Northern Vietnam Trekking & Cultural Tour – 12 Days

Welcome to Vietnam!

Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, your private driver will meet you in the arrival hall and transfer you to your hotel in central Hanoi.

After check-in, the rest of the day is free to relax after your flight.

If you arrive early enough, you may take a gentle walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi’s Old Quarter, where narrow streets, colonial buildings, local cafés and traditional shops offer your first taste of Vietnam.

Optional: Depending on your arrival time, we can arrange an evening street-food experience or traditional water puppet show.

• Travel style: Easy start / Arrival day
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: No guide
• Meals: No meals included
• Overnight: Hanoi

After breakfast, begin your private Hanoi city tour.

Start with the Ho Chi Minh Complex, including the exterior of Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace area and the traditional One Pillar Pagoda.

Continue to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university and one of Hanoi’s most important historical sites.

After lunch, explore the atmospheric Old Quarter.

Walk through the maze of historic streets and discover traditional shops, local markets and small cafés.

Continue to Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple before returning to your hotel.

In the evening, transfer to Hanoi Railway Station for the overnight soft-sleeper train to Lao Cai, departing at approximately 22:00.

• Travel style: Culture / Food / Walking
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle / Overnight train
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast
• Overnight: Shared 4-berth soft sleeper train

Arrive in Lao Cai at approximately 06:00 and meet your driver for the journey up to Sapa. After breakfast and some time to freshen up, begin your trek through the beautiful Muong Hoa Valley. Follow mountain trails through spectacular rice terraces before reaching Lao Chai, a Black Hmong village, then continue to Ta Van Giay village along the Muong Hoa River. Cross a small suspension bridge and see fascinating ancient rock carvings before enjoying lunch at a local village home. In the afternoon, continue through a bamboo forest to Giang Ta Chai, a Red Dao village, before walking back toward the road and returning to Sapa.

• Trekking: Approx. 4 hours walking / Moderate
• Travel style: Trekking/ Ethnic Culture / Rice terraces
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Sapa

After breakfast, meet your local guide and driver and travel toward Silver Waterfall before continuing to Heaven’s Gate at Tram Ton, one of the highest mountain passes in Vietnam. From here, enjoy impressive views toward the Hoang Lien mountain range and Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina. Begin your trek downhill along a dirt trail through the bamboo forests of Hoang Lien National Park, surrounded by mountain scenery and fresh air. Enjoy lunch at a scenic spot near a river before continuing on foot toward Sin Chai Village, home to the Black Hmong community. Later in the afternoon, meet your vehicle and return to your hotel in Sapa.

• Trekking: Approx. 5–6 hours walking • Moderate
• Travel style: Nature / Trekking / Ethnic Culture
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle / Walking
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Sapa

After breakfast, travel through the spectacular mountain scenery around Lao Cai and Sapa to visit a traditional ethnic minority market. Depending on the day of your visit, the market may be Can Cau (Saturday only), Bac Ha (Sunday only), Cao Son (Wednesday only), Muong Hum (Sunday only), Coc Ly (Tuesday only), Muong Khuong (Sunday only) or Lung Khau Nhin (Thursday only). These colorful markets are gathering places for local ethnic communities, where people in traditional dress meet to trade agricultural products, handicrafts and everyday goods. After the market experience, return toward Sapa and prepare for your overnight train journey back to Hanoi. The train uses a shared soft-sleeper air-conditioned cabin with four berths.

• Travel style: Ethnic culture / Local market / Scenic journey
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle / Night Train
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide on the cruise
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Shared 4-berth soft sleeper train

After returning to Hanoi, continue south-west toward the peaceful Mai Chau Valley. Leave the busy capital behind as the landscape changes to forested hills, rice fields and traditional villages inhabited by the White Thai ethnic community. Stop at Thung Khe Pass for panoramic views and a chance to see a local Muong market. Continue to Mai Chau and enjoy a traditional lunch at a local home. In the afternoon, take a leisurely bicycle ride through the surrounding villages, passing rice fields, farmers and local artisans at work. In the evening, enjoy dinner with your hosts, with an optional traditional Thai dance performance and local ruou can rice wine.

• Travel style: Rural life / Cycling / Ethnic culture
• Transfer: Private vehicle • Bicycle
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
• Overnight: Homestay

After breakfast, set out on a gentle morning trek through the countryside around Mai Chau. Follow quieter trails through rice terraces and cross small hanging bridges before reaching a local family’s home and experiencing the peaceful rhythm of village life. After lunch, continue toward Pu Luong Nature Reserve and check into your accommodation. In the afternoon, trek through terraced rice fields, sugarcane plantations and remote Thai villages, discovering traditional giant waterwheels and local farming activities. Weather permitting, finish with a relaxing ride on a traditional bamboo raft along Cham Stream before returning to your accommodation for dinner.

