DISCOVERY OF GREAT NORTH VIETNAM IN 14 DAYS

After arriving at Noi Bai Airport, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel in the city center. Hotel check-in is available from 2 pm. You can enjoy free time to discover Hanoi by yourself.

We will start the day with a trip to the Tran Quoc Pagoda. You will then visit the Temple of Literature, constructed in 1070 to worship Confucius, which was also used as the first Royal National University of Vietnam. There are 82 stone steles, carried by tortoises, engraved with names, birthdates, and birthplaces of honored doctorates from 1442 to 1779.

In the afternoon, you visit the Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays, the alternative on this day is the History Museum). The museum offers a wide range of informative and well-documented displays of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. The outdoor display is an impressive collection of traditional houses of various minorities from the north to the central Highlands.

We will drive back to the Old Quarter for a 1.5-hour walking tour, specially designed for a deeper insight into Hanoian daily life. You will also visit the Ngoc Son temple which sits on a green islet in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake, connected to the lakeside by a graceful scarlet bridge named The Huc (meaning the early sunlight welcoming place). After, you will stay overnight at the hotel.

In the morning, we will take a bicycle ride and get lost on winding roads passing lotus ponds, temples, and cottages. We will stop to visit Bich Dong pagoda, which is hidden among the trees on a lush hillside. After that, we will go to Hang Mua, which literally means Dancing Cave because King Tran used to come here to enjoy dancing and singing shows performed in this cave. We will arrive at Hang Mua, where we will challenge ourselves to conquer the 500 stone steps to get to the top of Mua Mount. You can enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the Tam Coc countryside and the Ngo Dong River.

In the afternoon, you will board a rowing boat in Tam Coc (three grottoes) for a peaceful navigation along Ngo Dong River, cruising among limestone mountains, between rice fields and through three beautiful limestone caves. We wil then transfer to Hoa Lu, the former feudal capital of Vietnam at the end of the 10th century. You will visit two ancient temples dedicated to Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh and admire the unique architecture from ancient times.

Today, you have a delicious breakfast at the hotel before we depart early for Halong Bay.

11:30 – Arrive at Le Regina Royal waiting lounge in Halong International Harbour, enjoy welcome drink and express check-in before boarding.

12:30 – Transferred to La Regina Royal Cruise by a tender boat, enjoy Welcome Drink from crew member while manager introduce the safety briefing and clearing our the itinerary.

13:00 – Let your vacation start with a delicious lunch set menu in restaurant. As the cruise departs towards Halong Bay – a natural wonder of the world, absorb yourself in the gorgeous scenery and famous sights of limestone

15:00 – Your first excursion is a visit to Luon Cave. This is considered as one of the most ideal places in Halong for kayaking or rowing boat. After that, you will visit Titop Island, where you can go swimming or hike to the top for another stunning, panoramic view of the Bay.

17:30 – Return to the cruise and enjoy the Bay sunset while enjoying the “Happy Hour” special. You may also join our chef in the kitchen to learn how to make traditional spring rolls.

19:00 – Enjoy our special dinner in the restaurant or on the sundeck (if favorable weather )

After dinner, it’s your choice for a fun squid fishing, spa (surcharge) or relaxing.

Please note that the itinerary is subject to change according to the cruise and weather conditions.

06:00 – Greet the new day on the sundeck with Tai Chi Exercise.

06:30 – Light breakfast is served at the restaurant.

07:30 – After the breakfast, Your next excursion is a visit to the magnificent Sung Sot Cave, where you can take in the panoramic views across Halong Bay.

09:00 – Come back to La Regina Royal Cruise. Check out of the cabin.

09:45 – Vietnamese cuisine buffet is served at the restaurant while the boat heads back to the harbor.

11:00 – Disembark at the harbor.

14:15 – 14:30 – Drop you off at your hotel in Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Early morning, pick you up from your hotel in Hanoi, driving time around 4-5 hour to Yen Bai Province. On the way, you will stop at the village to see the tea farming hills in Phu Tho.

Continue the transfer to Nghia Lo enjoying the beautiful views of the countryside and nature, visit local villages and experience the daily life of the hill tribes.

Arriving at the Thai village of Nghia Lo. After the lunch and rest time we have a walking or riding bicycle to discover the culture of the Thai ethnic group while passing the beautiful scenery of the northern mountains. Overnight at hotel or homestay in Nghia Lo.

Today, we will depart from Nghia Lo to Mu Cang Chai, the road meanders through Hoang Lien Son Mountain range, one of the greatest in Vietnam. We will stop at Tu Le for an easy hike through rice terraces to reach villages of the Thai and H’Mong people who still wear their traditional clothes.

Tu Le is a small tribal town enclosed by scenic landscape and full of warmhearted people living in small wooden houses nestled in foothills. We will then leave Tu Le and continue to drive across Khau Pha Pass (1550m above sea level) to reach La Pan Tan. Predominant in the entire region of La Pan Tan for hundred years, H’Mong are loyal to their customs and culture. They grow maize in plots of land embedded between rocks, vegetables, and especially rice on terraced felds. Despite the invasion of modern life, they still preserve their traditional clothing and language. A new adventure will take you to the village where you can discover H’Mong culture, meet and talk with villagers, and do not miss the opportunity for capturing stunning landscape pictures. Overnight at a homestay in Mu Cang Chai town.

