Off the beaten track North Vietnam – 12 days

Arrive in Hanoi. Greeted by your driver at the airport. Transfer to your hotel in the city centre for check-in and at leisure in the rest of the day.

The Huc Bridge – Hoan Kiem Lake

Meal: n/a

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

In the morning, we will spend a half day to visit the city. We start with visit to President Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum (Outside). We also visit the famous One Pillar Pagoda nearby. Leaving the President’s complex, we continue to visit the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu). Although several Van Mieu can be found throughout Vietnam, the most prominent and famous is that situated in the city of Hanoi, and was functioned as Vietnam’s first university.

Temple of Literature (Van Mieu)

After the tour, your local guide will go with you to enjoy the lunch with Bun Cha Hanoi. Bún chả is a Vietnamese dish of grilled pork and noodle, which is thought to have originated from Hanoi, Vietnam. Bún chả is served with grilled fatty pork (chả) over a plate of white rice noodle (bún) and herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce.
Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we enjoy the famous Egg Coffee. This hard-to-find café is one of the few left in the narrow street inside the old quarter of Hanoi. At the end of the trip you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you back to your hotel.

Bun Cha, Hanoi

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

6.30 – 7.00: Pick up from your hotel/stay, get on big bus and depart for Sapa.

9.30: Follow the highway to Lao Cai city with the first comfort break

11.00: Second comfort break at Lao Cai city before approaching Sapa

13.00: Arrive Sapa Town with colorful traditional costumes of H’mong, Dzao, Tay ethnic People.

• Welcome drink and itinerary briefing
• Enjoy the lunch with local Vietnamese dishes, check-in procedures

Cat Cat Village

14.30: A short drive to the gate of Cat Cat village which is home of Black H’mong ethnic people and is located near the bottom of a deep valley at the foot of Fansipan Peak. Our local guide will show you the daily life activities of the locals, trek down to the valley bottom to the waterfall where the French built a Hydraulic Power Station; stop for photo with bridge and waterfall then you will walk uphill for bus to pick up to get back to Sapa in the afternoon.

Trekking distance is about 2.5 kms and it lasts for 2 hours

17.00: Come back to Sapa Town. Have dinner and overnight in hotel with night activities.

Meal: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa

7.00 – 8.00: Have breakfast at hotel, check out the room and prepare light pack for trekking. (Big luggage keep in hotel store)

8.00: A short drive to Y Linh Ho then trek through the rice terraces and along Muong Hoa Stream to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai to see the spectacular landscape of Hoang Lien Son Mountain after that heading to Ta Van village – home of Dzay ethnic people.

Trekking distance is about 9 kms and it lasts for 3.5 hours

11.30: Bus picks you up at Ta Van Bridge to Sapa.

12.30 – 13.30: Have lunch in the hotel.

Free and easy to explore Sapa.

Trekking through moutains

Meal: Breakfast/Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa

Today we’ll leave Sapa in favour of Vietnam’s final frontier, Ha Giang. On the way we’ll make a stop at Pho Rang for lunch before we have a walking tour to Vinh Yen inhabited by Tay communities.

We continue our drive deeper into Ha Giang, enjoying the spectacular scenery along the way.

Check-in hotel and free time to explore Ha Giang

Ha Giang Tay Village

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Ha Giang

Once we have purchased the mandatory permit at the Immigration Office, you will begin the journey to Dong Van following a spectacular series of passes which wind through the mountains and valleys.

En route you enjoy exceptional views of the rolling landscape and interesting flora and fauna. After that, we will have Lunch in the small mountain town of Tam Son visiting the villages of the H’mong Lung Cam B. After that, you will have the chance to see the former palace of the H’mong King, Vuong Chinh Duc who was an ally of the French.

You will arrive in Dong Van around 18:00 where you will have dinner at a local restaurant and spend the night in a hotel.

Heaven gate in Quan Ba

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation:Hotel in Ha Giang

You’ll start the day off with breakfast and a visit to the Dong Van Market, where locals come from all the surrounding villages to purchase and trade for essentials they cannot produce themselves.

