Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Hanoi
After meeting you at Hanoi airport, you'll head to your hotel and get settled in from 14:00. At 17:30 your guide picks you up for a street food tour through the Old Quarter, stopping at hidden corners and alleyways to try local specialties like pho, banh cuon, spring rolls, and egg coffee before returning to the hotel.
Included Activities
- Airport pickup and transfer to hotel
- Hanoi Street Food Tour of Old Quarter with guide
Landmarks/POIs Hoan Kiem Lake Old Quarter, Hanoi - Day 2
Hanoi City Tour
Your guide collects you at 8:00 after breakfast and checkout. The day takes you through Hanoi's historic sites including Tran Quoc Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh Complex with his mausoleum and One Pillar Pagoda, the Vietnam Ethnology Museum (or Women Museum as backup), Temple of Literature, and Hoa Lo Prison Museum. You'll have Vietnamese lunch during the tour and reach your hotel near the train station by 16:30 to rest before catching your overnight train to Sapa.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Lunch (Vietnamese cuisine with 8 delicious dishes at restaurant)
Included Activities
- Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda on Golden Fish Island
- Visit Ho Chi Minh Complex including mausoleum, presidential residence, and One Pillar Pagoda
- Visit Vietnam Ethnology Museum or Women Museum (if Ethnology closed)
- Visit Temple of Literature
- Visit Hoa Lo Prison Museum
- Lunch at restaurant with Vietnamese cuisine (8 dishes)
Landmarks/POIs Tran Quoc Pagoda Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum One Pillar Pagoda Vietnam Ethnology Museum Women Museum Temple of Literature Hoa Lo Prison Museum - Day 3
Lao Cai to Sapa
You arrive at Lao Cai station early morning and transfer to Sapa Town. After breakfast and a rest at the hotel lobby, check in happens from 14:00. In the afternoon you trek about 4 km southwest down to Cat Cat village where Black H'mong people live, relax by a waterfall, and see a French colonial hydroelectric power station. Back at the hotel by dinner time at 18:00, the evening is yours to walk around Sapa, grab roasted corn and baked eggs by charcoal fire, or do some shopping.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Dinner (Dinner at around 18:00)
Included Activities
- Transfer from Lao Cai train station to Sapa Town
- Breakfast at hotel
- Trekking to Cat Cat village of Black H'mong people
- Visit waterfall
- Visit French colonial hydroelectric power station ruins
- Dinner at 18:00
Optional Activities
- Explore Sapa by night
- Roasted corn and baked eggs by charcoal fire
- Shopping in Sapa
Landmarks/POIs Cat Cat village Cat Cat Waterfall - Day 4
Sapa Valley Trek
You'll wake up early for a local breakfast then check out to explore Muong Hoa Valley. Trek south for about an hour before taking a footpath downhill and crossing a suspension bridge to Y Linh Ho village where you visit H'mong families and watch their daily activities. After lunch the trail goes up and downhill for roughly 2 hours as you reach Lao Chai village, follow the river to Ta Van where the Zay people live, and visit local homes. You'll settle in Ta Van village for an overnight homestay.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Local breakfast in the restaurant), Lunch (Lunch)
Included Activities
- Breakfast at hotel
- Trekking exploration to Muong Hoa Valley
- Visit Y Linh Ho village and H'mong families
- Cross suspension bridge
- Visit Lao Chai village
- Visit Ta Van village of the Zay people
- Lunch
Landmarks/POIs Muong Hoa Valley Y Linh Ho village Lao Chai village Ta Van village Hoang Lien Son mountain range - Day 5
Sapa Villages & Return to Hanoi
Following breakfast, you leave Ta Van and trek uphill through rice fields with small H'mong hamlets, then a bamboo forest to reach a waterfall where you can rest. After walking about half an hour you reach Giang Ta Chai village of the Red Zao people on a hilltop with views over Muong Hoa river. You'll spend time with the Zao people, cross another suspension bridge, climb to Hau Thao village, and visit a handicraft center where H'mong and Zao women work. Late lunch comes next, then a shuttle bus picks you up at 14:00 for the return to Hanoi, arriving at 20:30 to check in for the night.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast in Ta Van village), Lunch (Late lunch near handicraft center)
