Best of Northern Vietnam 6 days

Morning/ Afternoon

Notes: Depending on your schedule, you can leave in the morning or the afternoon. Routes may alter based on customer interests.

- Begin your first day of travel with a city tour in Hanoi

- Learn more about the ancient capital and acquaint yourself with Hanoi Old Quarter's serene atmosphere

- Start exploring Vietnam's earliest university - The Temple of Literature, where the country's aristocracy, mandarins, and elite learned

- Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the legendary founding father of contemporary Vietnam is currently resting in eternal peace, and One Pillar Pagoda, the most famous one in Vietnam

- Stop at West Lake and Tran Quoc Buddhist Pagoda to cap up your journey, which is thought to be the oldest pagoda in Hanoi with a more than 1,500-year history

- Lunch will be provided to you at an authentic Vietnamese restaurant following the trip

Evening

- Enjoy on your own: have fun at the nightlife in the Old Quarter, have a bite of the must-try food around Hanoi

Morning

- Arrange to be picked up and driven to Ninh Binh for a full-day tour of the sights

- On a small boat that the natives are rowing, take in the hundreds of gorgeous karst mountains

- Take numerous gorgeous photos of the serene beauty of mountains, rice fields, and temples as you float along the Ngo Dong River

- If you visit during harvest, see the golden rice carpet along the river banks

- The morning tour of Tam Coc concludes with a meal that is authentically Vietnamese and prepared by Vietnamese cooks

Afternoon

- Free time for extra activities such as fishing and visiting locals

- Hop on a bicycle and ride through picturesque villages, taking in the pure air of the countryside, and discovering massive limestone mountains

- Visit Hoa Lu Old Capital, Vietnam's ancient capital city a thousand years ago, and learn more about Vietnamese history

- Return to Hanoi from Ninh Binh

- While waiting for the Lao Cai train, take a bath and relax

Evening

- Congregate in a Hanoi hotel and take transport to the city's railway station

- Board a train to Lao Cai for an overnight excursion in a communal sleeping cabin (sharing with other passengers in 2 lower & 2 upper berths per compartment)

- After that, the train will leave Hanoi for Lao Cai Station

Morning

- When the train arrives at Lao Cai Station, the bus driver will be waiting for you, picking you up, and taking you to Sapa

- Upon room occupancy, early check-in is available (surcharge applicable)

- Relax for a little before our full-day excursion

- Begin your trekking adventure in Lao Cai with our local tour guide

- Trek through Y Linh Ho, a tiny town located beside the Muong Hoa River, and Lao Chai, a Black Hmong community famed for its remarkable indigo blue clothes and vestiges of history: primitive dwellings and stone walls encircling households

- Visit Ta Van Village, a Zay people's settlement

Afternoon

- After lunch, spend time learning about the local culture then return to Sapa 

- The remainder of the day is your free time

Evening

- Spend the night at the Sapa Hotel

Morning

- Eat breakfast at the hotel before leaving

- Visit Cat Cat Village by walking along the South-West

- Relax at the base of the magnificent waterfall and the remnants of a hydroelectric power plant built by the French during Vietnam's colonial era

- Have a picnic along the river for lunch to spend time in nature

Afternoon

- Continue your hike to Sin Chai village, which is at the base of Fansipan Mountain, often known as "the Roof of Indochina"

- Take in the breathtaking views of the mountain

Evening

- Return to the main road to be picked up and driven in a jeep back to Sapa town

- You will be transported to Hanoi by shared limousine

Morning

- The driver will be waiting to pick you up after breakfast at the hotel and transport you to Halong Bay

- Get on board to start a Halong Bay cruise tour

- Take in all the stunning karst islands, grottoes, and caves. The lunch buffet will thereafter be served on board.

Afternoon

- Enroll in one of the activities after the break

- Tour the caverns in Halong Bay

- Kayak or swim in the clear waters of the lovely beach (exact activities will depend on the schedule of each trip)

Evening

- Return to your ship so you may rest and have dinner

- Have a great time on the cruise

Morning

- A Tai-chi lesson in the morning will give you a fresh start on your second day in Halong

- The boat will take you to see some of the bay's most breathtaking caverns after breakfast

- Lunch will be provided on the way returning to the main port

Afternoon

- Disembark and take a transfer back to Hanoi