VIETNAM NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS

Xin chao and welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport, your Topas guide will welcome you to the capital before taking you directly to your hotel in the heart of the city to settle in.

The remainder of the day will be yours to spend at your leisure, perhaps wandering through the fascinating maze of streets and alleys of the Old Quarter, followed by joining the locals to enjoy the evening promenade around Hoan Kiem Lake. Your guide will also be ready with plenty of tips on ways to explore the city by yourself.

After breakfast you'll be picked up at your hotel to begin your day with a visit to the grounds of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, a monumental structure honoring the founding father of modern Vietnam. Here you can witness the solemn changing of the guard before exploring the nearby Ho Chi Minh Museum, which provides an insight into the life and legacy of this visionary figure.

After the museum we'll visit the tranquil One Pillar Pagoda, a unique wooden structure perched on a single stone pillar set within a serene pond. In the quiet ambience, you can discover the spiritual significance of the pagoda and gain an appreciation of its architectural value.

Leaving Ba Dinh, continue your cultural journey with a visit to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first national university and a testament to the country's commitment to education. You can take a stroll through the picturesque courtyards, pavilions, and gardens that echo with centuries of scholarly pursuit.

We'll recharge with a lunch of fresh local flavors at a nearby restaurant where you can sample a range of authentic Vietnamese cuisine. After lunch, we'll venture to the historic Citadel of Thang Long, a Unesco World Heritage Site, where ancient architecture and archaeological treasures tell the story of Hanoi's past. We'll take some time to explore the remnants of this imperial fortress, including the Hanoi Flag Tower and the intriguing archaeological site.

To finish the day, enjoy a leisurely cyclo tour through the bustling streets of the Old Quarter. Relax in the comfort of a traditional cyclo as your driver navigates the narrow alleys, giving you a glimpse into Hanoi's vibrant street life. Allow the sights, sounds, and scents of this historic district to envelop you, creating lasting memories of your time in Hanoi.

As the sun begins to set, you'll be dropped back at your hotel, where you can spend the evening quietly relaxing or set out to explore further in the heart of Vietnam's capital.

Today you'll be picked up early (6:30 – 7:00 am) by the Topas Mountain Express to start the five-and-a-half-hour journey to Topas Ecolodge. After arriving at the lodge, you can spend the afternoon visiting a nearby minority village on a walking tour.

Lech Dao village is in the hilly mountains of Thanh Kim Commune and is home to a community of Red Dao people. The walking tour offers you a chance to meet some of the local people, visit their homes and learn about Red Dao culture. Along the way you can enjoy sweeping views of the rice valleys and stop to take photos of the beautiful surrounding landscape.

We'll set off from Topas Ecolodge on a quiet road with views of the rice terrace below before taking a slight ascent to Lech village. Here you will visit a local house, meet the friendly Red Dao hosts and experience a little of their daily way of life. Red Dao women typically shave their hair and eyebrows, following a tradition passed down through generations, and wear brightly colored handmade clothing. Red Dao are famous for their detailed hand embroidery and skilled basket weaving.

There will also be a chance to visit the village school and learn about education and the school system in the country's northern mountainous region. Small trails crisscrossing through rice terraces will take you back to Topas Ecolodge and along the way your guide will explain the cultivation practices of the local farmers.

Today you will head to the most remote part of Sapa to observe the way of life of the ethnic minority groups living in the mountains. The tour will start with a transfer deeper into Hoang Lien National Park to the trek starting point near the remote village of Sin Chai.

Enjoy breathtaking views of soaring mountains, waterfalls and deep valleys as you start to trek through the national park. The trail will soon lead you to the Red Dao village of Nam Nhiu where you can meet some of the villagers, visit their homes, and learn about their daily life. The villagers work predominantly in farming.

Leaving the village behind, you will turn into a small dirt trail and soon be afforded spectacular views of the valley dotted with bamboo huts, which are used by local farmers as overnight lodges during the harvest season. After passing through the rice terraces and a river you will walk on a quiet road for a while before arriving at Nam Cang village, home to a community of Red Dao people.

The clothing of Red Dao women is a sight to behold. Colorful motifs are hand embroidered on a background of natural black fabric, with each design holding significant meaning. The Red Dao people live close to nature and are known for their herbal bath preparations and traditional plant medicine.

Accompanied by your guide, you will visit the village and learn how the locals make writing paper from rice and craft silver jewelry and discover more about the deep cultural meaning of their embroidered designs.

After enjoying a Vietnamese lunch in a village homestay, you'll transfer back to Topas Ecolodge where you can spend time relaxing and rejuvenating in the lodge's tranquil atmosphere.

The day will be yours to spend at your leisure until a mid-afternoon departure for Hanoi on the Topas Mountain Express. Simply enjoy the lodge grounds and views, taking a dip in the mountain infinity pools, or talk to us if you'd like to take another trek into the surrounding mountains. The lodge spa is also available, alongside a selection of restaurants serving local and international cuisine. Depart from the Ecolodge at 2:30pm, refreshed and rejuvenated from your time spent in nature.

This morning at around 9:00 am you will be picked up at your hotel and transferred to Ha Long for an overnight tour aboard a cruise boat in Bai Tu Long Bay.

After arriving at the harbour, you'll transfer to a Tonkin cruise boat by tender (transfer time 5 –10 minutes). Once aboard, you'll be served a welcome drink and hear a safety briefing before checking in to your cabin.



The boat will begin its cruise through Bai Tu Long Bay and a set menu lunch of local dishes will be served. After lunch, you'll have a chance to explore some pretty lagoons by kayak, swim in the calm water of the bay and relax on the beach in Cap La. Back aboard the boat you can enjoy happy hour from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm as the sun sets, while the boat cruises to the Cong Dong-Cong Do area to anchor overnight.

A BBQ dinner will be served on the sundeck (weather permitting). In the evening you'll have the chance to try your hand at squid fishing, play board games, relax with a movie or unwind with some karaoke (please request in advance). A variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are available at the luxury sky bar.

This morning you can wake up early to enjoy the sunrise in the bay and take part in a tranquil Taichi session on the deck. Enjoy a light breakfast before visiting Vung Vieng Fishing Village by bamboo boat to observe the daily life of the fishing communities who live there. Back aboard the main boat there'll be time to refresh and pack up before check-out.

Check-out at around 9:30 am and then spend some time relaxing and enjoying the last scenery of Ha Long Bay over lunch while the boat cruises gently back to shore. Back at the mainland you can disembark and relax in our cafe lounge before your direct transfer to the airport in Hanoi for your departure flight, arriving at the airport around 3:30pm.