Day 1: Hanoi

+ In the morning, visit one of the most beautiful monuments in Hanoi, the Temple of Literature. Founded in 1073, it is the first university in the country where integrity men (mandarins) were trained. You will learn how competitions were organized in feudal times and the influence of Confucianism on the mentality of the Vietnamese. Followed by a visit to the Women’s Museum, located in the heart of the old French quarter, you will discover the commitment and sacrifices of Vietnamese women within the family and also during the war.

+ Lunch at a local restaurant.

+ In the afternoon, visit the Tran Quoc pagoda located on the shore of West Lake.

+ Walk in a small neighborhood just next to the railway to discover traditional houses, cafeterias and local restaurants, you will feel this unique atmosphere that only exists in Vietnam.

+ Followed by a walk in the Old Quarter located in the center of the city, to discover the small market, the old houses and the activities of the daily life of the locals.

+ At the end of the day, you will watch the water puppet show – a typical farmer’s game that is often presented in the countryside during traditional festivals and the Lunar New Year.

+ Night at the hotel in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi – Ba Be Lake (250 km)

+ 8h: Departure from Hanoi for Ba Be Lake.

+ Lunch on route at local restaurant in Bac Kan.

+ Resumption of the road for Ba Be. (The lake is sometimes called green jewel, which covers 9 square km and is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in Vietnam. It is part of the Ba Be National Park listed in late 2004 as the heritage park of Asean. Set in primeval forest and within the limestone mountains you see from a distance, this lake is clear and as green as jade.The Tay people of the lakeside villages live from growing rice and corn in the small valleys. Every morning/afternoon, they are on the canoes to fish for fish and prawns with nets and traps.)

+ On arrival, allocate in your homestay in the Tay house on stilts.

+ The next program is optional:

< 5 km bike ride through the village, the rice fields to the Hua Ma cave. Visit this cave.

< Sailing on Ba Be Lake. Kayaking for an hour. Swimming in the lake if the weather permits.

+ Dinner and night with locals (House on stilts of the Tay ethnic group).

Day 3: Ba Be – Ban Gioc (210 km)

+ In the morning, depart for Ban Gioc. On the way, stops are planned to take pictures of the passes and the magnificent landscape.

+ Visit the village of Phia Thap – (Small Tay village where the inhabitants live in authentic houses on stilts, with Ying – Yang tiled roofs and cob walls. Here they make incense sticks, a profession traditionally handed down from father to son as a side job.)

+ Lunch at the local restaurant in Quang Uyen.

+ Arrival at destination, visit of the beautiful Nguom Ngao cave. (Which means Tiger Cave in Tày language. It is one of Vietnam’s underground wonders)

+ A few minutes away, visit the famous Ban Gioc waterfall – (This is the most beautiful waterfall in Northern Vietnam in addition to being the natural border between Vietnam and China. Its configuration and flow of regular water all year round are like necklaces of silver.)

+ Dinner and overnight at a lodge in Ban Gioc.

Day 4: Ban Gioc – Meo Vac (280 km)

+ 7:30 am: Depart from Ban Gioc for Cao Bang town. If time permits, an excursion to Ha Lang to admire the scenery (about 30 km).

+ Then visit Phuc Sen village- (A Nung blacksmith village that has been passed down for hundreds of years. The quality of the knives and machetes is one of the best because they are made of strips of truck shock absorbers )

+ Lunch at the local restaurant (depending on the weather, lunch can be served either in Cao Bang, Tinh Tuc or Bao Lac).

+ Departure for Meo Vac – (the first approach to the Limestone Plateau.) Along the way, photo stops are planned to enjoy the beauty of the landscape.

+ Allocation and dinner in a lodge in Meo Vac.

Day 5: Meo Vac – Dong Van – Du Gia (110 km)

+ 7:30 a.m., departure from Meo Vac to Dong Van via the incredible Ma Pi Leng pass. (It is one of the four most famous passes in Vietnam). Stop on the pass to take beautiful pictures of the majestic mountains, the Nho Que river which knits the feet of the mountains and the H’mong who work in their fields.

+ Upon arrival at Dong van, a well-known place in the geopark, visit the H’mong king’s palace. (If you get there on Sunday morning, you will find the most interesting ethnic market in the North).

+ Stop at Tham Ma pass to take beautiful photos and visit Sung La village. ”).

+ Lunch at the local restaurant.

+ Leave for Du Gia by the small roads with magnificent landscapes.

+ Upon arrival in Du Gia, allocation at the lodge. (Weather permitting, stroll through the village or visit the pretty waterfall).

+ Dinner and overnight at a lodge in Du Gia.

