VISIT VIETNAM 13DAY 12NIGHT

Day 1: Arrival in Hanoï.

Arrival at Hanoi airport, the guide and the driver will welcome you and proceed to the transfer to the city center.You will feel the rhythm of the daily Hanoian life entering the old quarters. Although the city is becoming more and more dynamic, active and modern, we can still feel past vibrations in the neighborhood of the 36 streets : the Kim Ngan Dinh (communal house jewelry), the old house at 87 Ma May, Hoan Kiem Lake, temple of Jade, the Brush tower. Lunch or welcome dinner (according to arrival time)  Included meals: lunch and or dinner. Note: Check in time at the hotel: 2.00pm

Option: If you don’t want to visit the city right after because of the long flight, we will suggest you a massage. You will have one hour to relax, extra cost of 15$ per person will be ask.

Day 2: Hanoi. Visit of the city

After breakfast, stroll through the residential area where there is the former Palace of the Governor General of Indochina, the house and the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, the One Pillar Pagoda, visit of the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. Then you will continue visiting the many monuments and cultural relics thousands of years which are deeply connected to Vietnam history and its legends such as the Literature Temple, Tran Quoc Pagoda… These are representatives of the Vietnamese belief. We believe in the real or unreal geniuses as the heroes of the country, famous characters, or even the earth, the mountains, the river or tree geniuses… This genius system varies according to one ethnic group to another and each region.  Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will visit the Ethnographic museum in which is retraced the ethnic minorities life in Vietnam. The objects, houses, clothes, documents are gathered among the museum. You will have the opportunity to enter in the long house of Ede, Jarai the Rong house or the earthen house of Ha Nhi … a visit of all the ethnic groups. By late afternoon, you will attend a water puppet show. This is a traditional Vietnamese art which mies both folk music and actions of wooden puppets. Dinner in a local restaurant and overnight at the hotel. Included meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Note: For nightly Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday you will have the opportunity to watch the Ca Tru show and have the opportunity to try the Vietnamese musical instruments.

Day 3: Hanoi – Ba Be (220km/ 5 – 6h journey)

At 8.00am, the guide and the driver will be waiting for you at your hotel and take you to Ba Be. The journey will take about 5-6 hours, you’ll get to pass through magnificent landscapes. Imagine your transport gliding over the mountains, the clouds… this will be amazing ! You will be able to make small stops in the shade on the road with the aim of admiring the beautiful landscapes of the northern forest. From above, you will have a beautiful view of the valleys : there are homes that are hiding in the hills, minority women who are working… you’ll certainly have magnificent pictures to take. Lunch on the road, and continue to Ba Be Lake.

Arrival in Ba Be, instead of taking the van to enter into the village, you will make a motor boat cruise on Nang River. We guarantee you that you will be alone to invade this natural space made of limestone rocks looking like natural bonsais floating on the water. You will arrive at the homestay where you will spend the night in a house on stilts typically local. For you, this is an opportunity to experience the daily life of Tay residents.

In the evening, you will prepare dinner with the people who are opened to tourists. This will be a good time to understand better their daily lives. Tasting traditional dishes, the manager will invite you to taste his corn alcohol and he’ll explain you the story of Tay people. Dinner and overnight at the homestay (basic comfort).

Included meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 4: Ba Be – Cao Bang (115km/ 3h journey)

Ba Be Lake – Lake of Three Seas, is located in the middle of a national park. It is considered as a nature pearl lost in the Bac Kan forests. It is a site that attracts many visitors thanks to its outstanding biodiversity. The Ba Be Lake is one of the 20 largest freshwater lakes worldwide.

Breakfast on the terrace with a view on the nature will give you the needed strength for the today to discover the beauty of the lake. The cruise will last approximately 5 hours during which you will be able to admire breathtaking landscapes. From above, the boat is as beautiful as a sliding leaf on jade water. The An Ma temple, the fairy pond, Puong cave, the Dau Dang waterfall are the sites of the visits mentioned in the walk. In addition, you will be able to be as closer as possible to the people entering the village of Cam, another place where live the Tay people. Get your camera ready ! Lunch and departure for Cao Bang.

Arrival at Cao Bang, installation at the hotel and then you will have free time in the small street of Cao Bang. Dinner in town and overnight at the hotel. Included meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 5: Cao Bang – Ban Gioc – Nguom Ngao – Cao Bang

After breakfast you will start a nice excursion to Ban Gioc waterfalls that form the border between Vietnam and China. Then you will continue to visit Nguom Ngao. To visit the cave, you will make a 1 km walk in contact with local villagers of Ban That and Ban Viet. Lunch. Return to Cao Bang. Dinner in town and overnight at the hotel. Included meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 6 : Cao Bang – Lang Son (140km/ 3.5h journey)

The course is characterized by its very rugged appearance. It is a series of passes, gorges, all inserted into a thick lush tropical vegetation. This road is known as the RC4 – Colonial Road number 4 which was the major fighting between the French and the Viet Minh in the fall of 1950, during the Battle of borders. Lunch at Dong Khe, and then you will continue the road to Lang Son, again and again by a winding road that goes up the steep valley of the river Ky Cung River tributary of Canton (China). You will have a nice view of the river, crops and surrounding rocky peaks. Arrival in Lang Son. Visit the Nhi Thanh pagoda and Tam Thanh, central market of Dong Kinh. Installation at the hotel. Free time. During the evening, you could go to the night market in the city. This is an opportunity to feel the active pace of local life. The market is always dynamic, with lots of people. You will have the opportunity to choose small souvenirs. Dinner in town and overnight at the hotel. Included meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 7 :Lang Son – Ha Long (190km/ 3.5h journey)

