Cycling in Mai Chau, Vietnam

 Sapa: Detailed Itinerary

INTRODUCTION ITINERARY MORE INFO

Day 1: Hanoi to Lao Cai by overnight sleeper coach train

Victoria Express Luxury Coach
After dinner in Hanoi, transfer to central station, boarding the night train departing Hanoi to Lao Cai at 9:30 PM. Accommodation in Victoria luxury coach couchette overnight to the Vietnamese and Chinese border town of Lao Cai.
Day 2: Arrive Lao Cai, transit and full-day in Sapa

Switzerland? No, Vietnam!

Arrival at sunrise in Lao Cai (around 5:00 AM), deboarding train and enjoying a breakfast of warm omelletes, soup and a strong jolt of Vietnamese coffee at a nearby cafe. After bike check and tuneup, mount our bikes for the ride from Lao Cai into the "Tonkinese Alps" to Sapa. The climb, at 19 miles long, gains over four thousand feet and you may ride as little or as much of the distance — there will be a support van always nearby to hop into whenever you prefer.

The views are magnificent the further and higher we climb away from Lao Cai. Looking back over the border into China, seven different mountain ranges can be seen. And on the left of the road, a deep valley has been carved and leveled over centuries with terraces for cultivating rice. We'll also see our first hilltribes, mostly Hmong, dressed in their traditional, Indigo-dyed clothing, stopping to meet with them. Upon arrival in Sapa, lunching at a local restaurant before riding on to the Victoria Resort, which overlooks the breadth of Sapa's mountain range, including Fansipan -- Vietnam's highest mountain. Dinner and overnight in Sapa. (All meals, drinks and snacks included)

 

Day 3: Sapa

Room at the Victoria Sapa

Afer a restful night's sleep and piping hot breakfast, riding uphill to Silver Falls and Dinh Deo Pass, which is at five thousand feet is Vietnam's highest paved road, and to the source of Sapa's morning fog -- Qui Ho Lake. After snacks an refrehsments, cycling back down to Sapa for lunch. In the afternoon, continue riding another six miles to the trailhead to begin a hike to Ta'van hill tribe's village (approximately four miles away) situated in a wide, serene valley. We'll meet and observe the Ta'van in their day-to-day activities. Along the way we will see the few remaining French colonial buildings, including a large church, that were severely damaged during the Chinese invasion in 1979. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the Victoria. (All meals, drinks and snacks included).

 

Day 4: Sapa

Qui Ho River
This morning enjoying a splendid hike down past the terraced rice fields to the Qui Ho river valley, which is dotted with Hmong villages and farms pausing for lunch is at a local restaurant. In the afternoon free or optional walk around the town to meet and interact with various hilltribe groups such as Hmong, Dzao, Dzay who gather around the central market to sell their weavings. Preparations for next day's ride. Dinner and overnight at the Victoria. (B,L,D)
Day 5: Sapa to Lao Cai/Hanoi

Dzay hilltribe gathering
Ride from Sapa to Bac Ha. Our morning begins with an hour-longdescent. We coast out of Sapa back down to Lao Cai losing over four thousand feet of elevation. Once at Lao Cai board Victoria coach for return journey to Hanoi, the daylight trip affording views of rural Hanoi missed on the overnight journey up. Arrive late evening in Hanoi. Transfer by private car to hotel and farewell with guide. (B,L,D).
Details

Mt. Fansipan — Vietnam's highest peak
Mount Fansipan (left), Vietnam's highest peak is one of several mountain ranges that can be observed in the area. There are also options for extended hiking in the area. For a longer trip, consider our Northwest Loop tour, continuing onto historic Dien Bien Phu, picturesque Mai Chau, and back to Hanoi (also flight option from Dien Bien Phu back to Hanoi). This optional extension adds from two to five days onto the above itinerary. Ask us for more details on this unique side trip in Vietnam (great for advanced cyclists, with over 7,000 meters of climbing for the entire loop).
Other

Hmong girl over Qui Ho Valley
Hilltribes are diverse and numerous in the area, largely still living traditional lifestyles. But not for long, the men have begun dressing in jeans and t-shirts imported from China, and satellite dishes are beginning to crop up on wooden longhouses along the route. The Vietnamese government is also now integrating ethnic hilltribe children into mixed schools with Vietnamese children. In only a generation, these lifestyles with be forever altered.

Legend for Included Meals: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner