8-Day Discover Northern Vietnam Highlight: Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Sapa - Halong Bay

Day 1 · Hanoi arrival

1. 1

   Old Quarter

   Passing by

   Our driver will pick up you from Hanoi airport then take you to hotel.

   Check in hotel and free time to relax, explore Hanoi old quarter.

Overnight at 3-star hotel

Day 2 · Full day Hanoi city Tour

1. 1

   Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

   45 min Admission included

   Visit Ho Chi Minh complex, you have a chance to see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh then walk around Ho Chi Minh garden to see 2 houses where he lived & worked from 1954 to 1969.

2. 2

   One Pillar Pagoda

   15 min Admission included

   Visit One Pillar Pagoda where worshipping the Goddess of Mercy – It is the most unique pagoda in the world

3. 3

   Temple of Literature & National University

   45 min Admission included

   Visit Temple of Literature the first University of Vietnam in the feudal system to learn more about Vietnam history, culture and education.

4. 4

   Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

   45 min Admission included

   Visit Museum of Ethnology to learn more about 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam

5. 5

   Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake)

   30 min Admission included

   Visit Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple where worships General Tran Hung Dao who defeated Mongolian invader in 13th certury.

   Day end at around 16:00 at your hotel.

Overnight at 3-star hotel

Day 3 · Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Hanoi - Night train to Lao Cai

1. 1

   Hoa Lu Temples of the Dinh & le Dynasties

   45 min Admission included

   Visit Hoa Lu ancient capital of Vietnam to know more about Vietnam's history in 10th century.

2. 2

   Tam Cốc-Bich Dộng

   1 h 30 min Admission included

   Take a boat trip along river to enjoy the amazing view on the way.

3. 3

   Mua Caves

   45 min Admission included

   Mua Cave (Dancing Cave). Walk up almost 500 steps, you can reach the top of Lying Dragon Mountain & have an amazing panoramic view of Tam Coc from here.

4. 4

   Hanoi

   Passing by

   Dinner on your own then meet at your hotel at around 20:40 hrs and transfer to Hanoi train station. Overnight train trip to Lao Cai in shared sleeping compartments (sharing with other passengers in 2 lower & 2 upper berths per compartment). Train departs at approximately 21:30 hrs.

   Please note that train ticket is not included yet. You can book yourself or I can book it for you.

Day 4 · Lao Cai - Sapa - Cat Cat - Sapa

1. 1

   Lao Cai

   one hour

   05:30 ~ 06:00: Arrive at Lao Cai Train Station. Pick up at the train station and transfer to Sapa for breakfast. Relax for a while to get ready for our full day tour.

2. 2

   Cat Cat village

   2 hours Admission included

   9.00am: Meet up your local guide and start trekking. Take a walk down to the South-west of Sapa (around 3 km) to visit Cat Cat Village of the Black H’mong, one of the more well-known ethnic village of Sapa. Relax at the foot of the stunning waterfall and the vestige of a hydroelectric power station that was constructed by the French during the colonial time in Vietnam.

3. 3

   Stop 3

   one hour Admission included

   Enjoy picnic lunch by the side of the river, and then continue trekking to 3 km to Sin Chai Village, located at the foot of Fansipan Mountain - “the Roof of Indochina”, where you enjoy a stunning landscapes of the mountain.

4. 4

   Sapa

   6 hours

   Then come back to Sapa town for free time.

   ­

   Dinner and overnight at Sapa Hotel.

Overnight at 3-star hotel

Day 5 · Sapa - Y Linh Ho - Lao Chai - Ta Van - Sapa - Night train to Hanoi

1. 1

   Sapa

   45 min

   In the morning, have breakfast at the hotel and then check out.

2. 2

   Y Linh Ho

   45 min Admission included

   Around 8.30am - 9.00am. Meet your guide for the trek today. The first part is on the road but we soon turn to the right and walk on a small path down the valley to Y Linh Ho village settled down by the Muong Hoa River.

3. 3

   Lao Chai

   45 min

   Keep trekking to the Black H’mong village of Lao Chai. Black H’mong is one of the biggest minority groups in the Sapa area. They have their own language and wear traditional indigo blue clothing. The H’mong peoples have just recently changed their living way from sifting style into the sedentary one. So there are still a lot traces of the past time can be seen: rudimentary houses, stone wall around homes…

4. 4

   Ta Van

   30 min

   After this you continue to Ta Van village (1.200 m) to visit Zay people. Zay is a fairly small minority group of about 38.000 people who live mainly in the mountains in Northwest Vietnam.

5. 5

   Sapa

   2 hours

   After visiting Ta Van village the car will return you to Sapa. Free at leisure the rest of the day.

6. 6

   Lao Cai

   one hour

   17:00: Transfer to Lao Cai station for night train to Hanoi.

   Dinner on your own and take overnight train to Hanoi.

   Please note that train ticket is not included yet. You can book yourself or I can book it for you.

Day 6 · Hanoi - Halong Bay

1. 1

   Halong Bay

   12 hours Admission included

   05:30 – 06:00: Our driver pick up you from Hanoi train station and take you to hotel for breakfast and relax.

   After breakfast, depart the capital for the drive to Halong Bay. Arrive to Halong City’s jetty (around noon) and proceed with check-in formalities. After a welcome onboard, lunch will be served while cruising towards the bay. In the afternoon, enjoy some sightseeing, on-board activities (depending on each boat’s itinerary) or just spend some time relaxing on the vessel. Towards the end of the day the boat sets anchor for the night among the karst formations. Dinner is served on board.

Overnight on 3-star cruise

Day 7 · Halong Bay - Hanoi

1. 1

   Halong Bay

   11 hours Admission included

   Early risers can enjoy a memorable sunrise over the karst formations of Halong Bay. Breakfast will be served shortly thereafter.

   Enjoy breakfast (brunch on some boats) while the vessels cruises slowly through the magnificent rock formations back towards port. Arriving at the harbor, you will be picked up for transferring back to Hanoi.

   Drop off at your hotel. Free evening time.

Overnight at 3-star hotel

Day 8 · Hanoi departure

1. 1

   Stop 1

   Passing by

   Our tour guide and driver take you to Hanoi airport – Say goodbye to 8-Day Northern Vietnam Highlights Tour.