Day 1 - Hanoi - Phu Yen (165 km-6 hours)
(L;D)
Ride to Phu Yen on country road with a stop in Son
Tay. After lunch, ride on the winding mountain road to Phu Yen to take in some
of the best mountain views in Northwest Vietnam and overnight at hotel in Phu
Yen.
Day 2 - Hanoi - Mai Chau (145 km-5 hours)
(B, L, D)
There are many small roads that lead into the
mountains around Mai Chau so we’ll take the chance
to ride out to isolated H’mong, Dao and Thai villages. We will take on the
challenge of an old road built by the French army and spend the afternoon
exploring nearby villages. Overnight in a Thai ethnicity stilt house in Mai Chau.
Day 3 - Mai Chau - Tan Ky (290 km-9 hours)
(B, L, D)
Ride on a small, spectacular and paved trail along
the Ma river until Cam Thuy town where we will stop for lunch. Hit the Ho Chi
Minh trail (now a newly built highway) all the way to Tan Ky town where we
spend the night in a hotel.
Day 4 - Tan Ky - Phong Nha (280 km-8
hours) (B, L, D)
Ride on Ho Chi Minh Highway until Pho Chau where we
stop to visit the HCM Trail victory monument which is in fact the real starting
point of our HCM Trail ride.Ride all the way to Phong Nha - Ke Bang, the biggest
and also the most beautiful cave in Vietnam and Indochina and is now a UNESCO
World Natural Heritage site. Overnight at hotel.
Day 5 - Phong Nha - Dong Hoi (60 km-2
hours) (B, L, D)
Boating and exploring World Heritage site of Phong
Nha where local civilians and military sheltered from incessant bombing during
wartime. Then we drive down to the coastal town of Dong Hoi, which was heavily
shelled by US warships during the war. At a hotel over looking the beach, we
can take in some sunbathing by the beach. Overnight in Dong Hoi.
Day 6 - Dong Hoi - Khe Sanh (200 km, 6
hours) (B, L, D)
We will strike south through foothills which were
once sprayed heavily by Agent Orange towards the former DMZ. There is still
much evidence of bombing on the mountain sides and from time to time we will
see remnants of the original Trail. We take in the Vinh Moc tunnel, the famous
Hien Luong Bridge (former demarcation line between North and South Vietnam, the
Truong Son Cemetery and finally Khe Sanh (former US Marine base). Overnight in
Khe Sanh.
Day 7 - Khe Sanh - Hue (180 km-7 hours)
(B, L, D)
In the morning we head south over the Da Krong Bridge
(built by the Cubans in 1973) into the infamous A Shau valley, an area of
intense wartime activity. Passing Hamburger Hill and mountains still barren due
to the extended effects of Agent Orange, we arrive at A Luoi, where there are
many Bru Van hill tribe people. Then, cruising through green back country down
the steep Me Oi Pass, we continue on to the beautiful city of Hue which lies along the banks of
the Perfume River. Overnight in Hue.
Day 8 - Hue - Hoi An (145 km, 5 hours)
(B, L, D)
See the Forbidden Citadel in the morning. Join the
National Highway 1 and head up the Hai Van Pass (Cloudy Pass) before
the World Heritage site of Hoi An, a major trading centre in
SE Asia in the 16th and 17th centuries. Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 9 - Hoi An. Farewell lunch(B, L) T
Today we can enjoy a free day to explore Hoi An by
foot or by motorbike taxi. With fine wining and dining (including a range of
Hoi An specialties), impressive architecture, fantastic tailoring, endless
shopping, and a glorious beach, there is no shortage of activities to indulge
in. After lunch, we will say goodbye and our guide flies back to Hanoi from
Danang.
Cultural tours
