North Vietnam Highlight 9 days
Tour Code : VCT12
Destinations : Hanoi- Lao Cai – Sapa-Halong -Hai Phong – Ninh Binh
Day 01: Hanoi arrival (D)
Upon arrival at Hanoi airport, you will be welcomed by our guide. We transfer you with a private, comfortable vehicle to the city center of Hanoi to check-in in your hotel. This day is scheduled to take some rest after your long flight. You have the opportunity to get some first impressions of the city by yourself and ofcourse our tour guide is always available at your request. Tonight you have dinner in a local restaurant and you overnight in hotel in Hanoi.
Day 02: Hanoi city tour – Train to Lao Cai (B, L, D)
At morning, we begin our city-trip at the Restored Sword Lake, famous of the legend of the tortoise and the sword of 15th century, the Temple of Literature. After visiting this historical sight we pay a visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the house of the hero Ho Chi Minh. We also pay a visit to the Museum of Ethnologiy. We finish our city-tour by participating in a one-hour ride in a traditional Cyclo around Hanoi’s old quarters. After dining in a local restaurant, we will catch the train towards Lao Cai. We overnight in our wagon to sleep out the journey that will last for at least 10 hours. Overnight on the train.
Day 03: Lao Cai – Sapa (B, L, D)
We arrive at Lao Cai railway station in the early morning where our driver is waiting for us. You will be transferred to the Sapa Hill Station, check in your hotel. Then, here we spend our time trekking around, crossing magnificent bridges and witnessing green rice terraces. During our trek we will be exposed to local life and the daily activities. The rest of the day will be scheduled for leisure time to explore Sapa Town on your own with its scattering colonial houses and bonsais gardens. Tonight we have dinner in a tranquil restaurant where we taste some typical local specialties like the ‘Sapa Peach Wine’. Overnight in Sapa.
Day 04: Sapa - Lao Cai train to Hanoi (B, L, D)
After breakfast in our hotel we will climb up to Ham Rong Mount. From here, we have a fantastic panoramic view over Sapa Town. Great opportunity to make some snapshots! We pay a visit to the Sapa Market, crowded by countless colorful hill tribes where you can buy some souvenirs for the loved-ones at home. In the late afternoon we drive back to Lao Cai to take a look at the Cau Kieu (Beauty Bridge) situated over the Red River which forms the boarder to neighboring China. From here out you can see Hekou, a Chinese Town, with its high-rises and daily activity. By train we return to Hanoi. We overnight in our wagon to sleep during the journey and wake up at Hanoi Railway Station tomorrow morning. Overnight on train.
Day 05: Hanoi – (B, L, D)
We arrive in Hanoi at 5 AM in the morning. It offers you the great opportunity to experience the awakening of the city. People drive to their work by motorbike; others exercise ‘Taichi’ around the Restored Sword Lake or find a little restaurant to have a breakfast. The rest of the day is scheduled for leisure time. Tonight we bring a visit to the famous water puppet show and listen to traditional folk music. We spend the night in a hotel in Hanoi.
Day 06: Hanoi - Halong Bay (B, L, D)
After a Vietnamese style breakfast we take you to one of the wonders of nature; Halong Bay. Arrival in Halong City after about 3 hours drive, we take our private boat for a full afternoon of cruising in the bay of the dragon, with more than 3000 limestone islands scattering up from the emerald water. We visit some of the most beautiful grottos and have the opportunity to get a panoramic view of the bay as we climb the Ti Top Mount. In the evening you enjoy a meal of fresh seafood, including shrimps, squids, fishes and other delicious bites prepared by our professional cooks. By night the emerald water even glows up when you paddle through it by hand! Overnight onboard.
Day 07: Halong – Haiphong - Ninh Binh (B, L)
After breakfast, we return to Hanoi direction by car and drive via Hai Phong to Ninh Binh. Hai Phong is one of the most important economic centers of the north. During a trip around town we will visit the impressing Communal House and the Du Hang Pagoda. Via Thai Binh and Nam Dinh, the two main provinces of the Red River Delta, we drive to Ninh Binh. In Thai Binh we visit the Keo Pagoda, a beautifully designed pagoda constructed of wood, built in the 18th century. After our arrival we check-in in our hotel and have dinner in Ninh Binh. Overnight in Ninh Binh.
Day 08: Ninh Binh – Tam Coc – Kenh Ga village - Hanoi (B, L, D)
After breakfast in our hotel we continue our trip towards Tam Coc. This place is also called the “Halong Bay of the Land”. While making a site-seeing tour per boat downstream the river, you will immediately recognize why this place deserves this name. In the afternoon, we pay a visit to Kenh Ga floating village by boat. The sightseeing is fantastic; we witness an isolated village in a vast flooded field surrounded by water canals. A visit to this region allows us to explore the ‘life on the water’ of the local people who adapted their lives to the water. Tonight we enjoy our farewell dinner in Vietnam and spend the night in a hotel in Hanoi.
Day 09: Hanoi – Departure (B)
After breakfast, today you are at leisure and free, if time permitted you can go shopping in Dong Xuan market – the biggest wholesale market in the Vietnam, but be careful with pickpockets. Then we transfer you to Hanoi Airport for your departure.
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