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Day 1: Welcome to Hanoi
Greetings from Hanoi: Vietnam’s thriving old colonial capital! Your designated driver and guide will pick you up at Noi Bai Airport and take you to your hotel in the city center. Check-in at an award-winning French colonial design hotel at the heart of the bustling city, the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel. After checking-in, explore the city and the beautiful Old Quarter filled with French-colonial structures via cyclo. Enjoy a delectable dinner in one of the best restaurants in Hanoi.
Accommodation: Sofitel Metropole Hotel / InterContinental Westlake Hotel -
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour – Night train to Laocai ( Meals: B / L / D )
Today, you will have a full day of exploring Vietnam’s old-colonial capital. The spacious and tree-line streets, French design and architecture,serene lakes, and ancient pagodas, Hanoi provides a diverse mix of culture, history, and architecture for all types of visitors. The city tour we offer takes you to Hanoi’s famous sites such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and stilt house, One Pillar Pagoda, West Lake, Temple of Literature, Quan Thanh Temple, Tran Quoc Pagoda, and one of the museums (Ethnology Museum or History Museum). After your city tour, watch a Water Puppet Show that was derived from the wet-rice cultures of Vietnam before heading to the train station to catch your night train to Laocai.
Accommodation: Victoria Express Train -
Day 3: Laocai – Sapa ( Meals: B / L )
The train will pull in around 6.00 A.M at Laocai Station, near the border of China. Your driver and guide will meet you at the train station and take you on the 38 mile drive to Sapa – Northwest Vietnam’s premier travel destination. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and catch a few hours of rest before beginning your adventure in this beautiful mountain landscape and home to many minority hill tribe peoples. In the late morning, your guide will take you on a two hour trek through the terraced rice fields to visit the villages Cat Cat and Sin Chai, where you will learn about local traditions and daily life. You are free in the afternoon.
Accommodation: Victoria Sapa Hotel -
Day 4: Sapa – Lao Cai – Night train to Hanoi ( Meals: B / L )
Following breakfast, at 10 am you leave start trekking. The first part is on the road but you soon turn to the right and walk on a small path down the valley to the Muong Hoa River and from here to the Black H’mong village Lao Chai San, Lao Chai. Black H’mong is one of the biggest minority groups in the Sapa area. They are proud of their culture and keep their traditions and way of living. They have their own language and wear traditional indigio blue clothing. After this you continue to Ta Van village (1.200 m) to visit Zay people. Zay is a fairly small minority group of about 38.000 people who live mainly in the mountains in Northwest Vietnam. The development has meant that some of their old customs have been lost but many women still wear traditional shirts with a purple, blue or green color. The Zay houses are built of wood and bamboo with a clay floor.
In the afternoon, you will drive to the railway station for night train to Hanoi.
Accommodation: Victoria Express Train -
Day 5: Hanoi – Halong Cruises ( Meals: B / L / D )
Note: The itinerary is subject to change without prior notice and depends on weather condition.
Arrive in Hanoi in the early morning. Your guide and driver will meet you at the train station and take you to breakfast at a local restaurant, Have a shower and enjoy breakfast in a mini hotel nearby the railways station before setting out on a 3 to 4 hour drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Halong Bay.
Arrival Halong Bay at 12:10 PM Welcome on board and set sail through Bai Tu Long bay while seafood lunch is served. Rest your eyes on the azure waters of this magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons’ teeth, passing picturesque area around Mat Quy islet, Am islet. Mid-afternoon, get to Cua Van fishing village and enjoy a pleasant bamboo boat row to through the village with a museum and a school among floating homes. Visit Tien Ong cave and enjoy sunset cocktails and canapé before going back to your boat. Dinner is served on board.
Accommodation: Violet Cruise / Jasmine Cruise / Indochina Sails / Paradise Cruises -
Day 6: Halong Bay – Hanoi ( Meals: Brunch )
Start the day early to enjoy a Tai Chi class on top deck with an opportunity to admit the magnificent scenery of sunrise over the sea. Deep cruise into Bai Tu Long bay, passing Peal Farm, Phao Dai islet, Tam Cung cave, Hon Xep islet , Dau Moi temple while joining our chef for cooking demonstration to learn more about Vietnamese cuisine art. Opportunity to cruise through famous L’Indochine movie site (subject to tide condition). Enjoy buffet brunch on board before arrival to the dock. Driver is awaiting for you there and transfer you back to Hanoi.
Accommodation: Sofitel Metropole Hanoi Hotel / InterContinental Hanoi Westlake Hotel -
Day 7: Hanoi Departure ( Meals: B )
Today is free at your leisure for sight-seeing or shopping before driving to the airport to catch your departure flight home. Good bye & See you again!
The tour price may vary according to your needs. Please contact us to get the best possible price based upon your travel period and specific touring needs.