A beautiful loop in Northwest Hanoi

Hanoi Arrival (-)

Arrival in Hanoi,
Welcome by the English-speaking guide + driver, then transfer to the hotel.
The room is only available around noon.

While waiting for the room, the guide accompanies you for a walk through Hanoi Old Quarter, around Ho Hoan Kiem for your first discoveries of the city around Hoan Kiem Lake. Lunch at a local restaurant.

Meals at your own expense and overnight in Hanoi.

Hanoi / City Tour (B,L)

After breakfast,
Meet at 08:30 with the team for a full day of visits and walks in Hanoi.

We begin the visits with:

• Temple of Literature, dedicated to Confucius and his disciples. This complex was Vietnam’s first university.
• Tran Quoc Pagoda (Buddhism), whose name means “Pagoda of National Defence”, located on a beautiful peninsula on Ho Tay Lake (West Lake), undoubtedly one of the most beautiful lakes in Hanoi.
• Quan Thanh Temple (Taoism), dedicated to the deity Tran Vu – an important protector of the ancient citadel of Hanoi.

Lunch during the visits.

In the afternoon, photos in front of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, overlooking Ba Dinh Square, for the changing of the guard – at the heart of political life.

Then a visit to Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house, to better understand the life of a great man who lived very modestly.

Then visit the One Pillar Pagoda, famous for its original architecture inspired by a legend dating back to the 11th century.

Towards the end of the day, enjoy a pleasant walk towards Long Bien Bridge (also known as Paul Doumer Bridge during the French period) and take a look at the “Train Street” area.

Dinner at your own expense and overnight in Hanoi.

Hanoi - Duong Lam Ancient Village - Mai Chau (B,L,D)

After breakfast,
Meet at 08:30 and depart for Duong Lam village, an ancient laterite village more than 400 years old, for a bicycle ride through the village. Visit Mia Pagoda and have lunch with a local family in an ancient house in Duong Lam.

Drive to Mai Chau along the road through the rice fields.

Dinner and overnight with a local Thai ethnic family.

Mai Chau - Pu Luong (B,L,D)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet at 08:00 and depart for Pu Luong Nature Reserve, located in Quan Hoa and Ba Thuoc districts of Thanh Hoa Province. Panoramic mountain and valley landscapes accompany you along the way.

Arrival at Pu Luong Nature Reserve. With well-preserved landscapes, abundant and diverse flora and fauna, the reserve has become a fascinating destination for all nature lovers. Covering an area of 17,662 hectares, Pu Luong Nature Reserve is the largest karst forest area in Northern Vietnam, with three main types of forest: lowland jungle, montane forests, and bamboo and shrubland. Upon arrival, visitors can cross villages clinging to the mountainsides, admire terraced rice fields and lush forests, visit caves, and see numerous water wheels – hydraulic machines used by several ethnic minorities to raise water using energy generated by the current in order to irrigate the rice fields…

Upon arrival at Ban Cong, you stop for a 1-hour walk from Ban Cong Secondary School to visit the Thai village of Tom. You pass water wheels along the river, sugarcane fields, cross two suspension bridges… and finish the walk at the village market.

Continue by vehicle. Check in to your room at the eco-hotel.

Free time to relax and admire the beautiful natural landscapes from your hotel…

Overnight in Pu Luong.

Pu Luong - Ninh Binh (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet at 08:00 and enjoy beautiful walks towards the ethnic villages nestled in the mountains of Pu Luong Park to visit the Thai Village of Tom.

You pass water wheels in the river, sugarcane fields, cross two suspension bridges and terraced rice fields to reach Uoi Village. These are the most beautiful terraced rice fields in the reserve. Visit Uoi village before continuing the walk to Lan Ngoai Village.

You meet women who still weave by hand using traditional methods.

Lunch, then continue by vehicle towards Ninh Binh in the Red River Delta. Located southeast of Hanoi, Ninh Binh Province is the southernmost point of Southeast Asia’s karst limestone plateau…

Arrival in Ninh Binh, check in at the hotel and rest.
Dinner at your own expense and overnight at the hotel in Tam Coc.

Ninh Binh (B,L)

After breakfast,
Meet at 08:00 for a full day visiting temples and pagodas: a bicycle ride to visit Bich Dong Pagoda and Thai Vi Temple.

(Note that if you do not wish to cycle, the car is available for transportation between the sites.)

Continue the ride towards Hang Mua Mountain for a climb to the top of the mountain for panoramic views.

Continue by car to visit the enclosed lake of Tuyet Tinh Coc surrounded by limestone peaks.

We continue with a lovely rowing sampan ride through the unspoiled Trang An area. We opt for the Thung Nham site for a boat ride along the water, passing through caves in the limestone mountains.

Dinner at your own expense and overnight at the same hotel.

