– Explore North Vietnam from the Mountain to The Beach 7 days –
It’s recommended to spend 7 days in Hanoi. You should take a 2-day, 1-night boat trip to Halong Bay and go on a 3-night, 2-day trek to a high mountain village in Sapa. In Hanoi, you can relax in the Old Quarter, go shopping, try out local cuisine, and explore the historical capital. Hopefully, your trip to the North of Vietnam will be unforgettable.
Highlights:
– Explore Hanoi’s Old Quarter, the capital of Vietnam
– Enjoy a 2-day, 1-night Halong Bay trip, savor the seafood, and explore the caves
– Trek through the villages of Sapa and visit ethnic groups
Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi – Free Time (No meals)
Day 2: Hanoi – Ha Long Bay – Luon Cave – Titop Island (B, L, D)
7:50-8:00 AM: You will be picked up at your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter and transferred to Ha Long.
11:30-12:00 PM: Upon arrival at Tuan Chau International Cruise Port, you will enjoy a warm welcome from our cruise staff in the waiting lounge and complete the check-in procedure.
12:00 PM: Upon boarding Amanda Cruise, our crew will welcome you with a refreshing drink and a cold towel before checking into your cabin. The vessel will leave Tuan Chau Marina, taking you on an exciting journey to discover the beauty of Ha Long Bay. Along the way, you can enjoy the view of some of the most beautiful spots in Ha Long and admire the grandeur of the Bay with thousands of limestone islands while the vessel heads to Luon Cave & Titop Island.
You will enjoy your lunch at our luxurious restaurant on board while the vessel cruises toward Luon Cave.
2:00 PM: You will return to your cabin for a short rest and prepare for kayaking activities in Luon Cave.
Upon arriving at the Luon Cave area, you will participate in kayaking or rafting here around the thousand-year-old rock formations.
4:00 PM: You will be transferred to Titop Island by tender.
You will get to visit Titop Island and hike to the top for stunning views of Ha Long Bay, or have a fun swim in the clear blue water.
5:30-6:00 PM: Back on board, you will participate in a Sunset party & cooking class while the vessel cruises toward the shore. You can enjoy relaxing moments while sipping a cup of traditional Vietnamese tea or coffee on the sundeck amid wonderful scenery and a beautiful sunset. Ha Long Bay is calm during the day, but when the sun goes down, the Bay becomes even more tranquil and peaceful.
You will be instructed to make delicious fresh spring rolls by our chef and then enjoy the rolls made on your own.
5:30-6:30 PM: Happy hour – BUY 2 DRINKS, GET 1 FOR FREE.
7:30 PM: Gala Dinner. Enjoy your dinner on the Sundeck (if the weather is favorable).
8:30 PM: After dinner, you will enjoy a peaceful view of the Bay at night on the deck. You can also participate in evening activities such as a herbal foot bath in your room (free of charge), Bamboo dancing, a fashion show with traditional costumes “Footsteps of Heritage,” and some drinks at the Sky Bar and massage (subject to additional charge), while admiring the breathtaking view of the Bay at night and squid fishing.
The cruise ship will anchor for your peaceful night’s stay in a quiet area.
Overnight on Amanda Halong Cruise.
Day 3: Sung Sot Cave – Halong Bay – Hanoi – Night Train to Sapa (B, L)
6:15 AM: Begin your day with a Tai Chi class on the sundeck.
6:30-7:00 AM: Enjoy a light breakfast with coffee, tea, cake, and fruit.
7:30 AM: Explore Sung Sot cave. This is one of Ha Long Bay’s largest and most beautiful caves. The cave has some unique rock formations which cannot be found anywhere else. The path to the mouth of Sung Sot Cave is under a canopy of leaves. Walking through steep stone steps, tourists may feel like climbing mountains and experiencing the excitement as if they are stepping into the sky.
8:30-9:30 AM: Back on board, you can rest in your room, enjoy the herbal foot bath prepared by our crew, sunbathe on the sundeck, take pictures of Halong Bay, or shop for souvenirs on the boat.
9:30 AM: Check-out time.
Place your luggage outside your cabin and leave the room key at the reception desk. Our staff will transfer your luggage to the waiting area. While waiting, you can shop for some products from Amanda Cruise.
10:00 AM: Enjoy an early lunch buffet at the restaurant on the 2nd floor and settle the bills if any.
