Overview
Embark on an immersive 15-day journey through Northern Vietnam, exploring the diverse landscapes and rich cultural heritage of this captivating country. Begin in Hanoi, where you’ll dive into the bustling streets and vibrant markets before heading to the picturesque town of Sapa. Trek through lush rice terraces and visit hill tribe villages, immersing yourself in their unique traditions. Cruise through the stunning limestone formations of Halong Bay, then heading to Ninh Binh to enjoy the rural landscapes. This Vietnam Discovery tour promises an unforgettable adventure filled with unforgettable moments.
Detailed Plan
Day 1: Arrival Hanoi – transfer to Sapa
Welcome to Hanoi, we meet you at the airport, then transfer you to Sapa by luxury sleeper bus. Arrive in Sapa and get dropped off at your accommodation
Day 2: Sa Pa – Fan Si Pan Cable Car – Love Waterfall – Sa Pa (B/L)
At 9:00, the car and guide pick you up to Fan Si Pan Sa Pa cable car station. Take the cable car to visit the top of Fan Si Pan Mountain
This is a modern three-wire cable car line with a length of 6,292.5 m, including 6 main pillars, each pillar is 1 km apart. The system includes 33 cabins, each cabin can accommodate 35 guests, with a transport capacity of up to 2,000 passengers/hour. The travel time to the “roof of Indochina” is only about 15 minutes instead of 2 days on the dangerous mountain climb.
– After visiting Fan Si Pan peak, driver and guide pick up guests to visit Love Waterfall and Tram Ton Pass peak.
You visit Love Waterfall, from the parking lot, you follow the trail along the stream for about 1km to reach the foot of the waterfall. Originating from Fansipan peak, the waterfall is nearly 100m high but the gentle, romantic flow brings with it the cold air of the mountains and forests.
– After visiting Love Waterfall, the car will take you to the top of Tram Ton Pass at an altitude of 2000m above sea level. Tram Ton Pass is considered one of the four great passes in Northern Vietnam
– Car and guide take you back to Sapa
– In the afternoon, the guide takes you on a walk to visit Sapa town and Sapa market
– Free to have dinner
Distance by car: 40 Km
Walking distance: 4 Km
Day 3: Sa Pa – Lao Chai – Ta Van – Ancient Stone Beach – Sa Pa (B/L)
– At 9: 00 car and guide pick you up at the hotel and take them down the road to Y Linh Ho. Guests and guides walk to visit Y Linh ho , Lao Chai. Guide takes guests walking along the terraced fields to visit Y Linh Ho village, Lao Chai along the poetic and magical Muong Hoa valley covered in mist, and clouds floating on the slopes of Fansipan mountain majestic. Explore the simple and simple life of the Hmong ethnic people here. After you visit Y Linh ho and Lao Chai, you will go to Ta Van village. Lunch at Ta van
After lunch at the house of the Day ethnic people in Ta Van, you will walk to visit the ancient stone beach in Sa Pa. Sa Pa ancient stone field was discovered by French-Russian archaeologist Victor Goloubev of the Far Eastern School in 1925. He came up with hypotheses to explain these patterns.
– The stone beach spreads over 8 km² with nearly 200 stone blocks, a legacy of the appearance of humans here since ancient times. Here, strange patterns appear on the rocks in many shapes: stairs, human figures, roads, writing, etc. There are circular grooves quite similar to the sun symbol, a picture of men and women mating – a symbol of fertility, and many strange lines. However, determining when it appeared and what additions it went through, decoding the symbolic meaning, has not yet reached a unified result and only stops at hypotheses.
– The car picks up passengers at the old beach to Sapa. Guests rest and are free to visit Sapa
– Distance by car: 16 Km
– Walking distance: 7 Km
Day 4: Sa Pa – Hang Da – Hau Thao – Sa Pa (B/L)
After breakfast, depart from Sapa with a short road transfer along the national road 4D nearly 5 km northwestwards to the starting of the walking path, then follow a large and rocky path gradually uphill for 2 hours along the narrow valley which runs between two high mountains to Sa Seng Village. The Hmong peoples here have just recently change their living way from sifting style into the sedentary one. So there are still a lot traces of the past time can be seen: Rudimentary houses, stone wall around homes…
Car pick up to Sa pa town have a lunch
Take a relax
Day 5: Sapa – Glass Bridge – Sapa (B/L)
– At 9am: our car and guide pick you up at the hotel and take them to Sa pa glass bridge
Sapa glass bridge project includes the main parts of a walkway inside the mountain, a glass elevator system and a glass bridge built according to international standards. The highest point of the glass bridge is 2,200 meters above sea level; The bridge protrudes 60 meters above the cliff to create a unique “soaring” feeling for visitors.
