About this trip
This is a full-length cycle from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, covering the length of Vietnam over two weeks in the saddle. You ride through fishing villages, terraced rice paddies and jungle-covered mountains, with the famous switchbacks of the Hai Van Pass among the physical highlights.
It's not all pedalling. The route builds in an overnight cruise through the limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay and two nights on Whale Island to recover and swim, alongside plenty of everyday contact with local people along the road.
Guided throughout, this is built as an accessible entry point into small-group cycling trips, though the distance covered over 14 days still makes for a proper physical undertaking.
What you'll do
- Cycle the length of Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi
- Climb the coastal switchbacks of the Hai Van Pass
- Ride past rice terraces, fishing villages and jungle-covered mountains
- Overnight cruise through the limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay
- Two nights unwinding on Whale Island
- A serious cycling itinerary — expect consecutive days in the saddle covering real distance
- Pitched as suitable for those new to small-group bike tours despite the demanding route
- Runs over Christmas and New Year
Worth it if you're a confident cyclist seeking immersive cultural cycling and can handle variable group sizes. Think twice if you're after a relaxed pace with deep local connections or have only a basic mountain bike.
- Guides consistently praised for local knowledge, enthusiasm, and responsiveness; Exodus resolves crises like flooding by rerouting and rebooking mid-trip.
- Cycling lets you absorb Vietnam's sounds, smells, and street energy in ways motorised tours can't; rural cycling routes genuinely beautiful.
- Heavy reliance on buses between cycling segments limits actual local interaction; some felt it was 'bicycle trip with Vietnam as backdrop.'
- Group size varies widely (8 to 18 people); larger groups reduce intimacy. Physically demanding; standard mountain bikes struggle on this terrain.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.
Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and availability come from our own daily tracking.
Departing in Jul is cheapest — from £1,775, about 17% below the priciest month (Jan).
Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Ho Chi Minh City · 25 Jul – 26 Jul
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