8 Days Exploring the Trails of North Vietnam

Hanoi is well known for its history, architecture, charm, tranquility, and cuisine. Our first visit was to the most well-respected sites, the Ho Chi Minh Complex and Ba Dinh Square, essential pilgrimage points for many Vietnamese. The area surrounding the complex is a traffic-free zone filled with botanical gardens, monuments, memorials, and pagodas. It includes the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, and the One Pillar Pagoda.

Then, visit the 11th-century Temple of Literature, Hanoi’s first University. From here, continue to Bun Cha Huong Lien, the famous local spot where President Barack Obama dined with Anthony Bourdain.

In the afternoon, we drive approximately 25 minutes to the Ethnology Museum. The museum provides an insightful glimpse into the country’s lengthy history, with more than 15,000 photos and 10,000 objects and artifacts depicting a historical perspective of the lives, activities, customs, and habits of the 54 recognized ethnic groups of Vietnam.

End your day by walking through the Hanoi Old Quarter. The streets of this district are bustling with scooters, bicycles, cyclos, and cars zipping around pedestrians. The best way to enjoy the charming colonial architecture is to wander with your guide leisurely and stop for a cup of Vietnamese coffee or a local snack from one of the many compelling street vendors.

Have some time at leisure before our exciting overnight train journey to Lao Cai.

We arrive in Lao Cai around 5 a.m. and are met by our transport for a spectacular hour-long journey up the impressive mountains to Sapa. 

Seeing is believing! The imagination cannot visualize or appreciate the beauty of the stunning vistas and breathtaking mountainous rice terraces until you observe them in proper form. 

Upon arrival in Sapa, we checked into the hotel for some rest before our exploration this afternoon.

In the early afternoon, we commence our exciting trek downhill from Sapa town to Cat Cat Village. Our two-hour walk takes us through rice paddies, passing by different ethnic minority villages hard at work and flower and vegetable gardens until we reach a magnificent waterfall set within the lush mountains.

We take a rest and continue to Cat Cat village, where the people are eagerly awaiting our arrival. With the children’s glee and excitement and a village full of big smiling faces, we are welcomed by a local Black Hmong people. 

After a welcoming and a rest, we stroll around the village, learning about the traditional way of life of the Black Hmong. We observe the fascinating demonstration of traditional fiber processing, including weaving, Dyeing hemp cloth, Peeling bark from the dried hemp stalks, and Tying stripped bark ribbons to form bundles. The locals strongly encourage us to try our hand at perfecting their art. They certainly get a lot of laughs watching us!

We say goodbye to the village and drive back to Sapa.

After breakfast, you will check out and leave your luggage at the hotel. Then, you will get ready for the trip. We will be picked up by our vehicle and transferred to Lao Chai.

We start our trek at the village and continue down the valley, along local trails and across rice paddies, to visit Dzay ethnic minorities and Black H’mong communities living within a different environment.

The interaction and closeness we experience with the local minority groups is an incredible experience.

We return to Sapa for some free time before our transfer to Lao Cai for our overnight train to Hanoi.

Your Vietnam Beach vacation begins with a trip to Halong Bay, a collection of almost 2000 islands and jungle-clad limestone pillars in the Tonkin Gulf. Called “Bay of Descending Dragons” in Vietnamese, the archipelago is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a world-famous travel destination.

Leave the hotel and proceed to Halong. En route, you will pass through wonderful scenery, tranquil villages, and buffalo on fields.

Upon arrival, enjoy a welcome drink and a delicious freshly caught seafood lunch while sailing out of the Bay, passing amazing mountain shapes. Enjoy the seascape from the sundeck or even in your private cabin through a glass window. For more experience, go swimming or kayaking and visit the island's caves. In the late afternoon, we take part in a Vietnamese cooking demonstration by the onboard chefs and enjoy the seafood feast for dinner as stars emerge from behind those jungle-clad limestone pillars.

We spend the night on board in the elegant cabin with its handicraft wooden interiors and air conditioning. Alternatively, we can go night fishing before our overnight stay aboard.

After breakfast, we boarded a small boat to cruise toward Cat Ba Island. 

We disembark at Viet Hai pier, where we have a leisurely bike ride through the island to Viet Hai commune—a small village in the middle of Cat Ba National Park. We enjoy the wonderful scenery and fresh air while observing the daily life of the people here.

We stop for lunch at a local family home before our bike ride back to the pier. We then reboard our boat for our transfer to Cat Ba Island.

The day is free at leisure on the island before we are picked up at 2.00 pm for our transfer to the pier.

We board a hydrofoil boat to Hai Phong, where we are met by our vehicle for our return drive to Hanoi.

We bid you farewell this evening and invite you to join your guide in a farewell celebration dinner.

All good things must come to an ends, you have free time until transfer to airport for a departure flight with a bid farewell (Late checkout is exclusive and subject to availability)