Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrive Hanoi – Hanoi City tour [L]

   • 7h30- 8h00: Our driver pick you up from Airport station transfer to city center join group tour .
   • We will start our city day trip. Head to the Uncle Ho’s final resting-place standing in Ba Dinh Square where the Vietnamese cultural and political events are usually taken place. 
   • Visit Ho Chi Minh stilt house, where Ho Chi Minh used to live intermittently during Vietnam War, and One Pillar Pagoda – a Buddhism temple featuring a particular architecture inside and a peaceful lotus lake outside. 
   • Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, visit Bodhi tree which was offered by Indian Prime Minister Razendia Prasat as a gift when he visited Vietnam in 1959. 
   • 12h30: Have Lunch in restaurant in old quarter 
   • Continue to Hoa Lo prison  the ancient temple named Ngoc Son Temple, and Hoan Kiem Lake (Sword Lake).. Go to see the first Vietnam University - Literature Temple (Quoc Tu Giam) founded in 1070 based on teachings of Confucian, 
   • 16h15:  Enjoy Water Puppet show - a kind of well-known traditional Vietnamese art which is preserved through generations with more than 800 years old. Note (excluded water puppet show )
   • Free time Dinner for yourself

   Stay overnight in Ha Noi.

   Please note: - The Program will be adjusted to suit the Arrival flights. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closed on Monday and Friday and all museums closed on Monday. Alternatives will be recommended accordingly.

2. Day 2: Sapa town - Cat Cat Village - Waterfall – Sin chai village (B/L/D)

   • 6.30 – 7.00: Tour guide of Vietnam Travel Advisor  Pick up from your hotel/accommodation, get on a big bus, and depart for Sapa Town.
   • 9.30: Follow the highway to Lao Cai city with the first comfort break
   • 11.00: Second comfort break at Lao Cai city before approaching Sapa
   • 13.00: Arrive in Sapa Town with colorful traditional costumes of H’Mong, Dzao, Tay ethnic People.
     Welcome drink and itinerary briefing
     Enjoy the lunch with local Vietnamese dishes, check-in procedures
   • 14.30: The bus picks you up to the gate of Cat Cat village which is home to Black Hmong ethnic people and is located near the bottom of a deep valley at the foot of Fansipan Peak. 
   • Our local guide will show you the daily life activities of the locals, trek down to the valley bottom to the waterfall where the French built a Hydraulic Power Station, stop for photo with bridge and waterfall then you will walk uphill for bus to pick up to get back to Sapa in the afternoon.
     Trekking distance is about 2.5 km and it lasts for 2 hours
   • 17.00: Come back to Sapa Town. Have dinner & overnight in hotel with night activities.

3. Day 3: Sapa– Explore Fansipan Peak - The Indochina's Roof beach – Or Ham Rong Mountain (B/L)

   • Option 1: Join Ham Rong Mountain Tour

     • 8:30 am: Guide take you around Sapa centre before climbing the mountain Ham Rong - one of spectacular and wonderful peak of Sapa, where you can exercise your health and discover the natural beauty of  life. From the top of this peak, you can have a panorama over the surrounding area.

     • 12:00 pm: Come back to restaurant and have lunch, enjoy your time with comfort! After lunch, you have all time free in afternoon and night for leasure and shopping.

     • 15:00 pm: Driver take you back to Hanoi.

     • 21:00 pm: End of tour at Hotel or old quarter area.

   • Option 2: Explore Fansipan  Peak - The Indochina's Roof  (Excluded cable car 45 USD/person )
     • 8.00: After breakfast at hotel, you will transfer to Fansipan Cable Station for an amazing trip to reach the Indochina Roof, 3143m above the sea level: Starting by cable car and step up to the Peak, visit pagoda, enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful landscapes from the high.
     • 11.00: Back to Sapa Town, checkout hotel and have lunch.
     • After lunch, free time to relax , shopping 
     • 15.30: It‘s time to say “Good bye Sapa!” and drive back to Hanoi.
     • Along the way, once again you have a chance to enjoy the magical beauty of northwest mountains
     • 21.30 - 22.00: Arrive in Ha Noi. Tour ends !

