Hanoi, Sapa, Ninh Binh and Halong Tour 8 days

• Day 1: Hanoi arrival
• Welcome to the ancient city of Hanoi, also known as the “city inside river”, the bustling colonial capital of Vietnam. Your designated driver/guide will meet you at the Noi Bai Airport and drive you to your hotel at Hanoi city center. There are several places you can visit at your leisure, so as to familiarize yourself with the new environment. Places like the Hanoi Opera House, the Old Quarter, Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake.
• Day 2: Hanoi City Tour - Night train to Lao Cai (B, L, D)
• You have the whole day to fully explore the rich history that Hanoi offers. Hanoi is an eclectic mix of culture and diversity with its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and ancient oriental pagodas, that caters for everyone from all walks of life. Some of the Hanoi’s important centers that you will visit are:
  • The Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and stilt house)
  • One Pillar Pagoda, which is close to the Ho Chi Minh Complex
  • The Presidential Palace
  • The Temple of Literature
  • The Quan Thanh Temple
  • The sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda & West Lake
  • An option of the Hanoi History Museum or the Hanoi Ethnology Museum
• You will also have the opportunity to watch and be amazed by the traditional Water Puppet Performance – a unique Vietnamese Art form which hails from Southeast Asia’s wet-rice culture. A delicious traditional delicacy from one of Hanoi’s finest restaurants will be served for dinner, before your night train to Lao Cai for another bout of an amazing adventure.
• Day 3: Lao Cai - Sapa (B, L)
• Your tour guide will pick you up at the break of dawn when your train will arrive at the Lao Cai railway station. From where you will begin a 40km drive to Sapa, also known as the “Tonkinese Alps”, the foremost travel destination in Northwest Vietnam.
• Relax and enjoy a luxurious breakfast and view of the charming town. By 10 am, the tour of Sapa begins. You will trek through the bustling local market, downhill to Cat Cat village of the Black Hmong tribe. This village is revered for its brocade weaving craft and gold and silver jewelry making. You will have the chance to see how these people go about their craft, culture and the farming techniques they employ.
• There will be a short stop at a waterfall – in order to rest and relax – and hydroelectric station which ends the adventure for the day. You will trek back to town and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
• Day 4: Sapa Trekking (B, L, D)
• Your tour guide will pick you up at the hotel after breakfast and drive you south towards Muong Hoa Valley, from where you will descend down the hill by foot and trek through the terraced rice paddy – the largest in the whole of Sapa. This trekking journey will take you through the Black Hmong minority village of Lao Cai, to the Zay minority village of Ta Van. This wonderful adventure will also provide you with rare opportunities of observing the custom, culture and traditional hospitality of these indigenous people. From there, you will march on to the remote Topas Ecolodge in Su Pan, a unique and eco-friendly lodge established atop two hills. These hills are shaped like a cone and are deep within the magnificent valley of Sapa, in northern Vietnam.
• Day 5: Sapa - Lao Cai - Hanoi (B, L)
• A beautiful day to embark on another tour of Sapa. You will begin the tour by trekking to the Lech village, from where you will go down the roadside towards the Thanh Kim River, where you will stop for a while. Breathe in the clean and fresh water air, take pictures of the beautiful valley scenery and dwell in the moment. Cross the river and head into the village. At the village, you will partake in the indigenes’ daily life, their beautiful crafts and amazing custom – don’t be surprised if you experience culture shock. Follow the main road path and head back to the Ecolodge where you will eat lunch, and then check-out. From the Ecolodge, you will trek back to Sapa to enjoy your leisure time before going down to Lao Cai for a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant. After dinner, you will head towards the train station for an overnight train to Hanoi.
• Day 6: Hanoi - Ninh Binh (B, L)
• Your train will get to Hanoi early in the morning, from where your tour guide will take to Ninh Binh by car. Situated 100 km south of Hanoi is Hoa Lu, the ancient and former capital of Vietnam during the Dinh Dynasty in 968 – 1009 AD. The sanctuaries and tombs of the Dinh Dynasty can still be found on their site in this ancient city. You will cycle through the countryside roads towards Hoa Lu and the magnificent 10th-century citadel. This city sparks not only historical interests, it is one of the most beautiful and breathtaking place in Northern Vietnam with majestic limestone peaks which is more enchanting than the Halong Bay.
• Your cycling journey from the limestone peaks to Tam Coc will take you through the local villages and different rice paddies. You will be served lunch at a local restaurant overlooking a pier once you get to Tam Coc. The second leg of the tour of this “natural wonder of the world” city will be on a rowboat through the Ngo Dong River, towered by the amazing beauty which is the Hoa Lu limestone peaks. A visit to the Bich Dong Pagoda will bring an end to this wonderful day.
• Day 7: Ninh Binh - Halong Bay - Overnight on cruise (B, L, D)
• The highlight of this day is a “out of this world” cruise through the Halong Bay. Your driver will pick you up and drive you to Halong Bay, passing the enchanting countryside of the Red River Delta. The whole day will be spent on the traditional Junk cruise of this magnificent and beautiful bay.
• There will be a junk available for you when you get to the bay dock. The junk will take you on a sail of the majestic bay with a delicious gourmet lunch of fresh seafood in hand. You will sail through the Dinh Huong, the Ga Choi and some of the bay’s islands. You will also be able to visit one of the three largest caves on the Bay – Thien Cung, Dau Go or Sung Sot, followed by kayaking along the obscure areas of the bay. You can also take a dive into the soothing water of the bay, capture the moments or relax and be awed as the sunsets over the Tonkin Gulf. As the night falls, there is no rush to return back to harbor, you can spend the night on the junk, under twinkling bay’s star.
• Day 8: Halong - Hanoi - Departure (Brunch)
• Wake up to another beautiful day. You can either take part in the energetic Tai Chi session on the cruise top deck or relax and watch as the sunrise over the bay before the morning coffee or tea. After which you will embark on a tour of the nearby islands on rowboat. As the tour ends, you will head back to the junk for breakfast. You make use of the cruise sundeck to enjoy the view of the Bai Tu Long Bay amazing rock formations as you make your way towards the harbor to Halong city. Brunch will be made available as you head back to the Halong pier on board the boat, from where your driver will pick you up and drive you to the Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi for your flight home.

Trip Included

• Accommodation
• Breakfast & meals per mentioned in the itinerary
• Transportation by private car with A/C
• English-speaking guide
• Return train ticket Hanoi - Lao Cai - Hanoi (shared 4 berths cabin with A/C)
• All entrance fees, performances, boat trips & excursions.

Trip Excluded

• VISA to Vietnam (Please make sure you have 6 months passport validity. We can help for visa on arrival ifrequest)
• Personal expenses such as shopping, telephone, laundry and bar bills etc.
• Other meals and drinks
• Late check out or early check in at all places (Normally check in at 14:00 and check out at 12:00/ surcharge if request)
• Insurance travel
• Tips & gratuities
• All other services are not made on the written form

• This 8-day multisport tour in Northern Vietnam is designed for adventurous individuals and groups of like-minded people. The highlights of the tour include and not limited to: Trekking through the history-rich hill-tribe villages of Sapa, Cycling through emerald-green rice paddies and the ancient and mountaintop pagodas of Ninh Binh, Kayaking on the enchanting Halong Bay.