DAY01:

HANOI ARRIVAL
Arrive in Hanoi. The city still has many buildings from the colonial era including south of Hoan Kiem Lake, in the embassy district and hotels such as the Sofitel Metropole. Visit Quan Thanh Temple, Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, Museum of Ethnography and Ba Dinh Square. You can see the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh and his house on stilts plus the former Palace of the Governor of Indochina and the One Pillar Pagoda. In the late afternoon, take a bicycle tour through the old quarters of Hanoi. Spend the night in Hanoi.

DAY02:

HANOI - THAI NGUYEN - BA BE
Drive to the province of Thai Nguyen and visit the excellent Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in the province capital. On the way to Ba Be National Park, visit villages of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups. Spend the night in Ba Be.

DAY03:

BA BE LAKE
Take a boat trip to Lake Ba Be which consists of three basins on average 8 kilometres long and 80 metres wide. Their emerald waters come from the Nang River. Visit a beautiful cave and after lunch in a Tay village, hike to the Dau Dang waterfall. Spend the night in Ba Be.

DAY04:

BA BE - CAO BANG
Learn about the Dao and Hmong ethnic groups by visiting small villages and observing daily life. In the afternoon, set out for the Ta Lung National Park, 70 kilometres from Cao Bang. It is best to take a two hour hike through the mountains to admire the limestone peaks. Spend the night in Cao Bang.

DAY05:

CAO BANG - BAN GIOC - CAO BANG
Take a morning tour around the Cao Bang Market. Travel to the Vietnam-China border to see the impressive Bang Gioc Falls, a 30 metre waterfall which straddles the border. Visit Nung and Tay villages which include blacksmith workshops. Spend the night in Cao Bang.

DAY06:

CAO BANG - DONG VAN
Take a day trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Archaeological site of Ha Giang National Park. The large limestone karst mountains tower over green valleys which are home to many hill tribes. You will have a chance to stop in many villages along your journey through the rice paddies. Spend the night in Dong Van.

DAY07:

DONG VAN - HA GIANG
Visit the Dong Van market and the Chinese village of Pho Bang. Learn more about the ancient Hmong kingdom at the Palace of King Vuong Chi Sinh. Travel via Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate and relax at the friendly village of Yen Minh set among the mountains. Spend the night in Ha Giang.

DAY08:

HA GIANG - BAC HA
Take a slow day to drive to Bac Ha with stops in the villages of ethnic minorities through landscapes of mountains, forests and valleys. Spend the night in Bac Ha.

DAY09:

BAC HA - SAPA
Travel to one of the neighbouring villages to visit a morning market where ethnic groups gather to buy and sell their produce. Spend the night in Sapa.

DAY10:

SAPA - Y LINH HO - LAO CHAI - TAVAN - LAO CAI - HANOI (night train)
You can take a long hike today to meet residents of the Y Linh Ho and Lao Chai Villages of the Black Hmong ethnic group. It is also possible to walk to the Tavan Village of the Giay ethnic group Giang Ta Chai village of the Red Dao minority. If you don’t want to walk so far, you can also drive to see the impressive waterfalls on the route. In the late afternoon, return to Lao Cai for the night train back to Hanoi. Spend the night on the train.

DAY11:

HANOI - HALONG
Drive to Halong. Upon arrival in Halong, board a junk style boat. Relax and appreciate the extraordinary scenery of Halong Bay where you can see nearly 3,000 limestone islands and peaks of fantastic shapes. Enjoy a seafood dinner on the boat. Spend the night on board.

DAY12:

HALONG - HANOI
Take a morning to cruise around the islands. After lunch, depart from the boat and drive back to Hanoi. Visit Quan Thanh Temple, Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, Museum of Ethnography and Ba Dinh Square. You can see the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh and his house on stilts plus the former Palace of the Governor of Indochina and the One Pillar Pagoda. Enjoy a puppet show on the water in the evening. Spend the night in Hanoi.

DAY13:

HANOI
Transfer to the Hanoi Airport for an international flight to your next destination.

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