Hidden Gems of Northern Vietnam - 9 Days

General Information

Tour Route: Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Sapa - Halong Bay - Hanoi
Duration: 9 Days/ 8 Nights
Date: No fixed departure dates. You may go whenever you wish
Start/ End: Hanoi/ Hanoi
Tour Customizable: Absolutely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)

Brief Itinerary:

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival – Walking Tour with Street Foods (D)
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour with Cyclo & Water Puppet Show (B, L)
Day 3: Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Hang Mua (B, L, D)
Day 4: Bai Dinh – Trang An – Hanoi – Night Train to Sapa (B, L, D)
Day 5: Sapa – Cat Cat – Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Tavan – Sapa (B, L)
Day 6: Sapa – Sau Chua – Sa Seng – Hang Da – Hau Thao – Sapa – Night Train back to Hanoi (B, L, D)
Day 7: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Overnight in Cruise (B, L, D)
Day 8: Halong Bay – Hanoi (B, Br)
Day 9: Hanoi Departure (B)

Full Itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival – Walking Tour with Street Foods (D)

On your arrival, our guide and car will wait you in the arrival lobby before we transfer to hotel for check-in. After a short rest, we will start walking around the Old Quarter along different streets, try to taste many kinds of local food such as beef/chicken noodle soup, oil-fried pastry, tofu, rice pancake, pillow cake, sweet soup, stuff pancake with pork, draught beer… and one of our best surprised is a stop at Dong Xuan whole sales market where we know many kinds of ingredients being sold.

Last but not least is our happy ending at a hidden coffee in the Old Quarters enjoy its famous ‘egg coffee’ in a pleasant surrounding overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake. Fortunately, as it’s Friday so there’s night market and walking street around Hoan Kiem Lake. It would be a great chance to immerse in the local life of the local at weekend here. After the tour, we return back to hotel in old quarter Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Hanoi City Tour with Cyclo & Water Puppet Show (B, L)

The dicovering city tour Hanoi begins at 8 am, with Ho Chi Minh Complex as the first attraction. With a fixed route, you will see Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum which houses his corpse everlasting so that Vietnamese people and friend countries can come to pay expectation to him as the greatest president ever in Vietnam; his stilt-house described as Ho Chi Minh's final resting accommodation since his death in 1969, and One Pillar pagoda with a long history back to 1049 during Ly dynasty in Vietnam- the period that Buddhist was most magnifically prosperous. The architecture followed special meanings as well. You absolutely find out how special this city means to Vietnamese people. Let's continue the tour by visiting Quan Thanh Temple represents the Taoist religion dating from Ly Dynasty and Tran Quoc pagoda dedicated to Buddha (the oldest pagoda in Hanoi, especially located on West Lake where you can capture nice sightseeing). Lunch is inclusive and served after the Tran Quoc pagoda visit.

At around 1pm in the afternoon, drive straight to Bat Trang Ceramic Village and learn how to mould clay, use turning table make those pottery bowls, cups, ports, vases by hands, as well as processes to make it. You can buy some to take back to your home as presents. Following, you will visit Temple of Literature well-known as the first university in Viet Nam as well as Temple of Confucius worshipping. Being built in 1070, the temples, stone turtles and architecture are well preserved that maintain glimpse of our past. For visitors, you have an oppotunity to learn thoroughly about Vietnmese culture when being here. Last but not least, you get to city center, Hoan Kiem Lake and see Ngoc Son temple which is reached by a reddish curved The Huc bridge. Tour ends at around 5 pm.

Notes: You mind your costumes when visit mentioned places, since in accord with Vietnamese culture, visitors should wear not so short clothes when enter temple, pagoda, especially it’s strictly reminding when you enter Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. If this tour on Monday and Friday, you can only walk outside Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum because it’s closed every weeks.

Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Hang Mua (B, L, D)

Pick up at your hotel at 8 AM, we will drive Southward of Hanoi to Ninh Binh province. On arrival, we will visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital dated back from 10^th and 11^th centuries. The area is one of rice fields broken by picturesque limestone mountains. It features several dozen monuments, including King Dinh and King Le Temple & Tombs….We then stop at a local restaurant for lunch.

