Vietnamese travellers drive 22,000km from Hanoi to Paris

After 68 days on the road and more than 22,000 kilometres behind the wheel, Vu Hoai Nam and his long-time friend Nguyen Xuan Duc arrived in Paris on September 10, completing an ambitious journey they had dreamed of for years.

The pair departed from Hanoi in early July in a privately owned SUV, joining a convoy of nearly 20 Vietnamese travellers travelling in seven cars and two motorcycles across Asia and Europe.

Speaking to Dantri, Nam said the idea was inspired by The Silk Roads, the bestselling history book by Peter Frankopan. Years earlier, after reading about the ancient trade routes that linked Asia and Europe, he and Duc began imagining a journey that would allow them to follow those historic paths themselves.

Crossing 20 countries

The expedition travelled through 20 countries: Vietnam, Laos, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Luxembourg and France.

For Nam, one of the most memorable moments came after leaving China's Xinjiang region and entering Kyrgyzstan.

The group spent more than 12 hours completing customs procedures at the Tu'Er border crossing, repeatedly unloading and reloading their luggage for inspections.

By the time immigration formalities were completed, darkness had fallen and temperatures had dropped to around four degrees Celsius. Exhausted but determined, the travellers drove another 180 kilometres through mountain gorges to reach the city of Naryn, arriving at around 2 am before collapsing into traditional yurt tents for the night.

The following morning brought a dramatic change of scenery.

“Suddenly the desert landscape had disappeared,” Nam recalled. “In front of us was an endless grassland beneath a clear blue sky. It was both overwhelming and emotional.”

Retracing the same road in daylight, the group stopped beside a mountain stream, brewed coffee and took in the sweeping views of Kyrgyzstan's valleys and pastures. Some travellers even strung hammocks between trees and spent the afternoon listening to the sound of running water.

Nam said the scene reminded him of the mountain and steppe landscapes described in the works of Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov, which he had read in his youth.

The group later shared grilled fish with local residents inside a traditional yurt, one of many encounters that left a lasting impression.

Ancient cities and mountain roads

Another highlight was Samarkand in Uzbekistan, one of the most important cities along the ancient Silk Road.

Standing before its blue-tiled Islamic monuments, Nam said he felt as though he had stepped directly into history.

For Nguyen Phuong Nga, another member of the convoy, the landscapes of Central Asia were among the most unforgettable parts of the journey.

“The mountains, grasslands and wildflower fields looked exactly like the places I had imagined from books,” she said.

Turkey also stood out for many participants because of its unique position between Asia and Europe and its blend of cultures, history and natural scenery.

Challenges on the road

Many drivers in the group were in their fifties and sixties, making the journey's physical demands particularly significant.

Nga said rough roads in Laos tested both driving skills and vehicle durability, while China's numerous checkpoints required constant document inspections and frequent stops.

Nam recalled one especially challenging off-road section in Kyrgyzstan, where drivers navigated steep mountain tracks and crossed streams fed by snowmelt while climbing towards the Altyn-Arashan Valley at an altitude of more than 3,000 metres.

The reward, he said, was watching the setting sun cast a golden glow across snow-capped peaks.

Participants credited much of the trip's success to teamwork.

“Every member contributed something,” Nga said. “If it had only been my husband and me driving alone, it would have been far more difficult.”

The tour organiser also played a crucial role in arranging permits, border procedures and logistics across multiple countries.

To prepare for nearly 70 consecutive days of driving, Nam said he spent months building both physical fitness and mental endurance.

The group adopted a strict routine, changing drivers every 150 to 200 kilometres. While one person drove, the other navigated and discussed the history, geopolitics, culture and cuisine of the regions they were passing through.

“Comparing what we saw with what we had read kept our minds engaged and helped us stay fresh throughout the journey,” he said.

A costly but memorable adventure

The expedition required substantial financial planning.

Nga estimated that each participant spent between VND 600 million and VND 800 million (USD 23,080-30,770), covering expenses such as fuel, tolls and personal travel costs in addition to arrangements provided by the organiser.

Before departure, the group stocked their vehicles with spare tyres, repair equipment, dried food, instant noodles, rice, fish floss, fish sauce and even rice cookers, allowing them to prepare meals during remote stretches of the journey.

They also sought out Vietnamese restaurants along the route, including stops in Ganzhuang in China, Tashkent, Astrakhan, Budapest, Prague, Berlin and Stuttgart.

After days of eating Central Asian cuisine, the travellers said finding bowls of Vietnamese pho or plates of stir-fried morning glory provided a comforting reminder of home.

In Prague, the group was invited to a meal hosted by a Vietnamese family, where they were treated to a traditional feast featuring duck dishes and bamboo-shoot soup.

For Nam and Nga, the journey did not end when their vehicles rolled into Paris.

Instead, they said, it opened the door to new ambitions and future adventures, inspiring them to return one day to places they had only begun to explore.