DAY 2: NINH BINH – HOA LU – TRANG AN – MUA CAVE – OVERNIGHT TRAIN TO SAPA

Breakfast at hotel – Check out hotel

(Your luggage can be deposited at hotel reception)

07h30 – 8h00: Get picked up by our friendly guide then depart for Ninh Binh province.

09h15: Have a short break for 15 – 20 minutes to relax.

10h30: Visit Hoa Lư Ancient Capital of Vietnam between 968 and 1010. You have a chance to learn about Vietnamese history in the feudal system under Dinh, Le, and Ly Dynasty

Here, we go for 30-45 minutes easy cycling around the village for sightseeing & discovering the life of the local people

12h30: Have a lunch at a local restaurant

13h30: Visit Trang An which was recognized by UNESCO as A World Heritage Site in 2014.

The scenery in Trang An Grottoes is very similar to Ha Long Bay such as high mountains are surrounded by vegetation areas and mantles of water. It makes thousands of tourists surprised because every river section, mountain, cave has their own beauty.

Take 2 hours for the hand-rowing sampan boat trip by local farmers, you will be persuaded by the beauty here (shared 4 people per boat).

15h45: Get back to the bus then leave for Mua Cave (Dancing Cave). Walk up almost 500 steps, you can reach the top of Lying Dragon Mountain & have an amazing panoramic view of Tam Coc from here.

17h00: Say goodbye to Ninh Binh we drive back to Hanoi

19h00-19h30: Get dropped off at Hotel in Hanoi (no room – use hotel lobby only)

21:00 – get pick up at hotel for short transfer to Hanoi Train Station

22.00 – take the overnight train to Lao Cai which will reach Lao Cai at 6.00 next morning

Overnight on train in a shared 4-berths cabin = 4 passengers per cabin

(Private cabin(s) can be arranged with extra cost, please advise)

Overnight on train to Sapa – End of Day 2: Hanoi Trip Itinerary 7 Days

DAY 3: LAO CAI – CAT CAT VILLAGE – FANSIPAN  MOUNTAIN  – NIGHT AT SAPA

06:00 – get pick up at Lao Cai station for 45-minutes drive uphills to Sapa.

Have breakfast on arrival at a local restaurant

Check in hotel (early check in subject to availability)

08:30 – get picked up at hotel for short drive to the gate of Cat Cat Village which is home to Black H’mong ethnic people and is located near the bottom of a deep valley at the foot of Fansipan Peak.

Visit the village for its distinctive traditions and practices that have been lost in virtually cultural villages. It’s the closest and easiest hill tribe village in Sapa. The footpath to the village is amazing view. Just passing some sloop you will have chance to discover full this stunning village.

(3 km hilly walking is required at Cat Cat village)

Drive back to Sapa for lunch at a local restaurant

After lunch, we take a short drive to Hoang Lien Cable Car Station at 1,650m above sea level – where you will start the journey to conquer Fansipan Peak – The Roof of Indochina – at 3,143m above sea level.

After 20 minutes, the cable car will bring you to Fansipan Station, from here you will need to climb 600 steps up to the peak or buy extra ticket for pull-train at spot (150,000 VND / pax / way).

Thanks to the Sun world Fansipan Legend Cable Car system, it only takes 20-30 minutes to get the roof of Indochina instead of trekking from 2-3 days like before, making Fansipan reachable by everyone yet saving time to explore interesting things around.

Back to hotel around 05:00 pm

Dinner on your own

Overnight at hotel in Sapa – End of Day 3: Hanoi Trip Itinerary 7 Days

DAY 4: SAPA – MUONG HOA VALLEY –  BUS BACK TO HANOI – NIGHT AT HANOI

Breakfast at hotel – check out your hotel

08.30 am – car and guide pick up at hotel for short drive along the side of Muong Hoa Valley which is home to hill tribe villages such as Y Linh Ho and Lao Chai village of Hmong peole, Ta Van of Dzay people, the villages surrounded by stunning rice terraces.

You will take a short walking down to Lao Chai village from main road, through terraced rice fields to Ta Van village of the Dzay minority people. Visit local families which offer you a worth chance to learn about the local house architecture which is full of their daily life styles and exclusive custom. Enjoy the landscapes…on the way.

(about 6 km easy walking in 3 hours is required for this tour)

Drive back to Sapa for lunch

14.00 get pick up for 6 hours drive back to Hanoi via the highway Hanoi – Lao Cai, the journey will offer you stunning landscape of Northern Vietnam mountains and hills, villages and rice fields along the way.