Then you will be making the trek up to Pu Lo fortress which was built in 1890 and evacuated in 1945. From here you can enjoy spectacular views of the entire region, before climbing 8 km to the top of Ma Pi Leng Pass, through a gigantic maze of limestone peaks, stone forests, and canyons (the Sky Path at the Nho Qué River Viewpoint) before descending into the valley of Meo Vac.

Nho Que River

Winding our way through the valley, we’ll eventually reach Bao Lac village, where we’ll rest for a bit and have lunch before being driven to Cao Bang where you’ll spend the night in a hotel.

Masterpiece of nature

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Cao Bang

This day is likely to be your highlight of the tour, as we take you to one of the most incredible natural wonders in Northern Vietnam; Ban Gioc Waterfall. The drive here from Cao Bang is roughly two hours, and this breath-taking 300-metre wide cascade sits right on the border between China and Vietnam, amidst a beautiful mountainous landscape.

Ban Gioc waterfall

While you’re here you can spend your time relaxing in the glow of the natural beauty, take some amazing photos, and board a bamboo boat that will take you so close to the falls you’ll feel the spray on your face, practically sitting at the very edge of Vietnam, so close to China that you can actually touch it.

After enjoying the waterfall, you will venture deep underground into the magical Nguom Ngao Cave to discover the rock formations which have been carved by erosion over millennia.

Nguom Ngao cave

After visiting the waterfall and cave, you will travel down a beautiful road which is unknown to many, which winds through the mountains before reaching the Nung village of Quang Uyen.

You will be welcomed by Mr. Hung Dao, an amazingly friendly blacksmith, before having dinner at his house and settling in for the night in this cosy traditional Nung house.

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/ Dinner
Accommodation: Homestay in Cao Bang

Today we leave Quang Yen behind and drive through Ma Phuc pass on our way to Ba Be National Park. Once in the park, you’ll have time to explore the many wonders located here, such as the lake itself, the caves of Puong Grotto, the rapids of Dau Dang Waterfall and finally the tiny Widow Island located on the lake.

We’ll be staying in a traditional Tay stilt house overnight, staying with a local host family.

Ba Be Lake

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Homestay in Bac Kan

After breakfast, we’ll take you on a stroll along the riverfront to visit some surrounding villages, followed by a hike up one of the higher points around the lake, providing you with some impressive views surrounded by limestone formations and mountain peaks.

Following this we enter Hua Ma Cave, famous for its thousands of stalactites and stalagmites, and also known for being the biggest dry cave in Northeastern Vietnam. After lunch in a local restaurant, it’s sadly time to head back to Hanoi and say our goodbyes, arriving at your hotel around 5pm.

Hua Ma Cave

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

08h00: Pick up from your hotel in Hanoi. Drive to Halong City through the paddy fields in the Red River Delta.
10h00: Stopover on the way for a refreshment break

12h00: Arrive at Tuan Chau wharf – Break and photography time

12h30: Board the Cruise for departure. Welcome drink will be served

13h00: Lunch is served while cruising through the bay

Kayaking on Halong Bay

15h30: Visit exciting Cua Van fishing village. The village is free of busy roads and streets, electric lights, houses and high rise buildings. Instead, there are only herds of little boats and rafts. You will have the chance to discover the traditional culture and customs of the fishermen.
16h30: Enjoy kayaking or swimming (if the weather permits).

17h00: Back on board and continue cruising.

19h00: Dinner is served.

21h00: Take some leisure time to enjoy chatting at the bar or enjoy some night fishing.

Note*: the itinerary and activities on board would vary depending on the boat you choose. Please see the choice of boat in Hotel Inclusions.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Overnight on board

07.00: Coffee and tea will be served

08.00: Continue cruising

08h15: Visit splendid Sung Sot Cave

09h00: Check out and enjoy a fantastic cruise on the bay, passing Dinh Huong Island, fishing villages, Ga Choi Island, Dog Island and Sail Island.

09.30: Buffet brunch (breakfast/lunch) while cruising back through Halong Bay to the pier
11h30: Arrive at the pier. Time to say goodbye to the crew.

12.00: Return from Halong to airport for flight departure. Trip ends! Thank you for choosing Indochina Treks Travel J

Note*: the itinerary and activities on board would vary depending on the boat you choose. Please see the choice of boat in Hotel Inclusions.

Halong Bay Overview

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: n/a