Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi
Pick up at Noi Bai Airport, you are met and transferred to hotel for check in. Then, visit the old quarter streets and Hoan Kiem Lake by cyclo to discover the local people life, see the peaceful water, and visit Ngoc Son Temple. Evening: Water puppets show, the unique Vietnam traditional art. Overnight in Ha Noi.
Day 2: Hanoi (B)
Driving to visit West Lake, visit Tran Quoc pagoda. Continue to visit the Literature Temple and Quoc Tu Giam - Vietnam's first University constructed in 1070. Its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam's past.. Proceed to visit Museum of Ethnology - the most interesting museum in Hanoi with many different things relating the 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups. Overnight in Ha Noi.
Day 3: Hanoi - Nghia Lo (B,L,D)
Direction to Nghia Lo. Quite a long drive but easy from Hanoi to Nghia Lo. Along the way, enjoy the breathtaking scenery of field manioc, tea, maize. We arrive in Nghia Lo. Installation in the Dzao Quan Trang village - exceptional welcome. Dinner and spend the night with a local family.
Day 4: Nghia Lo - Mu Cang Chai (B,L,D)
Visit Pa Lau village. Route to Mu Cang Chai - an attractive town with terraced rice fields. We will pass many villages of ethnic people and amazing terrace paddy, surely this area will give so beautiful photos collection about northwest of Vietnam. We reach the top of the pass of Khau Pha, then Mu Cang Chai. Installation in the Thais White, them visit om Khom village.
Day 5: Mu Cang Chai - Sapa ( B,L,D)
Transfer to Sapa. Afternoon: visit Sapa city: Sapa market, Ham Rong mountain, Muong Hoa valley. Overnight in Sapa
Day 6: Sapa - Bac Ha ( B,L,D)
Excursion to Muong Hoa valley with terrace field and daily activities of the local. you will enjoy a pleasant walk from Lao Chai to Tavan village, home to Dzay hill tribe people. You will meet some different minority people H'mong, Zay, Red Dzao, you can see the different colorful dresses. Afternoon: Route to Bac Ha. Installation in hotel.
Day 7: Bac Ha (B,L,D)
Morning: go to market of ethnic minorities ( Bac Ha market if it's Sunday, Coc Ly market if it's Tuesday, Can Cau market if it's Saturday or Cheng Sin market if it's Wednesday). The market deeply shows the typical cultural features of the minorities in remote mountainous areas in Vietnam. Further more, you can enjoy seeing boys and girls in colourful costumes - different colours of the mountains. In the afternoon, spend time visiting another village (BanPho village) to discovery the life at the local H'mong Fleurs and Tays.
Day 8: Bac Ha - Hoang Su Phi (B,L,D)
Depart to Hoang Su Phi ( Ha Giang ). The drive there offers unique landscapes, limestone karst formations soar from the verdant rice paddies of the surrounding farms of local ethnic minorities. Along the way, you'll see Dzao Red, La Chi and H'mong Fleur ethnic minority groups. Arrive in Hoang Su Phi. Installation in hotel.
Day 9: Hoang Su Phi - Dong Van (B,L,D)
Depart to Dong Van, participation to the market local. Visit ancient houses, departure for Lo Lo minority village. After that we go to Sa Phin village to visit former Meo King palace. Overnight in hotel.
Dong Van is situated 1,025 m above sea level and is inhabited by the Tay and H'Mong ethnic groups. It's the most spectacular scenery anywhere in South East Asia and still very few tourists. Arguably Dong Van is the best with the superior location surrounded by spectacular peaks. Yet more stunning roads, vicious drop-offs and incredible limestone pinnacles.
Day 10: Dong Van - Meo Vac - Ha Giang (B,L,D)
If we come here on Sunday, we have chance to visit local market, it is still remain traditional life of high minority in Ha Giang. Market had the most relaxed feel people so happy to have their photos taken. Depart to Ha Giang. On route, Continues to Meo Vac town, visit Dao minority house and we have chance to view Nho Que river with Ma Pileng point. You will stop in Quan Ba District to visit the Bo Y minority village, this area is wonderful weather around year, then process passing Sky gate where you can visit sky, Fairy Mountain, hand weaving village. Arrive in Ha Giang. Overnight at hotel in Ha Giang
Day 11: Ha Giang - Ba Be lake (B,L,D)
Breakfast, depart to Ba Be. Arriving in Ba Be town, we check in the host family Tay and then stroll around the village or a bit of exploration before sunset. You spend the night in the traditional house on stilts of Tay ethnic people.
Day 12: Ba Be lake (B,L,D)
Visit Ba Be lake, take a small boat on the lake through Nang River until Dau Dang Waterfalls. We can have a swim in crystal clear waters . Boat further to Puong Cave. Visit Pac Ngoi village - Tay ethnic minority villages. A visit to this small hamlet will enable us to witness how little the lives of the people in these remote areas have changed. Diner and spend the night in home stay.
Day 13: Ba Be lake - Hanoi (B,L,D)
After breakfast, we leave our home stay and Ba Be Lake for the drive back to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi. Installation in hotel. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 14: Hanoi - Halong bay (B,L,D)
Breakfast. Then, departure for Ha Long. On arrival in Halong, embarking on a traditional junk. If Hanoi was Thang Long, "Ascending Dragon", the Halong bay, "Descending Dragon". This name is originated from a legend explaining the present of its rocky peaks that are the remains from a fierce battle of a great dragon. The fantastic peaks cutting the horizon in bluish teeth or sunken mountains which emerge only their summits, caves and grottoes where the streams disappear, game of mists and clouds. The most typical is that these peaks with the strange shapes seem floating on the surface of water and here the silence of This spreads sea dominates everywhere, sometimes broken by the scream of a sea bird. Have lunch with fresh seafood on board. Then we start cruising by junk for a half- day to visit grottoes, fishing villages and beach. Passage into the magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons' teeth. go swimming on a quite beach or sunbathing on the sundeck. have a lunch while cruising the exquisite waters sample the regions fresh seafood. Afternoon, visit an interesting fishing village with opportunity to interact with fishmen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. At sunset time, Opportunity to visit beautiful limestone grotto by kayak, go swimming or sunbathing. Dinner and night on board. ( possibility the privacy junk in Halong bay)
Day 15: Halong bay - Hanoi (B,L).
We continue to cruise on the bay for a half- day. Return to Hanoi. On the way back to Hanoi, you will visit But Thap Pagoda - one of the oldest and beautiful pagoda in the North - the early architecture of great value in the Red River Delta and Dong Ho - the village that is very familiar with every Vietnamese, for their traditional paintings on rice papers. Back to your hotel in Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 16: Hanoi departure (B)
Breakfast at the hotel, then free time until you transfer to airport.
This is an example of one of our Vietnam tours - we'll be pleased to design similar Vietnam tours with dates and itinerary customised to your personal preferences. For example, you may wish to spend more or less time at any destination, or deviate from this itinerary, just contact us at our Vietnam tailor-made tours or send an email to us