After lunch, we take sampan along the Ngo Dong River to visit three caves Hang Ca, Hang Hai and Hang Ba (Tam Coc) in the Ngo Dong River and Hang Mua. Dancing Cave is where you can get the impressive panoramic view of Tam Coc and Ninh Binh city when you reach the top point of Ngoa Long mountain (about 500 stone steps). Our pleasant boat rowing starts from the embroidery village of Van Lam then proceed through a scenic landscape dominated by rice fields and karst limestone to three natural caves, of which, the largest is 125m long with its ceiling about 2m high above the water. The boats are typically rowed by one or two local women who also sell embroidered goods. Then, we transfer to hotel for sleep.

Overnight in Ninh Binh
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Bai Dinh – Trang An – Hanoi – Night Train to Sapa (B, L, D)

Pick up at hotel after breakfast, we will be driven to Bai Dinh Spiritual and Cultural Complex, the largest Buddhist pagoda complex in the North of Vietnam with 500 La Han statues, biggest bronze Buddha statue in Vietnam with 10 meters in height, 100 tons in weight. The compound consists of the original old pagoda and a newly created larger pagoda, which is considered the biggest pagoda in Vietnam at this stage.

After visiting the pagoda, we will transfer to a local restaurant for lunch. In the afternoon, we will take a pleasant boat rowing in Hoang Long River to visit Trang An Eco-Tourism complex. The complex is surrounded by picturesque landscape with thousands of hectares with more than 100 caves which can be explored by boat. It is also a home of 600 kinds of flora and over 200 kinds of fauna that many of them in the Red book of Vietnam. It is also a gathering of 31 valleys, 48 cross-water caves and we will visit 3 to 6 of them. On the rowing boat, we can enjoy the fresh air, clean and clear water with under water grass. Experience ourselves the feeling and emotion when we are on the water caves…. After that, we return back to Hanoi and depart the night train to Lao Cai, Sapa

Overnight on train
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Sapa – Cat Cat – Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Tavan – Sapa (B, L)

After the train arrives at 6 am, our guide will pick you up at Lao Cai Station and we will transfer to Sapa in around 1 hour. When you arrive in Sapa, we will eat breakfast here before starting our trip. After breakfast, we transfer to Cat Cat Village. After a couple of minutes, you follow the steps going downhill to Cat Cat village. You will stop by a waterfall and a hydroelectric station for a while before continuing the trek on a dirt trail through rice paddy terraces. You also will enjoy spectacular scenery while walking along a narrow river. You eventually arrive in Y Linh Ho village of the Black Hmong minority, where you can take a rest while you are served lunch nearby the river.

After lunch, you head toward Muong Hoa Valley. You will pass through the Lao Chai village of the Black Hmong minority and then the Ta Van village of the Giay minority by following a very popular trekking route. You will return to Sapa from Ta Van by car.

Overnight in Sapa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6: Sapa – Sau Chua – Sa Seng – Hang Da – Hau Thao – Sapa – Night Train back to Hanoi (B, L, D)

Met up at your hotel in Sapa by local guide and driver for a short road transfer along the national road 4D northeastwards to the trekking point. Trekking uphill on a large and rocky path for 2 hours along the narrow valley which runs between two high mountains passing two hamlets of the Black H’mong of Sa Pa Commune: Sau Chua and Sa Seng. The H’mong peoples here have just recently change their living way from sifting style into the sedentary one. So there are still a lot traces of the past time can be seen: rudimentary houses, stone wall around homes… Lunch break in the village.

