Northeast Vietnam Tour in 13 Days

When you get to Noi Bai Airport, you will meet our IDC tour guide and be taken to our hotel so we can rest.

Hoan Kiem Lake

Today, we take a full-day tour of the city. We start at the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which has the mausoleum of the country’s prior president, Ho Chi Minh, as well as the Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. This complex also has the One Pillar Pagoda, which has been around since the city was first built. After that, we go to the Temple of Literature, which is known for being Vietnam’s first university, and the History Museum, which has a great collection of items that show the history of Vietnam.

The impressive Ethnologic Museum is our next stop. It is all about Vietnam’s 54 hill tribe groups, some of which we will see in the days to come. We also go to the quiet lake of Hoan Kiem, with its sacred temple, and the busy market of Dong Xuan, before going to see the famous water puppets of Hanoi.

Stay in Hanoi for overnight.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Leave Hanoi and drive 180 km to Mai Chau, a beautiful area with a green valley and houses on stilts. Most of the people here are White Thai, who are very kind and willing to help. And staying with a local in a thatched-roof house on stilts with split bamboo floors and eating local food is a great experience, especially if you get to see some sights along the way.

Lunch in Mai Chau, then walk or do some light trekking to nearby Poom Coong, Nhot, and other villages. Have fun with their everyday lives and activities (farming, weaving, feeding the pigs, etc…). Stay in a home in Lac Village. In the evening, if you’re lucky, you might be able to join locals in a traditional dance performance and drink rice wine from a large cask through one of many bamboo straws (fee by yourself).

Homestay in Mai Chau for the night.

Mai Chau

After breakfast, hike to the Mai Chau valley and visit the Thai villages of Nhot and Na Phon. Then, move on to Son La. (130km). Stop to take pictures and see the Suspension Bridge and Back Thai village along the way. When you get to Son La, check into a hotel. Stay the night in a Son La hotel.

Son La

Some of the best things to see in this hill town are the provincial museum and the nearby old prison. We will have a chance to see these places before we go to our next stop. Before reaching Dien Bien Phu, which is 240 km away, the winding roads go over the Pha Din Pass. In 1954, Dien Bien Phu was the site of the most important battle in Vietnam’s fight for independence. After we check into our hotel, which is in the middle of town, we like to take a walk to see this town, which is growing quickly. The Dien Bien Phu Museum is our main stop. It tells the story of what happened there.

We also go to the old battle field, which is full of lush plants growing around old French tanks and artillery pieces.

Stay at hotel in Dien Bien for the night.

Pha Din Pass

When you Dien Bien, the roads start to get worse, but you can see some great sights and stop in some interesting leave hill villages along the way. This road is the main trade route between the northeast and the rest of the country. We travel for a half day and end up in Lai Chau Town, which is 120 km away. This is where we will stay while we explore the area.

As the trip’s highlight, we get on a boat for a short ride on the mighty Da River, which winds through beautiful mountain scenery. The pace is very slow, which makes it a great way to see the local way of life up close. After that, we have free time to look around the town and get ready for the next few days of hiking.

Hotel in Lai Chau for the night.

Lai Chau

After breakfast, we went on a 180km (half-day) drive through the mountains to our final destination, Sa Pa. Sapa, which is 1,500 meters above sea level, was started in the early 1900s as a hill resort for French officials who couldn’t stand the heat on the plains. We get to Sapa in the middle of the afternoon. We can enjoy the cool weather as much as we want by walking around this famous hill town.

On Sapa’s main street, you can often see ethnic people, and small shops along the street sell textiles and handicrafts made in the area.

Spend the night in a hotel in Sapa.

Sapa

After breakfast, we go to Lao Chai village, which is a Black Hmong village. Short hike down to the river to see how the hill tribes live and how the local women make their handicraft clothes.

The Tavan village, where Dzay people live, can be seen further down the road. Visit the village and find out how they live. You’ll walk back to the main road, where a car will take you back to Sapa.

Stay the night in Sapa at a hotel.

Lao Chai TaVan trekking

We go to the Can Cau Market this morning. Bac Ha Market is only on Saturdays. Coc Ly Market and Lung Khau Nhin Market are only open on Sundays. Tuesday has only Muong Khuong Market. Cao Son Market is only open on Thursdays. The most colorful markets in North Vietnam are only open on Wednesday, and they are full of people from many different hill tribes.

At the market, you can try simple but unique foods like wines made from rice, cassava, corn, and different kinds of fruits like plums and apple stalkings from the minority groups. Have a meal. We start the trip back when we leave the market and head to Lao Cai through the green and rough mountain scenery. The people were sent back to Lao Cai. Stay the night in a Lao Cai hotel.

Cao Son Market

Enjoy breakfast. Then, at 07:30, we’ll begin a full day of travel (400 km) to Hanoi. On the way, we stop for lunch.

We get to Hanoi around 17:00. Check into a hotel to chill out. Dinner is on your own. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

AM: We’ll pick you up at your Ha Noi home at 8:00 and drive you to Ha Long. Get there at noon. At Ha Long port, our crew will greet you and show you to your cabin. You can also have a welcome drink.

PM: Seafood will be served for lunch right after. At 13:00, the boat starts a 3.5-hour cruise into Ha Long Bay to see the amazing karsts with different shapes: Mat Qui (Monsters face) Islet, But Moc Islet, Cap De Islet, Trong (Drum) Cave, Trinh Nu Cave, a Floating Fishing Village to see this unique way of life, and then Luon Cave (from 16.40 to 17.30). There will be a lot of time to swim and lay out in the sun. Before going to bed in the comfort of your cabin, have a great dinner at sunset and relax under the stars. On a boat in Halong for the night.

Floating Village in Halong

AM: People who get up early can enjoy a cup of tea, coffee, or fresh fruit while looking out at Bay’s scenery. Sitting on the upper deck, we can take in the breathtaking beauty of the rocky Islands rising from the clear waters of the Bay. We can hear birds singing, cicadas chirping on the shore, and the waves gently lapping against our boat. It’s the perfect music to go with the fresh air and light breeze.

Then, from 8:00 to 9:00, you can go to Sung Sot (Amazing) Cave, swim, and chill out at Titop beach. At 9:30, the boat starts heading back to port. From 10:30 to 11:30, a brunch buffet will be served, and at 11:35, you can check out.

PM: Get to the harbor by noon, and then drive back to Ha Noi to chill out. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Sung Sot (Amazing) Cave

You’ll have some free time to rest or keep exploring Ha Noi. The trip ends when you get to Noi Bai Airport to leave.