2 DAYS ESCAPE TO VILLAGES BY BIKE

Highlights: Thay Pagoda, Tay Phuong Pagoda, authentic Vietnamese culture, lush & peaceful rural regions

Duration: 2 days/1 night (home stay in Dong Truc village)
Level: mild to slightly moderate
Group size: Private only - 2 persons and above
Commencement date: upon request, available anytime year round

Away from the crazy traffic and stressful life of the capital city Hanoi are beautifully lush villages. Here, the real traditional culture of Vietnam still exists and is proudly preserved. Within only 2 days, you can get away from it all to experience village life, breath fresh air and mix with the locals & their daily routines. This is a trip absolutely worthwhile to take. No one understands and knows these tours as much as we do; our guides were born and raised from such peaceful country sites. You can be sure that the short, easy bike ride and home stay will be an awesome adventure!

Draft Itinerary:

Day 1: Hanoi – Thach That (25 km cycling distance, overnight in Dong Truc village)
Day 2: Dong Truc village – Son Tay – ancient village of Duong Lam – Hanoi (45 km)

Tour price included:

High-quality Mountain bikes (Trek bikes)
Vehicle support
Car or bus with air-conditioning
English speaking guides (other languages available upon request)
Mineral water during cycling time
Meals (Vietnamese foods as indicated in the itinerary: 1 Breakfast, 2 Lunches & 1 Dinner, all cooked by house lady)
Basic home stay (consists of clean squat toilet, soft bed, mosquito nets, and blankets)
Entrance fees to places indicated in the itinerary

Tour price excluded:

Personal travel insurance
International & domestic airfares
Vietnam visa entrance
Personal expenses such as: drinks, laundry, shopping, gratuities/tips, and any bill not mentioned in tour description
Pre & post tour accommodations

Trip price: please enquire for availabilities & the most up date price

Detail Itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi – Thach That (overnight in Dong Truc village)

Our tour guide and driver will meet you at the hotel foyer. We depart from Hanoi by bus and head out northwest of Hanoi. After 45 minutes, we arrive to our first destination, Thay Pagoda (note: we must put on a well cloth for visiting). You will be fascinated by the unique architecture and intriguing interiors of the pagoda. Especially mysterious is the story about the first master of this pagoda which dates back a thousand years ago. After we take in the great panoramic view of rice paddies from mountain peak, we get on our bikes and start cycling through local villages, crossing rice paddy fields. Enjoying the ride for about over an hour, we will stop to see the famous pagoda of Tay Phuong and have lunch in a local restaurant nearby. After lunch, we keep riding to the village of Dong Truc. This is a really pleasant route for easy cycling. We cross small bridges, ride along little canals, all the while being greeted by children and farmers, calling on you with nice smiles on broad faces. Arriving at our home stay still early in the afternoon, our guide will introduce you to the family, provides orientation then relax drinking tea and chatting with our host. There is still time to continue enjoying the slow wandering, biking to other villages close by. This evening, we will be treated to various authentic Vietnamese dishes, cooked by the family members (lunch and dinner included today).

Day 2: Thach That – Son Tay – ancient village of Duong Lam – Hanoi

If you wish to breathe the fresh morning air of countryside, get up early for a stroll around the village, have fun chatting with the locals. After breakfast, we say farewell to our host, get on the bikes and keep riding to Son Tay. This is where the genuine Vietnam still exists. The old citadel is well preserved; the town is quiet with no tourists. Lightly explore the area then head out for a short ride of only 4 km to the ancient village of Duong Lam. You will find the real image of Vietnam, first at the village entrance, grace by a high banyan tree and tiles roof gate with brick lanes leading you to Mong Phu Temple. This is a beautiful old temple where villagers seriously worship and celebrate ceremonies to honor the Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung kings, who were born from this village. We enjoy cycling around, go through narrow mossy lanes and stop to visit an old house, having tea and cake with the owners. Our lunch will be arranged by one of the family in the village. After lunch, we put away the bikes and head straight back to Hanoi (breakfast and lunch included today).