Vietnam Hike, Bike & Kayak
10 days, Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi
Itinerary
Day 1Ho Chi Minh City
Arrive at any time.
There are no activities planned until an evening welcome meeting.
Please note: most nationalities require a visa to enter Vietnam. Please double check requirements with your travel agent or local Vietnamese Embassy.
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Accommodation
Below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher.
A25 Hotel CMT8 (or similar)
Day 2Ho Chi Minh City/Hoi An
Cycle to the Cu Chi Tunnels for a guided tour. Travel through the countryside and stop at local points of interest along the way. In the afternoon, fly to Hoi An via Danang.
Củ Chi Cycling
Start off on the back roads. Ride through rubber plantations and sleepy villages where residents tend rice fields. See where rice paper is made. Finish the ride at the Cu Chi Tunnels, extensive underground bases and an example of one of the greatest advantages the Viet Cong held over the Americans in the war.
Cu Chi Tunnels Guided Tour
Take a guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels, a complex network of tunnels that the Viet Cong lived in to protect themselves from opposing forces during the Vietnam War. Try crawling through some of the tunnels (if you’re not claustrophobic). These tunnels stored ammunition, had underground hospitals, and served as a hidden base for attacking allied forces.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Accommodation
De Vivre Hoi An Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 3Hoi An
Explore the villages around Hoi An by bike before enjoying a noodle making demonstration and lunch at Oodles of Noodles, a G Adventures-supported project. Opt to relax on the beach, or visit the tailors in town.
Hoi An Cycling Excursion
Enjoy a peaceful exploration of the villages around Hoi An led by your CEO. Cycle through rice paddies and along narrow country lanes, taking in scenes of daily life.
Your G for Good Moment: Oodles of Noodles
Try some of the oodles of noodles (more than 26 types!) available in the city in this tasty cooking class. Run by our G for Good partners, STREETS International, this class was developed exclusively for G Adventures. Former street youth that are part of this hospitality training program, will help you prepare and cook a number of different types of noodles. This program helps these youth practice their English, increasing their skill-set and opportunities available to them in the tourism industry. Enjoy your yummy creations while learning more about the local cuisine and this initiative which empowers street youth through skills and employment training.
Free Time
Use free time in this quaint town to explore any way you like.
Optional Activities - Day 3 HideShow
Hoi An Cooking Class
35USD per personTake a cooking class to learn more about Vietnamese food and its distinct flavours. Tour the local market to buy fresh ingredients before preparing some popular regional dishes. Enjoy your creations when you're done!
Hoi An Old Town Walking Tour
6USD per personStroll through the narrow winding streets of Hoi An’s old town to see Chinese assembly halls, ancestral homes, The Japanese Covered Bridge, and well-preserved pagodas on this self-guided tour. Opt to try local delicacies and fusion food at one of the restaurants for which Hoi An is becoming famous.
Accommodation
De Vivre Hoi An Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 4Hoi An/Huế
Drive the Hai Van Pass to the ancient capital of Hue.
Free Time
Use free time in this quaint town to explore any way you like.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Accommodation
Asia Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 5Huế/Hanoi
See Hue by bike, including the Citadel and the tomb of Tu Duc. Take an overnight train to Hanoi.
Set out on bicycles to discover Hue, visiting the former Citadel and Tu Duc's tomb. After spending the day cycling, head back to town before taking an overnight train to Hanoi.
Hue Cycling Tour
Cycle through Hue and to landmarks like the Citadel and Tu Duc's tomb.
Basic Overnight Train (beds)
There will be a 15-min transfer by private bus to the train.
The sleeper trains in Vietnam are quite comfortable. Each cabin sleeps four people in two bunk beds. You will be able to lock the door from the inside. All bedding is provided. The train is air conditioned and has squat and Western-style toilets with a wash basin at the end of each compartment. Bags can be stored in the cabin and accessed at anytime. Food and drinks are available for purchase on board. This is not to everyone’s taste, so bringing your own is recommended.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 6Hanoi/Mai Châu
Transfer to Mai Chau, then continue out into the countryside. Hike the Mai Chau area and enjoy a homestay with local meals provided.
Upon arrival in Hanoi, drive out into the nearby hills. Reach Mai Chau in the late morning and then take a hike around the area to visit some of the Thai minority people who call this valley home. Enjoy a home-cooked meal and sleep in a dormitory-style long house in traditional style.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Mai Chau Hike
Leave the city behind and travel up into the mountains north of Vietnam. Walk through villages and past rice paddies up into the hills. The hike is simple enough for anyone in good health, although the terrain can become slippery underfoot if the weather changes.
