Best of Northern Vietnam – 6 days
See the Best of Northern Vietnam with a 6-day tour that’ll take you from Hanoi to Sapa (or Mai Chau) and see the stunning scenery of Halong bay! Explore the famous sights of each area, experience Sapa villages, overnight onboard and island in Halong bay with most meals included. And so much more.
Tour Code: CMT004
Duration: 6 days 5 nights
Price: Request for Pricing
Destination:
- Plan A: Hanoi – Mai Chau - Halong - Hanoi
- Plan B: Hanoi – Sapa - Halong - Hanoi
- Plan B: Hanoi – Sapa - Halong - Hanoi
Plan A: Hanoi – Mai Chau - Halong - Hanoi
DAY 1 : Hanoi – City tour (L)
After having breakfast the tour guide and shuttle bus will arrive to pick up you to join Hanoi city tour at 8.30am. You will start the tour by visiting Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ho Chi Minh Museum. Enjoy the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho’s final resting-palace. Just next door is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where he used to live in the past. Lying to one side of the Mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda, built by King Ly Thai To in 1049 the structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi. Continue to visit the Temple of Literature (Quoc Tu Giam) – Vietnam’s first University constructed in 1070. Its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past.
Have lunch at local restaurants. Proceed to visit the Ethnology Museum. After that we will take you to Hoan Kiem Lake, see the peaceful water, and visit Ngoc Son Temple. Take an hour cyclo tour around the bustling old quarter to see ordinary life in Hanoi.
(Read more about these attractions)
At 18.00, back to your hotel.
Stay overnight at hotel in Hanoi.
After having breakfast the tour guide and shuttle bus will arrive to pick up you to join Hanoi city tour at 8.30am. You will start the tour by visiting Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ho Chi Minh Museum. Enjoy the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho’s final resting-palace. Just next door is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where he used to live in the past. Lying to one side of the Mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda, built by King Ly Thai To in 1049 the structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi. Continue to visit the Temple of Literature (Quoc Tu Giam) – Vietnam’s first University constructed in 1070. Its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past.
Have lunch at local restaurants. Proceed to visit the Ethnology Museum. After that we will take you to Hoan Kiem Lake, see the peaceful water, and visit Ngoc Son Temple. Take an hour cyclo tour around the bustling old quarter to see ordinary life in Hanoi.
(Read more about these attractions)
At 18.00, back to your hotel.
Stay overnight at hotel in Hanoi.
DAY 2 : Hanoi – Mai Chau (B,L,D)
“Mai Chau is a mountainous area of outstanding natural beauty, inhabited by a Thai and H’mong ethnic minority groups. This trip offers an easy trekking combined with homestay in villages of Thai , where you have experienced with the local lifestyle of these minority people”
Pick up from your hotel at 8.00 and head west towards Hoa Binh. Refreshment in Hoa Binh. Leave Hoa Binh for Mai Chau Valley, about 2hrs away, stop for snapping pictures. Around 12.00, arrive in Mai Chau and have lunch in a family house in the local village. After lunch, biking around the surrounding villages of White Thai Ethnic people. Learn more about their lives and cultures as your guide can help answer any questions.
Dinner with the family, get a closer look into their real life. Drink “ruou can” (traditional alcohol) with your new family.
Sleep in the village, in the stilt house, the most interesting part of the trip. Stilt houses are unique to Mai Chau and you cannot find this experience in other tour.
Overnight in the large communal room or Bungalow.
DAY 3 : Mai Chau – Hanoi (B,L)
The early morning is the most peaceful time to walk around the villages. Feeling the fresh air and seeing women prepare foods on the wooden fire while the sun is rising over the beautiful mountains which you can not feel in the crowed cities.
Breakfast in the village then walk to Mai Chau market. After that, you will climb to 1000 step Cave which is breathtaking and is the view of the area from the entrance of the cave. Have lunch in the village before getting on the bus back to Hanoi at 17.00.
Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.
DAY 4: Hanoi – Halong Bay ( B,L,D)
Around 8.00am, our guide picks you up at your hotel and go to Halong bay on a shuttle bus. Take a rest at Humanity center and enjoy local specialties after 2h. Arrival in Halong at 11.45. The captain and crew welcome you aboard. Savor the delicious lunch as boat pass through thousands of Islands and Islets with different shapes.
After the lunch, explore the biggest and the most amazing cave in Halong Bay –Surprise Cave. Then Kayaking for an hour around the fishing village and discover the life of community there. Then back to boat for Sunset Party, get to calm, clean water place for swimming. Enjoy delicious and romantic dinner with some barbecue courses.
In the evening, free time for entertainment with the funny plays such as squid fishing, karaoke program, stars watching on sundeck… Spend romantic night on boar.
Overnight on board in Halong bay
DAY 5 : Halong Bay – Overnight in Bungalow (B,L,D)
Breakfast, tea and coffee will be served on boat. After breakfast, Start cruising to visit Van Gia floating village and passing by Halong Pearl Farm. Then take a local boat to Lan Ha bay and biking at Catba national park, to visit VietHai village, in the valley of the heart of Cat Ba National Park. Visit Nam Cat Island and having lunch.
