Sa Pa Trek & Halong Bay Cruise (Vietnam)

Itinerary:

Day 1. Hanoi arrival
Arrive at Noi Bai Airport. Pick up and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Hanoi. -/-/-

Day 2. Hanoi – City tour
Get picked up by our tour guide and car. After short drive, start visiting first place named Tran Quoc Pagoda, a Buddhist relic and national heritage lying on the West Lake. Visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the final resting place of Viet Nam’s greatest father, walking along Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house where he lived and worked from 1958 to 1969. Visit One-Pillar Pagoda – the one modeled after a lotus flower, a symbol of Hanoi city. Leave One Pillar Pagoda and transfer to visit the Temple of literature. Continue to visit Museum of Ethnology – the most interesting museum in Hanoi with many different things relating the 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups.Overnight in Hanoi. B/-/-

Day 3. Night train Hanoi to Lao Cai.
Breakfast at Hotel. Be ready at the Hanoi train station 40 minutes before the train departure, and you will take the night train from Hanoi to Lao Cai (train SP3: dep. 22:00; arr. 05:55). Sleep over night on the train (in a 4-berth, soft sleeper cabin). B/-/-

Day 4. Lao Cai – Sapa – Mong Sen – Ta Phin
Upon arrival in Lao Cai Train station in early morning, pick up by a private mini bus and transfer to the Sapa center. After early check-in at your hotel, you will have time to take a shower, relax, and have breakfast. Leaving Sapa at 08:30, we will first travel by car downhill to Mong Sen, where you start trekking uphill through a mountainous area by following a dirt trail. En route, you will have many opportunities to enjoy the spectacular view over rice paddy terraces and cornfields. You will stop for lunch at a nice spot. After lunch, the trek will continue by going downhill toward Taphin village, where you can meet the Red Dao and Black H’mong minorities, the two largest ethnic groups in Sapa. Your guide will tell you about the daily lives and traditions of these two people. Here, you will be able to take a walk around the village before your dinner is served. Stay overnight in a local house in Ta Phin village. B/L/D
Trekking distance: 13km

Day 5. Ta phin – Ma tra - Sin Chai
After breakfast, you say farewell to the host family and continue your trek to Ma Tra village. This village is home to H’mong ethnic people and only boasts around 50 homes. The Black H’mong are proud of their culture, and they have their own language and wear traditional indigo and blue clothing. They survive using their crafts, such as weaving brocade, silk, forging farming tools, and carving silver. Trekking to Matra village, you will come across the impressive ruins of a church dating back to the French occupation in the early 1900s. Take a minute to explore this intriguing sight and take some photos. Have lunch en route. After that, you trek to Sin Chai village, a traditional H’mong village that has managed to preserve its natural wildness. By visiting this area, you can experience the H’mong people’s peaceful rural lifestyle. Stay overnight in a local house in Sin Chai village. B/L/D
Trekking distance: 15km

Day 6. Sin Chai – Cat Cat - Lao chai - Ta van
After having an early breakfast, at 07:30 you say good bye to the host and walk through the Cat Cat village area, then continue your trek to Y Linh Ho, a small community in the hills. Stop at a homestay and have lunch. In the afternoon, you will visit Lao Chai village and learn more about the locals’ culture and customs. Then you will walk to Ta Van village to visit the Zay people - The Zay minority people in Ta Van have their own traditional culture and lifestyle. They still live in traditional houses, which are built of wood and bamboo with a clay floor. You'll have dinner and sleep overnight in Ta Van village. B/L/D
Trekking distance: 15 km

Day 7. Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai – Sapa – Night train to Hanoi
After having breakfast, at 08:00 you will leave Ta Van and trek to Giang Ta Chai village, where you can see the Red Dao people. The women of Red Dao have very colorful red embroidery and coins on their clothing, and on their heads, they wear a red scarf. Some of the women have shaved off their eyebrows because a hairless face is considered very beautiful. Stop for lunch before leaving Giang Ta Chai and driving back to the Symphony Hotel in Sapa. Now, you will have some free time on your own. Either you take a rest in the hotel or walk around to explore the town. At 16:00, we will pick you up and transfer you to the Lao Cai train station. From there, you will have dinner on your own before taking the night train back to Hanoi (train SP4: dep. 21:30; arr. 05:25).The train will arrive in Hanoi on Day 8 in the early morning. B/L/-
Trekking distance: 4km

Day 8: Hanoi – Halong Bay
Pick up and transfer to Halong. 7:45 - 8:30: Start picking up customers from accommodations around Hanoi Old Quarter area.
Driver takes you to Ha Long bay by highway, passing Bach Dang bridge – a special bridge containing a lot of historical stories. Have a short break on the way.
12:00: Arrive at dock No. 26, Tuan Chau harbor. Be transferred by tender to Fantasea boat -enjoy Welcome Drink. Check in room and begin cruising the Bay. Vietnamese traditional lunch with seafood served while cruising though the amazing rocks: Incense Burner, Stone Dog, Fighting-cock.
The 1 st  afternoon and the 2 nd  morning (24 hours activities with cruise).
• Visit Titov Island: swimming, refreshing, trekking, taking pictures etc.,
• Discover Sung Sot cave (Surprising cave).
• Do kayaking at Trong cave and discover the Cave if the time permitted.
• Join Cooking class (learn how to make fresh spring roll).
• Enjoy Sunset Party.
• Have buffet dinner on cruise.
• Enjoy Karaoke and squid fishing on request.
• Overnight on Boat.

-/L/D

Day 9: Halong bay
The 2nd day breakfast is served on boat.
The 2nd  afternoon
11:00: Have lunch on boat.
12:00: Arrive Tuan Chau Harbor, get speed boat for around 10 minutes to Gia Luan pier on Cat Ba Island. Take a bus to Beo harbor or Cat Ba hotel. Get on daily boat on Lan Ha bay. Discover Lan Ha Bay: swimming, high jumping, kayaking around Van Boi area.
17:30: Get on bus to Cat Ba Homestay.
18:45: Have dinner.
Overnight at Cat Ba Homestay. B/L/D

Day 10: Halong - Hanoi
7:00-8:00: Have breakfast.
9:00: Get on bus and head to Cat Ba National Park.
Have free time for trekking at Cat Ba National Park (around 2 hours).
11:15: Enjoy “take-away lunch” prepared by our Chef.
12: 00: Get on speed boat to Tuan Chau harbor.
12:30: Get on bus to come back to Hanoi Old quarter with short break on the way.
16:30: Drop you off at hotels or points around Hanoi Old quarter.
Overnight in hotel in Hanoi. B/L/-

Day 11: Hanoi - departure
Free time until transfer to the airport. -/-/-