Vietnam Cycle Touring
From £377 per person*
Cycle the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Overview | 4D/3N Southern Delta Loop | 4D/3N Northern Delta Loop
Cycle the Mekong Delta lets you see a part of Vietnam that is quite unique. This area is known as the "rice basket" of Vietnam and boasts flat and lush scenery, quite unlike anything else you will see in Vietnam. The rich soil makes the Mekong Delta a fruitful production area for rice, coconut, sugar cane, all manner of fruits and vegetables.
The adventure starts with a ride from Cai Lay to Cai Be on quiet back roads, lunching on an island before staying overnight with a local family. We enjoy boat journeys as well as riding by orchards and seeing Vietnamese life by the river. Day three takes us through the Khmer area and we see much evidence of this with the architecture amd the many Khmer people who populate this area. The last day we take in the Phong Dien floating market and many of the cottage industries before we head back to Saigon in the afternoon.
TRIP PROFILE
This trip covers a little over 170 kilometres on well surfaced roads. The daily distances are not too long and the terrain is gentle so this trip is suitable for most people, but it's advisable to have a modicum of fitness to enjoy the riding! Fast cyclists can ride at their own pace, as detailed directions are available from the tour leader. Our route is designed to take us off the main roads as much as possible and there is even the option to try some off road tracks. We explore scenic back roads on the way to all our destinations.
Notes
This cycle ride can be incorporated into a Symbiosis tailor made holiday to Vietnam that can be adapted and tailored to meet your dates, preferences and passions. Please contact one of our bespoke holiday planners to create the ideal itinerary for you.
4D/3N Southern Delta Loop
The mighty Mekong spreads into tentacles and tributaries in southern Vietnam, making the delta fertile and the region one of Vietnam's highest producers of rice, vegetables and fruits. Cycling through rice paddies, orchards, along and over a myriad of small irrigation canals will let you see a unique area of Vietnam. We ride from village to village, boarding a few boats along the way, to give you an up close perspective of Vietnamese life on the river. Take in the Phong Dien floating market before heading back to Saigon.
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City – Cai Be
Transfer with bikes to Cai Lay. Ride to Cai Be on back roads approx 1.5 hours. Have lunch on an island before continuing onto our local home stay run by a lovely retired couple, Mr. and Mrs. Ba. They live in a typical Mekong Delta Vietnamese house, with airy rooms and outdoor kitchen. The rest of the afternoon is free to bike the dirt paths surrounding the home stay. Dinner will be prepared by the home stay hosts.
Mr. and Mrs. Ba’s Home stay. Ride 18-30 km. L D
Day 2: Cai Be – Vinh Long – Tra Vinh
From Vinh Long enjoy a boat journey out to one of the Mekong islands. Bike along narrow country lanes, easy dirt tracks and trails. This is biking at its most glorious -- through tiny orchards, witness colorful life along the riverside, pedal past picturesque delta homes, pause to chat with welcoming villagers, clack across innumerable wooden bridges. Cross a narrow canal on a local sampan, before finishing at the main ferry for a refreshing boat trip across the expansive Co Chien River. Ride a final few kilometers to the very pretty Khmer town of Tra Vinh. There will be plenty of time to explore side tracks and trails as the cycling distance today is not far. This gives a great first impression of the ‘heart of the Mekong’.
Local hotel in Tra Vinh. Ride 40 km. B L D
Day 3: Tra Vinh – Can Tho
A special ride today as much of the area is populated by Khmer people. The regional architecture is interesting and there are many Khmer temples to stop and admire en route. Cycle as much or as little as is preferred; the road is peaceful, narrow and very pretty all the way to Can Tho! Pedal to Ba Om Pond with its magnificent lotus flowers, and observe local women having their future predicted in the small temple nearby. En route, stop to visit a local Buddhist Temple School if possible. Arrive finally at Can Tho, the Mekong’s largest town located at the confluence of the Can Tho and Hau Giang rivers.
Local hotel in Can Tho. Ride 40 km. B L D
Day 4: Can Tho bike loop - Saigon
Spend the morning riding to Phong Dien floating market. Weave through teeming early morning market bustle along the banks of an active riverfront. Ride on a narrow paved road to Phong Dien floating market. Absorb the sights of endless cottage industries, timber merchants, coconut shredders, small docks loading/unloading rice, tiny vibrant markets. Continue by bike on the narrow lane and loop round to the main road. Ride to O Mon or Binh Thuy. Lunch in local restaurant in town. Return to the hotel, check out and drive four hours back to your hotel in Saigon.
