Conquer Fansipan The Peak Of Indochina Heights – 9 Days

Begin at the Ho Chi Minh Complex, where the granite Mausoleum stands beside the modest stilt house in which the country’s founding father lived and worked. See the yellow Presidential Palace and the One Pillar Pagoda, rising from its pond like a lotus flower, then visit the Temple of Literature, home to Vietnam’s first university.

Head to West Lake for the ancient Tran Quoc Pagoda and the nearby Quan Thanh Temple, then choose one of the city’s museums: the History Museum for the story of Vietnam through the ages, or the Museum of Ethnology for the traditions of its many ethnic groups.

Watch a water puppet show, a uniquely Vietnamese art born in the flooded rice paddies of the north, then transfer to the station to board your overnight train to Lao Cai.

Your train pulls into Lao Cai at dawn. Have breakfast at a local restaurant, then set off on the winding drive up the mountain to Sapa.

Sapa was founded by the French as a cool retreat from the summer heat of the lowlands, at around 1,600 metres above sea level. Today it is home to Hmong, Dao and other hill tribe peoples, whose colourful dress and traditions give the town its unique character.

Check in to your hotel and take a gentle walk around town, breathing in the fresh mountain air and resting your legs for the days ahead.

After breakfast, set out with your guide through cascading rice terraces and past several hill tribe villages, with the mountain growing larger ahead.

Stop for a picnic lunch at around 1,300 metres.

Continue climbing to your first campsite at around 1,650 metres, where your guide and porters pitch the tents.

Gather round the campfire for dinner prepared by your team, under a sky full of stars.

Set off after breakfast on the long climb. The trail is steep in places and the day is physically demanding, so take it at your own pace.

Stop for lunch on a ridge at around 2,200 metres, with sweeping views down over the Sapa Valley.

Push on to the high camp at around 2,900 metres, where dinner is waiting as the air cools and the light fades over the peaks.

Climb through bamboo forest on the mountain’s steepest path towards the summit at 3,143 metres. It is hard going, but the panorama from the top, across endless ridges and valleys, makes every step worthwhile.

Enjoy lunch at the summit and take your time to soak in the wild beauty of the mountains.

Descend to the high camp for a well-earned dinner and a second night under canvas.

After breakfast at camp, begin the descent, taking your time on the steep trails as the mist drifts over the mountains and distant villages come into view.

Arrive back in Sapa for a hot shower and a rest at your hotel.

Celebrate your climb with a farewell dinner at one of the town’s best-known restaurants, the perfect way to thank your local team. Try specialities such as rice cooked in bamboo tubes.

Spend the day as you like: browse the local market, wander through the orchid garden, walk up Ham Rong, the Dragon’s Jaw Mountain, for views over the town, or simply sit back with a coffee.

Leave Sapa for Lao Cai station and board your overnight train back to Hanoi.

Arrive in Hanoi early in the morning. After breakfast, enjoy the morning at leisure for a final stroll around the city.

At the agreed time, your driver takes you to Noi Bai International Airport for your flight home.