Explore Vietnam – the buoyant and boggling cities, the majestic mountain tops, resplendent rice fields, and lovely people. Embed yourself and experience each destination to the fullest.
Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel on your private vehicle.
The capital Hanoi is best known for its thriving contemporary arts scene and French architecture, visible by many colonial villas scattered throughout the city. Compared to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi is more traditional and refined. As Hanoi is becoming more populated with people and automobiles, the city is experiencing more traffic congestion, particularly in the Old Quarter. This offers great opportunities for photography, showcasing the contrast of Hanoi now and then, daily life of Hanoians in the busy French Quarter.
If time permits, take a first orientation tour around the city. Ride around on a traditional cyclo for a tour of the old city, then walk by the picturesque Ngoc Son Temple (the Temple of the Blue Mountain) built over a small islet at the heart of the Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Returned Sword)
Spend the morning hours exploring the streets and markets of Hanoi. After lunch leave the big city for the approximately four hours’ drive to Tu Le, the land of the Thai people. Commonly dubbed as the Vietnamese “capital of tea”, Tu Le is famed for the tea plantations that beautifully ornate the region’s rolling hills. Upon arrival at Tu Le, disembark the car and join the locals for a walk amid the terraces as they pick the tea leaves.
Notes:
- Suggested time: 08:00
- Duration: 9 hours
In the morning hours, join the locals very early in the morning, as this is the best time to pick the delicate tea leaves. Stop by a local tea production center to learn about processing the leaves and packaging them to be sent and consumed by tea lovers worldwide.
Then leave Tu Le for Mu Cang Chai. Get into a region dominated by rice terraces carved into the mountainsides, and the land of colorfully dressed minorities. En route, stop at one of Vietnam’s most beautiful mountain passes to enjoy the picturesque view of colorful fields carpeting the valleys perched below. Continue driving while occasionally stopping at minority villages for an up-close glance into their dwellings, vegetable plots, and daily lives. Late in the afternoon, arrive at a simple but cozy lodge located on a high hill overlooking the rice paddies, and set here for the night.
Notes:
- Suggested time: 07:00
- Duration: 9 hours
The area of Mu Cang Chai is inhabited the by the Thai, Dao and Hmong people. For the entire day travel between minority villages and rice paddies by car and by foot, meet the people as they tend to their paddies and livestock, stop at their homes for a chat and a cup of tea, and get to experience the local life at an easy pace, mingle with the people, and enjoy some rare photographic opportunities of this colorfully dressed tribespeople.
Notes:
- Suggested time: 05:00
- Duration: 10 hours
After breakfast in the lodge’s restaurant, with a fantastic view over rice terraces, drive out of the lodge to a nearby village. Hop onto a back of a motorcycle (driven by a local) for a wild ride up the mountain to enjoy the view over the most iconic terraces in the region. Enjoy a stroll through the terraces while capturing images and indulging in the serene environment. This time of the year is when the rice is ready to be picked. The paddies are dried, and the terraces slowly shift from lush green to golden-yellow. Descend from the hill and board again the vehicle for a ride along a road dotted with small towns and villages mostly inhabited by minority groups. Arrive in Sapa in the afternoon to enjoy a magnificent cable car ride to the top of Fansipan, the highest peak on the Indochina Peninsula. This 20 minutes’ ride takes passengers to the peak at 3,413 meters, revealing the beautiful ridges and hidden valleys surrounding Sapa. Late in the evening, enjoy a walk through the lively center of town
Notes:
- Suggested time: 08:00
- Duration: 10 hours
Prior to 1912, when the French built a sanatorium for sick officers, this area was solely inhabited by hill tribes, mainly the Hmong, the Yao, the Tay, and the Giay tribes. Nestling at the foot of Fansipan, Vietnam’s highest peak, the Sapa region enjoys a very agreeable climate unlike that in the Vietnamese lowlands, which are hot and humid. This northern area attracted French people of all walks of life, among them missionaries and biologists. Over time, the French army’s growing presence stabilized the political borders with neighboring China, which made Sapa into a significant trading town. Drive out of town for a day’s walk through tranquil villages and rice paddies. In the afternoon, take the approximately three hours’ drive to Bac Ha, and set-in the very simple hotel for the night.
Notes:
- Suggested time: 08:00
- Duration: 8 hours
A relaxing transfer from Bac Ha to Hoang Su Phi. Time to set up for the value opportunity of taking photo on the rice paddy fields of Hoang Su Phi. Also stop along the way to visit ethnic groups or small towns, workshops if available.
Notes:
- Suggested time: 09:00
- Duration: 8 hours
Leave Bac Ha for the approximately four hours’ drive along a winding road towards Hoang Su Phi. The road, connecting Lao Cai and Ha Giang provinces runs past small towns that serve as administrative centers for ethnic inhabited villages. Stop in these towns, walk through the narrow streets and along the street-markets where fresh produce is being sold, and indulge in the unique ambiance of rural Vietnam.
Late in the evening, arrive in a unique lodge at Hoang So Phi, and set in for the night
Notes:
- Suggested Time: 07:00
- Duration: 9 hours
After breakfast, hop aboard the car for a 30 minutes’ drive to the top of the ridge. Stop at a home of a Red Zao minority family for a morning tea before embarking on a few hours’ hike (mostly downhill) on a trail meandering between cultivated terraces, vegetable gardens, and the wild jungle. This is where an ongoing epic battle between the locals, on the one hand, and the wild jungle, on the other hand, takes place. Both sides are trying to reclaim lands for their expansion at the expense of the other party. While trekking, stop for a traditional lunch with a local family. In the afternoon, drive back to Hanoi.
Notes:
- Suggested time: 08:00
- Tour Duration: 10
From Hanoi drive to the nearby Ninh Binh province for a day that is all about villages, traditions, and handicrafts. Begin the day with a cruise through Trang An, commonly dubbed as ‘Ha Long on land’. Running through a massive canyon, the Trang An river features unique rock formations, caves, and unparalleled landscapes. In the afternoon stop by small local villages, and focus on local handicrafts – weaving, stone carving, and others. In the evening set in the hotel by the provincial center.
Notes:
- Suggested time: 08:00
- Tour Duration: 8 hours.
Drive to Van Long, a little-known treasure of natural beauty. Some parts of the Hollywood made Kong Skull Island were filmed here, featuring the nature reserve’s pristine landscapes. At Van Long meet Mr. Hong, a local fisherman for a morning shoot with him. At shoot’s end, take a boat trip through the nature reserve before visiting the home of Mr. Hong, for a traditional lunch with him and his family. After time for a meal and friendly chat with the family, take to the rice fields, which, at this time of the year stand in gold, slowly drying up in preparation for the autumn harvest. Late in the afternoon climb to a vantage spot to photograph the golden rice fields during sunset. In the evening revert to the hotel for a second night in Ninh Binh.
Notes:
- Suggested time: 08:30
- Duration: 8 hours
Depart Ninh Binh in the morning for the 3-4 hours’ drive towards the Gulf of Tonkin.
On arriving, board on cruise for a relaxing 24-hour exploring the magical Lan Ha Bay, the less known and less touristy part of Ha Long Bay which has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its geology, and geomorphology. At the evening enjoy some time to relax and before being served a mouthwatering dinner while cruising amidst the stunning bay landscapes. Overnight on cruise.
Notes:
- Suggested time: 07:30
In the early morning, continue cruising around the magnificent bay. For those waking up early, a morning Tai Chi session awaits aboard the deck. Around eleven o’clock, disembark the ship and drive back to Noi Bai airport.
Bid farewell and transfer to airport for your flight home.