4. Day 4: Ninh Binh full day (Hoa Lu - Mua cave – Trang An )(B/L)

   • 7h30 -8:00 AM - Depart from Hanoi
   • Your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel in Hanoi and begin the journey towards Ninh Binh province. It takes approximately two hours to reach the first destination of the day, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital.
   • 10:00 -10h30 AM - Visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
   • Hoa Lu was the capital of Vietnam during the Dinh and Le dynasties in the 10th and 11th centuries. Here, you will visit the temples of the two kings, Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh. The temples are located in a scenic area surrounded by limestone mountains and green rice fields.
   • 11:30 AM - Explore Mua Cave
   • After visiting Hoa Lu, the tour continues to Mua Cave, located nearby. Mua Cave is a popular tourist spot due to its stunning panoramic view of the Tam Coc area. To reach the top of the mountain, you need to climb 500 steps, but the effort is worth it.
   • 1:00 PM - Lunch break
   • You will have lunch at a local restaurant in Ninh Binh, where you can try traditional Vietnamese cuisine.
   • 2:00 PM - Boat tour in Trang An
   • After lunch, it's time for a boat tour in Trang An, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Trang An is known for its scenic landscapes of karst mountains, caves, and rivers. During the boat tour, you will explore the caves and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
   • 4:30 PM - Return to Hanoi
   • After the boat tour, you will be driven back to your hotel in Hanoi, where you will arrive around 6:30 PM, depending on traffic.

5. Day 5: Hanoi – Lang son – Cao Bang (B/L/D)

   • Our tour guide will pick you up by car at your hotel around
   • 7:30-8:00 am, transferring you to Lang Son. We will start by driving in the direction of the Chinese border for about 3 hours, before stopping at Chi Lang Pass - a 20-km-long gorge created from a narrow valley between two mountains. This place occupies an important position in Vietnamese history, being the place of many victories against various Chinese invasions over the centuries and millennia, as far back as 981AD. As such it bears the reputation of Vietnam’s strongest citadel and bastion. Here you will have roughly an hour to walk around and explore the area around the Quy Mon Quan Gate, which translates as “The Gate of Monsters”, named for the many invasion forces that would spill through the pass over the course of history only to be beaten back by stalwart Vietnamese defenders. 
   • After lunch at a local restaurant in Dong Dang, you will continue your trip into the pass, stopping to visit Mother’s Temple and Dong Khe – an important historical site where The Battle of Dong Khe was fought during the First Indochina War. In fact, this was the very first battle of the Indochina Wars, and the fighting here took place through September and October 1950, ending in a resounding victory for the Viet Minh. In the evening you will get to enjoy dinner and overnight rest in a hotel in Cao Bang city.

   Highlights and activities: Chi Lang, Quy Mon Quan Gate, Dong Khe Battle Site, and a 3-5km walk.
   Accommodation: Thanh Loan Hotel
   Meals: Lunch and Dinner in local restaurant

6. Day 6: Ban Gioc Waterfall – Nguom Ngao Cave – Ba Be Lake (B/L/D)

   • After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, you will depart for Trung Khanh which lies right on the border with China. 
   • Here you will have another chance to meet and interact with the local Nung people living in the village of Phuoc Sen, a mountainous village famous for its traditional blacksmithing. The farming tools made here are an integral part of the lifestyle which is evident in the surrounding rice paddies and fields. Nestled amongst these amazing landscapes is the breath-taking Ban Gioc Waterfall which spans over 300 meters, split half and half between Vietnam and China. 
   • You’ll get some time here to simply take in the amazing atmosphere surrounding the falls, which presents an excellent opportunity for some fantastic photography. 
   • Once you’ve finished at the falls, it’s time to head over to Nguom Ngao Cave, for a very different, but no less impressive natural wonder. The cave stretches for 2,144 meters underground and is brimming with incredible stalactites and stalagmites. 
   • You will then return to Cao Bang town and head down the “snake pass” to Ba Be Lake, where you will stay overnight in a homestay constructed in traditional Tay fashion and owned and operated by a local Tay family. 
   • Here you can relax and unwind from the day and enjoy a delicious and authentic home-cooked meal.

