This is an overview of a week long cycling trip in Northern Vietnam in December 2024. I started in Hanoi and finished in the town of Mai Chau. The original plan had been to head further north towards Sa Pa and into China, but, as you will see, I decided to change the route considerably.
Detailed information about the rides can be found in Part 1 and
Part 2
I had been cycling in central Vietnam before, around Da Nang and Hoi An, and was excited to check out a more mountainous part of the country. It didn't exactly go to plan, but it was still a great trip with beautiful scenery, fantastic food and plenty of interesting cultural sites.
Route Overview
I stayed for a few nights in Hanoi to discover the city before setting off. The plan was then to head south towards the spectacular landscape of Ninh Binh, before going west into the mountains. Mai Chau was just a stop on the way
of my original route, which would continue north through the mountains to the border with China (see below for details of this).
Ultimately, I finished riding in Mai Chau purely because the air pollution was too great and the forecast was that it was about to get even worse.
Apart from the problems with air quality, the 340km that I did ride in Vietnam was mostly a lot of fun. The scenery was varied, with rice terraces, tropical plantations, karst limestone peaks, lakes, rivers and charming villages all vying for space.
I was very happy with the route I chose, which largely avoided main roads and was often completely empty in terms of traffic.
The terrain was hilly at times, but never too challenging, and the road surfaces were generally very good.
Logistics
I flew into Hanoi airport and arranged a van pickup to transport me and my cardboard bike box to the hotel in Hanoi's old quarter. This all worked without a hitch and there were several companies online offering very similar services at a reasonable price.
My bike for this trip was a custom built Sardinha Nordest, with titanium frame and carbon fibre fork. It had a 1x12 Shimano SLX grouset (34 tooth chainring) and I put on 38mm Schwalbe Almotion tubeless tyres. I was planning to stay mostly on paved roads both here and on other trips I had planned in the region (in
China and
Thailand). I anticipated there would be a few gravel and single track sections, but not enough to justify bringing wider tyres or front suspension.
I carried two panniers (one large Vaude and one lightweight Altura), as well as a large handlebar bag. I felt like I had overpacked a bit, but was aware of the possibility of cold and wet weather both in Northern Vietnam and in China at this time of year.
Overall, this set up worked without any problems at all.
My bike set-up
I didn't plan on taking any public transport for this route, and was initially planning to ride into China. But, in the end, I did take a bus from Mai Chau back to Hanoi (see Part 2 for details). This turned out to be surprisingly awkward, as most
bus and limousine (van) companies operating around Hanoi steadfastly refused to carry bicycles.
Alternative Routes
As mentioned, the plan was to ride through the mountains from Mai Chau up through Sa Pa to Lao Cai, on the border with China. I think that, without the pollution, this would have been a fantastic and challenging route on quiet roads with beautiful scenery. From Lao Cai you could continue north into China, or return by train to Hanoi.
I chose this route instead of the more popular Ha Giang loop partly because of the weather (Ha Giang can get cold in December), and partly because it seemed a quieter and more intriguing option than Ha Giang, which I heard is quite touristy these days.
It would also be possible to ride from Moc Chau to Dien Bien Phu and into Laos. I briefly considered this, because I have enjoyed cycling in Laos before, but was more keen to head north and visit China on this trip.
I have also previously cycled in central Vietnam around Da Nang and Hoi An. That was enjoyable but, to be honest, nowhere near as spectacular in terms of scenery compared with north Vietnam.
Overall Thoughts
I would highly recommend cycling in North Vietnam. The roads are consistently very good quality with plenty of quiet back road options. When I had to go on main roads, the drivers were generally good, passing with plenty of space.
The scenery in the North was really spectacular. The transition from Hanoi to the karst rock formations of Ninh Binh was particularly dramatic, but so too were the mountains and rice fields of Mai Chau. I think it would get even better heading into the higher mountains.
People on the whole were very friendly and helpful. Vietnam has something of a reputation for scams and overcharging, but I didn't really notice this. Even in touristy areas, the only time I remember being overcharged was buying some fruit from a street market in Mai Chau. Overall, I left with a very positive impression of Vietnamese people.
The air pollution was the big negative in the region at this time of year
From a cycling point of view, the food is great. There is plentiful fresh fruit, rice and noodle dishes. Portion sizes are not huge, so you may sometimes want to order double portions, but that just gives you more opportunity to taste lovely Pho, Bun Cha and Lau (hotpots).
On the negative side, the main thing that stands out is the pollution. The poor air quality caught me by surprise. I have cycled in South East Asia before, even around
Chiang Mai on the cusp of the burning season, but the pollution here was several orders of magnitude worse. I'm not particularly sensitive to that kind of thing, but it was incredibly noticeable and made me want to
cover my mouth and nose when riding, which isn't much fun! The air quality is supposed to be better in the rainy season, and so the best time to cycle this area might be from around July to October, when temperatures are also warm enough that getting a little wet doesn't really matter.
Vietnam is worth visiting for the food alone!
In addition to air pollution, there was a lot of litter at the side of some roads. It's a shame that this was sometimes an eyesore on what was otherwise a beautiful landscape.
Overall my experience of cycling in Northern Vietnam was mixed, but I would still say mostly positive. Hanoi was a great city, with incredible food and a lot of cultural interest. The region felt safe for riding and has plenty of interesting places within close cycling distance (Cat Ba & Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, Sa Pa, Mai Chau, Ha Giang etc..).
