explore northern vietnaM 13 days

Price from 415 USDDeparture dates Jan to DecDuration 13 days / 12 nights Route Hanoi - Babe lake - Tuyen Quang - Yen Minh - Ha giang - Bac Ha - Sapa - Dien Bien Phuc - Son la - Mai Chau - HanoiFeatures Only recommended to picture-hunting visitors and adventurers, who have long time in Northern Vietnam and love eco-tours, prefer to explore remote areas and the customs of hill tribal people. The tour is all about contemplating the most splendid part of Vietnam, where concentrates magnificent but dangerous limestone mountains ranges, incredible terraced paddy fields, and dozens of various ethnics including H’mong, Tay, Black Thai, White Thai, Muong, YaoConnection Easy to combine with other excursion in the Central and South of VietnamMaximum group size 15Guide Fully escorted by Threeland tour guideVisa arrangement Not included, take a look at visa arrangementSee also Vietnam festivals and eventsSee also Vietnam country dossierNOTE: The first day must be Wednesday to enjoy this program best itinerary in DETAIL DAY 1: (WED) ARRIVE IN HANOI (D)Arrival at Noi Bai Airport. Greeted by the tourguide of THREELAND and transferred to the hotel. At your leisure in the rest of the day. Dinner followed by a show of Water Puppetry, a unique stage art of Northern Vietnam peasants. Overnight in Hanoi DAY 2: (THUR) HANOI - BABE LAKE (B/L/D)Morning visit the Ethnology Museum, a wonderful stop that gives us more knowledge of the hill tribal people we are going to see in the upcoming days. Depart for Babe Lake, a mountain area which is nearly nearly 300km North of Hanoi. Overnight in a house-on-stilts in Pac Ngoi village of “Tay” people (lunch en route, dinner in Ba Be guesthouse) DAY 3: (FRI) BOAT TRIP ON BA BE LAKE – TUYEN QUANG (B/L/D)Morning take a boat to cruise on emerald water of Ba Be Lake, with stop to visit the Fairy Pond, Puong Cave or to swim near Widow Islet. The Nang River hereby has a two-colorred water flows and surrounded by wonderful greenery, paddy fields, and magnificent mountain peaks. After lunch in Ba Be, transfer back to Tuyen Quang to have a break halfway to Ha Giang. Dinner and overnight in Tuyen Quang. Please note! There is a shorter way between Ba Be and Ha Giang but it is not in stable conditions, especially after summer rain. Check with our tour operators for an update. DAY 4: (SAT) TUYEN QUANG - HA GIANG – YEN MINH (B/L/D)Off for Ha Giang, the northest province of Vietnam. The H’mong people consider this land their capital and the former King of H’mong people, Vuong Chi Sinh, used to live here. We will have good chance to meet many ethnic villages en route with rich culture. Stop en route to enjoy the most picturesque part of Ha Giang mountains including the Nui Doi (“twin mountains”) in Quan Ba, climb up some dozens of steps to “Heaven’s gate” at Quan Ba Pass. Overnight in Yen Minh, a small town in Ha Giang. DAY 5: (SUN) YEN MINH – DONG VAN - MEO VAC - DONG VAN (B/L/D)Wake up early if you wish to contemplate a specific character of minority ethnic of Vietnam – their weekly markets. All Yen Minh, Meo Vac and Dong Van offer wonderful Sunday markets with hundreds of people from H’mong, Yao, Thai, Tay tribes coming for purchasing goods, or even just exchanging. After intermingle with the H’mong and Yao people at Yen Minh Sunday market, head to Dong Van, whose central market is in a nearly one-century old building with Vietnamese architecture since early 20th century. Walk around to see Dong Van small ancient street nearby before going on to Meo Vac. The market of Meo Vac can be visited alternatively if we do not spend all morning at Yen Minh and Dong Van. After lunch in Meo Vac, visit the surrounding with the house of Vuong Chi Sinh, who had been considered “the H’mong king” by the H’mong people and his house, where his family is still living in, is typical to the houses of White H’mong people. The short winding road between Dong Van and Meo Vac is one of the best parts in the extreme northern point of Vietnam. Back to Dong Van in the afternoon for dinner and overnight. DAY 6: (MON) DONG