Hanoi explorer

Highlights

• Farmlands and villages surrounding Hanoi
• Flower and vegetable gardens
• Lotus Lake with a whole new view of Hanoi
• Visit of a broom making village
• An Duong Vuong King Temple and Tay Ho Temple
• A small ferry to cross the Duong River
• West lake

All about the trip

Leave the chaos of Hanoi behind for a day as you cycle through farmlands and villages surrounding Hanoi. Cycling on the banks of the Red River on a quiet dyke road. We’ll pass through flower and vegetable gardens, village lanes and alongside lotus lakes to give you a whole new view of Vietnam’s capital city. We’ll meander around West Lake and stop at one of the most popular temples in the city. You’ll be surprised at how little traffic we’ll encounter as you explore a side of Hanoi that’s well off the beaten path. We depart from the Pan Pacific Hotel at 8:30 and head down hidden back alleys to see where the real Hanoi lives. After winding our way through we leave the concrete of the city behind to open farmland along the banks of the Hoang Giang River. We visit a broom making village as we head towards Co Loa, an ancient spiral-shaped citadel that dates back to the third century BC.

After riding around the citadel and a stop at An Duong Vuong King Temple we'll have a break for a local lunch. We next cycle on top of the dike along the Red River, named for the reddish-brown heavily silt-laden water, where we will see where two great rivers meet. Here we board a small ferry to cross the Duong River as we pedal to the north side of West Lake, the largest of many lakes in the city. We ride along the water’s edge to one of the most important places of worship in Hanoi, Tay Ho temple, and learn the legend of the golden buffalo calf. We’ll pedal on through quiet back streets, admiring the colonial architecture, before returning to the Pan Pacific hotel around 16:00. To make sure we don’t miss an important cultural event, this itinerary may be adjusted if there is a festival or other special activity nearby.

What is (and what is not) included in the price

• Guide
• Bike and helmet
• Snacks and drinks
• Lunch
• Entrance fees
• Ferry, boat fares
• Pick-up and drop-off
• Tips

Instructions

We ride approximately 42 km on good quality flat tarmac roads. There’ll be plenty of opportunities for taking photos and just taking in the wonderful scenery.

You can also hire an electric bike for additional price of 30 $ per person.

This activity is organised by SPiCEROADS, Soi Pridi Banomyong 26 Sukhumvit Soi 71 Klongtan Nua, Wattana Bangkok, 10110, Thailand, +66 89 895 5680, info@spiceroads.com.