Ha Long Bay Cruise & Sapa Hiking

Welcome to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. During the following week, you’ll be shown around the most classical and characteristic sites in this city and other must-visit regions in northern Vietnam. Upon arrival, meet your professional guide and experienced driver at the airport and then be transferred to a well-selected downtown hotel. The hotel sets the check-in time starting at 14:00, and it’ll be glad to mind your luggage if you arrive early.

After a short rest, your adventure begins in the city center with the Hoan Kiem Lake. Then visit the Ngoc Son Temple, the Opera House, and the Old Quarter that dates back to 900 years ago. Strolling along the bustling streets packed with life and commerce in the Old Quarter, you’ll find that each street is named after the goods it specializes in, like one is dedicated to fabrics, another to quilts and blankets, another to shoes, just to name a few. Take your time to experience the vivid local life here; maybe find an art studio for traditional handicrafts that captivate you and try a self-financed cup of Vietnamese egg coffee. Besides, always be careful of motorbikes dashing out from everywhere! You’ll marvel that Vietnam truly deserves the reputation of the “kingdom of motorcycles”.

In the evening, you’ll be served a sumptuous Vietnamese dinner at a fancy local restaurant. Vietnamese food is mainly steamed or stewed with vegetables. Features like rice noodles, beef noodles and spring rolls are all light and healthy - no wonder the country has the lowest obesity rate in the world! You're most likely to taste the spring rolls, which are made of rice paper filled with shrimp, pork and vegetables, and served with sauce.

Meal: Dinner
Accommodation: May De Ville Lakeside Hotel-Premier City View Room (5 stars) or La Siesta Classic Ma May, Hanoi (4 stars) or similar

After breakfast, go to the heart of Hanoi and stretch your legs at the Ba Dinh Square, with a capacity of 200,000 people at one time. In front of the square, reminisce about the father of Vietnam at Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, where his remains are preserved. He was once a mess boy on a French merchant ship, and this experience had allowed him to witness many countries, different cultures, and various political movements; this had a profound impact on his thoughts, and possibly contributed to his later fight for national independence. To learn more and how great and low-profile Uncle Ho was, continue to the Presidential Palace and his Stilt House. After a short walk outside the president's mansion, visit the One Pillar Pagoda, which is built on a large stone pillar rising out of a pond.

Then, head northeast to the West Lake to explore the Quan Thanh Temple or the Tran Quoc Pagoda. After that, drop by the Temple of Literature, which boasts the Vietnamese Imperial Academy, considered the country’s first national college. Afterward, according to the time and your preference, we’ll admire either the National Museum of History or the Museum of Ethnology, which offers a general view of Vietnam's ethnic minorities.

By nightfall, enjoy a traditional Water Puppet Show, which originated in the 11th century when rice farmers stood in waist-deep water and entertained themselves by performing folk tales. Supported by sticks, puppets became those farmers, planting rice seedlings or dancing with gods and beasts. Today, it has evolved into a kind of folk art, with live music in the background played with traditional instruments such as monochord and an opera performance called "Cheo". We need to remind you that the puppets are small and hard to see from the last rows of seats, so please book your route as early as possible for us to book the best seats in the front. After the show, go to the railway station for an overnight train ride to Lao Cai, with sleeper tickets well reserved.

► Unique Night Train Adventure:

Tonight you’re going to experience the exotic sleeper train in Vietnam! The cabins aren’t that spacious, but facilities for air conditioning and ventilation are well-equipped. The interior of each carriage is differently decorated, such as one with symbolic accessories of the Hmong ethnic group. Although the ride can be bumpy and noisy, locals still consider it an experience a little luxury, so please don’t hesitate because it’s the best land vehicle Vietnam can offer. And to cope with this, it’s recommended that you take a pair of mute earplugs.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Overnight Soft Sleeper Train (Shared 4-berth Cabin with AC)

Upon your arrival in Lao Cai in the early morning, your local guide and the driver will pick you up at the exit of the train station on time.

★ Special Arrangement: Savor Indigenous Culture in an Ethnic Market!

Surrounding areas of Lao Cai boast numerous typical ethnic markets, which are held on a specific day, such as Bac Ha market on Sundays, Can Cau market on Saturdays, and Coc Ly market on Tuesdays. Depending on the date you arrive, we’ll show you around one of them before heading to Sapa to catch a glimpse of the locals’ daily life in Vietnam’s northern highlands. Starting in the early morning, the markets are thronged with villagers from surrounding mountain tribes, like Hmong, Dao, and Zay, to purchase and exchange. They wear eye-catching ethnic costumes with bright colors and intricate woven patterns, and some also wear matching headscarves and sling bags. And you may even see some women carrying young children on their backs! The vibrant market features stalls teeming with fresh produce, herbs, handcrafted textiles and local specialties, including fine silver jewelry, colorful embroidered garments and elaborately carved woodwork, as well as water buffaloes, goats, birds, etc. Browse the stalls, and feel free to ask your guide for help to enjoy a friendly chat with the locals!

