Northern Nature Trail

Today, you'll arrive in Hanoi for the beginning of your North Vietnam itinerary and and a driver will meet you at arrivals for your hotel transfer. On the way you’ll get your first impressions of Northern Vietnam, buzzing with street traders and mopeds. The hotel is a wonderful example of the classic Vietnamese architecture. All rooms have a bathroom with warm water, air-conditioning, TV and mini-bar.
 
The hotel in situated in the centre of the Old Quarter - the beating heart of Hanoi - surrounded by food stalls and quirky restaurants. Narrow streets criss-cross each other, their pavements displaying all manner of local goods. In the 13th century, the 36 original streets were divided up among the craft guilds, each guild claiming its own street. This system remains to this day. For example Shoe Street has only shoe shops. All street names begin with 'Hang', meaning trade. You'll find silver on Hang Bac, copper on Hang Dong , and silk on Hang Gai. The Old Quarter is also home to a fascinating market with a booming trade in live chickens and fish, and a heady aroma of spices. After some retail therapy, visit peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake and munch on a typical Vietnamese spring roll.

 

Today, your time is your own, giving you a relaxed start to your North Vietnam itinerary. You can spend the day ambling through the narrow lanes of the Old Quarter.

Alternatively, you can drop in on the preserved body of Ho Chi Minh. A mausoleum was built for Ho Chi Minh, or Uncle Ho, after his death. You can now see his body entombed in a glass sarcophagus - a huge building fronted by a grand square. Surrounded by guards, you can file in, one by one, to take a look at ‘Uncle Ho’. Vietnamese people consider it a great honour to visit his embalmed body, and you can see their emotional reactions as you file past.

You can finish off your day with a visit to the Municipal Water Puppet Theatre. This stands on the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake and performances take place every evening. Puppetry is a national tradition in Vietnam, and the people are very proud of the artform.
 

Your North Vietnam itinerary will continue at about 8.00am for your trip Halong Bay by air-conditioned minibus (3 hrs). From Hanoi, you'll head east and have a short rest break. After a few hours you'll eventually see the picturesque landscape of Halong unfold in the distance. Here, more than 3000 bizarre craggy islands rise dramatically from the clear waters of the breathtaking bay. Some are thickly forested, others are bare rock and many have secluded sandy coves for a sneaky dip. Erosion over millions of years has given the rocky islands their rugged, majestic character. You'll drift lazily through this incredible landscape by boat, relaxing and marvelling at your surroundings. The captain will also give you plenty of opportunities to dive into the turquoise waters and swim with the colourful marine life. During the cruise a guide will take you through many hidden caves and if the weather permits, you'll be able to climb to the top of Titop Mountain - a real highlight of your North Vietnam itinerary. Lunch and dinner will be served on board and you'll also spend the night in a cabin on the boat. Your cabin will have air conditioning and a private bathroom.

Breakfast will be prepared for you early this morning and afterwards your boat will set course for Cat Ba Island. Next, you'll head out with a guide to explore Cat Ba National Park, situated on the largest island of the Cat Ba archipelago, with a limestone ridge towering at a height of 150 metres. The highest point on the island is Cao Vong, reaching an impressive 322 metres. There is a huge diversity of flora and fauna in the park - 745 different plants belonging to 123 families, including 300 kinds of medicinal plants. There are also 32 different species of mammals, 69 species of birds and 20 species of reptiles. The 2.5 hour hike is the perfect opportunity to see some of this exotic plant and animal life.

After the walk, you'll take a dive into the salty water of a lagoon to cool off and refresh your energy. Following your morning trek, you'll be taken back to a hotel on Cat Ba Island, where a well-earned lunch will be served. In the afternoon, you'll be free to explore the island on your own or head for Cat Co beach to snooze in the sun. Your guide will also organise a kayak ride to Monkey Island. At the end of the day you'll spend another night at the comfortable hotel on Cat Ba Island before continuing on your North Vietnam itinerary tomorrow.

You'll wake up early this morning to a spectacular sunrise or, if you like, you can sleep in for a bit. Check out is at 8:45am. A bus will take you back to the pier, and you'll sail lazily from Cat Ba Island back to the mainland, absorbing the spectacular views for the last time. After lunch on the boat you'll travel back to Hanoi by bus. The bus ride should take approximately 3 hours and will include a short rest stop. You'll arrive in Hanoi at the end of the afternoon.

