Day 1: Hanoi

+ Arrival in Hanoi. Visit the local market outside the tourist area. In every neighborhood in Hanoi city, there is always a temporary market where locals used to buy fresh food every day. In this district, you will be practically one of the only foreign tourists, so you will discover the real life of the locals. Then visit the Dai commune house and the Kim Lien pagoda, these are almost indispensable buildings of each commune.

+ Privileged moment at the inhabitant. You will live an extraordinary moment, discussing and tasting green tea with a Vietnamese family while waiting for lunch.

+ Lunch at the inhabitant house to discover the culture and the local gastronomy.

+ In the afternoon, the Temple of Literature. Founded in 1073, it is the first university in the country where 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 the visit then of the Tran Quoc pagoda at the edge of the West Lake.

+ Short walk in the old quarters to witness the activities of the daily life of the locals.

+ Night at the hotel in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi – Hoang Su Phi (300km, 8h)

+ 7:30 am: Departure from Hanoi for Hoang Su Phi. Stops along the way are planned for breaks and taking pictures. Hoang Su Phi is one of the must-see destinations in Northeast Vietnam. This is the region where the rice terraces stretch as far as the eye can see on the slopes of the mountains. Their beauties are stunning in the change of colors with each season.

+ Lunch at the local restaurant.

+ Arrival in Hoang Su Phi at the end of the afternoon, a short walk to visit the village and have a first view of the rice terraces.

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

Day 3: Hoang Su Phi (hiking about 6 hours)

+ After breakfast, departure on foot from the lodge with the necessary gear for the hike. (Water, spray, hat, sunglasses, raincoat, etc.). Walk along the mountains crossing rice terraces and villages. Visit the local house on the way. During this walk, you will have the opportunity to discover the beauty of the rice terraces from different points of view, to meet and discuss with the very welcoming ethnic minorities and also to see their authentic house.

+ Picnic lunch.

+ After the hike, return to the lodge by car.

+ Dinner and night in Hoang Su Phi.

Day 4: Hoang Su Phi – Bac Ha

+ 7:30 am: Departure for Bac Ha crossing the beautiful village of Ta Su Choong. (This is a valley where you can stay for hours admiring the beauty of the terraced rice fields that are scattered on the slopes. From each point of view, these rice fields give a different image.)

+ Lunch at a local restaurant along the way.

+ Arrival in Bac Ha, stroll through the surrounding villages to discover local life. If you are lucky, you will find H’mong people in their very colorful costumes or see the distillation of corn alcohol – (A drink enjoyed by local men). If you are in Bac Ha on Monday morning, you will be happy to visit the largest and most famous market in the region. (It is a market organized once a week where the ethnic groups find all the necessities for their daily life).

+ Dinner and night at the inhabitant house in Bac Ha.

Day 5: Bac Ha – Sapa (120 km)

+ 7:30 a.m.: Departure from Bac Ha via Lao Cai town. Quick stop at the border to take a look at China and the trade between the two countries.

+ Arriving in Sapa, a small town discovered by the French at the beginning of the 20th century for their weekend stay. Sapa is currently becoming a popular tourist destination for people who like to see the rice terraces and ethnic groups such as H’mong, Dzao, Zay and Tay. 2-hour walk to Ma Tra village and Ta Phin village. You will have the opportunity to see other rice terraces but also the villages of the Black H’mong and the Red Dzao.

+ Lunch at the restaurant in Sapa.

+ In the afternoon, stroll through the terraced rice fields of the Lao Chai village towards Giang Ta Chai (if it is not raining. Be careful! it is a bit of a sporty route), it is one of the most beautiful valleys around Sapa.

+ Dinner and overnight homestay near Sapa.

Day 6: Sapa – Mu Cang Chai (Nam Khat) (160 km)

+ 7:30 a.m.: Departure from Sapa via O Quy Ho pass (one of the four famous passes in Vietnam). Stop on the pass to contemplate the beauty of the panorama, the winding path and the famous Fansipan chain (The highest mountain chain in Indochina.)

+ Lunch at the local restaurant.

+ Upon arrival in Mu Cang Chai, the paradise of rice terraces. (This region is known for its innumerable terraced rice fields which extend everywhere on the slopes of the mountains. Mu Cang Chai has been recently presented to UNESCO for the future classification as world heritage.). Walk (or motorcycle taxi) to climb to the top of a mountain. From there, be amazed by the fantastic shape of the rice terraces all around you and the one in the shape of a horse’s hoof in front of you.

+ Arrival at an ecolodge at the end of the afternoon, in one of the least touristy valleys.

+ Dinner and night at the ecolodge.

Day 7: Mu Cang Chai

+ 8h: Departure by car with the necessary for a morning hike. Walk through the small villages of the H’mong and the rice terraces to the “Plateau of sticky rice “Mâm Xôi” the symbol of Mu Cang Chai. After the hike, drive back to the ecolodge for lunch and some rest.

+ In the afternoon, departure by car for another ride in a valley which shelters the houses on stilts of the Thai people.

+ Dinner and night at the ecolodge.

Day 8: Mu Cang Chai – Hanoi (260 km, 7h)

+ 8h: Departure for Hanoi. Stop on the Khau Pha pass to take a magnificent panoramic photo of the rice fields in the hollow of the valley.

+ Lunch with locals in Nghia Lo.

+ On the way, stop at Thanh Son to visit or take pictures of the tea fields.

+ Upon arrival in Hanoi, allocation at the hotel. Overnight stay in Hanoi.

Day 9: Hanoi – Ninh Binh (120 km)

+ 7:45 am: Departure from Hanoi to Ninh Binh. On arrival, bike ride in a village off the beaten track. It will be possible to make a stop in a family to have green tea and chat with the locals.

+ Fun activity: You will participate in a small cooking class in a local restaurant.

+ Lunch

+ Boat trip, explore a beautiful cave and then still in the boat, you will cross the mountain through a tunnel. (You will feel the tranquility of the place from the boat gliding on the water between the mountains.

+ Allocation, dinner and night in a lodge in Ninh Binh.

Day 10: Ninh Binh – Cat Ba (150 km)

+ Depart for Cat Ba via Nam Dinh, Thai Binh and Hai Phong towns.

+ 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 11: Cat Ba- 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.