After the visit, we’ll drive to Sapa, a welcome summer resort full of exotic atmosphere. We’ll kick off trekking through terraced rice fields, the biggest draw of Sapa. Along the way, immerse yourself in nature harmoniously integrated with local tribal culture - you’ll find buffalo grazing on the fields, local farmers running bamboo waterwheels to grind rice, as well as elderly women weaving bags and scarves and embroidering unique motifs on them. Explore Cat Cat Village to look for these and the Cat Cat Fall, from which the village took its name. Then head to Sin Chai Village, another ethnic minority village with more primitive scenery and fewer crowds. The rest of the day will be left for you to explore the town on your own freely.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Silk Path Grand Sapa Resort & Spa-Classic Garden (5 stars) or Bamboo Sapa Hotel-Deluxe Mountain view (4 stars) or similar

Sapa is located in a valley so it will impress you immediately with its spectacular landscape, most of which has been developed into rice terraces by locals. The pristine mountain villages are inhabited mainly by members of the H'mong, Dzao and Dzay ethnic groups, who still live a traditional life. Among the hustle and bustle on the main street, you’ll see local women still in traditional clothes carrying baskets filled with daily supplies and handicrafts on their backs. This place absolutely deserves an in-depth exploration and today you’ll have a full day’s time to hike through the picturesque valleys and villages, where you’ll delve into more tribal cultures and traditions. Based on your physical conditions, you may choose to have a short trek for about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles), a medium-length trek for about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles), or a longer trek for about 12 kilometers (7.4 miles). This evening, you will be transferred to Lao Cai to take the overnight train back to Hanoi.

► Notice:
1. Sapa lies in a high-altitude tropical zone. It’s hot and rainy from June to August, so if you come during this time, please bring an umbrella or rain poncho and sunscreen. The rice ripens from September to October, so visit this time to see more terrace scenery. Bring a coat if you are here between November and April, the coolest months.
2. You’ll sometimes hike right in the rice fields and it’s recommended to bring a pair of non-slip hiking shoes. The hiking route isn’t that steep, so it would be unnecessary to take hiking poles.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Overnight Soft Sleeper Train

The train will arrive in Hanoi in the morning and your guide and driver will pick you up outside the train station on time and then accompany you to have breakfast at a nearby hotel. Then take a 2.5-hour drive to Ha Long Bay to witness one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, with its thousands of karst limestone islets rising above the sea. Upon arrival at noon, board a luxury cruise we selected based on our experience to fully explore the bay. People often compare it with the landscape of Guilin in China, known for the karst hills along an inland river. Different from latter’s beauty on the delicate side, Ha Long Bay is more magnificent. Ha Long Bay’s weather can be unsettled, but its charm doesn’t fade - you will witness its majesty on a sunny day and how it takes on an enigmatic vibe if it’s a misty day.

After savoring Vietnamese cuisine on board, enjoy your sightseeing here. There are various ships and routes on Ha Long Bay cruise, many of which offer just rough tours to noisy commercial scenic stops, but we offer you an in-depth exploration through a less visited and more primitive bay. In our itinerary, most of the karst caves and islands, as well as activities like kayaking and swimming, are must-experiences. And we've picked out two luxury cruise ships for you to choose from - the five-star Indochine Cruise and the four-star Signature Royal Cruise. Besides luxurious rooms, they both have delicious local food and warm-hearted crew, and the main difference between the two ships is that Indochine Cruise will take you southwest to explore Lan Ha Bay and its caves, while Signature Royal Cruise will show you around Bai Tu Long Bay in the northeast and get you a close look at a local floating village.
Note: The exact scenic spots you’ll visit can be subject to the cruise companies.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Indochine Cruise-Junior Suite (5 stars) or Signature Royal Cruise-Junior Suite (4 stars) or similar

In the early morning, generally from 05:30 to 07:00, you can participate in the Tai Chi class on the top deck if you like. Feel free to enjoy morning tea, coffee and pastries in the dining room. If you take the Indochine Cruise, have a land excursion to Trung Trang Cave, once a secret radio base for the navy during the Vietnam War. If you take the Signature Royal Cruise, explore the Thien Canh Son Cave to admire the stunning stalactites and stalagmites and climb to the peak for a 360-degree view of the bay. If the weather is fine, you can also have a good time lying on the beach and swimming in the clean and warm water. After some leisure time, return to the ship to have brunch while sailing back to the pier.

► Sunrise Photography Tips for Ha Long Bay
Our overnight cruise enables you to see the splendor of jagged limestone peaks emerging through the dawn mist. Don’t hesitate to take a photo this morning and here are some shooting suggestions:
1. To obtain a more balanced exposure, use the gradient gray filter to reduce the high contrast between the limestone peaks and the sky. Use a polarizer to reduce the light reflected on the water surface for more focused images. Use a wide-angle lens for panoramas.
2. The weather is clear from March to April and September to October, so if your visit falls within this time, you will take pictures in bright colors. Don’t worry if today sees the sea shrouded in mist, as you will get otherworldly pictures like ink paintings.
3. Grab your chance to photograph islands that interest you with their unique shapes, which appear so only because of the angle you look at them - your angle will change as you sail forwards.
4. Add beautiful parts of the cruise ship, like the balcony and the deck, to enrich the composition of your pictures.

After disembarking, you will meet your driver at the dock and then be driven to Hanoi International Airport for your late afternoon flight. Your trip with us will draw to an end here. Wish you a nice trip home!

During this 6 days Hanoi Sapa Ha Long Bay tour, you must have seen lots of backpackers, who may stay here for a month or two for the low prices of living here. If you want to extend this Vietnam tour package for more like them, central cities such as Hue, Da Nang and Nha Trang, the southern Ho Chi Minh City and Mekong Delta, or other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Cambodia await! Feel free to contact us to tailor this private itinerary for you.

Meal: Brunch