Best of Northern Vietnam

Vietnam Great Tours guide and driver will welcome you with the VIETNAM GREAT TOUR LOGO & your name on signboard at the airport and drive you to the hotel, it takes about 30 min to get to the hotel.

A Water Puppet Performance will be the evening highlight. This is the unique form of Vietnamese art come from wet rice civilization of South East Asia.

Breakfast is at the hotel,
08:30 Am: Our guide and driver pick you up at the hotel lobby for a full day exploring Hanoi. The first destination is the most highlights of Hanoi, which is Ho Chi Minh Complex including Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, His House-on-Stilts, One Pillar pagoda…

Then enjoy an hour Cyclo trip around Hoan Kiem lake and the Old Quarter which is known as the 36 streets and guilds with ancient buildings and narrow streets. From these streets, thousands of traditional things have been sold for hundreds years. Every street was named according to the specific thing the businesses living there sell, for example Silver Street, Rice Street, Shoes street, etc.
We continue our tour by visiting the Temple of Literature – a temple to Confucius, this is well-known as Vietnam’s first University built in the tenth century.

Lunch today is a special local dish called Pho bo Hanoi or Hanoi Noodle soup with beef at the most famous Pho eatery and another dish is Bun Cha Hanoi in English is Noodle with grilled pork. This delicious dish is served with Hanoi flavorful spring roll.

After lunch time you enjoy a drive out to the outskirt of Hanoi to visit Museum of Ethnology where you can not only study about the history of Vietnam’s ethnic groups but also South East Asia’s. It is well-known as one of the ten most interesting museums in Asia voted by viewers of Tripadvisor.com.

Next, we will head back to Hanoi’s centre to visit Ngoc Son Temple situated in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. If time permit, you will go sightseeing through the old quarter to explore the old city on foot with numerous shops and photo opportunities.
In the evening, you will be on an overnight train trip heading to Sapa.

In the early morning, when you arrive at Lao Cai Railway station, our awaiting guide and driver will meet you right at the exit of the station. Then, enjoy an hour drive up hill to Sapa town. Check in hotel, freshen up and have breakfast at the nearby local restaurant, (Check in time is 1.00 Pm, free early check in is subjected to availability). After that, walk leisurely around Sapa town, experience Sapa market and chat with H’Mong, Dao vendors who are all able to speak fluently English. You can find colorful tribal dress, purses, aluminum bracelets, silver necklaces, horn comb at all sorts from stalls on the second floor of the market. Downstairs floor of the market is loaded with all kinds of green vegetables, fruits, foods cultivated in Sapa.
A lunch of Sapa specialties at a popular local eatery in the town have been scheduled for you.
After lunch, ramble down hill to the nearby Cat Cat village of the Black H’Mong people. Have a brief tour inside an H’Mong hospitable family’s house and get to know more about their way of life, customs and habits.
Return to Sapa centre, and enjoy your time at leisure. Dinner tonight is on your own.

Enjoy your time at leisure and late breakfast at hotel,
9.00 Am: To depart for the 4 hour trekking journey you will be met by our tour expert and driver at hotel lobby. Our driver will stop en route for Kodak moments on the way traveling downhill to Muong Hoa valley. Your trekking will start on a pretty rocky road, this is the time you need to wear a good pair of walking shoes. We then pass through Lao Chai village, populated by Black Hmong inhabitants. Afterward continue to Ta Van village of Giay ethnic minority people. Beautifully decorated terrace fields promise you stunning photos. Besides, you will also pay a brief visit in local people’s houses and schools on the way. Cold soft drinks can be easily found along the way of your trek. Finally, you will be driven back to the town by mini van.
Late afternoon you can enjoy foot massage at a local stall nearby or venture out to discover the beautiful town by yourself.
Dinner tonight is on your own arrangement.

9:00 Am: A Vietnam Great Tours guide and driver will see you at hotel lobby and travel with you to Ma Tra village, 5 km North East of Sapa. From the Matra we will trek 9 km up to Taphin through the forest, there you will meet an interesting local who dresses up beautifully in their respective traditional costumes with a bright red turban on their head. She is one of the colorful Red Dzao people – the people of interesting legend. We also visit a local family to learn more about their life style and daily routine. Heading back to Sa Pa. Before being transferred to Lao Cai railway station, you are free at leisure. Then travel about 3 km from Lao Cai railway station, you will visit China border before boarding the night train.

Arrival at Hanoi by 4.30 Am. You will be picked up and transferred to the hotel.

After breakfast, we start Vietnam Experience Tour today by transfer to Halong Bay – designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage site since 1994. Traveling through the scenic fertile Red River Delta countryside, we get to Ha Long Bay by noon. The natural world heritage site Ha Long Bay is truly one of the most impressive scenery that should not be missed if someone ever comes to the north.

Upon arrival at Ha Long, we embark on cruise for an exploration of the legendary Ha Long Bay. This exciting hours cruise passing by the evocatively shaped islets will provide us a fantastic view of the picturesque scenery blending with the sky and some 3,000 limestone islands and islets rising amazingly from the clear and emerald water. Enjoy a Sea food lunch while you cruising through the bay.

Arrival in Van Gia floating fishing village, take rowing boat through the village or kayaking to visiting around the floating fishing village. Visiting Halong Pearl Farm Village, and Swimming in the bay.

Back the cruise and relax, free fresh fruits are served. You’ll join cooking class guided directly by Chef of the Cruise. You have chance to practice Vietnamese traditional dishes such as spring roll or famous cuisine of Vietnam.

After time for dinner enjoying special BBQ seafood on the cruise, you will be free for evening entertainments: play game on the cruise: cards game, chess, karaoke, squid fishing, and overnight on the Cruise.

Wake up in the morning to the calming sound of the waves crashing on the nearby islands, enjoy Tai Chi lesson on sundeck. Enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning and relax. Sitting on the upper deck, you can enjoy the breath – taking beauty of the rocky Islands rising from the crystal-clear waters of the Bay. The quiet is almost eerie; in summer you can hear birds singing, even that cicadas chirping ashore and the gentle lapping of the waves against our boat, the perfect soundtrack to accompany the fresh air and gentle breeze.

Arrive Sung Sot Cave (Amazing Cave) and joining with guide to visiting and explore the cave.

Our boat start cruising back and brunch buffet will be served on the way. Check out and arrive at the harbor by 11:30. You get back on our car and go back to Hanoi.

Breakfast will be served at your hotel.
You will see your guide at hotel lobby and then you will be transferred to Noi Bai airport for boarding the flight to the next destination
Finish the based trip.