VAN - HA GIANG - TUYEN QUANG – YEN BINH (B/L)Transfer back to Tuyen Quang with stop at any village you like to explore the routine of the montagnards. Lunch en route. Dinner at your own arrangement. Pass by Tuyen Quang and overnight in Yen Binh. DAY 7: (TUES) YEN BINH – COC LY – SAPA (B/L/D)Enjoy one of the best montagnards’ market in Northern Vietnam at Coc Ly. The market is on Tuesday weekly and full of Flower H’mong people coming for exchanging, purchasing goods and meeting as in a cultural centre. Stroll around the market before having lunch near the market and take a boat a long Chay River, between high cliffs of limestone mountain range. Stop at a village to visit before our car pick-up you en route and continue to Sapa, the hub of most hectic activities in the Northwest. At your leisure to stroll around the town of Sapa after many days of driving. Dinner at your own arrangement. Overnight in Sapa. DAY 8: (WED) SAPA (B)At your leisure in the morning to have a rest after long days till our tourguide come to escort you for a light climb up the Sapa Flower garden and reach the Dragon Peak, from where you can have a panoramic view of the town, with pinewoods and gardens looming in the mist. Afternoon head to Taphin valley to reach the villages of the H’mong and Red Dzao people, who are skillful in dying and making clothes and embroidery by traditional, old silk thread. Go on to Lao Chai (10km from Sapa) and walk thru 3km to Tavan with stops at the villages of the tribal people H’mong, Tay and Dzay en route. Back to Sapa for overnight. (lunch and dinner at your own arrangement for more leisure time). DAY 9: (THUR) SAPA – DIEN BIEN PHU (B/L/D)Farewell to Sapa and head to Dien Bien Phu, the old battlefield of the fight that ended the Indochinese War I. Stop en route near Tam Duong and Lai Chau for visit. Overnight in Dien Bien Phu. DAY 10: (FRI) DIEN BIEN PHU (B/L)Morning visit the traces of the Indochinese War I, which called by the Vietnamese as the French War. We can stop at A1 Hill, where the most fierce and longest battles among the battles of Dien Bien Phu Campaign took place, visit Dien Bien Museum, the Shelter of General De Castri where he and all his General Staff had surrendered after 56 days of attack of the Vietnamese army. We can even stop at the War Memorial dedicated to the French and the Vietnamese soldiers in Dien Bien. Afternoon visit villages surrounding Dien Bien. Lunch in Dien Bien. Dinner at your own arrangement. Overnight in Dien Bien. DAY 11: (SAT) DIEN BIEN PHU – SON LA – MAI CHAU (B/L/D)Drive overland to Mai Chau via Son La, one of centres of the Northwest Vietnam. Stop in Son La to take a look at the old Prison of the French hereby, now is a museum of the Vietnamese communists captured by the French during the French Indochina colonialism. Stop en route to visit tea farm at Moc Chau, one of the most famous tea hubs of Vietnam that contribute to make Vietnam one of the top 10 worldwide tea exporters. Arrive Mai Chau, a beautiful valley inhabited by the Thai people. Overnight in a house-on-stilts in Lac or Pom Coong village. (Lunch en route, dinner in Mai Chau). Day 12: (SUN) MAI CHAU – XA LINH – HOA BINH - HANOI (B/L)From the village, walk around to enjoy the green of the paddy fields surrounding and continue to Xa Linh market of the “blue” H’mong people, with extremely graceful girls in strange hair style and hair switch! Walk around the apricos garden near the market and back to Hanoi around noon time. On the way of return, we can stop on the top of the mountain to have a panoramic view of Mai Chau from above. Visit the Hydropower plant in Hoabinh, which has been built with the help of former Soviet Union expert and presently supplies power to all Northern Vietnam. Overnight in Hanoi. (Lunch in Hoabinh, dinner at your own arrangement). Day 13: HANOI DEPARTURE (B)At your leisure today to enjoy your time in Hanoi, until our tourguide come to take you to Noi Bai airport for your depature flight. QUOTATION ( per person )Quantity of guests 2 3 - 5 6 - 8Price in US$ 738 517 415Single supplement: 92US$