
Tours · Booking
How to book, step by step
Booking is done by email, after you send the form. You see a draft route with daily numbers before you are asked to pay anything.
The steps
- 01
Send the form
Dates, party size and the grade you ride at now. The longest ride you have done in the last three months helps more than any adjective.
- 02
Draft route
We reply by email to the address you give, with a day-by-day draft showing distance, climbing and hours, and questions about anything unclear.
- 03
Quote
Once the route is right, a written quote with every cost line. Third-party prices are shown at the published rate.
- 04
Confirm and pay
You accept the quote, pay the deposit, and we book hotels, boats, train and flights. Payment terms are written on the quote.
What to put in the form
- Dates, or the month and how flexible you are. Shifting by a week can move a trip out of a storm month.
- Party size and whether anyone will not ride at all.
- Grade: the grade you are comfortable with now. If unsure, describe your longest recent ride and its hills.
- Tour from this site, or the regions you want if you want a private route.
- Health: injuries, knee or back problems, heat sensitivity. These change the plan more than fitness does.
- Diet: vegetarian, allergies, foods you avoid.
The difficulty grades page has a self-check you can do at home before you choose a grade.
Between booking and travel
Bike sizes
We ask for height, inseam and preferred frame type. If you bring your own saddle, pedals or shoes, we fit them on the first morning.
Insurance
Send us the name of your insurer and the policy number before travel. We do not check the terms; you do. It has to cover the activities on your tour, including pillion motorbike riding on the Phong Nha trip. The safety page explains why.
Visas and borders
Vietnam's e-visa is applied for on the government's official portal before travel. On the Mekong to Angkor and Multi-Sport tours you cross into Cambodia by river at Chau Doc, where the Cambodian e-visa is not accepted and the visa is bought on arrival. Check the official requirements for your passport; they change.
Final itinerary
About two weeks before departure you receive the final itinerary with hotel names, the guide's name and the weather plan for each exposed day. That document, not this website, is the binding version.
Sources: Chau Doc – Phnom Penh speedboat operator — ticket information · checked .
Changing your mind
Before you pay, change anything as often as you like. After you pay, changes depend on what has been booked: a hotel night can often move, a train or flight ticket often cannot. Cancellation terms are written on the quote; we do not repeat them here so that there is only one version.
During the trip, changes are normal. Riding less than planned costs nothing extra. Adding a ride usually costs nothing either, as long as the van is already out. Adding a night or an activity is quoted on the spot by your guide.
If something goes wrong before you travel
Flights get cancelled, injuries happen and dates move. Tell us as soon as you know, in writing. We will set out which bookings can still move and which cannot, and what that means against the booking terms, before you decide anything.
If a region you have booked faces a storm or flood warning close to your dates, we will write to you with the options: keep the plan and use the weather day, swap the order of the days, or move part of the trip to a region that is drier at that time.
Things we cannot do
- Hold a price without a deposit during the busiest weeks at Angkor or around Tet.
- Book Son Doong or other expedition caves.
- Arrange self-ride motorbikes.
- Book international flights.
Plan your trip
Ready to start?
Send the form with your dates and grade. We reply by email to the address you give.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
How far ahead should I book?
Three to six months ahead gives the most choice of hotels and dates. Shorter notice works for routes away from the busiest weeks; tell us your dates and we will say honestly whether they are realistic.
Can I book a tour exactly as published?
Yes. Choose the tour in the form and send your dates. We will still ask about your grade so the daily plan fits you.
Do you send a contract?
You receive a written quote, a final itinerary and the booking terms. Accepting the quote and paying the deposit confirms the booking on those terms.
Can I talk to someone before booking?
Write your questions in the form. Planners answer by email so that every answer is in writing and can be checked later.
Related
Read next

Tours · Prices
Prices
The cost lines behind a quote, and what makes one quote cheaper than another.
View this journey
Tours
Tours
All five graded tours, with days, grade and hardest day side by side.
View this journey
Plan · Grades
Difficulty grades
The four-step grade scale behind every tour, with a self-check you can do at home.
View this journey
Plan · Safety
Safety
The rules we run every tour by: van, helmets, buoyancy aids, heat, weather and insurance.
View this journey
Contact
Contact
How to reach us through the enquiry form, and what to include.
View this journey
Company
About us
Who we are, how we plan trips and the things we do not do well.
View this journey
Start planning
Tell us about the trip you have in mind
Dates, party size and the grade you are comfortable with are enough to start. You get a draft route with daily distances and a quote for that route, not a brochure.