A Glimpse Of Northern Vietnam Tour – 7 Days

Welcome to Hanoi, a walking tour in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

Landing at the Noi Bai airport, you are welcomed by our tour guide and driver and transferred to the city. Enjoy a 45-minute drive to the city center with the city’s briefing information about the most visited spots, culture, traffic, and cuisine…Arrive at your hotel, check in, and have a rest.

Continue the day with a walking tour. Start with a small pagoda named Ba Da quietly located in a small alley, only a few steps from the Hanoi Great Cathedral, built by the French colonialists in the 19th century. Your tour guide also takes you to typical streets of Hanoi, such as Lan Ong Street sells traditional medicine, and Lo Ren Street, where metal items are produced. Stop to visit the Dong Xuan Central Market – the largest in Hanoi. Continue walking to the famous area for night activities and street food – Ta Hien Street, where you can see the vibrant streets with many amazing local foods and drinks. Try to taste some for an unforgettable experience.

End at your hotel.

Note:

• Hotel check-in time is 14.00
• If your flight arrives late or you are jet lagged after a long flight, the walking tour will be moved to the city tour day.

Explore the center of culture & education, Temple of Literature, Van Mieu, the outstanding museum of ethnology, visit the French Quarter, and discover Old Town.

8:30: Picked up by the tour guide to the Temple of Literature, which was built under the Ly dynasty in the 11th century for worshipping Confucius and teaching Royal children. Enjoy a walk in the garden to the city’s symbol, Khue Van Cac. You will then visit the World Heritage “stone stelas” where the names of outstanding students are shown. Continue to explore the Quoc Tu Giam, the first national university in Vietnam.

Next, visit the Ethnology Museum (closed every Monday), which offers a deep insight into Vietnamese culture through traditional costumes, tools, musical instruments, and the traditional houses of many ethnic groups. It takes you around two hours to fully explore this interesting museum.

Lunch at a local restaurant

In the afternoon, you visit the French Quarter, a “little Paris” in Hanoi with tree-lined boulevards, government head offices, and a big square. Visit the (outside) Ho Chi Minh mausoleum before having a leisurely walk in the botanical gardens to visit the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts, where he used to live and work. Visit the unique One Pillar Pagoda, one of the city’s symbols. It takes 1 to 2 hours to explore this complex, depending on the number of travelers.

Come back to the city center for a rest before enjoying a water puppet show, a unique performance, first appeared in the 11th century, portraying the daily life, culture, and beliefs of Vietnamese people, are described by puppets on water. The show usually integrates a traditional music performance as well. In the evening, take a short transfer to Hanoi Train Station. Enjoy an overnight traditional train journey from Hanoi to Sapa.

Overnight on the train

Famous hiking route Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van, admiring the beautiful valley

Arrive at Lao Cai train station in the early morning. Meet the tour guide and car to be escorted to Sapa. Enjoy the beauty of nature and rice terraces after every turn and meet H’mong, Red Dao people along the way. Have breakfast at a local restaurant before exploring the town.

We will start a full day of trekking from Y Linh Ho village. Follow the path downhill, and interact with the friendly Hmong ladies and children in the valleys. Relax at the cable bridge with the harmony and beauty of the surrounding nature. If you are sporty and adventurous, follow the uphill trek along the Buffalo path with breathtaking views and be less touristic. For those looking for an easy trek, keep strolling along the Muong Hoa River.

Head to Lao Chai village and follow a small path winding through the rice fields to reach a charming hamlet. Here, you’ll have the chance to meet a grandmother who’s the last craftsman in the community, using beeswax in the traditional way to decorate the unique indigo clothing of the Hmong people. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in their daily life and vibrant culture.

Continue to Ta Van village, the charming land of the Dzay people, located on the rice terrace hills with amazing river views, and the Hoang Lien Son Mountain range. As you leisurely walk, meet villagers who will kindly invite you to visit their homes.

Finally, come back to town and enjoy your stay.

Overninght in Sapa

Admiring beautiful landscapes, trekking in Ma Tra, Ta Phin villages

After breakfast, you will trek from Ma Tra hamlet to Ta Phin village. This journey will lead you to the superb Rice Terrace Valley. You have a great chance to meet the local people of the Black Hmong and Red Dao ethnic groups. They were originally from Southern China but settled in Vietnam in the 11th century and still live at a high altitude, far away from the modern world. This helps them to preserve their traditions, language, and especially their ancestral way of life. Make a stop to visit a Hmong family and a school in the Ma Tra Village. After a 3-hour trek, you will reach the Ta Phin village of the Red Dao group, and interact with local people to learn about their life and culture. Drive back to Sapa town and check out the hotel. Lunch at your own arrangement

1:30 PM: Get picked up at the hotel lobby for a transfer to Hanoi. Arrive at your hotel in Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi

Biking to Thung La temple, enjoying an authentic drum performance, boat trip in Van Long Nature Reserve

8:00 AM: Transfer from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, driving through the picturesque countryside of the Red River Delta, painted by rice and vegetable fields.

