The Melody of North Vietnam 8 days 7 nights

Itinerary

Day 1: HANOI ARRIVAL (NO MEAL)

Pass By: Hoan Kiem Lake Walking Street, Around Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
Welcome you to Hanoi Old Quarter. Free time to relax and discover Hanoi by yourself.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: 3* Aquarius Grand Hotel or other similar

Day 2: HANOI CITY TOUR - NIGHT TRAIN TO LAO CAI (B)

Stop At: Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Nguyen Van Huyen Street Cau Giay, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
After having breakfast, do check out at leave your luggage at hotel’s storage or reception.

Afternoon, do a visit to Vietnam Ethnology Museum – where exhibit the colorful of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam with displayed subjects and traditional costumes and festival. It’s an interesting place for not only tourists but also researchers to learn more about Vietnam history and culture. Continue your day tour by attending a traditional performance – Water Puppet Show that is a favorite experience for all visitors coming to Vietnam.

Free time to enjoy tea or coffee or looking around Hoan Kiem Lake. Or you can come back hotel and wait for the guide coming back to bring you to Hanoi train station for the night train AT 22:00 to Lao Cai. Dinner is on your own.

Sleep overnight on train.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater, 57B Dinh Tien Hoang - Hoan Kiem - Ha Noi, Hanoi 10000 Vietnam
Enjoy a performance within 45 minutes
Duration: 45 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Sleep overnight on train

Day 3: LAO CAI STATION – SAPA – MA TRA – TA PHIN VILLAGE (B/L/D)

Stop At: Ta Phin Village, Ta Phin, Sapa Vietnam
The train arrives at Lao Cai at around 6:30am, meet our local guide and transfer to Sapa Town. Check in hotel if the room is available. If not, leave your luggage at the reception, have breakfast and start your Sapa discovery.

We will start from Sapa toward Ma Tra village, 5 km North East of Sapa by jeep. From the Matra we will trek 9 km up to Taphin through the forest. Picnic lunch box on the way. Reaching Ta Phin village where we get to know the daily life styles, handicraft tradition and specific custom of the Red Dzao tribe, enjoy landscapes…Your Dao host family will warmly welcome you to their traditional home where we will share in an ethnic style dinner and stay the night. Have dinner at the family.

Overnight at local home-stay.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Local Homestay

Day 4: TA PHIN – SIN CHAI – SAPA – HAM RONG MOUNTAIN (B)

Stop At: Terraced Rice Fields in Shin Chai Village, Cau May street, Sapa 330000 Vietnam
At the first of gleam of daylight, you will see and hear the sounds of morning village life. You can join them in some of their activities, like feeding the animals, cleaning the house, gardening or preparing breakfast.

After breakfast, we will complete our trek on a valley route to the main road (4 hours) linking Lao Cai and Sapa. Moreover, visiting with trek to Sin Chai village to get more discovery the village beauties. Alternatively, for this long trek, you can choose a short morning to wander around the village for about 1 hour, resulting in more time spent with the host family and other villagers. After that, return Sa Pa Town (30 minutes driver). Lunch on your own.

Afternoon, about 14:30 we will visit the gardens of beautiful Ham Rong Mountain and take part in a traditional ethnic music performance by the ethnic minority people. Then return at your own leisure with free time to discover the secrets of this colorful town. In the evening, you can your own experience by tasting local street BBQ or having a romatic dinner at a local restaurant to see the great view of the town.

Overnight in hotel in Sapa Town
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: 3*H'Mong Sapa Hotel or similar

Day 5: SAPA – CAT CAT VILLAGE – NIGHT TRAIN BACK HANOI (B)

Stop At: Cat Cat village, Sapa 330000 Vietnam
Wake up in Sapa town, breakfast at the hotel then enjoy the morning with some of your new friends that you may have met the afternoon before. In general, you have the entire morning and lunch for free time and visiting the lively markets.

Afternoon visit the Hmong village of Cat Cat to learn more about the Hmong people in an area close to the tourist path but still untouched. See old French dam and beautiful terrace field. Finally, you will return to Sapa in the late afternoon and depart for the Lao Cai train station at 5:30 pm. Free to have your own dinner in Lao Cai.

Sleep overnight on train.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Sleep overnight on train.

Day 6: HANOI – HA LONG – BAI TU LONG BAY – CONG DO – CAP LA ISLAND

Stop At: Halong Bay Vietnam
Arrive in Hanoi train station at 5.30 am, our guide welcome you at train station and transfer you to a restaurant/hotel for having an hour rest and relax to fresh yourself after a night on train. Have breakfast at restaurant/hotel.

Today, depart for Ha Long Bay, a must-see place for all visitors coming to Vietnam. After 3.5 hours of driving and viewing simple, countryside, rice paddy life, we arrive at the habour. At 12.00, the junk crews welcome guests on board. You will have a bit time to relax and enjoy a cup of tea/coffee. Wait for our captain to finish the registration and transfer by tender to our boat. Spend a couple minutes to briefing about safety on boat and activities included then we check in our cabin. A delicious Vietnamese set menu will be served while leisurely cruising further into Bai Tu Long Bay. Around 15:00, we arrive in kayaking area – Cap La Island. Enjoy kayaking through the karst and breathtaking nature, swimming and relaxing. The get back to the boat and enjoys our Sunset party while our cruise sailing to the overnight anchorage.

At 19.00, sumptuous set-dinner onboard. Then free time to challenge yourself in Vietnamese puzzle games, or gathers your group/family for a board game, try your luck with squid fishing or simply has a cocktail and enjoy the quiet night on the bay.

Overnight on the cruise
Duration: 12 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: 3.5* Renea Cruise

Day 7: BAI TU LONG – THIEN CANH SON CAVE – HON GAI HABOUR - HANOI (B/L)

Stop At: Bai Tu Long Bay, Halong Bay 008433 Vietnam
Wake up early in the morning for a great sunrise and a breath of fresh ocean air. Start your day with a Tai Chi routine on sundeck or catch a morning view of the stunning bay’s landscape with a cup of tea or coffee. Then, breakfast will be served in Western style, familiar to you to fulfill your strength and ready for another exploring day.

Today, we explore the well hidden lagoons in Bai Tu Long Bay - Thien Canh Son Cave. After that, return to the boat and you will have about 30 minutes to freshen up and finish packing. At 10.00, we attend in a Vietnamese cooking demonstration. You can quickly learn a simple but delicious Vietnamese dish – Nem Cuon or challenge yourself in fruit and vegetables carving. Enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch on boat. At around 12.00, we back to the harbor and disembark in Hon Gai pier. Farewell Halong Bay then our bus will take you back to Hanoi.

Free time to see Hanoi and enjoy local food yourself.

Overnight in Hanoi.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: 3*Aquarius Grand Hotel or similar

Day 8: HANOI DEPARTURE OR NEXT DESTINATION

Pass By: Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake), Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
Free on your own today and we will bring you back to the airport for your departure flight. End your tour!

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.