Mekong Delta Luxury Bike Tour
4 days
From US $1,095
Overview
Enjoy the best of Mekong on this spectacular winding ride through the rural landscape of the Mekong Delta. Life here is brimming with the fulness of fish farming, coconut plantations, lush paddy fields, and the tranquility of rural delta life.
The terrain is absolutely flat and we get to share interior narrow trails with local people either riding typical french bikes or 2-wheelers, criss-cross the rivers in local ferries, and ride over a multitude of bridges. The amazing stops along the way such as the coconut candy factory, and anecdotes shared by our local guide only complement the ride further. The region here is the epitome of slow life and the only way to experience this is on your bike!
Saigon
Saigon | 16:00hrs
premiere
easy
45km or 27mi
Min. 2, Max. 12
SGN
SGN
Highlights
Itinerary
Brief Itinerary
Day | Place | premiere Inns or similar | Meals | Distance | Activity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DAY 1 | Saigon | Hotel Des Arts | D | ||
DAY 2 | Cai Be | Mekong Riverside Boutique Resort | B,L,D | 40km / 24mi | cycling |
DAY 3 | Can Tho | Victoria Can Tho | B,L | 50km / 30mi | cycling |
DAY 4 | Can Tho | B,L | 25km / 15mi | cycling |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Saigon
The morning is free for you to explore the city. We recommend exploring on your own some of the most popular sites - Ben Thanh Market, Saigon Opera House, Continental Hotel, The Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and Post Office, The War Remnants Museum, China Town (Cho Lon in Dist 5), Thien Hau Pagoda, Landmark 81 building and Jade Emperor Pagoda. It gives you an excellent introduction to the city’s history with plenty of opportunities to soak up the unique mix of chaos and tranquility that is modern-day Saigon.
Our guide meets you at your hotel at 17:00hrs for a bike fitting followed by dinner to celebrate the start of our journey on a bike.
If you intend to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City a day in advance, we recommend seizing the chance to explore the Cu Chi Tunnels—an elaborate network of underground passages that were extensively used during the Vietnam War.
Day 2: Cai Be
Our guide meets you at your hotel in Saigon at 8 am.
We begin the day with a shuttle transfer of about 1 hour 20 minutes to arrive at Cai Lay, on the outskirts of Saigon. We ride for around 25 kms (15 mi) along a small creek to the Mekong estuary past gorgeous paddy fields and orchards of durian and dragon fruit. Seasonally, on the way to the Mekong Delta, we can enjoy the peaceful scenes of farmers seeding, ploughing, and harvesting the rice crop.
We arrive at Cai Be and take a boat trip along the mighty Mekong River and its tributaries to experience the daily lives of people who work and play on the waterways of the Mekong Delta. We also visit the floating market at Cai Be, and a family-run business producing rice paper – a key ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. We also get to see the locals make coconut candy and puffed rice.
We break for lunch on an island at a local house, set amongst fruit orchards and bonsai trees. There are both veg and non-veg options available at this delicious home-cooked lunch, including home-made noodles, rice pancake, sea food, and pork.
After lunch, we have another shuttle transfer of about 30 minutes. We then continue riding along the river, passing through several quiet villages, under a lush green canopy of trees. The surface is about 80% smooth and 10% gravel.
We end the day's biking after riding another 20 kms (12.5 mi) and hop on to a boat which takes us to our hotel in Cai Be. The boat ride to the hotel takes around 1 hour, but is well worth the wait, for a large swimming pool awaits us here.
Day 3: Can Tho
Today, we begin cycling from our hotel itself at 8 in the morning and ride into the heartland of the Mekong Delta. We bike along waterways and rice paddies, past pristine hamlets nestled in the orchards and coconut plantations for the initial cycling leg.
We then hop on to a ferry and through this leisurely boat ride of 30 minutes, we witness the diligent work of farmers tending to their jackfruit and mango trees in the nurseries along the route. A stop at a gasoline station along the way allows us to use washrooms to freshen up.
Along the way, we make a stop at Coco Home, a family-owned market located near Cai Be town on the Mekong River. This market specializes in crafting a variety of products from rice, which serves as the lifeblood of the region and a fundamental component of Vietnamese cuisine.
At Coco Home, we observe the production of rice paper, rice wine, puffed rice, and coconut candy. Rice paper finds its purpose as a wrap, noodle, or dumpling ingredient, among other uses. The area takes pride in rice wine, a beloved local beverage. Interestingly, the market proudly showcases bottles containing fruits, scorpions, and snakes immersed in rice wine.
We then continue biking through rice paddies and quiet villages before stopping for lunch at the home of a local family. We again have a choice of both veg and non-veg delicacies including morning glory with garlic, steamed rice, vegetable soup, red tilapia fish, and pork. Post lunch, we can relax for 20 minutes on a comfortable hammock to allow the flavors of the delicious lunch to soak in.