Breakfast and departure to Halong Bay. The Halong Bay is known as the 8th wonder of the world for its magnificent landscapes, beautiful caves, rich and pure air of biodiversity. Having a 1500 square meters area, more than 3,000 limestone islands, Halong Bay is a truly surprising destination. Arrival around noon and will board on a traditional junk. Lunch with seafood and exceptional ride junk in Halong Bay, “8th Wonder of the World” with its thousands of islands, islets emerging from the water by taking fantastic shapes according to the route of the ship. Dinner and overnight on board. Included meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 8: Ha Long – Tam Coc(175/ 4h cruise)

If Hanoi was Thang Long, The Rise of the Dragon, the Halong Bay was the Descent of the Dragon. The surreal chaos of the Rocky Mountains is the result of the frolics of the dragon, the master of waters.

These hills with strange shapes seem to float on the surface of the water as if they were ate. The silence of the calm sea is sometimes broken by the shout of a bird. The cruise continues. Then you will have the opportunity to relax on the beach. After lunch of seafood. Disembark and drive to Tam Coc.  Arrive at Tam Coc. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Included meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Jour 9 : Tam Coc. Visite.

At 95 km away from Hanoi in Ninh Binh province, there is a large number of rich historical heritages of Vietnam, as it was the ancient capital of the country according to the 11th century. Ninh Binh attracts visitors with its historic highness, and culturally rich destination. At Ninh Binh, visit the most authentic sights of this beautiful province Kenh Ga (natural hot springs), Thung Nang (Sun Valley) with a portion of the inland Halong Bay, Tam Coc (three caves also named the HaLong Bay inland), Thai Vi temple, Pagoda Bich Dong.

After breakfast, drive to Hoa Lu and visit the ancient capital of Vietnam in the 10th century under the dynasty of Dinh, Le and Ly Anterieur. In 1010, King Ly Thai To moved the capital to Hanoi. You will explore the temples of King Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh. Then you will return to Tam Coc by bike, for about 15 km. On the way, you will cross again the Trang An landscapes – Halong Bay.

Lunch at a local restaurant, before continuing the bike ride (for about 1 km) to the temple of Thai Vi. You will contemplate a part of the Tam (Tam Coc means three caves also named inland Halong Bay). You will feel the clean air of mountain chains invading the above rice fields, you will continue the road through typical Vietnamese villages to go to Thung Nang where you will make a 2 hour boat cruise (return). You will stay in the boat to enjoy the peaceful scenery and the daily activities of the local.

On the way back, you will visit Bich Dong Pagoda (Bich Dong means jade’s cave). It is an ancient pagoda built into the mountain which is considered as the second most beautiful cave in Vietnam. A three-floor pagoda, accessible by a staircase carved on the occasion of the visit of Emperor Minh Mang in 1821.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Included meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 10: Tam Coc – Mai Chau  (150km/3h30 journey)

Mai Chau, which is located in the southwest of Hanoi, is an ideal destination for those who are looking for outdoor trips or hiking to villages of ethnic groups in the valleys. Mai Chau is also considered as the cradle of Thai minority inhabitants and Muong. So far they have kept their customs and traditions. By visiting Mai Chau, you will have the opportunity to learn about the life of ethnic groups in the mountains.  After breakfast, you will go to Mai Chau. You will be able to admire the beauty of the mountainous region with its rice fields terraces lined with banana groves. Sometimes you will see the homes of Thai and Muong hiding under trees.  Arrival at Mai Chau. Lunch with the locals.
In the afternoon, you will make a nice bike ride to visit the villages Poom Coong, Nhot, Na Phon, and Lake Van and observe the daily activities of local people. Dinner and overnight at the homestay (basic comfort). In the evening, you will participate to a folk music show of the Thai inhabitants, dancing with khene (traditional flute of the minority ethnic groups), and taste rice wine. Included meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 11: Mai Chau – Son La  (187km/ 4h30 journey)  \

Departure to Son La – the town where different minorities live. There are Thai minority villages nearby. Stop in Moc Chau, visit of the hills of tea plantations. Lunch on the road.Then continue the road towards west and discover the beautiful landscape of mountains, green valleys, rice fields and villages of Black Thai.

Arrival in Son La. Check-in. Dinner in a local restaurant and overnight at the hotel. Included meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 12: Son La – Tuan Giao – Dien Bien  (151km/ 3h30 journey)

Breakfast and drive to the town of Dien Bien via Tuan Giao. Arrival in Tuan Giao, lunch in a local restaurant and then fork to Dien Bien Phu. You will invade Pha Din Pass (one of the 4 longest passes of North Vietnam) and beautiful scenery from the top. Visit the villages of black and white Thai. Visit the remains of the ancient battlefield, hills, museum and PC General De Castrie. Arrival at the hotel. Check-in, dinner and overnight at the hotel. Included meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 13: Dien Bien – Hanoï

You will have free time and afterwards go to the airport. Flight to Hanoi and return flight.

END OF THE TRIP.