MOTORBIKE CRUISING ALONG THE HO CHI MINH TRAIL

(22 Days 21 Nights)

Code: STS – ADV 03

Day 1: HOME – HANOI (D)
Arrival in Hanoi, the 1000-year-old capital city of Vietnam. Enjoy 1 hour rickshaw ride around the town center to be amazed by the unique hustle and bustle of the city. Overnight in Hanoi

Day 2: HANOI (B-L-D)
Hanoi City tour: Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & Residence, One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature (The 1st University of Vietnam), the Old Quarter, water puppet show. O/N in Hanoi. Briefing about the traffic and road-rules, some tips for driving a motorbike in Vietnam. Overnight in Hanoi

Day 3: HANOI – MOTORBIKE CRUISE TO HALONG BAY (B-L-D) 150km

Load your luggage onto a support truck and start the adventure. Follow highway 18, passing by Bac Ninh, Sao Do, Uong Bi, and arrive in Halong Bay. Get aboard and enjoy seafood lunch and the scenic cruise through thousands of islands. Overnight in a hotel in Halong Bay

Day 4: HALONG BAY – MOTORBIKE CRUISE TO THANH HOA (B-L-D) 350km

Start cruising to Thanh Hoa via Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, and Ninh Binh. Enjoy many daily activities of the Red River Delta. Overnight in Thanh Hoa

Day 5: THANH HOA – MOTORBIKE CRUISE TO VINH (B-L-D) 300km

Start cruising to Vinh following the Ho Chi Minh Trail via Lam Son, Nghia Dan, Do Luong, and Nam Dan. Explore the national highway B1 built on the former HCM trail, learning about the amazing history of the trail built during the Vietnam War.  Overnight in Vinh

Day 6: VINH – MOTORBIKE CRUISE TO DONG HOI (B-L-D) 330 km

Start cruising to Dong Hoi following the Ho Chi Minh Trail via Duc Tho, Huong Son, Huong Khe, Khe Ve, etc. The ride today will cross many rivers and some winding steep slopes and passes. Overnight in Dong Hoi

Day 7: DONG HOI (B-L-D)

Enjoy an easy day without any motorbike cruises. Enjoy relaxing boat rides to visit the impressive Phong Nha caves and enjoy the beach in Quang Binh. Overnight in Dong Hoi

Day 8: DONG HOI – MOTORBIKE CRUISE TO DONG HA (B-L-D) 200 km

Start cruising to Dong Ha following the Ho Chi Minh Trail via Khe Ho and Cam Lo, stop at the Truong Son Cemetery to pay respect to the soldiers who died for the country. Tour by car around Dong Ha: the historic sites of Hien Luong bridge crossing Ben Hai River, DMZ, Vinh Moc tunnels, Cua Tung beach for some relaxation. Overnight in Dong Ha

Day 9: DONG HA – MOTORBIKE CRUISE TO HUE (B-L-D) 210 km

Start cruising on national Highway 9, the HCM trail and Highway 49, via Da Krong, Ta Rut, and A Luoi. The ride today is quite challenging, crossing many rivers and some winding steep slopes and passes. Overnight in Hue

Day 10: HUE (B-L-D)

Leave those adventurous rides behind to enjoy a bus tour exploring Hue’s typical features: peaceful, traditional and beautiful. Activities: lovely boat trip on the Perfume River to the beautiful Thien Mu pagoda, Tu Duc Tomb, Khai Dinh tomb, the Royal Citadel of Hue, Dong Ba Market. Overnight in Hue

Day 11: HUE – MOTORBIKE CRUISE TO HOIAN (B-L-D) 150km

Start cruising to Hoian following the National Highway 1, via Hai Van pass, Danang. The ride today will pass by beautiful landscapes and some passes. Overnight in Hoian

Day 12: HOIAN (B-L-D)

Full day enjoy the wonderful features of Hoian: relaxing, charming, and great shopping
Activities: pleasant city walk to a museum, a Chinese temple, an old Chinese merchant’s house, the famous Japanese pagoda bridge, and many beautiful shops. Overnight in Hoian

Day 13: HOIAN – MY SON HOLY PLACE (B-L-D)

Excursion to My Son Holy Land, the former Religious capital of the Cham people, World Cultural Heritage Site with the scenic landscapes and mysterious Cham arts and architecture. Free time for shopping and relaxation. O/N in Hoian.

