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A great chance to discover the northern highlights of
Vietnam, the 10 day vacation will take you from the
colonial elegance of Hanoi to the World heritage Ha Long
Bay, up to the quiet mountains of Sapa. Cruise Halong
Bay on a junk, Savour delicious food on deck, Swim amid
stunning karst scenery, Explore Sapa hilltribe villages
and mingle with colourful ethnic minorities. This trip
does it all...
Highlights
 - City tour of Hanoi and the Water Puppetry performance
- Junk cruise in the World Natural Heritage Site of
Halong Bay
- Enjoy fabulous seafood meals on board, swim in the
crystal clear water
- Sampan riding in Trang An - Ninh Binh
- Trek through the spectacular scenery of Sapa mountain
- Mingle with colourful Montagnards
ITINERARY
Day 1 Hanoi arrival
 Upon arrival at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport, our guide and
driver will welcome you and transfer you to hotel in
Hanoi.
The rest of your day is at leisure for independent
exploration ? just catch a sight of Hoan Kiem lake or
explore the maze of streets in the city's fascinating
Old Quarter where you are certain to find something
unique to buy.
Overnight at Allure hotel in Hanoi
Meal inclusions: None
Day 2 Hanoi city tour - Water Puppetry
performance
 On the morning of day 2 we take a city tour to Ho Chi
Minh complex, his house on stilts and the museum and One
Pillar Pagoda. We also make a visit to the Temple of
Literature ? the first university of Vietnam, which is
now dedicated to Confucian worship and ?Hanoi Hilton? ?a
nick name given by US pilots during the war. For lunch
we are going to taste a speciality of Hanoi: ?Pho?
(Noodle soup)
In the afternoon we take a cyclo tour around the Old
Quarter and attend a traditional performance of Water
puppetry
Overnight at Allure hotel in Hanoi
Meal inclusions: Breakfast and lunch
Day 3 Ninh Binh sightseeing, Tam Coc boat trip
 In the morning our guide and driver will pick you up
from the hotel for the 2-hour drive Ninh Binh. You will
have a short break of 15 minutes to stretch your legs,
use the facilities or have a quick snack. 10h30 arriving
in Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam from tenth
centurey, we will visit the Temple of King Dinh and King
Le to learn more about Vietnamese history under the Dinh,
Le, and Ly Dynasties. We continue the tour for 45 mins –
cycling around the village to discover the life of the
local people.
We have a lunch with local specialties at restaurant,
then our car brings you to Tam Coc, known as “Halong Bay
on the land”, where you will spend 1.5 hours on the
bamboo boat to explore this area. On this excursion down
the Ngo Dong River, you will pass through the beautiful
paddy fields, limestone karst formation, and a stunning
cave system including Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba
caves for a unique experience.
We continue to visit Mua Cave, also known as the “Great
Wall of China” in Vietnam, and climb 500 steps to reach
the peak of Ngoa Long Mountain, overlooking the amazing
view of the city and Tam Coc below.
We spend the night in Tam Coc area.
Overnight at Tam Coc Garden homestay
Meal inclusions: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 4 Cycling Bich Dong pagoda, Thai Vi temple,
Thung Nham bird valley - Overnight train to Sapa
 Breakfast at hotel then be ready for the trip, our guide
will take you cycle to visit the Thai Vi temple and Bich
Dong pagoda (the second most beautiful cave in Viet
Nam), we check out the hotel and have lunch in the
restaurant with a lot of local foods such as goat meat,
fish, spring roll, fried rice…
After lunch we continue to Thung Nham Bird Valley. Get
on a small sampan to discover Hang But (Buddhist Cave),
about 500m in length, a magical view of the stalactites
and stalagmites, and see a big Buddha-shaped stalactite
sitting beside an underground river, as well as visit an
orchard of tropical fruits in this area.
The best time for the bird park in the afternoon, sit
quietly on a boat and slowly paddle through Thung Chim (Thung
Nham), discover the most features of this area with more
than 4,000 birds of 40 species flying to inhabit every
day. Your best chance to take nice photos and immerse
yourself in the wild and nature.
We return to Hanoi in the late afternoon. In the evening
we jump on the night train for Sapa. We travel in
air-conditioned comfort in our private soft sleeper
cabins!.
