OVERVIEW

Best Of The North

Coming to the North of Vietnam within 8 days, you will have a chance to discover the most attractive places. Taking breathtaking routes in Sapa, visiting famous Trang An where a Hollywood movie named Kong Skulls Islands was shot and joining an amazing Halong Boat trip.

ITINERARY

Hanoi | Sapa | Ninh Binh | Halong Bay

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Day 01

Hanoi arrival

Welcome to Hanoi

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Meals: Not included

Upon arriving in Hanoi, our tour guide will personally meet you at the airport and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is time at leisure.
Day 02

Hanoi City Tour - Night Train to Lao Cai

Hanoi city highlights, Water Puppet Show, Cyclo tour

Accommodation: Overnight on train

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

08:30: Today, we will visit Ho Chi Minh Complex that includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, House-on-Stilts, and One Pillar pagoda. After that we will visit the Temple of Literature that was originally built as a temple to Confucius, this is the site of Vietnam’s first University dating back to 1070. The temple highlights the importance that Vietnamese society place then and now on education. Have lunch at a nice restaurant.
After lunch, we continue our trip to visit Museum of Ethnology: This museum is widely acknowledged as the best in the country and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples. As well as the comprehensive array of exhibits inside, there are also traditional tribal houses reconstructed within the ground.
Then, we back to the center of Hanoi to visit Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake: The Ngoc Son Temple is set on a tiny island on the Hoan Kiem Lake, its history dating back to the 13th century. The temple is reached by crossing the The Huc Bridge which literally means the ‘Place Touched by Morning Sunbeams’.Hoan Kiem Lake is the local point of the city and the source of many legends.
45 minutes Cyclo through the Old Quarter: Also known as the 36 streets, this bustling area of narrow streets is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. Originally each of the 36 s names’ was related to the products being sold there. It’s a great place to explore on foot with numerous photo opportunities.
Enjoy a water puppet show then transfer you to a day use hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter.
18:30: Have dinner at a nice restaurant in city center
20:30: After dinner, transfer to the train station for a night train to Lao Cai. Overnight on train.

Remark:
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed on Mondays and Fridays; Museum of Ethnology is closed on Mondays. Other places will be recommended.
Day 03

Lao Cai - Sapa - Lao Chai - Ta Van - Giang Ta Chai - Sapa

Visit Lao Chai - Ta Van - Giang Ta Chai villages

Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Reach Lao Cai train station in the morning at around 5:00am, you will be met by our tour guide and transfer to Sapa town and enjoy breakfast in Sapa town.
After breakfast, we will depart for the 4 hour trekking journey. Our driver will stop en-route for Kodak moments on the way go downhill to Muong Hoa valley. You begin the trekking on a fairly rocky road (you need a good walking shoes for today), through Lao Chai village, a Black Hmong’s ethnic village. Then continue to Ta Van village of Giay ethnic minority people. Terrace fields are great for photographing, and cold soft drinks, beer, water can be found along the way of your trek. You will also visit local people’s house and schools en route.

After lunch, continue the trek through a bamboo forest to Giang Ta Chai, a Red Dao ethnic minority village. Visiting the village and nearby waterfall, then we trek uphill to a road where your car is awaiting to transfer you back to Sapa around 16:00. Dinner on your own arrangement. Overnight in Sapa.
Day 04

Sapa - Suoi Ho - Ma Tra - Bus Back To Hanoi

Visit Suoi Ho - Ma Tra Village

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Trip commences from Sapa at 9.00 am by a 5km road transfer out of Sapa town. Then walk starts from here downhill and cross the stream to the other bank where Suoi Ho village beautifully sits on the top of a low hill. Spend half an hour to visit several local homes for understanding of local life before continue walking along a large path on hillsides which is paved with rock to get through Ma Tra village, a very small village hiding way from the civilisation. The walk continues through rice paddy fields and spectacular scenery.

Around 3 - 3.30 PM: Get on the shared Limousine bus and transfer back to Hanoi. You will stop at rest stops on route.

