Northern Vietnam in Depth

Join us on a tour through the north mountain of Vietnam. Stay overnight in local homestays, enjoy delicious food, meet the people living here and explore the fascinating markets

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival

Welcome at the airport upon arrival and transfer to hotel for check-in and tour briefing. Rest of the day is free at your leisure. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour (B)

After breakfast at hotel, we will pay a visit to the memorial complex to Ho Chi Minh to know his amazing life. Continue to the Single Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature to gain understanding of the two driving forces in Vietnam culture. In the afternoon, we take a half day tour visiting the mystical Lake of Restored Sword and the Old Quarter of 36 guild streets from a rickshaw ride. The Old Quarter is a series of 36 ancient streets where peddlers still trade the way they have done for centuries. The rickshaw tour ends up at Ma May Old House, an example of dwellings in the 19 century. Overnight at hotel.
Day 3: Hanoi - Ha Giang (B/L/D)

Today, drive from Hanoi to Ha Giang via Tuyen Quang town. Plenty of opportunities to stop en route to have photograph Vietnam's green rice paddy. Stop en route visit Pa Then or La Chi minority people. Check in hotel. Overnight in Ha Giang.
Day 4: Ha Giang - Quan Ba – Yen Minh (B/L/D)

Today, with a medium drive but we will soon be enjoying the wonderful sightseeing of this vast limestone mountain range and perpendicular walls of rock, which brings one a feeling of adventure whilst being lost in a magic land, passing the Heaven Gate, meeting some minority people along the way, then onto Quan Ba town for our lunch. Afternoon, we continue our wonderful drive to Yen Minh. Be prepared your camera with lots of films for today since we will be hitting the Heaven – a more beautiful place, here we are surrounded by many rocks of all shapes and sizes, chances to see and even visit the traditional houses of the hill tribes here. Arrive in Yen Minh town. Check in hotel. Dinner and stay overnight here.
Day 5: Yen Minh - Meo Vac – Dong Van (B/L/D)

After breakfast, we leave Yen Minh to Meo Vac. The scenic route climbs over a pass, and then we descend down to Meo Vac valley, a beautiful valley situated very close to Chinese border. Have lunch in Meo Vac then we take time to climb over the Ma Pi Leng Pass where we can see and enjoy a beautiful mountain ranges and the the Nho Que river – just amazing place to be! We keep hitting the zigzag roads to Dong Van, visiting these remote areas, we will witness how hard the locals struggle with their environment for survival and development. In the town we stay, we will get the chance to visit the ancient streets with old houses of the H’mong made of clay bricks and tile roofs, built in centuries ago. Sleep in Dong Van town.
Day 6: Dong Van - Yen Minh - Quan Ba - Ha Giang (B/L/D)

A leisurely drive from Dong Van, back to Yen Minh & Quan Ba, this day will make your itinerary a good pace, not in a rush. We will visit the infamous Vuong Palace, a H´mong family of high rank during French colonial rule - this palace attracts keen interest from architecturally minded visitors due to it mixed style of European and Chinese architecture. We then hit the road back to Quan Ba and downhill to Ha Giang for the night. Note: Dong Van Sunday market is worth an arrangement.
Day 7: Ha Giang - Hoang Sun Phi - Bac Ha (B/L/D)

A long but stunning scenery along the zigzag road from Ha Giang to Bac Ha will make today a little busier, some parts of the road might be difficult to travel so make sure that you depart this day early from Ha Giang to arrive to Bac Ha in time before dark. Dinner and overnight in town. Note: Road from Ha Giang to Hoang Sun Phi then Xin Man – Bac Ha can be bad and impossible to ride during the raining season, however a backup to travel to Bac Ha is already planned.
Day 8: Bac Ha – Sapa (B)

We have this morning free in Bac Ha to visit around (if we are lucky on Sunday for the market, one of the most beautiful markets in Vietnam). Afternoon 3 hours drive to get to Sapa. Free time to visit this tourist town and overnight in town
Day 9: Sapa – Hanoi (B/L)

Morning transfer from Sapa to Bac Ha passing the beautiful mountainous road. We’ll have ample time to explore the most colorful market in Northwest of Vietnam where you can meet about 10 different ethnic minorities, the place that people attend not only for trading but for rice-wine drinking, social communication, making friends… In the afternoon continue to trek through some Tay villages and rainforest to visit Thai Giang Pho – the village of Flower Hmong people that you met on the market. You will learn about their daily life, say hello to local children and enjoy the nice view along the trail. Transfer to Lao Cai and visit this border city for a while before boarding the night train to Hanoi. Overnight on train.

SERVICES INCLUDED

Accommodation of the class quoted
Private land transfer by air-conditioned vehicle
Local English-speaking guide
Sleeper berths in sharing 4-berth cabins with A/C of Hanoi – Lao Cai – Hanoi trains
Admission fee to indicated sights
Meals as stated in the itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch; D=Dinner)
Government tax and service charge
Supply of bottled drinking water on vehicle
Flight reconfirmation

SERVICES EXCLUDED