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Vietnam Cycle Ride - itinerary

Images from Vietnam

Day 1 - Saturday

Depart UK
Depart London for Hanoi

Day 2 - Sunday

Hanoi
Arrive Hanoi. After a light lunch, the afternoon will be spent exploring this dynamic city. A city tour includes the Lake of the Restored Sword, Ngoc Son Pagoda, the famous old quarter, the One Pillar Pagoda and the 11th Century Temple of Literature. We will all gather for dinner and a pre-trip briefing before getting a good night's sleep in preparation for the cycling ahead.

Day 3 - Monday

Hanoi - Hoa Binh - Mai Chau (66km)
Leaving Hanoi we transfer into the countryside before taking our bikes and embarking on the cycle ride to Mai Chau. We encounter our first climbs of the trip as we ascend 200m before cruising down into the beautiful valley where the village of Proom Con Village sits. This is our home for the night, where the locals will entertain us with dancing and a taste of the country's finest rice wine!

Day 4 - Tuesday

Mai Chau - Moc Chau (67km)
After a hearty breakfast we set off on a challenging but spectacular day. We will cycle up hill a lot today, through traditional villages with traditional ways of life. As we near Moc Chau situated at nearly 1500m we pass through plum orchards and corn and tea plantations. We stay overnight in Moc Chau, renowned for its banh sua (milk cake) and tea products.

Day 5 - Wednesday

Moc Chau - Son La (121km)
This is a less hilly day you'll be pleased to hear, but no less spectacular as we head off gradually downhill, our roads overshadowed by karst cliffs. We have lunch at Yen Chau before continuing on to Son La through lush, terraced rice paddies against the jagged cliff backdrop. Overnight in hotel.

Day 6 - Thursday

Son La - Tuan Giao (90km)
Today we have a fantastic day's cycling through some truly stunning scenery. We pass the town of Thuan Chau and cycle through an area inhabited by White Hmong where the women are dressed with bright pink tassels and pompoms on their black headdresses. After a 14km climb we end the day with a spectacular descent into Tuan Giao where we stay overnight.

Day 7 - Friday

Tuan Giao - Dien Bien Phu (81km)
After a hearty breakfast we set off through awesome gorges on a gentler day. The route undulates though quiet back roads gradually downhill towards our home for the night on Dien Bien Phu.

Day 8 - Saturday

Dien Bien Phu - Lai Chau (100km)
Before we start our cycling for today we visit the Dien Bien Phu war museum. Dien Bien Phu is where the Vietnamese overcame the occupying French forces and it celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2004. The museum gives a fascinating insight into the history of this remarkable event. Our cycle route then follows the Na River through a lush undulating landscape of ferns, bananas and bamboo to Muong Lay. After lunch we then tackle the gradual climb of 400m, then we descend into Lai Chau where we stay the night.

Day 9 - Sunday

Lai Chau - Tam Duong (105km)
The road to Tam Duong is under construction giving us a mix of surfaces to cycle along as we head towards the sleepy town. Passing through spectacular gorges we have the inevitable uphill climb before a wonderful 10km descent into Tam Duong.

Day 10 - Monday

Tam Duong - Sapa
Our final cycling day is possibly the most breathtaking ride of the challenge. Today is a long day so we have an early start. An excellent smooth surface makes cycling a joy today as we peddle through some of the most amazing scenery we've experienced so far, as we head up to Heaven's Gate. We then enjoy a thrilling 16km downhill into Sapa where we have a chance to relax before our celebratory meal.

Day 11 - Tuesday

Sapa - Overnight train to Hanoi
Today we have a chance to relax, get some last minute presents and soak up the atmosphere of Sapa before taking the train from Lao Cai to Hanoi. Overnight on train.

Day 12 - Wednesday

Depart UK
Free time to explore Hanoi before catching our return flight to the UK.

Day 13 - Thursday

Arrive London
Arrive London Heathrow

Due to the nature of the challenge, this complex itinerary is subject to change