Arrive to your hotel around 21:30. Overnight in Hanoi
Day 05

Hanoi - Hoa Lu - Trang An - Hanoi

Amazing boat trip in Trang An and historical Hoa Lu

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

08: 00: Asia Top Travel tour expert pick you up at your hotel, travel to Hoa Lu. Along the way, we may take some stop-over for photo and refreshment while enjoying rural stunning scenery on the way. Arrive in Hoa Lu which is the former capital of Vietnam (968 – 1009) under Dinh and Le dynasties. Visit Dinh temple, Le temples and surroundings.
Have lunch at local restaurant with local food.
After lunch, take the amazing boat trip to visit Trang An grottoes which is a gathering of 31 valleys, 50 cross-water caves, and home to 600 kinds of flora and over 200 kinds of fauna, many of them in the Red Book of Vietnam. While rowing through Trang An grotto in the quiet, fresh air of the highlands, with only the sound of birds and the oars stirring the clear water and surrounded by magnificent forested mountains upon which graze white goats, visitors enjoy a heaven on earth.
Leave Trang An and drive back to Hanoi around 18:30. Overnight in Hanoi

Day 06

Hanoi - Halong Bay (a sample itinerary)

Enjoy the stunning Halong Bay on cruise, kayaking

Accommodation: Overnight on boat

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

09:00: Pick up at your hotel in Hanoi. After that we leave Hanoi for a 2.5 hour to reach Halong Bay via new highway.
12:00: At Tuan Chau International Marina, a tender boat will take you to the cruise. A refreshing welcome drink is served and you can check into your cabin.
13:00 When you are putting all of your stuffs into your cabin, our boat starts gliding out to the centre of the World Heritage Site. Your lunch, at the boat’s restaurant, is would be served with fresh local seafood, but vegetable menu is always available at your request. From the marina area, our cruiser passes by Dog Head and Swan Islands, Ba Hang Floating villages (with floating houses), Incense Burner then Thumb Islands before reaching to Luon cave area for kayaking.
14:30 - 15:00 we have time to gear up for one hour kayaking around Luon cave area.Our guide will show you some basic safety guidelines and techniques to paddle before helping you to sit on our brand new sit-on-top kayaks. After that our boat will help you visit the Titop Island one hour for swimming, sun-bathing or getting a panoramic view on island peak.
17:00 As the sun sets over the bay, we head back to our cruise and relax. Coffee, tea and fruits will be available on the sundeck or you can order your favorite drink while our boat cruises to the night’s anchorage area.
19:00 Dinner will be served with local seafood. After dinner you may choose to enjoy drinks from the bar or top deck or experience squid fishing before retiring.



 
Day 07

Halong Bay - Hanoi (a sample itinerary)

Cave visiting

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

07:00 - 07:45 Enjoy the morning view of the beautiful landscape with a cup of coffee or tea. Have breakfast in the fresh air.
08:00 - 09:00 You will visit the impressive Cave of Halong Bay – Surprising Cave (Sửng Sốt) with your tour guide, a truly awesome and amazing cave to experience.
10:00 Check out of your cabin and settle your bill as our boat begins cruising back to the harbor. Experience more views of Halong Bay such as Fighting Cocks Island (Symbol of Halong Bay), Incense Burner and Stone Dogs Islands.
10:20 A cooking demonstration onboard shows you how to make authentic Vietnamese Spring rolls. You will learn about the recipes and techniques that create this popular dish of Vietnamese people.
10:45 Lunch is served on board during cruising towards the harbor.
11:20 Depart the cruise and travel by tender boat back to Tuan Chau International Marina where you then board the private vehicle for your return journey to Hanoi via highway. Arrive at your hotel around 14.30

 
Notice:
-The cruise itinerary in Halong Bay is a sample itinerary and it will be changed depending on the cruise you choose, the weather or the water level at the time of your trip
- Wi-Fi is available in cruise but internet connectivity is limited due to the geography of Halong. 
Day 08

Hanoi Departure

Say goodbye to our team in Hanoi

Accommodation: Not included

Meals: Breakfast

Have breakfast at hotel.
You are free till transfer to the airport for the flight back home.

Price

  • We can customize this itinerary to meet your specific needs. 
  • Please click the yellow button Send Enquiry This Tour to get our free quotes.

TOUR INCLUSIONS

For your peace of mind, our tours are designed to include as much as possible in the price, but also to give you the freedom to find a special place to eat or to seek out an independent adventure that especially appeals to you.
Trip Inclusions
  • Accommodation (Double/Twin sharing room) with daily breakfast
  • Professional English speaking guide
  • Meals: 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 2 dinners
  • Entrance fees
  • Private transportation
  • Shared Limousine bus from Sapa to Hanoi
Trip Exclusions
  • International flight tickets
  • Tips
  • Drinks

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