   Highlights and activities: Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave, Ethnic Villages, a 2 - 3 km trek
   Accommodation: Homestay
   Meals: Breakfast, dinner at homestay. Lunch in local restaurant

7. Day 7: Babe lake – Hanoi [B/L]

   • After breakfast we’ll kick the final day of the tour of by boarding a boat and setting off onto the lake. It’s up to you how to spend your time on the boat, whether it’s relaxing and enjoying the views or going for a swim in the cool waters to refresh yourself. The views consist of stunning karst formations all around you covered with patches of wild vegetation and a rich wildlife.
   • The boat will then continue along the Nang River, giving you a chance to explore the caves of Puong Grotto where you can marvel at the stalactites and stalagmites created through river erosion, as well as observe the thousands-strong bat colony that lives here.
   • Now that you’ve reached the end of your tour, you’ll be driven the roughly 230 kilometres back to Hanoi, with a stop at a tea plantation nestled among rolling hills. Once we arrive in Hanoi it is time to say farewell, having made lifelong memories and connections

8. Day 8: Halong bay - Hanoi overnight on cruise [B/L/D]

   • 07.45 – 08.30: You will be picked up from your hotel in Ha Noi Old Quarter. Then we will head to Ha Long Bay. You may enjoy the landscape of the Red River Delta along the way
   • 11.30: Upon arriving in our lobby in Tuan Chau Marina, you may take a short stretch while our staff arranges all registration with the local government.
   • 12.00 – 12.30: The cruise captain and staff will welcome you onboard CRUISE after a short tender transfer. While enjoying a refreshing welcome drink, a short cruise briefing and safety instructions will be given.
   • 12.30 – 13.00: CRUISE voyages to Ha Long Bay – one of the New Seven Nature Wonders of the World. Lunch is served on board while the cruise passes via amazing limestone karst formations that rise up out of the sea in an impressive manner. 
   • 14.00 – 14.30: You will leave the cruise to explore Sung Sot Cave (also known as Surprise/ Amazing Cave), one of the biggest and most beautiful caves in Ha Long Bay. 
   • 15.00: Returning to Cruise, the trip will continue to Ti Top Island. Here, you can watch the magnificent view over either the Gulf of Tonkin or swim in the emerald green and cool water.
   • 17.00: After a long day, this is the ideal time to enjoy energizing drinks and snacks by joining ‘Happy Hour’ or Cooking Class on the sundeck
   • 19.30: Sumptuous dinner is served. Enjoy delicious local food prepared and served for you by our wonderful onboard catering staff. 
   • 20.30: After dinner, various activities including karaoke, and squid fishing are organized. Or you can just laze around with exhilarating drinks from our bar. The rest of the day is spent at your leisure.

   Included: Coach, English speaking tour guide, entrance and sightseeing fees, Cabin on cruise, lunch, Dinner 

   Excluded: drink, tip and personal expenses

9. Day 9: Halong Bay – Luon Cave – Kayaking - Hanoi [B/L]

   • 06.15 – 07.00: Breakfast is served. It can be a great idea to enjoy the meal with the magnificent view of the sunrise in Ha Long Bay.
   • 8.00 -9.30: The cruise gets closer to the center of the Natural Preservation Area. Join our guide on a short trip to Luon Cave. This magic work of nature shows you the formation of karst mountains. You can discover this time masterpiece by kayaking on your own. If you are lucky, you can catch great photos with mischievous monkeys jigging up and down around the cliffs.
   • 9.30:  Cruise welcomes you back on board and it is time for checking out.
   • 10.00: Whilst cruising back, delightful lunch will be served.
   • 11.35: We return to the quayside in the south of the bay, where our visitors disembark in Tuan Chau Marina. And leave for Ha Noi on our shuttle.
   • 15.30 – 16.00: You will get back to your hotel in Ha Noi Old Quarter

10. Day 10: Hanoi – Leisure– Departure (B)

    • After breakfast at the hotel, you will have free time to explore Hanoi at your leisure. One popular activity is shopping in the central area around the Old Quarter, where you can find a wide variety of traditional Vietnamese handicrafts, souvenirs, and street food.

    • The Old Quarter is a maze of narrow streets and alleyways, each dedicated to a particular craft or product. For example, Hang Bac Street is known for silverware, while Hang Gai Street is famous for silk products. You can also visit Dong Xuan Market, the largest covered market in Hanoi, where you can find everything from fresh produce to clothing and souvenirs.

    • In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight.