ARRIVE AT HA NOI, LOCAL SIGHTSEEING

Upon arrival at Airport in Hanoi, welcomed by guide and transferred to your hotel in the city center to check in. Relax after a long journey.

In the afternoon, take a cyclo ride around the Old Quarter streets which were named after the specific goods once offered for sale at these places. Stop at Hoan Kiem Lake to learn about legend of the lake and visit Ngoc Son Temple, followed by the Water Puppet show - a uniquely Northern Vietnamese art form depicting scenes from rural life and episodes of national history. The skills of artists make the Water Puppets seem like human beings will amaze you. Overnight in Hanoi.

HA NOI - NINH BINH - HA NOI

This morning take 2 hour drive to Ninh Binh province. Upon arrival, we ride through the villages to visit local family and get closer to the beautiful countryside. Visit Bich Dong, which was conferred by a King the title “Vietnam’s second most beautiful grotto”. Climb up the Ngu Nhac Son (Buddha’s Palm Mountain), be charmed by the marvelous scenery offered by the mountains, rivers and pagodas.

In the afternoon, get on small rowing boats to travel along the canals amid local villages, green fields. Enjoy the beauty of Tam Coc (3 caves) which is also called “Ha Long Bay on land”. Go through the caves and then row back to the boat quay. Return to Hanoi after the visit for overnight.

HA NOI - HA LONG BAY CRUISE

After breakfast, meet our driver and depart by road to Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. Travel through the rich farmlands of the Delta of Red river and the landscape of rice fields, water buffalo, the daily life of the Vietnamese village. Arrive in Halong and board to board a traditional junk. Lunch on board. The cruise passes by many rocks and islets in many funny shapes. The cruise may stop for a while for visiting the Surprising Cave. Later on the junk move to docking area for overnight. Dinner and overnight on board

Note: Cruise itinerary is subject to change due to weather and operation conditions.

HA LONG BAY – HANOI – SAPA

In the morning, your brunch will be served while doing further cruise to explore the beauties of the Bay before returning to the wharf. The junk continues cruising toward Ha Long port. Ready for disembarking.

Our driver will be there to pick you up toward Hanoi for a train to Sapa. On arrival at Lao Cai station, near the border of China, you will be met by your driver for the 38 miles drive to Sapa, the premier destination of northwest Vietnam. Overnight in Sapa.

SAPA SIGHTSEEING

Breakfast at hotel. 09.00 am we drive to Tram Ton pass, enjoy the view of Hoang Lien Son Mountain. Upon arrival, we trek 30 minutes through forest. Along the way you have many chances to see wild flowers. Trekking along the stream, we arrive at the Love Waterfall. It is the best place for relax in Sapa then return Tram Ton and drive back to Sapa. In the afternoon you will visit Muong Hoa valley, one of the most beautiful valleys in northwest Viet Nam. Descending into the valley by foot you will see the largest terraced rice paddy in the Sa Pa area. The walk takes you from Lao Chai village of the Black H‘mong minority to Ta Van village of the Zay minority, providing the opportunity to see the different traditions and costumes of the two ethnic groups. Return to Sapa by car. Drop off at your hotel around 17.00pm. Overnight in Sapa.

FANSIPAN MOUNTAIN, SAPA - HANOI

After breakfast, the day start 9:00 AM, you will be picked up at your hotel in Sapa Town to go the Fansipan Cable Car Station and be provided with the tickets. After that, under the instruction of the staff at the cable car station, you will take the ride and visit the Fansipan Peak. While staying there, you will have the opportunities to take many photos with a fantastic panoramic view. At the end of the trip, the driver will take you back to Lao Cai station for your train to Ha Noi. After arrival at Ha Noi, check-in to hotel and relax. Evening is free to explore at your own. Overnight in Ha Noi.

HA NOI - LANG SON - CAO BANG

Our tour guide will pick you up by car at your hotel around 7:30-8:00am, transferring you to Lang Son. We will start by driving in the direction of the Chinese border for about 3 hours, before stopping at Chi Lang Pass - a 20-km-long gorge created from a narrow valley between two mountains. This place occupies an important position in Vietnamese history, being the place of many victories against various Chinese invasions over the centuries and millennia, as far back as 981AD. As such it bears the reputation of Vietnam’s strongest citadel and bastion. Here you will have roughly an hour to walk around and explore the area around the Quy Mon Quan Gate, which translates as “The Gate of Monsters”, named for the many invasion forces that would spill through the pass over the course of history only to be beaten back by stalwart Vietnamese defenders. After lunch at a local restaurant in Dong Dang, you will continue your trip into the pass, stopping to visit Mother’s Temple and Dong Khe – an important historical site where The Battle of Dong Khe was fought during the First Indochina War. In fact, this was the very first battle of the Indochina Wars, and the fighting here took place through September and October 1950, ending in a resounding victory for the Viet Minh. In the evening you will get to enjoy dinner and overnight rest in a local homestay owned and operated by a local Nung family.

Highlights and activities: Chi Lang, Quy Mon Quan Gate, Dong Khe Battle Site, Ethnic Villages, and a 3-5km walk.

CAO BANG - BAN GIOC WATERFALL - BA BE LAKE

After enjoying breakfast at the home stay, you will depart for Trung Khanh which lies right on the border with China. Here you will have another chance to meet and interact with the local Nung people living in the village of Phuoc Sen, a mountainous village famous for its traditional blacksmithing. The farming tools made here are an integral part of the lifestyle which is evident in the surrounding rice paddies and fields. Nestled amongst these amazing landscapes is the breath-taking Ban Gioc Waterfall which spans over 300 meters, split half and half between Vietnam and China. You’ll get some time here to simply take in the amazing atmosphere surrounding the falls, which presents an excellent opportunity for some fantastic photography. Once you’ve finished at the falls, it’s time to head over to Nguom Ngao Cave, for a very different, but no less impressive natural wonder. The cave stretches for 2,144 meters underground and is brimming with incredible stalactites and stalagmites. You will then return to Cao Bang town and head down the “snake pass” to Ba Be Lake, where you will stay overnight in a homestay constructed in traditional Tay fashion and owned and operated by a local Tay family. Here you can relax and unwind from the day and enjoy a delicious and authentic home-cooked meal.

Highlights and activities: Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave, Ethnic Villages

BA BE LAKE - HANOI, DEPARTURE

After breakfast we’ll kick the final day of the tour of by boarding a boat and setting off onto the lake. It’s up to you how to spend your time on the boat, whether it’s relaxing and enjoying the views or going for a swim in the cool waters to refresh yourself. The views consist of stunning karst formations all around you covered with patches of wild vegetation and a rich wildlife. The boat will then continue along the Nang River, giving you a chance to explore the caves of Puong Grotto where you can marvel at the stalactites and stalagmites created through river erosion, as well as observe the thousands-strong bat colony that lives here. Now that you’ve reached the end of your tour, you’ll be driven the roughly 230 kilometres back to Hanoi, with a stop at a tea plantation nestled among rolling hills. Once we arrive in Hanoi it is time to say farewell, having made lifelong memories and connections.