• Trekking: Approx. 7.5 km in the morning / Easy to Moderate
• Travel style: Trekking / Rural life / Nature
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Pu Luong

Enjoy breakfast surrounded by the peaceful scenery of Pu Luong before beginning another morning trek. Walk through terraced rice fields, cross a stream and continue toward the remote Kho Muong Village, where you can observe traditional rural life away from the main tourist routes. The approximately 6-kilometre trail also leads toward Doi Cave (Bat Cave), the largest cave in Pu Luong, although access can depend on weather conditions. Return to the hotel around midday for lunch and some time to relax before leaving Pu Luong in the afternoon. Continue by road to Ninh Binh, arriving in the late afternoon and checking into your hotel.

• Trekking: Approx. 6 km / Easy to Moderate
• Travel style: Trekking / Nature / Local village
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle / Walking
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Ninh Binh

After breakfast, explore the spectacular countryside of Ninh Binh, beginning with Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam during the 10th century. Visit the historic temples dedicated to King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh before continuing to Tam Coc. Board a small sampan for a peaceful boat journey through limestone cliffs, caves, rice paddies and quiet waterways, often described as “Ha Long Bay on land.” Later, enjoy a leisurely bicycle ride through rural roads and small villages surrounded by limestone mountains. Finish the day with a climb to the viewpoint at Mua Cave and Ngoa Long Mountain, offering an impressive panorama over the surrounding rice fields and karst landscape.

• Travel style: Mua Cave climb / Light to Moderate
• Travel style: Culture / Cycling / Boat trip / Nature
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle / Bicycle / Sampan
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast
• Overnight: Ninh Binh

After breakfast, leave Hanoi and travel south to Ninh Binh, approximately 2–2.5 hours by private vehicle.

Your first stop is Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam during the Dinh and early Le dynasties.

Continue to a local restaurant for lunch.

In the afternoon, enjoy a boat journey through Tam Coc, often described as one of Vietnam’s most spectacular natural landscapes.

The traditional rowing boat takes you through limestone karsts, caves, rivers and peaceful valleys.

Later, visit Mua Cave and climb the steps to the viewpoint overlooking the dramatic landscape of Tam Coc.

Return to your hotel for a relaxing evening.

• Travel style: Nature / Culture / Boat trip
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Ninh Binh

Enjoy breakfast before travelling to Ha Long Bay.

Arrive at the cruise port around midday and board your overnight cruise.

After lunch, the cruise begins sailing among Ha Long Bay’s spectacular limestone islands and emerald waters.

Depending on the cruise itinerary, activities may include:

• Kayaking or bamboo boat
• Cave exploration
• Swimming
• Sunset on the sundeck
• Vietnamese cooking demonstration

Enjoy dinner on board while surrounded by the scenery of the bay.

• Travel style: Nature / Relaxation / Cruise
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide on the cruise, no guide during transfers
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Overnight: Cruise Cabin

Wake early to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of Ha Long Bay.

Depending on your cruise program, you may join a Tai Chi session, explore another cave or simply relax on the sundeck.

After brunch,

Disembark and meet your private vehicle for the approximately three-hour journey back to Hanoi. Upon arrival, check into your hotel and enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure.

The evening is free to explore Hanoi at your own pace.

• Travel style: Cruise / Relaxation / Nuture
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle / Cruise boat
• Local guide: Local English-speaking guide on the cruise, no guide during transfers
• Meals: Breakfast, Brunch
• Overnight: Hanoi

After breakfast, take some free time to relax or explore the city independently, depending on your flight schedule. You may wish to enjoy a final Vietnamese coffee, shop for souvenirs or simply take a last walk through the Old Quarter. At the appropriate time, your private driver will meet you at the hotel and transfer you to Noi Bai International Airport for your onward flight.

Your Northern Vietnam trekking & cultural Tour – 12 Days ends here with unforgettable memories of mountain villages, rice terraces, rural landscapes and Ha Long Bay.

The itinerary can also be arranged with flexibility to tailor the experiences, accommodation and pace to your interests.

• Travel style: Leisure / Departure
• Transfer: Private modern AC vehicle
• Local guide: No guide
• Meals: Breakfast