12 DAY EXPLORATION – THE BEAUTY OF NORTHERN VIETNAM
You are living in a vibrant city. You are someone who loves to learn about strange local cultures. You want to have long trips that include many experiences such as participating in rural markets, taking long walks to observe villages and the lives of local people in the highlands of Vietnam. If you want to observe nature from majestic mountains, shark tooth peaks, canyons, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, valleys then this tour is for you. Each province in northern Vietnam is like a world of its own. And not only that, after those exhausting experiences you will return to Hanoi, the cultural center of Vietnam, and then have lighter activities at one of the most famous heritage sites of Vietnam in Ninh Binh. Before leaving Vietnam to return home, reward yourself with magical moments at the world's natural wonder - Ha Long Bay. We guarantee that you will be reborn after this trip. It will be one of the most memorable experiences of your life.
BRIEF SCHEDULE
Day 1: Welcome to Vietnam - Hanoi arrival
Day 2: Hanoi - Sapa: Y Linh Ho - Lao Chai village rice terraces hiking path (B\L)
Day 3: Sapa - Bac Ha: Fansipan peak - Bac Ha hiking (motobike around) (B\L\D)
Day 4: Bac Ha - Ha Giang: Bac Ha ethnic market - Tha village hiking (B/L)
Day 5: Ha Giang - Dong Van: the road of nature and culture (B/L)
Day 6: Dong Van - Meo Vac: sky walking in Ma Pi Leng Pass (B/L)
Day 7: Meo Vac - Bao Lac: running down from sky (B\L)
Day 8: Bao Lac - Ba Be national park: boat trip on the legend lake k(B/L)
Day 9: Ba Be - Back To Hanoi (B/L)
Day 10: Hanoi - Ninh Binh: Hoa Lu (ancient capital) - Trang An heritage site (B/L)
Day 11: Ninh Binh – Halong bay: Natural wonder of the world (B/L/D)
Day 12: Halong bay – Noi Bai airport (Hanoi Departure) - Home (B/L)
Wish you all the best and see you soon!
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DETAIL ITINERARY
Day 1: Welcome to Vietnam - Hanoi arrival
Welcome to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Your driver and tour guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Check into the hotel and have free time to explore the city at your own pace, or rest after the flight.
- Private transfer: 45 minutes
- Self - Guided Day in Hanoi: taking a walk around Hanoi old quarter, specially Hoan Kiem lake - the core of Hanoi capital, having an egg coffee, sipping cocktails on the Pan Pacific Hotel's rooftop bar and soak in sunset views over Tay Ho (West Lake) to wrap up your evening in style.
Day 2: Hanoi - Sapa: Y Linh Ho - Lao Chai village rice terraces hiking path (B\L)
Sapa is a high mountain district in Lao Cai province. This is a place with complex terrain and possesses many extremely breathtaking scenery such as Muong Hoa valley with terraced fields and the highest peak of Fansipan mountain in Indochina. Sapa is also known as the summer capital of the French colonial period with a temperate climate. People also call Sapa the town in the mist.
Depart from your hotel in Hanoi at 7.30, It takes you approximately 5 hours to arrive in Sapa town around noon, having lunch at a local restaurant on the way then, getting picked and transfer to the trekking point to Y Linh Ho village at Muong Hoa Valley. Muong Hoa is the biggest valley in the Sapa region and bottomed by a rocky river. Start with a downhill trek to the valley, the scenery of the rice terraces along your way is very beautiful and this will be the highlight of the day. Walk slowly on small winding roads to feel the natural beauty of streams, terraced fields and scenes of local life. It's like you're walking through a painting. Back to the town, have your leisure and overnight in Sapa.
Day 3: Sapa - Bac Ha: Fansipan peak - Bac Ha hiking (motobike around) (B\L\D)
After breakfast, you will go to a station to take the cable car to Fansipan peak. From here, you will have a panorama view of Sapa town and the Valley. This place is called the roof of Indochina. it is considered one of the most favourite tourist destination in Sapa.
Lunch is served at a local restaurant in Sapa.
Then, getting around 3 hours of the transfer to Bac Ha district. This is a very remote district that is very famous for the beauty of flower and fruit gardens: plums, peaches, and pears in spring. It is more famous for its cattle markets. Like a party of color and culture. Hope you will go on the right market day.
Arriving in Bac Ha, checking-in the homestay at a local family. Take a short rest for refreshment. Set out for a soft hiking to Ban Pho village of the Flower H'mong people. The trek lasts for about 1,5 hours.
Get back to the home-stay and get ready for a hosted dinner and stay for the night.
Day 4: Bac Ha - Ha Giang: Bac Ha ethnic market - Tha village hiking (B/L)
This morning, there will be interesting mountain markets named Bac Ha tribble market that you can attend. The tribal markets in Bac Ha are very colorful and impressive. Spend about 1.5 hours or 2 hours walking around and hunting some beautiful photos. The markets are lively with bright colors and colorful costumes of upland people. Together with other minority groups, they come from different villages in the surrounding area to markets to buy and sell a variety of goods and cattle. Buffaloes, cows, horses and other domestic animals are often traded. After the market, get on the car and heading to Ha Giang province.
Having lunch on the way to Ha Giang city, with many scenery on the way, finally at 16:00, you arrive in Tha village located in the suburb of Ha Giang city. Check in local homestay and leisure. You can enjoy the short walk around local village to explore the daily life of local people and the peaceful atmosphere.
Day 5: Ha Giang - Dong Van: the road of nature and culture (B/L)
Today is one of your trip highlights as you are traveling to the famous Dong Van Karst Geopark. It features a vast area of limestone, spectacular mountain scenery, the richness and uniqueness of ethnic minorities' culture. Along the day, you will have some stops on the way for photo opportunities from mountain passes, typical attractions and visits to ethnic villages. The typical spots are at Bac Sum Pass, Fairy Mountain with some steps to a view-point stop a hill, Tham Ma Pass, Pho Cao H'mong village, Pho Bang ancient town, House of Pao, the residence of the Vuong family, still called "Palace of Hmong King". Then we go to Dong Van town and stay overnight in town.
Day 6: Dong Van - Meo Vac: sky walking in Ma Pi Leng Pass (B/L)
Today will be no less impressive as you continue to explore this majestic gray rock plateau. The scenery is amazing and the local life and the culture of the hill tribes such as the H'mong is something that will be very memorable for your trip. We make a stop on Ma Pi Leng Pass and spend the morning trekking along the sky-walk path. This scenic hiking will definitely one of the highlights of your trip. Lunch is at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, you will take a boat trip to visit Tu San Abyss Alley, known as one of the most magnificent canyons in Southeast Asia. Take a short walk up to Tu San Rock Ledge where you can get some awesome pictures with the Tu San Alley on the background. After the boat ride, make your way to Meo Vac Town for the night. Overnight in Meo Vac town.
(Boating on Nho Que River depends on the weather and road quality)
Day 7: Meo Vac - Bao Lac: running down from sky (B/L/D)
If today is Sunday, it will be your colorful morning as there is a weekend market takes place right in the town. The market is not only where the locals living in the karst plateau trade cattle, it is also a gathering place for the Mong ethnic minority trading their domestic and farming products. This is a great chance for hunting beautiful photos of the local faces in their traditional dresses.
Otherwise, late morning today you will depart to Bao Lac. Lunch is included on the way. In the afternoon arrival at Bao Lac town. Free time to relax.
(Based on your schedule, popular local markets are not available to visit. On the way to transfer, if convenient, any small local markets are open and interesting for you to visit, the tour guide will introduce and take you to visit around to see lifestyle and culture of local people).
Day 8: Bao Lac - Ba Be national park: boat trip on the legend lake (B/L/D)
Today, you will travel to Ba Be Lake (approximately 4 hours). Just have lunch on the way. Once there, head down the river by boat on an exploration of Ba Be National Park, visiting the largest natural lake in Vietnam. Disembark for some light walks along the way, visit the impressive waterfalls that feed the lake and observe the natural flora and fauna. Return to land at late the afternoon, and head to a family-owned guesthouse in Pac Ngoi village where you will spend the night.
In the evening sit down for a delicious dinner with your hosts. This is a great opportunity to gain an insight into their lives and culture.
Overnignt in Pac Ngoi
Day 9: Ba Be - Back To Hanoi (B/L)
So after a few days of being lost in a strange place, you finally departed to return to the capital Hanoi to continue exploring other beauties of Northern Vietnam. On the way back to Hanoi, we will probably stop at the capital of Vietnamese green tea. Vietnam has many provinces that grow tea and export it around the world, but Thai Nguyen is the most famous place for its tea making tradition.
Return to Hanoi around 4pm. You can admire Hanoi in the late afternoon and night that you missed because you rushed to the highlands. Take a street food tour or head to beer street. You will find no other place like it. Overnight stay in Hanoi.
