Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Hanoi
Your guide meets you when you land at Noi Bai International Airport and drives you to your hotel in central Hanoi. After checking in, the rest of the day is yours to do what you'd like. You can wander around the Old Quarter if you're not too tired from travel, or just relax at the hotel and grab dinner on your own whenever you're hungry.
Optional Activities
- Walk and explore Old Quarter Area
- Day 2
Hanoi City Discovery
Following breakfast, your guide takes you through the backstreets of Hanoi to see how locals actually live, checking out local markets and residential neighborhoods. You'll walk through the French Quarter and stop at a local café to try the famous Vietnamese Egg Coffee. Later, you head out to villages and floating communities along the Red River to see the mix between city and countryside. Before heading back to your hotel around 18:00, you'll visit temples and the Old Quarter, plus the historic train street.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Lunch (Lunch at local eatery in Old Quarter with traditional Hanoian dishes - Bun Chả (Vietnamese grilled pork and noodles))
Included Activities
- Daily journey through backstreets and local neighborhoods
- Vietnamese Coffee tasting at local café (Egg Coffee)
- Visit poetic villages and floating communities along Red River
- Visit Tran Quoc Temple (1000 year-old Buddhist and Taoist temple)
- Visit Temple of Literature
- Explore historical train street
- Explore French Quarter
- Explore Old Quarter
Landmarks/POIs Tran Quoc Temple Temple of Literature Old Quarter - Day 3
Hanoi to Sapa
After breakfast, you head to the bus station around 07:00 to 08:00 for the trip to Sapa. The 320-kilometer drive takes about 5 to 6 hours through mountainous terrain. Once you check into your hotel, you'll have time to rest and grab lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, you walk to Cat Cat Village where the Black H'Mong ethnic minority community lives, going through terraced fields and meeting local families. You'll also see Cat Cat Waterfall before returning to your hotel by 18:00.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Lunch (Special lunch arranged by local people at local eatery)
Included Activities
- Transfer to Cat Cat Village (Black H'Mong ethnic minority settlement)
- Walk through terraced fields with water buffalo
- Visit local traditional house and meet local family
- Visit Cat Cat Waterfall
Landmarks/POIs Cat Cat Village Cat Cat Waterfall - Day 4
Sapa Mountain Adventure
Meeting your guide at 08:30, you head to Silver Waterfall, Vietnam's highest waterfall with a 300-meter drop, and hike down to its base. From there, you drive 3 kilometers to Tram Tom Pass at about 2,000 meters elevation, the highest road in Vietnam with nice views of the surrounding mountains. Afterward you continue to Love Waterfall and Golden Stream, walking through jungle where cardamom crops grow. Lunch happens at a local restaurant before you take the cable car up Fansipan Mountain to the 3,143-meter peak, where you'll see panoramic views and lush vegetation. The cable car brings you back down to Sapa for the evening.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch at local restaurant en route)
Included Activities
- Visit Silver Waterfall (highest waterfall in Vietnam with 300m drop)
- Hike to base of Silver Waterfall
- Drive to Tram Tom Pass (highest road in Vietnam, approximately 2000m above sea level)
- Walk through jungle to Love Waterfall and Golden Stream
- Visit Fansipan Mountain via cable car (world's longest and highest cable car)
- View from Fansipan Mountain peak (3,143 meters)
Landmarks/POIs Silver Waterfall Tram Tom Pass Love Waterfall Golden Stream Fansipan Mountain - Day 5
Sapa to Hanoi
This morning you're free to explore Sapa Town on your own or stay at your hotel with no guide scheduled. If you want, there are optional activities like the Rong May Glass Bridge or a tour to Ma Tra and Ta Phin Village with a herbal bath and massage. In the afternoon or evening, you board a limousine for the 5-hour drive back to Hanoi. You'll arrive at the bus station around 19:30 to 20:00, then your guide transfers you to your hotel for the night.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel)
Optional Activities
- Rong May Glass Bridge experience (transparent glass bridge with panoramic mountain views)
- Tour to Ma Tra - Ta Phin Village including visit to Suoi Ho Village, French church ruins, Black Hmong and Red Dao minority villages, herbal medicine bath and massage, and lunch at local restaurant
Landmarks/POIs Rong May Glass Bridge Ma Tra Village Ta Phin Village Suoi Ho Village - Day 6
Hanoi to Ha Long Bay Cruise
