Asking "Why Vietnam?" is like asking why you ride. Is it the anticipation of what's around the corner? The exhilaration of a place you've never been? Maybe it's the serenity of a quiet footpath that's 2,000 years old. Or experiencing Hoi An, a 2nd-century fishing village that now blends modern luxury with its dynamic history. How about the fun of passing rice paddies in a blur of speed? Or stopping at an open-air market and haggling with locals? Perhaps touching the ethereal ruins of Angkor with your own hands. Everything that's exhilarating about biking makes the ride in Vietnam and Cambodia just such an incredible adventure.
Days 1-2 Indulge in some of Asia's freshest and tastiest cuisine
On foot and via bicycle rickshaw,explore the city's bustling neighborhoods; with its treelined boulevards, French Colonial architecture, lakes and parks, Hanoi is called the "Paris of the Orient" 
Grand mausoleums of past empires punctuate your ride through small rural communities Experience a cycling thrill like no other: share the road with food carts, water buffalo, locals scootering to work and kids biking to school Enjoy the delicate peach blooms in spring or the blaze of flame trees in summer along the Perfume riverbank and the profusion of lotus blossoms on Tinh Tam Lake.
Days 3-4 Explore the historic monuments of Hué, once the capital of imperial Vietnam,
including the Royal Citadel, modeled after China's Forbidden City and the site of intense conflict during the Vietnam War Hoi An: Vietnam's oldest town, beautifully preserved and a delight to discover Bike over Cloud Pass en route to Danang.
Days 5-6 Searching for a keepsake?
There are plenty to pick from on Cam Kim, an island famous for ornate wood carvings Leaving the tourists behind, pedal past bucolic settlements and vibrant green rice paddies on wonderfully quiet roads Ride through Cambodia's exciting ruins of Angkor, a former metropolis built to glorify a succession of Khmer kings.
Days 7-9 Visit iconic temples such as Bayon and Ta Prohm
Ride through tall grass, past ox carts, wooden homes held up by stilts, old Chinese tractors, and ponds usually teeming with kids swimming or fishing A sunset from atop ruins: you've never seen anything like this! Spin through peaceful, seemingly undiscovered rural villages Take a sunrise bike ride to Angkor Wat and explore on foot through the temple grounds.
Trip Highlights
- Enter an ancient Hanoi temple rarely visited by foreign travelers
- Hoi An: Vietnam's oldest town, beautifully preserved and a delight to explore
- Ride through Cambodia's thrilling Angkor Wat ruins
- Explore the historic monuments of Hué, once the capital of imperial Vietnam
- Indulge in some of Asia's freshest and tastiest cuisine
Premiere Inns
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi (1 night): This five-star historic landmark is a French Colonial gem set in the heart of old Hanoi. Condé Nast Traveler Gold List; Travel + Leisure World's Best. (pool, spa)
La Résidence Hôtel & Spa (2 nights): A blend of Asian opulence and Colonial charm, this boutique hotel is housed in the former governor's mansion on the bank of the Perfume River. (pool, spa, tennis)
The Nam Hai (2 nights): This luxury all-villa resort is set on pristine China Beach, near the picturesque port town of Hoi An. Travel + Leisure World's Best. (pool, spa, tennis)
Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor (3 nights): Described by Andrew Harper as a "stylish and beautifully restored landmark resort-hotel surrounded by a 15-acre park, less than five miles from Angkor Wat." Travel + Leisure World's Best. (pool, spa, tennis)
Routes For All Abilities
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of
interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one
day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat
from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each
day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
| Daily Route Options | ||||||||||
| Day | EASYGOING | ACTIVE | AVID | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | ||||||
| miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | |
| 1 | Hanoi`s Old Quarter guided walk (1.5 hours) | |||||||||
| Cyclo tour (30 minutes) | ||||||||||
| 2 | 24* | 0 | 31 | 0 | ||||||
| 3 | 25 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 47 | 0 | ||||
| Hué Royal Citadel guided walk (1 hour) | ||||||||||
| 4 | 29* | 0 | 35* | 1600 | 46* | 1600 | ||||
| 5 | 26 | 0 | ||||||||
| 6 | 16 | 0 | ||||||||
| 7 | 27 | 0 | ||||||||
| Guided temple walks (2 hours) | ||||||||||
| 8 | 26* | 0 | 37 | 0 | ||||||
| Temple ruin guided walk (30 minutes) | ||||||||||
| 9 | 176 | 0 | ||||||||
| Angkor Wat guided walk (1.5 hours) | ||||||||||
There is less than 25% of riding on hard-packed dirt on this trip. Since the overwhelming majority of the trip is paved, we've elected to use standard road bike tires on our titanium road bikes. Most guests find this to be the right answer. If you prefer to skip the dirt, a shuttle is always a possibility.
