MOUNTAINOUS EXPLORATION – 16 DAYS

Xin chào! Welcome to Vietnam.

On arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, you will be met and escorted to your hotel for refreshment (standard check-in time 2:00 PM). Your guide will provide a briefing on the sixteen-day journey ahead.

In the late afternoon, enjoy an hour-long cyclo ride through Hanoi’s Old Quarter to observe daily life in the city, followed by a traditional water puppet performance — a uniquely Vietnamese art form portraying rural life and folklore.

In the evening, you will be transferred to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner. Overnight in Hanoi.

After breakfast, drive to Duong Lam Ancient Village for a leisurely walking tour of the Mong Phu Communal House and its centuries-old homes, followed by an easy cycling excursion to Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung Temples and Mia Pagoda. Enjoy lunch in a traditional village house.

Continue by scenic countryside road to Nghia Lo, with photo stops at tea plantations, rice terraces and hill-tribe villages along the way. On arrival, check in with your host family, take a leisurely walk through the surrounding countryside, and share dinner with the family. Overnight homestay in Nghia Lo.

After breakfast, depart for Mu Cang Chai, stopping en route at Khau Pha Pass, a local salmon farm and a paragliding viewpoint for photographs, with further stops at Mam Xoi Viewpoint.

On arrival, enjoy some free time to rest before visiting Kim Loong and Giang Phung villages to photograph the terraced hillsides at sunset. Dinner and overnight at a local hotel in Mu Cang Chai.

After an early breakfast, visit a local school before departing on a scenic drive along winding mountain roads toward Sapa, passing hill-tribe villages, small local markets, rice terraces, tea plantations and Heaven’s Gate Pass, with time for lunch and rest along the way.

Arrive in Sapa in the afternoon and check in to your hotel, with the remainder of the day at leisure.

After breakfast, transfer to Muong Hoa Valley for a gentle, gradually descending trek to Lao Chai and Ta Van villages, home to the Black Hmong, Red Dao and Giay communities. Along the way, visit local schools and families to learn about daily life in the highlands, with a break for lunch.

In the afternoon, take the twenty-minute cable car to Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina, followed by a short walk to the summit for sweeping views over the surrounding mountains. Return to your hotel in Sapa.

Northern Vietnam’s hill-tribe markets are vivid, weekly gatherings where ethnic communities come down from the mountains to trade produce, exchange news and enjoy food and rice wine amid a striking display of traditional dress. Your visit depends on your travel dates: Coc Ly Market (Tuesdays only), Can Cau Market (Saturdays only) or Bac Ha Market (Sundays only).

After breakfast and check-out, drive to Lao Cai and continue uphill toward Bac Ha, with fine views over the valley along the way. Spend the morning exploring the market, renowned for its colourful Flower Hmong, Black Dao and Phu La costumes, before continuing to Bac Ha town for lunch.

Check in to a local homestay for the night. Overnight in Bac Ha.

Depart at dawn to visit a local market, with time to explore before continuing to Quan Ba, stopping en route at a hill-tribe village.

On arrival at Quan Ba’s Heaven’s Gate, meet the local community and take a short trek (approximately one hour) to your homestay. Spend the afternoon exploring the village and enjoy dinner with your host family. Overnight homestay in Quan Ba.

After an early start and a simple breakfast at your homestay, spend the day exploring some of Ha Giang Province’s most notable sites: Lung Tam Village, known for its traditional hand-woven brocade textiles; Pao’s House, home to four generations of a local family; Vuong Palace, notable for its striking architecture and historical significance; and Lung Cu Flag Tower, marking Vietnam’s northernmost point.

Continue to Dong Van Old Quarter and check in to a local hotel for the night.

After breakfast, take a walk through Dong Van Old Quarter to observe local life before driving toward Meo Vac, stopping at the summit of Ma Pi Leng Pass — one of the four great mountain passes of northern Vietnam, at an elevation of some 1,500 metres.

From the pass, descend on foot to the pier for a leisurely boat trip (with the option of kayaking) along the Nho Que River, taking in the spectacular surrounding scenery.

Continue by road to Bao Lac District for overnight at a local hotel.

After breakfast and check-out, travel from Bao Lac District to Trung Khanh, stopping en route to visit Pac Bo Cave, where President Ho Chi Minh resided for seven weeks following his return to Vietnam in 1941; the Lenin Stream and Karl Marx Peak viewpoint; and the marker for Kilometre Zero of the historic Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Continue to Trung Khanh for overnight.

After a simple breakfast and check-out, visit Ban Gioc Waterfall, with a leisurely walk to admire the falls at your own pace, followed by Nguom Ngao Cave and a hilltop Buddhist temple.

Continue by road (approximately five and a half hours) to the Ba Be Lake area, stopping en route at Phuc Sen, a Red Dao village known for its traditional blacksmithing. Check in to your hotel for overnight in Ba Be.

Rise early for photography at sunrise, then after breakfast board a motorboat for a scenic cruise on Ba Be Lake, visiting Fairy Cove, Bat Cave and Dau Dang Waterfall, with the opportunity to swim in the lake.

Return to a local house for lunch before the scenic drive back to Hanoi, arriving in the evening. Overnight in Hanoi

Depart Hanoi for the two-hour drive to Ninh Binh, capital of Vietnam under the Dinh and early Le Dynasties from 968 to 1010 AD. Visit two small temples dedicated to the kings of that era, each nearly a thousand years old, before exploring Tam Coc by traditional rowing boat among the limestone karsts (a hat, sunscreen and camera are recommended).

After the boat trip, visit Mua Cave and climb approximately 500 steps to a panoramic viewpoint over the surrounding countryside. Transfer back to your hotel in Hanoi.

Rise early for the scenic drive through the countryside and rice paddies to Ha Long Bay, one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. On arrival at the harbour, board a traditional wooden boat and cruise among the limestone islands, with a seafood lunch on board, a sampan ride to a traditional fishing village, a short cooking class, and dinner as you relax on the upper deck at sunset. The rest of the evening is at leisure.

Rise early for Tai Chi on the top deck and a light breakfast, then disembark to explore a nearby cave. Return to the boat, check out of your cabin, and enjoy brunch while sailing back to shore, where your vehicle will be waiting to transfer you to Hanoi.

You will arrive in Hanoi around 15:30, with the remainder of the day free.

The day is at your leisure until your transfer to the airport for your flight home. End of services.