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Northern Riches: Ha Long Bay to Sa Pa |
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6 Days / 5 Nights in Ha Noi – Ha Long – Lao Cai – Sa Pa – Lao Chai – Ta Van Village – Ha Noi |
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Tour Overview
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The Vietnamese nation was born in the north some 4000 years ago; on this tour you’ll visit the historical, cultural and spiritual sites that have shaped the Vietnam of today. The North also boasts some of South-East Asia’s most beautiful scenery. First soak up the history – war-torn and ancient – in Hanoi; marvel at the scale and natural wonders of Ha Long Bay; be inspired by the countryside and traditions of Vietnam’s hill-tribe people; and glimpse Indochina’s highest peak, Fan Si Pan, just a stone’s throw from China. |
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Northern Highlights
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• Sail through the magical and awe-inspiring landscape of Ha Long Bay
• Visit and meet the rich and colorful ethnic minority people or ‘Montagnards’ in and around Sa Pa
• Discover the old-world charm of Ha Noi and its bustling Old Quarter
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Detailed Itinerary
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DAY 1: Arrival at Ha Noi (dinner included) |
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| You’ll be greeted at the Noi Bai International airport and taken to your hotel. You can rest this afternoon or visit the Army Museum with war remnants, video footage and information on war history from the battle of Dien Bien Phu to the American war. Later you’ll marvel at the unique Vietnamese tradition of water puppetry, where puppeteers gracefully and humorously tell pastoral fables a la Punch and Judy!
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DAY 2: Ha Noi City Tour – Ha Long (breakfast/lunch included) |
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HA NOI: Ha Noi is not just Vietnam’s elegant capital city, today it stands as a testament to its war-torn past and has a rich and complex culture. Nestled in the heart of the Red River delta, Ha Noi is a city of beautiful lakes, temples and pagodas.
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| AM: First up, you’ll visit the historical, religious and architectural sites of Ha Noi including the One Pillar Pagoda, built in 1049 to resemble a lotus blossom. Then take a stroll through the grand courtyards and gardens of the 11th century Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first ever university. A trip to Ha Noi wouldn’t be complete without paying homage to Vietnam’s 20th century Communist figurehead at the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum complex. Later you can relax at West Lake over a Vietnamese coffee or cool drink.
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| PM: Transfer to Ha Long Bay and stop to take photos en route.
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DAY 3: Ha Long – Ha Noi (breakfast/lunch included) |
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HA LONG BAY: One of the world’s great natural phenomena and a UNESCO World Heritage site, Ha Long means “the dragon descending to the sea”. Here turquoise seas are peppered with some 3000 limestone islands that nature has beaten into the most incredible of shapes, jutting out like precious jewels. Today many islands are home to secret inlets, grottos and caves.
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AM: It doesn’t get much better than this: cruise the splendid Ha Long Bay for six hours and visit two grottos, Thien Cung and Dau Go. Have seafood lunch on board while soaking up panoramic views of the amazing limestone formations; often shaped like animals or mythical creatures. If the weather permits, dive in for a swim at Titop beach.
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PM: Return to Ha Noi via Hai Duong, a green bean cake specialty house. Later you’ll transfer to Tran Quy Cap railway station for the night train to Lao Cai, departing around 10pm. Train accommodation includes a comfortable soft sleeper in a cabin of 4 passengers.
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DAY 4: Lao Cai – Sapa (breakfast/lunch included) |
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SA PA: This former French hill resort, built in 1922, is filled with picture-perfect mountain views – often shrouded in mist – and diverse and colorful ethnic minority hill-tribe communities. Minority villages dot the landscape like distant boats at sea; and terraced rice paddies along sheer hillsides give the impression of a giant sculpted garden.
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AM: Wake up early to glimpse life spanning the train tracks amid verdant rice fields as you inch your way north into Vietnam’s most spectacular mountain scenery. Upon arrival at Lao Cai train station, you’ll try a local speciality for breakfast, then transfer to Sa Pa. The one-hour drive snakes through hillside villages and ends with a spectacular view looking down over terraced rice paddies. Sa Pa lies at the foot of the Hoang Lien mountain range, with glimpses of Mount Fan Si Pan, the highest peak in Southeast Asia at 3,143 m.
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PM: Explore the town and its vicinity: visit the Silver Waterfalls and take a peaceful walk through the extensive Ham Rong Botanical Gardens, which house a traditional folk village and a viewing platform for Mount Fan Si Pan. Later, you’ll have the unique experience of attending an ethnic minority dance show.
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DAY 5: Sapa – Lao Cai – Ta Van minority village (breakfast/lunch included) |
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AM: You’ll take a scenic drive to visit the Black H’mong community at Lao Chai, and then a soft trek down the hill to Ta Van village, technically home to two villages of Giay and Dao ethnic communities. See local people in their traditional costumes and try some typical food and drink. Be sure not to miss the Red Dao, wearing bright red headdresses and silver trinkets.
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PM: After dinner, you’ll be driven to the Lao Cai railway station to take the night train back to Ha Noi, departing at 9.00pm. Overnight in a soft sleeper cabin.
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DAY 6: Ha Noi – Departure (breakfast included) |
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AM: Arrive at 4.30am in Ha Noi. Have traditional “pho bo” (beef noodle soup) for breakfast, then transfer to your hotel or the airport for departure.
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