North Vietnam Highlights: Sapa – Ninh Binh – Halong – 8 Days

Today is your free day to explore Vietnam’s charming capital. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and ancient oriental pagodas, Hanoi is an eclectic mix that offers something for everyone.

Your city tour will take you to the following sites: the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and stilt house), the nearby One Pillar Pagoda, the Presidential Palace, the Temple of Literature, the Quan Thanh Temple, the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda & West Lake, and one of the city’s museums (a choice between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum).

Enjoy a traditional Water Puppet Performance – a one-of-a-kind Vietnamese Art form originating in Southeast Asia’s wet-rice culture. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner of authentic Vietnamese cuisine at one of Hanoi’s finest restaurants before heading to the train station to catch your night train to Laocai.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

Accommodation: on train (in a shared 4 soft berths cabin with A/C). 

Early in the morning, the train arrives at the Laocai railway station. Your guide and driver will meet you there and drive you the 40 kilometers to Sapa, the premier travel destination in Northwest Vietnam, dubbed the “Tonkinese Alps” by the French.

Enjoy breakfast in town while breathing in the fresh mountain air. Leave the hotel at 10:00 a.m. and begin your trek. Walk through the local market and then downhill to Cat Cat Village. The Black Hmong’s village is famous for its brocade weaving craft as well as its gold and silver jewelry making. The walk to Cat Cat Village and its surrounding hills allows you to see farms and techniques used by the locals. A brief stop at a waterfall and a hydroelectric station is made. After that, return to town and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast.

Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa.

After breakfast, drive south to Muong Hoa Valley, then descend by foot through the region’s largest terraced rice paddy area. The walk takes you through the village of Lao Chai, which is home to the Black Hmong minority, and then onto the village of Ta Van, which is home to the Zay minority.

Before continuing on to the remote Topas Ecolodge in Su Pan, take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to observe the daily lives and traditional hospitality of these locals. This one-of-a-kind, eco-friendly lodge sits atop two cone-shaped hills in northern Vietnam’s spectacular Sapa valley.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Accommodation: Ecolodge in Sapa.

Set out on foot for Lech Village. After a short walk on the main road, you will descend towards the Thanh Kim River, stopping en route to photograph the valley’s most beautiful scene. After crossing the river, you will proceed to the village, where you will spend time learning about the daily lives of the locals before returning to the Ecolodge for lunch and check-out. Return to Sapa for some free time before descending to Laocai for dinner at one of the local restaurants before boarding your overnight train back to Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast.

Accommodation: on train (in a shared 4 soft berths cabin with A/C).

Arrive in Hanoi early in the morning, then drive to Ninh Binh. Hoa Lu, located 100 kilometers south of Hanoi, was Vietnam’s capital city between 968 and 1009 AD during the Dinh Dynasty. Some of the sanctuaries and tombs have been preserved and can be visited today. Begin cycling through the countryside to Hoa Lu and the ancient 10th century citadel.

Aside from its historical significance, the area is also known for its breathtaking natural beauty, with limestone peaks that are said to rival the splendor of Halong Bay. Continue your journey to Tam Coc through the limestone peaks, passing rice paddies and rural villages. Lunch is served at a local restaurant with a view of the boat pier in Tam Coc.

The tour includes a raft ride down the Ngo Dong River, which provides an unforgettable experience as it passes between towering limestone peaks. An excursion day is completed with a visit to Bich Dong Pagoda.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Accommodation: Hotel in Ninh Binh.

After breakfast at the hotel, your driver will take you on a 4-hour drive through the Red River Delta countryside to Halong Bay. Spend 24 hours on a traditional junk cruise through the incredible bay, a natural wonderland of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. Arrive at the dock around 12:00 p.m. and board your junk.

As you sail out into the mystical bay, enjoy a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard. Cruise around some of Halong’s many islands in the afternoon, including Dinh Huong and Ga Choi. Along the way, visit one of the bay’s three largest caves (Thien Cung, Dau Go, or Sung Sot) and kayak through the bay’s hidden areas. Swim (weather permitting), take photos, or simply relax as the sun sets over the Tonkin Gulf. Pass the night on your junk, serenaded by the gentle rocking of calm waters.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Accommodation: on cruise.

Awake early and practice Tai Chi on the top deck, or simply relax and watch the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in the morning before rowing out to nearby islands. Return to the junk for breakfast, then relax on the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay as you cruise back to Halong City. Before returning to Halong pier, enjoy brunch on board the boat. Your driver will meet you at the dock and drive you to Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport to catch your flight home.

Meals: Brunch.

Accommodation: N/A.