| Number of Cycling Days: 5 Days | Total Cycling Distance: 434 Km |
| Accommodation: Included | Bike Hire: Included |
| Single Supplement: Supplement Charge | Tour Code: LA – LBA |
| Next departure: 08 August, 2024 | Difficulty: Moderate |
Embark on our 8-days Laos Biking Adventure that takes riders on a rugged and wild ride deep into the heart of hill tribe country. Cycle through isolated mountainsides, thick jungle pathways, and remote river valleys for a journey that’s as rewarding as it is challenging. Meet curious locals who have never met a foreigner, let alone a mountain biker, and take in breathtaking views of Southeast Asia’s impressive scenery by day, a pure, starry sky by night.
Day 1: Vientiane – Arrival
Welcome to Vientiane! Upon your arrival at the airport, our local guide and driver will pick you up then transfer you to your comfortable hotel. You can rest and enjoy at your own leisure. Your Laos Biking Adventure begins in the evening with a welcome meeting and tour briefing.
Day 2: Vientiane to Nam Ngum
After breakfast, we start cycling out of Vientiane. After leaving the bustle of the town we ride through pastoral agricultural land, passing paddy fields and more intensively farmed areas. Towards the end of the day, there are two short but rewarding climbs just before we reach our destination at Ang Nam Ngum reservoir.
Day 3: Nam Ngum – Vang Vieng
We prepare for an early start riding on the mostly flat roads. Towards the end of the morning, we will reach the fishing village of Tha Heauna where all manner of salty fish are on sale by the road. We will have lunch here, sampling the local produce, before cycling on to arrive by early afternoon in Vang Vieng.
Day 4: Vang Vieng – Rest Day
Today is a rest day of our Laos Biking Adventure. Vang Vieng has recently become a popular destination for backpackers and is a comfortable place with nice restaurants and guesthouses. There are options to swim, tube, or visit nearby caves. We can relax with a beer Lao to finish off the day and enjoy the sunset over the river behind the stunning limestone pinnacles.
Day 5: Vang Vieng – Kasi
After breakfast start cycling on a route with hills on either side. After about 28km we will begin to encounter an 8km climb. This is followed by a long gentle descent to Kasi for our overnight stay.
Day 6: Kasi – Kiu Kachan
We will begin with a gentle 10km ride as the scent of jasmine and lotus blossoms drifts through the clear air from the rich jungle flora. This is followed by a massive 38km ascent to reach Nung Phum, where we will stop for a well-deserved lunch. In the afternoon, we will cycle a further 50km up and down through dramatic scenes of craggy limestone peaks, some of which are the highest in Southeast Asia. At the end of this challenging day, we will arrive in Kiu Kachan for our overnight stay.
Day 7: Kiu Kachan – Luang Prabang
Your Laos Biking Adventure continue to a world heritage site Luang Prabang and one of the highlights of the trip. The day starts with a long descent for 22km, followed by a 15km hard climb. Along the way, we will pass through Hmong villages, each of which has its own distinctive character and style of house.
Day 8: Explore Luang Prabang City
Today will be our last day of our 8 days Laos Biking Adventure. After breakfast start exploring this wonderful town with our guide. Firstly, we visit the local market where we can see the locals buying their daily supplies. Then continue with visits to the National Museum (closed on Tuesdays and Sunday afternoons), Wat Mai, and Wat Xieng Thong, we will learn about Lao history and the kingdoms that ruled this place in former times. Our local guide will then accompany us for lunch at a local restaurant.
After lunch, we visit Wat Visoun which dates back to the 16th century before heading to the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center where we will gain a deeper understanding of the ethnic diversity in Laos today. Then ascend Phousi Mountain to marvel at the sunset over town before descending into the colourfully-lit tents of the Night Market to shop for handmade crafts.
What’s Included
What’s Excluded
Guides
Your Laos Biking Adventure trip will be led by our local cycling tour guide. For a group of less than 5, there will be one English-speaking cycling guide and a driver. For a group of 6 or more, there will be a Cycling Tour Leader, an English-speaking cycling guide, drivers, and assistants. All of our guides are well-informed about the history, culture, and religions of the area where you will be biking and are skilled at sharing that knowledge with you.
Bikes & Repairs
The bikes you will be riding are well-known makes of hybrid bikes or mountain bikes. The ones you receive depend on the type of tour.
During the tour, your guide will carry a reliable toolkit and help you in fixing any bike problems, so you only need to bring a daypack for your camera and other necessities. However, please note that we cannot guarantee being equipped for all types of repairs. If you are bringing your own bike, it is crucial to ensure that it is in good working condition before the tour. In case of any doubts, we recommend having it fully serviced by a bike shop before you embark on your journey.
Support Vehicle
Throughout the tour, you will have the security of a backup vehicle that will be with us at all times. The vehicle will transport your luggage, which we’ll move by support vehicle from each overnight stop to the next, and it can carry you if needed. The backup van will accompany us throughout the day, stopping roughly every 15 kilometers.
Safety
For your safety, wearing a helmet is mandatory during all of our biking adventures, and we strongly recommend it. If you refuse to wear a helmet, you will not be permitted to cycle. While your tour guide is well-trained in first aid and emergency rescue, it is important to note that you are largely responsible for your own safety while riding.
