7 DAYS 6 NIGHTS HALONG BAY - HANOI - SAPA BY HIGHWAY - NINH BINH

All guests are warmly welcome upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport by our local guide then transfer to Halong Bay (165 km east of Hanoi) - a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty, you will experience a rural area dotted with villages, rice fields and farms providing the many parts of the nation with rice, fruits and vegetables. 

 

Arrival Halong, check in the hotel and free at your own leisure until dinner at local restaurant.  Overnight at hotel in Halong bay. 

After breakfast in the hotel (6 -7AM), you will be transferred to the port. Embark and start a relaxing in a wonderful cruise through Halong Bay, passing bizarre rock formations. You will discover Halong Bay, listed as a World Heritage of outstanding natural beauty, known in Vietnamese as “Dragon descending to the sea“. The picturesque Halong Bay has more than 3,000 limestone islets rising from the clear emerald water, many of them containing beautiful grottoes.

 

You will visit Thien Cung situated on the south-west side of the bay, 4 km from the wharf outside of Halong City. The way to Thien Cung grotto is covered on both sides by thick forest. After entering narrow gate, the grotto’s 130-meter-long girth opens up. Getting in you will be more astonished in front of the very animated and splendid beauty which is made from the stalactites. On the east wall of the grotto, there is a grandiose and imposing picture with characters of tales. Going out of the Thien Cung grotto, you will have a sensation of just watching a unique, meticulous, interesting fine-art museum which is made by nature. This grotto is one of the most beautiful ones in Halong Bay. Legend has it, that beautiful young lady named May (cloud), caught the eye of the Dragon Prince and he fell in love with her. They were betrothed, and their wedding lasted seven days and seven nights in the very centre of the grotto.  During the boat trip fresh seafood lunch will be served for your delights.

 

Disembark and transfer back to Hanoi, arrive in Hanoi late in the afternoon, join a half-day city tour to discover charming and historic capital city of Vietnam. Hanoi is a unique city with more than 1000-year of rich culture and fascinating history. 

 

The tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and oriental temples. The city tour includes a visit Hoan Kiem Lake and a walking tour through the Hanoi’s Old Quarter, also known as the ‘36 streets’. This bustling area of narrow streets and alleys is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. It's a great place to explore with plenty of photo opportunities all around you and explore the famous Dong Xuan Market, where you can purchase souvenirs for your beloved ones.

 

End the day with a Water Puppet show. This is a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form depicting scenes from rural life and episodes of national history. Overnight in Hanoi

After breakfast at hotel, you will enjoy the journey of around 5 hours in a joining air-conditioned bus with another passengers on the highway to Sapa (without guide). Before reaching Sapa, you will conquer a 38 km drive on winding roads up the mountains to Sapa, located approx. 1,500 m above sea level. On clear days you can see the highest mountain of Vietnam, the Fansipan. Arrival Sapa, check in the hotel & lunch will be at your own arrangement.

 

Afternoon, our guide will meet you at the lobby of the hotel and start trek down to Cat Cat Village which is home of Black H’mong ethnic people and is located near the bottom of a deep valley at the foot of Fansipan Peak. Our local guide will show you the daily life activities of the locals, trek down to the valley bottom to the waterfall where the French built a Hydraulic Power Station; stop for photo with bridge and waterfall then you will walk uphill to get back to Sapa. Dinner will be served at local restaurant. Overnight at hotel in Sapa.

Morning you will enjoy a spectacular cable car ride - the world’s longest three-rope cable car system, extending from the northern Lao Cai Province’s Sapa Town to the summit of Mt Fansipan – the highest mountain in Indochina. If the weather is clear the panoramic views are amazing. Return to Sapa town and enjoy the Lunch at local restaurant

 

After lunch you will transfer to explore Lao Chai village. Views of the Muong Hoa Valley and magnificent surroundings of mountains and rice terrace fields can be seen from this road. Along the road, people from many ethnic minority groups (H’mong, Zay, and Red Dao) are likely to be met, and there are stalls along the way that serve tea, fruits and sweets.  Soon after turning off the main road and taking a local path, we will arrive in the Black H’mong village of Lao Chai, where you will experience the daily life of the villagers. Continue walking from Lao Chai to Ta Van village to discovery the  Zay hill tribes live before walking to the meeting point for your transfer back to Sapa town.  Dinner will be served at local restaurant and overnight at hotel in Sapa.

After breakfast at hotel, you will start the day with visit to the Temple of Literature. Built in 1076, The Temple of Literature was Vietnam's first university and was established to educate Vietnam's royalty, mandarins and members of the elite. The university functioned for an incredible 700 years. Its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a fascinating glimpse into Vietnam’s past.

 

Afterwards, visit The One Pillar Pagoda, which was founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049. This structure is one of Vietnam’s smallest but most iconic temples. Close by is the Mausoleum of the historic Father Figure of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, and the Former President's House on stilts where he lived from 1958 to 1969. His former home illustrates the modesty of this Vietnamese revolutionary

 

(The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed Mondays & Fridays and from Jun to Aug, you will view from the outside)

 

Tour continues, you will enjoy the journey to Ninh Binh for the 2.5-hour drive through rural northern Vietnam to Tam Coc Town to enjoy a Vietnamese lunch. 

 

After lunch board your private sampan though a winding stream through paddy fields instead of the sea. The boat gently slices through the water notice the enormous limestone karsts jutting out from the green rice fields giving rise to the area’s other name, 'Halong bay on Land'. Here you will visit Tam Coc – a mysterious grotto, you may feel like they had just disappeared from the real world to get lost in such a hidden fairy site. Return by sampan to Tam Coc town 

 

Should you feel adventurous, climb up to Bich Dong Pagoda on nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain, dating to 1428 and comprised of three structures: Ha, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas, in ascending order. Afterward transfer back to Hanoi. Dinner will be served at local restaurant. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi

Breakfast at hotel and free for your own activities before transfer to Noi Bai International Airport for your international flight home. We hope you had an exciting holiday with us. Making it an affair to remember!