In the afternoon, Swimming or kayaking activities to explore the untouched area in LanHa bay. Visit Monkey island.15:30, Check in the Deluxe Bungalow on Nam Cat island – Catba Sandy Beach resort. Free time for kayaking and swimming in private island. Your leisure time to relax & swimming.
Dinner and overnight in a bungalow on Nam Cat island.
DAY 6 : Halong bay – Hanoi (B,L)
Early morning, start your new day on Halong bay with doing morning exercises,Taichi or hunting photos. Breakfast with coffee or tea. After breakfast, our bus takes you to Cai Beo harbor, get on “Day Boat”, back boat. Then visit Ba Hang Fishing Village by tender to experience the lifestyle of local people. Back to boat restaurant to join cooking class and enjoy lunch.
12.00, Disembark and transfer back to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi at 16.30.
Early morning, start your new day on Halong bay with doing morning exercises,Taichi or hunting photos. Breakfast with coffee or tea. After breakfast, our bus takes you to Cai Beo harbor, get on “Day Boat”, back boat. Then visit Ba Hang Fishing Village by tender to experience the lifestyle of local people. Back to boat restaurant to join cooking class and enjoy lunch.
12.00, Disembark and transfer back to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi at 16.30.
PLAN B: Hanoi – Sapa - Halong - Hanoi
DAY 1: Hanoi city tour – Sapa (L)
Morning, pick you up at hotel to start the Hanoi city tour at 8.30am. Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ho Chi Minh Museum. Enjoy the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho’s final resting-palace. Just next door is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where he used to live in the past. Lying to one side of the Mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda, built by King Ly Thai To in 1049 the structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi.
Continue your visit to the Temple of Literature (Quoc Tu Giam) – Vietnam’s first University constructed in 1070. Its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past. Have lunch at a local restaurants.
Afternoon, proceed to visit Vietnam Museum of Ethnology – a research centre and a public museum exhibiting the ethnic groups of Vietnam. After that, we will take you to Hoan Kiem Lake, see the peaceful water and visit Ngoc Son Temple.
(Read more about these attractions)
Enjoy an hours of cyclo tour around the bustling old quarter to see the ordinary life of Vietnamese people in Hanoi. At 06.00pm, drop you off at hotel. It’s your free time now to have dinner and a short while to explore the streets of Hanoi on your own.
Evening, around 20.00, Our tour assistant pick up from your hotel to go to Tran Quy Cap train station. He will lead you to your cabin on the train. The train departs and sleep the night on train.
Overnight on train.
Morning, pick you up at hotel to start the Hanoi city tour at 8.30am. Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ho Chi Minh Museum. Enjoy the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho’s final resting-palace. Just next door is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where he used to live in the past. Lying to one side of the Mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda, built by King Ly Thai To in 1049 the structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi.
Continue your visit to the Temple of Literature (Quoc Tu Giam) – Vietnam’s first University constructed in 1070. Its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past. Have lunch at a local restaurants.
Afternoon, proceed to visit Vietnam Museum of Ethnology – a research centre and a public museum exhibiting the ethnic groups of Vietnam. After that, we will take you to Hoan Kiem Lake, see the peaceful water and visit Ngoc Son Temple.
(Read more about these attractions)
Enjoy an hours of cyclo tour around the bustling old quarter to see the ordinary life of Vietnamese people in Hanoi. At 06.00pm, drop you off at hotel. It’s your free time now to have dinner and a short while to explore the streets of Hanoi on your own.
Evening, around 20.00, Our tour assistant pick up from your hotel to go to Tran Quy Cap train station. He will lead you to your cabin on the train. The train departs and sleep the night on train.
Overnight on train.
DAY 2 : Sapa – Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van (B,L,D)
Early morning at 5.00, We will pick you up at Lao Cai railway station by a van, to take you up to the township of Sapa which takes approx one hour arriving at.
After breakfast and a morning shower, we will walk from Sapa towards Muong Hoa valley where we can admire magnificient landscape. Here you will discover the wonderful scenery of Hoang Lien moutain ranges amd meet Black H’mong tribes. Trek through terraced rice paddies and minority villages along the Muong Hoa River, where we can here a nice swim. We then cross the suspension bridge towards the Zay village, arriving at Ta Van village. Enjoy the great landscape surrounding the village.
Stay overnight:
Option 1: Enjoying the company and hospitality of our Zay family and homestay overnight.
Option 2: Back to Sapa town. Staying overnight at hotel.
DAY 3: Sapa – trekking further to explore the beauty (B,L,D)
Option 1: Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai – Su Pan – Sa pa
Enjoy mountainous landscape with your sunrise coffee, then enjoy a delicious breakfast ready to trek through bamboo forests towards Giang Ta Chai waterfall, cross over a rattan suspension bridge and enter into Giang Ta Chai village which is inhabited by the Red Zao minorities.
