Day 1: Arrival In Hanoi (Friday) – (–,–,D)
Upon arrival in Hanoi, you will arrange the airport arrival at your own.
The guide will meet your group at the hotel in the late afternoon. You will spend the evening exploring Vietnam‘s capital, enjoying the colonial era charm of the city. You will spend most of the evening exploring the city by walking around Vietnam’s capital, the colonial era charm of the city, and the surroundings of Hoan Kiem Lake: the heart of the capital city around which all aspects of life in Hanoi revolve. Hoan Kiem Lake is also a place which is associated with a fascinating legend: One day, the heavens entrusted to the Emperor, Le Thai To, a magic sword to chase the invading Chinese out of Vietnam. Once the task was accomplished, as he was walking around the lake, a giant tortoise arose from the waters, took the sword and returned it to his divine owners, hence the name “Lake of the Returned Sword”.
Meals included: Dinner
Accommodation: Overnight at hotel
Notes: Rooms will be at guests’ disposal from 14:00
Recommended flight time should arrive in before 15:00 p.m
Note: Airport pick up can be provided as a supplement for travelers arriving on a different flight.
Day 2: Hanoi – Night Train To Sapa – (B,L,D)
In the morning, you will begin your full day discovery of the capital with Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - a tribute to the architecture of Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow, his traditional stilt house and the One-Pillar Pagoda - built in the 11th century. Later on, you will visit the Ethnology Museum. Created in November 1997 at the Francophonie Summit, it is both a research center and a public museum featuring the 54 ethnic groups found across Vietnam.
In the afternoon, you will visit the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu in Vietnamese), situated in the place once known as the first university of Vietnam. Built in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, the university was first opened for princes and mandarins exclusively. With its ancient courtyards, altars and roofs, Van Mieu is a very fine example of Vietnamese architecture. Then, continue your way to the Old Quarter and the surroundings of the Sword Lake.
Have dinner at a local restaurant before getting on the night train to Sapa (estimated time of departure 22:00 - arrives at 06:05 on the next day).
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Overnight on the train.
Day 3: Lao Cai – Muong Hum – Sapa (Arrival Sunday With Muong Hum Market) – (B,L,–)
Upon arrival in Lao Cai train station, you will meet the local guide and leave for Muong Hum Market, a weekly traditional market of ethnic groups. The market is very active, lively and colorful. It is a great chance for you to interact with local people, who are from different ethnic groups like H’mong, Ha Nhi, Red Dao…, with different colors and designs on their costumes. These people are mostly from the villages around Muong Hum, however, there are also some of them who come all the way from Sapa to this market to sell and buy their stuff. You will also see many different kinds of products, from farming products to clothes, to family housewares like bowls, spoons and even… hairs are sold here. Enjoy hiking through the market to understand the tradition and culture of this area.
After the market, you will go toward Sapa to visit Ta Giang Phinh, a land of H’mong ethnic people. Hiking from villages to villages will give you a chance to see the daily life of local people around their houses, in their fields or sometimes, on the side of the road where they stop for chit chat. The rice terraces and mountains around the villages will also give you a great view of landscape and atmosphere. Then, you will have lunch in a local restaurant before heading back to Sapa.
Balance the day at leisure.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Overnight at the hotel
• In Ta Giang Phinh: 3.8 kilometers – 1h 30min
Level: 1
Difference in elevation: +60 meters/ -180 meters
Terrain: mostly downhill in Ta Giang Phinh, paved road, village road, local village, rice field
Transportation:
• Lao Cai – Muong Hum: 44 kilometers - 1h 30min
• Muong Hum – Ta Giang Phinh: 20 kilometers – 45 minutes
• Ta Giang Phinh – Sapa: 25 kilometers – 50 minutes
Day 4: Sapa – Hiking In The Muong Hoa Valley – (B,L,D)
Begin with a hike to the heart of the Hoang Lien Mountain range. En route, you will get to admire vast rice fields on the terraces with rivers that wind around, a definite feature of the region. The path passes through Y Linh Ho village, giving you a great opportunity to observe the local people in their colorful clothing. The journey will continue along winding paths and offer breathtaking views of the rice fields nestled in the Muong Hoa valley. You will head to Lao Chai before ending the hike at Ta Van.
