Northern Charm Discovery 8 days

Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, you will be greeted by a guide in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, which celebrated its 1000th anniversary in 2010. Transfer to the hotel (45 minutes). Check-in and have a restful overnight stay at the hotel.

Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: N/A

The full-day trip shows you the best of Hanoi, including the Presidential Palace, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, and his stilt house.

You also learn about Vietnamese Buddhist customs. Additionally, you get the opportunity to tour the 11th-century Temple of Literature, a historic institution. Proceed to the Ethnology Museum, a very educational facility with both indoor and outdoor exhibits.

Returning to the Old Quarter, to meander along the winding lanes renowned for their guilds producing specialty crafts. The guild streets still have names that relate to their product or location.

Afterward, have a light break at a small hotel near to the train station. Then later that evening, our staff will escort you to your cabin on the train to Lao Cai. Overnight on the train.

Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Arrive at Lao Cai train station at around 6 am. Pickup and transfer to the hotel in Sapa (1-hour drive). Once in Sapa, have breakfast and check in at your hotel (the early check-in is dependent on availability and the hotel’s policy). Some free time is offered to explore the town by yourself. Meet your guide and driver for a leisure trip.

The drive uphill offers the most spectacular scenery of Fansipan Mount. Just a kilometer out of the town, rose flower farms and later chayote grow on bamboo frames covering a vast area. You’ll stop at the magnificent Silver Waterfall before continuing the road trip for some kilometers further to Heaven Gate and Tram Ton Pass.

At 2047 m above sea level, the Heaven Gate & Tram Ton Pass are the highest mountain passes in Vietnam. From here, enjoy walking around for half an hour to see the beautiful scenery on both sides of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. The wind blows stronger to force the clouds to move constantly.

This is also the best point here to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the two sides of the Fansipan Mountain Range. Amazingly, the weather is very different by the side: on many days, it is foggy and cloudy on the Sa Pa side and sunny and bright on the other side.

Leaving the Heaven Gate for the way back downhill 7 km, you may stop to take pictures of some lush farm in O Quy Ho where different kinds of vegetables, flowers, fruit trees, and even medicinal plants have grown for years, which makes this part of Sapa evergreen. Transfer back to Sapa, and the trip ends with a drop-off at the hotel.

Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: Breakfast

Located just about 5 kilometers southeast of Sapa town, Ma Tra Valley attracts you for its stunning scenery, highlighted by impressive terraced rice fields. The Hmong people changed from a sifting lifestyle into a sedentary one in the early 20th Century and built terraced fields to ensure their permanent earnings by farming wet rice.

The trip commences from Sapa at 08.30 am or 01.30 pm by a 5-kilometer road transfer out of Sapa town. Then the walk starts from here downhill and crosses the stream to the other bank, where Suoi Ho village beautifully sits on the top of a low hill.

Spend half an hour visiting several local homes to understand local life before continuing walking along a large path on hillsides that is paved with rock to get through Ma Tra village. This portion of the walk offers beautiful scenery of the valley and terraced paddies, as well as a flower farm.

Late afternoon, we bring you back to Lao Cai Railway station for an overnight train to Hanoi. Overnight on the train.

Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: Breakfast

Around 5:00 am, arrive in Hanoi, and our staff will pick you up at the train station. Rest and breakfast in a hotel in Hanoi.

Around 8:30 am, our guide and driver will take you to visit Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh, the ancient capital of Vietnam, where you can explore the historic temples dedicated to King Dinh and King Le. Immerse yourself in the rich history and admire the architectural marvels.

Afterward, head to Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, embark on a tranquil boat ride through a stunning network of rivers, caves, and lush greenery. Marvel at the limestone karst landscapes and enjoy the serene beauty of the natural surroundings.

Then, return to your hotel in Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.

Tour guide: English-speaking Guide
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

We will pick you up at around 8:00 am after breakfast so you may travel to the breathtaking Halong Bay.

You are welcomed on board and served a delectable meal as you cruise across the port. Visiting a karst cave, swimming in pristine water, taking in the landscape, kayaking (available as an extra on most boats), or lounging on the sundeck will all be included in the itinerary, depending on the tour you choose.

After a delectable dinner on board, the day will conclude and you will spend the night outside under the stars.

Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Wake up on the bay to the sounds of waves, fresh air, and a breeze. A brand new day comes. Following breakfast, you can discover a breathtaking limestone grotto before returning to the boat for a scenic cruise back to the dock.

Your boat will arrive at the harbor by 11:30 am, and your driver is waiting to take you to the hotel in Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.

Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Morning with leisure or a late breakfast, then enjoy your free time until departure to the airport for your onward flight. End of services.

Tour guide: English-speaking guide
Meals: Breakfast