Real Hanoi Bicycle Experience

About Us

Saddle Up For An Unforgettable Adventure!

Friends Travel Vietnam the Travel Company Turning Travellers Into Friends Since 2013

25+ Daily Bicycle Tours

24/7 Support for Questions

Best Hanoi Bicycle Experience

Thousands of Reviews

The Story Of A Vietnamese Gal, A Dutch Guy, & Their Love Of Vietnam!

The Real Hanoi Bicycle Experience was started in 2017 by the founders of Friends Travel Vietnam. Sidney, a Dutchman, and his Vietnamese wife, Thao, decided to focus their expertise and passion on creating a tour that is both unique and environmentally sustainable.

A new company, Biking Around Vietnam was born, with the "Real Hanoi Bicycle Experience" as its flagship product. In 1998, during a visit to Bangkok Sidney was inspired by fellow Dutchman, Co van Kessel’s bicycle tour. There he realised that a simple thing can become an extraordinary thing if done correctly and with passion. However, Sidney & Thao’s dream of starting a bicycle tour in Hanoi had to be put on the back-burner while they established Friends Travel Vietnam as a leading tour operator & travel agency in Vietnam. 

Fast-Forward to the beginning of 2017, when they started work on turning a simple vision into an extraordinary experience. Sidney and Thao did extensive research into the best possible cycling route. Overall they invited over 500 participants free of charge, as they fine tuned their route. 

That’s a staggering 1750 combined hours (or 73 days!) of cycling to make sure that our clients have the best possible experience. It was all worth it, as the tour became so popular that Biking Around Vietnam was born, with the first bicycle tour option in Hanoi with the Real Hanoi Bicycle Experience tours.

What's In A Name

A lot of people ask us “ Why are you called Friends Travel Vietnam? ” Simple, we believe in providing & building for our clients unique local travel experiences that we would only be good enough for our own friends and families.


That’s why we go on each and every tour we provide, making sure they are up to standard, before making them part of our bouquet. In short, we go on bad tours to make sure that you never have to.


With Biking Around Vietnam it’s not any different, we’ve spent hours ensuring the tour is as enjoyable and authentic as possible.

Traveling with kids...

We have two young children (Sem & Levi), so we completely understand the challenges that goes along with travelling with your bundles of joy. 


When you plan a vacation with children you don’t simply book a hotel, take a quick look at the local attractions and sit back and relax. Rather, your time is spent scouring Tripadvisor and travel blogs for activities that can distract and entertain your little loved ones while also giving you a memorable experience. It’s a constant juggling act that can leave you even more exhausted than when you started out. After your trip you return home with the distinct feeling of needing a holiday from your holiday.


That’s not what we want, and that’s exactly why you need us to help and to assist you in choosing your holiday! So relax and no matter the size of your family, we have a solution waiting!


With our spotless service reputation and personal attention we creating your dream, because a memory is only worth remembering when shared with your loved ones!


We’re waiting to make your dream holiday a reality!

We Don't Believe In Going The Extra Mile…

…We believe in going the entire distance! At the Real Hanoi Bicycle Experience we strive to provide exceptional bicycle service, ensuring that we form an unforgettable bond with our clients.


That’s why, when booking any tour through us, our clients automatically gain access to all of our special service perks:

  1. Complimentary breakfast and drinks service.
  2. Free luggage storage facilities & free luggage transport to any Hotel or Hostel in the Old Quarter
  3. Access to our showers to wash the dust of your feet.
  4. The use of our lounge area.
  5. Access to our bunk beds, because we understand that Hanoi can become a little “over stimulating”.
  6. Wifi, computer access and printing services.
  7. Free laundry service + complimentary Friends Travel Vietnam laundry bag
  8. Ticket booking services.



The welcoming smell of fresh coffee...

The welcoming smell of fresh coffee... The sight of limestone karts towering over a peaceful blue see... the sound of a thousand motorbikes hooting in solidarity… These are just some of the things Vietnam has become famous for. At Friends Travel Vietnam we would like to add one more thing to the list: Exceptional customer service and having fun while providing it. Okay, that’s two things, sorry, not sorry. This is also not a claim we make lightly or as some kind of PR gimmick; we’ve worked far too hard to be able to make this claim for it to be used as a glitzy headline or marketing tool.

  • Read More...

    We at Friends Travel Vietnam have grown this company from its humble beginnings in 2013 to an undisputed market leader in the Vietnamese Tourism sector. We’ve grown this company through, quite literal, sweat and tears. Too many hours of hard work has gone into it for us to make light of how far we’ve come. That’s also why we’re not going to waste your time with headings like “Who we are”; “Why travel with us”; and “What you can expect”... You already know who we are, that’s why you are here, reading this text - we are a trusted and celebrated internationally licensed tour operator. You already know why you want to travel with us - because we know our stuff and we don’t mince or words. You already know what to expect - a dedication to help you explore the beautiful country of Vietnam in an authentic way while providing detailed attention to detail throughout. 

