Northern Vietnam Tour - 7 Days

As the sun rises in Sapa, the clouds lift out of the valley revealing a stunning vista. A woman approaches from a distant village below; wearing rainbow colored clothes and with a young baby tied in a sling across her back. She offers you a smile and a gentle "Hello" as she shuffles past and a peaceful grin effortlessly appears on your face.Join Vietnam Trip Advisor as we introduce you to feel unforgettable experience from North of Vietnam with our Hanoi – Sapa - Halong Discovery 

Days trip!
Highlights

Hanoi: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the lotus-shaped One-Pillar Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot), the Temple of Literature - the first university of Vietnam, the “Hanoi Hilton” formerly an infamous prison for American prisoners of war, the Vietnam Ethnology Museum, enjoy a one-hour cyclo tour through the Old Quarter and a Water Puppet ShowSapa: Lao Chai & Ta Van villages where Black H'Mong village, the Zay group, Red Zao tribe live… and ethnic markets Halong Bay: Overnight cruise in a traditional Junk boat; discover the karsts hide deserted beaches, many magnificent caves, and hidden lagoons…

Day 1: Hanoi arrival

Upon arrival at the airport and after clearing immigration and customs, meet with your guide from Asia Tour Advisor with a welcome signboard marked your name and transfer to the hotel for check in. (Your room might not be available in the morning; an early check-in should be requested in advance with surcharge). The balance of your time will be at leisure.Hanoi - the capital of Vietnam ranks among the world's most attractive and interesting cities. Originally named Thang Long or "City of the Ascending Dragon," the city was first the capital of Vietnam in A.D. 1010 and has had many names until its current incarnation. The name Hanoi, in fact, means "bend in the river" and denotes the city's strategic location along the vital waterway. Historians liken the life-giving Red River -- its banks crowded with green rice paddies and farms -- to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, a cradle of civilization. Meals: NoneAccommodation: Hotel in Hanoi
 
Day 2: Hanoi city tour

After breakfast, start your exploration of this charming capital Hanoi with ochre-colored colonial style buildings, tree-lined avenues and many lakes. Set out on a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, an imposing monument made of generous amount of marble and granite. This is where the preserved body of “Uncle Ho” can be viewed. Continue visiting the lotus-shaped One-Pillar Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot), and the Temple of Literature - the first university of Vietnam and the “Hanoi Hilton” formerly an infamous prison for American prisoners of war. Lunch is at a local restaurant!In the afternoon, drive to visit the Vietnam Ethnology Museum – a valuable centre for the exhibition and the preservation of cultural heritages of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam - to understand about their cultural diversity and the uniqueness of each group and region as well as traditional values throughout Vietnam. Then return to the city centre to visit Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son temple and enjoy a one-hour cyclo tour through the Old Quarter – a precious legacy of Hanoi’s ancient past with 36 streets and 36 wares to experience more about the life of this city now. This evening, enjoy a Water Puppet Show, a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form especially designed for depicting scenes of rural life closely connected with the long-standing spiritual life of the Vietnamese people as well as many episodes of national history. Then drive to Hanoi Railway Station to board the overnight sleeper train to Lao Cai (Sapa). Dinner is on your own!Meals: Breakfast, LunchAccommodation: Overnight Train
 
