Northern Nature Trail

Today, you'll arrive in Hanoi for the beginning of your Vietnam adventure holiday 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 Vietnam adventure holiday. 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 day two of your Vietnam adventure holiday 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 art form.
 

This morning you'll be collected from your hotel at around 8:00am and be transferred by minibus to the coastal town of Halong for your Halong Bay cruise. The junk awaits you. Once you're on board, you'll kick off your trip with a lunch caught fresh from the sea. Afterwards the boat will begin its cruise through Halong Bay past small limestone islands, some of which are thickly forested and others which have secluded sandy beaches. During your Halong Bay cruise you'll visit one of the many hidden caves and you'll be able to take a dive into the azure waters from one of the tropical beaches. Fishing enthusiasts can attempt to catch their evening meal with a traditional rod and tackle. During dinner, you can watch the sunset whilst enjoying a glass of Vietnamese wine. Life doesn't get much better than this. The junk will anchor in nearby Bai Tu Long Bay, a much quieter bay, away from the other tourists. You'll spend the night here on board the junk.

It's day four of your Vietnam adventure holiday and you'll be woken by the wafting scent of a delicious breakfast. You'll then begin your morning cruise, which features trips to various islands and rock formations around Bai Tu Long Bay and Halong Bay. Lunch will be served aboard the junk during your return voyage to the mainland. At Halong, a minibus transfer will be waiting to take you back to Hanoi.

Ha Long literally means ‘descending dragons’ and legend holds that this is precisely what happened at Halong Bay. A long, long time ago when the ancestors were fighting invaders from the north, the gods decided to send help. They sent a family of dragons from heaven to help the local people defend their land. The dragons descended into Halong Bay and began to spew jewels and jade. As soon as these gems touched the water they turned into islands, forming a barrier to keep the invaders away. This allowed the ancestors to keep their land and form Vietnam. After the victory, the dragons liked Earth so much that they decided to stay.

Today you'll have plenty of free time in Hanoi. If you're feeling energetic, you could wake up early to visit Hoan Kiem Lake. Just after sunrise, hundreds of locals gather at the lake for their morning workout. There are men and women doing Tai Chi, playing badminton tournaments, walking, jogging, and stretching. It's a really inspiring way to start your free day in Vietnam.

Hanoi has plenty of temples, pagodas and museums, so you certainly won't get bored. The Temple of Literature is a real oasis of peace in the midst of the bustling city. You could also take a cycle rickshaw tour of the major temples. From your rickshaw seat you can watch the city of Hanoi pass by at close quarters and take in the unique atmosphere around you.

Today you'll be collected from your hotel in Hanoi in the late afternoon to begin your Sapa trip. First you'll be taken to the train station where you can stock up on snacks for the overnight journey into the north. The train is air-conditioned and you'll sleep in a 4-bedded couchette. These are generally pretty comfortable.

The next morning, you'll arrive in Lao Cai, where you'll be met by your local guide to begin the 2½-hour road trip to Sapa. On the way, you'll see paddy terraces climbing up the mountainsides like giant staircases. When you arrive in Sapa you'll check into your comfortable hotel and have breakfast there. It is full of local charm and lies in the centre of Sapa, with wonderful views across the rich, green valley.

Today, your Sapa trip will start with an easy half-day trek from your hotel to Y Linh Ho village, located about 7 km southwest of Sapa town, on the west side of Muong Hoa River. 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. Though they may only speak a few words of English, they are incredibly warm and welcoming people, and may even invite you for tea in their homes. Initially, the villagers might seem rather shy, but if you give them a smile, you'll quickly be rewarded with beaming faces. You'll spend the night at your comfortable hotel in Sapa.
 

It's day three of your Sapa trip in Vietnam and after breakfast you'll be driven to Khoang village where you'll begin trekking to Taphin, home to the striking Black H’mong people. The Black H'mong wear mainly black clothing, as their name suggests. The dye that they use tends to run and, as a result, their hands are also stained a little black. Along the way you'll trek through numerous Hmong and Red Dao villages, through some of the most stunning scenery Vietnam has to offer.

On Saturday evening from about 7pm, 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 at this spectacle during your Sapa trip.

Note: This trek is approximately 10km and takes around 5 hours on average. As lunch is not included, we would recommend that you prepare a picnic lunch before your trek begins. Alternatively, you can ask your guide to prepare a lunch for you for a small fee.

This morning, it's time to grab your backpack and say farewell as your Sapa trip comes to an end. You'll travel by car 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, flowers and other products. It's also a perfect opportunity to pick up a few unique Vietnamese souvenirs made by local people.

After exploring the market, you'll take a walk to nearby Ban Pho, a H’Mong village where you'll encounter some of the kindest local villagers in Vietnam! You'll pass by a local school, sweeping rice terraces and also visit a local house to spend some time relaxing and sharing stories with the owner. At the end of the afternoon, you'll travel to Lao Cai where you'll have plenty of time to grab an evening meal before boarding the night train back to Hanoi where this Vietnam trip ends.
 

At around 5.30am, you'll arrive back in Hanoi and day ten of your Vietnam adventure holiday is completely free. It's very easy to fix the transfer from the train to the hotel yourself. 

It will be a little too early to check in at your hotel, so we would recommend arranging an early check-in in advance. If this is something that you would like to organise, then just let one of our Vietnam travel specialists know and we'll add it to your Travel Plan. As there's nothing else planned, you can relax and take things at your own pace. 

Today you'll have until shortly after lunch to do your own thing. Sleep in, go for a stroll through the old town centre or visit Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum for instance. 'Uncle Ho's' embalmed body is kept in the mausoleum. He was one of Vietnam's most important revolutionary political leaders. Dress accordingly when entering the building; wearing shorts or tanktops is considered disrespectful. Despite the somewhat macabre atmosphere, we were very touched by the solemn surroundings.

After lunch you'll be collected from your hotel for a 2 hour drive to Tam Coc; a small town hidden away between green rice paddies and steep karst mountains. You'll spend the night in a modest, yet cosy hotel.