Itinerary
- Day 1
Hanoi
You'll get picked up at Hanoi airport and head to your hotel. The city itself blends French colonial architecture with Chinese influences that show up everywhere in the buildings, food, and general vibe. After you settle in, the rest of your day is open so you can walk around on your own terms and get a feel for the place.
Optional Activities
- Explore Hanoi city independently
- Day 2
Hanoi to Sapa
An early pickup gets you on the road for a 5-hour drive to Sapa through the newer NoiBai Highway. Once you arrive, there's lunch at a local spot before you trek about 2.5km to Cat Cat village where the Black H'mong people live. The 2-hour trek takes you past the Hydraulic Power Station waterfall and an old French bridge. Later you head back into Sapa for dinner and settle in at your accommodation with some evening activities planned.
- Meals
- Lunch (Local restaurant in Sapa town), Dinner
Included Activities
- Trek to Cat Cat village (Black H'mong ethnic settlement)
- Visit Hydraulic Power Station waterfall
- Photo stop at bridge and waterfall
Landmarks Cat Cat Village Fansipan Peak 
- Day 3
Sapa
Start with a short 5km walk up a mountain trail toward Y Linh Ho village, home to the Black Hmong. You'll stop at local houses to understand how they live, their customs, and how they make handicrafts from hemp and indigo. The path then drops down to Muong Hoa River where you can rest and swim if you want. After that comes a climb to Lao Chai for a picnic lunch, then an afternoon visit to the Day and Red Dzao people in Tavan village. You'll spend the night in a local homestay.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Picnic lunch in Lao Chai village), Dinner (Dinner with local family at homestay)
Included Activities
- Walk to Y Linh Ho village (Black Hmong tribe)
- Visit native houses to learn about local culture and handicrafts
- Trek to Muong Hoa River
- Visit Lao Chai village
- Visit Tavan village (Day and Red Dzao tribes)
- Picnic lunch in Lao Chai village
Optional Activities
- Swimming in Muong Hoa River
Landmarks Y Linh Ho Village Muong Hoa River Lao Chai Village Tavan Village - Day 4
Sapa to Hanoi
After breakfast at the homestay, you trek roughly 8km heading toward Giang Ta Chai, a Red Dzao village. The route has steep sections going both up and down through bamboo forest, with stops at a waterfall and a rope bridge for a quick rest and swim. By early afternoon you're back in Sapa for lunch, then a shuttle bus takes you back to Hanoi, arriving around 20:00 to 20:30.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at the homestay), Lunch (Local restaurant lunch in Sapa)
Included Activities
- Trek to Giang Ta Chai Red Dzao village
- Walk through bamboo forest
- Visit waterfall, rattan bridge, and stream
Optional Activities
- Swimming at waterfall and stream
Landmarks Giang Ta Chai Village - Day 5
Hanoi to Ha Long Bay
After breakfast you're picked up from Hanoi's Old Quarter for the drive to Ha Long City. At the pier you board your cruise ship and get settled into your cabin. Lunch happens while you cruise past thousands of limestone islands scattered across the bay. The afternoon has free time, a hike up Titop Island for views, kayaking, swimming, then a sunset party on deck with fresh fruit and traditional music. Dinner comes courtesy of the ship's chef, followed by entertainment, karaoke, and optional squid fishing.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel in Hanoi), Lunch (Specially prepared lunch on cruise while sailing Ha Long Bay), Dinner (Special dinner cooked by professional chef)
Included Activities
- Cruise through Ha Long Bay
- Visit Titop Island with hiking to summit
- Kayaking in Ha Long Bay
- Swimming
- Sunset party on sundeck
- Tai Chi class (morning of next day)
Optional Activities
- Squid fishing
- Karaoke
- Traditional costume photo opportunity
Landmarks Ha Long Bay Titop Island 
- Day 6
Ha Long Bay to Hanoi
You're up early for sunrise photography and a Tai Chi class taught by the ship's master. Breakfast includes coffee, tea, and fresh fruit before heading to Surprising Cave, the most well-known cave in the bay. After you return to the ship for checkout, you'll spend time taking in the landscape of hundreds of islands and islets. There's a cooking class on board and a final lunch before docking. A bus then carries you back to Hanoi, getting you to your hotel around 16:30.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast with coffee, tea, and fruits on cruise), Lunch (Farewell lunch on cruise)
Included Activities
- Sunrise photography
- Tai Chi class with master
- Visit Surprising Cave
- Cooking class on cruise
- Cruise through Ha Long Bay
Landmarks Surprising Cave - Day 7
Hanoi to Ninh Binh
Your guide meets you in Hanoi's Old Quarter to head south toward Ninh Binh province, about 90km away. After a 20-minute break on the drive, you reach Hoa Lu, which served as Vietnam's capital back in the 10th century. You check out temples from the Dinh and Le dynasties with their distinctive architecture, plus the remains of old royal palaces. Lunch in Tam Coc comes next, then you board wooden boats to float along the river through villages, rice fields, and mountains while passing through three caves. A bus brings you back to Hanoi by 18:00.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch in nice restaurant in Tam Coc)
Included Activities
- Visit temples of Dinh and Le dynasties in Hoa Lu
- Learn about ancient culture through royal palace excavations
- Sampan boat cruise in Tam Coc
- Pass through Hang Ca (First cave)
- Pass through Hang Hai (Second cave)
- Pass through Hang Ba (Third cave)
Landmarks Hoa Lu Tam Coc 
- Day 8
Hanoi
After breakfast you meet your guide to visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex. You'll see his Mausoleum, the stilt house where he lived from 1958 to 1969, and the One Pillar Pagoda honoring the Goddess of Mercy. Between 10:00 and 12:00 you choose either the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology to learn about the country's 54 ethnic groups (open Tuesday through Sunday) or head to Bat Trang to see local ceramic-making and village life (open Mondays). Lunch at a local restaurant takes about an hour around 12:30, then you get driven back to your hotel with the rest of the day free until your evening flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Lunch (Lunch at local restaurant (approximately 1 hour))
Included Activities
- Visit Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum
- Visit Ho Chi Minh's stilt house
- Visit One Pillar Pagoda
Optional Activities
- Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (Tue-Sun): Learn about 54 ethnic groups living in Vietnam
- Bat Trang ceramic village (Mondays): Explore daily life of locals and learn ceramic-making process
Landmarks Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House One Pillar Pagoda Vietnam Museum of Ethnology Bat Trang Ceramic Village
