Contact us for more info about Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle – 14 Days

We don't currently have scheduled dates for this tour, however please let us know you're interested and when you'd like to go and we will endeavour to provide you with a tour to meet your needs.

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    Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle – 14 Days

    Lifestyle Cycling Tour of Southeast Asia from $5867 NZD
    (1/5)

    Contact us for more info about Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle – 14 Days

    We don't currently have scheduled dates for this tour, however please let us know you're interested and when you'd like to go and we will endeavour to provide you with a tour to meet your needs.

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      Visit three of Southeast Asia’s most fascinating countries as you cycle from Vietnam through Cambodia to Thailand.

      From bustling Saigon, travel through the iconic Mekong Delta to Cambodia where the Khmer empire once dominated South East Asia. Visit Phnom Penh with its colonial buildings, then wind your way past rivers and lakes to the amazing spiritual temples of Angkor Wat. This fascinating tour ends at one of Thailand’s beautiful beaches where you may like to extend your stay.

      The tour has many highlights from busy cities and colonial relics to tribal trails and humble homesteads. It will also give you a great insight into Southeast Asia’s diverse culture, amazing scenery and wonderfully friendly people as you ride along quiet backroads and cross mighty rivers.

      Saigon to Bangkok

      Saigon
      • Lifestyle
      • Grade
      • Group size 2-16
      • USD 595 single room surcharge
      • USD 250 mountain bike hire
      • USD 575 e-bike hire (limited)
      • Prices from Oct 2024 subject to change
      • This tour is invoiced in USD
      This trip is suitable for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. The road surfaces are a mixture of good quality tarmac, wide dirt tracks and broken roads that are sometimes badly potholed but easily ridden. The terrain is not overly hilly but there are a few longer distances (85 km or more). The support vehicle is almost always available except in some parts of Vietnam's Mekong Delta where the paths are too narrow. But the guide will always be with you. Accommodation is in comfortable 3 star & 4 star hotels and guest houses.

      Full Itinerary

      DAY 1

      Arrival Day: Ho Chi Minh City

      Cycling: none

      Welcome to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)! After making your own way to the hotel you are free to explore the city at leisure, discovering the sites, smells and sounds of Vietnam’s former capital. This evening the group will get to know each other over dinner at one of the city's enchanting restaurants.

      Meals: Dinner

      DAY 2

      Ho Chi Minh City to Tra Vinh

      Cycling: approx. 65 km

      After breakfast its a 2 hour transfer to Ben Tre, the gateway to the Mekong Delta. Today's ride down narrow roads and lanes will take you into the heart of the Mekong, past banana plantations and fields of sugarcane. The cycling surfaces will be mixed, with some gravel and dirt lanes weaving around hamlets, across rivers and through thick vegetation. A ferry crossing takes you to Tra Vinh, a pretty tree-lined town which is home to many ethnic Khmers.

      Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

      DAY 3

      Tra Vinh to Can Tho

      Cycling: approx. 92 km

      Today's route is peaceful and scenic all the way to your destination of Can Tho. There will be plenty to see, from contrasting architectural styles of Khmer homes and temples to the rich and colourful river scenes when crossing many small bridges.

      Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

      DAY 4

      Can Tho to Chau Doc

      Cycling: approx 70 km

      A morning visit to Cai Rang Floating market sets the mood for today’s Mekong Delta bike ride under toddy palms (Thot Not). From Thoi Lai there will be a transfer to the lunch stop where you can relax before a one hour transfer to Ba Chuc. Here you will have a sombre visit to the Killing Fields of Vietnam, where Pol Pot’s regime massacred over 3,000 Vietnamese in 1978. After looping around Ba Chuc along the Cambodian border you'll ride the rest of the way to Chau Doc along scenic country roads. Cycle directly to Sam Mountain in time to see the sun setting over the rice fields before a final short transfer to the hotel.

      Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

      DAY 5

      Chau Doc to Phnom Penh (Cambodia)

      No cycling

      You'll leave Chau Doc and Vietnam behind today with an early morning boat cruise up the Mekong River. After stopping for immigration formalities at the Cambodian border, take the opportunity to rest your legs and view daily life unfolding along the river and its banks. The 5 to 6 hour cruise to Phnom Penh, Cambodia's bustling capital, arrives in time for lunch. Then an afternoon sightseeing tour will include Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the interrogation centre where supposed enemies of the Khmer Rouge regime were held captive, tortured and prepared for execution. It's now a place of reflection for Cambodians and international visitors alike. You'll also visit the Royal Palace, the official residence of the King of Cambodia, with its treasure trove of splendid architecture and art.

      Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

      DAY 6

      Phnom Penh to Oudong to Kampong Thom

      Cycling: approx. 27 km

      Today's ride starts in the suburbs of Phnom Penh after a transfer out of the busy city centre. You'll get a taste of Cambodia's rustic countryside as you cycle through farmland and many villages with their stilt houses. Of course you'll also encounter curious and friendly locals! The ride will end at Oudong where a sprawling complex of Buddhist stupas sit on top of a ridge. This was once the site of Cambodia’s capital before it was moved further down river to Phnom Penh. The 400-plus steps to the top will get the legs working, but the views are well worth it! Then after lunch nearby, it's a 3 to 4 hour transfer to the sleepy backwater town of Kampong Thom where you'll spend the night.

      Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

      DAY 7

      Kampong Thom to Siem Reap

      Cycling: 64 km

      Rural Cambodia will be showcased today as you ride through quaint villages and farmland with lots of rice fields. For the first 8 km you'll follow the meandering Stueng Saen River before crossing over on a small ferry (or by bridge depending on the water levels). Then continue north along quiet country roads which dissect the river's fertile floodplain. After a total of 40 km you arrive at the ancient site of Sambor Prei Kuk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which dates back to one of Cambodia’s earliest civilisations. Here, brick temples in various stages of restoration are scattered throughout a forested area which is connected by sandy paths. This makes for some fun riding! After visiting some of these temples it's time for lunch at a local restaurant before cycling the last 15 km to the main road. From here its a 2 hour transfer to Siem Reap, the “gateway to Angkor”, where you’ll spend the next three nights.

      Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

      DAY 8

      Angkor Temples

      Cycling: approx. 48 km

      The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor is home to the once-glorious capital cities of the Khmer Empire, whose powerful god-kings built lavish stone temples between the 9th and 15th centuries. Today, you'll discover Angkor’s most iconic sites as you cycle along the myriad of paths that lead to the temples and ruins scattered across the plain. At Ta Prohm, brought to fame by the film “Tomb Raider”, you'll stumble across a tumbling façade of laterite and sandstone blocks, draped by the massive roots of fig trees. At the Bayon, you can marvel at the rows of godly faces carved into the temple towers and peering sublimely in all cardinal directions. Then at Angkor Wat, the national symbol of Cambodia and the largest religious structure in the world, stroll through the inner and outer courtyards decorated with excellently conserved carvings and bas-reliefs depicting Hindu myths, wars, life and death. Finally you'll return to Siem Reap in the afternoon.

      Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

      DAY 9

      Siem Reap: loop ride

      Cycling: 54 km

      Today’s focus is to keep away from the touristy parts of Angkor. On your bikes you'll be heading north, firstly on paved roads which soon transition to quiet dirt roads through rice fields and small villages. Along the way, you can visit local houses for a close up view of some rural cottage industries such as basket weaving and sugar palm production. Today's ride ends at the 10th-century temple of Banteay Srey, considered a jewel of Khmer artistry and known for its exquisite bas-reliefs carved into delicate, pink sandstone. After lunch at a local restaurant a transfer returns you to Siem Reap (or you can cycle back along the main road). Spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool, having a massage or exploring the town of Siem Reap. Dinner tonight is own arrangements.

      Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

      DAY 10

      Siem Reap to Battambang

      No cycling

      No cycling today but there will be plenty to see and do! This morning we'll visit Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake and one of Cambodia’s most treasured life-sustaining natural resources. During a boat cruise to a floating village, you'll learn about this unique waterborne way of life. After returning to shore, hop back in the support vehicle for a 2.5 to 3 hour transfer to the city of Battambang (transfer by boat if lake waterlevels are high enough). While Battambang is Cambodia’s second largest city, it retains a laid-back vibe and is renowned for its well-preserved façade of French colonial architecture. After lunch and some free time you can partake in two local experiences. First, a fun ride on the bamboo train, then as dusk draws in, head over to Phnom Sampov. Here a spectacular natural phenomenon takes place every day: the mesmerizing exodus of millions of bats swirling into the twilight sky from the depths of a cave. Note that this afternoon you'll be riding around in iconic Cambodian tuk-tuks!

      Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

      DAY 11

      Battambang to Pailin

      Cycling: 98 km

      This will be the longest ride of the tour, as you cycle west to the border down of Pailin. After an Initial busy section out of the city it becomes quieter as you head into the heart of Battambang Province. This is one of Cambodia’s most fertile agricultural regions awash with farms, plantations and rice paddies. The paved roads are lined with traditional stilt houses, modern homes and buzzing market towns, which exposes an interesting cross section of rural living in Cambodia. Most of today's ride is flat except for some undulations over the last 30 km as you climb into the foothills of the Cardamom Mountains. After nearly 100 km you’ll arrive at your hotel on the outskirts of Pailin town. Today, this part of Cambodia is a peaceful agrarian district but until the 1990's it was a stronghold for the Khmer Rouge. You’ll learn about this legacy as well as Pailin’s position as a hub for gemstone trading.

      Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

      DAY 12

      Pailin to Chantaburi (Thailand)

      Cycling: 44 km

      Today it's a short, easy ride on quiet scenic roads to the border crossing. This rural road used mainly by local traders, makes for a pleasant stop while we complete all immigration formalities. Then you ride through the Thai countryside to the main road from where a transfer (after a change of guides, vehicle and bikes) takes you to the beach at Chantaburi in time for lunch.

      Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

      DAY 13

      Chantaburi to Laem Mae Phim

      Cycling: 65 km

      It’s a flat and easy ride through mangroves, shrimp farms and along the coast to a local Thai beach where you'll stay tonight. Spend the afternoon swimming and relaxing.

      Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

      DAY 14

      Laem Mae Phim to Bangkok (& departure)

      No cycling

      You have the morning to relax at the beach before the transfer to Bangkok where the tour finishes (at around 3pm).

      Meals: Breakfast

      HI I'M SANDY

      Email me if you have any questions.

      Global Cycling Adventures - Sandy Harper

      Tel:

      Email: [email protected]

      Tour Inclusions and Exclusions:

      Tour Includes:

      • Accommodation: 3-4 star hotels & guesthouses
      • Meals as listed in the itinerary
      • English speaking tourguide(s)
      • Support vehicle(s)
      • Boat rides as listed
      • Water and snacks while cycling
      • Entrance fees & sightseeing as per itinerary

      Tour Excludes:

      • Flights and airport taxes
      • Passport and travel visa fees (Vietnam visa prior to arrival, Cambodia visa en route)
      • Airport arrival transfer (day 1)
      • Airport departure transfer (day 14)
      • Travel Insurance
      • Personal expenses and drinks (except water while cycling)
      • Tips for guide(s) and support crew