Trekking North Vietnam 19 Days 18 Nights - Asia Style Travel
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North Vietnam Trekking Tour 19 Days / 18 Nights

Start/End:Hanoi/ Hanoi
Tour Route:Hanoi - Van Long - Mai Hich - Pu Luong - Thu Cuc - Nghia Lo - Tu Le - Mu Cang Chai - Than Uyen - Sapa - Bac Ha - Ha Giang - Dong Van - Meo Vac - Bao Lac - Ba Be - Cao Bang - Ban Gioc - Lang Son - Bai Tu Long bay - Hanoi.
Dates: Daily Departure
Tour description:

Trekking tour in North of Vietnam will show you all of natural area in Vietnam so you will study a lots of local lifestyle of Vietnam which still original, with this tour you will have chance to see a diversity of Vietnamese culture.

Day 1: Hanoi
Day 2: Hanoi - Van Long - Mai Hich
Day 3: Pu Luong trekking
Day 4: Mai Hich - Suoi Lon - Thu Cuc
Day 5: Thu Cuc - Nghia Lo
Day 6: Nghia Lo - Tu Le - Mu Cang Chai
Day 7: Mu Cang Chai - Than Uyen - Sapa
Day 8: Sapa trekking
Day 9: Sapa trekking
Day 10: Sapa - Bac Ha
Day 11: Bac Ha - Ha Giang
Day 12: Ha Giang - Quan Ba - Yen Minh - Dong Van
Day 13: Dong Van - Meo Vac - Bao Lac
Day 14: Bao Lac - Ba Be
Day 15: Ba Be - Cao Bang - Ban Gioc
Day 16: Ban Gioc - Lang Son
Day 17: Lang Son - Bai Tu Long bay
Day 18: Bai Tu Long bay
Day 19: Bai Tu Long bay - Hanoi

Detail Itinerary

Day 1: Friday, Hanoi Arrival (D)

Arrive Hanoi international airport, our guide and driver will pick you up transfer to hotel in Hanoi, check in (time of check in at 14:00PM, early check in available), and today we will do half day City tour.
Leave your luggage at your hotel then we will do the city tour, first we will pass Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, walking around there to take nice photos with nice architect of French quarter, then we continue to Temple of Literature, spend 45 minutes in Temple then we depart for Ethnology Museum, after that we will go to Boi Khe Pagoda which was built in 1338, time to relax in a peaceful area of pagoda. Here you have the sense to stay away from the noise and struggle of life , you dedicated yourself a little quiet time sacred places and chance to see ancient architecture of Vietnam. Back to Old Quarter for rickshaw around old quarter, water puppet, welcome dinner.

Day 2: Saturday, Hanoi - Van Long - Mai Hich (B/L/D)

Breakfast at your hotel then at 8:00AM, our car and guide will pick you up to drive to Van Long, it is 130kms, take 2,5 hours to drive there, take boat trip to discover Van Long Natural reserve, enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and landscape, here you might have a chance to see wild Delacour's Langur on the mountain side and thousands of white storks, back to restaurant for lunch, then we will drive to Mai Hich on mountain road, 150km, takes 04 hours to drive, arrive Mai Hich in the afternoon, check in Thai's house on stilt relaxing then dinner.
Driving: 6,5 hours for 270kms
Trekking: No

Van Long Natural Reserve

Mai Hich Village

Day 3: Sunday, Trekking to Pu Luong (B/L/D)

Breakfast at your villas then 08:00AM we drive to Pu Luong to visit Po Muoi cave, after that start trekking up to Eo Ken village where Muong and Thai people live.
Arrive at village at 10:30 AM, walking and visiting village, invited by local people in to their house for welcome tea for 20 minutes.
11:00 AM continue trekking up to the top of mountain where you will have a chance to enjoy the beautiful Mountain with terrace rice fields. Have short rest at Thai's house for 10 minutes then trekking back through the forest to Hang village where will have lunch.
Lunch in the village of Thai People, after that we go to Mai Hich where we will spend another night. This afternoon we will have chance to bike thru peaceful rice field in Mai Hich village to see how the local work with their rice field, back to the village relax and dinner, overnight at house on stilt.
Driving: 01 hour for 60km (2 way from Mai Hich)

