Cycling in Vietnam: From Hue to the Mekong Delta (Trip Report)

A firsthand account of a 30-day cycling trip (the length of the visa) in southern Vietnam, from Hue to the Mekong Delta. 1,500 kilometers pedaled in December 2022 and January 2023.

Roads and Traffic The roads are generally in very good condition. The secondary road network is limited. Since Vietnam is a densely populated country, needless to say, traffic is often heavy, including on secondary roads. Cyclists, along with pedestrians, are at the very bottom of the road-user hierarchy. In short, when you're on a bike, you never have the right of way. The atmosphere is deafening—Vietnamese people honk all the time. For a Western ear, it's hard to tell the difference between a honk that just signals someone's presence, one that warns of imminent danger, or an angry honk. 😏

Weather Vietnam is a long, narrow country (1,600 km). The weather isn’t the same in the north, center, or south. I cycled through the central part in December. Even though the monsoon peak had passed, I still encountered a lot of rain. Since the monsoon usually lasts until January, it might be better to cycle there starting in February. I was in the Mekong Delta in January. The best season, as it’s the driest month with the least hot temperatures. At this time of year, the prevailing winds come from the northeast. So, it’s better to travel from north to south. That way, you’ll usually have the wind at your back.

Accommodation I always stayed in hotels without ever booking in advance. Typically, I paid between 10 and 20 € for a double room with a private bathroom and AC. To find hotels, I used Google Maps and Maps.me. Wi-Fi is available for free almost everywhere.

The Route Hue → Danang → Hoi An → Nha Trang → Phan Rang → Tan Son → Dalat → Di Linh → Mui Ne → La Gi → Vung Tau → Nha Be → My Tho → Tra Vinh → Can Tho → Cao Lanh → Tranh Hoa → Trang Bang I took the train from Danang to Nha Trang. Not all trains accept bikes, so you’ll need to check beforehand. The railway handles bikes—they’re packed by staff and travel in the same train but in a freight car. I paid 14 € for the ticket plus 7 € for the bike (there’s an extra 0.50 € to pay upon arrival).

The Verdict So, is cycling in Vietnam worth it? If you enjoy biking in traffic, then yes. Otherwise... 😎

Kudos for your bravery. At least the scenery made it worth it.

A first-hand account of a 30-day cycling trip (the length of the visa) in southern Vietnam, from Hue to the Mekong Delta. 1,500 kilometers pedaled in December 2022 and January 2023

Roads and traffic The roads are generally in very good condition. The secondary road network is limited. Since Vietnam is a densely populated country, needless to say, traffic is often heavy, including on secondary roads. Cyclists, along with pedestrians, are at the very bottom of the road-user hierarchy. In short, when you're on a bike, you never have the right of way. The atmosphere is deafening—Vietnamese people honk all the time. For a Western ear, it's hard to tell the difference between a honk just signaling presence, one warning of imminent danger, or an angry honk. 😏

Weather Vietnam is a long, narrow country (1,600 km). The weather isn’t the same in the north, center, or south. I cycled in the central part in December. Even though the monsoon peak had passed, I still got a lot of rain. Since the monsoon usually lasts until January, it might be better to cycle there starting in February. I was in the Mekong Delta in January. The best season, as it’s the driest month with the least hot temperatures. At this time of year, the prevailing winds come from the northeast. So it’s better to go from north to south. That way, you’ll mostly have the wind at your back.

Accommodation I always stayed in hotels without ever booking in advance. Usually, I paid between 10 and 20 € for a double room with a private bathroom and AC. To find hotels, I used Google Maps and Maps.me. Wi-Fi is available for free almost everywhere.

The route Hue → Danang → Hoi An → Nha Trang → Phan Rang → Tan Son → Dalat → Di Linh → Mui Ne → La Gi → Vung Tau → Nhabe → My Tho → Tra Vinh → Can Tho → Cao Canh → Tranh Hoa → Trang Bang I took the train from Danang to Nha Trang. Not all trains accept bikes, so you need to check beforehand. The bike is handled by the railway staff—it’s packed by employees and travels in the same train but in a freight car. I paid 14 € for the ticket plus 7 € for the bike (there’s an extra 0.50 € to pay upon arrival).

The verdict So, is it worth traveling by bike in Vietnam? If you like cycling in traffic, yes. Otherwise... 😎

Hi! Do you have a more detailed route trace for your itinerary? Did you stay in hotels every night, or did you camp with a tent/stove at any point?

Hi there,

I don’t have any GPS tracks. Given the low density of the road network, the routes are pretty self-explanatory. Also, as I mentioned in my original post, I always stayed in hotels—and had no trouble finding them.

Below is a photo I took this morning, but it’s not from Vietnam. 😏

Choosing the coastal route was to break out the swimsuits regularly 🙂(basically, why didn’t you pick the western side along the Cambodian border)? Because of the hills????

Which airport did you arrive at and depart from?

Choosing the coastal route was to break out the swimsuit regularly 🙂(basically, why didn’t you pick the western side along the Cambodian border)? Because of the coasts????

Which airport did you arrive at and leave from?

Why not the highlands? Because I didn’t feel like pedaling for days on end through plantations. That said, I did cycle a few days there (Lao Bao -> Dong Ha, Tan Son → Dalat → Di Linh → Mui Ne)..

As for breaking out the swimsuit along the coast, the beaches in central Vietnam don’t exactly inspire me. With their endless string of resorts and mostly straight shorelines.

Otherwise, I entered and left Vietnam by land borders—and by bike, of course.