After lunch, continue along the same trail gradually uphill the Den Thang Mountain for an hour to Hang Da Village of the H’mong which sits at 1,800m height and over looking down the Muong Hoa Valley. Paying visit to several local homes. Leaving Hang Da and enjoy easy walk on high elevation for half an hour which offers great view of Muong Hoa Valley until arriving to Thao Hong Den, another village of the Black H’mong. Paying visiting to several local homes. This portion of the trek offers chances for taking the best photos of landscapes. Getting downhill for another hour along a dirt track to Pho Village at the center of Hau Thao Commune. Picked up and transfer to Lao Cai Station to embark the train to Hanoi

Overnight on train
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Overnight in Cruise (B, L, D)

The train will arrive Hanoi at 6 am and our guide will wait for you here to transfer you to hotel La Rosa near the train station for short sleep. Around 8-8:30 am, we pick you up at the hotel in Hanoi around 7:45 – 8:30 am by shuttle bus to start our journey. When we arrive at Tuan Chau Marina, you will get checked in at La Regina Royal waiting lounge, and enjoy welcome drink and express check-in before boarding. Once arrived, you will be given a short briefing about your cruise itinerary and safety regulations while you enjoy some complimentary welcoming drinks. Shortly after, we start our vacation with a delicious lunch set menu in restaurant. As the cruise departs towards Halong Bay – a natural wonder of the world, absorb yourself in the gorgeous scenery and famous sights of limestone.

Around 15:00, your first excursion is a visit to Luon Cave. This is considered as one of the most ideal places in Halong for kayaking or rowing boat. After that, you will visit Titov Island, where you can go swimming or hike to the top for another stunning, panoramic view of the Bay. Then, we return back to the cruise and enjoy the Bay sunset while enjoying the “Happy Hour” special. You may also join our chef in the kitchen to learn how to make traditional spring rolls. At 7 pm, we enjoy our special dinner in the restaurant or on the sundeck (if the weather is permit). After dinner, it’s your choice for a fun squid fishing, spa (surcharge) or relaxing before spending the rest of night on board

11:30 Arrive at Le Regina Royal waiting lounge in Halong International Harbour, enjoy welcome drink and express check-in before boarding.
12:30 Transferred to La Regina Royal Cruise by a tender boat, enjoy Welcome Drink from crew member while manager introduce the safety briefing and clearing our the itinerary.
13:00 Let your vacation start with a delicious lunch set menu in restaurant. As the cruise departs towards Halong Bay – a natural wonder of the world, absorb yourself in the gorgeous scenery and famous sights of limestone
15:00 Your first excursion is a visit to Luon Cave. This is considered as one of the most ideal places in Halong for kayaking or rowing boat. After that, you will visit Titov Island, where you can go swimming or hike to the top for another stunning, panoramic view of the Bay.
17:30 Return to the cruise and enjoy the Bay sunset while enjoying the “Happy Hour” special. You may also join our chef in the kitchen to learn how to make traditional spring rolls.
19:00 Enjoy our special dinner in the restaurant or on the sundeck (if the weather permits). After dinner, it’s your choice for a fun squid fishing, spa (surcharge) or relaxing.

Overnight on board
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8: Halong Bay – Hanoi (B, Br)

In the early morning, we greet the new day on the sundeck with a tachi session and enjoy the fresh air on the bay while you unwind with a cup of tea or coffee.  Following, we visit to the magnificent Sung Sot Cave, where you can take in the panoramic views across Halong Bay. After the time in here, we return back to La Regina Royal Cruise and spend time to check-out before having the Vietnamese cuisine buffet is served at the restaurant while the boat heads back to the harbor and get on the shuttle bus to return back to Hanoi in around 2.5 – 3 hours.

06:00 Greet the new day on the sundeck with Tai Chi Exercise.
06:30 Light breakfast is served at the restaurant.
07:30 After breakfast, Your next excursion is a visit to the magnificent Sung Sot Cave, where you can take in the panoramic views across Halong Bay.
09:00 Come back to La Regina Royal Cruise. Check out of the cabin.
09:45 Vietnamese cuisine buffet is served at the restaurant while the boat heads back to the harbor.
11:00 Disembark at the harbor.

Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast, Brunch

Day 9: Hanoi Departure (B)

After breakfast, we will be free until your driver arrives to take you to Noi Bai Airport for your departure flight. Tour ends. Thanks for choosing Vietnam vacation with Viet Vision Travel!