* Includes a shuttle
2013 Dates & Pricing*
CLASSIC TRIPS
- 11/4-12 Price: $5698 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1170 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $525
- 11/18-26 Price: $5398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1170 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $525
- 12/4-12 Price: $5598 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1170 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $525
- 12/10-18 Price: $5598 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1170 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $525
- 12/15-23 Price: $5398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1170 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $525
- 12/21-29 Price: $5598 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1170 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $525
- 12/26-1/3 Price: $5398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1170 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $525
*Prices may change. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.
2014 Dates & Pricing*
CLASSIC TRIPS
- 1/5-13 Price: $5598 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1100 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $560
- 2/2-10 Price: $5598 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1100 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $560
- 3/2-10 Price: $5398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1100 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $560
- 3/30-4/7 Price: $5398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1100 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $560
- 11/3-11 Price: $5398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1100 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $560
- 11/17-25 Price: $5398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1100 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $560
- 12/3-11 Price: $5398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1100 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $560
- 12/14-22 Price: $5398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1100 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $560
- 12/20-28 Price: $5398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1100 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $560
- 12/25-1/2 Price: $5798 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1100 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $560
*Prices may change. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.
Guest Trip Reviews
I've taken several Backroads trips, but this would have to be my favorite (so far.) A fascinating region of the world, full of the unexpected. I can't imagine that anyone with a bit of curiosity and a sense of adventure wouldn't enjoy this trip.- Tuscaloosa, AL
A really outstanding trip on many levels - mentally challenging biking, extraordinary cultural and culinary experiences, and the fascinating exploration of an emerging nation.- Madison, WI
The trip was extremely well designed to cover a lot of territory in a short period of time. It was well-balanced, providing us with a great introduction to the Vietnamese landscape and culture. The accommodations and food were truly amazing. Overall, it was a wonderful trip that I will highly recommend to my friends.- Vancouver, BC
Beautiful, friendly, fascinating, adventurous and wonderful trip! After a while I had to decide not to stop for every picture moment and chalk it up to a memorable moment or else I would never reach my final destination!!- Saratoga, CA
I usually go on trips almost exclusively for the biking, but this trip turned out to be so much more. The best trip that I have taken with Backroads due to the profound cultural experience. We really experienced the true meaning of Backroads on this trip. Thank you for a wonderful vacation.- Pennington, NJ
Our leaders were superb - attentive, knowledgeable, helpful at all times, positive and fun. The local support was excellent too. We felt cared for all the time. Thanks for the superb routes, accommodations, food, and all the extras. Backroads, you did it again!- N. Vancouver BC
Backroads never fails to satisfy my curiosity and sense of adventure. The trip leaders always seem to surpass expectations. This latest trip was no exception! I think this was my 6th or 7th Backroads trip over the past 25 years. I've never been disappointed. It is my preferred way to see new countries and new cultures, and there's truly something for everyone in each trip. The quality of your guides and trip leaders continues to improve to even greater excellence. I wish all businesses were run with this kind of customer-service attention, and basic knowledge (both programs and operations) at such a high caliber. Tom Hale and his team are geniuses!- Sierra Madre, CA
When word spreads, I'm sure you'll experience a stampede to get on this trip for cultural, historical, local flavor, culinary, spa and hotel accommodation, interaction with locals, seeing what a real "Backroads" experience is about, not having to worry about immigration and check-in service, and every other reason I can think of that attracts Backroads participants in the first place. This is what the Cambodian and Vietnamese biking adventure was about.- Santiago, Chile
I have been referring to the experience as "the trip of a lifetime" and it truly was! Having lived in both Sri Lanka and China I didn't really think it was possible to have an 'authentic' experience in a country in just 10 days on a group tour, but Backroads proved me wrong. Biking in small groups and sometimes on my own down remote country roads afforded me the ability to interact, see the people, and experience their country in a way that I believe is difficult for tourists on a short visit.- San Francisco, CA
This was my first trip with you all & I am so impressed. You really put together a great trip.- Collex, Switzerland
The trip was amazing from start to finish. Everything exceeded my expectations, from the leaders' efficient, confident handling of all arrangements, to the superb food and magnificent accommodations. I have not one complaint!
The trip was so wonderfully planned I really got a feel for the history, culture and the people of Vietnam and Cambodia.