Trip highlights: Tour Hanoi-Sapa-Ninh Binh-Halong Bay is an adventure tour in the north of Vietnam with different sporty activities and suitable for small groups, families who want to see the best attractions in the north Vietnam and do some s ports on their vacation to improve their health and enjoy a lot of fun at the same time experience the local culture, rural lives. The tour highlights will include trekking in ethnic minority villages in Sapa; biking through rice fields in Ninh Binh and kayaking in Halong Bay. Tour Hanoi-Sapa-Ninh Binh-Halong Bay is always the best selling adventure package in the North Vietnam.
Start/Finish city: Hanoi/HCMC
Duration: 8 days/7 nights
Departure: Daily, upon your request.
Destination: Hanoi-Sapa-Ninh Binh-Halong Bay.
Your can extend with optional tours from Hanoi. Contact us for special offer!
View from Topas Ecolodge in Sapa, Vietnam
TOUR HANOI-SAPA-NINH BINH-HALONG BAY: ITINERARY
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival.
Upon arrival at the Noi Bai airport, Your driver and guide will meet you outside the baggage claim and take you to your hotel in the city center. In the afternoon, enjoy an orientation walk, visiting some of Hanoi’s main attractions: the Opera House, Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple. Return hotel and you are free at leisure.
O/N: hotel in Hanoi
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour – Night train to Laocai.
Today you have a full day to explore Vietnam’s charming capital. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and ancient oriental pagodas, Hanoi is an eclectic mix that offers something for everyone. Your city tour will take you to Hanoi’s key sites: the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and stilt house), the nearby One Pillar Pagoda; the Presidential Palace; the Temple of Literature; the Quan Thanh Temple, the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda & West Lake; and one of the city’s museums (a choice between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum). Enjoy a traditional Water Puppet Performance – a unique Vietnamese Art form hailing from Southeast Asia’s wet-rice culture. In the evening, savor a welcome dinner of authentic Vietnamese food at one of Hanoi’s finest restaurants – before heading to the train station to catch your night train to Laocai.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.
Accommodation: on train (in a shared 4 soft berths cabin with A/C).
Day 3: Laocai – Sapa.
The train arrives at the Laocai railway station in the early morning. Your guide and driver will meet you there and take you on the 40km drive to Sapa, Northwest Vietnam’s premier travel destination, named “Tonkinese Alps” by the French.
Enjoy breakfast in the town while breathing clean mountain air. At 10:00 A.M, leave the hotel and start trekking. Walk through the local market then follow a road going downhill to Cat Cat Village. The Black Hmong’s village is famous for its brocade weaving craft as well as its gold and silver jewelry making. The walk to Cat Cat Village and its nearby hills provide an opportunity to see farms and techniques used by the people in the area. Short stop at a waterfall and a hydroelectric station. Afterward, trek up back to the town and spend rest of the day at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa.
Day 4: Sapa Trekking – Overnight in Topas Ecolodge.
After breakfast, drive south towards Muong Hoa Valley, and then descend by foot 
through the largest terraced rice paddy area in the Sapa region. The walk takes you through the village of Lao Chai, home to the Black Hmong minority, then onto the Ta Van village, inhabited by the Zay minority. Experience a great opportunity to observe the daily life and traditional hospitality of these local people before continuing on to the remote Topas Ecolodge in Su Pan. This unique, eco-friendly lodge is situated atop two cone formed hills, set deep in the spectacular Sapa valley of northern Vietnam.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Ecolodge in Sapa.
Day 5: Sapa – Laocai.
Set by foot to the Lech Village. After a short walk on the main road you will descend towards the Thanh Kim River, stop en route to capture the most beautiful scene of the valley. Cross the river, you will head up to the village where you spend your time to experience the daily life of the local people and then follow the main road to return to the Ecolodge for lunch and check-out. Head back to Sapa for some free time and finally descend to Laocai and enjoy dinner at one of the local restaurants before boarding your overnight train for the return trip to Hanoi.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: on train (in a shared 4 soft berths cabin with A/C).
Day 6: Hanoi – Ninh Binh.
Arrive in Hanoi in the early morning then drive to Ninh Binh. Hoa Lu, situated 100 km 
south of Hanoi, was the capital city of Vietnam under the Dinh Dynasty between 968 and 1009 AD. Some of the sanctuaries and tombs have survived the years and can still be seen today. Start cycling on countryside roads onto Hoa Lu and the ancient 10th century citadel. Apart from the historical interest, the area is also one of astounding natural beauty with limestone peaks whose splendor is often said to surpass that of Halong Bay. Continue your ride through the limestone peaks to Tam Coc, passing rice paddies and rural villages. In Tam Coc lunch is served at a local restaurant with a view over the boat pier. The tour includes being rowed along the Ngo Dong River, which makes for a truly unforgettable experience, passing between towering limestone peaks. You conclude an excursion day with a visit to Bich Dong Pagoda.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Ninh Binh.
Day 7: Ninh Binh – Halong Bay – Overnight on cruise.
After breakfast at hotel, your driver will take you on a 4-hour drive passing the countryside of the Red River Delta to Halong Bay. Spend 24 hours on a traditional Junk Cruise in the amazing bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. Arrive at the dock around noon and board your junk. Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as you sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, cruise around some of Halong’s many islands, including Dinh Huong and Ga Choi. Along the way visit one of the bay’s 3 largest caves (Thien Cung, Dau Go or Sung Sot) and kayak along the hidden parts of the bay. Go swimming (weather permitting), snap photos or just relax as the sun starts to set on the Tonkin Gulf. Pass the night on your junk, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of calm waters.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Accommodation: on cruise.
Day 8: Halong – Hanoi – Departure.
Awake early and participate in Taichi on the top deck or simply relax and enjoy the 
sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, before setting out to explore nearby islands by rowboat. Return to the junk for breakfast then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay as you navigate back to Halong City. Have brunch on board the boat before returning to Halong pier. Your driver will meet you at the dock and take you to Noi Bai Airport of Hanoi to catch your departure flight home. End of Tour Hanoi-Sapa-Ninh Binh-Halong Bay, Andy Tourist would thank you so much for joining us and wait to see you soon in your next vacation to Vietnam.
Meals: Brunch.
Accommodation: N/A.
| Tour Includes: – Accommodation (3 star in average) – Breakfast & meals per mentioned in the itinerary – Transportation by private car with A/C – English-speaking guide – Return train ticket Hanoi – Laocai – Hanoi (shared 4 berths cabin with A/C) – All entrance fees, performances, boat trips & excursions. |
Tour Excludes: – International flights – Travel insurance – Vietnam Visa – Gratuities for tour guides/drivers – Beverages & other personal expenses. |
