Upon arrival, a local guide with your private driver will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel.

Note: Normal check in time for hotels is 14:00

Overnight in Hanoi.

Distances and journey time: Noi Bai Airport to your chosen hotel in Hanoi (35km): 60mins.

Tour the city of Hanoi, with its ochre-coloured colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards and scenic lakes.Stop at the old cofffee shop in the Old Quarter to get sharing from your tour guide about daily life of Hanoian. Then 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”. Tour 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, considered by many to be one of Vietnam’s most iconic pagodas. Visit Ho Chi Minh's House nearby, a simple wooden house in a tranquil setting where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Some of his belongings are on display and visitors can walk up the steps to see his bedroom. Continue on 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.

NOTES

Availability: Morning only

Suggested departure time: 08:30

Tour duration: 3.5 hours

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed every Monday & Friday, all afternoons and from September until December).

Afternoon is free at leisure then you will be transferred to train station for overnight train to Lao Cai – the gateway to Sapa. Kindly note that check-out time standard is at 12:00.

Overnight in train

Meet your guide and transfer to a local restaurant for having breakfast and freshen up.

Depend on each day, you can visit market tour in Sapa as below schedule:

Coc Ly market: Tuesday

Bac Ha, Muong Khuong: Sunday

Lung Khau Nhin: Thursday

Can Cau: Saturday

Bac Ha market is still the most colorful market in this region, so it should be recommended to visit this market.

Depart to the Bac Ha Market, the largest and most colourful market in the area. Every Sunday morning, many different ethnic groups like the Flower H’mong, Phu La, Black Dzao, Tay and Nung minorities gather to buy and sell local products including homemade wares ranging from embroidery, tobacco and rice wine to farmyard animals such as chickens, pigs, horses and buffaloes. This is also a place for the locals to catch up and meet friends over rice wine at the end of the week. Visit the Tay ethnic village of Trung Do where you can meet and interact with the local people over a packed lunch. Continue on a local boat ride along the Chay River as it snakes between forested mountains. Transfer to Sapa.

Overnight in Sapa

Depart Sapa on an 8km (5mi) drive to the start of the O Quy Ho Mountain Pass along the Hoang Lien Son mountain range with several stops for photos of stunning Mount Fansipan and Sin Chai Valley. Turn and follow a narrow tarmac road, passing forests and waterfalls before arriving at the Ban Khoang Commune, home to the Black H’mong and Red Dzao ethnic groups. Walk to explore this remote village for an overview of local life. Then drive to the Ta Giang Phinh Valley, inhabited by the Black H’mong who live in several hamlets along a peaceful stream. Enjoy lunch on the banks of the stream, followed by a 2hr walk through wild and unspoiled scenery with imposing mountains and picturesque terraced fields. Observe the local villagers engaging in their daily activities including ploughing, harrowing, harvesting and handicrafts. Mid-afternoon, meet the car and return to Sapa.

NOTES:

Availability: Mornings only

Suggested departure time: 08:30

Tour duration: approximately 08 hours

Total trekking distance: 13km / 8mi

Easy walking, suitable for all fitness levels

This trip can be organized year-round except in January and February when the weather is often foggy

Overnight in Sapa

Free time at leisure, check-out time standard is at 12:00 then you will be transferred to bus station for shuttle bus back to Hanoi.

Upon arrival in Hanoi, check-in hotel.

Overnight in Hanoi

Our services include:

• Accommodation in a shared twin or shared double room
• Meals as mentioned (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)
• English speaking guide (for other languages and a national guide supplements apply)
• Tours and transfers as mentioned by private air conditioned vehicle
• Entrance fees for mentioned visits
• Boat trip as mentioned in the itinerary
• Train ticket (soft berth/shared cabin)

Our services do not include:

• Other meals than mentioned
• Other services than mentioned
• International and domestic Flights
• Laundry, telephone calls and expenditure of a personal nature
• Tips, Travel insurance

Notes:

• We strongly recommend the purchase of travel insurance (covering emergency medical evacuation) for trips to Vietnam.
• Reservations during peak times (Christmas, New Year, Vietnamese Lunar New Year (16-21 Feb), National Holidays) may be subject to supplementary charges.
• Rooms at hotels are available only from 1400 on arrival day till 1200 on departure date. A supplement will be added if early check-in or late check-out is desired.
• If one or some proposed service(s) is (are) not available at the moment of booking, we will try to find other possibilities/options or other similar service(s) in order to avoid changes to the program.