Day 4: Monday, Mai Hich - Suoi Lon - Thu Cuc (B/L/D)

After breakfast at 7:30 AM in local family, the day begins with a beautiful biking through the tiers of splendid rice terraces and past several idyllic villages: Mai Hich Village- Den Village- Ngoa Village and Sam Khoe Village, we pass many rice field where you will see the green color with daily working life of local people, this time we might have a chance to study how to work in the field from local people, we do biking a round 8-10km thru 3 or 4 villages then biking back to Mai Hich village( it takes 02 hours riding), relax a little bit then we start driving to Suoi Lon Village of the Muong people join the local's work for your experience of local life. After that our car will continue to drive to Thu Cuc, during that time we will stop at some Muong village and through beautiful area with rich farmland covered by tea plantations, fancy some side visit to ethnic villages along the way and seeing tea processing. We have a break at noon in a little pretty town Ta Su, a local center where we have Lunch and walk around the market which is colorful with local farming products as well as minority handicrafts...
Later we take a walk for about 4 km along a track passing villages of Thai and Muong, tea farms, fantastic scenery. Visiting some local homes and tasting local wine which is fermented in pottery jar, it takes 02 hour walking
Arriving in Thu Cuc in the late afternoon, where we stay overnight in another Muong Village,
Driving: 03 hours for 130km
Biking: 02 hours for 14km Walking: 02 hours for 4km

Day 5: Tuesday, Thu Cuc - Nghia Lo (B/L/D)

The terrain changes today as we drive to Nghia Lo, Starting from Thu Cuc, featuring with fertile hilly area covered with green tea plantations, the mountains get higher and higher. Along the way you can see thick forests cover high mountains. Spending about 4 hours walking around 8-9km through a narrow and long valley, we meet three tribal setting their villages in different ways which reveal their traditional customs and living style: The Thai occupy the low land almost at bottom of valleys, near river or streams from which they build up water wheels for transfer water to rice paddies on which they farm wet rice intensively. The H'mong settle at the highest elevation, grow corn and dry rice on the burn-over land and the Dzao live in the middle practice both methods of farming and it is easily to realize that they learn a lot of farming technique from the Thai.
Arriving in Nghia Lo, a pretty mountainous town, we spend the remaining hours of the day wandering the town including the market area.
Driving: 02 hours for 70km
Trekking: 04 hours for 9km
Up 200m Down 200m

Day 6: Wednesday, Nghia Lo - Tu Le - Mu Cang Chai (B/L/D)

It is not far from Nghia Lo to Tu Le. The road ride today takes only 2 hours so we have a lot of time exploring the area for real mountainous life of the local ethnic minority people. Fancy a four hour trekking along a trail which connect villages to villages, meeting different tribal people such as White Thai, Black Dzao, Red H'mong...who seem very surprise, staring at you for the first moment and turn out very friendly and inviting you to their homes in which you will be hosted with tea or home made wine. We enjoy another home staying in a large Thai village, which offers fantastic hours for your culture discovery.
Driving 02 hours for 70km,
Trekking: 5 hours for 10km.
Up 200m Down 150m

Nghia Lo

Mu Cang Chai

Day 7: Thursday, Mu Cang Chai - Than Uyen - Sapa (B/L/D)

