North Vietnam tour

Arrival at Hanoi airport. Meet with the guide. Transfer to the city center and check-in at the hotel. Check-in is available after 2:00 PM. Free time to relax or explore the city on your own. Overnight at a hotel in Hanoi.

After breakfast, begin the tour of the current capital of Vietnam. The day starts with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex (closed every Monday and Friday), his stilt house, and the One Pillar Pagoda. Continue to the Ethnology Museum, which offers an excellent introduction to the 54 ethnic groups that make up the country.

Next, visit the Temple of Literature (built in 1070), dedicated to Confucius and scholars (Vietnam’s first national university, established in 1076), and the Hoa Lo Prison (a significant site from the Vietnam War).

In the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour of the Old Quarter, also known as the 36 Streets. This area is a maze of alleys, each named after a trade or craft. The tour is designed to explore all aspects of local life. You will also have the chance to taste Hanoi's famous egg coffee. The tour ends with a stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as the Lake of the Returned Sword, and a visit to Ngoc Son Temple. Overnight at a hotel in Hanoi.

In the morning, departure towards Muong Lo, where we will have the chance to meet the H’mong, Thai, and Dao ethnic groups along the way. The landscape is breathtaking with its terraced rice fields, typical livestock, bamboo rafts, and traditional wooden houses.

On the way, stop at Thu Cuc to visit a tea plantation. Lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we enter the capital of the Thai people, characterized by rice fields, vegetable gardens, and villages nestled at the foot of the mountains. A short walk will allow you to connect with the culture and daily life of the villagers. Dinner and overnight in a traditional house of a local family.

The excursion begins from Muong Lo, capital of the Thai ethnic group and the second largest rice granary in the Northwest. For over 700 years, the Thai people have cultivated rice and built their traditional wooden and bamboo houses here. Departure by car along a road that winds through the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, the highest mountain in Indochina. Arrival at Tu Le for trekking.

We will cross rice terraces to reach the villages of the Thai and H’mong people, where we will be warmly welcomed by locals dressed in traditional clothing. After lunch, we continue our journey through the Khau Pha mountain pass and visit La Pan Tan village. We then reach the Mu Cang Chai area (930m), the rice terrace capital of Vietnam, with a landscape made enchanting by its terraced fields. Overnight at a local homestay.

Transfer (approximately 2 hours). Stop along the way to take beautiful photos and enjoy the stunning view of Mount Fansipan (3,143 m).

Arrival in Sapa in the late morning. Located at 1,650 m, Sapa was the holiday destination of choice for the French during the colonial period. With its mild climate and wonderful mountain scenery, the town is known as a place where various mountain tribes coexist, having mainly settled at the foot of Mount Fansipan (the highest peak in Indochina: 3,143 m). Visit of Sapa town and Sin Chai village. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, a trekking excursion to Y Linh Ho village, then to Lao Chai village of the Black H’mong and Ta Van village of the Giay people in the Muong Hoa valley. Great opportunity to take beautiful photos. Departure for Bac Ha via Lao Cai, where we’ll see the “Bridge of Beauty” (Cau Kieu), the border between Vietnam and China and the intersection point of the Red River and the Nam Khe River. Arrival in Bac Ha. Overnight at the hotel.

Early in the morning, visit the multi-ethnic Bac Ha market, held every Sunday morning. The highlight of this market is the dominant red color of the Flower H’mong (also known as the Colorful H’mong). Boat excursion on the Chay River, with visits to caves and the villages of Pho and Na Lo. Return to Hanoi by car. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, departure by car to Lan Ha Bay, where we will have the opportunity to admire the beautiful countryside landscapes. Boarding the junk for the cruise in Lan Ha Bay. During the navigation, visit of caves made mysterious by legends and the vivid imagination of the local people. Lunch on board. In the afternoon, visit by small boat to a cave or a fishing village. Dinner and overnight on board the junk. Private comfort cabin.

Note: The program depends on both the junk used and the sea conditions. Shared English-speaking guide on the junk.

In the morning, after breakfast, we leave the junk and board typical sampan boats to visit the famous caves. Brunch on board. At the end of the morning, return to Hanoi.

Note: The mini-cruise itinerary may vary depending on the type of junk used and the sea conditions. The guide on board will speak English.

After breakfast, free time for personal discovery of the city and shopping without guide or driver. Transfer to Hanoi airport with driver only for the return flight. End of our services. (Check-out is required before 12:00).