Tour of treasures of North Vietnam

After breakfast, start your day tour of Hanoi’s featured sights with visit to the memorial complex for the historic figure and father of modern Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh that consists of the Presidential palace, Uncle Ho's house on stilts and the nearby One Pillar Pagoda.
Next, spend time to explore the ancient excavation site of the Ancient Citadel of Thang long where you will have a visit to learn about the history of the city and its glorious, vicissitudinous history. Continue to Temple of Literature - Vietnam's first university that built from 1076.

In the afternoon, take visit to the fascinating Ethnology Museum, the Hoan Kiem Lake with Ngoc Son Temple where a legendary turtle is reserved.
Finish the day with a Water Puppet show, a unique Vietnamese art form depicting scenes from rural life.
Remainder of the day is free for you to wander around, sightseeing and shopping at your own pace.  

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

Sightseeing hanoi

Breakfast

Hotel in hanoi

Breakfast at the hotel then depart Hanoi for a 2 hour drive to drive to Ninh Binh province, the land that is famous with spectacular karst landscapes and rustic countryside.
Visit to Hoa Lu ancient capital with temples dedicated to National heroes and Kings of the Dinh and Early Le Dynasties dated back the 10th and 11th centuries. 
After that, get transfer to the boat dock for fascinating boat rowing on stream amongst jutting mountains of Trang An, visiting little temples dotted along the way on mountain sides. The scenery along the gentle row is stunning and it is deserved to be the highlight activities of the day.
In the afternoon, leave Ninh Binh for a scenic drive along jagged mountains and rustic villages to Mai Chau, the valley home to beautiful White Thai minority villages. Along the way you will have some stops for photos and sightseeing of local farming.
Check in home stay upon arrival and later, take a cycling tour around village paths and mountain trails for sightseeing, visit local homes, enjoy local interaction and perhaps join with locals at their work.
Dinner and overnight home stay in Mai Chau.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

boat rowing tam coc

cycling mai chau

Breakfast & dinner

Homestay local house

After breakfast, leave Mai Chau for Nghia Lo via Moc Chau highlands. Moc Chau is home to fruit and flowers in Son La province and is said to be one of the best land for tea in Vietnam. On the way you will have chance to visit villages of the Hmong who live on hillsides in wooden houses surrounded by farms of peaches, plum, corn and dry rice and the Thai people living along streams growing wet rice.
Visit to Moc Chau tea plantation and take a sit down by a local tea shop enjoying a cup of green tea.
Continue your way up higher then cross the Black River by ferry and pass the little town of Phu Yen, Van Chan before you get to Nghia Lo town that lies in the luxuriant Muong Lo valley, home to 12 groups of people including Thai, Viet, Tay, Nung, Muong… This off- beaten-track driving provides you stunning sceneries and spectacular view of local life.
Check in hotel and the rest of the day is free to wander and explore around this laidback mountain town.
Overnight in hotel in Nghia Lo.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

moc chau tea plantation visit

Sightseeing en route

Breakfast

Hotel in nghia lo

After breakfast, say goodbye Nghia Lo for your drive to Mu Cang Chai, the place with terraced fields that designated as national heritage. Along the way you will have some stops for visiting to local home and some local cottage industries. Stop near Tu Le for a walk around one of the hill tribe villages.

After lunch, driving up and get the spectacular view of mountain and terraces from the Khau Pha pass.
At Mu Cang Chai, you will wander around to visit terrace fields, taking for you some best photos and learn about local traditional works as well as how they can create such fascinating landscapes by hand.

Overnight in hotel in Mu Cang Chai.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

mu cang chai terraces explore

Breakfast

Hotel in mu cang chai

Get up early in the morning for stunning photos of Mu Cang Chai terraces at dawn.
Later, leave Mu Cang Chai and drive toward Sapa passing the Tan Uyen and Than Uyen.
Stop in Binh Lu where we will have a visit to a village of Lu people who still preserve strong traditions with their typical customs and appearance. Take a walk around the villages, visit local home and take picture of local people in their houses.

Continue to drive up mountain passing the highest pass of Vietnam at elevation of 200m above sea level. Stop for the view and photos of the pass from the top.
Check in hotel upon arrival in Sapa and remainder of the day is at your leisure to explore this lovely mountain town at your own pace.

Overnight in hotel in Sapa.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

hill tribe villages visit

love waterfalls explore

Breakfast

Hotel in sapa

After breakfast, get transferred to the trekking point for your trek through the fascinating landscapes of the Muong Hoa River valley along towering mountains, terraced fields, bamboo forest and rustic hill tribe villages of Black Hmong, Dzao and Dzay people.
 
On the way you will have chance to observe locals working on their land and perhaps joining with locals at their farm work, visiting local houses to learn about their life style and traditions, getting for you some best photos of landscapes and daily life scenes.
Depending on your fitness level, you can choose to take easy trek along the main stream or get onto more challenging one along rolling hills through hidden villages.

Check in homestay around mid-afternoon and remainder of the day is to wander around for sightseeing, local interaction.
Home dinner is served with local tastes and overnight at local home stay on stilts.

Summary of inclusions

sapa mountain & terraces trekking

hill tribe villages visit

Breakfast & dinner

homestay local house

After a local home breakfast, say goodbye to your local hosts and continue on for another wonderful trekking day.
Today you will take about 8 km trek on the dirt trail from Ta Van village of Dzay to Giang Ta Chai village of Dzao, along rolling hills, passing bamboo forests and jungle.

Lunch break at a local restaurant en route then get picked up by van and transferred to Ban Ho village.
Check in home stay in Ban Ho and spend the afternoon for sightseeing around and visiting, swimming at the village waterfall – Lavie waterfalls.
Dinner and overnight at a Tay local home.

Summary of inclusions

sapa trekking

waterfalls visit

Breakfast& dinner

Homestay local house

After breakfast, say goodbye to the host and get pick up by private vehicle for a drive downhill then uphill toward Bac Ha district for your visit to one of fascinating and colorful hill tribe markets of the area.
Here you’ll see local people from different mountains gather to exchange their products, showing up their best costume and find their partners in the event that organized once a week in certain parts of the highland.
Apart from shops with plenty of beautiful local handicrafts, herbs, exotic foods, there’s also a livestock market where the locals trade horses, cattle, pigs, dogs and so on. 
Wander through, enjoy the atmosphere, try some local specialties and get for you some best photos.

Drive back down to Lao Cai then along the highway back to Hanoi. Arrive back in Hanoi in the late afternoon. Trip ends. 

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

hill tribe market explore

Breakfast

hotel in hanoi

Breakfast is at the hotel. 
08.30AM - 09.00AM: Get picked up from hotel and leave Hanoi for a more than 2 hour drive to Halong Bay, the World Heritage by UNESCO and dubbed one of the most beautiful places on earth. 
Check in on board upon arrival at noon time and cruise your way amongst thousands of dramatic lime stone islands jutting off from emerald water surface.
In the afternoon you will spend time to visit a limestone cave and do some kayaking and swimming (depending on the weather).
Take part in a brief cooking demonstration with Vietnamese spring rolls then enjoy dinner on board when the light are on. 
Sleeping on board surrounded by high limestone karsts under star live sky.

Note: the cruise itinerary can be different depending on tide condition, boat and route assigned.

Summary of inclusions

bus transfer

halong bay cruise

halong kayaking

Breakfast, lunch & dinner

o/n on board cruiser

Wake up early in the morning if you wish to catch the sunrise over the Bay’s spectacular landscape with a cup of tea or coffee. 
After breakfast, take a rowing boat tour around to visit to explore a tunnel. Later, you will cruise to visit another part of the Halong Bay.
Lunch is served on your way cruising back to the harbor. Disembark the boat at early noon (11.00 – 11.30 depending on boat and tide). Drive back to Hanoi.
Remainder of the day is free at your leisure for exploring the city and shopping at your own pace.

Summary of inclusions

halong bay cruise

boat rowing & tunnels visit

Breakfast & lunch

bus transfer

Hotel in hanoi

Breakfast is at the hotel. Free at your leisure until check out time (12.00)
Get private transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
Safe travel and see you again!

Summary of inclusions

Private airport transfer

Breakfast