North Vietnam highlights

Xin Chao! Welcome to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam!
Get picked up from the airport upon arrival and transferred to the hotel in Hanoi’s center. Today is your arrival day so just relax to recover from jetlag and get ready for the exciting days ahead.
If you arrive early today, why not spend some time exploring around and get yourself adapted to the new environment of this hustling city. The Old Quarter of Hanoi is really an amazing place with a labyrinth of small streets lined with colorful shops, stalls, cafés, restaurants, temples, and so on where you will easily get lost in the colors. This place is full of sights, sounds, and smells, and is busy from early morning till midnight.
At 6.00 PM you will have a meeting with your tour guide to get instruction and guidance for the coming days. Later this evening, perhaps you may want to join your travel fellows for dinner and then have a chat over a glass of fresh “Bia Hoi” at one of busy street corners.

Accommodation

• Hotel in Hanoi

Meals included

No meal included on this day

Notes for today

The group meeting today is important as you will have instruction and guidance for the trip as well as meeting up with your travel fellows. For any reason you are not able to attend the meeting, please let us know in advance.  
The check-in time for the hotel room is from 14.00 so, if you arrive earlier and want to have a room before that time you can book a pre-trip accommodation when you make the trip booking. Extra activities can also be added before this trip. Please let us know so that we can arrange it for you.

Early risers can join with locals for morning exercise at the Hoan Kiem Lake or one of many little green parks dotted around the city’s center.
After breakfast, head out for a sightseeing tour of Hanoi. Explore the colonial charm as you make a walk along the French Quarter and spend time visiting the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex where you will see the Mausoleum, Uncle Ho’s stilted house, One Pillar Pagoda, and the Ho Chi Minh Museum. Following is the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first National University, built in the year 1076 and functioned until 1802, where you will see nearly a hundred Doctor Stelae standing on the back of stone turtles, bearing names of national men who received Doctor Laureate through Royal examinations. Also, discover the Hoa Lo Prison – nicknamed Hilton Hanoi by American pilots who were detained here during the war.

Included activities

• Mausoleum, Uncle Ho’s house, One Pillar Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh Museum
• Temple of Literature
• Hoa Lo Hanoi Hilton Prison

Meals included

• Breakfast

Accommodation

• Hotel in Hanoi

Optional activities

• Hanoi cooking class: 45 $US
• Water puppet show: 5 $US

After breakfast, depart at about 8.00 AM for more than an hour drive along the highway to Ninh Binh which is home to Hoa Lu ancient capital, rustic countryside, and the spectacular karst landscapes on rice paddies.
Surrounded by mountains as a natural rampart, the ancient capital of Hoa Lu now remains two temples dedicated to kings of the Dinh and Early Le Dynasty dating back to the 10th century. These temples were built on the ground of old palaces right in the middle of the ancient citadel. Here, at one of the temples, you will see a Royal stone bed carved with ordinary rural motifs, and a mystic statue of the Queen that shows different moods and mien as seen from different angles. Also, you can make a short climb to the top of the mount to visit the King’s grave and have a wonderful overview of the surrounding landscapes from here.
Enjoy local lunch and later this day, you will take a 2-hour rowing boat trip on the Ngo Dong River along rice paddies to discover the beautiful natural setting of jutting mountains, labyrinth caves, water, and also the rural scenes of locals working on farms and fishing with traditional tools, and so on.
Back to the quay for bus drive back to Hanoi. The remainder of the day is at your leisure.

Included activities

• Hoa Lu ancient capital visit
• Tam Coc boat rowing & cave visit

Meals included

• Breakfast
• Lunch

Accommodation

• Hotel in Hanoi

After an early breakfast, leave Hanoi at 7.00 AM for a bus ride along the highway to Sapa (approximately 5 hours). Situated on the mountainous border area at an elevation of about 1500 meters above sea level, Sapa is known for its breathtaking mountain landscapes, photogenic terraced fields, beautiful hill tribe villages, and diversity of colorful ethnic cultures.
Upon arrival, after a shower and lunch break, you will make a 7-kilometer trek from Sapa town along the Muong Hoa River down to the valley where located beautiful Hmong, Dzao, and Dzay hill-tribe villages. This trekking route provides you with great chances to interact with the locals, perhaps joining them at work on their rice fields, learning about their traditional lifestyles, and working methods as well. Do not forget to get your camera ready for wonderful photos along the way.
Tonight you will stay in a local house and enjoy a delicious home dinner served by the local hosts next to the fire or in the open air overlooking the terraced fields.

