Off-beaten track of Northern Vietnam Tour – 9 days 8 nights

Off-beaten track of Northern Vietnam Tour  – 9 days 8 nights
Activity Level:  Classic & Moderate
Group size:  Private Tour
Tour date: Daily

Brief Description:

The remote mountainous area of Ha Giang offers breathtaking views and interesting subcultures. It is the least traveled area of the North and attract hardier travelers craving a glimpse of some of the most remote ethnic minority people. We offer hiking, home stay and classic tours in this area. Come to discover the most remote areas of Vietnam with amazing preserved landscape and rich culture here

Detailed itinerary:

Day 1: Hanoi – Night train to Lao Cai

09:00 P.M: We will be met at the lobby of the hotel in Hanoi and transfer to Hanoi Railways station for night train to Sapa. Overnight on train
Accommodation: 4 berth soft sleeper train cabin.

Day 2: Lao Cai – Sapa – Off beaten track to Muong Hoa Valley (14km trekking , 4,5  – 5 hour trekking) B,L,D

Your train arrrives in Lao Cai around 06:30 A.M, then we take an hour on the car for a transfer to Sapa where we will fresh up and have breakfast.Departure from the hotel at  09.00 am for a short road transfer out of Sapa town to walking path. Then we start to walk along a large path for 2 hours uphill the Den Thang range. Reaching to the top, great view of the Fansipan Peak and the stunning Muong Hoa Valley opens wide in the sight as the trek approaching to Hang Da Village of the H’mong which sits at 1,800m hill-top and over looking down the Muong Hoa Valley. Explore the village and then lunch break. For almost an hour after lunch, the walking path sneaks on high elevation and offers amazing panorama of Muong Hoa Valley. Then getting downhill through several H’mong hamlets of the Hau Thao Commune which scatter on steep and rocky mountain side. There are chances to see different process making fiber from hemp: Spinning, weaving,…in these hamlets.The walk end at Red DzaoVillage of the  Giang Ta Chai Village in the late  afternoon. Checking the home stay, you can swim at the Muong Hoa Stream or Ta Chai Waterfall as well as walking on Rattan Bridge to have adventure feeling. Having dinner and sleeping with the local tribe.

Day 3: Giang Ta Chai – Muong Hoa Valley– Sapa   (10 km trekking) B,L,D

After having breakfast, we will walk uphill via Bamboo forest to visit Ta Va Village, home to Red Dzao Tribe, continue to walk along the Muong Hoa Valley with billions of rice paddy fields to visit Lao Chai Village, having lunch there before climbing to the main road for a transfer back to Sapa. The rest of afteroon, you are free to your leisure.

Day 4: Sapa –  Ha Giang  (B,L,D)

08:30 A.M Picking up at your hotel lobby by our local guide and driver then we will have 4 hours driving to Ha Giang City. On the route from Sapa to Ha Giang, stopover for visiting Chang village, inhabited by Tay minority people. Enjoy beautiful scenery of the mountainous area, featured with palm tree hills
12:30 P.M stop at the local restaurant for your own lunch
03:00 P.M, arriving in Ha Giang City, check in the hotel / resort then you are free at your leisure

Day 5: Ha Giang – Dong Van  (B,L,D)

•    07:30 A.M, having breakfast
•    08:30 A.M, we will lead to Dong Van, a series of long passes and deep valleys. Lunch in the small mountain town of Tam Son in your own. We then cross a landscape of pine forest and arrive at the astonishing King of the H’mong’s Palace, a fortress built by a local chief allied with the French against the Vietminh, Vuong Chin Duc, and evacuated in 1950 (his descendants now live in France and Canada)
•    04:00 P.M, arriving in Dong Van Town, check in the hotel then you are free at your leisure.

Day 6: Dong Van – Meo Vac – Cao Bang (B,L,D)

07:30 A.M, having breakfast
08:30 A.M, we have a short visit to Dong Van Market where the locals shop before returning to their eagle nest
09:30 A.M, we check out the hotel then have a car trip  up to the top of the Ma Pi Leng Pass, through a gigantic maze of lime peaks, “stone forests”, and canyons unique in the world. We then go down into the valley of Meo Vac, We then continue snaking through the mountains, cross the river, and arrive in the village of Bao Lac, where you can have lunch at the local restaurant in your own.
13:30 P.M, we continue our trip to Cao Bang
17:30 Arriving in Cao Bang City, check in the hotel

Day 7: Cao Bang – Ban Gioc Waterfall – Ba Be National Park (B,L,D)

08:00 A.M, having breakfast at the hotel
09:00 A.M,  we will depart for Ban Gioc waterfall, which is closed to Vietnam’s northern border with China. On the way to Ban Gioc Waterfall, you will see many terraced rice paddies dotted with some houses creating a peaceful and poetic landscape
11:00 A.M, arrive at Ban Gioc Waterfall, you will marvel at its spectacular beauty, which is worth to be the Vietnam’s most beautiful waterfall. After spending some time relaxing and taking nice photos, you will visit Nguom Ngao Cave, listen to its interesting legends
03:00 P.M, we come back Cao Bang City for another night

Day 8: Cao Bang – Ba Be National Park (B,L,D)

08:30 A.M, having breakfast
09:30 A.M, check out the hotel then we have 2, 5 hour driving to Ba Be National Park through Ma Phuc pass and continue to Ba Be National Park for a boat ride along the Nang River, with time to explore Ba Be Lake, the caves of Puong Grotto, the rapids of the Dau Dang waterfall and tiny Widow Island. You will also visit the stilt houses of the Tay community in Bo Lu Village, where you will spend the night in a homestay.

Day 9: Ba Be National Park – Hanoi (B,L,D)

08:00 A.M, having breakfast at the homestay
09:00 A.M, visit some lovely villages and hike the upper reaches of the lake, in an area marked by massive limestone cliffs and mountains. Time for visiting Hua Ma cave, the biggest dry cave in Northeast Vietnam.
12:00 P.M, Luch time in your own
04:00 P.M, arriving in Hanoi, ends our tour by dropping you off at your hotel.