Overnight on train (Private cabin)
Meal inclusions: Breakfast and lunch
Day 5 Sapa trekking, Ta Van village homestay
 The train arrives in Lao Cai at about 6:00 am where our
guide will welcome you. Look for the sign bearing your
name when you exit the train station. Then take a
morning drive through the clouds by car to Sapa (about
1.5 hours). Have breakfast at a local restaurant before
the trip starts. Trek with our H?mong guide down to Lao
Chai village to visit the Black H'Mong . Have a picnic
lunch on the way then keep going along the Sapa valley
to get to Ta Van village to visit the Day people, which
is supposed to be the most beautiful one in the area,
where you stay overnight in a local Dzay family.
Overnight at homestay in Ta Van village
Meal inclusions: Breakfast, luncn and dinner
Day 6 Sapa exploration
 Get up early in the morning to enjoy the daily life of
the ethnic minorities in the village. We follow the
buffalo path to Giang Ta Chai village of the Red Dzao
minority via the paths between terraces and through
bamboo forests. Visit silver waterfall and suspension
Rattan Bridge, visit the people in the village and then
cross Muong Hoa River up to the mountain to visit the
last village of the trek - Supan village of the H'mong.
After a short rest, we trek further up to enjoy
magnificent scenery, visit local house of the red Dzao,
visit, talk to learn about the minority pupils of Giang
primary school before heading to the main road where you
will be picked up by a jeep. Ride back to Sapa, the
remainder of your day is at leisure to explore this
fascinating hillside town.
Overnight at The View hotel in Sapa
Meal inclusions: Breakfast and luncn
Day 7 Visit Cat Cat village, overnight train
back to Hanoi
 Wake up in Sapa, breakfast at the hotel then enjoy some
exercise with a walk to Cat Cat Village, set in a
beautiful valley just outside Sapa. Cat Cat is home to
the H'mong people who originated from China about 3,000
years ago. The H'mong people are easily recognisable by
their dark blue or black clothing, dyed using the juice
of indigo plants, which are native to the area. H'mong
women wear long aprons with embroidered waistcoats and
have their hair rolled up into a turban-like hat, while
the men wear black skullcaps, long waistcoats and loose
trousers.
In the afternoon we depart for the Lao Cai train
station. We have dinner here before boarding the night
train to Hanoi.
Overnight on train (Private cabin)
Meal inclusions: Breakfast and lunch
Day 8 Halong bay cruise, overnight on boat
 08.30 Pick up at hotel, leaving for Halong city.
Stopover on the way 15 minutes for tea break.
12h00: Board Halong Papaya Cruiser. Lunch is served with
a welcome drink while the boat cruises the bay to enjoy
the beautiful limestone seascape.
You will see Dog Rock, Incense Burner Rock, as well as
Fighting Cock Rock before heading to Sung Sot Cave (Cave
of Surprises ). Then, we stopover at a floating house
owned by fishermen before kayaking to Luon Cave to enjoy
the quiet atmosphere of the bay. Late in the afternoon
we anchor in a safe and scenic location for swimming and
our overnight stay.
Overnight on board Papaya cruiser
Meal inclusions: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 9 Halong bay exploration
 After breakfast, you are transfered to a day – trip boat
with private crew and another wonderful cruise to the
bay’s most untouched areas to visit Tortoise island,
Man's head island, Dong Tien Lake, Van Gia floating
villages..., if the tides are low, we have a chance to
visit Ba Ham Lakes, Three Peach Island. Lunch is served
on board by your chef, your cruise continues as you move
around the bay finding more secluded lagoons for
swimming or kayaking. Late in the afternoon we return to
the mother boat for the night.
Overnight on board Papaya cruiser
Meal inclusions: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 10 Halong cruise - Hanoi
 Rising to the tranquil beauty of the bay we have time
for an early morning dip or enjoy a morning view of the
Bay's landcapes with a cup of tea. The boat keeps
cruising to float fishing village for you to have a look
of local people lives on water. We enjoy brunch on board
and around midday we will return to the main harbor
before transferring to our awaiting vehicle for your
journey back to Hanoi. We should be back in Hanoi at
around 16.00
Overnight at Allure hotel in Hanoi
Meal inclusions: Breakfast and lunch
Day 11 Departure
Today is your departure, you are free at your leisure
until transferred to Hanoi airport for the flight home.
Tour ends.
Meal inclusions:
Breakfast
Tour Includes:
- Transfers round trip
- English speaking guide
- Accommodation based on twin room
- All meals as mentioned in the itinerary
- Entrance fees and permits
Tour does not include:
- Pre & post trip arrangements in Hanoi
- Beverages and meals not mentioned
- Tips, Personal expenses
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Number of passengers |
Price per person in USD |
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2-4 |
000 |
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5-10 |
000 |
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|
 |
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