Best of Northern Vietnam 7 days

Upon arrival, your guide will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. Refresh until the sunset time. We transfer to Long Bien bridge for capturing and watching the sunseton the Red river peaceful countryside and the historical and legendary Long Bien bridge.

Then your guide will take you on a culinary as well as local life adventure in the Old Quarter. Let’s stop at Bia Hoi corner to try the local brew, a draft beer that traces its roots to Eastern Europe. Do as the locals do and pull up a stool and enjoy a drink while watching the world go by. You will also have opportunity to see the busiest time of local life here. Then, walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we tempt our taste buds with the famed Hanoi dish Banh Cuon at a local eatery. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how this tasty dish is put together. Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, we wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1000 years ago.

Our next two snack stops are at outdoor barbecue stalls. We sit down with the Hanoi locals and sample various meat, vegetable and bread specialties that are flame grilled over hot coals for extra flavor. It’s then time for dessert as we venture down a small alley to join in the local tradition of feasting on fresh fruit served in a cup and smothered with crushed iced and condensed milk (To Tich street) – this specialty is one not to be missed!

Have your breakfast at the hotel. Then, start your journey to the highlights of Hanoi at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, an imposing structure that houses the remains of the revered former president who led Vietnam’s campaign for independent from colonial rule. Next, head onward to Quan Thanh temple and Tran Quoc pagoda – the oldest pagoda in Hanoi where are the scared places that Hanoian usually come on the first and middle day of Lunar month to pray health, peace, property,…
>> Read more: Top 17 what to see in Hanoi

For lunch, sit down for a traditional Vietnamese meal at a nice restaurant.

After lunch, get the cyclo through the Quarter’s 36 streets named for the products historically sold here. Stop at some of the only remaining streets that continue selling the goods of their namesake, including Tin and Bamboo street. Continue by strolling your walk to Hoan Kiem lake. Get a strong Vietnamese coffee (or try Egg Coffee)V at a café overlooking the Lake – an important symbol of Vietnamese folklore. Enjoy a water puppet show for a look at traditional performance art in Vietnam.

After your dinner, being transferred to Hanoi train station for the night train to Lao Cai for Sapa

Accommodation: Overnight on train (Sharing 4th berth cabin/ Private cabin on request)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

The next morning trekking starts at 8 AM. First however it is time for breakfast to give you the strength for another long day of trekking. The trek will start downhill to Muong Hoa valley and Lao Chai village. We will walk past grazing buffalo and through a beautiful small bamboo forest before reaching Lao Chai. We will then walk through the Hmong village of Lao Chai towardsDay 4: Sapa trekking – night train back to Hanoi where we will have a small lunch. From Ta Van the trek continues in the direction of Giang Ta Chai village. This part of the trek is a bit more difficult as we will walk through the rice paddies. Make sure you take in the spectacular views along the way. After the rice paddies we hike up the hill and through another bamboo forest. This will take us to a steep waterfall with clear mountain water. Take a moment to relax on top of the waterfall and enjoy the view. After the waterfall we will go downhill to the village of Giang Ta Chai. Giang Ta Chai is a Red Dao village. The Red Dao are easily recognizable by the red scarfs they wear on their heads. In addition Red Dao women shave off their eyebrows. Take the opportunity to immerse in the Red Dao culture and take a look at their houses, traditionally made out of bamboo and wood. In Giang Ta Chai a car will be waiting to pick you up and take you back to Lao Cai for night train back to Hanoi.

Accommodation: Overnight on cruise

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Arrival in Hanoi in the early morning, transfer to the hotel for refresh and have breakfast before heading toNinh Binh.
Meet your guide and driver in the morning and depart Hanoi bound to Ninh Binh Province. Known lovingly as “Halong Bay on land”, this stunning province boasts similar limestone karts topography that rises from emerald rice paddy fields and winding rivers. After a two and a half hour drive, arrive in Gia Vien District and swap your car for a bicycle – embark on a short cycling journey through paddy fields en route to the nearby Van Long reserve area. Along the way, stop at nearby hamlet for an in-depth experience learning how locals here farm and tend to their rice. Follow the lead of your local host for seeding, putting down fertilizer, scooping water or harvesting, depending on the time of year.

In the afternoon, reach Van Long wharf and set off on a short boat trip into the reservoir at Van Long Nature Reserve – the largest wetland in northern Vietnam. This is also where many of the scenes from Kong: Skull Island took place. Float past poetic landscapes and rolling jungle hills that are perfect for photos, then transfer to the hotel/ homestay for relaxing.

Accommodation: Hotel in Ninh Binh

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, your Halong Bay experience begins with pickup at hotel/homestay in Ninh Binh for the 3.5-hour drive to Tourist Wharf, where you’ll check in at the cruise Lounge, the private waiting area to board your boat.

12:30 Get on the boat by private pier and then crew warmly welcomes you. Enjoy welcome drink following tour guide’s briefing. Check in your cabin and take a rest.

13:30 Enjoy a nice set-menu lunch while the boat goes ahead to the Bay’s center. After lunch, you are free to relax. While lights of afternoon decrease slightly, hundreds of islands with different shapes definitely amaze you. What make your trip memorable are not the sights of Halong, but the line that you go. Best time to watch unparalleled scenery of Halong in slow motion.

15:00 Arrive at Luon cave by tender. You will discover the area’s tranquility by kayaking or sitting on rowing boat. No matter what you choose, the activity centrally offers the serenity of escape, particularly in the mid afternoon.

16:00 By tender, visit Titop Island. Free choice of activities: sunbathing, swimming and especially conquering the peak of the biggest island in Halong Bay. Recommendation: Climb up the top of the island & enjoy bird’s-eye view!

17:30 Go back the boat for relaxation at dusk. Enjoy FREE seasonal fruits on sundeck.

18.30 Join in cooking demonstration on the sundeck. Try to make it and taste how well your skill is!

19.30 A dinner that gives you an appetite will be served in romantic ambiance with BBQ fresh seafood.

21:00 Free choice of evening activities (watching film, playing board, guitar and card games; going fishing squid on tender).

22:00 The first day ends with your sound sleep!

Accommodation: Overnight on cruise

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Woman explore Ha Long Bay on kayak with limestone mountains on background. Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, Cat Ba Island

06:00 Awaken you (on desire) at dawn for morning exercise (Tai Chi Quan) on sundeck or enjoy beautiful spectacles that a blazing sunrise breaks the clouds of the island on the bay!

07:00 Have a light breakfast. Tea and coffee are complementary.

07:45 Visit Surprise cave (Sung Sot) discovered by the French in 1901 that opened for tourists since 1936, now it is a must-to-see tourist attraction for its beauty, for being the largest cave and for geology value of Halong Bay.
NOTE: Be ready with your camera, shoes & take incredible photos.

09:15 Come back to our boat for freshening up & checking out cabin. Should not seat & wait for getting off. The cruise runs on another route back to the marina that offers amazing pictures of Mother Nature showing full of typical islets.

10:30 Enjoy farewell buffet while the boat continuously cruises back!

11:30 Say “GOODBYE” to the crew who should be friends in your memory about Halong Bay! Enjoy tea at the lobby and wait for the transfer to Noi Bai airport for your departure flight

Accommodation: N/A

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch