This 7 day, 6 night tour is a perfect combination of the historical and cultural site of Hanoi, trekking and visiting hill tribes villages in Sapa, cruising and relaxing on the junk in a beautiful place of Halong Bay. This is an unforgettable visit that should be part of everyone’s time in Vietnam.
BRIEF ITINERARY:
Day 1: Hanoi – Arrival
Day 2: Hanoi – City tour – Night train to Sapa
Day 3: Sapa – CatCat – SinChai
Day 4: Lao Chai – Ta Van – Night train to Hanoi
Day 5: Hanoi – Halong Bay (overnight on junk cruise)
Day 6: Halong Bay – Hanoi
Day 7: Hanoi – Departure
Tour Photos
Day 1: Good morning Hanoi
Welcome to Hanoi, we will meet and take you to your hotel, check-in and today is free at your leisure to rest or explore, discovering your own first impressions of Vietnam. Overnight in Hanoi
Inclusion: Transfer, guide, hotel
Day 2: Hanoi city tour – night train to Sapa.
Depart at 8:00 am from your hotel by van. We will begin our day by visiting Uncle Ho, learning about his great life at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, and his residential place. Next stop is the nearby Temple of Literature. The site of Vietnam’s first University, built in twelfth century, to teach Confucius’s theory to royals. Here we will also have a chance to see a traditional music performance. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant for a taste of authentic Hanoi Pho (noodle soup). In the afternoon, choose one from the numerous museums or temples around Hanoi (Museum of Ethnology, Women’s Museum, History Museum or Quan Thanh Temple). In the late afternoon we take a cyclo through Hoan Kiem lake and Hanoi’s fascinating Old Quarter for some great fun, shopping, and street side traditional food.
This is your chance to be part of typical Hanoian style and its traditional Vietnamese culture. We finish our relaxing but informative day by attending a Water Puppet Show, a favorite experience for all visitors to Vietnam. We can help you to get back to your hotel if you wish, but often our guests would rather just spend the evening enjoying a drink with a view of the city. Dinner on your own.
8:30 pm: Transfer from a prearranged meeting spot to the station for your night train to Sapa boarding at around 9: 50 pm. You will be in shared AC soft sleeper cabins to travel North to Lao Cai town.
(Our tour guide will show you a mini hotel which you will have a shower and basic breakfast before going on Halong bay).
Inclusion: Transfer, guide, entrance fee, lunch, puppet show ticket,Vietnam cyclo (pedicab), train ticket.,
Day 3: Sapa trek to villages, bamboo forest, waterfall.
Today’s morning: The train arrives at about 6:30 am; look for the “iExplore vietnam Travel” sign when you exit the train station, as our guide will pick you up. Then take a morning drive through the clouds by car / van to Sapa (~ 1.5 hours). When you arrive in Sapa you will be taken to a local restaurant for a morning shower & breakfast.
After breakfast, the guide takes you to the villages of the H’mong and Dzay called Lao Chai and Ta Van.The day is devoted to a beautiful hike through the breathtaking scenery of Sa Pa valley. Start by road that descends in the wake of the street Cau May (6 km) En route, admire the rice terraces hidden behind mist of the morning, a truly awe-inspiring sight.
Follow a small track and cross Muong Hoa River and pass well tended rice terraces on your way to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai. Continuing through the colorful rice terraces you will reach the village of Ta Van Giay. As you continue your trek along the Muong Hoa River you will cross a small suspension bridge, roughly 2km from the settlement. Here you can discover a fascinating collection of rock carvings. These engravings depict some beautiful images of man, stilt houses and some beautiful decorative patterns. We lunch in a home in the village. After lunch the walk continues through a bamboo forest to visit Red Dao ethnic minority village. After taking a rest nearby a waterfall to refresh, you start climbing uphill to a road where the car is ready for your journey back to Sapa. Free to discover the Sapa town and Overnight in the hotel in Sapa.
Sapa, trek to Ta Phin – night train to Hanoi(~ 14km)
After breakfast in the hotel, our guide and driver will meet you again then We will take short ride from Sapa to our trekking base where we start our trek up and down hills (~ 5- 6 hrs) through terraced rice fields, bamboo ranges and many minority villages. Lunch break before we keep hitting the road to Ta Phin village. You may wish to visit Dao host family, see their traditional home, some talk with them or take a short morning wander around the village. You will be then supported by our car / van back to Lao Cai, dinner and take the night train to Hanoi.
Day 5: Hanoi – Halong Bay
When you arrive in Hanoi, a very short walk will get you to a prearranged hotel for you to shower and a take a short rest before we start our next day.
Depart, 8:00 am on a shared bus from your hotel to Halong city. After 3.5 hours driving and viewing simple, country side, rice paddy life, we arrive at the at port. At 12.00, the junk crews welcome guests on board at Hon Gai Wharf. Enjoy welcome drinks and check in Deluxe cabin on Junk. Lunch with fresh local seafood while cruising into Halong bay.
from 13.15 to 13.30 Start cruise program and excursions a Fantastic cruise in Bai Tu Long Bay with a great traditional Vietnamese lunch while start cruising. Pass through extraordinary shaped-islands such as: Poem mountain, the center market, Teapot islet, Goat’s head islet, Indochina film studio ……up to your imagination
we arrive Cong Do area around 15:00 where we have chance to see one of the most beautiful cave in this area. after visiting Thien Canh Son Cave is a great time for exploring the hidden lagoons in Bai Tu Long Bay. it’s take around an hour after that is your time for Enjoy swimming in the crystal water of Bai Tu Long Bay.
Back to our junk to enjoy relaxing or the sunset. Dinner and overnight on board nearby Vong Vieng Fishing village
Inclusion: Car / van,Tour Guide,Private cabin on junk,All meals,Entrance fee(s)
Day 6: Halong Bay – Hanoi
Wake up early in the morning for a great sunrise and a breath of fresh ocean air. Breakfast served on boat then we do a leisurely cruise through thousands of seemingly never ending islands. These are great opportunities to capture some amazing photographs, We stop to visit a floating fishing village and listen to some legendary stories of the fishermen’s daily life. Take one last swim somewhere in the middle of the bay to refresh before cruising back to the Halong city pier. By noon we be ashore and break for lunch at a local restaurant. Then we hit the road back to Hanoi. We arrive and finish our tour at your hotel by 5:00 pm.
Inclusion: Private cabin on junk, Hotel, Car / van,Breakfast, lunch,Tour Guide
Day 7: Departure from Hanoi to your home or next destination
We will pick you up at your hotel and transfer to Noi Bai International airport for your flight to home, your luggage full of a lifetime’s worth of memories. We wish you a pleasant journey.
Inclusion: Transfer, tour guide.
Car / Van Quality: Using new AC car or van depending on your group size
Tour guide: English speaking guides (on site).
What to Bring: Passport, change of clothes, sun-glasses & hat, toiletries, sun-block, insect repellent, flashlights, good shoes, personal first aid kit & medicines, small VND notes for buying drinks. If you feel the need then sleeping bags, cable lock for your bags is recommended.
Please Travel Responsibly: The small things you do will make a big difference!
Booking Terms & Conditions: Tour itinerary and tour prices are subject to change without prior notice.
Other Notes:
Hotel’s details will be updated at time of booking confirmed (your fax of confirmation)
Check – in: 14:00; out: 12:00 noon. Early check in if it is subject to availability.
This itinerary and supplementary information has been complied in good faith and was accurate at time of writing.