Here we will experience their daily life then cross over the Muong Hoa River up the mountain to visit Supan village of the H’mong people.
Option 2: Visit Cat Cat village and Sin Chai village
After breakfast at hotel, a walk down to the South-west of Sapa (around 4 km) to visit Cat Cat village of the Black H’mong. Relax at the food of the stunning waterfall and the vestige of a hydroelectric power station that was constructed by the French during the colonial time in Vietnam. Enjoy picnic lunch by the side of the river, and then next 6 km to Sin Chai, the village located at the foot of Fansipan Mountain, “the roof of Vietnam and Indochina”. From here you can enjoy huge stunning landscapes before climbing up on the way a jeep to return to Sapa.
Back to Sapa. Take a fresh shower in the hotel before heading to Lao Cai train station for the night train back to Hanoi.
DAY 4 : Sapa – Hanoi – Halong Bay (B,L,D)
At 05.00am, arrive at Tran Quy Cap station (Hanoi). Our tour assistant welcomes you back, accompany you to hotel for a morning shower and breakfast.
Around 8.00am, Our guide Pick you up at your hotel and go to Halong bay on a shuttle bus. Take a rest at Humanity center and enjoy local specialties after 2h. Arrival in Halong at 11.45. The captain and crew welcome you aboard. Savor the delicious lunch as boat pass through thousands of Islands and Islets with different shapes.
After the lunch, explore the biggest and the most amazing cave in Halong Bay –Surprise Cave. Then Kayaking for an hour around the fishing village and discover the life of community there. Then back to boat for Sunset Party, get to calm, clean water place for swimming. Enjoy delicious and romantic dinner with some barbecue courses.
In the evening, free time for entertainment with the funny plays such as squid fishing, karaoke program, stars watching on sundeck… Spend romantic night on board.
Stay overnight on boat in Halong bay.
DAY 5 : Halong Bay – Nam Cat Island (B,L,D)
Morning, breakfast, fruits, coffee and tea are served on board. Cruise further and stop-over at a pearl farm to sea real peace cultivated by local fisherman. Check-out on boat and get on a local boat to cruise around Lan Ha bay to admire outstanding limestone island and islets. Arrive at bungalow on Nam Cat island which locates in the middle of Lan Ha bay. Enjoy the lunch on the island.
Afternoon, boat trip to Viet Hai village and biking. Relax or join activities at bungalow: playing football, volleyball, play pool, badminton, fishing or kayaking to explore untouched area near by bungalow.
Evening, buffet dinner at Bungalow. Go fishing or relax on the sandy beach, listening to sea wave at very peaceful and quite place.
Overnight in bungalow on Nam Cat island.
Morning, breakfast, fruits, coffee and tea are served on board. Cruise further and stop-over at a pearl farm to sea real peace cultivated by local fisherman. Check-out on boat and get on a local boat to cruise around Lan Ha bay to admire outstanding limestone island and islets. Arrive at bungalow on Nam Cat island which locates in the middle of Lan Ha bay. Enjoy the lunch on the island.
Afternoon, boat trip to Viet Hai village and biking. Relax or join activities at bungalow: playing football, volleyball, play pool, badminton, fishing or kayaking to explore untouched area near by bungalow.
Evening, buffet dinner at Bungalow. Go fishing or relax on the sandy beach, listening to sea wave at very peaceful and quite place.
Overnight in bungalow on Nam Cat island.
DAY 6 : Halong bay – Hanoi (B,L)
Morning, breakfast served at bungalow. Pick-up at Bungalow by boat and transfer back to mother boat. Get on the cruise to attend the cooking class while cruising back to Halong pier.
Enjoy lunch served on board. Say goodbye to the crew and disembark. Get on bus to go back to Hanoi. Arrival at hotel around 04.30pm.
Hotels and accommodations mentioned.
Room on boat in Halong bay with Air Conditioner
Kayakking: Safe, clean and nice.
Train tickets Hanoi/LaoCai (Sapa) & return (Plan B).
Meals mentioned in itinerary (B,L,D = Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Transport/transfer as per itinerary.
English speaking guide.
Entrance fees.
Excludes:
Drinks.
Your private expenses.
Morning, breakfast served at bungalow. Pick-up at Bungalow by boat and transfer back to mother boat. Get on the cruise to attend the cooking class while cruising back to Halong pier.
Enjoy lunch served on board. Say goodbye to the crew and disembark. Get on bus to go back to Hanoi. Arrival at hotel around 04.30pm.
Includes & Excludes
Tour price includes:Hotels and accommodations mentioned.
Room on boat in Halong bay with Air Conditioner
Kayakking: Safe, clean and nice.
Train tickets Hanoi/LaoCai (Sapa) & return (Plan B).
Meals mentioned in itinerary (B,L,D = Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Transport/transfer as per itinerary.
English speaking guide.
Entrance fees.
Excludes:
Drinks.
Your private expenses.