After a hearty breakfast with the locals, we will leave Mu Cang and drive to Sapa. The road meanders through Hoang Lien Son Mountain range, with its ever-higher mountains, its villages lost in nature and its minority ethnic groups. We will drive past small towns like Than Uyen, whose main cultivation is green tea. We will drive ascending to O Quy Ho pass. With an altitude of 2047 meters above sea level, it’s recognized as the highest pass in Vietnam. We must stop at the peak to take photos of the magical valley from afar and enjoy the fresh air. From here, you can also see Fansipan Mountain, known as “the Roof of Indochina ” with its peak cloaked in clouds at 3147m.

We will arrive in Sapa at noon. After lunch, we will start our amazing walking tour from Y Linh Ho village of the Black H’Mong people. We will continue walking downhill to Lao Chai village and enjoy beautiful views of terraced rice felds along the way. Don’t miss the opportunity to greet and talk to local people you meet on the way. We will arrive at Ta Van village – the heart of Muong Hoa Valley and home to the Day ethnic people. You will spend the night at a local homestay.

Arrive in Sapa, settle in at your hotel. After some relaxation, start visiting Ma Tra, the quiet village of the Hmong Neri community. The local people always make you feel like one of the family because of their warm hospitality. Through the Ma Tra valley, the route follows a magnificent trail offering great views of the rice terraces before reaching the village of Red Dzao and Black Hmong ethnic groups, Ta Phin. Although they live next to each other, you will still see the two groups with different cultural characteristics, such as architecture, home decorations, customs and especially customs and festivals. Return to downtown Sapa by car and stay overnight at the hotel.

Late afternoon, transfer to Bac Ha and overnight at a hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the Bac Ha Sunday Ethnic Market, which takes place every Sunday. This market is a veritable spectacle, where villagers from surrounding villages gather to buy and sell a variety of products. You can immerse yourself in a vibrant and colorful atmosphere as you observe the stalls filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, local handicrafts and traditional clothing. It is a unique opportunity to get in touch with the daily life of local people and discover their culture and traditions. Start your visit in the terraced fields in Ban Phung-recognized as a national landscape (one of the five must-see places when coming to Hoang Su Phi to hunt beautiful landscapes in the rainny season. The villages: Ban Luoc, San Sa Ho, Ho Thau, Nam Ty and Thong Nguyen are famous for their beautiful terrasse rice fields created by nature and the skillful hands of people for hundreds of years-a place to live, mainly of the La Chi ethnic group, famous for its endless terraced rice fields that seem to blend with the white clouds of the highlands. Overnight stay in a stilt house.

Time to say goodbye to Hoang Su Phi and on to Ha Giang-the northernmost point of Vietnam. To get there, it takes about 3 hours transfer, opportunity to admire the spectacular scenery during transit. Upon arrival in Ha Giang, a short tour through the narrow road in the center of the village brings you unique feelings. You pass by hundreds of stilt houses of the Tay people, walk through fragrant golden rice paddies, and meet local people working diligently in the fields. The pace of life here is simple, slow and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of the crowded city. Finish your visit and return to your hotel.

Today what awaits you is the magnificent mountainous scenery of the frontier area, as we drive along to the Quan Ba District. We will make a stop at Quan Ba Heaven Gate to take photos and admire the Fairy’s Breast Mountain. Then, we will make another stop at Yen Minh District for a delicious lunch. We will continue the trip by visiting Lung Cam Village and the traditional local house where the famous movie ‘Pao’s Story’ was filmed.

Vuong Palace – house of H’mong king is a ‘not to be missed’ site because of its typical Mong ethnic architecture with influences from China and France. Completed in 1903 with 64 rooms, the two-storey, 50-meter-long building demonstrates its owner’s wealth. We will continue the drive to Lung Cu flag tower with its important historical significance of marking the Northernmost point of Vietnam. After conquering the 389 stone steps and climbing 140 spiral stairs to the peak, visitors can admire the spectacular natural scenery of Dong Van Karst Plateau, terraced rice fields, and ethnic local villages. Looking down at the foot of Rong Mountain, you can admire two lakes called Dragon’s Eyes, located symmetrically on either side of the mountain. The afternoon will conclude with us driving back to Dong Van. You will have time for your own exploration of Dong Van’ Old Streets. Overnight at a hotel in Dong Van Town.

Our recommendation: after dinner you should go to Dong Van Café on Dong Van Old Street, to sip a coffee while watching a traditional music performance.

After breakfast, we will visit Dong Van’s weekly market to meet the locals and check out their fascinating crafts and specialty products. Then, we will do a small climb to Pu Lo, a French fortress built in 1890 and reserved in its beautiful condition. After exploring the fortress and enjoying the spectacular view of the entire region, we will experience the most breathtaking road in all of Vietnam. At an altitude of 1200 meters, the Ma Pi Leng Pass clings to the side of the undulating mountains, offering an exceptional view of the valleys and mountains which are decorated with terraced hemp fields. We will continue driving the zigzagging road down into Meo Vac Valley for lunch. In the afternoon, we will go back to Ha Giang and spend the night there.

Last moment in Ha Giang, enjoy breakfast in the northern mountains. Meet our guide and driver for transfer to Hanoi in about 6 hours.

Arrival in Hanoi and end of services.

Thank you for traveling with Asia Viva Travel.