NORTH VIETNAM DISCOVERY – 12 DAYS

You have the entire day today to visit Vietnam’s lovely capital. Hanoi is an eclectic blend that provides something for everyone, with its broad tree-lined boulevards, French colonial buildings, calm lakes, and ancient oriental pagodas. The Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and stilt home); the Presidential Palace; the neighboring One Pillar Pagoda; the Temple of Literature; West Lake; and the peaceful Tran Quoc Pagoda & Quan Thanh Temple are all included in your city trip. Visit one of the city’s museums (a choice between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum).

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi.

After breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you in the hotel lobby and take you on a six-hour journey from Hanoi to Sapa via Vietnam’s longest and most modern highway.
Upon arrival, check into your accommodation and go for a walk through Cat Cat Village. Spend the afternoon touring the picturesque town of Sapa or simply resting.

Optional (ticket excluded in the tour package):

The world’s most modern three-rope cable car system, Fansipan Legend, was opened for public use in February 2016.
At the inaugural ceremony, representatives from Guinness World Records presented a certificate recognizing the system as the world’s longest three-rope cable car (6,292.5 meters). The facility was also named the three-rope cable car system with the world’s biggest height gap between its departure and arrival stations (1,410m).
The cable car system stretches from Muong Hoa valley in Sapa Town, Lao Cai Province to the peak of 3,143-meter Fansipan, known as Indochina’s rooftop.
Passengers used to spend two days climbing to the Fansipan summit, but now it takes only 15 minutes thanks to this system. The dream of reaching Indochina’s rooftop, which used to be hard to do, becomes easier for everyone.
As soon as you reach Fansipan station at an altitude of 2,800m above sea level, 600 stairs await for you to climb up to the summit. Standing on the top of Fansipan, it seems that you are enjoying life in heaven. Surroundings are a range of mountains and cloud-only. And then you return to the station for a ride back to Sapa.

WORKING HOURS
Start: 7:30 A.M – End: 17:30
PRICE
Adult and child (taller than 1.3m): 30 USD/ person
Child: 20 USD/ person.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa.

Breakfast is served at the hotel as you breathe in the pure mountain air.
At 10:00 a.m., depart Sapa by automobile for Lao Cai City. After a 3 km journey, you will mount a hill to a secluded ethnic minority village of Sa Seng, where you will be able to view how the Black H’mong live their everyday lives. Take note of the traces of ancient communities, such as stone wall foundations that would have been utilized seasonally. Before walking upwards along the side of Den Thang Mt, stop for lunch at Sa Seng. After an hour, you will arrive to Hang Da Village, which is located at an elevation of 1,800m. Take in the stunning scenery of the Muong Hoa Valley. The following 30 minutes are spent walking at a steady pace before descending. Descend into Hong Den Hamlet, which consists of only a few houses dispersed on a rocky outcropping. Take a time to appreciate some of the area’s most beautiful landscapes. Continue walking down the route to Hau Thao village, then to Ta Van Bridge, where you will meet your driver and return to Sapa Town.

Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa.

You are free to rest or explore the town on your own in the morning.
At 10:00 a.m., travel to Silver Waterfall, which has breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. Visit Hoang Lien National Park and the neighboring Tram Ton Pass, Heaven’s Gate — one of Vietnam’s highest roadways (above 2000m) that connects Sapa Town and Lai Chau Province. Admire the breathtaking vistas, including the Fansipan top, Indochina’s tallest peak (weather permitting).
Continue downhill to Lai Chau, where you will have lunch at a local restaurant. After that, you’ll travel for approximately three hours to Muong Lay Town (Dien Bien Province), where you’ll spend the night.

Muong Lay is a resettlement town lining the bank of the mighty Da River which drives the nation’s largest hydropower plant and home to some of the country’s most colorful hill tribes. The town centre is located in a long narrow valley, at the head of which is the confluence of the Da River, the Nam Na River and the Nam Lay Stream. Since Muong Lay became a resettlement area for those ceding land for the Son La Hydropower Dam, it has undergone a metamorphosis, becoming a modern urban area with full community services, as well as an attractive tourist destination in Vietnam’s North West provinces.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Muong Lay.

Today’s trip provides great views across the highlands, but be in mind that some sections of the road may be under construction or prone to landslides. Around midday, arrive at Dien Bien Phu City.
Dien Bien Phu was the location of a devastating French loss in the First Indochina War in 1954, and it was historically significant. The French loss here resulted in their entire evacuation from their Indochina possessions, as well as the partitioning of Vietnam into North and South Vietnam.

As a result, it had a huge impact on global politics, motivating subsequent independence movements and triggering a period of decolonization, notably in French-ruled Africa.
Dien Bien Phu is now a rather calm town with a population of around 100,000 people. It serves as a regional commercial and transportation hub for the province.
After lunch, visit the Vietnam Military History Museum (also known as the Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum) and cemetery before proceeding to the famed “A1 Hill,” the location of some of the bloodiest combat between French and Vietnamese forces during the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1946. Finish your day by going to the French Command Bunker (west of River Ron).

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Dien Bien Phu.

