Day 1: Hanoi arrival (-/-/-)

Hanoi - Airport: 30km, ~40min drive

Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, you will meet your guide and driver who will then escort you to the city centre. After making sure of a breezy hotel check-in, you will be left for some free time to have some lunch and relax after your flight. A good chance to explore exciting Hanoi by night!

Meals Included: None
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Day 2: Hanoi City (B/L/-)

After a wholesome breakfast at the hotel, we start the day with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex, named for the beloved father of modern Vietnam. This famous complex is home to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (closed on Mondays & Fridays), Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House, the Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh Museum. Following this, we head to the Temple of Literature constructed in 1070 to worship Confucius. Otherwise known as the first university of Vietnam, the site also honours the eighty-two Vietnamese doctorates that each passed a number of rigid exams in the medieval ages. Their names, birthdays and birthplaces are each engraved in headstones perched on stone tortoises. It is widely believed that touching the heads of these tortoises will bring luck. Its peaceful green compound with its neatly maintained lawns, gardens and lotus ponds make it a tranquil hideaway from the city’s bustle and heat. Next stop, lunch!-which will be served at a popular local restaurant.

In the afternoon, we visit the Museum of Ethnology dedicated to Vietnam's fifty-four officially recognised ethnic groups with both indoor and outdoor sections. While the in-house exhibition is particularly informative, the outdoor display continues in the museum’s garden with fascinating examples of traditional houses of numerous minority groups, from the Kinhs to the ethnic groups of the Central Highlands. We then enjoy a 45 minute-cyclo tour (similar to a rickshaw) to the Old Quarter where you can see streets with century-aged trees and French Colonial buildings. We then head to Ngoc Son Temple set on a tiny islet in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. Ngoc Son Temple dates back to the 13th century and the lake itself is the picturesque heart of Hanoi, frequented by tourists and locals alike.

In the evening, we will enjoy a water puppet show, illustrating the unique Vietnamese traditional art. This art is originated from rural festivals in Vietnam. The artists, men and women, stand waist-deep in the water to manipulate the puppets, making them move, talk and laugh and even dance on the surface of the water.

Meals Inluded: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Day 3: Hanoi - Mai Chau /Home-stay (B/L/D)

Hanoi - Mai Chau: 160km, ~4h drive

After breakfast at hotel, we depart for Mai Chau, a picturesque valley, home to many hill tribes including the Dzao, Muong and Thai. Stop on the way to visit a Muong village in Thung Khe. Arrive in Mai Chau around noon, we check-in the ethnic homestay (a house on stilts!). After lunch with the locals, we spend time walking tour and cycling around the villages of Mai Chau and local crafts. It’s a serene life complemented by verdant landscapes, friendly and hospitable people who live here will leave you unforgettable memories.

In late afternoon, we invite you to participate in a game of volleyball/soccer with the villagers. Dinner will be prepared by the local family.

In the evening, you have chance to enjoy the friendliness of the people by participating in a traditional dance show of the ethnic Thais.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Homestay in Mai Chau

Day 4: Mai Chau - Ninh Binh (B/L/-)

Mai Chau - Ninh Binh: 180km, ~4h30min drive

After breakfast at homestay, we will drive 170km to Tam Coc also known as “Halong Bay on land”. On the way, you will pass some of the most picturesque scenery Vietnam has to offer. Arrival in Tam Coc, we check-into hotel and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, we will embark a small rowing boat to discover the vast karst waterscape on Ngo Dong River. Tam Coc literally translates to “three caves” and is adorned with striking limestone boulders. Continuing the cruise along the river, you will see spectacular scenery of rice paddies and a real glimpse of local life. We row back to the harbor from where you will be brought to the hotel. The rest of day, we will cycle along winding roads passing lotus ponds, temples and cottages, typical of Vietnamese countryside to visit Bich Dong Pagoda situated on a hillside.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Ninh Binh

Day 5: Ninh Binh - Hanoi - Night train to Lao Cai (B/L/-)

Ninh Binh - Hanoi: 106km, ~1h50min drive

After breakfast at hotel, we drive to Trang An Eco tourism complex. Upon arrival, we get on a sampan for a 2.5-hour rowing boat trip through remarkable waterways, densely forested mountains with rich fauna and flora; many species are registered in Vietnam’s Red Book. It’s time for us to enjoy the fresh air, the sound of birds and the serenity. Numerous white goats will be grazing on the mountain. On the way back to Hanoi, we will stop to visit Hoa Lu - the former capital of Vietnam built in the 10th century where the ancient temples of Dinh & Le kings still remain intact. Upon arrival in Hanoi, we will head to Hanoi Railway Station for an overnight train to Lao Cai, destination Sapa.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Overnight on train

Day 6: Lao Cai - Sapa - Cat Cat Village (B/L/-)

Lao Cai - Sapa: 40km, 1h drive

Arrival Lao Cai Train Station at around 6:00a.m, our guide and driver will meet and transfer you to Sapa, situated just 40km from Lao Cai. After breakfast, we will explore Sapa town, founded by the French as a holiday resort. 

