THE ESSENCE OF VIETNAM

Itinerary

1. Day 01

   HANOI ARRIVAL - HANOI CITY TOUR Welcome to Hanoi – Vietna...
   HANOI ARRIVAL - HANOI CITY TOUR Welcome to Hanoi – Vietnam! Upon arrival flight, the tour guide & driver will be welcoming you at Noi Bai airport; it takes us 35 minutes driving to the centre of Hanoi then check-in at hotel.  Afternoon, have an overall view of the capital by a “cyclo” visit, which will start around the Old Quarter of Hanoi, stop at Ngoc Son Temple located on the Hoan Kiem Lake (the “Sword” Lake).  Overnight in Hanoi. Please note: Standard check in time is 14:00. Early check in is subject to availability of the hotel Night activities suggestion: enjoy local beer at Ta Hien Streets, experience the ambience of sleepless street with life music, the young people of Hanoi and also foreign tourists. Hundred of bars and pubs in the Old Quarter are also at your disposal. Or just simple spend your time at shopping malls or various boutique Shops.  
2. Day 02

   HANOI CITY TOUR (B)
   Today, we will start our city tour with Ho Chi Minh Complex included Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (outside), his house-on-stilts & One Pillar Pagoda. Later, we will discover Hoa Lo Prison Museum, also known as the "Hanoi Hilton", was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. Afternoon, we will visit Ethology Museum to discover about 54 ethinic groups in Vietnam. Next, head onward to the Temple of Literature, an ancient collection of courtyards, gardens and architecture built in homage to the Chinese scholar Confucius. Last day, we will enjoy a unique fascinating show of Water Puppetry, a traditional stage art of Northern Vietnam. Transfer back to your hotel. Overnight in Hanoi.    
3. Day 03

   HANOI – SAPA – TREKKING TO LAO CHAI & TA VAN VILLAGES (B/L)
   Early morning, our private car & guide pick your group up at the hotel & drive on Hanoi-Lao Cai highway to Sapa. Nice sceneries of rice fields,villages in red river delta, valleys & mountains you can capture on the way. At noon, arrive in Sapa & have a lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, start a nice trek down to Muong Hoa valley for a nice captivation of layers of stepped rice fields, streams and local villages of Black Hmong & Zay ethnic groups.Our driver pick you up in Ta Van village & drive back to Sapa town. Dinner at your own arrangement. Overnight in Sapa.
4. Day 04

   SAPA – HILL TRIBAL MARKET/ TA PHIN VILLAGE – SAPA (B/L)
   Option 1: If today is Wednesday or Sunday, nothing will be better than driving overland to a market of the hill tribal people, mainly from Flower Hmong ethnical group. Depending on the day, you can choose either Sin Cheng market (Wed) or Bac Ha market (Sun). At 7 o’clock we will drive toward Sin Cheng (140km from Sapa) or Bac Ha (110km from Sapa). With a dozen of tribes living in the surroundings, including Flower Hmong, Chinsese, Nhang, Dzao, Nung, Phu La, Thai and King (or Viet), the market is extremely exciting esp. in the early morning. The winding road to the market helps maintain the colours (in both literal and figurative sense) of the area. In all these markets, we can meet hundreds of beautiful women from Flower Hmong tribe, who are famous for their wonderful craft and hand-made flowering clothes and textile fabrics, or intermingle with people from Black Hmong, Dzay, Dzao and other ethnic groups coming to the market not for purchasing stuffs, but for meeting and chatting – just once a week - like in a real cultural center. After lunchtime, we can hike around or take our car heading to further hamlets in Ban Pho, Trieu Cai, or Na Hoi. Transfer back to Sapa & overnight in Sapa.  Option 2: If today is not Wednesday or Sunday, we will take a pleasant drive to Taphin village (12km from Sapa) of Red Dzao ethnic people, then hike thru paddy fields and pass an old seminary in Taphin Valley, reach the villages of the Hmong and the Red Dzao, who are skillful in making clothes and embroidery by traditional, old silk thread ... Here you have a good choices to buy woven and textile brocades made by the locals. Visit Taphin Cave and small hamlet of Black Hmong people. Return to Sapa (Picnic Lunch). Overnight in Sapa.  
5. Day 05

   SAPA – MU CANG CHAI – TREKKING TO CHE CU NHA – MU CANG CHAI (B/L/D)
   After breakfast at hotel, transfer to Mu Cang Chai (4 hour of driving) for trekking full day with off-beaten-path trekking routes along dirt trails to Che Cu Nha - the place with the most breathtaking rice terraces in Mu Cang Chai, which was recognized as the national heritage in 2007. We arrive in Mu Cang Chai at noon, time for lunch and refresh yourself after a long drive. Afternoon, take the trek of 8kms up & down along the mountain slopes to visit remote villages in Cu Che Nha communes & have wonderful overview of different layers of stepped rice fields, local farming activities & local daily life. Dinner & overnight at homestay in Mu Cang Chai.  
6. Day 05

   SAPA – MU CANG CHAI – TREKKING TO CHE CU NHA – MU CANG CHAI (B/L/D)
   After breakfast at hotel, transfer to Mu Cang Chai (4 hour of driving) for trekking full day with off-beaten-path trekking routes along dirt trails to Che Cu Nha - the place with the most breathtaking rice terraces in Mu Cang Chai, which was recognized as the national heritage in 2007. We arrive in Mu Cang Chai at noon, time for lunch and refresh yourself after a long drive. Afternoon, take the trek of 8kms up & down along the mountain slopes to visit remote villages in Cu Che Nha communes & have wonderful overview of different layers of stepped rice fields, local farming activities & local daily life. Dinner & overnight at homestay in Mu Cang Chai.

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