Revisiting The Ho Chi Minh Trails – Vietnam Adventure – 13 Days

Leave Hanoi early for the drive west to Mai Chau. An early lunch is served in Poom Coong village, a cluster of stilt houses among the paddies.

Saddle up and ride to the Thai village of Cun Pheo on a mix of good single track and rolling, rough jeep trails. The scenery is spectacular as you pass through villages, hot springs, swaying suspension bridges and terraced rice fields.

Spend the night in a traditional stilt house, sharing a home-cooked dinner with your hosts.

Set off early, leaving the river behind to climb into the mountain range. The road is tarmac all the way, but the constant ups and downs make for a challenging ride.

At Ngoc Lac, load the bikes and rest your legs on the transfer by vehicle to Nhu Xuan district and its small town of Yen Cat.

Dinner and the night are spent at a simple local guesthouse.

Today you ride the newly built two-lane Ho Chi Minh Highway towards Tan Ky. Traffic is light and the road is smooth and fast, perfect for covering long distances.

Stop at Kim Lien, the birthplace of Ho Chi Minh, to see the simple thatched family home where he grew up. From here, a vehicle usually takes you on to Vinh City for the night.

After breakfast, a shuttle takes you back to the Ho Chi Minh Highway, where you start cycling at Pho Chau.

The road winds through dense green jungle and small villages beneath the Truong Son range, the mountains that hid the wartime supply routes, before reaching Huong Khe, a remote town at the end of the day.

Ride south from Huong Khe on a quiet road through beautiful countryside of forest, rivers and limestone hills.

After around 80 kilometres in the saddle, load the bikes for the transfer to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of jungle-clad karst mountains riddled with caves.

Spend the night at a simple guesthouse in the national park.

After breakfast, take a boat along the Son River and glide into the mouth of Phong Nha Cave, then walk through its chambers of stalactites and stalagmites. You usually spend a few hours exploring before returning to the hotel.

Back on the bikes, ride to the small coastal city of Dong Hoi.

Take a detour from the highway to the Vinh Moc Tunnels, a labyrinth dug by villagers who lived underground for years to shelter from the bombing. Walk through the narrow passages and see the tiny family rooms, the well and even the maternity room carved into the earth.

About 30 kilometres from Dong Ha, get back on the bike to ride across the DMZ. The road is relatively flat and easy to cruise along, with relics of the war along the way, before you reach Khe Sanh, close to the border with Laos and the scene of some of the fiercest battles of the war.

Explore the former US Marine base at Khe Sanh, where old aircraft, bunkers and a small museum recall the long siege of 1968. Then pedal to the Dakrong Bridge and turn onto the southern section of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Climb back into the mountains on a remarkably remote road, through dense forest and wild landscapes, to the small town of A Luoi in the A Shau Valley. The valley is home to many ethnic minority communities, including the Pa Co and Ta Oi, and to Hamburger Hill, the site of one of the war’s most notorious battles.

After breakfast, say farewell to the trail and ride around 60 kilometres towards Hue, through countryside dotted with villages, patches of jungle and rivers.

Finish your ride at the Bach Ho Bridge and transfer by vehicle to your hotel in Hue, with the rest of the day to rest and celebrate the journey.

Cycle along the beautiful coastal roads south of Hue, past the long sweep of Lang Co Beach, then climb the Hai Van Pass, where the road twists high above the sea with views back along the coast.

Continue through Da Nang to Hoi An, a riverside town whose heart has barely changed since its days as a great trading port. Take a first walk past the wooden-fronted houses of its prosperous merchants, the Japanese Covered Bridge and the lively market.

If you have energy left, Cua Dai Beach, five kilometres from town, is a favourite with locals and visitors alike for its warm sea and beachfront seafood restaurants.

Walk the narrow, winding lanes of the ancient town with your guide, from the incense-filled Chua Ong Pagoda to the ornate Chinese Assembly Hall, where traders once met and worshipped far from home. Step inside the 200-year-old Tan Ky house and cross the Japanese Covered Bridge, the town’s best-known landmark.

The rest of the day is yours to relax after the ride, browse the galleries and tailors, or linger over coffee by the river.

Enjoy the morning at leisure, perhaps with one more walk through the old town.

Transfer to Da Nang International Airport for your flight home, or continue your travels with an extension we can arrange for you.