Day 14: HOIAN (B)

Full day free for relaxation, shopping, beach hang-out, etc. Overnight in Hoian

Day 15: Hoian – Motorbike cruise to Kon Tum (B-L-D) 340km
After some relaxing days for refreshment, start one of the most challenging part of the whole trip. Today we will take highway 14B and the HCM trail from Hoian to Kon Tum, via Thanh My, Kham Duc, and ngoc Hoi. It’s a real tough day’s ride! Overnight in Kontum

Day 16: KON TUM – MOTORBIKE CRUISE TO BAN ME THUOC (B-L-D) 250km
Enjoy another wonderful ride to Ban Me Thuoc via Pley Ku, Chu Se, and Ea H’leo, passing by many hill tribe villages, plantations and plateaus. Overnight in Ban Me Thuoc

Day 17: SIGHTSEEING IN DON VILLAGE (B-L-D)
Today is a relaxing day after those tough rides. Bus tour to Don village where live the famous elephant hunters. Enjoy the interesting cultures of the M’nong, Ede peoples, swim in the river, take an elephant ride, and have lunch with local specialties. Overnight in Ban Me Thuoc

Day 18: BAN ME THUOC – MOTORBIKE CRUISE TO TP. HCM (B-L-D) 340km
Start another challenging ride on highway 14 to go to HCMC, via Dak Mil, Gia Nghia, Dong Xoai, and Thu Dau Mot. Today you will leave the quiet mountainous roads when reaching HCMC. The traffic will become quite dense and chaotic. Just take it as another adventure! Overnight in HCMC

Day 19: HCMC (B)

From today, you can leave those rides behind. Full day free time to enjoy massage and spa, shopping, other entertainments and relaxation in HCMC

Day 20: HCMC (B-L-D)

Excursion to Cu Chi, an impressive underground system of the Vietnamese Guerillas fighting against American troops in the Vietnam War. City tour: the interesting China town, Binh Tay market and the Thien Hau temple, the Reunification Palace, the Notre Dam Cathedral, the central Post office, Ben Thanh market. Overnight in HCMC

Day 21: HCMC – MY THO – HCMC (B-L-D)

Excursion to My Tho. Visit the colourful Vinh Trang Pagoda. Take a wonderful boat ride on the Mekong River, visiting local houses and workshops of coconut candies, bee farm, fruit gardens, sampan ride through small canals. Lunch with the Vietnamese Southern style (elephant ear fish, big headed prawn, spring rolls, etc). Saigon River Dinner Cruise. O/N in HCMC

Day  22: HCMC – DEPARTURE FOR HOME SWEET HOME (B)

Departure flight home

End of service

Inclusions:

-         Hotel accommodation with breakfast (based on twin sharing, ROH).

-         All meals indicated in the program

-         All ground transport on tour with motorbikes (Minks, Honda Benly, Wind), support truck, A/C vehicles, boats, kayaks

-         Daily gas, parking fee, tolls, fees for small technical fixes (below 1,050,000 VND/time)

-         1 motorbike mechanic and spare parts

-         All entrance fees for sightseeing

-         Local English, French, Chinese, Japanese, German, Italian, Thai speaking guides.

-         Daily bottles of water, snacks

Exclusions:

-         International flight tickets to and from Vietnam

-         Personal expenses of other meals, drinks, tips, massage and spa

-         Visa application service on arrival for Vietnam (315,000 VND/person for service, 525,000 VND/person for visa fee)

-         Payments of big technical fixes or damages of the bikes

-         Personal Insurance

-         All other accounts not mentioned in the above inclusions

Exchange Rate : 1 USD = 21,000 VND