Highlights of the north Vietnam 7 days

Upon your arrival at Hanoi airport, your tour guide and driver will greet you and escort you to your hotel, help with your check-in. The rest of day is for your relax.

After breakfast, you have a full day today to explore Vietnam’s charming capital. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and ancient oriental pagodas, Hanoi is an eclectic mix that offers something for everyone. Visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and his personal residence, the One Pillar Pagoda and the Tran Quoc Pagoda. End the morning with a visit to the Museum of Ethnology (or Women Museum, History Museum, Hoa Lo Prison or Army Museum)

In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Literature, the first University for the sons of mandarins. Followed by a visit to Ngoc Son Temple nearby Hoan Kiem Lake. Enjoy a one-hour rickshaw sight-seeing tour around Hanoi Old Quarter for great fun. Then, watch a traditional water puppet show in the late afternoon. Back to your hotel, free at leisure and overnight in the hotel of Hanoi.

Note: please note Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed on Monday and Friday and most of museums are closed on Monday.

We start at 8.00 A.M for the 3.5 hour drive (170 km) through the Red River Delta, which offers plenty of chances for taking photos of Vietnamese farmers tilling the vast green paddy fields. Stop at half way for taking a short break. Arrive at Halong City, check in and board your junk, enjoy approximately 24 hours journey in the amazing bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as we sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, enjoy some activities in the bay, or just spend some time relaxing on board (Possibility to swim in the bay if weather permits). Dinner is served on board.

Note: Visits or activities will be slightly different depending on each junk’s itinerary. Your tour guide will be replaced by a local guide on board during your cruise.

Awake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax and enjoy the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, and a light breakfast before setting out to explore nearby islands by rowboat. Return to the junk then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay as we navigate back to Halong City. Have brunch on board the boat before returning to Halong pier. Our guide and driver will meet you at the pier then drive back to Hanoi. In the evening, transfer to the railway station for your overnight train to Sapa.

The train arrives at the Laocai railway station in the early morning. Your guide and driver will meet you there and take you on the 35km drive to Sapa – Northwest Vietnam’s premier travel destination. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and take a short rest then spend the day discovering the many picturesque minority villages located in the Sapa Valley. Drive to Lao Chai and then walk 2 km through rice fields, passing by traditional Black Hmong houses before continuing to Ta Van Village (2 km) to visit a Giay minority community and go up to Giang Ta Chai village. This part of the trip is fascinating because of its beautiful scenery and vibrant minority cultures such as that of the Red Dao. Your driver will be waiting for you at Giang Ta Chai village.

In the afternoon, visit Cat Cat village and spend the rest of the afternoon wandering through the local market in Sapa town.

After early breakfast, depart to the local ethnic markets where you will see people of different hill tribes. The markets in the Northern Vietnam are always the colorful meeting places for the hill tribes, spotlight for any Sapa Tours and of course, your unique Vietnam Tours experience. Minority people come down from the mountains to sell their products, or just for catching up on the latest news, gossip, drinking away troubles or seeking for lover. Depending on the day, markets can be held in different regions.

In the afternoon, a local village nearby and learn more about the daily life of the hill tribe communities as well as their living environment. Drive to Lao Cai for your night train back to Hanoi.

Note: Visits to the minority markets may be switched, depending on the opening days of each market (See schedule below). It might be cold and wet in winter (October – Mar), please prepare jacket and good shoes for the walk.

Market days:

Can Cau Market – Saturdays

Bac Ha Market or Muong Hum Market or Muong Khuong Market – Sundays

Cao Son Market – Wednesdays

Lung Khau Nhin Market – Thursdays

Coc Ly Market – Tuesdays

The train arrives at the Hanoi railway station in the early morning. Your guide and driver will meet you there and take you to hotel for refreshing and having breakfast. Then enjoy free time at leisure for you to wrap up your memorable Vietnam Holiday until our tour guide escorts you to the airport for your departure flight. Goodbye and see you again.