Mountains to Bays: Luxury Northern Vietnam in 7 Days

Upon arrival in Hanoi, our driver will pick you up at your hotel in the Old Quarter. Have some time to relax, then you will join a half-day food tour with a local guide, sampling some of Hanoi’s most famous street food.

Then, at 9 PM, you will head to the train station to catch the overnight train to Sapa.

Included: Transportation, Hanoi half-day food tour, English-speaking guide

The train arrives in Lao Cai at around 6 AM, after which our driver will take you to your hotel in Sapa, where you can rest for a while. You will then explore Cat Cat village, a small but bustling village at the foot of Fansipan Mountain. Here, you will admire the intact traditional houses of the H’Mong people, and meet a local family to learn more about their lives or rent costumes for photos.

The sea of clouds on the peak of Fansipan

After lunch, you will arrive at Fansipan station and take the cable car to the top of Fansipan, known as the roof of Indochina with an altitude of 3,143m. From the hook looking down, you will have a panoramic view of the beautiful Muong Hoa valley and Hoang Lien Son National Park. After the cable car, you need to walk 600 steps or buy a train ticket to conquer the top of the mountain. If you are lucky, you will be able to admire the beautiful sea of clouds from the top.

Overnight in Sa Pa.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, visit fees (if any), Fansipan cable car ticket, Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

After breakfast, get ready for a beautiful hike through the breathtaking scenery of Sapa valley. Start with a gentle slope towards Cau May street. Along the way, you will admire the terraced fields hidden in the morning mist, a truly breathtaking sight. Follow the small road, cross the Muong Hoa river and pass through the well-kept terraced fields on the way to Lao Chai village of the Black H’Mong people.

A peaceful sunset overlooking the ripe rice fields in Lao Chai Village, Sapa

Continuing through the colorful terraced fields, you will reach Ta Van village. Here, you can explore an impressive collection of stone carvings. These carvings depict some beautiful images of people, stilt houses and some exquisite decorative motifs.

Drive back to Sapa town for lunch and then depart for Hanoi at around 2 PM.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, visit fees (if any), Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

After breakfast, depart for Ninh Binh. The first stop is Trang An Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will explore by boat for about 3 hours, admiring the limestone mountains and ancient pagodas on the water in a turquoise bottle, an extremely poetic natural scene likened to flying Ha Long on land.

Trang An Landscape Complex

After lunch, you will visit the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, have the opportunity to learn about the history of Vietnam under the feudal regime under the Dinh, Le, Ly dynasties. Then move to the Mua cave, climb about 500 steps and you will reach the top of the Dragon Mountain and have a beautiful panoramic view of Tam Coc from here, with the rice fields stretching and the surrounding river.

Return to Hanoi in depth. At night, you can reach the night market or enjoy a cool beer at Ta Hien.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, visit fees (if any), Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

After breakfast, the car will pick you up at the hotel and take you to Ha Long ferry terminal, the journey time is about 2.5 hours. After boarding, you will enjoy a welcome drink, meet the captain and crew for a brief introduction of the itinerary and safety instructions.

Enjoy a Vietnamese seafood buffet lunch or a set menu while cruising through the majestic Ha Long Bay, admiring the limestone formations with interesting shapes in the bay. Immerse yourself in the stunning scenery of the bay and the impressive limestone islands as we sail through the calm emerald waters towards the Bright and Dark Caves. You will participate in outdoor activities and choose between kayaking or sitting on a bamboo boat for about 1 hour.

Ha Long Bay Cruise

Back on the boat, you will join a cooking class led by the chef, experiencing making traditional dishes such as spring rolls, pho,…. After dinner, you can join a music party on the boat, sing karaoke or go squid fishing at night.

Overnight on cruise.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Halong Bay cruise, Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

After breakfast, the boat continues to Ao Ech area to visit the filming location of the Hollywood blockbuster King Kong. You can swim or kayak for 45 minutes. Return to the cabin, relax and carefully check all luggage before leaving the cabin. Have a buffet lunch while returning to the pier. Then you will return to Hanoi.

Thang Long Imperial Citadel

After a short rest, you can explore some of Hanoi’s iconic attractions such as the Temple of Literature, Thang Long Imperial Citadel or Tran Quoc Pagoda,….

Overnight in Hanoi.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, visit fees (if any), Halong Bay cruise, Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and prepare your luggage for your return flight. Depending on the flight time, you can drop by the famous train street, sip a cup of coffee and take unique photos as the train passes by.

Included: Transportation, Meals: Breakfast.