Day 1: Arrival Hanoi (D)
Arriving in Hanoi, pick up and transfer to hotel. The rest of
day is free to wash up and rest. In the evening we will
attend the famous
Water Puppet Show, with its introduction to Vietnamese
history and mythology. Welcome dinner with local delights. Overnight
at the hotel in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi city tour (BL)
After breakfast we will begin our city tour of Hanoi. At first,
we visit to Ho Chi
Minh Mausoleum, and the “Uncle Ho” house. After that we head
to the unique one
pillar Pagoda, which date from one thousand year ago.
Continue to the Hanoi’s famous Temple
of Literature, the first university of Vietnam founded in
1070. After lunch in local restaurant, heading to the Old
Quarter for a relaxing cyclo
tour through the
ancient part of Hanoi. Perhaps the most interesting area you
will visit is the
Old Quarter. Here many tiny streets join to sell a
huge diversity of products. In the old days, each street
bore the name of the product sold – “Shoe Street,” “Noodle
Street,” and the like. Overnight
at the hotel in Hanoi.
Day 3: Hanoi – Mai Chau (B,L,D) ~ 150 km
In the morning we take our motorbike to the Ho
Chi Minh Trail Museum on
the outskirts of Hanoi. The museum is a great place to learn
about the historic trail which we will ride on. After the visit
to the museum we will jump on our motorbike and spend sometime
to get familiar with the bikes. Now,
let’s begin our adventure. We will ride on Highway
6 passing
extensive farming lands comprising a sea of paddy fields split
by tree-lined roads punctuated by limestone karts scenery. After
a light lunch in Hoa
Binh Town, the capital of Hoa Binh Province, we cross two
short mountain passes then descent to the mountain valley
settlement of Mai
Chau. Dinner and overnight
in a stilt house of the Thai people.
Day 4: Mai Chau – Tan Ky ~
300 km
Morning after breakfast, say goodbye to the villagers we then
head south on a beautiful winding road which follow the banks of the
Ma River until Cam Thuy
town where we
stop for lunch. Hit the Ho Chi Minh trail. Lunch will be on the
way with local foods. In the afternoon we continue our riding on
undulating quiet road toward Tan
Ky. Diner and
overnight in Tan Ky.
Day 5 : Tan Ky - Phong Nha cave (B,L,D) ~ 280 km
Morning ride on Ho
Chi Minh Highway until Pho
Chau where we
stop to visit the Ho
Chi Minh Trail victory monument which
is in fact the real starting point of our Ho Chi Minh Trail
ride. Ride all the way to Phong Nha - Ke Bang, the
biggest and also the most beautiful cave in Vietnam and
Indochina and is now a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. Dinner
and overnight at the hotel in Phong Nha.
Day 6: Phong Nha - Dong Hoi (B,L,D) ~ 70 km
Morning walking to the pier where we
take a boat trip on Son River to the famed caves at Phong
Nha. The park not only has beautiful limestone
formations, grotto caves and forest, but also contains the
largest primeval forest in Vietnam and the biggest limestone
mountain range on the planet. Then
we drive down to the coastal town of Dong
Hoi, which was heavily shelled by US warships during the
war. At a hotel over looking the beach, we can take in some
sunbathing by the beach. Dinner
and overnight at the hotel in Dong Hoi.
Day 7: Dong Hoi - Khe Sanh (B,L,D)
~ 190km
We strike south through foothills which were once sprayed
heavily by Agent Orange towards the
former DMZ. There is still much evidence of bombing on the
mountain sides and from time to time we will see remnants of the
original Trail. We take in the Vinh
Moc tunnel, the famous Hien Luong
Bridge (former
demarcation line between North and South Vietnam, the Truong
Son Cemetery and
finally Khe Sanh (former
US Marine base). Overnight
at the hotel in Khe Sanh.
Day 8 : Khen Sanh – Hue (B,L,D) ~ 190km
In the morning we head south over the Da
Krong Bridge built by the Cubans in 1973 into
the infamous A
Shau valley, an area of intense wartime activity. Passing Hamburger
Hill and
mountains still barren due to the extended effects of Agent
Orange, we arrive at A
Luoi, where there are many Bru
Van hill tribe people. Then, cruising through green back
country down the steep Me
Oi Pass, we continue on to the beautiful city ofHue which
lies along the banks of the Perfume River. Overnight
at the hotel in Hue.
