Mekong Delta Luxury Bike Tour

vietnam bike tour 22

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!

Start

Saigon

Finish

Saigon | 16:00hrs

Lodging

premiere

Level

easy

Avg. dist. cycled

45km or 27mi

Suitable for

Age: 13+

Fly-In

SGN

Fly-Out

SGN

Highlights

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Mekong Delta

Ride through the interior trails of Mekong Delta and live the life around it.

Itinerary

Brief Itinerary

DayPlacepremiere Inns or similarMealsDistanceActivity
DAY 1SaigonHotel Des ArtsD
DAY 2Cai BeMekong Riverside Boutique ResortB,L,D 40km / 24micycling
DAY 3Can ThoVictoria Can ThoB,L50km / 30micycling
DAY 4 Can ThoB,L25km / 15micycling

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.

Meals: D
Accommodation: Hotel Des Arts
Itinerary Image

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.

Meals: B,L,D
Cycling Distance: 40km / 24mi
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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.

Meals: B,L
Cycling Distance: 50km / 30mi
Accommodation: Victoria Can Tho
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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.

Meals: B,L
Cycling Distance: 25km / 15mi
Accommodation:

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.

Highlight Image

Hotel Des Arts

Touch of artistic flair in unique and luxurious surroundings, Hôtel des Arts are the jewel of Saigon, a 5-star hotel that is simply beyond compare.

Dates and Prices

Members get an estimated 10% off on this trip.

$50/yearLearn more


Single Supplement

From US $300

E-Bike Upgrade

From US $60


Couldn't find a trip with convenient dates?

Open your date as a join-in tour or customize further as a private one.


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.

meals

Some meals may not be included. Please check your itinerary.

Beverages

Beverages such as alcohol, tea, coffee, juice at a hotel or restaurant.

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.

Bike Image

Trek Marlin 5 or similar

mountain

Included in your trip price

Bike Image

Trek X-Caliber 7 or similar

mountain

Included in your trip price

Bike Image

Timewalker or similar

ebike

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.

Reviews from our friends

Kevin Thomas Sheridan from UK

5.0

The cycle route was excellent

The cycle route was excellent. The guide was great. Additional detail in planning to ensure information on and visits to local sites would assist.

End of reviews