11:00 AM: Arrival at Tuan Chau Marina. Transfer back to Hanoi, arriving in Hanoi around 3:30 PM. You are free for dinner.
9:00 PM: Our guide comes to your hotel, and transfers to Hanoi train station for your night train to Laocai.
You will have a soft sleeper, wooden 4-berth sharing cabin on a tourist carriage train.
Day 4: Sapa – Cat Cat – Sin Chai Village (B, L)
The train will pull in in the morning at Lao Cai station, near the border of China. Your driver will meet you to join a shuttle bus for the 38-mile drive to Sapa, the premier destination of northwest Vietnam.
Enjoy your breakfast and relax at a local restaurant. Then venture out to discover the beautiful mountain landscapes and ethnic minority groups of Sapa. Your guide will take you on a 2-hour trek to the villages of Cat Cat and Sin Chai. From here, you will trek down to the valley among the terraced fields and meet the hill tribe people, getting to know their way of life, cultures, and traditions. Get back to Sapa town in the afternoon.
Stay overnight at the hotel in Sapa town.
Day 5: Sapa – Y Linh Ho village, Lao Chai village, Ta Van village | Bus back to Hanoi (B, L)
After breakfast and checking out, you will spend the day exploring the nature and culture of the hill tribe people on a new trek in Sapa. The day includes a walking tour of the Sapa market and trekking downhill through Y Linh Ho, Lao Chai, and Ta Van villages. These areas are beautifully decorated with terraced fields and the homes of the Hmong, Red Zao, and Zay people. Different trekking levels are available, ranging from 2-3 miles for a soft trek, 3-4 miles for a medium trek, and 5 miles or more for a hard trek.
This is a great opportunity to take photos of breathtaking landscapes and meet friendly hill-tribe people at home and at work. After lunch, you’ll be transferred to the bus at 3 pm to head back to Hanoi, arriving around 8:45 PM.
You will stay overnight at Calista Hotel Hanoi or a similar accommodation.
Day 6: Hoa Lu Trang An Mua Cave one day by limousine bus group tour (B, L)
At 7:30 AM, you will be picked up by a friendly guide to depart for Ninh Binh province. There will be a short break of 15-20 minutes to relax. At 10:30 AM, you will visit Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam between 968 and 1010, and have the chance to learn about Vietnamese history in the feudal system under the Dinh, Le, and Ly Dynasties.
At 11:45 AM, you’ll have a buffet lunch in a restaurant offering a variety of local foods. Vegetarian options are also available. At 1 PM, you will visit Trang An, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2014. You will take a boat trip through the tunnel cave system and will have the opportunity to see where parts of the 2016 movie “Kong: Skull Island” were filmed.
At 3 PM, the tour continues with a 45-minute cycling trip around the village to discover the life of local people. At 3:45 PM, you will return to the Limousine Bus and head to Mua Cave (Dancing Cave). You will walk up almost 500 steps to reach the top of Lying Dragon Mountain and enjoy an amazing panoramic view of Tam Coc from there.
At 5 PM, you will get on the bus to return to Hanoi, and at 7:30 PM, you will be dropped off at your hotel.
Day 7: Hanoi Free time and flight home (B)
After breakfast at the hotel, you will have free time to shop, buy souvenirs for friends, and enjoy local food such as Banh My, Bun Cha, coffee, and lemon juice. Your transportation will be arranged to take you to the airport for your flight home.
The trip finishes here!
Included:
Accommodation as listed in Hanoi, Halong Cruise, Sapa,
Meals as itinerary: B (Breakfast); L (Lunch); D (Dinner) Pick-up / Drop off at Lao Cai Train station.
Pick up / Drop off at Hanoi Hotel to Hanoi Train Station.
Pick up / Drop off Hanoi – Halong Bay – Hanoi
One-way train tickets: Hanoi – Lao Cai (4 soft sleepers A/C wooden cabin – Sharing cabin) One-way Bus Limousine Sapa – Hanoi.
Travel in an appropriate air-conditioned vehicle and/or a Jeep with an experienced safe driver. Kayak and gears (Halong Bay cruise)
02 bottles of water in the cabin (Halong Bay cruise)
Experienced English-speaking guides. Entrances
Fees
Tour as listed join with group.
Excluded:
Early check-in and/or late check-out (if any) International flight tickets and airport tax.
Visa services.
Drinks, gratuities, and personal expenses.
Insurance.