Day 10: Hanoi - Ninh Binh: Hoa Lu (ancient capital) - Trang An heritage site (B/L)
Only about 2.5 hours departing from Hanoi, you will arrive in Ninh Binh, one of the most ancient lands in Vietnam. The guide will tell you a little about the history of Vietnam in the 10th century, the plots, tricks, the struggle for the throne, and the fascinating conspiracy theories.
After a delicious lunch, we will move to Trang An heritage site, a unique heritage site in Southeast Asia with both cultural and natural values.
Depending on your health situation. If you still have enough energy, take a bike ride before checking in at the hotel in Tam Coc - Ninh Binh. Overnight in Ninh Binh.
Day 11: Ninh Binh – Halong bay: Natural wonder of the world (B/L/D)
7:30: Driver will meet you at the hotel lobby and take you along a scenic route to Halong Bay where you will board a cruise ship.
Today could be the biggest reward after long days of traveling everywhere in northern Vietnam. You will cross 4 delta provinces to reach Halong Bay, a natural heritage and wonder of the world. A beautiful yacht is waiting to welcome you, taking you out to the bay with a view beyond words. All fatigue will quickly disappear when you see with your own eyes the majestic scenery of limestone mountains that seem to open up to welcome you into another world. You can participate in on-board activities such as visiting caves, kayaking, swimming or simply stay on the ship to rest with a cocktail. The end of the day awaits you with sunset. Night falls on Halong Bay with a shimmering scene of ships. You will never forget this moment.
The manager of the cruise will convey to you the specific schedule when you board the train.
Overnight on cruise
(Cruise itinerary and schedule are subject to change due to weather, tide levels and operating conditions).
Day 12: Halong bay – Noi Bai airport (Hanoi Departure) - Home (B/L)
Breathe fresh air which we don't have when living in big cities. There will be some more activities before the cruise slowly returns to shore. As always, decide what's right for you. Wake up for a tai chi class around 6:30 and go out to visit the cave or not, it's up to you. When the cruise returns to shore, you are about to say goodbye to Halong and Vietnam. A cup of coffee can make time pass more slowly. You will have a lunch or brunch before disembarking at 11:00. The driver will be waiting for you and take you directly to the airport to return home. The places you go through are just a part of Northern Vietnam. There are many other beautiful places waiting for you to visit. See you again one day soon.
The tour ends here!
Thank you and see you in other tours
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THINGS INCLUDED
Accommodation
3-STARS HOTELS:
Hanoi: Mina Hotel or similar
Bac Ha: Homestay
Ha Giang: homestay
Dong Van: Homestay
Bao Lac: Homestay
Ba Be: Homestay
Ninh Binh: Le Clos Du Fil hotel or similar
Halong Bay: Le Journey Cruise or similar
4-STARS HOTELS:
Hanoi: Tirant Hotel or similar
Bac Ha: Homestay
Ha Giang: Panhou Retreat or similar
Dong Van: Homestay
Ba Be: Homestay
Bao Lac: Homestay
Ninh Binh: Hidden Charm Hotel & Resort
Halong Bay: La Pandora Cruise or similar
5-STARS HOTELS:
Hanoi: Apricot Hotel or similar
Bac Ha: Homestay
Ha Giang: Panhou Retreat or similar
Dong Van: Auberge Meo Vac
Bao Lac: Homestay
Ba Be: Homestay
Ninh Binh: Emeralda Resort Tam Coc or similar
Halong Bay: Doris Cruise or similar
Guide
Experienced English-speaking guide
French/German/Spanish/ Russian/ Chinese speaking guides are available upon request. The surcharge will be applied
Meals
As per the tour program:
B=breakfast
L-Lunch
D-Dinner
Transport
- Door-to-door pick-up & drop-off services by private car
- Air-conditioned bus between Hanoi and Halong Bay (2-way)
- Private car for the excursions
- Boat as per itinerary
Other included
– All sightseeing tickets according to the itinerary
– Tissues and water on coach
– Service charges and government tax
– 24/7 hotline support guaranteed
– Vietnam Visa letter approval
Other not included
X International flights and departure taxes
X Beverage, Personal expenses, tips, and gratuities
X Early check-in and late check-out (If not mentioned)
X Compulsory Gala Dinner on 24 Dec, 31 Dec and 21 Jan (Tet)
X Public holiday surcharge (Christmas and New Year, Tet holiday) if applicable
X Surcharge for airport cabs from 12:00 am – 05:00 am
X Visa stamping fee on arrival at the airport (Vietnam: $25/person)
X Services not mentioned above