Terrain
The terrain of the Laos Biking Adventure is diverse, hill, featuring mainly flat paths that follow a combination of tarmac and dirt roads through the countryside and rural villages. You will cycle on back roads that offer stunning, unobstructed views of the landscape, and we’ll make frequent stops every 15 kilometers to rest, snack, take pictures, and enjoy drinks.
Our guides are experienced in accommodating riders of all skill levels. In the event that you are unable to complete the distance, you can always hop into the support vehicle.
Fitness level
Our tour is designed to cater to cyclists of all levels of experience, fitness, ages, and backgrounds. We encourage all of our cyclists to embrace the challenges of the tour while respecting everyone’s individual limits.
Our tours are designed to accommodate each rider’s pace, and it’s important to note that this is not a race. We want everyone to enjoy the journey and take in the beautiful scenery at their own leisurely pace.
Health & Medical Conditions
As our tours are physically demanding, it’s essential that you are in good physical health and able to fully participate in the group tour. Before the start of your tour and at every stop during the trip, we require all travelers to provide details of any pre-existing medical conditions or to inform the tour guide if they feel unwell.
Disclosing this information is crucial to ensuring that we can respond effectively in case of an emergency. We take the safety and well-being of our travelers very seriously and appreciate your cooperation in providing us with the necessary information to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Drinking
At our company, we take hydration very seriously and strive to keep you completely hydrated throughout your tour. As you ride, we provide cold water, locally sourced fruit for energy, and soft drinks—all of which are included in the tour price.
Please note that soft drinks and other beverages during meals are not included in the tour price. While beer is readily available throughout the tour, it is not included in the price.
Extra Expenses
Our package tour includes most things, but we recommend budgeting for food and drinks if you choose to venture out at night or partake in additional activities. The cost of these activities will vary depending on what you choose to do.
We suggest bringing a small amount of cash, around US$30, for incidentals such as souvenirs or small purchases throughout the tour. Please note that this is only a recommendation, and you are free to bring more or less cash as you see fit.
Money
The official national currency in Laos is the kip, however, Thai baht and US dollars are also used, especially in larger cities and towns. In smaller towns and villages, kip is usually preferred. There are now a few ATMs in Laos, but they are not widespread and are operational only sporadically. The best overall exchange rates are those offered at the BCEL (Banque pour le Commerce Extérieur Lao). Licensed moneychangers rates are similar to banks Spend all your kip before you leave as no one will exchange it for you once you leave the country!
Solo Traveller
We welcome a diverse range of cyclists on our tours, including couples, friends, and solo traveller. Our tour prices are based on twin shared accommodation, which means that if you sign up as a solo traveller, you will be paired with another person of the same gender in your group. However, if you prefer to have your own room, this is an option for most of our tours, but it will come with an additional charge.
Passport & Visa
All nationalities require a visa for Laos. You have two options to get a single-entry tourist visa (max 30 days): 1) E-Visa or 2) Visa on Arrival. Both are very straightforward processes, though we suggest procuring an E-Visa in advance as it will save you time on arrival in Laos. Apply via this website. If you prefer to do a Visa On Arrival, make sure you have the required documents prepared (including 2 passport-sized photographs and the exact amount for the visa fee in USD). See here for more information.
Please Note: While E-Visa and Visa on Arrival are available for all international airports and major land borders, some border posts do not yet accept them. Therefore, if your tour crosses into Laos from Vietnam through a more remote border post, obtaining your visa through a Laotian Embassy or Consulate in advance may be required. If that is the case, we will let you know at the time of booking.
Insurance
Yes, it is mandatory that all participants are well-insured for the full duration of the tour. This includes coverage for personal injury, medical expenses, death, repatriation, helicopter or aircraft rescue, loss of luggage or equipment, cancellation, or curtailments. It is important to ensure that your insurance policy does not have any exclusion clauses that limit protection for the type of activities included in your tour.
In the event of any claims related to matters for which you are insured, you should contact your insurers directly. We strongly recommend that you take out insurance at the time of booking your trip to ensure that you are covered in the event of cancellation.
Climate
Laos has a tropical climate with fairly high humidity. There are three seasons: from March to June it is hot and dry, with temperatures between 27C and 40C (80-104F), with night temperatures in the 20C/75F). The rainy season is from June to October. The cooler season, is from November to February, with average temperatures between 20C and 30C (70- 86F). It can get a little cold at night at higher elevations year round so bring a light fleece for the evenings.
Deposit
Once the tour is confirmed, we do require 30% deposited to secure the booking with us, the other 70% will be required one month before departure date. For the tours less than a month to the departure date, we will require full amount of the total tour cost.
Balance
The remaining balance must be paid 30 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.
Final Tour Confirmation
Upon confirmation of your Laos Biking Adventure tour package, our team will send you a final tour confirmation containing your personal details, including flight information, advice on visa application, a suggested packing list, and a detailed tour itinerary. Additionally, we will provide you with a checklist to help ensure you have everything you need for your upcoming holiday.
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