Best of North Vietnam Tour 9 Days 8 Nights (Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay and Ninh Binh)

Welcome to Hanoi! 

You will be met at the airport and transferred to hotel in Hanoi. Renowned as the “Paris of the East”, Hanoi is one of Asia’s most delightful cities. Rich in culture and history this diverse city draws its influences from both French and Chinese culture. 

Check in time from 14:00 PM

17:30- 17:45 PM tour guide picks up for Hanoi Street Food Tour

- Tour guides will take tourists to eat at lots of special corners , alleys and restaurants of The Old Quarter that you might miss if you go by yourself  to try variety of street foods and drinks  such as:Bún chả ( Grilled pork with noodle), Phở bò,gà ( Beef, chicken noodle soup), Bún ốc (Snail noodle soup), Bánh cuốn ( Steamed rice papper rolls), Bánh gối ( Pillow dumpling), Nem rán ( Fried spring rolls), Bánh tôm (Shrimp dumpling), Bánh Mỳ (Vietnamese sandwich), Chè ( Sweet gruel soup), Bánh Bao (Vietnamese dumpling), Bánh khoai, chuối ( Sweet potato,Banana cake), Hoa quả dầm ( Mixture fresh-fruit), Bia Hơi (Fresh beer), Trà đá (Iced tea), Café trứng (Egg coffee) …….

- Tour ends at Hoan Kiếm Lake or anywhere convenient for tourists to return, and then tour guides will show them how to get back your hotels.

Overnight in Hanoi

Breakfast at the hotel & do check out, bring all your luggage on the tour.

8.00- 8.30: Get picked up by our friendly guide and start to explore Hanoi City 

08.45: Arrive at Tran Quoc Pagoda located on Golden Fish IsLand in West Lake 

It is the oldest pagoda in Ha Noi built in the 6th century.

09.30: Visit Ho Chi Minh complex, you have a chance to see the embalmed body of  Ho Chi Minh then walk around the garden to see 2 houses where he lived & worked from 1954 to 1969. Then visit One Pillar Pagoda where worships the Godess of Mercy – It is the most unique padoga in the world

 Should dress modestly by covering from shoulders to knees when visiting Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, temples, pagodas…

 Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed on Mondays and Fridays.

 Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed at least 2 months (15thJune -15thAugust) for the annual maintaining but still can take picture Mausoleum and visit around that area

11.15: Visit Vietnam Ethnology Museum to learn about the culture of 54 ethnic groups living in the whole country of Vietnam

Special Note : we will visit Women Museum instead of Ethnology Museum closed on Mondays

12.45: Have lunch at our restaurant. You have an opportunity to enjoy Vietnamese cuisine 

with 8 delicious dishes.

14.00-14.15 : Continue to visit Temple of Literature – the first university of Vietnam, established in the 11 century 

15.15: Leave for Hoa Lo Prison Museum which originally used by the French colonists in Indochina for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. During this later period, it was known to American POWs as the "Hanoi Hilton

16.15 -16.30: Tour finishes. The shuttle bus drops you off at the hotel- near the train station. Check in and take a rest 2-3 hours before getting on the train.

Get a code train ticket and follow the instruction.

Overnight on the train.

Notes:

- Breakfast at the hotel and do check out.

- Bring all your luggage on tour.

Arrive Lao Cai train station in the early morning.

The driver picks up with a name board and then tranfers you to Sapa Town.

Have a breakfast and take a rest at the lobby of the hotel.

CHeck in time from 14:00 PM

Afternoon: Start the trekking down to the South-west of Sapa (around 4 km) to visit Cat Cat village of the Black H’mong. Relax at the foot of the stunning waterfall and the vestige of a hydroelectric power station that was constructed by the French during colonial time in Vietnam. Enjoy the surrounding area. 

On the way back, we'll transfer by van to your hotel. Freshen up before dinner

Evening: You'll have dinner at around 6pm, and then you are free to explore the charm of Sapa by night, enjoy roasted corn, baked eggs beside a charcoal fire or go shopping.

Overnight in Sapa.

- Wake up in the morning and enjoy the fresh air. Have a local breakfast in the restaurant, then, get ready for trekking.

- Check out of the room and begin your exploration trip to Muong Hoa valley. Follow the main road heading south for about an hour before turning right to a footpath downhill to Muong Hoa Valley. This part offers spectacular scenery of the highest part of Hoang Lien Son mountain range and on a nice day, Fansipan Peak can be seen.

Crossing the river by a suspension bridge you will challenge your feet uphill to Y Linh Ho village. Here, pay a visit to some H’mong families, and watch them doing their daily work. 

