Bike Tours
Bicycle is best way to slow down and see real life of Vietnamese hinterland.
What it is and why
Bike tour in Vietnam is way to feel rhythm of country. You pass in meter from buffaloes, chewing grass on roadside, wave hand to children, running out from schools, and feel smell of blooming coffee or just cut rice. From easy walks on flat delta of Mekong to exhausting but breathtaking ascents on Dong Van passes — format each chooses himself.
In popular places (Hoi An, Ninh Binh) bicycle is main transport for inspection of sights. Rental costs penny, and roads between temples and fields often closed for heavy machines, that makes walk maximally comfortable. For serious riders exist multi-day tours with escort car, which carries luggage and reserve of water.
Where to do it in Vietnam
Points on the map are real places where this activity can be done. Numbers in the list match the markers.
- Tam Coc rice fieldsNinh Binh
Flat relief, excellent bike paths among karst mountains.
- Cam Nam islandHoi An
Short routes between plantations of coconuts and rice fields directly from city center.
- Coffee valleys of Da LatDa Lat
Hilly terrain, cool air, many coffee farms on way.
- Muong Hoa valleySapa
Difficult route with steep descents for experienced riders.
Tips
- Always check brakes before rental: Vietnamese bikes often exploited "to wear".
- Do not go out in rush hour (17:00–18:30) in large cities — density of traffic can be exhausting.
- Use application Strava or Komoot for search of secondary roads: they much more picturesque and safer than highway.
- Sun cream obligatory even in cloudy weather, and closed clothing will save not only from sun, but also from small insects on fields.
Caution
- Vietnamese traffic chaotic. Rule one: always be predictable for other participants of traffic and never make sharp maneuvers.
- Avoid riding on federal highways (QL - Quoc Lo) — there very intense cargo traffic.