A beautiful loop in Northwest Hanoi

Hanoi arrival / walks and meals (-)

Arrival in Hanoi,
Welcome by the French-speaking guide + driver and then transfer to the hotel.
Room is only available around noon.

While waiting for the room, the guide will accompany you for a walk in Hanoi's Old Quarter, around the Lake of the Restored Sword (Ho Hoan Kiem), first discoveries of the city around Hoan Kiem Lake. Lunch at a local restaurant.

Meals at leisure and overnight in Hanoi

Hanoi / visits, walks and discovery of the capital (B,L)

After breakfast,
Meet at 08:30 with the team for a day of visits and walks in Hanoi

We will start the visits:

the Temple of Literature dedicated to Confucius and his disciples. This complex was the first Vietnamese University.

the Tran Quoc Pagoda (Buddhism) which means the Pagoda of the Defense of the Country, located on a beautiful peninsula in Ho Tay Lake (West Lake), undoubtedly the most beautiful lake among the lakes in Hanoi city

the Quan Thanh Temple (Taoism), dedicated to the genius of Tran Vu – an important protector of the ancient citadel of Hanoi

These three monumental centers help you better understand the three dominant religions in Vietnam

Lunch during visits

In the afternoon, photos in front of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum which dominates Ba Dinh Square, for the changing of the guard – the essence of political life.

And then a visit to Ho Chi Minh's stilt house, to better understand the life of a great man whose life was very modest.

And then the visit to the One Pillar Pagoda, famous for its original construction born from a legend dating back to the 11th century.

Towards the end of the day, you take a beautiful walk towards Long Bien Bridge (or called Paul Doumer Bridge during the French era) and a look into the "Train Street" corner.

Dinner at leisure and overnight in Hanoi

Hanoi - Duong Lam ancient village / visits - Mai Chau / walks (B,L,D)

After breakfast,
Meet at 08:30 and depart for Duong Lam village, old laterite villages over 400 years old, bike ride in the village. Visit Mia Pagoda and lunch with locals in an ancient house in Duong Lam.

Drive to Mai Chau via the rice fields road

Dinner and overnight with locals - the Thai ethnic group.

Mai Chau - Pu Luong / walks (B,L,D)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet at 08:00 for departure to the Pu Luong Nature Reserve located in the Quan Hoa and Ba Thuoc districts of Thanh Hoa province. Panoramic mountain and valley landscapes follow you along the road.

Arrival at Pu Luong Nature Reserve. Endowed with well-preserved landscapes, abundant and diverse flora and fauna, the nature reserve has become a fascinating destination for all nature lovers. Covering an area of 17,662 ha, the Pu Luong Nature Reserve is the largest karst forest area in Northern Vietnam, with three main types of forests: lowland jungle, mountain forests, and bamboo and shrub massifs. Upon arrival, visitors can cross villages clinging to the mountainsides, contemplate terraced rice fields and lush green forests, visit caves, contemplate numerous water wheels – hydraulic machines of several ethnic minorities allowing water to be raised using the energy produced by the water current to irrigate rice fields…
Upon arrival in Ban Cong, you stop for a 1-hour walk from Ban Cong college to visit the Thai village of Tom. You pass by water wheels in the river, sugarcane fields, cross the two suspension bridges… and finish the walk at the village market.

Resume vehicle. Check into the eco-hotel room.

Free time to relax and admire the beautiful natural landscapes from your hotel…

Dinner at leisure and overnight in Pu Luong.

Puluong / walks - Ninh Binh (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet at 08:00 and you take beautiful walks to the ethnic villages nestled in the mountains of Pu Luong park to visit the Thai village of Tom.

You pass by water wheels in the river, sugarcane fields, cross the two suspension bridges and terraced rice fields to reach Uoi village. These are the most beautiful terraced rice fields in the reserve. Visit Uoi village before continuing the walk to Lan Ngoai village.

You meet women who still weave manually using traditional methods.

Lunch and then resume the vehicle for the road to Ninh Binh in the Red River Delta. Located southeast of Hanoi, Ninh Binh province is the southernmost point of Southeast Asia's karst rock plateau…

It is also the terrestrial point in Vietnam where these rocks are the most impressive, which gives it the name "Terrestrial Halong Bay".

Arrival in Ninh Binh, check into the hotel and rest.
Dinner at leisure and overnight at the hotel in Tam Coc

Ninh Binh / visits, walks and on-site discovery (B,L)

After breakfast
Meet at 08:00 for a day of visiting temples and pagodas: a bike ride to visit Binh Dong Pagoda and Thai Vi Temple.

(Note that if you don't want to bike, the car is ready for your transportation between sites)

Continue the walk towards Hang Mua mountain for an ascent to the summit for the panoramic view

Resume by car to visit the enclosed Tuyet Tinh Coc lake surrounded by limestone peaks.