Balance the day at leisure to discover at your own pace the stunning natural landscape and experience the lifestyle of the local people living here.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch at a local house or picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Overnight at homestay in Ta Van
Distance and duration of the trek: 10 kilometers - 5 hours
Level: 1
Height difference: +400 meters
Terrain: flat, slippery after rain
Transportation: No transfer needed
Day 5: Sapa – Hanoi (B,L,–)
In the morning, you will head towards Su Pan village, populated by two of the larger ethnic groups in Northern Vietnam: the Black H'mong and the Red Dao. From here, you will begin a walk to discover another minority, the Tay, renowned for their wooden houses and the skillfulness of their crafts. Return to Sapa town after the hike.
Having lunch at the local restaurant and refresh for a while before taking public bus back to Hanoi (estimated departure time in Sapa 14:30 – estimated arrival in Hanoi at 20:00). The local guide will escort you to the public bus office and say goodbye when the bus departs Sapa.
Upon arrival in the bus office in Hanoi, another join-in bus will take you back to hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Overnight at the hotel
Distance and duration of the walk: 3 kilometers - 1 hours
Level: 0
Distance Sapa - Hanoi by road: 320kilometers - 5.5hrs
Day 6: Hanoi – To He Village – Ninh Binh (B,L,–)
In the morning, you will head down south to the village of a To He artisan. You will be welcomed by his friendly family and his lovely To He products. After an introduction about his family and the To He art, it will be your turn to learn how to make a traditional Vietnamese toy. The first product will be guided closely by the artisan himself, but the second one will be entirely your own creation. You can freely choose the shape and follow one of the many traditional designs, such as the shapes of the Vietnamese zodiac, or something more modern like a Pokemon character (or create your own design)!
Finally, it's time to say goodbye to the artisan’s family, and together with your own To He products, continue your way toward Ninh Binh and have lunch in a local villager's home.
In the afternoon, you will set off a bike ride, passing slowly through rice fields amids the spectaular scenery of rocky peaks, meandering canals and lush vegetation, then boarding on a small wooden boat, a sampan, to explore Van Long Nature Reserve, the surreal landscape of rainforests and ancient mountains reflected in the aquamarine waters.
Then heading to your hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch at a local house
Accommodation: Hotel in Ninh Binh
Distance & Duration:
+ Transfer Hanoi to To He artisan’s house:1 hour – 42 kilometers
+ Duration at the artisan's house: 1 hour – 1h 30min
+ To He artisan’s house to Ninh Binh: 1h 25min – 70 kilometers
+ Distance and duration of cycling: 8 kilometers - 45 minutes to 1 hour. Level: 0
Day 7: Ninh Binh – Halong (B,L,D)
In the morning, you will leave Ninh Binh and head to Halong where you arrive around noon. There, you will embark on a cruise in the must-see Lan Ha Bay, a part of Halong Bay. This world-famous bay is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Vietnam, with its giant rock islets covered in luxuriant vegetation overlooking the waters. Halong Bay includes some 1,900 islands and islets of rocky peaks, often uninhabited and unvisited. This scene creates a spectacular marine landscape, which earned it UNESCO World Heritage status in 1994. You will be served lunch and dinner aboard with excellent and freshly caught seafood from the bay.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Overnight on the junk
Distance: 200 kilometers - 3h 30min to 4 hours
Day 8: Ha Long Ha Noi Departure – (B,L,–)
Early in the morning and depending on the season, you will wake up to enjoy the sunrise over the aquamarine waters of the bay. Then the cruise will tour around the bay until you disembark at the end of the morning. After that, you will return to Hanoi and then head to Hanoi International Airport for your outbound flight.
Meals included: Breakfast, brunch
Distance: 155 kilometers - 2h 30min
Suggested international flight schedule after 18:00pm
