6 days
From US $1,295
Hue to Hoi An Bike Tour
A classic bike tour from Hue to Hoi An, taking in the coastal route of Vietnam. Pristine and untouched sceneries on earth, coastal Vietnam is sure to leave you wonderstruck. Here lush countrysides, forests, and pristine beaches go hand in hand with bustling wet markets, charming old towns, and trendy young cities.
The cycling is mainly through the countryside and along beaches. One day of cycling involves a long and arduous climb of about 10km to the Hai Van pass, followed by a downhill. This tour is perfectly suitable for families with young children.
Hue | 13:00hrs
Hoi An
casual
easy to moderate
40km or 24mi
Min. 2, Max. 14
Phu Bai International Airport (HUI)
Danang International Airport (DAD)
Highlights
Coastal ride
A classic coast route combined with spectacular hinterland trails
Itinerary
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Place | casual Inns or similar | Meals | Distance | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAY 1 | Hué | Rosaleen Boutique Hotel | D | 25km / 15mi | cycling |
| DAY 2 | Hué | Rosaleen Boutique Hotel | B,L | 30km / 18mi | cycling |
| DAY 3 | Lang Co | Lang Co Beach | B,L,D | 70km / 42mi | cycling |
| DAY 4 | Hoi An | River Town Hoi An | B,L | 70km / 42mi | cycling |
| DAY 5 | Hoi An | River Town Hoi An | B,L,D | 30km / 18mi | cycling |
| DAY 6 | Hoi An | B |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Hué
The UNESCO World Heritage town of Hué is your gateway to Coastal Vietnam. Post-lunch: 13:00hrs, our guide meets at your hotel.
Today take your bicycle out for a leisurely loop around the imperial town of Hué. Ride past the Citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda, Mausoleums, and the merchant’s houses along the banks of the Perfume River and through quiet lanes with lush gardens. It is your first tryst with the Vietnamese way of life.
Day 2: Hué
Explore the ‘purple city’ on a short countryside loop on a bike, swerving to unthreaded nooks and corners through the beautiful rural countryside and absorbing this historic capital city of Vietnam at your own pace.
After a hearty breakfast, we take a short transfer out of Hue to visit the Thanh Toan Bridge, the most ancient bridge in Vietnam. It is one of two bridges remaining in Vietnam today that retains its unique architectural style. We then cycle to Dam Chuon Lagoon, a part of the Tam Giang Lagoon system. It is a must-see spot for all those who are lovers of beautiful scenery and keen photographers.
We continue riding to Thuan An beach, an ideal place for relaxation. On the way to the beach, there will be many houses, temples, pagodas, rice fields, and beautiful gardens to see and explore. Upon arrival at the beach, enjoy a swim, jump back on the bikes, and head to Con Te Islet.
Loopback to Hue and stop at Sinh Village – an ancient village well known for its artists and beautiful, traditional, craft woodblock paintings.
Day 3: Lang Co
After a hearty breakfast, we head out of Hue to the coast. Begin riding off the beaten track along a picturesque, narrow peninsular road. Cross the estuary of the Perfume River and from here, ride over some low hills to the Phuoc Tuong Pass, offering panoramic views of tranquil lagoon and coastline. We break for lunch by the gorgeous lagoon and then shuttle to Lang Co Beach.
Enjoy some good leisure beach time here.
Day 4: Hoi An
Today get ready to conquer the highest pass of the ride. The children may want to jump into a shuttle for the climbing section. Cycle along the Lang Co Bay and through winding paths with spectacular views of wooden fishing boats, waterfalls, mountains, and pine forests. Conquer Hai Van pass for the views of this splendid bay. This rugged pass is the final section of the Truong Son Range stretching to the sea. From the Hai Van pass, enjoy the breathtaking descent to the base and ride through the commercial heartland of Central Vietnam, Danang, to Hoi An, a delightful old trading town and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day 5: Hoi An
Ride along the Thu Bon River through shrimp and coconut farms where the VC lived during American War towards Cua Dai beach. Get on a local ferry for a short ride to Duy Hai Fishing Village (island). A short distance away is the lovely town of Thuan Tinh, set among rice fields and coconut groves. Visit a strawberry garden, sample strawberry tea, and perhaps buy homemade strawberry wine. Also, witness live silkworms in various stages of maturity. Later check out Thanh Ha ceramic village and then take an hour boat journey back to Hoi An for lunch here. Spend the rest of the day as you wish – beach, shopping, exploring – whatever! or experience more of Hoi An by kayak.
Day 6: Hoi An
Your leaders will help with your onward travel.
Ready to plan your adventure? Download a print-ready detailed itinerary.
Map
Dates and Prices
Single Supplement
From US $180
E-Bike Upgrade
From US $100
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Essential Info
Inclusions
LODGING
All hotels as mentioned in the tour details or similar (subject to availability).
trip leader
Expert Trip Leader(s) who look after your every need and add meaning to your vacation.
bike
Immaculately maintained bike with helmet, suited to a terrain.
shuttle
A Van support follows the group of riders and carries all belongings.
meals
Meals as per itinerary. Guests are given the opportunity to dine on their own so that they discover a location independently.
refreshments
Refreshments and mineral water while cycling.
entrance
Entrance fees to most of the monuments and temples.
E-bikes
E-bikes are available (subject to availability) on this trip at a surcharge.
Exclusions
Airport pickup and drop
We recommend to book direclty from airport or hotel.
Beverages
Beverages such as alcohol, tea, coffee, juice at a hotel or restaurant.
Gratuity
Gratuities for your guide team are not included in the trip price.
Arrival & Departure Details
Fly In: Phu Bai International Airport
Fly Out: Da Nang International Airport
Bikes
When you have a road and the thrill of a journey ahead of you, it’s imperative to have a good bike to enjoy it. Our fleet majorly consist of the below bikes as a part of this tour. However, sometimes due to height or availability constraints, we may provide a different but similar quality bike.
Trek Marlin 5 or similar
Included in your trip price
Weather
Coastal Vietnam is a narrow crescent-like coastal strip that is at times only 60 km wide. As a result, it experiences coastal weather phenomena such as high rainfall and occasional typhoons during the wet season that runs from September to December. Travelers during this season should be prepared for last-minute changes to the itinerary. The Best season to visit this region is from January to September with the average temperature hovering around 30°C.
January
Mixed
February
Best
March
Best
April
Best
May
Good
June
Good
July
Good
August
Good
September
Mixed
October
Mixed
November
Mixed
December
Mixed
Best
Good
Mixed
Offseason
Visa
Residents from a number of countries have visa exemption status for tourist visits to Vietnam. For a full list of up-to-date visa-exempt countries, see the Vietnam Foreign Affairs website.
Starting August 15, 2023, the Vietnam government will start offering an e-visa valid for up to 90 days with multiple entries, replacing the current 30-day, single-entry option. Furthermore, passport holders from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom will benefit from an extended visa exemption period of 45 days, up from the current 15 days. Eligible foreign nationals will either benefit from a longer duration of stay and greater flexibility with the extended e-visa validity of up to 90 days and multiple entries, or enjoy an extended visa exemption period of 45 days.
e-Visa – You can apply for an e-visa through the government website, then, once approved, simply print it out and present it upon arrival in Vietnam. The additional benefit of the e-visa is that it's valid at land borders, not just airports. The processing time ranges from 2 to 7 working days. We recommend applying 2 weeks in advance to avoid unexpected delays. Read more about tourist e-visas for Vietnam at the Vietnam Immigration portal and apply there.
While applying online for an approval letter, please ensure that you have the following documents:
- Passport scanned copy: A scanned copy of your passport - front (main) page. It shouldn't be a mobile photo or a photo taken from a laptop. Strictly scanned copy done through a computer scanner.
- Passport size photo: portrait photo (4*6 size, colored photo, white background, straight looking without glasses). A photo taken from a mobile or laptop may or may not work, so I would strictly advise getting one made through a nearby photo studio (retail shop) that specializes in taking photos for visas.
Here is an excellent resource on Vietnam visas that may be worth looking at.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, your trip leader will carry bottled water or RO water in a camper in the support van for guests' use.
Yes, please communicate your dietary preferences to your trip leader and they'll ensure that the food you eat is spiced as per your requirements.
We've designed this itinerary such that most of the cycling happens on quieter countryside roads far from busy traffic. The shuttle transfers on this tour have been strategically planned to bypass busy vehicular traffic.
The road surface is mostly good. 90% of the cycling on this bike tour happens on paved roads.
Yes, you may wear riding shorts while riding your bike. When not cycling, it would be advisable to wear comfortable full-length pants. We recommend keeping a pair of comfortable pants handy in you support van.
When visiting temples and monuments, visitors should wear full-length, loose-fitting pants. Holy places of certain religions may also require covering your head. Your guide will inform of the dress etiquette required for visiting specific religious places.
We are not medical advisors, and as such are not qualified to dispense medical advice. However, we recommend consulting the resources below for advice on vaccines and medications:
- CDC portal for travelers from the US
- NHS' Fit For Travel portal for travelers from the UK
- Smart Traveller portal or travelers from Australia.
In addition to the above, you may also refer to the travel advice issued from time to time by your government.
Although your tour price includes most common expenses, except a few meals not included in the itinerary, you can refer to the following broad guidelines for extra expenditures:
- US $25 per person per day for tours with stays in casual inns
- US $35 per person per day for tours with stays in premiere inns (luxury bike tours)
Most cities in Vietnam have ATMs where you can use your card to withdraw local currency. Any international card with Visa and Mastercard will work at most ATMs.
Tips are not included in your tour price.
As a general rule, you may tip US$ 15-25 per person per day.
This figure is for the entire crew including the trip leader, the driver, and other support staff.
However, you are not obligated to tip, and you can always tip less or more than the above amount depending on the level of service you received on tour.
It is usually the norm to tip the tour guide, who then distributes the amount among the entire crew. However, you can also tip each individual member of the crew if you so desire.
In case you want to tip the staff at a hotel such as porters, you may pay them US $2-3 per day.
The fitness level required for each trip is indicated by the "level" of the tour, which in turn is mentioned on each tour page right next to the price and the trip duration.
Easy: The terrain is mostly flat with a few gentle climbs.
Moderate: The terrain is either mostly flat or consists of rolling hills with a few challenging climbs. There could also be a few days with longer riding distances of up to 75 kms (45 miles)
Difficult: The terrain is mostly hilly with strong elevation gains and/or has long days on the bike. Such trips are recommended for intermediate to advanced cyclists.
Please note that we usually bike around 4-5 hours per day irrespective of the level of the trip.
No, airport transfers are not included in the price for this tour. We recommend booking a cab from the airport to your hotel on the day of your arrival, and booking a cab from the hotel to the airport on the day of your departure.
There's no special clothing required for riding. You can pack a fleece jacket for evenings and early mornings if you're doing this trip from November to February.
The meeting time on Day 1 is mentioned in your travel planner shared with you. You can arrive either on the morning of Day 1 depending on the meeting time, or book a pre-tour night to arrive a day earlier.
We don't have anything planned for the last day, so you are free to depart at your discretion.