We continue with a lovely sampan ride on the preserved sites of Trang An. We opt for the Thung Nham site for a boat trip through the limestone mountain caves.

Free dinner and overnight at the same hotel.

Ninh Binh / walks - Hanoi and overnight train to Lao Cai (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet at 08:30 and you will go for bike rides and then a walk to Tuyet Tinh Coc lake.
And then on-site visits: take the road to visit the largest Pagoda in Southeast Asia, Bai Dinh, and its magnificent Buddha statues.

Lunch at a local restaurant and then a sampan ride on the little-known site of Van Long "The cloud dragon" before returning to Hanoi.

Resume the road to return to Hanoi.

Arrival in Hanoi,
free time in the old quarter for your personal discoveries around Hoan Kiem Lake.

Free dinner before transfer to the station. (we will keep your luggage in the car during your free time).

Overnight train | 4-berth soft sleeper cabin in 1st class with another tourist.

Lao Cai arrival - Bac Ha / ethnic market - Sapa / walks (B,L)

Arrival in Lao Cai,
Welcome by the French-speaking guide and driver for breakfast at the station then drive to visit the Bac Ha ethnic market - a market where you meet ethnic groups, which takes place on Sundays.

Visit this market and lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, drive towards Sapa for the late afternoon with stops along the way: tea plantation and the border gate with China.

Arrival in Sapa, transfer and check-in at the hotel.
Free dinner and overnight in Sapa.

Sapa / hike to the terraced rice fields valley with Ma Tra and Ta Phin villages (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet at 08:30 for a day trip to the villages of Ma Tra and Ta Phin - Interact with the children and inhabitants of this region who love to laugh and chat with foreigners.

Visit schools if possible, you can bring pens, felt-tip pens, small notebooks, inflatable balloons to give to the children as you meet them.

Simple lunch at a local's home - rest then you continue the walk to find the car that will take you back to the hotel.

Free dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Sapa / walks to the ethnic villages of Lao Chai Ta Van - Sapa – Hanoi by VIP Bus via highway (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet at 08:00 for a beautiful walk with the local guide to the beautiful ethnic villages of Lao Chau – Ta Van... a leisurely walk throughout the day.

Lunch at a local's home.

Continuation of the walk and then pick up by car for the return to Sapa and then take the VIP bus for the return to Hanoi via the highway.
Arrival in Hanoi,
Direct transfer to the hotel for rest. Free dinner and overnight in Hanoi.

Hanoi - Ha Long Bay / cruise, visits and relaxation with an overnight on a Junk (B,L,D)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet at 08:00 with the shuttle for direct transfer to Ha Long Bay via the Red River Delta with a stop for breakfast on the way.

Arrival in Halong, embarkation on the Junk in a cabin in Ha Long Bay for a 24-hour cruise in the natural wonder of the world.

You follow the boat's program for details on site. Meals on board.

Visit natural caves and sampan rides and private swimming in this magnificent bay.
Dinner and overnight on board.

Note:
These two days in Ha Long Bay, the cruise will be towards Ha Long Bay, or Bai Tu Long or Lan Ha depending on the available junks at the time of your decision and choice.

Ha Long Bay / cruise - Nam Dinh / discovery and visits (B,L,D)

Tai Chi on the upper deck if desired, breakfast on board and then continuation of the cruise.

Disembarkation at 12:00 after an early BRUNCH lunch.

Picked up by the driver and drive to Nam Dinh via the important provinces of the Red River Delta: Hai Phong, Thai Binh.

Arrival in Nam Dinh,
visit a family in the village of Vi Khe – Dien Xa, for bonsai. You will find all kinds of bonsai plants with all different shapes and sizes such as: phoenix, dragon, unicorn, turtle and the symbol of the Temple of Literature in bonsai etc, if you wish we can explain some basic steps to care for a bonsai.

Stop en route for photos and a market.

Transfer to the village of Giao Xuan to a local's home for a bike ride in the village.

Seafood barbecue dinner at a local's home and overnight at the Home Stay.

Nam Dinh / walks, visits and discovery - Hanoi (B,L)

Vietnamese breakfast with the family,
Meet at 05:00 for a visit to a small local market early in the morning and then transfer to Xuan Thuy National Park to visit this park, a walk on the small dikes between the protected mangroves.

Boat trip in the areas where shellfish and oysters are cultivated, participate in shellfish - clam fishing if you wish.

Stop in a hut in the middle of the shellfish fields (calm as in paradise) for swimming if the water allows.

Lunch in the hut with all the local seafood.

Rest and then the return cruise to the shore and on the way to visit the salt marshes to learn how salt is harvested and the small fresh fish market by the sea

Return road to Hanoi and direct transfer to the hotel.

Dinner at leisure and overnight in Hanoi.

Hanoi / free time - departure (B)

Breakfast
and then a free day for your personal discoveries. Check out of the room around noon,
and then meet the driver (without guide) at 16:00 for transfer to the airport for the return flight.