Another stunning day awaits us. We head back onto the Khau Pha Pass, a contender for the most picturesque part of our route. We’ll find some lunch on the way down before we complete the rest of the mostly downhill route to Nghia Lo. This town is a stopping point for Hanoites on the road and features a few creature comforts. We’ll seek out some honest frontier food and the awesome Bigken minikegs that seem to be all the rage in this friendly town.

The morning is yours to enjoy the town of Sapa. Have breakfast or a stroll through the side streets to check out the tribal markets and sights of this idyllic mountain town. In the afternoon, In the afternoon, meet your guide and cycling mates for a tour briefing. We'll then take a short drive to get our bikes and get fitted, followed by a welcome dinner over Northern Vietnamese cuisine.

After yesterday’s challenging ride, we’ll enjoy some downtime in beautiful Mai Chau today, making the most of our hotel’s facilities including pool and massage. To this we can add some gentle trekking or mountain biking into the stunning nearby countryside, dotted with Thai minority villages. Transfer to Hanoi next day and services end.

Today starts with a mostly gentle climb out of Sapa town to the top of the famed O Quy Ho Pass. Then it’s a screaming 20 km descent and a gently undulating ride to Than Uyen, where we find our lodgings for the night at the District Guesthouse. This humble institution is usually only frequented by traveling cadres, and will give you a taste of what it was like in the good old days of Central Planning and ration cards. We’ll find some cold beer and chicken glass noodle soup on the street for dinner tonight and perhaps check out the local market.