Mountain Kingdom

Itinerary

1. Day 01

   HANOI ARRIVAL (D)
   Welcome at Noi Bai International Airport by our English speaking tour guide and private transferred to Hanoi city center for hotel checking-in. Rest of the day will be at your leisure. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Hanoi. Please note: Standard check in time is 14:00. Early check in is subject to availability.
2. Day 02

   HANOI CITY TOUR WITH WATER PUPPET SHOW (B/L)
   Breakfast at hotel. Morning transfer to Ba Dinh Square – the biggest square in Hanoi where all the biggest cultural, political events of the cities, especially demonstrations, take place. Start our visit at the Complex of Ho Chi Minh including Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed on Mondays, Fridays, all afternoons and during Sep/Oct/Nov for annual restoration), Ho Chi Minh’s house-on-stilts, his fish pond and the One-Pillar Pagoda. We then continue with Temple of Literature, which is considered as the first university of Vietnam. Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon we drive to visit the Museum of Ethnology - one of the largest Museums in Vietnam with 2 exhibition areas – inside and outside. Visiting this Museum will bring you the knowledge about the Ethnic groups in Vietnam and their cultures. Later have an overall view of the capital by a “cyclo” visit for 1 hour, which will wander around the Old Quarter of Hanoi, stop to visit Ngoc Son Temple located on the Hoan Kiem Lake (the “Sword” Lake). Evening highlight will be the Water Puppet Show. Overnight in Hanoi.
3. Day 03

   HANOI – HUA TAT (B/L/D)
   Breakfast at hotel. Early morning, depart to Van Ho – Son La. Enjoy the scenery along the way, stop en route at Thung Khe pass. Arrive in Hua Tat by noon. Lunch at your homestay.   Afternoon, trek through the village and disover local people’s daily life. Dinner at your homestay. Overnight in Hua Tat. Please note: facilities in a homestay will be very basic and cannot meet the standard of hotel.
4. Day 04

   HUA TAT – HANG KIA – BAN BUOC (B/L/D)
   Breakfast at hotel. Morning proceed to Hang Kia, stop en route to visit Pa Co market (Sunday only). Upon arrival, wander around the village. Lunch at local restaurant.  Afternoon, trek for around 3 hours (6 km) from Hang Kia to Buoc village. Dinner at your homestay. Overnight in Buoc village.  Please note: facilities in a homestay will be very basic and cannot meet the standard of hotel.
5. Day 05

   BAN BUOC - MAI DICH (B/L/D)
   Breakfast at homestay. Morning, trek for around 9km from Buoc village to Mai Hich, meet and talk with local people on the way to get to know their daily life. Lunch at your homestay.  Afternoon will be at your leisure. Dinner at homestay. Overnight in Mai Hich.  Please note: facilities in a homestay will be very basic and cannot meet the standard of hotel.
6. Day 06

   MAI HICH – PU LUONG - WATER WHEELS WALK AND RAFTING | 3 KM EASY WALK | 800M RIVER RAFTING (B/L/D)
   Breakfast at homestay. Morning: You enter Pu Luong Nature Reserve by road via a breathtaking mountain pass giving you a panoramic view of the whole valley. You arrive at your accommodation in time for a delicious lunch, followed by free time to explore the beautiful retreat, with its captivating panoramic views and tranquil setting. Afternoon: You will be transffed to a suspension bridge over the Cham River, where you begin your walk in search of stunning water wheels. Get up close to each wheel and discover how water is moved from river to handmade bamboo aqueducts via simple constructions of all sizes. Arriving at a local fisherman’s house, you have a short rest to gear up for the bamboo river rafting with Dinh and his team. Float along the calm river and enjoy the views, in between learning how to paddle and steer your handcrafted rafts. Arriving at scenic Tan Lap bridge, you disembark to be transferred back to your place of stay for dinner. Overnight in Pu Luong.
7. Day 07

   ENTHRALLING TREKKING ROUTES | 19 KM EASY WALKING (B/L/D)
   Breakfast at the retreat. Morning: Start early to descend into the beautiful valley facing the Retreat where you walk around tumbling rice terraces. Trek through small paths shrouded in vegetation to slowly reveal a picturesque village sitting at the base of a towering mountain. Continuing to the base of the valley, you weave between roads and farmland, villages and wild fields, ponds and rivers, mountains and open land. Savour the ever-changing scenery as you trek to a beautiful spot to enjoy a simple picnic lunch. Afternoon: You have free time to explore the refreshing water to the nearby river, before moving to our pick up point to be transferred back to your place of stay. Dinner and overnight in Pu Luong.
8. Day 08

   VILLAGE LIFE AND THE COMMUNITY | 4,5 KM EASY WALK - PU LUONG - HANOI (B/L/D)
   Breakfast at the retreat. Morning: You have the chance to get close to village life and interact with locals living in the hills. Glimpse at daily life, walk around working farmland and rice fields, and learn about making weaving colourful textiles, followed by lunch at the retreat. Afternoon: Check out and transferred straight to Ninh Binh, which takes around 4 hours driving. Upon arrival, check in your hotel. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Ninh Binh.
9. Day 09

   NINH BINH – HOA LU – TAM COC (B)
   Breakfast at hotel. Ninh Binh is the site of the one capital city of ancient Vietnam before Hanoi took its leading role in 11th century. The area is featured by lots of well-known sceneries, which include Tam Coc Caves and Hoa Lu ancient capital with the old temples dedicated to King Dinh & King Le reigned in 10th century. The visit today starts by a boat trip in Tam Coc where spectacular limestone karsts jut out from the green paddy fields reminding about Guilin (China) and Halong Bay of Vietnam, which gives this scenery the name “Halong-bay-on-land”. Further discovery in Ninh Binh will be continued in the site that used to be the kings’ palace in 10th century and now famous for the wooden relieves of the shady Dinh and Le temples. Late afternoon back to your hotel. Overnight in Ninh Binh.
10. Day 10

    NINH BINH - HALONG – OVERNIGHT ON CRUISE (B/L/D)
    Breakfast at hotel. Morning, head to Halong Bay for around 4 hours, the pride of the Gulf of Tonkin, a Natural World Heritage as designated by UNESCO in 1994 and 2006. The road will pass by the Red River delta with green paddyfields and rural villages, where hard-work farmers are busy with their farming jobs, ploughing buffaloes or planting seedling.  Upon arrival in Halong, we’ll take a big boat to cruise the Bay to discover the magnificent beauty of this “Descending-dragon” bay, created by thousands odd-shaped limestone rocks and karst grottoes. After a lunch of fresh seafood on board, we can visit the Surprising Grotto, stop for swimming or kayaking (at your own cost), passing floating villages and approach islets to enjoy their beauty in close distance. After dinner, you can attend evening activities on the boat or relax at your own leisure. Overnight on the boat.
11. Day 11

    HALONG BAY - HANOI (B/L)
    After breakfast on board, visit Luon Cave by boat, a ring-shaped pool inside an island in Halong with absolutely tranquil landscape and emerald water. Back to the Wharf of Halong passing the most densely area with many islands that have been named like the Cock-Fighting Rock, Sail Island, Incense burner rock or Sea Dog Rock. Early lunch/brunch will be served on board. Arrive at Halong Wharf around 11.00. Return to Hanoi around 4PM. Free at your own leisure. Overnight in Hanoi.
12. Day 12

    HANOI AT LEISURE – DEPARTURE (B)
    Breakfast at hotel. Your free time today for own sightseeing and shopping around till transfer to the airport for the departure flight back home.  Please note: Standard check out time is 12:00. Late check-out is not included

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