BIKE TOURS > Quick Get Aways > 2 Days
Mai Chau Valley
Mai Chau is located in Hoa Binh Province in the northwest of Vietnam about 160km from Hanoi. The 4 hour drive takes you past wonderful limestone mountains, lush rice paddies, sugar cane plantations and small villages.
This off-the-path destination offers a wonderful combination of cultural immersion and pleasurable activities. Beautiful and peaceful Mai Chau is a place where the air is clean and fresh, the women continue to practice hand weaving. This a naturally beautiful place where a simple and slower paced lifestyle is enviable. Perfect for a 2 day get-away.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Hanoi - Mai Chau (160km/4 hours)
At 8.30am, we leave Hanoi and ride to the beautiful Mai Chau Valley, taking a safe route with spectacular views around every bend. Upon arrival in Hoa Binh town, we stop for lunch before visiting the Hydro Electric Station, built in 1979. When we arrive in Mai Chau, we meet our homestay hosts who welcome us to stay in a traditional stilt house. Later, walking around the village you will see woman skillfully weaving scarves and traditional clothing, while others make "Com Lam" a traditional rice cooked in bamboo tubes and charbroiled over an open flame. Get back to the silt house for dinner, then take part in the local people's dancing and singing. Overnight in stilt house in Mai Chau.
Day 2: Mai Chau - Hanoi (160km/4 hours)
After breakfast, we ride to Moc Chau and our guide will take you to the village of the Muong people. You are free to discover the lifestyle and culture of the ethnic people living here. Have lunch in Hoa Binh town, then head back to Hanoi. Enjoy 4 hours road trip with beautiful scenery along the way, arriving in Hanoi at around 6.00pm.
Ba Vi National Park
For those who have a passion for motorbike riding and discovering nature, a two day visit to Ba Vi National Park is a great experience.
Ba Vi National Park (Vườn quốc gia Ba Vì) is a national park located 48km west of Hanoi. The park is 7,377 ha (28.4 square miles) in area, and is located in the Ba Vi mountain range. The park has rich and diverse tropical and subtropical species of flora and fauna.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Hanoi - Ba Vi (80km/2.5 hours)
At 8.30am, we leave Hanoi for one hour riding to Ba Vi National Park. Free and easy day for trekking and discovering the wildlife there and enjoying the peaceful nature in the evening. Get back to the hotel for dinner. Overnight in hotel in Ba Vi.
Day 2: Ba Vi - Hanoi (80km/2.5 hours)
Have breakfast and check-out of the hotel. We ride to the Bang Ta eco-tourist area for more trekking and discovering the eco-tourism potential here. After that, we ride to Dam Long, one of the most beautiful lakes in the area, attracting many visitors on weekends. Have lunch in a local restaurant before riding back to Hanoi, and arrive in Hanoi at around 6.00pm.
Cuc Phuong - Tam Coc
This trip takes you to two great natural destinations outside Hanoi -Cuc Phuong National Park and Tam Coc. Cuc Phuong is Vietnam’s oldest national park (established 1962), 120km southwest of Hanoi. Among its unique sights is a 1,000 year old Sequoia tree. Tam Coc, near Ninh Binh, is a serene area of rice fields and rocky limestone karsts, best experienced from a rowboat along the Ngo Dong River.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Hanoi - Cuc Phuong
At 8.00am, we leave Hanoi and head to Ninh Binh. We visit the Primate Rescue center, then we ride 20km through Cuc Phuong forest to the park center, have a tea break and then trek (3 hr round trip) to the 1,000 year old Sequoia tree. Back on our bikes for the drive from the park, passing the local ferry and on to Ninh Binh town. We then drive to Tam Coc for the night. Overnight in a hotel in Tam Coc.
Day 2: Tam Coc - Hanoi
After breakfast, we take a two hour boat trip on the river to enjoy the scenery and take pictures. Return to the harbor and get off the boat, we enjoy lunch with the local delicious dishes. In the afternoon, we drive back to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi at around 5.00pm.
Cat Ba Island
Cat Ba Island is situated in Ha Long Bay, 50km to the east of Hai Phong City. It is the largest of 366 islands in the Cat Ba Archipelago, and has a surface area of about 140 square km. The Cat Ba Archipelago shares the distinctive rugged appearance and scenic beauty of the Ha Long Bay area that was declared a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1994. The area is one of the best examples in the world of a Karst landscape invaded by the sea. Some 1500-2000 large and small islands and cliffs rise steeply from the shallow marine waters. The two days riding to Cat Ba is a perfect way to discover the national park and the beautiful beaches there.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Hanoi - Hai Phong - Cat Ba
At 8.00am, we depart Hanoi to Hai Phong city. Enjoy two hours riding on the National Road #5, before we reach Hai Phong which is one of the biggest ports in north Vietnam. We then travel on to the ferry station for one hour boat trip to Cat Ba Island. Upon arrival, we check in the hotel and have a break for lunch. In the afternoon, we are free to swim at the beautiful beaches in the area. Get back to the hotel for dinner and take a walk around the town. Overnight in hotel in Cat Ba.
Day 2: Cat Ba - Hai Phong - Hanoi
After breakfast we ride to Cat Ba National Park to discover the diversity of the fauna and flora here. After two hours trekking in the park, we ride back to the hotel for checkout. Have lunch before moving to the harbor for transferring back to Hai Phong. Another two hours riding on the National Road #5, we reach Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi at around 6.00pm.
Cycling in Ninh Binh
This trip takes you to two great natural destinations in Ninh Binh Province, south-east of Hanoi. On day one, we will visit Tam Coc, a serene area of rice fields and rocky limestone karsts, best experienced from a rowboat along the Ngo Dong River. On day two, we will visit Cuc Phuong, Vietnam’s oldest national park (established 1962). Among its unique sights is a 1,000 year old Sequoia tree.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Ha Noi – Ninh Binh. We depart Hanoi at 8.00am and head south on a two hour scenic drive. As soon as we arrive in Hoa Lu, we ready our bicycles and start cycling to the two remaining temples of the ancient citadel of Hoa Lu. Our morning continues with a 1 hour pedal to Tam Coc (12km), passing scenes of local village life, rice paddies and ethnic villages. Our goal for the morning will be to make it to Tam Coc just in time for lunch. After lunch we will spend some time relaxing on a 3 hour boat trip at Tam Coc, then its back on the bicycles to Ninh Binh to check-in at our hotel. Dinner and overnight here.
Day 2: Ninh Binh – Cuc Phuong – Ha Noi. Sunrise and breakfast, then load our luggage onto the van and its back on the bikes. Today we cycle to Cuc Phuong National Park (50km). Lunch in Cuc Phuong followed by a visit to the Endangered Species Center, and the one thousand year old tree. Then a short coffee break before boarding the bus back to Hanoi. We should be back in town at 7.00pm.