Essential Northern Vietnam Tour

Today you will fly to Hanoi. On arrival, your private guide will welcome you at the arrival hall and transfer you to your hotel with a private car and driver. Your guide will help you with luggage and hotel check-in and ensure your arrival is worry-free.

UME Travel's Complimentary Local SIM Card:

UME will help you prepare a SIM card with unlimited 5G Internet and complimentary international calling credit to make your stay in Vietnam hassle-free.

Today you'll jump into Hanoi's sights and sounds on a tour that covers all the essentials. You'll visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which includes the Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh's former stilt-house residence, The Hoa Lo Prison, The One Pillar Pagoda, and The Temple of Literature, which, dating back to 1070, is Vietnam’s oldest university.

After lunch, you will explore the enthralling Museum of Ethnology, which contains an extensive display of life-size structures dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minorities. Next, enjoy an hour-long cyclo ride winding through the narrow, chaotic streets of the Old Quarter - a must for any visitor to Hanoi! The day finishes with a traditional performance of the famous Vietnamese Water Puppets Show.

You will take a private transfer to the Hanoi Train Station for your overnight train to Lao Cai, your guide will assist you with your luggage (no guide is proved on the train).

Arrive in Lao Cai this early morning. Your guide will meet you and take you to have breakfast. Then drive to Cao Son commune, through the Muong Khuong district. Along the way, you will pass terraced rice paddies, pine plantations and the tea farms. Visit busy Cao Son Market, where Red Dao, Tay, Black H'Mong and other ethnic people gather from the surrounding area to sell their handicrafts and silverware and to buy provisions. Later, have a short walk to Flower Hmong Village before have lunch. Drive along the Chay River through the panoramic views of mountains, valleys and villages. On the way, you will enjoy a few photo stops of enjoy the spectacular scenery before arriving at Coc Ly Bridge. Then you will board a local boat and cruise along the river to Trung Do village before continuing onto Sapa.   

After breakfast, take a morning walking tour (about 8km and 3 hours trekking) of Sapa for a visit to the busy market where Red Dao, Black & Flower H'Mong, Tay and other ethnic minority people converge from the surrounding countryside to sell their silverware and handicrafts, and to buy provisions. Afterwards, we will do one of the most beautiful Sapa Tours with the drive to visit Lao Chai and Ta Van Village of the Black H'mong and the Day people where you can enjoy fresh air, amazing scenery of the imposing mountain range, trek down world's most beautiful terraced rice fields, visit some local family on the way and learn unique culture and life of these ethnic groups. Back to Sapa by private car, free at leisure for the rest of the day.

Today, your trek starts with the Ma Tra Village, and then you will walk through the breathtaking view of the rice terraces and reach the Ta Phin Village (approx. 3 hours),  where the Red Dao minority lives. Enjoy a lunch in the village that full of local flavor, and then head back to Hanoi by road (about 5 hours).

After breakfast, you will take a private transfer for about 3 hrs to Halong City, where you will begin your one and a half days' Halong Bay cruise. You will board the tradtional Vietnamese junk in the afternoon and cruise around the Halong Bay's limestone islets and caves doted the sea and see the sun set over the clam waters at the deck. Enjoy a wonderful dinner at evening. All meals are included during your stay on board. There are also a variety of optional activities waiting for you. Such as swimming, kayaking, diving...etc.  

Wake up early this morning to catch the sunrise over the bay with a Tai Chi lesson on the sundeck. Continue cruising and you can choose either kayak or traditional rowing boat to around discovering local life on the waters. Disembark at Tuan Chau International Passenger Port at around 10:30 am, where your guide and driver will wait for you and drive you to Ninh Binh (about 3.5 hours).

You will visit the Bai Dinh Pagoda, which lies within a complex of spiritual Buddhist temples on Bai Dinh Mountain in Ninh Binh, North Vietnam. It stands an impressive 13-stories tall and boasts panoramic views at the top. You will then get a chance to see the Ninh Binh region’s famous natural landscapes and historic landmarks as you explore Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam, during the 10th-11th century. Visit the temple to honor the first emperor of Vietnam, the famous Dinh King Temple, and learn more about the fascinating past of the country. Find out the secrets and mysteries of the Dinh Dynasty. Re-energize with the appetizing flavors of Ninh Binh cuisine during a delicious lunch at a local restaurant after a busy morning of exploring. Next, admire the beauty of Trang An on a relaxing scenic sampan boat cruise on the river. And the end of the tour by visiting Hang Mua Cave and conquering Ngoa Long mountain.

As you travel, feel free to ask the tour’s expert English-speaking guide your questions about Vietnam’s rich customs, heritage, and traditions. Enjoy this must-do experience during your stay in Ninh Binh!

Take a private transfer back to Hanoi.