Day 1: Hanoi

+ Arrival in Hanoi, the Capital of Vietnam, the charming city with tall trees along the avenues, old houses and French buildings built from the beginning of the 20th century and lively daily activities.

+ Visit the Museum of Ethnography, the place where you discover the cultural mosaic of several ethnic groups in Vietnam (this museum is closed on Mondays and replaced by the Women’s Museum – a famous museum where you will have another look at the courage of  Vietnamese women in the war and in the family).

+ Next visit the Temple of Literature – the first National University where Mandarins were educated. You have the opportunity to discover how the Mandarin competitions were organized and how Confucianism influences the mentality of the Vietnamese.

+ Lunch at the local restaurant.

+ In the afternoon, visit the beautiful Tran Quoc pagoda on the shores of West Lake.

+ Continue to visit the famous Long Bien Bridge, a historical vestige and “the horizontal Eiffel Tower of Vietnam” and walk through the old quarters to visit the local market and the daily activities of Hanoians.

+ Watch the water puppet show – the typical game of Vietnamese farmers which represents their culture and their activities.

+ Night at the hotel in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi – Lam Binh (270 km, 7h)

+ 7:45am: Depart Hanoi for Lam Binh. Lunch at a local restaurant.

+ In the afternoon, allocation with the locals (house on stilts of the Tay)

+ Bike ride passing villages to see local houses, daily life activities and enjoy a simple but really peaceful life. If you are lucky, you will be able to attend traditional festivals such as: the fire dance of the Dzao and the Pa Then; the Dzao initiation ceremony.

+ Finally in the afternoon, attend a small cooking class with the locals.

+ Dinner and night at the locals in Lam Binh.

Day 3: Lam Binh

+ Breakfast at the inhabitant.

+ Departure to the lake for the program of the day:

< Embark the boat on the lake to contemplate the beauty of the area called “Little Halong Bay” and the possibility of kayaking.

< Lunch on the boat.

< Bathing in the Khuoi Nhi waterfall (there are small fish that massage your foot).

< Camping and a taste of the barbecue

< Contemplation of the sunset if the weather is fine.

+ Return homestay. Dinner and overnight homestay in Lam Binh.

Day 4: Lam Binh – Dong Van (200 km, 8h)

+ 7:30 am: departure to Dong Van. Photo stops are planned.

+ Lunch at the local restaurant.

+ Visit to the H’mong king’s palace before arrival.

+ Dinner at the local restaurant.

+ Night in Dong Van/

Day 5: Dong Van- Meo Vac- Du Gia (110 km, 4h)

+ If you are in Dong Van on Sunday morning, you will have the opportunity to visit the most interesting and important weekly market in the region. This market is not only the place where several ethnic groups exchange their goods, but also their culture.

+ Departure to Meo Vac by the famous Ma Pi Leng pass, it is the most beautiful of 4 famous passes in Vietnam. Up there, you can contemplate the dimension of nature and take beautiful photos of the pointed limestone rocks, the meandering river or the H’mong who work on the cornfields.

+ Departure by moto-taxi down to the river for the small boat cruise in the Nho Que river which crosses the mountains which stand like the walls.

+ Lunch at the restaurant in Meo Vac.

+ In the afternoon, depart from Meo Vac to Du Gia by the small beautiful path with beautiful rice terraces next to it.

+ Upon arrival at the Du Gia valley, stroll through the village or swim in the waterfall at the bottom of the valley.

+ Dinner and overnight at a lodge in Du Gia.

Day 6: Du Gia- Hoang Su Phi (150 km, 4h)

+ Ha Giang province has two extraordinary beauties: the limestone plateau in Dong Van, Meo Vac and the rice terraces in Hoang Su Phi. Here, you will find these paddy fields stretching as far as the eye can see like the works of handiwork for hundreds of years.

+ 7:30 am: Departure to Hoang Su Phi. Stop for photos on the way.

+ Lunch at the local restaurant.

+ Upon arrival in Hoang Su Phi, walk through ethnic villages and rice terraces.

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

Day 7: Hoang Su Phi – Hanoi (300 km, 8h)

+ After breakfast, departure for Hanoi. Stop for photos along the way.

+ Lunch at the local restaurant.

+ Upon arrival in Hanoi, free and easy

+ Night at the hotel in Hanoi.

Day 8: Hanoi- Ninh Binh (110km, 2.5h)

+ 8h: Departure for Ninh Binh. Visit to 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, a boat trip to Trang An or Tam Coc, also called “Halong on land”. Quietly stuck in the cave, 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 Ha 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 9: Ninh Binh – Cat Ba (150 km, 4h)

+ 7:30 am: Departure 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 depends on the program of the junk).

+ Dinner and night on the junk.

Day 10: Cat Ba- Departure.

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

+ After breakfast, the cruise continues crossing beautiful islands.

+ Taking brunch before disembarking.

+ After disembarkation, drive to the airport. End of services.