Exploring Vietnam By Bike: Three Cycling Routes You Need to Bike in Vietnam

Vietnam is a special country. From the meandering waters of the Mekong delta with its floating markets and numerous islands to its dramatically weathered limestone mountains to some of the best coffee in the world, Vietnam is a tropical paradise, and then some more.

No wonder it is on so many people’s bucket list.

And if it is on yours too, may we suggest doing it a little differently. Why not try exploring Vietnam on a bicycle?

A bike tour is experiential travel at its best, as it allows you to really soak in the sights and sounds of this beautiful country in your own sweet time.

And no, you don’t have to be a Tour de France winning athlete to enjoy a Vietnam Bike Tour. There are plenty of bike tour operators out there who run tours for leisure cyclists that combine cycling with cultural and culinary experiences. Of course, you need to have a basic level of fitness, some previous experience of active travel, and a love for cycling to do a bike tour.

So where exactly does a Vietnam bike tour take you? Here are three amazing bike tours in Vietnam that you can do if you have up to a week’s time at your disposal.

Mekong Delta Bike Tour: The Mekong is the 12th longest river in the world, and is the lifeline of southeast Asia. It flows down from Tibet, and after passing through China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos, forms a delta in southern Vietnam where it leisurely meanders through the land before draining into the South China Sea.

At the end of its long, meandering course, the Mekong forms an intricate maze of rivers, canals, swamps, creeks, and islands that are not just strikingly beautiful, but also support various forms of life and commerce in novel ways. For instance, floating markets, where entire markets are decked out on boats floating on the Mekong, are a characteristic feature of the delta. Cai Be and Cai Rang are the most popular floating markets in the region.

In addition, the region has several fruit orchards, and mile upon mile of beautiful rice paddies. The terrain is completely flat, so its ideal for leisure cyclists. You can do a Mekong Delta bike tour in about 4-5 days covering the main highlights such as Saigon, Cai Be, and Can Tho.

Hue to Hoi An Bike Tour: This is a delightful coastal route that follows Vietnam’s gorgeous coastline from Hue, a former capital of Vietnam, to Hoi An, a trading port that is a melting pot of cultures. In between the two lies some of the best coastal scenery in all of southeast Asia. Both Hue and Hoi An are UNESCO World Heritage Sites due to their well-preserved and beautiful architecture.dating back to the 18th century. This is a leisurely ride that can be completed in about 5 to 6 days of easy biking, and is great for families with kids.

The Ho Chi Minh Trail: The Ho Chi Minh trail is a historic network of roads and trails that was built during the Vietnam war to send supplies to the VietCong from north Vietnam through mountains and valleys. It is often called one of the greatest engineering marvels of the 20th century. Although the trail ran through both Laos and Vietnam, it is possible to bike a small section of it running through Vietnam in about a week.

You can start biking from Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, and end in Hue. This is a somewhat challenging route, and is not recommended for the novice cyclist. However, the rewards in the form of stunning views are well worth the effort that goes into biking the hills and the valleys. And if you want to bike the Laotian section of the trail, you can always combine your Vietnam adventure with a Laos bike tour.

Final Thoughts

There’s no end to beautiful cycling routes in Vietnam. Many people spend as many as 17 days biking this beautiful country from north to south. And then, you can always combine your Vietnam tour with a foray into neighboring Laos or Cambodia.

In fact, cycling from Vietnam to the famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia is also a pretty popular biking route.

You could also bike from Hanoi to Luang Prabang in Laos, and from there you could do a Thailand Bike tour that could take you all the way to Chiang Mai in Thailand.

But you’d need to be a pretty strong cyclist to tackle those longer routes. If you’re a leisure biker, we suggest sticking to the three shorter tours we’ve covered in this article. And in case, you didn’t know, pretty much all good bike tour operators provide e-bikes these days, which makes tackling climbs and longer distances even easier.

Happy biking!