Vietnam and Cambodia: Saigon to Angkor Bike Tour

Our guide meets you at your hotel at 17:00hrs for a bike fitting followed by dinner to celebrate the start of our journey on a bike.

The morning is free for you to explore the city. We recommend exploring some of the most popular sites - Ben Thanh Market, Saigon Opera House, Continental Hotel, The Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and Post Office, The War Remnants Museum, China Town (Cho Lon in Dist 5), Thien Hau Pagoda, Landmark 81 building and Jade Emperor Pagoda. It gives you an excellent introduction to the city’s history with plenty of opportunities to soak up the unique mix of chaos and tranquility that is modern-day Saigon.

If you intend to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City a day in advance, we recommend seizing the chance to explore the Cu Chi Tunnels—an elaborate network of underground passages that were extensively used during the Vietnam War.

A short shuttle transfer brings us to the outskirts of My Tho — the gateway to the Mekong delta. We ride along a small creek to Mekong estuary past gorgeous paddy fields and lush orchards. Along the way, we cross a river on a local ferry. After 20 kms (12.5 mi) of biking, we stop for lunch at a local restaurant.

Post-lunch, we drive in the van for 30 minutes before beginning our afternoon cycling. We ride past coconut plantations on a smooth surface, and under a green canopy of trees growing on either side of the road. En route, we stop at a local family to see how they use coconut fiber to make ropes and use coconut leaves to make thatched huts. After another 30 kms (18.6 mi) miles of cycling, we load our bikes in the van and drive for 40 minutes to our hotel, the Coco Riverside Lodge.

Before dinner, our hotel organizes a fun cooking class where they teach how to make rice pancakes.

We begin the day with a 40 minute shuttle transfer to head deeper into the delta. We then visit a beautiful Khmer Pagoda before beginning the day's biking. We ride past numerous rice fields, rivers, and canals, and over a multitude of bridges that may offer views of floating villages. Apart from rice fields, the region is dotted with many plantations of banana, coconut, and citrus trees.

We stop for coffee after biking for 25 kms (15.5 mi), and then bike another 21 kms (13 mi) before stopping for lunch at a local restaurant.

It’s a long ride today through the interior trails of Mekong Delta to Can Tho. Post lunch, we ride another 20 kms (12.4 mi) on these trails and even cross a river on a local ferry before loading our bike in the van and driving for 90 minutes to Can Tho.

Set on the southern bank of the Hau River, Can Tho is known for its network of canals and nearby floating markets. We reach our hotel around 5 PM.

We start this day at 7:30am and hop on to a boat to experience the early morning Cai Rang floating market. Each boat in this market showcases its distinct specialty, which can be identified by the items hanging on tall poles. While many boats anchor in place, a few gracefully float around, particularly those dedicated to snacks or coffee, catering to the shop owners' needs. The majority of the boats appear weathered, constructed from aged wood and exude a rustic charm.

This bustling market primarily focuses on the sale of fresh produce and food items, ranging from sweet potatoes and watermelons to lychee. Unlike clothing or household goods, the market solely revolves around agricultural products. Exploring this lively marketplace provides a fascinating glimpse into the authentic daily life of the locals. After the boat ride, we disembark onto a pathway made of old railroad ties and proceed to walk along a busy road lined with numerous meat markets, eventually making our way back to the van.

After a shuttle transfer of about 10 minutes, we get on our bikes and ride through country roads flanked by coconut and palm trees, and through rice paddies, and banana plantations. After about 30 kms (19 mi), we load our bikes on the van and drive around an hour to our lunch stop.

Post lunch, we take another shuttle transfer of around 1 hour before resuming our biking. We bike for 20 kms (12.5 mi) through beautiful vegetable farms and on a smooth surface. We stop for a visit at a Vietnamese pagoda, before loading our bikes in the van and calling it a day. We drive for about 10 minutes before arriving at the culturally diverse Chau Doc as we get to see mosques, temples, and churches here. If we make it on time, we take a boat trip to the Cham communities across the river.

Take an early morning 07:30 am speed boat and arrive at the capital city of Cambodia via boat, Phnom Penh, at the edge of the Mekong River. The border checks between Vietnam and Cambodia take around 45 minutes to take. Make sure to carry your passport and $35 handy for speedy processing.

Historical splendors are spread in every corner whether it’s the local palace or the horrific remnants of the Khmer atrocities.

Post-lunch get ready to be immersed in the Cambodian culture and history of the city as we kick off our walking tour from Wat Phnom. Enjoy walking along the Tonle Sap river, considered the lifeline of the region. Continue towards the National Museum, which houses several national treasures from three different eras: Pre-Angkorian, Angkorian, and Post-Angkorian, giving the flavor of diverse culture and architecture. The last leg of our walk takes us to the gilded Royal Palace, shimmering with silver tiles and sculptures of Buddha, which gives an insight into Cambodian Royal Life.

We recommend tasting some local Khmer cuisine at one of Phnom Penh’s finest dining place ‘Romdeng’. End day with a walk or tuk-tuk ride back to the hotel.

After a hearty breakfast, we start our day with a short shuttle transfer to the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Here, set out on a bike ride on a dirt road through some of the most interior parts of Cambodia. It’s a flat ride past paddy fields, lotus farms, and typical rural hamlets. Expect young kids to stretch their arms and give a big wave or locals inviting you into their homes. We may have to share our road with water buffaloes and cows and reach Oudong. Oudong was the capital of Khmer for around 200 years. A gradual climb takes us to the top of a mountain surrounded by many stupas. Admire the spectacular views all around. An hour shuttle brings us to Kampong Thom.

In the morning, ride around Kampong Thom’s Sambor Prei Kuk temple complex, which predates Angkor Wat by at least 200 years.

Later, ride through the bucolic countryside with a spectacular view of paddy fields and lotus farms all around.

The Angkor temple complex is synonymous with Cambodia, so a ride around the temple is essential. Our guide meets you at your hotel and takes you back into the Angkor era on a bike ride. After bike fit, start riding directly from the hotel and reach the moat of Angkor Wat. Catch the brilliant morning rays on the ancient temple complex and spend ample time photographing as you would have seen nothing like this before. We will loop back to Angkor Wat for a detailed tour at the end of our ride.

Continue riding towards Angkor Thom and enter the city from the South gate. Beat the crowd and climb the surrounding wall of the city and ride on top of it. Take a break here for a rich fascinating account of the city from our guide. A further ride through East gate takes us to Bayon, a richly decorated face temple within the Angkor complex is one of the highlights here. Exit from the second East gate of the city and ride towards jungle-clad TA Prohm. Our guide shares historical anecdotes and walks you through temples along the way.

The Angkor Wat requires more than a morning, so we loop back for a more detailed guided tour. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered one of the largest religious complexes in the world and it’s bound to enthrall you. Climb Phnom Bakheng for a classic view of Angkor during sunset.

We recommend making a final early morning visit to Angkor and witnessing the magnificent views in the backdrop of sunrise. If you prefer to do, please have a chat with your guide about the same. There may be further entry charges for Angkor that you can pay directly.