Ho Chi Minh Trail by Gravel Bike

Our guide meets you at your hotel at 13:00hrs for a bike fit.

Post that, walk the busy streets of Hanoi visiting some of the cultural and historical highlights of Hanoi. Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, which was constructed nearly a millennium ago, and is delicately elevated in a pond. Also visit the Temple of Literature, dating back close to a thousand years, is a wonderfully preserved piece of ancient Vietnamese architecture and stands to honor the scholarly achievements of the country’s academics and philosophers. Continue exploring the area around Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake, the old quarter including Ngoc Son Temple, which sits perched on a little island in the lake. In the evening, we convene over dinner.

Our guide meets you at your hotel and then shuttle you out of Hanoi early morning. The initial stretch has a bit of climb and then it delves down to the foothills of mountains. The topography is adorned with timber and fern trees. It’s a long day interspersed with transfers and rides. Cycle past a spectacular mountain range with karst cliffs, terraced rice fields, and a typical agricultural landscape, ending at the beautiful valleys of Mai Chau. The experience is truly unique as we get to experience a good change in landscape.

Mai Chau is a collection of villages and offers a true rural cycling experience.

Our today’s route takes you away from the river and through a range of mountains that stretch from Mai Chau to Cuc Phuong National Park and the ancient capital of Hoa Lu. As you cycle, the scenery progressively gets more beautiful with limestone cliffs and lush vegetation in a backdrop. The route is challenging with several hills to ascend, but a vehicle is always nearby for you to take a rest in. Arrive in the town of Ngoc Lac late this afternoon for your overnight stay.

Pedal along the newly built Ho Chi Minh highway for today’s journey. The tarmac makes for smooth, fast riding and there are very few cars or vehicles on the road. A parallel dirt and gravel highway runs alongside which is a challenging option for those who wish! Along the way, visit Ly Thai To Pagoda which was built in honor of the first king of the Ly dynasty, and Kim Lien village, the birthplace of Ho Chi Minh. Later shuttle out of the mountains to Vinh.

We continue our ride toward the south. The journey winds through lush jungle and beautiful villages nestled under the Truong Son mountain range. During the ride, take your time to admire the stunning scenery and the intricate karst formations. After a long day of pedaling, arrive in the remote town of Huong Khe. Located in the Nghe An province, this small town is a quiet place to rest up for another busy day of riding.

Continue along the Ho Chi Minh Highway today to Phong Nha. The route is still a dream to ride on and you’ll appreciate the smooth tarmac as the mountains rise and the road winds up, down, and along the hillsides. The scenery is spectacular and the road is tranquil. After cycling around 80km, trade in your bike for a restful 1-hour bus journey to Phong Nha National Park. The park contains one of the most spectacular caves in Vietnam - a true natural wonder with 65 km of tunnels and underground rivers.

Formed approximately 250 million years ago Phong Nha was used as a hospital and ammunition depot during the war, and the entrance still shows evidence of attacks from fighter aircraft. There are also community projects underway with Flora and Fauna International and it may be possible to visit village initiatives and learn more about the forests of the national park before the end of today. Overnight in Phong Nha.

This area is literally riddled with caves, grottos, and limestone formations. Most spectacular of all, of course, is Phong Nha Cave, which is over 7 km long and is known for its myriads of caverns and rocky formations. We'll take a boat out to visit caves and maybe even do some spelunking. The park also boasts the world's largest cave – the Son Doong Cave – which was only discovered in 1991 and properly surveyed in 2009.

After an early morning exploration of Phong Nha Cave, transfer by road to the Ho Chi Minh Trail to resume your ride. Pedal across the DMZ (also known as the 17th Parallel) to Cam Lo. Stop en route to visit Truong Son cemetery, a memorial to the tens of thousands of North Vietnamese soldiers who were killed in the Truong Son Mountains. Fourteen miles further on is the town of Cam Lo – the Trail here intersects a strategic feeder road (H9) from Dong Ha and at this junction part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail heads across the country into Laos. We finish our exploration of the Ho Chi Minh trail here and make our way to Hue.

Travel further as per your onward travel plans.