Hanoi is the very first destination of your epic excursion to explore the Northern Vietnam. You have one day to unveil the iconic destinations of this ancient capital before traveling to the heaven town in the highland, Sapa, by night train. After visits to the local villages, you will be transferred to Mai Chau, the heart of a beautiful valley. The next highlight in your tour is the Pu Luong Nature Reserve, where you can meet the extremely peaceful Cham River. You also have a chance to visit Hoa Lu and Tam Coc, the two famous destinations of Ninh Binh province. The last highlight in is the splendid overnight cruise in Ha Long. Your tour ends when you come back to Hanoi and take your departure here.
| Day 1: Hanoi’s welcome
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| Upon your arrival, the local tour guide will escort you to the hotel in the city center by car for check-in at around 2 pm. Relish your very first meal in your tour with the welcome dinner prepared by the hotel.
Meal(s): D
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| Day 2: A tour to unveil the highlights of the ancient capital
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| Your second day in Hanoi is covered with the city tour. Begin with the West Lake and the Temple of Literature in the morning. After lunch, continue your tour with other highlights: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hoan Kiem Lake, and Ngoc Son Temple. The Cyclo Ride in Hanoi Old Quarter is a fascinating experience to end your city tour. After dinner, transfer to the Hanoi Railway Station to take the overnight train to Lao Cai.
Meal(s): B/L/D
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| Day 3: First impression of Sapa, the cloudy town
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| From Lao Cai, hop on a car to transfer to Sapa. Have breakfast with local dishes then trek to Cat Cat village, the village of H‘mong tribe in the valleys. Then go down into the valley which is surrounded by a flowery valley and deep-green pines. Finally, walk back Sapa for lunch and enjoy your free time in the afternoon.
Meal(s): B/L
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| Day 4: Authentic experiences with the local villages
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| After relishing the breakfast in the hotel, take a bus to Lao Chai village. Further on along the trail, you can visit the Tavan village of Dzay people. Have lunch in a local restaurant, after that pay a visit to Giang Ta Chai village. Turn back to Sapa by bus in afternoon, relax a little bit before taking a bus back to Sapa bus station, from which you will transfer to the Laocai railways station by bus for a night train back to Hanoi.
Meal(s): B/L/D
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| Day 5: Mai Chau - the heart of a beautiful valley
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| You will be picked up from the hotel and transferred to Mai Chau. Lunch will be served in Mai Chau Ecolodge. In the afternoon, have a small walk around Mai Chau valley before getting a quick transfer to a small remote village of Mai Hich. Take a short cycling around the green village if the weather is fine. Afterward, return for dinner and stay overnight in Mai Chau Ecolodge.
Meal(s): B/L
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| Day 6: The peaceful Cham River in the Pu Luong Nature Reserve
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| Following breakfast, the driver will meet you at Lac village for transfer to Pu Luong Nature Reserve. Have a delicious lunch and take a short break at the accommodation. In the evening, you will be transferred to a suspension bridge over the Cham River. Arriving at a local fisherman’s house, have a short rest to gear up for the bamboo river rafting with Dinh and his team. On the way back to Pu Luong Retreat for dinner, take a short stop at the scenic Tan Lap bridge for great pictures.
Meal(s): B/L/D
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| Day 7: Enthralling trekking routes
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| Start your day early in the morning to descend into the beautiful valley facing the Retreat. Trek through the valley to meet the picturesque villages, farmlands, wild fields, ponds, rivers, mountains and open land. Savor the ever-changing scenery as you trek to a beautiful spot to enjoy a simple picnic lunch. After lunch, you have free time to explore the refreshing water to the nearby river, before moving to our pick up point to be transferred back to the Retreat.
Meal(s): B/L/D
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| Day 8: A glance at Hoa Lu - Tam Coc
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| After breakfast at Pu Luong Retreat, you will leave Pu Luong for Ninh Binh to visit the ancient capital of Hoa Lu – the capital of Vietnam in the 10th century, admire the architecture of the two temples dedicated to the kings of the Dinh and Le dynasties. Then, hop aboard a sampan boat to explore Tam Coc grottoes, the Halong Bay on land. You can cycle around paddy field and Tam Coc area.
Meal(s): B/L/D
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| Day 9: An exotic overnight cruise in Halong
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| After the breakfast at Tam Coc Garden, you will be transferred to Halong. Upon your arrival, you will set out on a junk cruise on the bay while lunch is served. In the late afternoon, visit an interesting fishing village. At sunset, you can kayak or simply take a bamboo row boat to discover a water tunnel with many coral reefs in a scenic lagoon. Back on board, enjoy watching the peaceful sunset and later unwind at a restaurant. You will stay overnight on board.
Meal(s): B/L/D
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| Day 10: Discover the local cuisine through the Foodies Tour
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| In the morning, you will have an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay and pay a visit to Titop Island to get a marvelous view of Halong. Drive back to Hanoi and stay overnight. The Foodies Tour will begin at 0 6 pm, you will have a great chance to enjoy special food on street of Hanoi old quarter.
Meal(s): B/Brunch/D
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| Day 11: Time to say goodbye
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| After breakfast, prepare your stuffs and transfer to the airport to take your departure on time.
Meal(s): B
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