Northwest Vietnam mountains & hill-tribes adventure tour

8.00AM: Leave Hanoi for a scenic drive along rustic country landscapes and jagged mountains to Pu Luong Nature Reserve, passing the most spectacular pass of Son Ba Muoi connecting the mountain districts of Thanh Hoa and Hoa Binh province. The drive brings a great feel of adventure and spectacular view of the highland with towering mountains covered by clouds and deep valleys beyond. Along the way you will have some stops for photos and sightseeing. 
Arrive at the Pu Luong at noon time. Check in accommodation and enjoy lunch.

This afternoon take a light trek descending into the beautiful valley around and along tumbling rice terraces. Trek through small paths shrouded in vegetation to slowly reveal a picturesque village sitting at the base of a towering mountain.
Continuing to the base of the valley, weaving between roads and farmland, villages and wild fields, ponds and rivers, mountains and open land. Savor the ever-changing scenery as you trek along beautiful spots. Later, enjoy a short bamboo river rafting floating along the calm river and enjoy the views, in between learning how to paddle and steer your handcrafted rafts.
Get transferred by van back to the accommodation base.

Evening is at your leisure.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

Pu Luong trekking

lunch & dinner

Eco lodge in Pu Luong

After breakfast, check out and drive along jagged mountains and country landscapes to Mai Chau, a beautiful valley in Hoa Binh district that is home to beautiful White Thai minority villages.
In Mai Chau, you will take walk (or cycling) around village paths and mountain trails for sightseeing, visit local homes, enjoy local interaction and perhaps join with locals at their work.

After lunch, take your drive to along mountain road toward Moc chau, a beautiful plateau in Son La province that is home of tea and flower. Along the way you also have chance to visit villages of the Hmong who live on hillsides in wooden houses surrounded by farms of peaches, plum, corn and terraces and the Thai people living along streams growing wet rice.
Check in hotel in Moc Chau and remainder of the day is to rest.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

cycling mai chau

hill tribe villages visit

Breakfast& lunch

Hotel in moc chau

After breakfast, take visit to Moc Chau tea plantation, a prominent sight of the land then continue your way on mountain road up higher land towards Nghia Lo via fascinating nature landscapes.

Cross the Black River (Son La hydro power reservoir) 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… Spend some time to explore the Nghia Lo Market that is a great place for you to learn about local life, local products and so on.
Continue your drive to Tu Le, a little town lies at the bottom of Khau Pha Mountain. 
Check in hotel and evening is free at your own pace.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

mau chautea plantation

Sightseeing en route

Breakfast

Hotel in tu le

After breakfast, embark on your drive over the spectacular Khau Pha Pass which is the most rugged and longest pass on National Highway 32 with a length of 30 kilometers. ‘Khau Pha’ in local Thai dialect means ‘Sky horn’ due to the shape of the mountain looks like a horn emerging up from sea of the clouds. From the pass you will have a great view of valley bellow with stunning terraces fields spreading along slopes of surrounding mountains dotted by beautiful hill tribe villages. Of course, you will have some stops for sightseeing and get photos of this spectacular landscapes.

Continue towards starting point near Mu Cang Chai where you will start your interesting day trek along about 14km trails to enjoy Vietnam’s most spectacular terraces that is designated as national heritage.
The trek offers great opportunity for you to sightsee some most prominent spots of terraces in La Pan Tan and Che Cu Nha communes.
Along the way, you will also have visit to some village of Hmong hill tribe, who are the builders of those fascinating terraces, to learn about their life, traditions and so on.
Picnic lunch is taken en route.

Get picked up by vehicle at the end of the trek and transfer to hotel for check in.
Evening is at your leisure. Overnight in hotel in Mu Cang Chai.

Summary of inclusions

Private vehicle

trekking mu cang chai

Breakfast & picnic lunch

Hotel in mu cang chai

After breakfast, leave Mu Cang Chai and drive toward Sapa passing the Tan Uyen and Than Uyen of Lai Chau province.
Stop in Binh Lu where you 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 from the top of the pass then go little downhill where you will take a short trek through jungle of the Hoang Lien National Park to visit the beautiful Love Waterfall.  

Get down to Sapa in the late afternoon, check in hotel and remainder of the day is free to explore the lovely mountain town at your own pace.

Lies on the slope of Hoang Lien Mountain range at the elevation of about 1500m above sea level, right at the foot of the Fansipan peak which is the highest peak in Indochina, Sapa is endowed with moderate climate, stunning landscapes of mountains, forests and sloping terraces dotted by rustic villages of different hill tribe groups who remain strong unique living style, traditions and appearance.
Found as an ideal summer retreat by French from early 20th century, Sapa now remains a great interesting travel destination for people far and wide and is one of must-see places in Vietnam.

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 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 Sapa 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