Itinerary

1. Day 01: Arrival in Hanoi (D)

   • The guide and driver will pick you up upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi). Transfer to the hotel in the city center. 
   • Check in at the hotel around noon. 
   • Afternoon: Walking tour around Hoan Kiem Lake (the Restored Sword) and visit the Jade Mountain Temple (Ngoc Son) on the lakeside. 
   • Then, a cyclo ride through ancient streets to get the first glimpse of the daily life of Hanoians. 
   • Evening: Water puppet show. Overnight in Hanoi.

2. Day 02: Hanoi City Tour (B)

   • Breakfast at the hotel. 
   • Hanoi city tour: Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda (Defense of the Fatherland) on the shores of West Lake, Quan Thanh Temple (Great Genius) and the Temple of Literature (Temple of Confucianism at the beginning and then transferred to the First University of Vietnam) . 
   • Afternoon: visit the Museum of Ethnography where about 1500 objects of daily life of 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups are exhibited. Night in Hanoi.

3. Day 03: Hanoi – Thac Ba (B,L,D)

   • Departure towards Thac Ba, which is the first water reservoir in Vietnam. This is where the Daos and Cao Lan live. 
   • Arrival in Thac Ba. Installation at the premises' home. 
   • Lunch: Afternoon, cruise on Thac Ba Lake and then walk in the village of the Dao minorities, meeting and talking with the local inhabitants. 
   • Return to the locals' home in the late afternoon. Dinner and night at the locals' home.

4. Day 04: Thac Ba – Trung Do – Bac Ha (B,L,D)

   • Breakfast at the locals' home. Departure towards Bac Ha. 
   • Visit the villages of the ethnic groups along the way. 
   • Lunch at the locals' home in Trung Do.
   • Visit the village of Tay in Trung Do. Continue the journey to Bac Ha. 
   • Hiking around Bac Ha. Meeting the colorful Hmong and the Thais. Dinner and night at the locals' home.

5. Day 05: Bac Ha – Can Cau Market – Village Hike (B,L,D)

   • Departure in the morning to visit one of the ethnic markets in the region. These markets only take place on a fixed day (Bac Ha on Sunday, Can Cau on Saturday, Sin Cheng on Wednesday, Coc Ly on Tuesday). The ethnic groups of the region gather to exchange goods. 
   • Then, hike in the village. Meet the colorful Hmongs and discover magnificent landscapes. Dinner and night at the locals' house.

6. Day 06: Bac Ha – Bac Ha Market – Sapa (B)

   • Morning: Possibility of visiting the Bac Ha market which only takes place on Sundays, meeting ethnic groups (colorful Hmong, Tay, Dao, Phu La) and admiring the animal exchanges, just like in the Middle Ages at home.
   • Drive to Lao Cai. Stop to visit the Sino-Vietnamese border gate. 
   • Continue to Sapa. Hike in the Ma Tra – Ta Phin area. Terraced rice fields are present all along the way. Meet the Black Hmong and the Red Dao along the way.

   Overnight at the hotel.

7. Day 07: Sapa – Mu Cang Chai (B, D)

   • The morning begins with a hike in the Y Linh Ho – Ta Van – Lao Chai area. 
   • Walk through rice terraces and Black Hmong villages. 
   • In the afternoon, take the road to Mu Cang Chai via the Hoang Lien Son pass. 
   • It is the highest in Vietnam (2047 m above sea level). The magical landscapes are present throughout the journey. Possibility to contemplate the highest point in Vietnam: Fanxipan, 3143 m high. 
   • Dinner and overnight at a local's house in Mu Cang Chai.

8. Day 08: Mu Cang Chai - Nghia Lo (B,L,D)

   • The day begins with a walk in the La Pan Tan area which is known for its magnificent rice terraces and the walking route is nicknamed "the photographers' road". The site is recognized as national heritage. Meeting the Green Hmong. 
   • Then, hiking in the Tu Le valley. Meeting the Thais with their houses on stilts. 
   • Dinner and overnight stay with the locals in Nghia Lo.

9. Day 09: Nghia Lo - Duong Lam (B,L,D)

   • In the morning, bike ride around the Nghia Lo valley visiting Thai villages. Then drive to Hanoi. 
   • Visit a Muong village and the Théen hills along the way. 
   • Visit the ancient village of Duong Lam (the village of Duong Lam has preserved the structure of old Vietnamese villages with its entrance gate, its banyan tree, its temple, its communal house and its house dedicated to the worship of ancestors, century-old houses made of laterite). 
   • Stop to visit the village of Duong Lam: its communal house, an old house, its Mia pagoda. Lunch in a family restaurant. Back on the road to Hanoi.

10. Day 10: Duong Lam – Ninh Binh (B,L,D)

    • Departure for Ninh Binh. Visit Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam where the royal temples of Dinh Bo Linh and Le Hoan are located. 
    • Then, 2-hour cruise in a boat rowed by local women passing by sugar loaves in Van Long called "Halong Bay on land". Short walk to visit the village, meet and talk with local people. Dinner and overnight at a local's house.

11. Day 11: Ninh Binh – Lan Ha Bay (B,L,D)

    • Breakfast and then departure for Lan Ha Bay. Lan Ha Bay is located south of Halong Bay; the landscapes are similar and much less frequented by tourists. The islands and islets of the bay are green and dotted with small coves and deserted beaches. 
    • You can visit the floating villages where fishermen live. Upon arrival around noon, board a traditional junk for an enchanting 2-day / 1-night cruise in the bay.
    • For an authentic and off the beaten track cruise we chose the southern part of the great Halong Bay, Lan Ha Bay where the big boats of mass tourism do not pass yet, just a few small traditional junks in this corner. 
    • A part of the bay is still very authentic with thousands of rocks, wild beaches and large floating villages that you cannot find in another part of the bay.

    Night on board the junk.

12. Day 12: Lan Ha Bay – Hanoi – Departure (B,L)

    • Continuation of the cruise in Halong Bay.
    • The return cruise allows you to discover other corners of the bay.
    • Disembarkation around 11:30 am and transfer to the airport for the departure flight.

    End of your journey.