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8 Days To Explore The North-West of Vietnam

ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi, relax at the hotel, watch Water Puppet Show

Welcome to Hanoi, the heart of Vietnam which is considered as a blend between the traditional and the modern beauties. 
At Noi Bai Airport, our guide and driver will welcome then take you to your hotel to do check-in. 
After relaxation, our guide will take you to walk to the theatre and we will enjoy Water Puppet Show – A traditional art performance of Vietnam. After that, you will enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2: Full Day Hanoi City Tour

08.00 AM: After breakfast at the hotel, our tour guide will come to the hotel and pick you up, then we will start the Hanoi city tour 
We will start with a visit to Ho Chi Minh Complex. Here you can visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where the corpse of Uncle Ho kept there.

Next, you will visit the Presidential Palace - a nice French architecture in the garden and Ho Chi Minh House on stilt. Visiting the house you will see the simple life of Ho Chi Minh - the president in Vietnamese's spirit forever. We will finish this area with One Pillar Pagoda - one of the most attractions in Hanoi you cannot miss with the special in architecture.
Having lunch and you will continue to the Temple of Literature - The first University of Vietnam. The next destination will be Museum of Ethnology to learn more about Vietnam Culture.

Next, we will explore Hanoi by traveling through the Old Quarter with 36 ancient streets in a traditional cyclo. This slow - speed tour will give your great chance to fully enjoy the classic and modern of the capital. We will end the tour at about 04.00 pm then it is your free time to go shopping, relax in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi – Ninh Binh

08.00 am: After breakfast at your hotel, our tour guide and driver will pick you up and drive about 2.5 hours to Ninh Binh Province. 
We will visit Hoa Lu, a historical place and associated with the foundation of the Dinh, Early Le and Ly dynasties in the 10th and 11th century. Within an area of 13 square kilometers, the Hoa Lu ancient Capital contains important parts in the history of Vietnam you can visit the Dinh-Le sanctuary, statues of the Emperors. After that, we transfer to restaurant for our lunch.
In the afternoon, we take an amazing rowing boat to visit Trang An Eco-Tourism area. Trang An Eco-Tourism complex is a home of 600 kinds of flora and over 200 kinds of fauna that many of them in the Red book of Vietnam. It is also a gathering of 31 valleys, 48 cross-water caves and we will visit 3 to 6 of them. On the rowing boat, we can enjoy the fresh air, clean and clear water with underwater grass. Experience ourselves the feeling and emotion when we are in the water caves….
After the tour, we will drive back to Hanoi and arrive at your hotel at about 5.30 – 6.00 pm. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 4: Hanoi – Yen Bai

08.00 am: After breakfast at your hotel, you will have a tour around the countryside of Hanoi. Today, we will visit the Duong Lam ancient village which is about 70km far from city center and enjoy the lunch with local style in a century-old house. In the afternoon, it is the time to take a walk to explore surrounding areas with small alleys and laterite walls.

We will continue the way to Nghia Lo. Stop on the way for the nice pictures of the mountain view changing on the way. Visiting the tea fields and the local people on the way and arrive at Nghia Lo Homestay. Check in then have a night with very local people there where the tourists rarely touched. Communicate with local people there with the help of our guide to experience the local life in the mountainous area. Enjoy the dinner with local people in the local house.

Overnight in the Homestay.

Day 5: Yen Bai – Mu Cang Chai – Khau Pha Pass – Che Cu Nhai

08.00 am: After breakfast, we will say goodbye to the host for the trip to Mu Cang Chai.

Today we will have e chance to visit and take photos of terrace fields on the way, visit the villages and interacting with local people. On the way we will visit the beautiful terraced fields, passing Khau Pha pass - one of the 4 longest passes in Vietnam, see the local life of the different groups on the way. After heading to Che Cu Nha terrace field, it is our chance to learn more about local ethnic life in the different villages then drive to Mu Cang Chai.

Check in the homestay, have dinner and stay overnight in Mu Cang Chai.

Day 6: Yen Bai – Sapa

08.00 am: We will say goodbye to Mu Cang Chai for Sapa. On the way today there are a lot of nice terrace fields where you may have the best photos. We will stop on the way for communication with local people to understand their life with the help of our guide.

There are so many ethnic minorities in that area and their character and way of life are very different from the people in the city or the plain. So to be surprised when even driver or guide cannot communicate with them as some of them may only speak a bit Vietnamese.

However, today is a day with no touristy area. The highlight today is also passing one of the four highest passes in Vietnam – O Quy Ho before we arrive in Sapa. Check in hotel then overnight in Sapa.

Day 7: Full Day Trekking Sapa

Met up at your hotel in Sapa by a local guide and then you first sneak through the market and leave the busy town behind.

After a couple of minutes, you will follow a road going downhill to Cat Cat village. You will stop by a waterfall and a hydroelectric station for a while before you trek on a dirt trail through rice paddy terraces.

You will also enjoy spectacular scenery while walking along a narrow river. You eventually arrive at Y Linh Ho village of Black Hmong minority, where you can take a rest while you are served lunch nearby the river.

After lunch, you head Muong Hoa valley. You will pass through Lao Chai village of Black Hmong minority and then Ta Van village by following a very popular trekking route. You will spend the night in a local house of Giay minority. You will be able to take a walk to enjoy the valley view as well as swim in the river nearby.

Day 8: Sapa – Hanoi

Once you get energy for your last day trek by having a delicious breakfast, you leave for Giang Ta Chai village of Red Dao minority. You will trek through a bamboo forest, which belongs to Hoang Lien National Park. On the way, you will pass by a waterfall where you will have time to take a rest and enjoy the surroundings. You will find a nice place to

After lunch, you continue toward Su Pan, a small village located by the road. Here you start your journey back to Sapa by car. Relax till driving back to your hotel at Hanoi. End of service.

Inclusion

– Vietnam visa approval letter

– Accommodation as itinerary

– Private transport in air-conditioned vehicles

– Domestic airport & government taxes

– Local English-speaking guides

– Water on coach

– Entrance fees, performances, boat trips & excursions

Exclusion

– International flights to/from Vietnam

– Travel insurance

– Visa stamp fees

– Early check-in & late check-out surcharge

– Personal expenses

– Meals not mentioned

– Drinks not mentioned

– Tips & gratuities for guides and drivers