After breakfast, you're picked up at 08:30 from the Old Quarter and travel through the scenic Red River Delta to Ha Long Bay, arriving at Tuan Chau Marina at 11:30. You board your cruise at 12:00 and check into your cabin after getting welcome drinks and a briefing. During lunch, the boat passes by beautiful areas like Incense Burner and Fighting Cock Islet. You'll kayak at Luon Cave and explore Titov Island with its sandy beach and views before heading back on board. The evening includes a cooking demonstration, happy hour at the bar, and dinner at 19:00, with spa or relaxation time afterward.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel in Hanoi), Lunch (Vietnamese and international lunch while cruising through Ha Long Bay), Dinner (Deluxe dinner with traditional and fusion dishes prepared by talented chefs)
Included Activities
- Travel through Red River Delta landscape
- Embark on cruise with welcome drinks
- Check in to cabin
- Visit Luon Cave
- Kayak in Ha Long Bay
- Visit Titov Island
- Hike to top of Titov Island for panoramic views
- Cooking demonstration on sundeck
- Watch sunset over the bay
- Happy Hour at bar (buy 01 get 01 promotion)
Optional Activities
- Massage service (book directly with Cruise Manager)
Landmarks/POIs Incense Burner Dog Stone Islet Fighting Cock Islet Three Coconuts Island Luon Cave Titov Island - Day 7
Ha Long Bay to Hanoi
You start early with a Tai Chi session on the sundeck at 06:15, then breakfast is served at 07:00. From there, you visit Sung Sot Cave, the largest limestone cave on Bo Hon Island, which has beautiful stalactites and stalagmites formed over millions of years. After the cave, you return to the cruise by 09:30 to check out and have brunch while the boat heads back. You disembark at Tuan Chau Marina at 11:30 and get transferred back to Hanoi, arriving around 14:30.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Coffee, tea and pastries for breakfast served in the restaurant), Brunch (Brunch while cruising back to Tuan Chau Marina)
Included Activities
- Tai Chi session on sundeck
- Visit Sung Sot Cave (Grotte des Surprising, largest limestone cave)
- View stalactites and stalagmites
Landmarks/POIs Sung Sot Cave Bo Hon Island - Day 8
Hanoi to Ninh Binh
Your guide and driver pick you up at 08:00 for a 110-kilometer drive through countryside with a short break. You reach Mua Cave at 10:30 and hike to the peak of Ngoa Long Mountain for views of Tam Coc and the surrounding province. Lunch happens at 12:00, then you check into your hotel in Ninh Binh and rest. At 15:00, you pick up a city bike and ride through rural villages to see how locals live. Cycling through Thung Nang and Tam Coc valleys with limestone mountains, you then take a sampan at 16:30 through Thung Nham Bird Valley to see Hang But Buddhist Cave with a Buddha-shaped stalactite and tropical fruit orchards. You paddle quietly through Thung Chim to watch over 4,000 birds from 40 species before dinner at 18:00.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch at restaurant with great local cuisine), Dinner (Dinner at restaurant with local cuisine)
Included Activities
- Hike to peak of Ngoa Long Mountain for panoramic views of Tam Coc and Ninh Binh
- Cycling through rural villages and local family visits
- Cycling through Thung Nang Valley
- Cycling through Tam Coc Valley with limestone mountain views (Halong On Land)
- Sampan ride through Thung Nham Bird Valley
- Visit Hang But Buddhist Cave (approximately 500 meters in length)
- View stalactites, stalagmites, and Buddha-shaped stalactite
- Visit tropical fruit orchard
- Bird watching at Thung Chim (Thung Nham) - observe 4,000+ birds of 40 species daily
Landmarks/POIs Mua Cave Ngoa Long Mountain Tam Coc Ninh Hai Village Thung Nang Valley Thung Nham Bird Valley Hang But Cave - Day 9
Ninh Binh to Hanoi
After hotel breakfast, your guide picks you up at 09:00 to cycle to Thai Vi Temple and Bich Dong Pagoda, the second most beautiful cave in Vietnam. You check out at 11:30 and have lunch with local foods like goat meat, fish, and spring rolls (vegetarian options available). In the afternoon, you travel to Trang An Grottoes, a natural area covering 20 square kilometers with limestone mountains. You board a traditional sampan and float down the river through multiple caves including Lam Cave, Vang Cave, and others, plus temples along the way. At 16:00, you head back to Hanoi and check into your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Lunch (Lunch at restaurant with local foods such as goat meat, fish, spring rolls. Vegetarian foods available on request.)
Included Activities
- Cycling to Thai Vi Temple
- Visit Bich Dong Pagoda (second most beautiful cave in Vietnam)
- Sampan ride through Trang An Grottoes (20 square kilometers of limestone massif)
- Explore Lam Cave
- Explore Vang Cave
- Explore Dai Cave
- Explore Thanh Truot Cave
- Visit Cao Son Temple
- Visit Suoi Tien Temple
- Visit Vu Lam Temple
Landmarks/POIs Thai Vi Temple Bich Dong Pagoda Trang An Grottoes Lam Cave Vang Cave Dai Cave Thanh Truot Cave Cao Son Temple Suoi Tien Temple Vu Lam Temple - Day 10
Departure from Hanoi
You'll relax at your hotel until it's time to leave. Your guide and driver pick you up and take you to Noi Bai Airport for your flight home.