It takes about 10 minutes to take the elevator from the foot to the top of the mountain. This is also the first elevator system designed entirely with glass cages in Vietnam, which will surely bring you many memorable memories. Getting out of the elevator, the first thing waiting for is the magical scenery of rolling mountains, golden terraced fields the color of ripe rice, winding passes, white waterfalls and the legendary Hoang Lien Son range. At such an impressive height, the feeling of “the wind blowing, the clouds playing” is even more evident; So please choose clothes that are discreet to avoid catching a cold.
Back to the hotel and have lunch on their own
– In the afternoon, guests are free to visit Sapa town
Day 6: Sa Pa – Ninh Binh
Departure for Ninh Binh is around 11:30AM in a shared bus (about 7 hours) from your hotel in Sapa
Day 7: Ninh Binh – visit Cuc Phuong National Park (B/L)
Pick up at your hotel at 8:30 AM. Our driver will take you to Cuc Phuong National Park, arrive in the Park after an hour to Cuc Phuong National Park. the local English-speaking guide at the park will meet you and take you to visit. Firstly, visit the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation, breeding, research, and conservation of endangered primates, and to the protection of their habitats. Then keep going into the park central, stop to discover the “Cave of Early Man“, a place to keep archaeological sites of prehistoric people thousands of years ago.
Enjoy your lunch at the local restaurant in the National Park.
Then take a short trek into the National Park for sightseeing and learn more of fauna and flora in this oldest forest of Vietnam. Finally, don’t miss a rest at Mac Lake, located right in the middle of Cuc Phuong National Park, the quiet and fresh scenery of Mac Lake will bring you back to nature, dispel any fatigue after the long walking trip in the forest. Wandering around Mac Lake, you might encounter many colorful forest butterflies, a beauty associated with Cuc Phuong National Park.
In the late afternoon, the driver will take you back to hotel. Dinner on your own and stay overnight in Ninh Binh.
Day 8: Ninh Binh – Tam Coc caves – Hoa Lu and countryside (B/L)
Wake up early to enjoy the fresh atmosphere of countryside in Ninh Binh.
At 9:00 AM; you will take a short transfer to the dock where you will take a boat ride in about 2hrs hours along the meandering stream with towering limestone mountain peaks, and row through some limestone caves of Tam Coc, next visit Hoa Lu Temple – the ancient capital of Vietnam under 11th century. Your lunch will be served at the restaurant.
In the afternoon, you will do an easy bicycle around Tam Coc Area and enjoy Vietnamese tea break, keep going to visit Mua cave the place attracts visitors with its many interesting stories. Climb 500 stone steps, here you can see all the way to Tam Coc, enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the countryside of Tam Coc region, back to the hotel at late afternoon, say goodbye with our driver and guide after the trip. Stay overnight the second night in Ninh Binh.
Day 9: Ninh Binh – Ha Long Bay (B/L/D)
Departure for Ha Long Bay is around 7:20 – 7:30 AM in a shared bus (about 4 hours) from your hotel in Ninh Binh
11:15-11:45: Check-in and finish stay registration procedure
12h15 : Transfer to the cruise by speedboat
12h45: Check-in on the cruise.
13h00: Enjoy lunch.
14h00: Receive key and check-in the cabin.
15h00 – 17h30: Gather at reception area to participate in Kayaking activities.
16h00 – 18h00: Take pictures with the cruise by drone at the Sundeck area (depending on the weather condition)
17h30: Sunset party
18h00: Cooking demonstration
18h00 – 19h00: Join the Happy Hour
19h00: Enjoy dinner.
20h30: Join the fishing session on our cruise or relax at our swimming pool, mini-golf course, spa, etc.
Attention: For all valuable and important items (wallet, passport, jewelry, etc), please keep them carefully in the safe or entrust them to the reception on the 2nd floor.
Day 10: Lan Ha Bay (B/L/D)
5h45 – 6h15: Enjoy the sunrise & join a golf class at the golf course
6h15 – 6h35: Morning exercise session: Tai Chi at the golf course
6h45 – 7h30: Enjoy breakfast in the restaurant.
7h30 – 9h45: Free time to relax on the cruise.
9h45: Enjoy the buffet in our restaurant.
12h30 – 16h30: Visit the Viet Hai floating village by electric car or bicycle. Then experience bathing and relaxing at the natural beach of the Ba Trai Dao area in Lan Ha Bay.
16h30 – 18h00: Return to the Elite of the Seas – and relax on the cruise.
18h00 – 19h00: Cooking demonstration at the swimming pool area. Join the Happy Hour program, and the sunset at the Sky Bar area.
