Welcome to Hanoi, the bustling colonial capital of Vietnam. Your driver and guide will greet you outside the baggage claim area at Noi Bai Airport and transport you to your accommodation in the city center. In the afternoon, take an orientation stroll in Hanoi, stopping at the Opera House, Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, and Ngoc Son Temple. The rest of the day is yours to do as you like. Enjoy a traditional Water Puppet Show – a one-of-a-kind Vietnamese Art form originating in Southeast Asia’s wet-rice culture. In the evening, have a traditional Vietnamese welcome meal at one of Hanoi’s best restaurants before traveling to the railway station to board your night train to Laocai.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.
Accommodation: on train (in a shared 4 soft berths cabin with A/C).

Early in the morning, the train arrives at the Laocai railway station. Your guide and driver will meet you there and transport you the 40 kilometers to Sapa, the top vacation destination in Northwest Vietnam, dubbed the “Tonkinese Alps” by the French.
Enjoy breakfast in town while soaking in the fresh mountain air. Leave the hotel at 10:00 a.m. and begin your adventure. After passing through the local market, take a route that leads downward to Cat Cat Village. The Black Hmong community is well-known for its brocade weaving and gold and silver jewelry manufacture. The stroll to Cat Cat Village and its surrounding hills allows you to witness farms and techniques employed by the locals. A brief halt at a waterfall and a hydropower facility is made. After that, return to town and spend the remainder of the day at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa.

After breakfast, travel south to Muong Hoa Valley, then descend by foot through the Sapa region’s largest terraced rice field area. The trek takes you via the village of Lao Chai, which is home to the Black Hmong minority, and then onto the village of Ta Van, which is home to the Zay minority. Before going on to the distant Topas Ecolodge in Su Pan, take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to experience the everyday lives and traditional hospitality of these locals. This one-of-a-kind, the eco-friendly resort sits atop two cone-shaped hills in northern Vietnam’s stunning Sapa valley.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Ecolodge in Sapa.

Set off on foot toward Lech Village. After a short stroll on the main road, you will descend towards the Thanh Kim River, stopping en way to photograph the valley’s most magnificent scene. After crossing the river, you will proceed to the village, where you will spend time learning about the everyday lives of the locals before returning to the Ecolodge for lunch and check-out. Return to Sapa for some free time before descending to Laocai for supper at one of the local eateries before boarding your overnight train back to Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: on train (in a shared 4 soft berths cabin with A/C).

Arrive in Hanoi early in the morning, then travel to Ninh Binh. Hoa Lu, located 100 kilometers south of Hanoi, was Vietnam’s capital city from 968 and 1009 AD under the Dinh Dynasty. Some of the shrines and tombs have been preserved and may be visited today. Begin by riding across the countryside to Hoa Lu and the historic 10th-century fortress. Apart from its historical significance, the area is also endowed with breathtaking natural beauty, with limestone peaks whose magnificence is sometimes compared to that of Halong Bay. Continue your journey to Tam Coc over the limestone peaks, through rice terraces and small settlements. Lunch is provided at a local restaurant with a view of the boat port in Tam Coc. The journey includes a raft ride down the Ngo Dong River, which provides a remarkable experience as it passes between high limestone peaks. An excursion day is completed with a visit to Bich Dong Pagoda.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in 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. Spend 24 hours on a traditional Junk Cruise in the beautiful bay, natural beauty of jutting limestone islets, and stunning blue waters. Arrive at the pier at 12:00 p.m. and board your junk. As you sail out into the mysterious bay, have a sumptuous meal of fresh seafood on board. Cruise around several of Halong’s numerous islands in the afternoon, including Dinh Huong and Ga Choi. Along the journey, explore one of the bay’s three major caves (Thien Cung, Dau Go, or Sung Sot) and kayak through the bay’s secret areas. Swim (weather permitting), take photographs, or simply relax while the sun sets over the Tonkin Gulf. Sleep the night away on your trash, lulled to sleep by the gently rolling of calm seas.

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

Wake up early and practice Tai Chi on the top deck, or simply relax and watch the dawn over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in the morning before starting off on a rowing tour of surrounding islands. Return to the junk for breakfast, then relax on the sundeck and observe the spectacular rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay as you make your way back to Halong City. Before returning to Halong dock, have breakfast on board the boat. Your driver will meet you at the pier and transport you to Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport to catch your journey home.

Meals: Brunch.
Accommodation: N/A.