DAY 01: HANOI ARRIVAL

Your trip begins with arrival in Vietnam. Your private driver will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. Check-in to the hotel and have a rest after the flight.

If you arrived early, you can mooch through the streets of the city. Historic charm, architectural marvels, and products’ variety are splashed all over this area.

DAY 02: BA VI ECO TOUR ( B/L )

Have breakfast at the hotel then you will be escorted by an experienced English-speaking guide, a countryside located at the outskirt of Hanoi. The approximate travel time is one hour and 30 minutes.

Then arriving at Mr. Duoc’s house, you will be welcomed with fresh honey tea and green lentils or lotus seeds that made by his family.  Imagine a Vietnam in the old time of war through stories of Mr. Duoc, who is not only a veteran who lives during those hard times but also a green tea expert. You will visit his tea plantation which is one of the largest in Ri village and join with locals in green tea processing. Afterward, have a Vietnamese cooking demonstration with another local host and then enjoy a home-cooked lunch in a lovely garden.

After that, you will wander around the village and mingling with local people. You will visit the local craftsman who has been skilled at making conical hats from a very young age and other workshops in the village to see how people there make tofu or shell the rice.  As you meander through the countryside you will experience the friendliness of the local people greeting you along the way. Then join your guides for a leisurely cycling trip along the country roads. Observe traditional Vietnamese rural life as the local people work in the paddy fields. Along the way, watch out for a water buffalo plowing a paddy field while ducks swim across the top. Stop at another host family for foot bathing following the recipes of Muong ethnic group and relaxing time before embarking on your private boat for a trip along the Da river. Later, enjoy a transfer from Ba Vi to your accommodation in Hanoi

DAY 03: HA NOI - HOA LU - TAM COC - OVERNIGHT TRAIN TO SAPA (B)

Today you will experience the ancient culture and history of Vietnam as well as seeing the stunning landscape and beautiful scenery when we travel to the Ninh Binh Province. This area is known as “Ha Long Bay on land” and is located 80 km South of Hanoi

AM: 8:00 - 8:30. Our guide & driver will pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter, then leave by coach to Hoa Lu (2.5 hrs). Visit the historic capital of Vietnam and the famous ancient temples of Le and the Dinh Dynasties. Then our bus will transfer you from Hoa Lu to Tam Coc for lunch around at 12:30 PM.

PM: After lunch, boat trip to visit Tam Coc to see the beauty of the karst formations as you pass along their base and row into one of the many caves carved through the limestone. Then, cycle for an hour on quiet roads through villages, rice fields, rivers and rocky outcrops in Tam Coc - Bich Dong (around 5 km). Dive back to Hanoi and drop off at your hotel around at 18:00 PM.

Have leisure time on your own and late checkout before pick up to train station

20:30 - 21:00 Pick-up at the hotel. Transfer to railway station for a night train to Sapa (schedule 21:50 - 06:30).

DAY 04: SAPA- CAT CAT VILLAGE (B,L,D)

AM: 6h30 arrive, Lao Cai, pick up at Lao Cai Station then transfer to Sapa. You will have breakfast and some time for R&R.

09h00 - 09h30 Trek to Cat Cat villages of Black H'Mong tribe. Enjoy the waterfall in Cat Cat and beautiful scenery along the way. Then check-in hotel (check-in after 12:00 PM). Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: free time to explore & discover Sapa Market & Stone Church. Back to hotel for dinner and enjoy the night in Sapa town.

DAY 05: SAPA - LAO CHAI - TA VAN - MUONG HOA VALLEY - LAO CAI – NIGHT TRAIN TO HA NOI (B/L)

After breakfast you will check out and leave your luggage in the hotel, get ready for the trip. Trek down to Lao Chai village to visit the Tay and Day tribes then keep going along the bottom of the Sapa valley to get to Ta Van village which is supposed to be the most beautiful one in the area. Have a picnic lunch on the way. You go back to Sapa by motorbike/jeep. Back to Lao Cai Station in our car, then dinner at your account. App .5 hours trekking - 13 km

Overnight at the A/C soft sleeper cabin to Hanoi (schedule: 21:15 – 05:30).

DAY 06: HANOI - HA LONG BAY (B/L/D) – SHARING CRUISE

Arrive at Hanoi Station in the morning, early check-in at the hotel for showers and have some rest before a trip to Halong Bay.

In the morning, check-out from hotel and get pick-up by the Cruise. Take a route most scenic to reach Halong Bay, taking you across the Red River Delta with emerald green rice paddies stretching for as far as the eyes can see. On arrival at Halong, you get to enjoy a cruise on the Bay to better explore the limestone rocks and the karst grottoes.

After you are done with your exploration of the bay, it is time to enjoy an utterly delicious seafood lunch, after which a trip to the famous limestone cave in Ha Long Bay, you’ll get to spend some time here, kayaking or swimming, so that you can get closer to the floating villages and shops. Towards the evening, you will return to the boat for an early dinner, followed by some time at leisure. You can opt to attend the activities taking part in the boat or relax for the day.

Overnight on cruise

DAY 07: HA LONG BAY - CO TO ISLAND (B/L)

Rise early for a lesson in Tai Chi or just to enjoy a hearty breakfast. The boat will make its way back to the port stopping at the Limestone Cave, full of stalagmites and stalactites. From here, it’s clear sailing back to the main harbor and be transferred to Co To Island. Overnight in Co To Island

DAY 08: CO TO ISLAND LEISURE DAY (B)

Despite being the furthest inhabited island from the mainland, Co To Island has boomed in the last few years, and today it's a popular destination for domestic tourists. This should hardly come as a surprise, as the island is home to some of Bai Tu Long Bay's best beaches and its widest spread of accommodation and restaurants. Yet despite all of this, the island sees very few foreign faces.

DAY 09: CO TO ISLAND LEISURE DAY (B) - TRANSFER TO HANOI  

Rise early for a lesson in Tai Chi or just to enjoy a hearty breakfast. The boat will make its way back to the port stopping at the Limestone Cave, full of stalagmites and stalactites. From here, it’s clear sailing back to the main harbor and be transferred to Co To Island. Overnight in Co To Island

DAY 10: TIME TO SAY GOODBYE - HA NOI DEPARTURE (B)

Relish a healthy breakfast on the final day of your trip. Complete the hotel check-out formalities after which you can visit the local markets and buy souvenirs for your loved ones. Later, proceed for departure and board your flight back home. Trip Ends.