Day 6: Du Gia – Hoang Su Phi (150 km)

+ 7:30 a.m.: Depart for Hoang Su Phi via Ha Giang town. (If Dong Van and Meo Vac are known by the shape of the limestone plateau, Hoang Su Phi is known by the rice terraces. These rice fields are scattered on the slopes which separate the small villages from the red Dzao which gives all the charm of this region).

+ Stop on the way to take pictures and visit an ethnic village.

+ Lunch at the local restaurant.

+ Arrival in Hoang Su Phi, walk to discover the villages and rice terraces.

+ Dinner and overnight at a lodge in Hoang Su Phi.

Day 7: Hoang Su Phi – Bac Ha (100 km)

+ 7:30 am: Departure for Bac Ha via the town of Vinh Quang and Xin Man. On the way, there are beautiful rice terraces, especially when passing through Ta Su Choong village.

+ Lunch at the local restaurant.

+ Arrival in Bac Ha, accommodation with locals then walk to explore the surrounding villages. (If you are lucky, you will find H’mong people in their very colorful costumes or, you will see the distillation of corn alcohol – a drink appreciated by local men. Also if you are in Bac Ha on Monday morning, you will be happy to be able to visit the largest and most famous market in the region, it is the market organized once a week where the ethnic groups find all the necessities for their daily life.)

+ Dinner and night at the inhabitant.

Day 8: Bac Ha – Than Uyen – Mu Cang Chai (180 km)

+ 7:30 a.m.: Departure for Than Uyen in Yen Bai province by highway and road No 279. There will be photo stops at the passes and villages.

+ Lunch at the local restaurant.

+ Leave for Mu Cang Chai – the paradise of rice terraces. (This region is known for the beauty of its innumerable terraced rice fields which extend over all the slopes of the mountains. Mu Cang Chai was recently presented to UNESCO for future classification as World Heritage).

+ Walk to visit the H’mong village and the beautiful rice terraces.

+ Allocation in an ecolodge.

+ Dinner and night in Mu Cang Chai.

Day 9: Mu Cang Chai

+ 8h: Departure by car for a walk in the Thai village. (It is a typical village where the locals live in houses on stilts within the valley.)

+ Return to the ecolodge for lunch and rest.

+ In the afternoon, walk to discover the beauty of another H’mong village and terraced fields.

+ Dinner and night in Mu Cang Chai.

Day 10: Mu Cang Chai – Ha Noi (260 km)

+ 8am: Check-out and departure for Hanoi. Stop on the Khau Pha pass – one of the four famous passes of Vietnam renowned for the beauty of the panoramic view of the rice fields and the villages in the distance.

+ Visit the village at the foot of the pass. (If time allows).

+ Lunch with locals in Nghia Lo.

+ Stop for a short break and visit the tea fields in Thanh Son.

+ Arrival in Hanoi at the end of the afternoon. Allocation at the hotel.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 11: Ha Noi – Ninh Binh (110 km)

+ 8h: Depart for Ninh Binh. Visit Hoa Lu – (Former Capital of the country in the 10th century which is located at the strategic place of defense.)

+ Lunch at the locals.

+ Then, take a boat to Trang An or Tam Coc, also called “Halong on land”. Quietly wedged in the boat, you can contemplate the landscape, take pictures of the limestone rocks placed on the rivers.

+ The next program is optional:

< Bike ride in Tam Coc around the village.

< Visit Hang Mua – you climb the 450 steps to reach the top. There you will find a panoramic view of villages, mountains and beautiful rice fields.

+ Dinner and overnight at a lodge in Ninh Binh.

Day 12: Ninh Binh – Cat Ba (150 km)

+ 7:30 am: Depart for Cat Ba via the towns of Nam Dinh, Thai Binh and Hai Phong.

+ On arrival, boarding for a cruise on shared junk.

Lunch and sailing in Lan Ha Bay, part of Ha Long. (It is also an area classified as the “Eighth Wonder of the World” by Unesco). Take the opportunity to relax on the deck of the junk and observe the beauty of the limestone peaks planted on the emerald water. It is possible to visit the floating village, (a set of hundreds of fish ponds on the sea) or to swim on a small beach (everything will depend on the program of the junk).

+ Dinner and night on the junk.

 Day 13: Cat Ba – Ha Noi – Departure.

+ If the weather permits, it would be ideal to get up early to watch the sunrise over Lan Ha Bay or even practice Tai Chi on the deck of the junk.

+ After breakfast, the cruise continues crossing beautiful islands.

+ Taking brunch before disembarking.

+ After disembarkation, drive to the airport.