The Northern Vietnam in A Glimpse - Viet International Travel and Trade Co., Ltd

Upon arrival in Hanoi, ViTravel’s guide and private car are waiting for you and transfer you to the hotel for check-in. Spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Notes: The itinerary can be flexible base on the arrival flight schedule; some sites can be visited today to have more time at sites or add some other sites the next day (with a small surcharge).

Explore the charming city of Hanoi, often referred to as the "Paris of the Orient", with its yellow ochre colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards and scenic lakes.

Visit the historic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, an imposing monument of marble and granite built to house the preserved body of beloved revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, affectionately known to the Vietnamese as “Uncle Ho”. Visit the One Pillar Pagoda, a Buddhist temple built in 1049 of wood in the shape of a lotus blossom and set on a single stone pillar. Continue to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university built in the late 11th century. The picturesque temple is an example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture and is featured on the back of the 100,000 Vietnamese dong banknote. In the afternoon, visit the fascinating Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays) which houses an extensive collection of traditional costumes and artefacts from Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minority groups.

Drive back to central Hanoi for a walking tour through the famed Old Quarter known for its ‘36 streets of 36 wares’ named after the original 36 artisan guilds that date as far back as the 13th century. Conclude your day by watching an entertaining water puppet performance, a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form said to have originated in the flooded rice fields of the Red River Delta where villagers entertained themselves by manipulating puppets over the water. The show uses colourful wooden puppets to depict scenes of rural life and episodes of national history set to music.

This morning, our tour guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and drive you away from Hanoi to Sapa. It takes about 6 hours to reach Sapa town, you will have some stops on the way to stretch your feet and try some local foods such as steamed corn, sweet potatoes or green tea. You also can view the difference of terrain from flat Hanoi to hilly higher parts. After the drive, you will check into the hotel and have lunch at a local restaurant in Sapa.

In the afternoon, your guide will walk you down to a small village - Cat Cat, home to the Black Hmong tribes. As you walk to the village nestled in the valley below Sapa (about 3,5km), you will meet some of the local minority people on their way to and from Sapa. Here you have the opportunity to share cultural experiences with the families that live in the area and have a chance to learn some of their culture and handicrafts. Dinner is served at another restaurant in town. Free at leisure or stroll around the town.

Overnight in Sapa.

Following breakfast, you explore the Sapa daily market and then set out on a 3-4 hour trek along mud paths, and trails and through several hill tribe villages to Lao Chai and Tavan, home to Hmong, and Dzay people. This is an absolutely spectacular walk through stunning scenery inhabited by some of the friendliest people you can meet. Stop for a picnic lunch on the way. When you are at Tavan village, our car is waiting for you and bring you back to Sapa for another overnight stay.

This morning, you hike up to Ham Rong Mountain, which gives you a great panoramic view of Sapa and its surrounding areas, and you can explore two orchid gardens. Back to the hotel for check-out then you take a drive to visit Ta Phin valley, where the Red Dao people and H'mong minorities live. Have lunch before driving back to Hanoi capital. Reaching your hotel around 19h00. Free. (Alternatively changed to a cable car trip to Fansipan peak as you want).

Overnight in Hanoi.

Today, we will leave Hanoi for a 2,5-hour drive to Trang An Landscape complex was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2014 and is a spectacular landscape of limestone karst peaks permeated with valleys, some of which are submerged, and surrounded by vertical cliffs. Start the trip at Hoa Lu ancient capital. It was the capital of the first centralized feudal state in Vietnam at the end of the 10th century after nearly 1000 years of Northern domination. The ravages of time have destroyed the ancient citadel but some vestiges including the temples of King Dinh and King Le still stand to today among the rice paddies and are a worthwhile visit to get a glimpse of the ancient Vietnamese past. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Ninh Binh then continue on to Tam Coc - “Ha Long Bay in Land” for a 2-hour row-boat journey. Enjoy the beauty of the karsts formations as you pass along their base and row into several of the 3 caves carved through the limestone and paddy fields. (Boat is rowed by local farmers).

Overnight in Ninh Binh.

After breakfast and checking out your hotel, we will drive you to Halong bay through national highway 10. The drive takes 3,5 hours to reach Halong city. When arrive, we will embark on a luxury cruise to go deep into the magical beautiful seascape – Halong bay. The scenery of Halong Bay where 1.969 limestone islands jut out of the emerald sea, sculpted into bizarre shapes is truly an iconic image for Vietnam. An overnight boat trip is the best way to enjoy this Vietnamese must-see place. After a welcome onboard, lunch will be served while cruising towards the bay itself. In the afternoon, enjoy some visits and/or activities (depending on each boat’s itinerary) or just spend some time relaxing on the cruise.

Overnight on cruise.

Wake up early for a super amazing sunrise in the bay then have a buffet breakfast on the cruise. Let's join in some more activities of the cruise’s program then back to check out your cabin. Later on, relax on the sundeck till brunchtime. Disembark around noon and be welcomed again by our guide and driver. Afterwards, depart for a 2.5-hour journey back to Hanoi via new highway 5B to get back to Noibai International airport for your next flight.

Trip ends.

ViTravel goodbye and see you again.