Included Activities
- Breakfast in Ta Van village
- Trekking with terraced rice fields and hamlets
- Trek through bamboo forest to waterfall
- Visit Giang Ta Chai village of the Red Zao people
- Visit Hau Thao village
- Visit local handicraft center
- Late lunch near handicraft center
- Shuttle bus transfer from Sapa to Hanoi
Landmarks/POIs Giang Ta Chai village Hau Thao village - Day 6
Hanoi to Ha Long Bay Cruise
Your pickup comes at 8:00-8:30 from the Old Quarter, and you'll reach Ha Long City pier around 12:30. After boarding your cruise ship and checking into your cabin, lunch is served while you cruise past limestone islands. You'll visit Titop Island at 15:30 for a hike to the top and panoramic views, then kayak and swim at 16:30. The sunset party starts at 18:00 on the sundeck with fresh fruit and traditional costume photos. Dinner follows at 19:00 with evening entertainment including music, karaoke, stargazing, or squid fishing.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Lunch (Specially prepared lunch on cruise while cruising through Ha Long Bay), Dinner (Special dinner cooked by professional chef)
Included Activities
- Transfer to Ha Long City pier
- Check-in to cruise cabin
- Cruising through Ha Long Bay
- Lunch on cruise
- Visit Titop Island and hike to top
- Kayaking in Ha Long Bay
- Swimming
- Sunset party on sundeck with fresh fruit and traditional costume photos
- Dinner on cruise cooked by professional chef
Optional Activities
- Squid fishing during night time
- Karaoke
- Relaxing on sundeck
Landmarks/POIs Ha Long Bay Titop Island - Day 7
Ha Long Bay to Hanoi
Morning starts at 6:00 with sunrise photos and Tai Chi exercises with the ship's master. Breakfast comes at 7:00, then you visit Surprising Cave at 7:45, which is the most beautiful cave in Ha Long Bay. Checkout happens at 9:00 as you cruise past hundreds of islands with unique shapes. A cooking class runs at 10:00 on the cruise, followed by a farewell lunch at 11:00 before disembarking. The bus departs at 12:30 and arrives back in Hanoi at 15:30 where you check into your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast, coffee, tea, and fruits), Lunch (Farewell lunch served on the cruise)
Included Activities
- Sunrise photos and Tai Chi exercise with master
- Visit Surprising Cave
- Cooking class on cruise
- Farewell lunch on cruise
- Bus transfer from Ha Long to Hanoi
Landmarks/POIs Surprising Cave - Day 8
Ninh Binh Tour
You get picked up at 7:30-8:00 and head for Ninh Binh province with a break at 9:15. Hoa Lu, the ancient Vietnamese capital from 968-1010, shows you feudal history from the Dinh, Le, and Ly dynasties. Buffet lunch comes at 11:45 featuring goat meat, fish, chicken, fried rice, and vegetarian options. At 13:00 you take a 1.5-hour bamboo boat through Tam Coc discovering rice paddies, rivers, clouds, and caves (often called Ha Long Bay on land). Cycling around the village from 15:00 for 45 minutes lets you explore local life before returning to Hanoi at 18:00.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Lunch (Buffet lunch with local foods such as goat meat, fish, chicken, and fried rice; vegetarian foods always available)
Included Activities
- Visit Hoa Lu ancient capital
- Buffet lunch with local foods (goat meat, fish, chicken, fried rice, vegetarian options)
- Bamboo boat trip through Tam Coc for 1.5 hours
- Visit cave system during boat trip
- Cycling around village for 45 minutes
- Bus transfer back to Hanoi
Landmarks/POIs Hoa Lu Tam Coc - Day 9
Departure from Hanoi
You have breakfast at your hotel with the rest of the day free to check out Hanoi's Old Quarter at your own pace. Checkout is at noon, and your driver takes you to the airport for your flight. Tour ends.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel)
Included Activities
- Breakfast at hotel
Optional Activities
- Explore Hanoi Old Quarter
Landmarks/POIs Old Quarter, Hanoi