Ride 40 km. B L
Trip departs every Tuesday, subject to a minimum number of 4 people booked.
Bikes: Bikes provided for this ride are Trek 4500s or similar.
Facts
- Single supplement: USD $95
- Bike Hire: Included
- Total Distance: 150 km
- Departure Days: Every Tuesday
- Number of Days: 4 days / 3 nights
- Number of Cycling Days: 2 full days and 2 half-days
- Road Surface: This tour follows a mixture of well-surfaced roads and the option to go off road onto single track
- Support: One or two 8-seat air-conditioned buses converted to take bikes and bikers.
- Group Size: Minimum 4. Maximum 16.
- Staff: All groups will be lead by a Vietnamese cycling guide plus drivers and assistants for all groups.
- Accommodation: We have 2 nights in 3 star hotels, all rooms have a/c and private facilities as a minimum and we always choose hotels with charm and character whenever possible.
- Food: All meals are included except for the breakfast on Day 1 and dinner on Day 4.
- Biking Difficulty: moderate to easy
4D/3N Northern Delta Loop
Day1: Saigon - Vinh Long. (L,D)
Departing Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) we travel two hours to My Tho where we board our boat. Late morning finds us drifting down bustling arteries of the Mekong from where we veer off to travel down the tranquil canals. Our sightseeing on the island includes a visit to a traditional Mekong Delta home and its kitchen, where we sample seasonal fruit along with tea and honey and even local wine. We then walk to the village's boat landing where we board small sampans and paddle along narrow arroyos (waterways). We will break for lunch at a local restaurant.
Following lunch, we enjoy a leisurely, two-hour afternoon bicycle ride along a narrow dirt road during which we traverse bridges and pass through local farms. Arriving in Cai Be, we board a boat to the floating market and then cruise over the 1.5km wide Mekong river to Binh Hoa Phuoc. You can expect spectacular sunsets along the Mekong. Dinner and overnight in an eco-guesthouse on Binh Hoa Phuoc island.
Day 2: Vinh Long – Long Xuyen - Chau Doc (B,L,D)
Following breakfast, under the cool shelter of the green canopy, we bike half an hour to the ferry crossing to Vinh Long. We then have an extended ride to An Hoa and on to Chau Doc. This is a long day on two wheels, going through immense rice fields and countryside villages.
After lunch, we transfer to Chau Doc, then mount the bikes again and ride to Nui Sam mountain. Hike up the 2.5km to the summit and enjoy the sun set over the panoramic rice fields between Viet Nam and Cambodia. Overnight in Chau Doc.
Day 3: Chau Doc – Tri Ton - Can Tho. (B,L,D)
Up early for a boat trip through the amazing riverside market with all its bustling activity and smorgasbord of sounds, colours and smells. Then cruise through to a fish farming village producing tons and tons of fish in nets suspended beneath hundreds of floating homes.
Discover the ethnic Cham village with its famous Mubarak Mosque and observe local women at their traditional weaving. Cycle to the Cambodia border with a stop at Tra Su Nature Reserve and another to see Khmer pagoda en route. Part drive and part cycle - depending on time and guests' inclination - to Can Tho, the Delta's largest city. O/n in Can Tho.
Day 4: Can Tho - SaiGon (B,L).
Early morning boat trip to Cai Rang floating market followed by a scenic cruise along natural waterways before turning up a quiet canal and mounting our bikes for a 2 hour ride following single track trails alongside small canals and on countryside roads, enjoying the beautiful Delta scenery and meeting the locals (many on bicycles too). Cross a ferry for more riding through verdant rice fields, cycling through numerous rural riverside villages. Lunch break at a local cafe. The van will then pick us up for transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Cost : USD494 per person, twin share, based on mimimum 2 people, year-round.
Services include :
- Hotel accommodation in twin share with breakfast.
- Boat trips and entrance fees.
- Meals as specified (L: lunch/ D: dinner).
- Transport : Air-conditioned minivan support with cold drinking water and towels.
- Experienced English-speaking tour guide.
- High-end mountain bike/ hybrid bike.
There are no scheduled trips of this itinearary, but it can be arranged (with sufficient notice) at any time of year on a private basis, subject to the availability of the guides.
* NOTE. Prices indicated on this website are shown as a guideline only and may be subject to currency fluctuations, banking fees and other changes outside our control. Pricing information is available in
other currencies.
