DAY 1 : ARRIVE IN HA NOI
Take off the Flight … to …
Arrival in Hanoi at …
Customs formalities and luggage recovery (Estimated time approximately 30 minutes).
You will then be greeted by your guide and driver, outside the airport, transfer to Hanoi city for a day tour of the city
Lunch at the restaurant
HANOI CITY : is the capital of Northern Vietnam and keeps this role until now. The city is located on the right bank of the Red River and far about 1760 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi features a warm humid subtropical climate with plentiful precipitation. In addition, Hanoi is considered one of the main cultural centers of Vietnam, where most Vietnamese dynasties have left their imprint.
Hanoi Cyclo : an hour cycling around and take photos in the Old Quarter.
The Old Quarter (36 old streets) : has a history that spans 2,000 years and represents the eternal soul of the city. Ha Noi Old Quarter with its old-styled narrow streets full of antique brick houses seems to nostalgically resist the flow of time while still actively trying to adapt to the dynamic atmosphere of the modern city. Once a bustling area where merchants and artisans gathered to sell their products, Ha Noi Old Quarter consists of many small, meandering streets, each bears the name of the goods that was specifically traded there such as Hang Bac (Silver Product), Hang Ma (Paper Product), Hang Go (Wood Product), just to name a few.
Water Puppet show : is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. The puppets are made out of wood and then lacquered. The shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large bamboo rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers, who are normally hidden behind a screen, to control them. Thus the puppets appear to be moving over the water.
Overnight at the hotel in Ha Noi.
DAY 2 : HANOI – WEST OF HANOI
Breakfast at the hotel
After breakfast, visit:
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology : this fabulous collection relating to Vietnam’s ethnic minorities features well-presented tribal art, artefacts and everyday objects gathered from across the nation, and examples of traditional village houses
Saint Joseph Cathedral Ly Quoc Su : is a Roman Catholic cathedral with neo – gothic fashion, which was constructed about 120 years ago. The structure with domes of the cathedral follows the Gothic style and design of Paris Cathedral. It’s 64.5m in size, 20.5m in width with two bell towers of 31.5m-height. Although the looks of the cathedral, from the doorways, the colourful window glass, to the non secular work for adornment follows Western model, the primary inside half is adorned in Vietnamese approach with two typical colours yellow and crimson. Outside, in front of the cathedral is the statue of Mother Maria.
Lunch at the restaurant.
The master’s pagoda (Chua thay): 30 km west of Hanoi, very pretty village in the middle of a vast rice plain. The beautiful pagodon and the little covered bridge give a remarkable character to this preserved landscape that looks like an old engraving. This charming village was chosen for a scene from Indochina with Catherine Deneuve.
Thay Pagoda : is dedicated to Thich Ca Buddha (Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha). The temple is also known as “Thiên Phúc Tự”. The temple was established in the 11th century during the reign of Emperor Nhân Tông of the Lý dynasty. It is dedicated to Vietnamese Thiền master Từ Đạo Hạnh . It is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Vietnam, It is well maintained by the monks.
Back to Hanoi
Overnight at hotel in Ha Noi
DAY 3 : HANOI – BA VI – HANOI
Breakfast at the hotel
Depart to the farm of Ba Vi (65km from the center), the discovery of traditional Vietnamese agriculture.
10.00 am Arrival at the village of Tea Ba Trai. Visit the vast hills of green tea, participate in the picking
Lunch at the restaurant.
Arrival at the farm and visit.
Enjoy a lunch of fresh produce from the plantations.
Relax in the open air with hammocks, mats.
Participation in cultural exchange Gong, dance with ethnic Muong
Hiking through the rice fields. participate in rice activities: rope hitting bucket of water, milled rice, pounding rice. Cooking class to learn how to prepare the dish “Banh Cuon” with rice then enjoy.
Visit fresh vegetables grown organically (Office vegetables). Here, the group will participate in the different stages of growing vegetables, harvesting, cooking and tasting.
Back to Hanoi.
Overnight at hotel in Ha Noi
DAY 4 : HA LONG – HA GIANG – QUAN BA
Breakfast at the hotel
You will then be greeted by your driver and your guide at 08h00, depart to Quan Ba (350km ~ 9h drive), via Ha Giang (307km ~ 6h drive) .. The road is long but in good condition Stops planned en route to pause or take pictures.
Lunch at the restaurant.
Arrive in Quan Ba in the evening.
Dinner at the restaurant
Overnight at hotel in Quan Ba
DAY 5 : QUAN BA – DONG VAN – MEO VAC
Breakfast at the hotel
After breakfast at home, drive to the limestone plateau of Dong Van (95km / 3 hours drive), located at 1025m altitude and inhabited by the Tay ethnic group and the Hmong ethnic group.
Lunch at the restaurant.
You will see several ethnic groups along the way: Hmong, Dao, Lolo and La Chi. So many opportunities to stop to take photos and to communicate with these people from another world.
Visit the village of Pho Bang, houses with earthen walls and thatched roofs and the former palace of the Hmong Kings, built in the form of royal palace Manchu. There, you will have a glimpse of the turbulent history of the Hmong ethnic group in Vietnam.
Continuation of the road through breathtaking landscapes, consisting of rice terraces, shark tooth peaks.
Continue to Meo Vac (25km / 1 hour drive), passing the Ma Pi Leng pass.
Stop to enjoy a breathtaking view of the valley dotted with fields of hemp terraces, karst hills, houses on stilts and where passes the Nho River Qué.
Dinner at the restaurant
Overnight at hotel in Meo Vac
DAY 6 : MEO VAC – HOANG SU PHI
Breakfast at the hotel
Depart to Hoang Su Phi (250km / 5h30 drive), one of the most unspoiled areas of Ha Giang province.
