Info Links for Week One:
Hong Kong and China
Hong Kong
Tsim Sha Tsui district
Guangdong Province
Guangzhou
Qing Yuan City
Yangshan
Lianshan
Yangshuo
Guilin
Guangxi province
Nanning
Pingxiang

Info Links for Week Two:
North Vietnam
Haiphong
Halong Bay
Ho Chi Minh Museum
Quan Tranh Pagoda
Tran Quoc Pagoda
Red River Delta
Bat Trang Ceramics
Hanoi

Photos of 2007 China-Tibet Tour Courtesy of
Grand China Bike Tours

New!  
CHINA & VIETNAM Cycling Tour

October 12-27, 2008
[Does not include travel dates from U.S.]

$2998 US double occupancy
$498 single hotel supplement

Join us for an incredible bicycle tour to southern China and North Vietnam!
For more information on the fascinating places we'll visit, click on the location links in the left column below the photos. Scroll down for a detailed itinerary.
 

Tour Features
·   All 3- to 4-star hotel lodging
·   All meals (except Hong Kong)
·   All domestic transportation by air, boat and train
·   Bicycle (bring own helmet, water bottles & accessories)
·   Entrance fees for all cultural & historic sites & special activities
·   Guides, mechanics & interpreters
·   Vehicle & motorcoach support
·   Maps and instructions
 

Distances
The "mileage" will be in kilometers (roughly 6/10 of a mile).  The distance you ride is always up to you - a ride from the support vehicle is always available.  Some people plan to bicycle about half of each day and ride in the van after lunch.  Some play it by feel and catch a ride along the way, if needed.

Itinerary

October 12: Arrive in Hong Kong (best to arrive by early afternoon or come a day early) and take an easy transfer to the Hong Kong Park Hotel, where we’ll meet our group in the evening. Our hotel is located in the heart of the Tsim Sha Tsui district in Kowloon, and you can spend the rest of the day shopping or sightseeing on your own. Overnight at 3 star Hong Kong Park Hotel.
 
October 13: We have an early breakfast at the hotel and depart for Guangzhou at 7:30 a.m. We travel by train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, arriving in mainland China. Our Chinese guides meet us as we exit customs and immigration. We’ll stop for a typical Chinese lunch before checking in the hotel. We’ll select and adjust our bikes and take them for a test ride about 20 km around Star Crags Lake. Tonight we’ll get our first taste of real Guangdong (Cantonese) food – some of the best cuisine in China. Overnight at 4-star hotel in Zhaoqing  City.
 
October 14: The support vehicle will take us outside of town where we'll begin cycling today. We bike about 40 km through rural China, with its rolling farmland and bamboo forests. In the afternoon we pedal another 40 km, and the quiet and remote roads make for a memorable day of cycling. Enter bustling Wuzhou, the snake capital of China, and overnight at the 4-star hotel in Wuzhou.

October 15: Our support vehicle again takes us outside of town, then we cycle about 40 km on the very scenic and hilly road through many small quaint villages. In the afternoon we ride through a beautiful mountain area and watch farmers plowing their rice paddies with water buffalo and planting rice by hand. In the late afternoon we will take a bus to Lipu, a typical Chinese town. Our lodging is the 4-star Fu Yu Cave Hotel.

October 16: The route today from Lipu to Yangshuo is what many consider to be the highlight of the trip. We’ll ride 60 km through rolling countryside dotted with farms and orange orchards.  We’ll have a picnic along the way and enter the fascinating karst area surrounding Yangshuo. The accommodations are a 3-star hotel in Yangshuo.

October 17: This morning we’ll have breakfast in a local café, then ride 30 km to Xing Ping to cruise the Li River, watching cormorant  fisherman ply their trade. Lunch is in a noodle shop in the small village of Xing Ping.  We cycle 30 km back to Yangshuo, where the remainder of the afternoon is free for shopping and exploring. Yangshuo has been compared to Kathmandu, Nepal or Cusco, Peru. You can browse through shops selling classical silk paintings, antiques, woodcarvings and a host of other souvenirs.  We’ll overnight at the 3-star Yangshou Hotel.  

October 18: This morning we’ll have breakfast in a local café, then we will cycle 50 km on the backroads around Yangshuo to Guilin.  We ride through scenic and hilly terraced areas and we’ll have a picnic lunch on the road. Then we drive to Guilin to visit the Elephant Trunk Hill Park and Teacher's University of Guilin. Overnight at a 4-star Guilin hotel in the heart of the city.
 
October 19:  After an early breakfast in the hotel, we transfer by bus to Nanning, the capital city of Guangxi province. After lunch in Nanning we'll visit the Guangxi Ethnic Relics Center, an outdoor exhibition center that features relics, ethnic flavor and folk customs of four minorities: Zhuang, Dong, Yao and Miao.  We continue on our way to Pingxiang, a border town between China and Vietnam and a symbol of Sino-Vietnamese friendship. Stay at a 3-star hotel in Pingxiang.
 
October 20: After breakfast we cross the Pingxiang Friendship Pass into Vietnam.  Our Vietnamese guides will meet us there as we exit customs and immigration. We'll drive into the beautiful countryside, then hop on our bikes and cycle to the colonial port city of Hai Phong. On the way we pass through the picturesque landscape of rice fields surrounded by limestone formations. Today we cycle about 60 km and have a picnic lunch on the road. In the afternoon we drive to Hai Phong. Overnight at a 4 -star hotel in Hai Phong city.

October 21: Today we get started early in the morning, leaving Haiphong for Halong Bay. We will cycle about 50 km on scenic and lovely country lanes, with another picnic lunch on the way, and arrive in Halong Bay in the late afternoon.  Halong Bay is one of Southeast Asia's premier tourist destinations and one of Vietnam’s five UNESCO World Heritage sites. More than three thousand jagged limestone islands emerge from the emerald green waters.  Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Halong Bay.

October 22: Today we board a traditional wooden junk to explore the magical Halong Bay.  A fresh seafood lunch will be served on the boat while cruising to the first point, a floating village of fishermen. Enjoy the view of the dramatic limestone formations, a giant cave, beaches and hidden lagoons. Overnight at 4-star hotel in Halong Bay.

October 23.  After breakfast we will cycle around this historic city of lakes, tree-lined boulevards and French-colonial architecture. On the road we’ll visit a famous temple and the local markets in the city. In the afternoon we will have more cycling to explore the charm and fascination of this former colonial city or to see the amazing limestone wash-outs here. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Halong Bay.

October 24: We’ll have an early breakfast in our hotel, then leave for Hanoi, one of Asia’s most interesting cities. We’ll cycle through typical Vietnamese villages, enjoying picturesque landscapes. Today we cycle about 60 km and picnic on the road. In the late afternoon we transfer to Hanoi by bus and enjoy a special Water Puppet show that evening. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Hanoi.

October 25:  Early in the morning we will cycle to Hoan Kiem Lake and the heart of the Old Quarters, then we'll have a full-day tour of Hanoi’s finest sites, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum, the One-Pillar Pagoda, Quan Thanh and Tran Quoc pagodas, and the Fine Art Museum. After lunch we'll visit the thousand-year-old Temple of Literature and Museum of Ethnology. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Hanoi.

October 26: You’ll have this entire day to explore Hanoi's exciting mixture of old and new.  You can spend the day shopping, sightseeing or exploring the city's charm. A fresh seafood dinner will be served in a local famous restaurant tonight. Overnight at 4-star hotel in Hanoi. 

October 27: Breakfast in the hotel, then transfer to the Hanoi airport to depart for the U.S. and arrive home on the same day!