Included activities

• Sapa village trekking

Meals included

• Breakfast
• Home dinner

Accommodation

• Homestay

Notes for today

Your homestay tonight is a kind of shared accommodation for the whole group on the second floor of the traditional house. It is neat and clean enough, with a private mattress, pillow, blanket, and a mosquito net provided for each person. There are also modern toilet facilities and bathrooms with hot showers next to the house for your convenience.
Since you stay only one night in the village, please bring with you as little as possible. It is good to have a trekking backpack with some really necessary belongings. The rest of your luggage can be left in the storage of the hotel in Sapa town.
The trek today is pretty mild with most of the length rather flat and mainly going downhills. However, if you wish, you can discuss with other group members and the tour guide to take a more challenging path which will lead you to hidden villages with some hill climbs, offering more authentic scenes.
Please to ensure that you have suitable footwear for the trek especially for the next day when the trail is more steep and slippery. You can either wear steady-sole sandals or trekking boots if preferred.

Wake up in the mountain fresh air and the sounds of surrounding nature. After a home breakfast, say goodbye to your local hosts and start another half-day trekking following buffalo trails up and down hills, through terraced fields, hidden villages, and bamboo jungles to Giang Ta Chai, home of the Red Dzao people. The trek today requires a little higher physical demand than that of yesterday as some parts of it are pretty steep and slippery, especially if there has been raining. However, in return, the landscape is more rewarding and you also have the opportunity to explore the land away from the crowd. A trekking stick will come in handy and your tour guide or local host can provide you with a simple, light, and strong bamboo stick if requested.
At the ending point, you will be picked up by bus and transferred back to Sapa for hotel check-in. The remainder of the day is free for you to relax and enjoy things at your own pace. Perhaps take a chance to ease your muscles with a foot massage or full body massage.

Included activities

• Sapa hill tribe trek

Meals included

• Breakfast

Accommodation

• Hotel in Sapa

Today you have a free day to explore the little Sapa town at your own pace. During this time, you may want to take a walk down to the Cat Cat village of the Black Hmong tribe for interesting sightseeing or take a cable car ride up to the top of Fansipan Peak, the highest peak in Vietnam and Indochina. Other options include a visit to Heaven Gate Pass and the Silver Waterfalls, or a visit to the Dragon Mountain right in the town. The Sapa market is also a great place to experience the local sights.
At 3.00 PM, you will get picked up from the hotel for a bus drive back to Hanoi. Check in the hotel in the evening and relax.

Meals included

• Breakfast

Accommodation

• Hotel in Hanoi

Optional activities

• Cat Cat village: US$ 2
• Ham Rong Mountain: US$ 2
• Mountain train & Cable car ride Fansipan Peak (return ticket): US$ 40

Notes for today

Please note that the hotel check-out time is 11.00 AM and at 3.00 PM, the bus will pick you up for the drive back to Hanoi so, please get back to the hotel on time for the bus. If you check out the room earlier to take optional activities, you can leave your luggage at the hotel storage, and later, when you come back, you can use the public bathroom for a shower if you want.

After breakfast, leave Hanoi at 7.30 AM for a 2-hour bus ride on the highway to Ha Long Bay.
Located in the northwest of the Tonkin Gulf, the bay and its greater area including the Bai Tu Long Bay and Cat Ba Island consist of more than two thousand limestone islands that soar up from the mirror-like emerald water, in various forms created by wind and water through millions of years. There are also lots of breathtaking karst caves and lagoons that offer wonderful discoveries. The bay is one of the most scenic places in Vietnam and was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for it exceptional geological, archeological, and cultural values.
Board a wooden boat upon arrival for your cruise to explore the spectacular Halong Bay. Lunch is served on board as you wind your way through the dramatic landscapes. You will also have the chance to get up close to explore rock formations by kayak or perhaps enjoy swimming in emerald water at one of many beautiful island beaches here.
Get back to Hanoi and tonight is your last night in this city so why not join your fellow travelers for the last supper and have fun together.

Included activities

• Halong Bay boat cruise and sightseeing
• Halong Bay kayaking

Meals included

• Breakfast
• Lunch

Accommodation

• Hotel in Hanoi

Notes for today

There are kayaking and swimming activities included in the Halong bay boat cruise today so, swimming or/and waterproof wear should be good. A waterproof bag/belt is also come in handy to bring with you your valuables when you do the activity away from the boat.

Today is departure day so there is no activity organized. Just relax and enjoy time at your own pace until check-out time then get transferred to the airport for your departure flight. Safe travel and see you again!

Meals included

• Breakfast

Notes for today

The hotel check-out time is 11.00 AM so, if your departure flight is later and you wish to keep the room longer, please let us know so that we can book the room for you, otherwise, you can leave your luggage in the hotel storage and use the public bathroom there. In case you have an extra stay in Hanoi we can arrange post-trip accommodation and activities for you. If you wish to explore other parts of the country or other countries in the region, you can have a look at our tour list and find a suitable set departure date to combine this with.