to places inaccessible by boat and enjoy a seafood lunch on board. We overnight on board in twin share cabins with private facilities. Stay: overnight boat (B/L/D).

Visit Me Cung cave and enjoy further time cruising the many islands of Ha Long Bay. We then return to Hanoi in the late afternoon. This charming city contains many beautiful old buildings and the atmosphere is completely different from that in Ho Chi Minh City, mainly due to the much more conservative nature of the northern Vietnamese. Also, unlike its industrial counterpart, the centre of Hanoi has a faded charm with broad tree-lined avenues dating from the French period, plus attractive lakes and pagodas.

In the evening there is the option to enjoy a water puppet performance. Stay: Lenid Hotel (or similar) (B).

It's been an unforgettable cycling adventure through Vietnam, but this morning marks the last breakfast of the tour. It's a great opportunity to reflect on all that you've seen and achieved and, perhaps, to start planning your next big adventure (B).