Day 9 : Hue – Hoian (B,L,D) ~ 130km
Morning visit the remains of the
Imperial Citadel, which
was largely destroyed during the Tet Offensive in 1968. Lunch
and afternoon join the National Highway 1 and head up the Hai
Van Pass (Cloudy Pass) before
the World Heritage
site of Hoi An, a major trading centre in SE Asia in the
16th and 17th centuries. Dinner in local restaurant. Overnight
at the hotel in Hoi An
Day 10 : Hoian free & easy (B)
Hoi An, nestled on the banks of the Thu
Bon River. Before the river silted up, Hoi An was one
of the most important trading
ports in Southeast Asia, and a center for East-West exchange
and trade. The rooftops of Hoian retain a magical old world
Oriental feel and are a favorite subject for Vietnamese artists.
In the early 1980s Hogan’s ancient quarters and historical
monuments came under the protection and restoration efforts of
UNESCO and the Polish government. You
will spend the day visiting the town of Hoian on your own.Overnight
at the hotel in Hoian.
Day 11 : Hoi An - Kon Tum (~290 km)
We strike back up to the mountains, rejoining the trail
at Phuoc Son also
known as Kham Duc. From there we head up the towering Lo
So Pass, passing
through remote areas thinly populated by peoples of the Ba
Na ethnicity. Edging close to the border with Laos, where a
number of Trail arteries crossed over in Laos, we continue on to Kon
Tum. Dinner
and overnight in Kon Tum.
Day 12: Kon Tum – Buon Me Thuot (B,L,D)
~ 240km
The new Ho
Chi Minh Highway was built on the old trail, but from Kon Tum to Daklak, the
historic HCM trail (Highway 14C), runs parallel to Highway 14
linking Kon Tum, Pleiku, and Buon Me Thuot. We will
continue riding Highway 14 today, finding that traffic is busier
than usual. Lunch will be in Pleiku.
From here, we ride along the Tun River and
up over a pass. Along the way are coffee plantations and
the stilt houses of the Central Highland’s largest ethnic group,
the Gia Rai. Eventually, we will cross the Nha Rong pass down
intoBuon Me Thuot, the
provincial capital of Dac Lac Province, and the site of the last
battle of the Vietnam war in March 1975. Dinner
and overnight in Buon Me Thuot.
Day 13: Buon Ma Thuot – Lak Lake – Dalat (B,L,D)
~200km
This
morning, we ride to Lak Lake on
road 27, a small paved road with poor surfacing and quite busy.
Here we can have a break for refreshment and troll around the by
the lake. There are said to be about 31 different ethnic groups
in Dac Lac, each with their own traditional dress and customs.
Some of the villages are known for elephant hunting and taming,
some for weaving and other arts. After lunch in Lak Lake,
we continue on toDa Lat. The road is narrow,
winding, but not busy. We have three passes to cross
– Krong No, Chuoi,
and Phu Son. The drive itself is quite beautiful and lined
with dense forests. Late in the afternoon, we will arrive
in the hill town of Da Lat. Dinner in the local restaurant
and overnight at
the hotel in Dalat.
Day 14: Dalat –
Saigon (B,L,D) ~ 300km
Today we
continue our bike head to Saigon since
the road is so very crowded and busy! On the way, we will stop
for lunch in Bao
Loc, where we can also see the impressive Dambri
Waterfall. In the afternoon, we will finally arrive in Ho
Chi Minh City. The rest of the day is free to relax or wander on
your own. Dinner in local restaurant and overnight
at the restaurant in Saigon.
Day 15: Saigon (B,L,D)
Our day
begins with riding to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, one of the few
remaining monuments to the Vietnam War. Beneath the ground
lie 200 km of tunnels, dug by hand and inhabited by the forces
of the Viet Cong during the conflict, which ended in 1975.
From Cu Chi, we will return to Ho Chi Minh City. Here, we
can stop at Cholon, the Chinese market. Tonight you will
have a farewell dinner in the good restaurant. Overnight
at the hotel in Saigon.
Day 16: Departure (B)
Free until time to be transferred to the airport for your flight
home.
Trip
includes
-
Private
English speaking guide.
-
Airport
transfer by private vehicle
-
Accommodation in standard hotels and in local homestays with
daily breakfasts
-
Meals as
indicated (B= breakfast; L=Lunch; D = Dinner)
-
Motorbike with all fuel
-
Protective pants, helmet, rain gear, other safety
equipments;
-
Entrance
fees and permits during guided time.
-
Service
charge & Government taxes
Trip
excludes
-
International Airfares.
-
Meals
not indicated
-
Drinks &
beverage ..
-
Early
check in / late check out
-
Vietnam visa
stamp fee : ( 25 USD/ per person)
-
Personal
travel insurance (Compulsory).
-
Personal
expenses such as telephone and .aundry bills.
-
Tips and
gratuities
