Northwest Vietnam Tours 6 days

Day 01: Arrival Hanoi (L)

Fly to Hanoi, you will be welcomed by our tour guide and transfer to center to visit Hanoi’s key sites: the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and stilt house), the nearby One Pillar Pagoda; the Presidential Palace; the Temple of Literature; West Lake. Afternoon, visit St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hoan Kiem Lake and enjoy a traditional Water Puppet Performance – a unique Vietnamese Art form hailing from Southeast Asia’s wet-rice culture., End of the day is time for shopping at old quarter before heading to the train station to catch your night train to Lao Cai. Overnight on Train (in a shared 4 soft berths cabin with A/C). Bus to Sapa is available at your request. 

Day 02: Lao Cai – Sapa – Cat Cat – Sin Chai (B/L/D)

The train arrives at the Lao Cai railway station in the early morning. Your guide and driver will meet you there and take you on the 40km drive to Sapa – Northwest Vietnam’s premier travel destination. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel then catch a few hours of rest before beginning your adventure in this beautiful mountain landscape and home to many minority hill tribe peoples. In the late morning, your guide will take you on a two hour trek through the terraced rice fields to visit the villages Cat Cat and Sin Chai, where you will learn about local traditions and daily life. Rest of the day, you are free at leisure or explore the town on your own. Overnight in Sapa

Day 03: Sapa – Hill Tribe Village (B/L)

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, before setting out on a full day’s trek to explore Sapa’s cultural diversity and haunting natural beauty. Take a guided hike through yawning valleys decorated with terraced rice fields and pass through remote hill tribe villages. You have three trekking options to choose from: Soft trek (~ 3 km), medium trek (~ 6km) and long trek (~ 12km). Trekking is an excellent way to explore the daily life and familiarize yourself with the cultures of the H’mong, Dzao and Dzay people who populate the region. Have lunch at a hill tribe village then drive back to Lao Cai to catch your return night train to Hanoi. Overnight on Train with A/C soft sleeper 4-berth/ cabin.

Day 04: Hanoi – Halong Bay (L/D)

Arrival in Hanoi in the early morning. Make your own way to Hotel in Old Town (no check in hotel). Our shuttle bus will pick up at lobby of hotel between 07.45 – 08.15am, take 3.5 hours drive to Halong Bay, a Wolrd Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. Spend 24 hours on a traditional Junk Cruise in the amazing bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. Arrive at the dock around noon and board your junk. Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as we sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, cruise around some of Halong’s many islands, including Dinh Huong and Ga Choi. Along the way visit one of the bay’s 3 largest caves (Thien Cung, Dau Go or Sung Sot). Stop at an island cove with a sheltered white-sand beach and take a dip in the warm waters of the Tonkin Gulf (weather permitting). Pass the night on your junk, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of calm waters. Overnight on Cruise.

Day 05: Halong Bay – Hanoi (B/L/D)

Awake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax and enjoy the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, before setting out to explore nearby islands by rowboat. Return to the junk for breakfast then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay as you navigate back to Halong City. Have brunch on board the boat before returning to Halong pier to get back Hanoi. End of the tour at 4.30pm at your hotel.

Day 06: Hanoi departure (B)

After breakfast, our driver (no tour guide) will pick you up at lobby of hotel in Hanoi and transfer to Hanoi International Airport for flight back home