We are heading uphill to Hoang Lien Son range of mountains, the roof of Indochina, for our discovery from the back side of this famous area. The Northeast of this range, consider the front side with Sapa has been known and become popular tourist destination for almost 2 decades but the back side is staying unknown to many, even local travelers talking of the area which we are going today as of another world. The first tip of the day is the morning market at the center of Tu Le. Tribal peoples from remotest villages in their traditional costumes which are very different from one another go to market with cheerful faces...which makes you surprise! Leaving the market for a short drive, you will find yourselves in the magnificent area of this unspoiled area, Khau Pha. From the foot of this mountain pass, we challenge a 9km trek through thick jungle up to the top of the pass which is at 1,800m above sea level. Enjoy fresh air and great view.
After Lunch in Mu Cang Chair town, we continue our drive uphill which offers even more spectacular scenery, far away from what you expect! Then we drive along the foot of Fansipan, admiring its magnificence and beauty from the west side which is often clearer in comparison with that from Sapa at the east side. Today you will meet people from Lu minority whose population is just about 5000. Some old Lu men said that their ancestors came to settle in the region from Laos many years ago and they adopted rice farming style of the Thai while maintaining their traditional culture which reveals on women's clothes and jewelry and still keep dying their teeth black. The 60km drive from Binh Lu to Sapa offers the most spectacular scenery in Vietnam for sure. It is hard work to driver because beautiful landscapes makes you wish to stop at every corner while going up steep road! Arriving in Sapa in the afternoon, spend 1,5 hour biking to Ta Van about 15km, arrive Ta Van then walking around the village and we are able to see how the Black Hmong people color their fabric(Indigo dye) and have the tour guide demonstrate some of the dye making process (indigo).
Spend the night with local people and enjoy your dinner
Driving 04 hours for 140km
Biking 02 hours for 15km
Down 400m
Up 400m
Trekking around village 01 hour for 1km.

Day 8: Friday, Sapa trekking: Lao Chai - Ta Van - Y Linh Ho - Ta Phin (B/L/D)

Enjoy the dawn and fresh air in the village; have a nice breakfast served by the house owner.
You will begin yours 12 km trek on small trails along side of the Muong Hoa Valley toward the Black H'mong village of Lao Chai, it takes 06 hours. Have lunch near the Muong Hoa river bank.
The Muong Hoa Valley contains some of the most beautiful views of terraced fields in Asia.
In the afternoon, continue walking to Y Linh Ho village then up the main road and you will transfer by car to Ta Phin village of the Red Dzao people where we will stop for overnight home stay.
Enjoying your dinner and getting to know local typical traditional customs, cultural...
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.
Driving: 40 minutes for 20km
Trekking 03 hours for 12km
Down 400m
Up400m

Day 9: Saturday, Ta Phin - Trung Chai - Sapa (B/L/D)

Good morning Ta Phin village, enjoy breakfast from the host family. Goodbye to Red Dzao Family, then easy trekking to Trung Chai village.
Easy trekking following the buffalo trail, passing the Hmong & Red Dzao village.
Have a picnic lunch, then get a main road for transferring to Sapa Town, relax after hard trekking, overnight at Sunny Mountain Hotel.
Trekking 05 hours for 9km

Day 10: Sunday, Sapa - Bac Ha Sunday Market (B/L/D)

After breakfast, our guide and car will pick you up to depart to Bac Ha Sunday market, arrive at the market you will have a chance to visit the mountainous hill tribes market which is special for local people.
You will see local people sell and buy things made by themselves, after visiting the market we will have lunch then trekking to Ban Pho village to see the life style of Flower H'Mong minority people, and visiting the palace of H'Mong King Hoang A Tuong was built in 1914 with mixing European architecture and Chinese.
Overnight in Bac Ha.
Driving 03 hours for 100km
Trekking: in Bac Ha 02 hours for 4km

Sapa

Bac Ha Sunday Market

Day 11: Monday, Bac Ha - Ha Giang (B/L/D)