We again hit the road and bike for 15 kms (9 mi) before stopping to visit a Cambodian-style Khmer Buddhist pagoda. We then hop on to our shuttle and drive to our hotel, which is 30 minutes away.
Tonight, you are free to explore your own dinner options. The city center is only a 10 minutes walk from our resort, and there's a vibrant street food market in the town.
Set on the southern bank of the Hau River, Can Tho is known for its network of canals and nearby floating markets.
Day 4: Can Tho
Experience early morning Cai Rang floating market on a boat ride and then cycle to Phong Dien floating market. Weave through teeming early morning market bustle along the banks of an active riverfront. Absorb the sights of the endless cottage industries, timber merchants, coconuts shredders, dock loading/unloading rice, and vibrant markets. Continue by bike on the narrow lane and loop back to the main road.
Later shuttle to Saigon for an extension here or your onward flight.
We aim to reach HCM (Saigon) by 16:00hrs and will drop you at your hotel in Saigon or the airport. It’s good to book your onward flight for 17:00hrs onwards.
Ready to plan your adventure? Download a print-ready detailed itinerary.
Map
Accommodation
Each hotel has been thoughtfully selected to ensure an exceptional and memorable experience for guests. Should the listed hotel be unavailable, we will ensure an alternative of similar quality.
Dates and Prices
Single Supplement
From US $300
E-Bike Upgrade
From US $60
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Essential Info
Inclusions
LODGING
All hotels as mentioned in the tour details or similar (subject to availability).
trip leader
Expert Trip Leader(s) who look after your every need and add meaning to your vacation.
bike
Immaculately maintained bike with helmet, suited to a terrain.
shuttle
A Van support follows the group of riders and carries all belongings.
meals
Meals as per itinerary. Guests are given the opportunity to dine on their own so that they discover a location independently.
refreshments
Refreshments and mineral water while cycling.
entrance
Entrance fees to most of the monuments and temples.
E-bikes
E-bikes are available (subject to availability) on this trip at a surcharge.
Exclusions
Airport pickup and drop
We recommend to book direclty from airport or hotel.
Beverages
Beverages such as alcohol, tea, coffee, juice at a hotel or restaurant.
Gratuity
Gratuities for your guide team are not included in the trip price.
Bikes
When you have a road and the thrill of a journey ahead of you, it’s imperative to have a good bike to enjoy it. Our fleet majorly consist of the below bikes as a part of this tour. However, sometimes due to height or availability constraints, we may provide a different but similar quality bike.
Trek Marlin 5 or similar
Included in your trip price
Trek X-Caliber 7 or similar
Included in your trip price
Trek EBike or similar
Available at a surcharge
Weather
South Vietnam – Saigon and Mekong Delta: South Vietnam is a year-round cycling destination because of its pleasant tropical climate. April and May can be hot, but for the rest of the year, the temperature hovers around 30°C. There is moderate rainfall from May to early November but it settles soon, leaving the weather cool and the countryside lush. November to February is the best time for cycling in South Vietnam with warm weather, clear blue skies, and a light ocean breeze blowing in from the Pacific.
January
Best
February
Best
March
Best
April
Best
May
Good
June
Good
July
Good
August
Good
September
Good
October
Good
November
Best
December
Best
Best
Good
Mixed
Offseason
Visa
Residents from a number of countries have visa exemption status for tourist visits to Vietnam. For a full list of up-to-date visa-exempt countries, see the Vietnam Foreign Affairs website.
Starting August 15, 2023, the Vietnam government will start offering an e-visa valid for up to 90 days with multiple entries, replacing the current 30-day, single-entry option. Furthermore, passport holders from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom will benefit from an extended visa exemption period of 45 days, up from the current 15 days. Eligible foreign nationals will either benefit from a longer duration of stay and greater flexibility with the extended e-visa validity of up to 90 days and multiple entries, or enjoy an extended visa exemption period of 45 days.
e-Visa – You can apply for an e-visa through the government website, then, once approved, simply print it out and present it upon arrival in Vietnam. The additional benefit of the e-visa is that it's valid at land borders, not just airports. The processing time ranges from 2 to 7 working days. We recommend applying 2 weeks in advance to avoid unexpected delays. Read more about tourist e-visas for Vietnam at the Vietnam Immigration portal and apply there.
While applying online for an approval letter, please ensure that you have the following documents:
- Passport scanned copy: A scanned copy of your passport - front (main) page. It shouldn't be a mobile photo or a photo taken from a laptop. Strictly scanned copy done through a computer scanner.
- Passport size photo: portrait photo (4*6 size, colored photo, white background, straight looking without glasses). A photo taken from a mobile or laptop may or may not work, so I would strictly advise getting one made through a nearby photo studio (retail shop) that specializes in taking photos for visas.
Here is an excellent resource on Vietnam visas that may be worth looking at.