Hanoi – Halong bay – Sapa 8 Days

PRIVATE TOUR – CODE: VIBU6

North Vietnam classic route covers the 4 main hubs: Hanoi the capital, Halong bay twice-recognized as World heritage, Sapa the must-see hillside resort town in Northwest of Vietnam, Hoa Lu – Tam Coc in Ninh Binh province. This tour will use train or shuttle bus (but deluxe for tourist) to connect the hubs.

Travel route: Hanoi – Van Phuc – Halong bay – Sapa – Hanoi – Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Hanoi – Departure

BRIEF ITINERARY

• Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (D)
• Day 2: Hanoi – Van Phuc Village – Halong  (B,L)
• Day 3: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Lao Cai (B,L,D)
• Day 4: Lao Cai – Sapa – Love Waterfall – Cat Cat Village (B,L)
• Day 5: Ta Phin Village – Lao Cai – Hanoi  (B,L,D)
• Day 6: Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Hanoi  (B,L)
• Day 7: Hanoi  – Free leisure (B)
• Day 8: Hanoi Departure (B)

DETAIL ITINERARY

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (D) 

Morning, arrival Hanoi. Meet our guide and transfer to hotel for check in. Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon, take a short time to visit Hoan Kiem Lake with Ngoc Son Temple and shopping at Hanoi Old Quarter. Enjoy the performance of the famous Vietnamese traditional art of water puppetry at Thang Long Theatre. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi – Van Phuc Village – Halong  (B,L) 

Morning, meet our guide and transfer to visit Hochiminh mausoleum (closed on month of OCT & NOV, Every Monday & Friday) and his Former residence, One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature. Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon, visit to Van Phuc village – that is famous for silk clothes and shopping there. Continue to tranfer to Halong bay – 180km northeast of Hanoi. You will have a deep experience about a nation whose 80 percent of population leaving on rice while moving through the countryside. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Halong city.

Day 3: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Lao Cai (B,L,D)

Morning, enjoy 4 hours boat cruise on Halong Bay, listed as a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. The trip will bring you an unforgettable memory of Halong Bay. Especially a fresh seafood lunch is served on board during cruise. Boat will stop at Thien Cung cave and Dau Go caves for sightseeing. Afternoon, transfer to shopping before back to Hanoi. Dinner at local restaurant. After dinner, transfer to Hanoi Station for train to Lao Cai. Overnight on train (shared 4-soft-sleeper compartment).

Day 4: Lao Cai – Sapa – Love Waterfall – Cat Cat Village (B,L)

0500hrs, arrive Lao Cai station, you will meet your local tour guide then drive uphill to Sapa. After breakfast, take around 40min drive takes you to Tram Ton Pass at the height of 2047 meters above sea level ( the highest pass in Vietnam ) where great views are offered of the surrounding mountains and lush forests of the Hoang Lien National Park. From there you will trek 30min through forest. Along the way, you have many chances to see wild flowers. Trekking along the stream you will arrive the Love Waterfall. It is the best place for relax in Sapa then return Tram Ton and drive back to Sapa. Lunch at local restaurant. In the afternoon you will visit Cat Cat Village, just 3kms from Sapa town. A leisurely walk through the old village offers an overview of the traditional customs and practices of the ethnic Black H’mong minority. Stop by a stunning waterfall and the vestige of a hydroelectric power station, constructed by the French during the colonial era in Vietnam. Follow a dirt trail snaking through the mountain and enjoy spectacular scenery while trekking a long a narrow river until you reach Y Linh Ho Village, home of the Black H’mong minority. Take a rest by the Muong Hoa Stream before climbing toward the road where you driver is waiting to transport you back to Sapa. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Sapa.

Day 5: Ta Phin Village – Lao Cai – Hanoi  (B,L,D)

Travel by car to Ta Phin where you can meet Red Dao people ( the most colorfull people in Sapa ). You will walk around Ta Phin Village where 2 ethnic groups, Black H’mong and Red Dao minorities, live their own way with no cultural mixture. Experience how different they are in many ways by visiting their house and interact with the locals. Lunch at local restaurant. In the afternoon we will reach the road where yor driver is waiting to transport you back to Lao Cai station to catch the night train back to Hanoi. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight on train (shared 4-soft-sleeper compartment).

Day 6: Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Hanoi  (B,L)

Pick up at train station then transfer for breakfast. Transfer to Ninh Binh province – 200 Km south of Hanoi – is known to travelers as Vietnam’s “Inland Halong Bay”. You will be offered a leisurely sampan cruise on a creek across three vast stretches of rice field. Upon arrival, visit Temples of the Dinh King and Le King built on the site of the Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel. Sampan trip along the stream to Tam Coc caves (Three limestone caves) all adorned with beautiful stalagmites and stalactites. Later on, you visit Bich Dong Pagoda – a very nice temple located in the harmony surrounding landscape. Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon, transfer back to Hanoi. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 7: Hanoi  – Free leisure (B)

Breakfast & Free day at your leisure. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 8: Hanoi Departure (B) 

Free at own leisure.  Private transfer (no guide) to Airport for flight departure. End of services.

INCLUSION

• Private van transfers throughout the itinerary with experience drivers
• Local English speaking guides in different sites
• 7 night hotel accommodation in private rooms
• Meals as indicated
• Admissions
• Roundtrip train tickets Hanoi – Lao Cai – Hanoi (shared 4-soft-sleeper compartment)
• Mineral water during transfers (2 bottles/person/day)

EXCLUSION

• Airfares
• Visa to Vietnam
• Other meals not mentioned above
• Personal expenses: laundry, phone calls, …
• Tips for tour guide and driver