    That being said, we are only the sidekick of a two man team, with the real hero being the amazing country of Vietnam. Friends Travel Vietnam is here to help give you access to Vietnam and her wonders.


    Come with us and let us show you this dynamic and captivating country - From the Mekong Delta meandering its way to the sea to the crisp and cool highlands of Dalat. From the windsurfers haven of Mui Ne, to the palm studded beaches of Nha Trang. From the old world charm of Hoi An to the modern beach city of Da Nang. From the ancient imperial citadel of Hue to the temple complexes of Ninh Binh. From the thousand smells and sounds of Hanoi to the age old traditions of the Black Hmong and Red Dzao to name but a few. From an Easy Rider tour of Hoi An to an unforgettable biking tour of Hanoi. From arranging your visa on arrival to arranging an airport pickup or a Vietnamese sim card - Friends Travel Vietnam will be there every step of the way, always striving to turn our guests into friends.

It would be unfair to try and categorise Friends Travel Vietnam as just a Travel agency or as just a Tour Operator. We are so much more than that, as a quick glance at our Google, Facebook and Tripadvisor reviews will attest. We are, in fact, a family, endlessly working to enhance the quality of service provided throughout Vietnam. But then again, you already know this, that’s why you are here, reading this text...

The story of Thao, Sidney, And Friends Travel Vietnam

We are just two ordinary people, aiming to create the extraordinary, with the help of a dedicated team! Our story is not a special one. We are just two normal people who were fortunate enough to have wonderful people surrounding us, to help make our dreams a reality.That, and the fact that we love Vietnam and especially Hanoi! Sidney, originally from Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and I met while he was working as an investor & cruise director in Halong Bay. We fell in love, got married, and decided to start a family and a business together.


Drawing on Sidney and Thao's combined 20 years experience in the hotel and tourism industry we realized that tours concentrating on authentic local Vietnamese experiences were not being provided and we decided to focus on this niche-market. Our business grew, and our internationally licensed tour company since 2013, Friends Travel Vietnam, is now a market leader, especially when it comes to authentic holiday experiences! We provide tours all over Vietnam, north, central, and south, using Hanoi as our springboard. Today, our family is 31 happy people strong, two of which are our own children. The other are our employees, who helped build our travel agency, Friends Travel Vietnam, into an industry leader. 

Are you ready for an unforgettable holiday experience?
Sidney and Thao Van Meenen
Owners & Founders
Friends Travel Vietnam

The Founders & Owners

Meet the founders of Friends Travel Vietnam  & Biking Around Vietnam  Sidney, a Dutchman, and his Vietnamese wife, Thao, living in Hanoi Vietnam, decided to focus their expertise & passion on creating a bicycle tour in Hanoi that is both unique, local and environmentally sustainable as a touroperator since 2013.

Ms. Thao Van Meenen

CEO - Owner & Founder Friends Travel Vietnam 

Working in tourisme & hospitality since 2003, now working together with my husband Sidney & our dedicated, enthusiastic team we’ve been building Friends Travel Vietnam ever since 2013! With Love & passion, those are the foundations on which we build, and we’re building to last! We invite you to share this with us, as we show you Vietnam in its purest form - always choosing the road less traveled! 


“Remember that happiness is a way of travel – not a destination”.

Mr. Sidney Van Meenen

Managing Director - Owner & Founder Friends Travel Vietnam 

Visiting Vietnam for the first time in 2007 on my world journey... and I haven't left since! I fell immediately in love on the country and with the Vietnamese people, their amazing kindness, culture & rich history. I learned a lot & I was inspired later to start our own travel business with my wife Thao after we got married in 2013. In this way we where able to share our " Love & Passion of Vietnam " with the rest of the world. Together with our family & team, we poured our blood, sweat, and tears into Friends Travel Vietnam where we creating experiences that will forever stay with our guests!


“All you need to know is that it’s possible to live your dreams, but never give up!”.

Let's Meet our Team

It's always nice to be able to put a face to the people helping you, especially when they are creating the Vietnamese odyssey of your dreams!


All of our guides, travel consultants, drivers and other team members follow a specially devised training program to develop their expertise in all aspects of travel and customer service. We personally check the hotels, resorts, trips, cruises, restaurants and all other services involved in your itinerary, We listen very carefully to our travellers where believe the "secrets are hidden in details" as a requirements in order to deliver the right itineraries and experiences. 


Friends Travel Vietnam is committed to operating with the highest standards of service and professionalism while we continuing to improve every day on our qualities as self reflection on our services that make us not just good, but great. Let's meet our team, shall we?

These are the words we live and do business by...

Without them we won’t be able to deliver exceptional service! Our commitment to you is to provide you with a travel experience in Vietnam that is without comparison. For us to do this we need to have a clear set of policies and terms that explains how we deal with certain situations.


What is the procedure if my flight is delayed? What happens if I cancel my booking? What if inclement weather affects my tour? You’ll find the answer to all these questions in ourterms and policies , as well as an in depth explanation in our FAQs.


Please feel free to read through them and don’t hesitate to contact us with any and all queries!

FAQ's Term & Conditions