(Transfer Sapa – back to Hanoi by a shared limousine van 9 seaters)

Our driver will make 2 quick stops on the way where you can stretch your legs, try some local foods and go to restroom as well.

20:00 – get drop off at hotel – Check in hotel

Dinner on your own

Overnight at hotel in Hanoi – End of Day 4: Hanoi Trip Itinerary 7 Days

DAY 5: HANOI – HALONG BAY CRUISE – OVERNIGHT ON BOAT

Have breakfast at the hotel – Check out hotel

8.15 – 8.30 AM: You will be picked up at your hotel (around Hanoi Old Quarter) and transferred to the pier in Ha Long.

We take about 3 hours drive, follows Hanoi – Haiphong – Ha Long Highway, one of the newest and best highways in the whole country. The journey will open up a wonderful scenery of Red River Delta. It is an agriculturally rich and densely populated area. Most of the land is devoted to rice cultivation.

12:00 – 12:30 PM: Arriving at Halong Bay, you’ll be welcomed to embark on the cruise. It’s time to learn about the cruise briefing and safety instructions while sipping a welcome drink.

1:00–2:00 PM: While cruising through the karst rock formations into the world of natural heritage, you will have lunch at the luxury restaurant on the cruise.

3:00–4:30 PM: In the afternoon, the itinerary will continue with the exploration of limestone caves. Depending on each cruise, tourists will have chances to visit different caves (Sung Sot Cave / Thien Canh Son Cave / Dark Light Cave).

6:30–7:00 PM: At twilight, almost all Halong Bay cruises offer a Cooking Class or Fruit And Vegetable Carving lesson. The head chef will show you how to make and decorate some traditional Vietnamese dishes.

7:00–11:30 PM: It’s time for a special dinner fraught with appetizing Western dishes and Vietnamese traditional food, depending on the set menu of each cruise.

Overnight on cruise – End of Day 5: Hanoi Trip Itinerary 7 Days

DAY 6: HALONG BAY CRUISE – DRIVE BACK TO HANOI – NIGHT AT HANOI

6:30 – 7:00 AM: Enjoy coffee, tea, and breakfast served in the dining room. You can wake up earlier to catch the sunset moment from the cruise which gives more stunning views than on land.

After breakfast, join the Tai Chi lessons, the traditional Chinese material art, to refresh your second day on Halong Bay cruise trip. Upon completing breakfast continue the journey and head out to explore the bay.

7:45–9:00 AM: The next destination will be a fishing village where you can meet up with the hospitable and rustic people, as well as get a glimpse of the local life and traditional cultures of the native people. The best way to explore floating village is by bamboo boat or kayak tour.

Sliding through the water in a nifty kayak gives travelers more independence, and allows them to reach places that cannot be reached in cruise ships. But if you cannot take on a Halong Bay cruise kayak, do not worry as bamboo boat is here for you. You will be taken on a graceful glide to explore the beauty of this UNESCO Natural Heritage Site.

10:00 am: It’s time to return the boat for packing and check-out procedures. Simultaneously, the brunch is served whilst the boat cruises back to the pier.

12:00 am: Get pick up at the pier for 3-hours drive back to Hanoi

15.00: Drop off at your hotel

Free at your leisure

Overnight at hotel in Hanoi – End of Day 6: Hanoi Trip Itinerary 7 Days

DAY 7: HANOI – FREE TIME – DEPARTURE

Breakfast at hotel

Free time on your own – Our selected hotels are located in very center of the city, it is very convenient for you to walk around for eating and sightseeing.

Shopping in Hanoi is first class, a cornucopia of local and international goods that fulfill any shopaholic’s wildest dreams. At a more relaxed pace than the fevered browsing in Saigon and other Asian metropolises, shopping in Hanoi allows you take your time to find the perfect piece to bring home. The clothing scene is limited, especially for foreign sizes, but specialty outlets cater to silk lovers, fashionistas and casual browsers alike.

For those who wish to blend in with the locals, try a custom tailored ao dai, an elegant tunic that leaves just enough to the imagination. For all your shopping needs in Hanoi, head first to the Old Quarter, a maze of colonial streets that houses every product under the sun. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you’re sure to find something better!

3 hours before departure time – Get picked up at hotel for airport transfer – End of Hanoi Trip Itinerary 7 Days