Thoughtfully Crafted Vietnam Bike Tours and E-Bike Tours

At Art of Bicycle Trips, we believe in experiential travel. Our tours combine cycling with cultural activities and nature exploration.

An average day on tour includes 4-5 hours of biking, with the rest of the day reserved for local experiences such as exploring local attractions, interacting with local communities, visiting monuments and museums, learning local crafts, trying local cuisine and more. Most days may also include shuttle transfers of between 1-2 hours.

Each guided Vietnam bike tour is led by an expert trip leader who is also a local. ABT trip leaders are a repository of local knowledge, routes, customs, cultures, and cuisines. By employing only local guides, we also help generate employment opportunities for local communities.

All hotels on tour are carefully chosen for their character, comfort, and cuisine, and each hotel becomes an experience in itself that guests can enjoy.

A support vehicle accompanies guests at all times, and if at any point a rider does not feel like biking any further, they can always load their bike and sit in the support van.

We pride ourselves on the degree of customization we provide on each tour, and are always happy to accommodate any special requests from our guests relating to the tour.

We have two types of accommodation on all our Vietnam bike tours:

Premier inns

These are best-in-class accommodations that include a mix of tastefully restored heritage properties and modern luxury hotels.

La Residence and Anantara are examples of premiere inns we use on our Vietnam Bike tours.

Casual inns

These are a mix of small luxury hotels, boutique inns, and homestays. Most of these are classified as three-star hotels, with the occasional four-star as well.

For instance, Pu Luong Home is a homestay we use on several of our Vietnam bike tours.

Cocoland River Beach Resort is an example of a boutique hotel that we use for casual inns.

However, please note that this isn't a strict dichotomy, and the final selection of hotels in an itinerary is influenced by availability of hotels in that region as well. For instance, sometimes we include boutique hotels among our Premiere inns as well to connect the dots in the itinerary. At times, there aren’t many options available in particular locations and we pick the best available hotel in that region. This is especially true for locations that are off-beat or remote.

Yes, on most days we have lunch at local restaurants along the way that serve delicious Vietnamese food.

For more details, refer to the detailed itinerary for your chosen Vietnam bike tour, or have a look at our Vietnam cycling guide to know more about some must-have dishes on a Vietnam bike tour

We have mountain bikes available for all our Vietnam bike tours. The bikes we use are Trek Marlin, Trek X Caliber, Cannondale Trail or similar.

For the following three tours, gravel bikes are also available in addition to mountain bikes:

• High in the Northwest Gravel Bike
• Ho Chi Minh Trail by Gravel Bike
• Enthralling Coastal Vietnam Bike Tour

The gravel bikes we use are Giant Northwest, Trek Gravel Bike or Similar

E-bikes are available for all our Vietnam Bike Tours.

About 40% of Vietnam is mountainous and one should expect to encounter hills at most places except the northeastern corner which makes up the Red River delta and the southwestern corner which makes up the Mekong delta.

However, most of these hills are not very challenging. The only challenging climbs are the occasional mountain pass such as the following:

Tram Ton pass at 2000m (6561 ft) in Lai Chau is Vietnam’s highest pass. The pass is located in Sapa, and if your itinerary includes Sapa, such as the High in the Northwest Gravel Bike tour or the Hanoi to Luang Prabang bike tour,

The Han Giao pass at 1,600m (5,390ft) is located in southern Vietnam, and if your itinerary includes the beach resort of Nha Trang, such as the Riveting Saigon to Hanoi bike tour, you will encounter this pass.

The Hai Van pass in Hoi An 500 m (1,630 ft) is another mountain pass in Vietnam, and if your itinerary includes Hoi An, such as the Hue to Hoi An Bike tour, you will encounter this pass.

Please also note that in Vietnam, the road surface may vary from being paved surface to being gravel, dirt, or sand. We also cross several narrow crescent bridges.

Vietnam is a tropical country located in the northern hemisphere, and the best time for a cycling tour in Vietnam is generally from September to May. However, there are some regional variations, for instance, south Vietnam is a year-round destination, with only April and May being uncomfortably hot. For more details on the best time to bike in each region of Vietnam, refer to our Vietnam cycling guide.

It is advised to book your bike tour at least 6 months prior to departure.

To book a tour, we require a deposit of 10% of the tour price per person. Once the deposit is received, we’ll send you a confirmation mail. The remaining payment needs to be made 2 months prior to departure. For more details, refer to our Terms and Conditions page.

Our tours are all-inclusive, which means meals, permits, fees, transportation and other additional costs are included in the price of the trip, unless otherwise stated.

How Long Does It Take to Cycle Vietnam?

If you plan to bike the entire length of Vietnam from Hanoi to Saigon, 17 days is a good time. This allows you to cover all the major highlights including Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh, etc. You can also do a shorter version of the tour in 14 days.

If you plan to only bike a portion of Vietnam, such as coastal Vietnam or northern Vietnam, 9-10 days is usually enough

What Do You Wear On a Vietnam Bike Tour?

Vietnam is a tropical country with warm weather that receives plenty of rain. So it is good to wear loose, comfortable clothing that keeps you cool while also protecting you from the sun. It is also good to pack a light rain jacket to account for the unpredictable weather. Avoid wearing clothes that are too short or too tight.

Is It Safe to Cycle in Vietnam?

Yes, Vietnam is a popular cycling destination. Not only does it receive thousands of international visitors each year, but cycling is also popular among the Vietnamese as a means of commuting over short distances. As far as safety of international tourists traveling to Vietnam is considered, the US Department of State classifies Vietnam as a Level 1 destination where visitors are advised to exercise normal precautions. This is the lowest risk level and countries at this risk level are considered the safest to travel to.

Do You Offer Any Discounts On Your Vietnam Bike Tours?

Yes. Holders of our Silver Riders Club Membership get a 5% discount on the trip price, and additional benefits such as complimentary e-bike upgrades that add up to another 5% of the trip price. For more details, refer to our Silver Riders Club Membership page.

Do You Have Any Family-Oriented Bike Tours in Vietnam?

If you plan to travel with your family including children, write to us with your requirements, and we will try our best to design a custom itinerary that suits your requirements.