The population is composed of different ethnic minorities. You will be impressed by the beauty of its rice terraces that have existed for more than three centuries. The history of the rice terraces is linked to that of ethnic groups who live there from generation to generation as: the Dao, Nung, Hmong …
You will meet the Red Dao, the Hmong flowers, the Dao has black teeth on the road.
Lunch along the way.
You will arrive in Hoang Su Phi late.
Dinner at the restaurant
Overnight at hotel in Hoang Su Phi
DAY 7 : HOANG SU PHI – BAC QUAN – HANOI
Breakfast at the hotel
Today you will have the opportunity to meet Pa Then, the Red Dao, the Hmong … Visit some ethnic villages along the way and stop for taking photos.
The private car takes you to Lao Cai train station (160km / 3h30 drive).
Lunch at the restaurant
Dinner at the restaurant
To take the night train to Hanoi.
You will sleep on board, in a private compartment of 4 people, soft beds, air-conditioned
Overnight at hotel in Ha Noi
DAY 8 : HANOI – NINH BINH
Breakfast at the hotel
Arrive early at Hanoi Station.
After that you will be your driver and guide, breakfast, then transfer to Ninh Binh with lunch along the way.
NINH BINH : is a province in Red river delta. It is far about 90 kilometers from Hanoi with convenient transportation system. The city itself is a fairly uneventful place, but it is surrounded by a stunning landscape of lush green paddy fields and striking limestone outcrops and is the hopping off point for sights and attractions including Tam Coc and Trang An, Bich Dong, Hoa Lu, Phat Diem Cathedral, Van Long and Cuc Phuong National Park.
King Dinh Tien Hoang’s Temple: The temple is located in Truong Yen village, Hoa Lu town, in a garden of 5 hectares wide. It faces the East, and stands in front of Ma Yen Mount, where King Dinh Tien Hoang’s tomb was located.The temple was built in the 17th century, with a special architecture.
King Le Dai Hanh Temple: is almost the same as Dinh Temple in term of architectural design, except for some details. Le Dai Hang temple also consists of three parts: Bai Duong used for the community, Thien Huong, in memory of the royal mandarins of King Le, and finally, the altar in memory of the King.
Lunch at the restaurant.
Visit Trang An : Boat trip on flat-bottomed boats to walk through rice paddies. This beautiful site is also called “Ha Long Bay” because it has many limestone hills covered by lush vegetation and the succession of the circus.
Phat Diem Stone Cathedral : is one of the most famous and beautiful churches in Vietnam with special architecture: an elegant combination between Western church architecture style and Vietnamese religious buildings. This is an Eastern architectural ensemble including Lake, Phuong Dinh, cathedral with 4 churches on the sides, 3 man-made grottos, stone churches.
Overnight at hotel in Ninh Binh
DAY 9: NINH BINH – HALONG BAY
Have breakfast at Hotel
Depart to the famous Halong Bay, for a memorable journey across the bay.
Ha Long Bay: Its bay, newly designed among the 7 new wonders of the world, offers one of the most beautiful seascapes in the world.
Halong Bay Cruise: On the boat, you will have a memorable trip. Enjoy a delicious seafood meal on board and spend all day contemplating one of Vietnam’s natural wonders. Visit the islets, caves, If the heart tells you, you can soak in the jade waters of the Gulf of Tonkin.
Night on a boat in Halong Bay
DAY 10: LA BAIE D’HALONG – HANOI
Breakfast at the hotel,
Before breakfast, you will have the opportunity to see the sunrise over the bay.
After we continue the cruise to Bai Tho Mountain in the other beautiful bay of Bai Tu Long.
Lunch and return to the pier
Back to Hanoi
Overnight at hotel in Ha Noi
DAY 11 : HANOI – FLIGHT RETURN
Have breakfast at Hotel,
Then visit:
Temple of Literature : founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, the Temple of Literature is dedicated to Confucius (Khong Tu). Inside you’ll find a pond known as the ‘Well of Heavenly Clarity’, a low-slung pagoda and statues of Confucius and his disciples. A rare example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture, the complex honours Vietnam’s finest scholars and men of literary accomplishment. It is the site of Vietnam’s first university, established here in 1076, when entrance was only granted to those of noble birth.
Ngoc Son Temple was built in the 18th century on Jade Island in the centre of the ‘Lake of the Returned Sword’ or Hoan Kiem Lake. Legend describes how an emperor was once given a magical sword which helped him defeat the Chinese Ming Dynasty and in doing so saw the return of the Golden Turtle God to the lake.
Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) : refers to a legend of the great Vietnamese hero, Le Loi, who led a successful uprising against the Chinese in the fifteenth century. Tradition has it that Le Loi netted a gleaming sword while out fishing in a sampan and when he returned as King Ly Thai To, after ten years of battle, he wanted to thank the spirit of the lake. As he prepared the sacrifice there was a timely peal of thunder and the miraculous sword flew out of its scabbard, into the mouth of a golden turtle (Vietnamese use the same word for turtle and tortoise) sent by the gods to reclaim the weapon.
Lunch at the restaurant. Then free shopping at Dong Xuan Market.
Dong Xuan market : is the oldest and largest market in Hanoi. Established in 1889, Dong Xuan Market is housed within a four-storey Soviet-style building on the northern edge of Hanoi Old Quarter. It’s also known as Hanoi’s largest indoor market, offering a wide range of goods such as fresh produce, souvenirs, accessories and clothing, as well as electronic and household appliances.
Tonight transferred to the airport for return flight
Take flight on the flight … to…