Check out of the hotel after breakfast (at 8 a.m.) and travel to Mai Chau, a little village set in the center of a verdant valley surrounded by emerald-green rice fields. The most attractive location on today’s drive is Pha Din Crossing, a lovely pass at 1,300m elevation with breathtaking views that is well-known as a historical landmark during the First Indochina War, which concluded in 1954. “Pha Din” denotes the link between Heaven and Earth, according to local folklore. In Son La City, it’s lunchtime (150km from Dien Bien Phu).

Continue the drive and make stops along the way to visit villages of diverse tribes such as the Thai, Muong, and Dzao, as well as an orchard and a tea plantation in the Moc Chau plateau, Vietnam’s prime tea-growing region. Arrive at Mai Chau late in the day and settle into your overnight homestay in a Thai hamlet. Dinner will be served with a local family.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Homestay in Mai Chau.

About 150 kilometers from Hanoi, the Mai Chau valley is a picturesque patchwork of towns and limestone cliffs. This lovely hilly region, with its dense rainforest, bamboo groves, tea plantations, and waterfalls, is ideal for long hikes and short excursions to ethnic settlements.
After breakfast, travel through Thai villages before embarking on an easy (2–4 hour) climb through Xa Linh, Pa Co, which is home to the Green Hmong hill tribe. You may have the opportunity to converse with local minority people who will be out and about gathering firewood, working in the fields, and looking to their animals. Take a picnic lunch and enjoy it along the paths.

Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch.
Accommodation: Homestay in Mai Chau.

After breakfast, left Mai Chau for a countryside drive via Ninh Binh province, where spectacular limestone karsts shoot skywards amidst beautiful rice terraces and languid waterways. A visit to Cuc Phuong National Park is a unique way to break up the long journey.
Check into your accommodation upon arrival and spend a few hours relaxing. At twilight, take a leisurely sampan excursion along the Ngo Dong River, passing underneath rocky outcrops and into three limestone caves (Tam Coc). During the rowing boat journey, you will see a unique panorama known as “Halong Bay on Land.”. Take a short stroll through the limestone mountains to the Thai Vi temple, which was dedicated to the Four Kings of the Tran dynasty in the 13th century and today provides a sanctuary of tranquility and simplicity against an old backdrop.
Spend the night at Tam Coc at your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Tam Coc (Ninh Binh).

After breakfast at the hotel, your driver will take you on a 4-hour trip through the Red River Delta area to Halong Bay. The Halong Bay itinerary below is an example of our typical service on a three-star junk/cruise. Our luxury cruise itineraries on the Violet, Jasmine, Ginger, Paradise, Au Co, or Indochina Sails, as well as various affordable cruises, provide a variety of programs. Please contact us for additional information.

Oriental Sails will take you on a tour of Halong Bay. This 3-day voyage through the famed Gulf of Tonkin (Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay, and Lan Ha Bay) features a variety of activities that will deliver a really unforgettable experience!
12:30 – 13:00 Embark on Oriental Sails, followed by a cruise briefing.
13:00 – 15:30 Savor a wonderful lunch as Oriental Sails travels farther around Bai Tu Long Bay’s limestone islands.
15:30 – 16:30 p.m You have the option of selecting one of the following options:

Option 1: Visit a fishing community T For those interested in local everyday life, take a 45-minute bamboo rowing boat ride through Vung Vieng fishing hamlet — one of the largest fishing villages in Halong Bay – to discover how the local fisherman live. The settlement is located in a secluded lagoon surrounded by mountains, making it an ideal location for photographs.
Option 2: Go to the beach and go kayaking.
For those who prefer water sports and the beach, the tender will transport you to Ban Chan Beach, where you may relax on the beach, swim, or play volleyball… or try your hand at kayaking in Halong Bay’s stunning virgin waters.

16:30 – 17:30 Return to Oriental Sails and have a bath before relaxing as the sunsets.
17:30 – 19:00 Join us for Happy Hour at the bar and on the sun deck, as well as our culinary lesson with Oriental Sails Chef.
19:00 Dinner is provided. After supper, mingle with the other guests, go squid fishing, or simply relax.

22:00 Activities such as singing and dancing are provided. Overnight at Cong Do Area on board.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Accommodation: on cruise.

06:30 – 07:00: Start your day with Tai Chi on sundeck.
07:00 – 08:00: Have breakfast at sunrise
08:30 – 10:30: Picked up by day boat and cruise forward Lan Ha Bay.
10:30 – 12:00:  Kayaking at Dark and Light Cave.
12:00- 13:00: Have lunch.
13:00 – 15:00: Cruise to Three Peaches Beach, relaxing, kayaking and swimming
15:00 – 17:30:  Return to mother boat and overnight at Cong Do Area.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Accommodation: on cruise.

06:30 – 07:00:  Start your day with Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck.
07:00 – 09:00: Catch morning view of seascapes with a cup of tea or coffee, have breakfast while cruising toward Thien Canh Son Cave.
09:00 – 09:30:  Visit Thien Canh Son Cave – the medium size and less visited cave in Bai Tu Long Bay.
09:30 – 10:00: Check-out room. Luggage can be delivered to the reception area.
10:00 – 11:00: Head back to the Harbor. Have early lunch on board.
Disembark Oriental Sails at Halong wharf around noon. Here, your driver awaits for the transfer back to Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport to end your great journey.
Good bye and safe travels!
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: N/A.