In the afternoon, we will visit Cat Cat village, home to H’Mong ethnic people. They are excellent “tho cam” weavers, a kind of brocade fabric. The “tho cam” of Cat Cat village is of especially high quality, as it is dyed with natural colors, polished with beeswax and embroidered with unique designs. Cat Cat silver jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings are known for their sophisticated production techniques. A walk through this old village offers a glimpse into traditional customs and practices of the ethnic Black Hmong. We will stop at a beautiful waterfall and the remains of a hydroelectric plant built by the French during their colonisation of Vietnam.

If time permits, visit Ma Tra Village. Located only about 5km to the south-east of Sapa town, Ma Tra Village was added recently into Sapa’s growing list of stunning destinations. The village is a new must-see for visitors when coming to the mountain town of Sapa and preferring a less commercial track. The Village is home to H’mong ethnic people and only boasts around 50 homes. They survive using their craft such as weaving brocade, silk, forging farming tools and carving silver. They generally only make such items to meet their own needs, but since the growth of tourism in Sapa, many H’mong women make decorated cloth to sell on the town’s main streets.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Sapa

Day 7: Sapa - Lao Chai & Ta Van/Home-stay (B/L/D)

After breakfast at the hotel, we start our trek through the beautiful Muong Hoa valley in Sapa. Following the road of just around 2km, we reach Y Linh Ho village home to Black H'mong ethnic people. We continue our walk to Lao Chai village and enjoy beautiful views of terraced rice fields along the way. The guide will prepare a simple picnic style lunch for you. After lunch, we will visit a Catholic church and explore local traditions and customs. In the afternoon, we reach the heart of the Sapa valley, the Ta Van village home to Dzay ethnic people. Dinner and overnight at a Dzay ethnic house.
(Note: During May (rice planting month) and September (rice ripening month), the golden terraced fields are especially spectacular and you can learn about methods of harvesting or planting).

• Distance : 8km
• Duration : 3h trekking
• Speed : Average

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Home-stay in Ta Van

Day 8: Ta Van - Giang Ta Chai - Sapa - Lao Cai - Hanoi (B/L/-)

Giang Ta Chai - Sapa 12km, 40min drive; Lao Cai - Hanoi: 330km, ~9h on train

After breakfast at the homestay, we take a scenic hike through rice paddies, passing waterfalls and bamboo forests to Giang Ta Chai village, home to the Red Dzao ethnic group. After visiting this village, we return to a location near the waterfall for lunch.

In the afternoon, we hike to the main road where our vehicle is waiting to take us back to Sapa Lao Cai. Along the way, we will visit Ma Tra village inhabited by the welcoming Black Hmong minority. We then transfer to station for overnight train back to Hanoi.

• Distance : 3km
• Duration : 2h trekking
• Speed : Average

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Overnight on train

Day 9: Hanoi - Halong Bay (B/L/D)

Hanoi - Halong: 180km, ~3h30min drive

We will arrive at Hanoi train station at 5:30 am where you will be picked up brought to a small hotel to freshen up and have some breakfast. We then start our three-hour drive through the Red River Delta to Halong, situated 180km south-east of Hanoi.

We then transfer to a refurbished wooden sailing junk for a cruise through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Halong Bay. Revel in the fantastic views of this UNESCO Heritage listed site. While on board, we will be served a fresh seafood lunch followed by swimming and we will have the chance to explore some of the limestone caves in the area. At dusk, witness the sunset of a life time followed by dinner.  The captain then will anchor for the night nearby a remote island.  In the evening, there is the option for some night fishing or just sit out on the deck and relax under the stars. We promise that this is a truly unforgettable experience.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Overnight on boat

Day 10: Halong Bay - Hanoi (Br/-/-)

After waking up surrounded by the tranquil beauty of the bay, we have time for an early morning dip. Then it’s time for breakfast whilst you watch the sun rise over Ha Long bay. The cruise continues to move around the bay for in order for us to discover more secluded areas; we then go kayaking and continue swimming around the bay. The boat will be near us at all times for those who prefer to relax on board. Around midday, we will return to the main harbour before transferring to our awaiting vehicle for the three and a half journey back to Hanoi.

Meals Included: Brunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Day 11: Hanoi - Departure (B/-/-)

After breakfast at the hotel, your time is free until our driver transfers you to Noi Bai airport for your flight to your next destination or back home. Safe trip wherever you head!

Meals: Breakfast