- After lunch, the trail continues up and downhill for about 2 hours as you reach Lao Chai, a large village of the H’mong, and then follow the river bank to Ta Van of the Zay people. Visiting local homes, enjoy your cultural discovery as well as the breathtaking scenery of the Muong Hoa Valley. 

- Settle down in Ta Van village for an overnight homestay.

- Leaving Ta Van village after breakfast, take the trail uphill, passing fascinating terraced rice fields and some small hamlets of the H’mong before getting through a bamboo forest to a waterfall. 

Enjoy a break for some magnificent scenery and then continue walking for half an hour to Giang Ta Chai village of the Red Zao people, which sits on the top of a hill and looks down Muong Hoa river.

After spending time visiting the village, making friends with the Zao, and experiencing their hospitality, cross the river by another suspension bridge and then go uphill again to Hau Thao village. Visit a local handicraft center where H’mong and Zao women gather to exchange experience and skills of making handicrafts. 

A late lunch will be prepared nearby this center and then you have time to relax and prepare before heading back to Hanoi.

14h00- 14h15 a shuttle bus picks up to come back to Hanoi.

20:30 arrive Hanoi, check in hotel.

Overnight in Hanoi.

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Breakfast at the hotel & do check out.

08:00 - 08:30: Pick up at your hotel (in Hanoi Old Quarter area only) and depart for Ha Long City.

12:30 - On arrival at the pier, you will board your Ha Long Cruise and you are warmly welcomed by professional and friendly crew.

13:00 - Check-in cabin and enjoy specially prepared lunch while cruising through the most beautiful parts of the magical bay with thousands of amazing limestone islands emerging from emerald water. Sailing with Ha Long Cruise in a very tranquil route, exploring the exotic beauty of the legendary Bay, a feeling in paradise will come to you.

14:30 - Keep cruising to the most beautiful parts of Halong Bay. This is the best time to relax after lunch and enjoy your privacy, capturing stunning photos of the legendary bay.

15:30 - Small tender brings you to visit Titop island, hiking to the top of the island from where tourists can capture a panoramic view of Halong Bay.

16:30 - Kayaking & swimming

18:00 - Join the sunset party on the sundeck in a warm and romantic atmosphere, make friends with other members in the group, enjoy fresh local fruit, listen to soft, light music, and wear traditional costumes for kings, queens and mandarins.

19:00 - Enjoy the special dinner cooked by our professional chef.

20:30 - The moment you choose your own way to relax after dinner, listening to music, singing karaoke, relaxing on the sundeck, squid fishing available for entertainment during the night time.

Overnight on Cruise

Notes:

- Breakfast at the hotel and do check out.

- You can bring a small luggage on the tour. The rest of luggage can be sent at the reception. You will get it back when you come back to Ha Noi next day.

06:00 – Take photos of sunrise, morning exercise with our Tai Chi master, a perfect healthy way to start a new day.

07:00 – Enjoy your breakfast, coffee, tea, and fruits.

07:45 – Visit Surprising Cave – the most beautiful one in Halong Bay.

09:00 – Back to Ha Long Cruise for check-out. Keep cruising towards Ha Long Bay, passing by hundreds of islands and islets with different shapes depending on your imagination.

10:00 – Cooking class opened right on the cruise.

11:00 – Farewell lunch served on the cruise before you arrive at the harbor.

12:30 – Get on the bus to Hanoi. 

15:30- come back to Ha Noi.

Overnight in Hanoi

07h30 – 8h00: Get picked up by our friendly guide then depart for Ninh Binh province

09h15: Have a short break for 15 – 20 minutes to relax

10h30: Visit Hoa Lư ancient capital of Vietnam between 968 and 1010. You have a chance to learn about Vietnamese history in the feudal system under Dinh, Le, and Ly Dynasty

11h45: Have a buffet lunch in the restaurant with a lot of local foods such as

 goat meat, fish, chicken, and fried rice …Vegetarian foods are always available in the buffet lunch

13h00: Visit Tam Coc by 1.5-hour bamboo boat.  You will be surprised by the charming beauty here with paddy fields, river, water, cloud, sky, and a stunning cave system during the boat trip. All make a masterpiece that the Vietnamese people called “Ha Long Bay on land”

15h00: Continue the tour for 45 mins - cycling around the village to discover the life of the local people.

16h00: Get on the bus to return to Hanoi

18h00: Get dropped off at Hotel in Hanoi

Overnight in Hanoi

Breakfast at hotel

Free and easy day to discover Hanoi Old Quater.

Check out time from 12:00 at noon.

The driver takes you to the airport for your flight.

End of tour!