Hanoi - Sapa - Halong Bay highlights

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (D)

Upon arrival, our transportation will come to pick you up at the airport for transfer to the hotel in Hanoi. 

In the afternoon, around 5p.m we start a street food tour sampling the finest specialty of Vietnam’s capital. 

Day 2: Hanoi City Tour - night train to Lao Cai (B, L)

Morning pick up and enjoy a full day Hanoi city tour including Ho Chi Minh complex  (Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, The Presidential Palace, House on stilt and One Pillar Pagoda). Continue to visit the Temple of Literature – the First University of Vietnam. Lunch in a local restaurant.  In the afternoon, visit one of the most interesting museums in Hanoi – The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. It is not only a valuable centre for the exhibition and the preservation of cultural heritages of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam but also a centre for ethnographic research employing many experts on the different ethnic groups. 

Return to Hanoi center for an hour walking tour around Hanoi Old Quarter to discover the daily life of Hanoian. End trip by watching the water puppet show to discover the beauty of this unique Vietnam traditional art. Dinner at your own account . After dinner catch a taxi by your self to the railway station for the night train to Sapa.

Day 3: Lao Cai- Sapa - Lao Chai Ta Van (B, L)

Arrive in Lao Cai in the early morning, transfer for breakfast then heading to Sapa.

The day is devoted to a beautiful hike through the breathtaking scenery of Sa Pa valley. Start by road that descends in the wake of the street Cau May (6 km) En route, admire the rice terraces hidden behind mist of the morning, a truly awe-inspiring sight. 

Follow a small track and cross Muong Hoa River and pass well tended rice terraces on your way to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai.  Continuing through the colorful rice terraces you will reach the village of Ta Van Giay. As you continue your trek along the Muong Hoa River you will cross a small suspension bridge, roughly 2km from the settlement. Here you can discover a fascinating collection of rock carvings. These engravings depict some beautiful images of man, stilt houses and some beautiful decorative patterns. We lunch in a home in the village. After lunch the walk continues through a bamboo forest to Giang Ta Chai, a Red Dao ethnic minority village. After taking a rest nearby a waterfall to refresh, you start climbing uphill to a road where the car is ready for your journey back to Sapa.  

Day 4: Ethnic Market visit - night train back to Hanoi (B, L)

Each day of the week there is a different market activity around Sapa. We will introduce you to one of them and you will get to experience the most exciting trading parts of ethnic culture.

Later in the afternoon we will drive you back to Lao Cai for overnight train back to Hanoi.

Day 5: Hanoi - Halong Bay (B, L, D)

As you arrive early in the morning, you will have time for breakfast before departing for the World Heritage Site: Halong Bay. 

Get welcomed on board and spend the night on a cruise, one of the must-do while in Halong Bay.

Day 6: Halong Bay - Hanoi (B, Br)

Enjoy a morning full of activities and good food. You will then return to Hanoi on the cruise shuttle bus. Free time in the evening where you can explore Hanoi further on your own.

Day 7: Hanoi Departure (B)

Have breakfast at the hotel and free time until departure back to the airport for flight back home. Trip ends.