Leave the hotel around 8 a.m. and head to Ba Be Lake - located 260km from the capital. At 145m above sea level, Ba Be Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in Vietnam, with a length of more than 8km, and a water surface area of about 500ha. In fact, Ba Be is formed from three connected lakes named Pe Leng, Pe Lu and Pe Lam. This is also the origin of the name "Ba Be" which means three lakes. 
The trip to Ba Be takes around 5 hours. Some stopovers on the way are planned to visit Thai Nguyen, a local market and a village of the Tay minority. We arrive in Bac Kan around noon and have lunch at a local restaurant. Once we reach Ba Be Lake, there will be time to visit the peaceful neighbouring villages of the Tay, Hmong and Dzao ethnic groups and explore further the typical cultural features of the local people. It will be a memorable time if you join in and help our host prepare dinner of delicious local dishes. Overnight at a homestay in Pac Ngoi village.

We will spend the day hiking deep into Ba Be National Park to discover its rich flora and fauna. A traditional boat will take you to Coc Toc where we start the walk towards the villages of Khau Quan and Na Ban where the Hmong, Dao and Tay live. On the way, we will pass through diverse terrain, between forests and rice fields. The hike will end at Dau Dang waterfall. Picnic lunch outdoors or eat at a local restaurant. We take a second sampan ride to return to Pac Ngoi village. Dinner and overnight at the local homestay.

The day starts with breakfast prepared by the homestay owner. Before returning to Hanoi by van you will have a chance to explore Pac Ngoi village at your own pace. Several stops are planned along the journey to meet the local population. We stop at Thai Nguyen and visit the tea and sugar cane plantations. An opportunity to taste local fruits (bananas, pineapples, jackfruit, papayas, etc.) and sticky rice cooked in bamboo sold by the roadside. Arrival in Hanoi by late afternoon.