Breakfast at your hotel, morning walking around Bac Ha a little bit then our car pick up to drive to Ha Giang, on the way we stop at the local restaurant for lunch during the road trip we will stop on the way at the wonderful area for your photos and visiting some Tay, H'Mong's villages, arrive Ha Giang City in the afternoon.
Check in hotel to relax a bit then dinner, overnight at hotel in Ha Giang
Today included trekking and stop for taking photos, it takes 8 hours.
Driving: 06 hours for 200km
Trekking: no

Day 12: Tuesday, Ha Giang - Quan Ba - Tam Son - Yen Minh - Dong Van(B/L/D)

Today you will encounter some spectacular landscapes. After acquiring a mandatory permit at the Immigration Office, you will begin your journey to Dong Van across a series of long passes. Today we will have a lots of photos with imaging natural landscapes on the way our car and guide will stop in Quan Ba area where we will spend the time to visit Lung Khuy cave the most beautiful cave in Ha Giang. It is 01 km up hill.
You will have lunch on route in the small but beautiful mountain town of Tam Son. Then you will head to the majestic King of the H'mong's Palace, a fortress built by a local chief allied with the French against the Viet Minh, Vuong Chin Duc. The palace, built in the early 1900s was designed in the ancient Chinese architectural style of the Man Qing era, made from materials such as solid stone, wood and terracotta tiles.
After that continuing your journey you will arrive at Hoa Cuong hotel around 5pm in time for dinner and an overnight stay in a hotel.
Driving: 04 hours for 160km
Trekking: 02 hours for 2km

Day 13: Wednesday, Dong Van - Ma Pi Leng pass - Mao Vac - Bao Lac (B/L/D)

An absolutely unforgettable day! It starts with a visit to the market of Dong Van, where the locals shop before returning to their mountain hamlets.
We then climb a pass up to the French Fortress of Pu Lo, built in 1890 and evacuated in 1945 from which we enjoy a spectacular view of the entire region. The road climbs on 15km up to the top of the Ma Pi Leng Pass, through a gigantic maze of limestone peaks, "stone forests", and canyons, a unique landscape of the world. Descending into the valley of Meo Vac, on the way we will have a chance to see the Ha Giang Karst Plateau Global Geopark, then set of on a light trek along the banks of the Nho Que River up to the top of mountain to have a great view, take some wonderful photos and breath up some fresh air in this area then trek to visit villages of the Tay and Nung hill tribes, drive to Bao Lac town for a night at homestay ( In case the weather is raining it is dangerous to go to the village for homestay we will stay at the hotel).
Today included stops for visiting and taking some photos, it takes 6 hours.
Driving: 03 hours for 110km
Trekking along Nho Que River: 03 hours for 6km

Day 14: Thursday, Bao Lac - Ba Be (B/L/D)

Breakfast in the hotel then we will start for an absolutely unforgettable day! It starts with the visit of local people around then starting to drive on snaking through the mountains, cross the river, and wonderful landscapes to arrive in Ba Be Lake in the afternoon, check in Mr. Linh's homestay then we spend to trek 02 hours before coming back to your homestay, where we have diner and spend the night.
Driving: 04 hours for 150km
Trekking: 02 hours for 5km

Ba Be Lake

Ban Gioc Waterfall

Day 15: Friday, Ba Be - Cao Bang - Ban Gioc Waterfall (B/L/D)

We start early to take the mountain road Cao Bang - Ban Gioc Waterfall. We will take about 6 hours drive to visit Ban Gioc waterfalls, the highest and most spectacular in the area. Enjoy an imposing sight of Ban Gioc waterfalls, boarding on to bamboo raft rowing around the river and nicer photo at the short distance to the waterfall after that relax freely with plenty of time for photos. You will then visit Nguom Ngao "Tiger Cave". After that we come back to spend a night at Ban Gioc resort to have beautiful night here this afternoon you can walk around some villages near your resort.
Driving: 05 hours for 220km
Trekking: 01 hour for 1km

Day 16: Saturday, Ban Gioc - Lang Son (B/L/D)