Take a 15km bike ride (optional) or walk through the villages. A journey along the dyke will offer you gorgeous landscapes of rice fields, a river, and limestone mountains. There are several stops to take beautiful photos or encounter the locals, then walk to discover Thung La temple, dating back to the 11th century. Meet Mr. Tuong, the temple caretaker, and enjoy an authentic conversation and a 20-minute drum show.

Lunch at a local restaurant

Later, take a sampan boat trip along the stream and among the limestone mountains to discover the beauty of the Van Long nature reserve. If lucky, you might see white monkeys and egrets on the cliffs. After the boat trip, visit an embroidery village and take part in an embroidery course under the instruction of the local craftswoman, Mrs. Lam. She will proudly explain the techniques of making her traditional craft. This will be a good opportunity for you to practice on fabric like a real craftsman.

Get back in the car and return to Hanoi

Overnight in Hanoi

Transfer to Ha Long Bay, admire the wonderful seascape, and swim in the less-touched area of Con Vit, Ao Ech.

9:00 AM: Pick up at your hotel. Enjoy a 2.5-hour drive from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay on National Highway. Your journey will pass a series of villages and rice fields in the Red River Delta. Have a stop for a drink and a restroom. Continue driving to the harbor around noon, and get warmly welcomed at the cruise reception.

12:00 PM: Arrive at Tuan Chau Port, the crew members will welcome you aboard.

12:30 PM: You will be taken aboard our support vessel and travel from the wharf via the bay to board our luxurious craft. During this time, an itinerary briefing will be provided.

1:00 PM: Welcome aboard with fresh drinks and wet towels, followed by a special lunch featuring fresh food and an assortment of delicacies. We then set sail for Ha Long and Lan Ha Bays, the World’s Most Beautiful Bays.

3:30 PM: We’ll visit the Tra Bau area, renowned for its unspoiled, poetic natural beauty and attractive seascape of Lan Ha Bay. This is the perfect time for kayaking to discover the true beauty of the limestone islands. Immerse yourself in the emerald green waters of the bay or enjoy the Jacuzzi pool on Peony Cruises.

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Join us for a cooking demonstration and learn how to make one of the most famous Vietnamese cuisines, spring rolls. Alternatively, head to the top deck of the cruise to admire the magnificent sunset over the Gulf of Tonkin. Enjoy a Happy Hour – BUY ONE GET ONE FREE at the bar. It’s an ideal time for photography enthusiasts to capture the greatest sunset over Lan Ha Bay.

7:30 PM: Indulge in delicious local food prepared and served by our skillful chef. This delightful dinner is served in an intimate, romantic setting.

9:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Relax and sip exotic cocktails and drinks at the sky bar (with a surcharge). Treat yourself to a spa service (optional) or relax on the top deck under the brightly illuminated sky. Alternatively, try your luck at squid fishing on the main deck.

Overnight on board

6:00 AM: Begin the day full of energy with a Tai Chi session and enjoy the sun as it rises beyond the horizon.

6:45 AM – 7:15 AM: Breakfast is served while cruising back to Gia Luan jetty. (Breakfast time may be adjusted to follow the real itinerary.)

7:30 AM – 9:00 AM: Join the tour of Cat Ba World Biosphere. Transfer about 30 minutes from Gia Luan pier to Trung Trang cave, one of the most impressive caves on Cat Ba Island, Vietnam. The limestone cave has thousands of stalactites in various shapes, offering geological values with a typical cave ecosystem.

9:30 AM: Return to the main boat from the cave, and you will check out of your cabin. Luggage is to be placed outside the cabin.

Early Lunch is served at the restaurant. Settle any bar bills at the restaurant’s desk (if any).

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Disembark from the Cruise and transfer back to Tuan Chau port.

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM: You should be ready at Tuan Chau port.

Picked up by the driver at the harbor, then enjoy a 2.5-hour trip back to Hanoi on the new highway crossing the Red River Delta and villages. Drop off at your hotel.

Tour ends