Day 01: Hanoi Arrival
Upon arrival in Hanoi, you will be welcomed by our guide and transferred to your
hotel. Hanoi is one of Asia's most charming cities, with its romantic tree-lined
boulevards and colonial houses. The day is free for your own exploration and shopping.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 02: Hanoi city tour (B,L)
Starting the day trip will be a visit of the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which compromises
Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum (closed on Mondays & Fridays), his former stilt-house residence,
the Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh Museum. We will then visit the Temple of
Literature constructed in 1070 to worship Confucius, which served as the first Royal
National University in Vietnam. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, we will visit the Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays, the
alternative being the History Museum), which offers informative and well-documented
displays of the country’s 54 ethnic groups, including elaborate and colorful hill
tribe costumes. Then back to the Old Quarter for a 1 hour cyclo tour. We then head
to Ngoc Son Temple set on a tiny island in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 03: Hanoi - Mai Chau (B,L,D)
At 8:00am we will depart from Hanoi to Mai Chau, a picturesque valley, home to many
hill tribes including the Dzao, Muong and Thai. We will arrive in Mai Chau around
noon and check into the Mister Cuong’s ethnic homestay, a house on stilts in Van
village. Enjoy a traditional dance show at night then tasting Ruou Can, the local
rice wine.
Overnight at homestay.
Day 04: Mai Chau - Ninh Binh (B,L)
After breakfast, we will drive 170km to Tam Coc also known as «Dry Halong Bay».
On the way, you will pass some of the most picturesque scenery in Vietnam. Arrive
at Tam Coc, check into hotel and have lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon,
we will embark a small rowing boat to discover the outstanding karst waterscape
on Ngo Dong River. Tam Coc literally translates to « three caves» and is adorned
with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites of all sizes shaped like gemstones. Continuing
the cruise along the river, you will see spectacular scenery of rice paddies and
limestone peaks reflected in the emerald water. Row back to the harbor from where
you will be brought to the hotel. The rest of day we will cycle along winding roads
passing lotus ponds, temples and cottages, typical of Vietnamese countryside to
visit Bich Dong Pagoda situated on a hillside.
Overnight at hotel in Tam Coc.
Day 05: Ninh Binh - Hanoi - Nighttrain to Lao Cai (B,L)
Morning we will take the boat to visit the Galaxy Cave and 3 beautiful caves of
Hang But Hang Ghe and Hang Chua. The tour takes about two hours along the river,
among the green rice fields, wild nature and limestone mountains. This place has
been regarded as "Halong Bay Inland." In the afternoon, visit the Bird Garden in
Thung Nham, where you can hear the whisper of the wind among the branches and bird
songs. After this day, they leave you in the heart a memorable image of a charming
nature. On the way back to Hanoi, we will stop to visit Hoa Lu - the former capital
of Vietnam built in the 10th century where the ancient temples of Dinh & Le kings
still remain intact. Return to Hanoi. In the evening, we will head to the train
station to catch the night train to Lao Cai.
Overnight on train.
Day 06: Lao Cai - Sapa - Cat Cat village (B,L)
We will arrive in Lao Cai around 6:00am and continue to Sapa, situated 40km from
Lao Cai, by private car. After breakfast we will explore Sapa town, founded by the
French as a holiday resort.
In the afternoon, we will visit Cat Cat village, home to H’Mong ethnic people. They
are excellent “tho cam” weavers, a kind of brocade fabric. The “tho cam” of Cat
Cat village is of especially high quality, as it is dyed with natural colors, polished
with beeswax and embroidered with unique designs. Cat Cat silver jewelry such as
necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings are known for their sophisticated production
techniques. A walk through this old village offers a glimpse into traditional customs
and practices of the ethnic Black Hmong. We will stop at a beautiful waterfall and
the remains of a hydroelectric plant built by the French during their colonization
of Vietnam.
Overnight at hotel in Sapa.
Day 07: Sapa - Lao Chai & Ta Van - Homestay overnight (B,L,D)
Breakfast at hotel, before starting our trek through the beautiful Muong Hoa valley
in Sapa. After following the road for 2km, we reach Y Linh Ho village home to Black
H'mong ethnic people. We continue our walk to Lao Chai village and enjoy beautiful
views of terraced rice fields along the way. The guide will prepare a simple picnic
style lunch for you. After lunch, we will visit a Catholic church and explore local
traditions and customs. In the afternoon, we will reach the heart of the Sapa valley,
the Ta Van village home to Dzay ethnic people. Dinner and overnight at a Dzay ethnic
house.
(Note: During May (rice planting month) and September (rice ripening month), the
golden terraced fields are especially spectacular and you can learn about methods
of harvesting or planting).
Day 08: Ta Van - Giang Ta Chai - Sapa - Lao Cai (B,L)
Breakfast at the homestay, followed by a scenic hike through rice paddies, past
waterfalls and bamboo forests to Giang Ta Chai village, home to the Red Dzao ethnic
group. After visiting this village, we return to a house near the waterfall for
lunch. After lunch, we hike to the main road where our vehicle is waiting to take
us back to Sapa.
Depart from Sapa to Lao Cai. Along the way, we will visit Ma Tra village inhabited
by the welcoming Black Hmong minority. Transfer to Lao Cai for night train to Hanoi.
Overnight on train.
Day 09: Hanoi - Halong Bay (B,L,D)
We will arrive at Hanoi train station at 5:30am where you will be picked up brought
to a small hotel to freshen up and have breakfast. We then start our three-hour
drive through the Red River Delta to Halong, situated 180km southeast of Hanoi.
There will be various photo stops and coffee breaks en route before arriving at
Halong’s pier.
We then embark a refurbished wooden sailing junk for a cruise past the limestone
cliffs emerging from the emerald waters of Halong Bay. Take in the stunning scenery
of this World Heritage Site. On board you will be served a sumptuous fresh, local
seafood lunch followed by a swim and exploration of some of the limestone caves
in this area. At sunset we will anchor for the night nearby a remote island. Dinner
on board. Overnight on junk.
Day 10: Halong Bay - Hanoi (B)
Rising to the tranquil beauty of the bay you have time for an early morning dip
while the sun rises, followed by breakfast on board. We will continue to sail through
the bay during the morning to explore more secluded areas. The junk will stay close
at all times serving as a backup vessel for those that require it. Around midday
we will return to the main harbor and return to Hanoi.
Overnight at hotel in Hanoi
Day 11: Hanoi departure (B)
Free time until you are being taken to the airport for your flight to your next
destination or back home. Asiatica Travel’s services end here.