Itinerary
- Day 1
Hanoi to Ha Giang
Your guide picks you up from your Hanoi hotel around 8am and you'll drive toward Ha Giang via Tuyen Quang. Along the way, you'll pass through tea plantations, mountainous terrain, and villages of ethnic minorities. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant in Tuyen Quang, then continue on toward Ha Giang, arriving late afternoon. You'll have time to walk around town, meet some locals, then have dinner and settle in for your first night.
- Meals
- Lunch (Local restaurant in Tuyen Quang), Dinner
Included Activities
- Scenic drive through tea plantations and ethnic minority villages
- Explore Ha Giang town
Landmarks/POIs Ha Giang Tuyen Quang - Day 2
Ha Giang Trekking Adventure
The trekking adventure starts from your homestay and goes for about 6 to 8 hours through terraced rice paddies, mountains, and palm forests. You'll pass people from various ethnic groups along the way. Lunch is a picnic in nature as you continue toward a remote village, moving past farmers working their fields. There's an optional chance to help with farm work if you're interested. Later your driver meets you at Ban Tha Village and takes you to Nam Dam for a home-cooked meal and overnight stay with a Dao family.
- Meals
- Lunch (Picnic lunch amidst nature), Dinner (Home-cooked local meal)
Included Activities
- Trekking through terraced rice paddies, mountains and palm-tree forests (approximately 6 to 8 hours)
- Interaction with ethnic minority groups
- Optional farm work participation
- Transfer from Ban Tha Village to Nam Dam
Optional Activities
- Join farm work with local farmers
Landmarks/POIs Ban Tha Village Nam Dam - Day 3
Nam Dam to Dong Van
This morning you head out toward Dong Van, passing through Cong Troi Pass and moving on to Yen Minh. You'll visit the King's Palace in Sa Phin, a notable H'mong village structure from the early 1900s, and see surrounding corn plantations harvested by hand. Arrival in Dong Van is around lunch time at the colorful old market, where you can look at historic houses and watch locals wearing traditional clothing. Dinner and overnight stay happen in a Dong Van hotel.
- Meals
- Lunch (Colourful old market in Dong Van), Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit King's Palace in Sa Phin H'mong village
- Scenic drive through Cong Troi Pass
- Lunch at Dong Van old market
Landmarks/POIs Cong Troi Pass King's Palace Sa Phin Yen Minh Dong Van Dong Van Old Market - Day 4
Dong Van to Meo Vac
After breakfast you explore Dong Van's old quarter before trekking up to Pu Lo fortress, built back in 1890 and left empty in 1945. From the fortress the views over the entire region are pretty remarkable. Then you climb roughly 8 km to reach Ma Pi Leng Pass, moving through limestone peaks, stone forests, and canyons before dropping down into the Meo Vac valley. Your overnight stay is in Meo Vac.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Explore Dong Van Old Quarter
- Trek to Pu Lo fortress with region views
- Climb to Ma Pi Leng Pass (approximately 8 km) through limestone formations
Landmarks/POIs Dong Van Old Quarter Pu Lo Fortress Ma Pi Leng Pass Meo Vac - Day 5
Meo Vac to Bao Lac
After breakfast at your hotel you spend the day trekking around villages in the mountains north of Bao Lac. You'll visit communities of the Lo Lo people, a small ethnic group who've kept their traditional customs intact over time. The day ends with dinner and an overnight stay in Bao Lac.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Trekking around villages of Meo Vac
- Visit Lo Lo minority villages
Landmarks/POIs Bao Lac - Day 6
Bao Lac to Ba Be
Start by visiting the Bao Lac market, a weekly market that's one of the most photogenic spots in northern Vietnam. After lunch in Bao Lac you'll drive along a rough road, passing by the river and rice fields. You arrive in Ba Be late afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay are in a Tay house right on the Ba Be lakeshore.
- Meals
- Lunch (Local restaurant in Bao Lac), Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Bao Lac market
Landmarks/POIs Bao Lac Market Ba Be - Day 7
Ba Be Trekking and Cultural Experience
Following breakfast at your homestay you trek out to Mo Lom village, home to Tay people. A picnic lunch happens during the trek. In the afternoon your guide takes you through mountains and valleys to reach Chay village before returning back to the homestay. You'll have a local dinner and spend the night at a comfortable Tay house.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Picnic lunch), Dinner (Tasty local dinner in homestay)
Included Activities
- Trek to Mo Lom village of Tay people
- Trek through mountains and valleys to Chay village
Landmarks/POIs Mo Lom Village Chay Village - Day 8
Ba Be Lake Exploration
After breakfast at your homestay you take a boat trip on Ba Be Lake. You'll pass over the lake and stop at An Ma temple to learn about local history and culture. Then head up the river to Puong Cave, a huge limestone formation that spans across the river and is home to thousands of bats from 18 different species, plus dramatic stalactites and stalagmites. After lunch at a local restaurant you visit Dau Dang Waterfall on the border of Bac Kan and Tuyen Quang provinces. Back at the lake you can swim and kayak before returning to your homestay late afternoon for dinner and overnight stay.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Local restaurant), Dinner
Included Activities
- Boat trip on Ba Be Lake
- Visit An Ma temple
- Visit Puong Cave with stalactites, stalagmites and bat colonies
- Visit Dau Dang Waterfall
- Swimming and kayaking on Ba Be Lake
Landmarks/POIs Ba Be Lake An Ma Temple Puong Cave Dau Dang Waterfall - Day 9
Ba Be to Hanoi
After breakfast you take a cycling trip to see Hua Ma Cave and nearby rice fields. Back at the homestay for lunch, you say goodbye to your host. Then you'll drive back to Hanoi, arriving around 5pm. This is where your northern Vietnam trekking trip comes to an end.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Cycling trip to Hua Ma Cave
- Visit rice fields near Hua Ma Cave
Landmarks/POIs Hua Ma Cave
