Best of North Vietnam - 7 days

DAY 1: HANOI ARRIVAL

Arrive in Hanoi. Greeted by your driver at the airport. Transfer to your hotel in the city centre for check-in and at leisure in the rest of the day.

Note*:

• The hotel room will be available at 2:00pm, and in case that you would like to secure an early-check in, an additional charge will be applied.
• Please be advised that both international and domestic might be crowded at sometimes during the day, so in case that you arrive and cannot find our representatives, please be presented at Pole No.16 outside lobby A2 (International) or Lobby of domestic arrival (Domestic flight) and contact us, so we could easily search for you

• Meals: N/A
• Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

DAY 2: HANOI CITY TOUR - OVERNIGHT TRAIN TO SAPA

Today, we will spend a full day to visit the city. We start with visit to President Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and residence. We also visit the famous One Pillar Pagoda nearby. Leaving the President's complex, we continue to visit the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu). Although several Van Mieu can be found throughout Vietnam, the most prominent and famous is that situated in the city of Hanoi, and was functioned as Vietnam's first university
After lunch in a local restaurant, we go to the Museum of Ethnology, which is an excellent museum containing the ethnic costumes of the various minorities of Vietnam, as well as relics, tools and even full size replicas of their homes and buildings.
Back to the hotel. Free till transfer to the station for overnight train to Lao Cai (for Sapa). Driver meets at your hotel in Hanoi at around 21:00 hrs and transfer to Hanoi train station. Overnight train trip to Lao Cai in shared sleeping compartments (sharing with other passengers in 2 lower & 2 upper berths per compartment). Train departs at approximately 22:00 hrs.

Note*:

• Late checkout at the hotel is not included.
• Our tour guide will not accompany during the train trip
• Train schedule is subject to change depending on availability
• Private compartments on request at surcharge.
• Train journeys are part of a great local experience. Cabins are shared with other local passengers (unless private cabin is requested and all berths paid for - with supplement). Restrooms at either end of the carriages.

• Meals: Breakfast/Lunch
• Accommodation: Overnight train to Sapa

DAY 3 Y LINH HO - LAO CHAI - TA VAN VILLAGES TREKKING

Sa Pa is a quiet mountain town and home to a great diversity of ethnic minority peoples. Most of the ethnic minority people work their land on sloping terraces since the vast majority of the land is mountainous. Their staple foods are rice and corn. Rice, by its very nature of being a labour intensive crop, makes the daily fight for survival paramount. The unique climate in Sapa has a major influence on the ethnic minorities who live in the area. With sub-tropical summers, temperate winters and 160 days of mist annually, the influence on agricultural yields and health related issues are significant.

05:30 ~ 06:00: Arrive at Lao Cai Train Station. Pick up at the train station and transfer to Sapa. Early check in upon arrival is possible upon room occupancy (Surcharge applicable). Breakfast and Relax for a while to get ready for our full day tour.

9.30am: Meet up your local guide and start trekking for 6km of walking down to the south east of Sapa along the side of Muong Hoa valley to Y Linh Ho village of the Black H’mong. A 2 km-trekking down to Lao Chai village, through terraced rice fields to Ta Van village of the Dzay minority people. On the way, we would have chance to learn about the local agriculture producing customs and daily lifestyle. We have lunch at a local family, offering you a worth chance to learn about the local house architecture, which is full of their daily life styles and exclusive custom. We will then get back to Sapa by jeep or motorbike

• Meals: Breakfast/Lunch
• Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa

DAY 4: CAT CAT - SIN CHAI VILLAGES TREKKING - BUS TO HANOI

08:30: Pickup at the hotel. We start a walk down to the South-west of Sapa (around 4 km) to visit Cat Cat village of the Black H’mong. Relax at the food of the stunning waterfall and the vestige of a hydroelectric power station that was constructed by the French during the colonial time in Vietnam. We enjoy picnic lunch by the side of the river, and trek for 6 km to Sin Chai village, which is located at the foot of Fansipan Mountain, “the roof of Vietnam and Indochina”. From here you can enjoy huge stunning landscapes before climbing up on the way back to Sapa.

You are free to explore the town till bus transfer to Hanoi departing at 3:00pm. Arrive Hanoi at 9pm.

• Meals: Breakfast/Lunch
• Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

DAY 5: HANOI - HALONG BAY - NIGHT ON BOARD

08h00: Pick up from your hotel in Hanoi. Drive to Halong City through the paddy fields in the Red River Delta.
10h00: Stopover on the way for a refreshment break
12h00: Arrive at Tuan Chau wharf – Break and photography time
12h30: Board the Cruise for departure. Welcome drink will be served
13h00: Lunch is served while cruising through the bay
15h30: Visit exciting Cua Van fishing village. The village is free of busy roads and streets, electric lights, houses and high rise buildings. Instead, there are only herds of little boats and rafts. You will have the chance to discover the traditional culture and customs of the fishermen.
16h30: Enjoy kayaking or swimming (if the weather permits)..
17h00: Back on board and continue cruising.
19h00: Dinner is served.
21h00: Take some leisure time to enjoy chatting at the bar or enjoy some night fishing.

Note*: the itinerary and activities on board would vary depending on the boat you choose. Please see the choice of boat in Hotel Inclusions.

• Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
• Accommodation: Night on board

DAY 6: HALONG BAY - HANOI, NIGHT STREET FOOD!

07.00: Coffee and tea will be served
08.00: Continue cruising
08h15: Visit splendid Sung Sot Cave
09h00: Check out and enjoy a fantastic cruise on the bay, passing Dinh Huong Island, fishing villages, Ga Choi Island, Dog Island and Sail Island.
09.30: Buffet brunch (breakfast/lunch) while cruising back through Halong Bay to the pier
11h30: Arrive at the pier. Time to say goodbye to the crew.
12.00: Return from Halong to Hanoi. Arrive Hanoi at about 17pm.

Note*: the itinerary and activities on board would vary depending on the boat you choose. Please see the choice of boat in Hotel Inclusions.

• Meals: Breakfast/Lunch
• Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

DAY 7: HANOI DEPARTURE

Free at leisure until our transfer is presented at your hotel and take you to Noi Bai International Airport for flight to for departure flight. Trip ends.

Note*: depending on your flight schedule, we will arrange airport transfer accordingly (2.5 hours for domestic flight/ 3.5 hours for international flights)!

• Meals: Breakfast
• Accommodation: N/A