Before departing Lang Son, consider climbing the hill up to the War Memorial for a great panoramic view. The famous Highway 4 winds its way through steep mountain passes with spectacular vistas! Lang Son, the capital of this mountainous area, is an important crossing and trading route with China. The area is home to Dzao, Man, Tho and Nung ethnic minority groups. Lang Son has two markets, the Old Market and the Dong Kinh Market, where shoppers can find everything from electronics and gadgets to textiles and house wares. Just a couple of kilometers from town are two large, beautiful caves and the ruins of the Mac Dynasty Citadel that are worth a visit, time permitting. Tam Thanh Cave contains a pond and offers great views of the surrounding farmlands. Nhi Thanh Cave, formed by the river that flows through it, has poems carved into the entrance by the man who discovered the cave in the 18th century.
Overnight in Lang Son.
Driving: 04 hours for 200km
Trekking: 03hours for 5 km

Day 17: Sunday, Lang Son - Bai Tu Long Bay (B/L/D)


08:00 - 08:30 Pick-up at hotel and start the 3 hour-and-a-half drive to Hong Gai Tourist Wharf, check in Calypso Cruiser JSC's private waiting hall - The OS Lounge.
12:30 - 13:00 embark on Calypso Cruiser followed by cruise briefing.
13:00 - 15:30 savor a delectable lunch as Calypso Cruiser cruises further along the limestone islands of Bai Tu Long Bay.
15:30 - 16:30 you are free to choose one of the below options:
Fishing village visit: Those are interested in local daily life: Take a bamboo rowing boat trip (around 45 minutes) around Vung Vieng fishing village - one of the largest fishing villages in Halong Bay to see the life of local fishermen. The village is set in closed lagoon, surrounded by mountains, excellent settings for some good photos.
16:30 - 17:30 Return to Calypso Cruiser and have bath then relax as the sun starts to set.
17:30 - 19:00 enjoy the Happy Hour at the bar and on the sun deck and take part in our cooking class with Calypso Cruiser Chef
19:00 Dinner is served. Socialize with other guests, night squid fishing or just laze around. Singing and dancing activities are available till 22h00.
Overnight on board at Cong Do Area

Day 18: Monday, Bai Tu Long bay (B/L/D)

06:30 - 07:00 start your day with Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck. Enjoy a cup of coffee or refresh yourselves in Bai Tu Long majestic Bay.
07:00 - 08:00 Have breakfast in the restaurant.
08:15 - 09:30 discover the bay by one-day itinerary on our professional day boat.
9:30 - 12:00 Cruise toward Thay Cave, coral reef reservation area out side the Thay Cave then cruise toward Vung Ha Island. No visit cave.
12:00 - 13:30 Have lunch on our day boat at Vung Ha area.
13:30 - 15:30 follow the itinerary, Foot Print Beach is chosen to be next destination. You are free to visit the island, walking around for photo, no swimming.
15:30 - 17:30 Transfer back to Calypso Cruiser Cruise. Have dinner and night activities on board.
Over second night on board at Cong Do area.

Bai Tu Long bay

Calypso Cruiser

Day 19: Tuesday, Bai Tu Long bay - Hanoi (B/L)

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 Calypso Cruiser at around 12h00.
12:00 - 16:30 Transfer back to Hanoi and trip finishes at the hotel around 16h30. End of the service.

About Price:

Rates vary frequently. Please contact us to get the best possible price based upon your travel period and specific touring needs.

What's included ?

- English speaking guide.
- All accommodation as itinerary
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary (B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner)
- All private transfers and transport with A/C
- Entrance fees and permits during guided time

What's excluded?

- Other airfares to and from Vietnam.
- Foods and drinks not mentioned in the itinerary
- Visa and visa fee to Vietnam
- Entrance fees and permits during free time
- Personal travel insurance (compulsory)
- Personal expenses such as Bar, telephone & Laundry bills
- Tips and gratuities

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