On arriving at Noi Bai Airport, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel in the city centre. Hotel check-in is available at 2 pm. You will have free time to take a rest after a long flight or head out to get a first impression of the city. 

Leaving Hanoi at 8.30 am, we follow road No. 32 along the Red River to Yen Bai Province. The scenery on the way is simply fascinating with orchards of bananas, papayas, and rice fields. Farmers stalls are set up all along the road to sell seasonal products to passengers. We will stop for lunch in Thu Cuc, a well-known area for tea culture. You will meet Mr. Tung’s family to discover several varieties of tea grown in Vietnam. You will have a chance to pick and dry young tea leaves on your own. In the afternoon we reach the Muong Lo Valley - the town of Nghia Lo, the second largest rice field in Northwest Vietnam. This place is the homeland of the Thai ethnic people who came here around 700 years ago bringing their traditional wooden houses and rice growing culture. Take a short walk around the village to discover Thai culture and their daily life.
Overnight at the homestay.

Today we depart from Nghia Lo to Mu Cang Chai, the road meanders through Hoang Lien Son Mountain range, one of the grandest 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 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 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 fields. Despite the invasion of modern life, they still preserve very well their traditional clothing and language. A new way will take you to the village central 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.

We leave Mu Cang Chai in the morning for the mountainous drive to Sapa. After two hours on the road, we begin to ascend to Tram Ton Pass. With the elevation of 2047 meters above sea level, it is recognized as the highest pass in Vietnam. It’s a must stopping 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 soaked in cloud peak at 3143m. 
In the afternoon, we descend into the Muong Hoa Valley passing Y Linh Ho and Lao Chai villages inhabited by Black H’Mong and Ta Van village, home to the Giay ethnic people. On the way your eyes will be well rewarded with marvellous views of the terraced rice fields curving around the hillside, meandering rivers and streams sparkling on the sun. We will spend the night at a homestay in Ta Van village. 

In the morning we say thanks and goodbye to the kind hosts of your homestay in Ta Van Village. From there we will hike through lush paddy fields, a dense bamboo forest, down the side of a waterfall and across the river on a suspension bridge. Visit the Giang Ta Chai village of Red Dao and Black H’Mong ethnics. After having lunch in a local restaurant, we walk to the meeting point with the driver and drive to Bac Ha, a small, calm and charming town located at an altitude of 950m. Here, the colourful Hmong and the Tay, Nung, Dzao, Phula, etc. have lived in perfect harmony for more than 200 years. Overnight at the hotel.

Taking place every Sunday, Bac Ha Market is where tribal people from surrounding villages flock to exchange their products. Most still use horses to carry their loads, which means they must depart early to get to the market in time. If you come to visit Bac Ha during a spring weekend, it’s easy to meet locals in their most beautiful and colourful costumes heading to the market, as it’s the best time of the year for youngsters finding a partner to get married. Despite the low temperatures, spring is a joyful time because it’s the season of courting, dating and weddings. Nature also contributes to the atmosphere vibrant red and white flowers blooming everywhere. It all makes for a rather unique setting.
Transfer by car to Hanoi. Night in hotel.

Early breakfast and we leave Hanoi for Halong Bay. On the way we pass through countryside indicative of the Red River Delta, with endless rice fields and winding rivers. Arriving at Halong tourist harbour around noon, you will board an elegant wooden junk. A delicious lunch is served on board while the boat gently navigates through countless islands and limestone structures arising from the turquoise water. In the evening, a fresh seafood dinner prepared by a skilful chef awaits you. Enjoy a peaceful night on board in the middle of the quiet sea. 
Please note that the itinerary is subject to change according to the cruise and weather conditions.

Nothing can be compared to waking up to a serene morning surrounded by karsts. You can have an early morning dip and then breakfast on board. We will continue to sail through the bay during the morning to explore hidden areas. The junk will stay close at all times serving as a backup vessel for those who need it. Around midday we will return to the main harbour and drive to Ninh Binh. Overnight at the hotel.

This morning we will drive to the boat pier where local farmers are waiting to take you on an exploration of Trang An Ecological Tourism Site. Numerous forested limestone mounts rising from the emerald water and lowlands create a mysterious, seemingly enchanted waterscape. The river water here remains emerald green and translucent throughout the year. After finishing the 2.5-hour boat trip, we will visit Hoa Lu, one of Vietnam’s former capitals from 968 – 1009. The remains consist of two temples dedicated to the Dinh and Le Emperors. These temples are surrounded by beautiful hibiscus gardens, lotus ponds and old frangipani trees dispersing their delicate aroma. Take time to relax in this airy and tranquil atmosphere. Have lunch including a Ninh Binh speciality: goat meat. Drive to Hanoi in the afternoon.

Starting the day trip with a visit to the Temple of Literature, constructed in 1070 to worship Confucius, which also served as the first Royal National University in Vietnam. There are 82 stone steles, carried by tortoises, engraved with names, birthdates, and birthplaces of honoured doctorates from 1442 to 1779. Local people believed that touching the head of these tortoises would bring luck. The green and neatly maintained gardens and lotus ponds make this place a peaceful hideaway from the city’s hustle and heat. 
Then visit the Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays, the alternative on this day being the History Museum). The museum offers a wide range of informative and well-documented displays of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, including colourful hill tribe costumes. The outdoor display is an impressive collection of traditional houses of various minorities from the north to the central Highlands. 
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight.