Central Vietnam Motorcycle Tour on Ho Chi Minh Trail – 8 days

Depart from Hoi An to Hue at 8 in the morning. Our very first route will cross Hai Van Pass and you can stop at the back pass to eye-witness the sceneries like Lang Co or Hai Van. Make our way to Hue for lunch then go on a visit to the inner city and Thien Mu Pagoda. We can’t pass by Hue Citadel once setting our foot on the city. The Hue citadel palace complex with its high stone walls and the refined palaces and temples behind were the center of Vietnamese governance and politics during the Nguyen Emperor’s rule throughout the 19^th and early 20^th century. It was recognized as the World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. About 520 hectares in size, the Hue Citadel sits close to the banks of the Perfume River.

Also located beside the picturesque Perfume River, Thien Mu Pagoda is one of the oldest and most charming religious sites in Vietnam. The Pagoda has long lured visitors by its beautiful and ancient architectural structures of worship which were built in 1601 by the first emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. Amble down on Hue after dinner to find some specialties and stay overnight at a hotel.

Summary:

• Distance: 130 km
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel

Have Hue beef noodle for breakfast before getting in downtown Hue City. Go over Le Duan, Ly Thai To, and Ly Nhan Tong to August Revolution/National Highway 1A. Proceed from the National Highway 1A to Son Trach for about 14.1 km. Have a 190 km ride to hit DT20 then move for 6.2 km towards Phong Nha, Bo Trach, Quang Binh.  Begin the exploration of the 2 most amazing in Phong Nha. The first one is Phong Nha Cave, which is famous not only in Vietnam but also in the world by its magical beauty. We have got to go boating along the Son River to get inside Phong Nha Cave – one of the cultural heritage sites of the world with an unsurpassed wonder of nature. The weather here is always cool even in summer.

The last site for today is Thien Duong Cave. Being dubbed as Underground Palace Heaven, the cave is one of the wonders of the magnificent and magical world most. Surrounded by underground streams and rocky mountains, it is believed to be formed hundreds of millions of years ago. Get some sleep at a hotel in Phong Nha.

Summary:

• Distance: 230 km
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel

One day isn’t enough to explore the whole Phong Nha so we’ll get back there. With a survey length of 8 km, inside Phong Nha Cave are mainly underground rivers that are categorized as the longest ones in the world. Hit the Bi Ky Cave, a large sub-branch inside Phong Nha with thousands of stalactites shining in different colors and shapes. You will have time to hear the music in the mountain’s wine goddess in the wind and witness the magnificence of the chamber, the limestone corridor covered full of sparkling jasmine.

Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park features great geological diversity including a large number of caves and underground rivers. It shelters a high level of biodiversity and lots of endemic species. The pure water source brings a very great flavor to the seafood here. Enjoy the local foods that freshly caught from the Son River such as sesame carp, carps, shrimp, especially the eel fish.

Summary:

• Distance: 230 km
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel

Leaving Phong Nha, we head to Khe Sanh along the Ho Chi Minh Trail Vietnam. We will reach Khe Sanh by midday then visit Khe Sanh Combat Base. The site is at an elevation of 400m above sea level hemmed in hills and mountains. Khe Sanh, Vine Village, and Ta Con are the “God eyes” of the electronic fence McNamara. As the most famous siege of the American War, the Combat Base saw the bloodiest battle of the war. In 1968, the hillsides trembled with the impact of mortars, white phosphorus shells, 1000kg bombs, napalm, and endless artillery rounds. However, it’s uncannily peaceful today.

Ta Con Air Base is a demonstration of the Vietnamese people’s desire for unification of the country. Many remnants such as artillery, airplanes, tanks, and bombs remained after 40 years are on display at the relic. That helps visitors envisage the ferocity of the battles in Ta Con. Spend the night at a hotel in Khe Sanh.

Summary:

• Distance: 220 km
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel

Proceed to Prao on the Ho Chi Minh trail. Along the way, the green tea hill embraced by the mighty Truong Son mountains will show up before your eyes. After hitting Prao, we will end up at Ta Vac to visit Ta Tu Villages of the Co Tu ethnic group, have an exploration of nature and the locals’ daily life. As community-based tourism, the travelers coming here can experience daily activities such as pounding rice, chopping firewood, and knitting rattan household utensils. In addition to popular attractions, dishes of this ethnic minority group are exotic and diverse.

Co Tu Village located in Tay Giang District, Quang Nam Province which offers tourists an unspoiled beauty and the colorful ethnic culture of the minority group. Co Tu people serve their demands of life with utensils made of all things of nature. Despite the extreme life circumstances, living traditions and religions here never lose the beauty of life in this village.

Summary:

• Distance: 190 km
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel

Start the whole new day with your breakfast before following Ho Chi Minh Road – AH 17. The destination today is a well-known historical site in Pleiku – historical victory Plei Kan in Dak Xu Commune, Ngoc Hoi District, Kon Tum Province. Cross Truong Son Range from the mouth of the Chu Mom Ray National Forest – the starting point of the legendary 14C Highway on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Plei Kan is also where Highway 40 originates from Indochina through the Bo Y border to Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

The townlet upholds historical values of Ho Chi Minh Trail that saw many glorious feats of arms during the American War, and also a traffic work of military art stature in the world. Bearing a great historical value of the nation, Plei Kan draws lots of both domestic and foreign tourists to come. Arrive at a homestay in the townlet then weave through the villages to uncover the life here.

Summary:

• Distance: 270 km
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel

Make tracks for a long-been tourist resort paradise – the National Mangrove ecological area in Kon Plong District, Kon Tum Province. Get onto the Highway 24 for 54km in the Northeast of Kon Tum’s center to reach Mang Den Ecotourism Site. Being known as “the second Dalat tourist city” in the Central Highlands, the site attracts visitors with fresh cool air all year round, natural and fabulous beauty of the landscape. Nestled into primitive forests and a large area grown with age-old pine trees, the area is home to rare species of flora like Fujian cypress, red pine trees, medicinal plants (Cinnamon, Aquilaria plant, etc.), and wild animals (python and chamois).

To form the transnational tourist route “Indochina Heritage Road” linking the world heritage sites in Vietnam with that in Laos and Cambodia, the Mang Den Ecotourism Site is listed as part of the tourist route “Green Road in Central Highlands” connected to “Central Heritage Road” and “Legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail”. In the late afternoon, we will make it to Quang Ngai and stay in a local hotel.

Summary:

• Distance: 210 km
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel

Come along our single track tour from Kon Tum to Quang Ngai, forget not to admire the stunning sceneries popping up alongside the mountain passes and rural roads. What a quietude of rural areas! Go forth into the Black Mangrove Forest for a swimming and a laid-back time. Drop the hill tribe and go over the Violac Pass between Quang Ngai and Kon Tum. The spectacular pass looks like a miniature Hai Van Pass but for those who first come here inevitable will be amazed by the arc road and the towering cliffs.

On the last day of the tour, we will spend time visiting many famed attractions along the way. Come by My Lai Village in Son Tinh District, Quang Ngai Province. The village was the site of the infamous incident known as the My Lai Massacre where American soldiers killed over 500 civilians. It’s worth to take time to appreciate what happened here during the American War. Along the coastal road, we will cross many estuaries and lagoons. Keep moving forward, we will arrive in Da Nang/Hoi An at about 5 p.m. End of the Central Vietnam Motorbike Tour on Ho Chi Minh Trail in 8 days.

Summary:

• Distance: 180 km

END OF TOUR