8-Day Northern Vietnam Highlights

Day 1: Hanoi arrival

Our tour guide and driver will pick up you from Hanoi airport then take you to hotel.

Check in hotel and free time to relax, explore Hanoi old quarter.

Activities: Free time

Day 2: Full day Hanoi city Tour

This full day tour takes you around Hanoi’s most interesting sights. Firstly, you will visit Ho Chi Minh Complex including Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, House-on-Stilts, the Presidential Palace, One Pillar Pagoda. After that we explore the Temple of Literature – the first university in Vietnam. Have lunch at a local Restaurant with traditional Vietnam cuisines.

After lunch time, Visit the Ethnology Museum – an interesting museum offers informative and well-documented display about 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam.

Return to city center, continue to discover Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son temple, listen to a special legend story about Hoan Kiem Lake.

Ending trip at around 16:00. Go back to hotel and relax.

Activities: Sightseeing tour full day, visit some “must-see” attractions of Hanoi

Day 3: Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Hanoi – Night train to Lao Cai

Just a couple hours’ drive outside of Hanoi and the tour heads deep into Vietnam’s picturesque countryside. Discover Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam during the Dinh and Le dynasties, before taking a sampan trip down the Tam Coc River. Also called the ‘Halong Bay on Land,’ this region is famous for its charming grottoes and limestone karst mountains.

Depart from the hotel around 08:00 for the 2-hour drive through rural northern Vietnam. Stop off at Hoa Lu, where there are temples dedicated to Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang of the Dinh Dynasty (968-80) and Emperor Le Dai Hanh of the Le Dynasty (980-1009).

If time permits after visiting Hoa Lu, take a half-hour walk up one of the surrounding limestone karst hills; a difficult but highly rewarding climb with spectacular views. (A moderate level of physical fitness is required.)

Continue on for Tam Coc Town where a Vietnamese-style lunch will be waiting; there will be ample opportunity to stop for photographs of the villages and landscapes along the way.

For those feeling adventurous, climb up to the 15th century Bich Dong Pagoda on nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain, comprising three structures: Ha, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas (in ascending order).

Then get on bus and our driver will take you back to Hanoi.

Meet at your hotel in Hanoi at around 20:00 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 21:15 hrs.

Notes:

– Our tour guide will not accompany during the train trip.

– Train schedule is subject to change.

– 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 complete the local experience.

Activities: Day trip Ninh Binh, visit Hoa Lu ancient capital, enjoy a boat trip exploring Tam Coc “Halong Bay on land” and ride a bike to Bich Dong Pagoda. In the evening, transfer to the train station to catch a night train to Lao Cai

Day 4: Lao Cai – Sapa – Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van – Sapa

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). Relax for a while to get ready for our full day tour.

9.30am: Meet up your local guide and start trekking. The first part is on the road but we soon turn to the right and walk on a small path down the valley to Y Linh Ho village settled down by the Muong Hoa River and from here to the Black H’mong village of Lao Chai. Black H’mong is one of the biggest minority groups in the Sapa area. They have their own language and wear traditional indigo blue clothing. The H’mong peoples have just recently changed their living way from sifting style into the sedentary one. So there are still a lot traces of the past time can be seen: rudimentary houses, stone wall around homes… After this you continue to Ta Van village (1.200 m) to visit Zay people. Zay is a fairly small minority group of about 38.000 people who live mainly in the mountains in Northwest Vietnam.

After visiting Ta Van village the car will return you to Sapa. Free at leisure the rest of the day. Overnight at Sapa Hotel.

Activities: Full day soft trekking, pass along dirt tracks as well as through several villages of ethnic minority groups. Experience the culture of the local daily life styles and exclusion custom in Sapa

Day 5: Sapa – Cat Cat – Sin Chai – Sapa – Lao Cai – Night train to Hanoi

In the morning, have breakfast at the hotel and then check out.

Take a walk down to the South-west of Sapa (around 3 km) to visit Cat Cat Village of the Black H’mong, one of the more well-known ethnic village of Sapa. Relax at the foot of the stunning waterfall and the vestige of a hydroelectric power station that was constructed by the French during the colonial time in Vietnam.

Enjoy picnic lunch by the side of the river, and then continue trekking to 3 km to Sin Chai Village, located at the foot of Fansipan Mountain – “the Roof of Indochina”, where you enjoy a stunning landscapes of the mountain.

Then come back to Sapa town for free time.

17:00: Transfer to Lao Cai station for night train to Hanoi.

Activities: Join on a soft trekking tour to discover the untouched beauty of the villages in Sapa before heading back to Hanoi by train

Day 6: Hanoi – Halong Bay

05:30 – 06:00: Our driver pick up you from Hanoi train station and take you to hotel for breakfast and relax. 

After breakfast, depart the capital for the drive to Halong Bay. Arrive to Halong City’s jetty (around noon) and proceed with check-in formalities. After a welcome onboard, lunch will be served while cruising towards the bay. In the afternoon, enjoy some sightseeing, on-board activities (depending on each boat’s itinerary) or just spend some time relaxing on the vessel. Towards the end of the day the boat sets anchor for the night among the karst formations. Dinner is served on board.

Activities: Leave the city behind, drive to the dock where this Halong Bay adventure truly starts. Climb aboard a traditional junk boat – with its beautiful woodwork and beaming crew – and venture out into emerald waters of the bay.

Resident English speaking guide on board available.

Day 7: Halong Bay – Hanoi

Early risers can enjoy a memorable sunrise over the karst formations of Halong Bay. Breakfast will be served shortly thereafter.

Enjoy breakfast (brunch on some boats) while the vessels cruises slowly through the magnificent rock formations back towards port. Arriving at the harbor, you will be picked up for transferring back to Hanoi.

Drop off at your hotel.

Activities: Spend the morning on cruise in Halong Bay and drive back to Hanoi.

Day 8: Hanoi departure

Our driver take you to Hanoi airport – Say goodbye to 8-Day Northern Vietnam Highlights Tour.

Activities: N/A

Important Notes:

• PROGRAMS & SCHEDULES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE
• In case of unpredictable bad conditions of weather in Halong Bay, please kindly understand that the cancellation will be made ONLY by the Management Board of Halong Bay and normally the announcement will be informed in short notice.
• If you have any specific food requirement (vegetarian, vegan, food allergies, etc.) please inform us in advance, we will provide notices to our restaurants, tour guides and partners so they would be able to serve you the best.
• 8-Day Northern Vietnam Highlights Tour is a customized tour so you con let us know what you want more/less.

8-Day Northern Vietnam Highlights

Price is based on per adult, in Double/Twin sharing, for group of 2 people

Please contact us for more information

Included:

• Accommodation in TWN/ DBL sharing accommodation at hotel and Halong cruise, except overnight on train
• All transport and transfer as per itinerary
• All in-tour stationed local English speaking guide.
• Return overnight train ticket Hanoi – Lao Cai – Hanoi (4 soft berth sharing cabin with air condition)
• Transfer from and to airport
• Entrance fees as per itinerary
• Meals as indicated in the program

Excluded:

• Hotel EARLY check in and LATE check out
• Peak season surcharge & compulsory dinner at the hotel (if any)
• Flights to or from Hanoi with taxes
• Visa or Passport Fees
• Travel Insurance
• Tips, laundry and gratuities
• Meals not marked on itinerary, and water during meals

Children Policy: