The Best of North Vietnam: 6 Days

Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, our driver will pick you up and transfer you to Hanoi center. Check in to your hotel. You have the rest of the day free to explore the city on your own.

Spend the entire day exploring Hanoi. Visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed on Monday and Friday morning, and during October), Ho Chi Minh Museum and the President's house on stilts, One Pillar pagoda, Temple of Literature, Museum of Ethnology and many others.

You have free time for dinner before your pickup time at 8:30 pm. Take an overnight train to Sapa. Overnight on the train.

Arrive in Sapa at around 6 am. Our tour guide picks up at the station for breakfast. After a short break, trek to two villages: Cat Cat and Sin Chai. Visit the H’mong communities, a hydropower station and a waterfall.

After lunch, you have the afternoon to yourself. Spend the night at a hotel in Sapa.

After breakfast, trek to Muong Hoa valley to visit three H’mong villages of the H’mong: Y Linh Ho, Lao Chai and Ta Van. Have lunch on the way back to Sapa. You have free time until your transfer to Lao Cai for a night train to Hanoi. Overnight on the train.

Arrive in Hanoi at around 5:30 am. Take a taxi to a chosen hotel to store the luggage and have breakfast (no room). Then take a bus to Halong (pickup time: 7:30 – 8:30 am).

Upon arrival, board the cruise boat and check in to your cabin before having a delicious lunch at the restaurant. Afternoon activities might include a visit to one of the most beautiful cave in Halong Bay, a floating village for a bamboo boat ride, an island for relaxing/swimming and a lagoon for kayaking.

Back on the boat, you will be able to join a cooking class or a sunset cocktail party before dinnertime. The evening is free for leisure or you can join a squid-fishing trip with the crew.

Overnight in private cabin on a sharing cruise.

Morning tea and coffee will be served early. You have an option to join a tai chi class on the sundeck.

After breakfast, other activities for the day might include (if not arranged on the first day): visiting the cave, cooking class or climbing to the top of an island for panoramic view of Halong Bay. Then enjoy a fantastic view of the bay as you pass the many karst islands and islets on the way back to the habor.

Around 12:30 pm transfer back to Hanoi. Visitors can get off on the way for a shortcut to the airport (around 4 – 4:30 pm) by taxi (paid by us) or drop off at the hotel (around 4:30 - 5 pm) for some free time until your airport transfer.