Your Local Living Moment: Mai Chau Homestay
Enjoy a homestay in Mai Chau – make new friends and learn all about local living. Reach Mai Chau in the late morning, and then hike around the area to visit some of the Thai minority people who call this valley home. With its green rice fields, punctuated by traditional brick kilns and surrounded by mountains, Mai Chau is yet another picture-perfect moment in the adventure of Vietnam.
Enjoy a home-cooked meal during the evening, and sleep in a dormitory-style long house in traditional style. (The group will be provided with mattresses, mosquito nets, and blankets – the homestay is comfortable, but basic.)
Accommodation
Mai Chau Homestay (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 7Mai Châu/Hanoi
Return to Hanoi before cycling the outskirts of the city. In the evening, walk through the Old Quarter and take in the beautiful sites.
In the morning, transfer back to Hanoi. In the afternoon, cross the river and take a ride around the quieter suburbs surrounding Hanoi. Return to town to spend the evening exploring the Old Quarter. Opt to attend a famous water puppets' performance and sample some of Hanoi's amazing eating venues.
Interested in local cuisine? Opt to pre-book the "Hanoi Foodie Culture Tour" activity on the checkout page ahead of time, to include this optional on your tour.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Hanoi Cycling Tour
Distance cycled: 25km (15 mi)
Old Quarter Orientation Walk
Take an orientation walk through Hanoi's Old Quarter, a maze of streets, each one traditionally devoted to a different product or industry. Each street is named after the trade practiced on that street for several generations; it's an interesting glimpse into the life of a Hanoian in one of the oldest parts of town. Need a rest? Stop at Bia Hoi corner and pull up a plastic stool. Drink the local brew with the locals and make new friends.
Optional Activities - Day 7 HideShow
Hanoi Foodie Culture Tour
Indulge your inner foodie with a street food tour through bustling Hanoi. Follow your guide through the back streets and markets of the city’s old quarter, sampling local fare along the way. Mingle with city natives and experienced street food artists alike, as you taste a variety of Hanoi faves like “nem ran” and “banh goi.” Stop at a streetside bar to savour a draught beer like Hanoians do. Cap off the tour at the Hanoi Food Culture restaurant, a G Values Fund Project, and try the city’s signature specialty coffee.
Thăng Long Water Puppet Theatre Performance
200000VND per personWatch a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show with beautiful live music and intricate puppets dancing in a water stage. The price listed above is for a VIP seat.
Accommodation
Thien Thai Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 8Hanoi/Ha Long
Relax on a traditional junk boat cruise around Halong Bay and indulge in an included seafood lunch. This afternoon, explore Halong Bay by kayak for a different perspective.
Thousands of islands rise dramatically from the waters of Halong Bay and, to further their beauty, intricate cave systems naturally exist throughout these limestone karst formations. Our sailing junk will visit some of the islands and caves. Enjoy an evening drink on the deck beneath the stars.
The evening's accommodation is a special experience – sleeping on a boat surrounded by high limestone karsts.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Halong Bay Overnight Cruise
Cruise through majestic Ha Long Bay on a traditional wooden junk boat. Enjoy your time afloat eating fresh seafood, and exploring Sung Sot cave. Spend a peaceful night anchored in the bay under the stars. On rare occasion Halong Bay is closed to tourist vessels by the government authorities due to extreme weather conditions. Should this occur, an alternate activity will be provided.
Halong Bay Kayak Excursion
Travel the narrower channels of Halong Bay by kayak. See rock gardens, dark sea caves, lagoons and limestone karsts.
On rare occasion Halong Bay is closed to tourist vessels by the government authorities due to extreme weather conditions. Should this occur, an alternate activity will be provided.
Accommodation
Halong Private Boat (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 9Ha Long/Hanoi
Marvel at the limestone karsts of Halong Bay. Return to Hanoi in the mid-afternoon for a final night out.
In the morning, enjoy one last view of the magnificent limestone islands.
Head back to dry land to embark on a private bus to Hanoi. In the afternoon, delve deeper into the site of Hanoi and opt to explore the exterior of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton).
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Optional Activities - Day 9 HideShow
Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton) Guided Tour
Tour the museum of Hoa Lo Prison, referred to as Hanoi Hilton by American prisoners, to learn more about the Vietnam War.
Accommodation
Thien Thai Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 10Hanoi
Depart at any time.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.