Ninh Binh - Hanoi - Overnight Train to Lao Cai (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet at 08:30 and depart for bicycle rides, followed by a walk towards Tuyet Tinh Coc Lake.

Then continue with local visits: drive to visit Bai Dinh, the largest pagoda in Southeast Asia, and its magnificent Buddha statues.

Lunch at a local restaurant, then a sampan ride through the lesser-known Van Long site, “The Dragon in the Clouds”, before returning to Hanoi.

Continue the journey back to Hanoi.

Arrival in Hanoi, free time in the Old Quarter for your own discoveries around Hoan Kiem Lake.

Dinner at your own expense before the transfer to the railway station. (We will keep your luggage in the car during your free time.)

Overnight train | First-class 4-berth soft-sleeper cabin shared with another tourist.

Lao Cai - Bac Ha - Sapa (B,L)

Arrival in Lao Cai,
Welcome by the English-speaking guide and driver for breakfast at the station then drive to visit the Bac Ha Ethnic Market – a market and meeting place for ethnic groups held on Sundays.

Visit this market and lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, drive towards Sapa for arrival in the late afternoon, with sightseeing stops along the way: tea stop and the border gate with China.

Arrival in Sapa, transfer and check-in at the hotel.
Dinner and overnight in Sapa.

Sapa - Ma Tra and Ta Phin Villages (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet at 08:30 for a full-day walk to Ma Tra and Ta Phin villages – meet and interact with the children and local people of this region, who enjoy laughing and interacting with foreigners.

Visit schools if possible. You can bring pens, pencils, felt-tip pens, small notebooks and inflatable balls to give to children as you meet them along the way.

Simple lunch with a local family – rest, then continue the walk until you meet the car that takes you back to the hotel.

Dinner at your own expense and overnight at the hotel.

Sapa - Lao Chai - Ta Van Ethnic Villages - Sapa - Hanoi (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet at 08:00 and depart for a beautiful walk with the local guide towards the beautiful ethnic villages of Lao Chau – Ta Van... a leisurely walk throughout the day.

Lunch with a local family.

Continue the walk, then pick-up by car for the return to Sapa, followed by the VIP bus back to Hanoi via the expressway.

Arrival in Hanoi, direct transfer to the hotel to rest.

Dinner at your own expense and overnight in Hanoi.

Hanoi - Ha Long Bay (B,L,D)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet at 08:00 with the shuttle for the direct transfer to Ha Long Bay via the Red River Delta, with a stop for breakfast along the way.

Arrival in Ha Long, boarding the junk boat and settling into your cabin in Ha Long Bay for a 24-hour cruise through this natural wonder of the world.

Follow the boat’s program for details of the activities on site. Meals on board.

Visit natural caves, enjoy sampan rides and swimming in this magnificent bay.
Dinner and overnight on board.

Note:
During these two days in Ha Long Bay, the cruise will take place in Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay or Lan Ha Bay depending on the junk boats available at the time of your decision and choice.

Ha Long Bay - Nam Dinh (B,L,D)

Tai Chi on the upper deck for those who wish, breakfast on board, then continuation of the cruise.

Disembarkation at 12:00 after an early brunch.

Pick-up by the driver and drive to Nam Dinh via the major provinces of the Red River Delta: Hai Phong and Thai Binh.

Arrival in Nam Dinh,
visit a family in Vi Khe village – Dien Xa, known for bonsai trees. You will find all kinds of bonsai plants in many different shapes and sizes such as phoenixes, dragons, unicorns, turtles and even the symbol of the Temple of Literature shaped in bonsai, etc. If you wish, we can explain some of the basic steps for taking care of a bonsai tree.

Stop along the way for photos and a market.

Transfer to Giao Xuan village for a homestay and a bicycle ride through the village.

Seafood barbecue dinner with the local family and overnight at the homestay.

Nam Dinh - Hanoi (B,L)

Vietnamese-style breakfast with the family,
Meet at 05:00 to visit a small local market early in the morning, then transfer to Xuan Thuy National Park to visit the park and enjoy a walk along the small dikes through the protected mangrove area.

Boat ride through the areas where shellfish and oysters are farmed, with the opportunity to take part in shellfish – clam harvesting if you wish.

Stop at a hut in the middle of the shellfish farming area for swimming if the water conditions allow.

Lunch in the hut with fresh seafood on site.

Rest, then cruise back to shore and continue to visit the salt fields to learn how salt is harvested and the small fresh fish market by the sea.

Drive back to Hanoi and direct transfer to the hotel.

Dinner at your own expense and overnight in Hanoi.

Hanoi / Free Time - Departure (B)

Breakfast,
and then a free day for your personal discoveries. Check out of the room around noon,
and then meet the driver (without guide) at 16:00 for transfer to the airport for the return flight.