Day 3: Lao Cai Station - Sapa - Ethnic Minority Villages

Sapa is a small market town that has been a gathering spot for a great diversity of many hill-tribes for nearly 200 years. Hmong, Dao people, and other ethnic minorities regularly come here to conduct trade and socialize. Sapa, with its mercifully cool climate have really become an ideal holiday escape for all tourists. The scenery of the Sapa region in large part reflects the relationship between the minority people and nature. This is seen especially in the paddy fields carpeting the rolling lower slopes of the Hoang Lien Mountains. The impressive physical landscape which underlies this has resulted from the work of the elements over thousands of years, wearing away the underlying rock. On a clear day, the imposing peak of Fan Si Pan comes into view. The last major peak in the Himalayan chain, Fan Si Pan offers a real challenge to even the keenest walker, the opportunity of staggering views, and a rare glimpse of some of the last remaining primary rain forest in Vietnam.Upon arrival at Lao Cai station near the Chinese border in the early morning, take a scenic drive to the former hill station of Sapa with the spectacular views of rice-terraced mountains and Black H’Mong and Red Dao hill tribe people dressed in their colorful wares walking along the roadside. Have a nice breakfast at your hotel or local restaurant and take some refreshment before starting out for your exploration of Sapa. Afterwards, drive to the top of Lao Chai village, then start to hike down slope from the main road in Lao Chai to visit Black H'Mong village. Continue to hike from Lao Chai to Ta Van where the Zay group, Red Zao tribe live. Have a picnic lunch in the village. Following take a light trek to discover Sapa's quaint hill tribe villages set against the stunning Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range and Indochina's highest peak, Mt. Fansipan. Late afternoon, drive back to Sapa with the remainder of the day on your own at leisure. Dinner is on your own today. Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa
 
Day 4: Sapa – Bac Ha Market (Sunday only!) - Lao Cai/Hanoi
After breakfast, check out the hotel and enjoy around 3-hour drive to Bac Ha. On arrival in Bac Ha, 130 km from Sapa, to visit the colorful weekly market of hill tribe people such as Flower Hmong, Phu La and Dao Tuyen gathering here to exchange goods. Enjoy boxed lunch, ordered from your hotel. After lunch, we drive to Trung Do and trek 4km to visit its village - inhabited by Tay minority. From the village we go by boat up the Chay River for 1.5 hours, where we experience the magnificent sight of the beautiful caves, the Raining waterfall. The boat ends at Bao Nhai. Drive back to Lao Cai to visit the century banyan tree, the 12 zodiac-signs park, and the Chinese Vietnamese borderline. Then, transfer to a local restaurant near Lao Cai train station for dinner and refreshment before taking an overnight train back to Hanoi.Meals: Breakfast, Boxed Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Overnight Train
 
Day 5: Hanoi – Halong with Kayaking

Upon arrival at Hanoi station in the morning, you’ll transfer to a local restaurant for breakfast and refreshment. After breakfast, enjoy a scenic drive to Ha Long Bay with stop en route at Sao Do for coffee break. There you’ll board a wooden junk to take you through Bai Tu Long Bay area. You’ll then continue your cruise to visit a fishing village where you’ll have an opportunity to explore the village and hidden lagoons in a tender or a kayak. The route is designed to avoid the busy areas and includes a very quiet location for your overnight stay. Late tonight, join with the junk crew for squid fishing on board. Situated in the North-East region of Vietnam, Halong Bay is made up of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone islands of various sizes, 989 of which have been given names. Viewed from above, Halong Bay resembles a geographic work of art. While exploring the bay, you feel lost in a legendary world of stone islands. Halong has been proven by scientists that it was one of the first cradles of human existence in the area at such archeological sites as Dong Mang, Xich Tho, Soi Nhu, and Thoi Gieng. It is also a region of highly-concentrated biological diversity with many ecosystems of salt water-flooded forests, coral reefs, and tropical forests featuring thousands of species of animal and plant life. Specially, the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Thailand on December 17th, 1994), officially recognized Halong Bay as a natural heritage site of worldwide importance Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Overnight Junk in Halong
 
Day 6: Halong - Hanoi

You wake in the fresh air on the bay with a swim (if weather permits) or you can relax on the sundeck. After coffee, tea and breakfast pastries, you’ll dock to visit one of the most famous caves in the Bay. At around 09:30AM, boat starts cruising towards the harbor while a lunch/brunch is served. Say goodbye to your crew and return to Hanoi. If interested, you will stop at Phu Lang ceramic making village en-route, where you can have opportunity to interact with the artisans and understand how they preserve the traditional craft over generations. Upon arriving in Hanoi early this afternoon, the rest of the day is at your leisure or further exploration. Meals: Brunch Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi
 
Day 7 - Hanoi Departure

Your time will be your own until your private car and driver from Vietnam Trip Advisor arrives to take you to the Noi Bai airport for your departure flight. Tour ends!Meals: Breakfast Accommodation: None. (Late check-out is subject to availability, with surcharge upon request!)