19h00: Enjoy dinner
20h30: Join the fishing session at the aft of our cruise or relax at our swimming pool, mini-golf course, spa, etc.
Day 11: Ha Long – Hanoi (B/L)
5h45 – 6h15: Enjoy the sunrise & join a golf class at the golf course
6h15 – 6h35: Morning exercise session: Tai Chi at the golf course
6h45 – 7h30: Enjoy the breakfast in restaurant.
7h45 – 8h45: Gather at the reception area to visit Dark and Bright Cave by local rowing boat.
9h30 – 9h45: Pack up the luggage and put them in front of the door, then return the key to the reception counter.
9h45: Enjoy the buffet in our restaurant.
10h45: Settle down the payment for personal expenses (beverages, spa, etc.).
11h10: Return to the mainland by the speedboat.
14h – 14h30: Drop off in the Old Quarter.
Arrive in Hanoi by 15:00, check in and stay overnight in Hanoi, then you are free. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 12: Hanoi city tour (B/L)
At 08:00 our guide and drive will pick up you at the hotel. we will start the tour to explore around Hanoi.
With visiting Uncle Ho at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (outside) and residential grounds learning about his great life. Next stop is the nearby Temple of Literature, the site of Vietnam´s first University. Here we also have a chance to see a traditional music performance. Lunch is served at a local restaurant for a taste of authentic Hanoi (Pho or Vietnamese set menu)
In the afternoon, choose from one of the numerous museums or temples around Hanoi (Women´s Museum, History Museum or Quan Thanh Temple). Then you will go to the train street – one of favorite place of visitors, enjoy Vietnamese coffee and wait for train runs through (by 15:40), you will get the interesting experience.
In the late afternoon, take a cyclo trip around Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi´s fascinating Old Quarter. This is your chance to be in the midst of typical Hanoi a life and Vietnamese culture. We finish our relaxing but informative day by attending a Water Puppet Show – the traditional show in Hanoi. We can help you to get back to your hotel if you wish, but often our guests would rather just spend the evening enjoying a drink with a view of the city. Tour finishes at about 18:00 PM. Dinner on your own.
Day 13: Hanoi – Countryside By Jeep Tour (B/L)
Our guide and driver will come to pick up you from your hotel then start the tour from your hotel
We soon leave the busy streets of Hanoi via a scenic road winding through the city’s Old Quarter, through the urban outskirts, and into the countryside
we cross the bridge to the other side of the Red River where you could immerse yourselves into to tranquil countryside. Our driver you to explore the villages along the Red River Delta and learn about what daily life is like for these local residents. not only driver you to visit the villages our Hanoi Jeep Tour also take you to see and visit the vast of green rice paddies, where you can meet and see the people work at their farm chance to talk and learn about the daily life of the local people from red river delta
After driver to see many beautiful of the rice paddies and see the rural villages Hanoi Jeep Tour team will take you to visit a local market where you can see the local people trade at the market
Not only sightseeing countryside also would like to give you to visit the history side of Vietnam, it one of the most important history of Vietnam as all Vietnamese people know and learn about it is An Duong Vuong. The King who founded country and build Country become famous name of Au Lac Countryside from 247 BC when you arrive the historical place Tour guide will take you to visit the TEMPLE dedicated King An Duong Vuong the place also call CO LOA, where you will learn the history from our guide.
Continue again Jeep driver will ride again though the farm to visit a local family who have own farm to grow fruits where you have chance to visit and enjoy some fresh tropical fruits get pick from the farm now you understand and see all the different of local daily life of the Red river delta.
Now time to enjoy our last of ride, Jeep will driver along the back of the red river by different way back to Hanoi, on the way you still see spectacular landscape see amazing rice farm after enjoy the lunch for the morning tour our team will take you back to your hotel.
Day 14: Hanoi free day (B)
Free to explore on your own
Day 15: Hanoi – Departure (B)
Spend the rest of your time seeking for some cool souvenirs for your loved ones before transferred without guided to Noi Bai Airport for your upcoming flight.
Inclusions
Accommodation in a shared twin or shared double room with daily breakfast
- Tours and transfers as mentioned by shared air-conditioned vehicle
- Boat trips as mentioned in the itinerary
- Local English speaking guide
- Meals where mentioned (B: breakfast; L: lunch; D: dinner)
- Entrance fees
- Water for activities (1 bottle per person per day)
Exclusions
- International flight tickets
- Vietnam visa stamp fee
- Single supplement surcharge
- Other meals than mentioned
- Other services than mentioned
- Drinks, other than water on activity days
- Personal expenses (laundry, telephone, drinks, tip…)
- Travel insurance