You'll be collected from your hotel in Hanoi at around 08.00pm and taken to the train station for the next leg of your North Vietnam itinerary. You can stock up on snacks at the station for the overnight journey. The train is air-conditioned and the rhythm of the rails should lull you to sleep in your 4-bed soft-sleeper cabin. These are generally pretty comfortable, although tall people might find them slightly on the small side. An Asian train journey is always an experience to be remembered.

The next morning, you'll arrive in Lao Cai, and take a 2½ hour road trip through Northern Vietnam from Sapa. On the way, you'll see rice paddy terraces climbing up the mountainsides like giant staircases. When you arrive you'll check into your comfortable hotel. It is full of local charm and lies in the centre of Sapa, with wonderful views across the rich, green valley.

After lunch, you'll take a guided walk of about 5km to the village of Cat Cat, home to the striking Black H’mong people. The Black H'mong wear mainly black clothing and the dye that they use tends to run. As a result, their hands are also stained a little black. After visiting the village, you'll walk a little further to a cascading mountain waterfall before returning to Sapa for the night.  

Today, you'll walk a little less (4km or so) to the small village of the Red Dzao people, a really authentic part of your North Vietnam itinerary. On the way, you'll cross a couple of bamboo bridges over clear mountain streams. There will be plenty of magnificent views and you'll come across many women working in the fields. The headgear worn by these people is mostly red. Once you're back in Sapa, you can just relax or wander round the local market.

On Saturday evenings the Love Market takes place in Sapa. Young eligible men and women from the Dzao region meet here, dressed in finery, in the hope of snagging a partner. We can definitely recommend taking a look.

This morning, it's time to grab your backpack and say farewell to Sapa as you continue with your North Vietnam itinerary. You'll take a drive to Bac Ha, a small mountain village famous for its busy market. You'll visit this market, where many mountain tribes come to sell their wares. It is a feast for the senses, with traders dressed in a rainbow of colours displaying fresh vegetables, meats, and other products. It's also a perfect opportunity to pick up a few unique Vietnamese souvenirs made by the local people of Northern Vietnam.

After lightening your pockets at the market, you'll drive towards the Chinese border to catch a glimpse of the chaotic jumble of Chinese signs. From here, you can see the bridge and stretch of water that forms the actual boundary between the two countries. At the end of the afternoon, you'll be taken to Lao Cai where you'll have plenty of time to grab an evening meal before boarding the night train back to Hanoi.

At around 6am, you'll arrive back in Hanoi and Day 10 of your North Vietnam itinerary is completely free. It's very easy to fix the transfer from the train to the hotel yourself. However, you may find that your room is not quite ready for you. If this is the case, you can simply leave your luggage in reception and enjoy a leisurely breakfast overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake. You can usually get into your room from around mid-morning. However, if you wish your room to be ready as soon as you arrive, we can book a day room for you at an additional cost. Just let us know, and we'll make the arrangements.

As there's nothing else planned, you can relax and take things at your own pace. Hanoi has plenty of temples, pagodas and museums, if you're looking for a culture fix. The Temple of Literature is an oasis of peace and tranquility in the midst of the urban sprawl. You could also take a cycle rickshaw tour of the major temples, which usually costs no more than a couple of dollars.  
 

After breakfast your North Vietnam itinerary will take you to the village of Hoa Lu, the capital of Vietnam during the 10th century. King Dinh chose this spot as capital for its strategic location and today there are two temples dedicated to the King and his successor Le (the King Dinh and King Le Temples). On the top of a mountain nearby stands the grave of King Dinh. It’s worth the climb for the spectacular view over the surrounding countryside from the summit. At the end of the morning you'll take a short drive to Tam Coc, where your lunch will be waiting for you.

Once you reach Tam Coc, also known as Ninh Binh, you'll be rowing through rice! A row boat will take you through the area also known as inland Halong Bay. A very narrow boating lane will take you through submerged rice paddies and along the way you'll see fishermen in action and the locals peddling their boats with their feet. You'll visit three hidden caves during this boat ride and eventually you'll reach a pagoda at the top of a mountain. At around 5pm you'll be back in Hanoi.