North East Vietnam In Depth 16 – 20 Days

08:00: Our tour guide and driver pick you up at the hotel lobby. Start your tour with a visit of Ho Chi Minh Complex including Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, House-on-Stilts, One Pillar pagoda. After that, visit the Temple of Literature – a temple to Confucius, this is also known as Vietnam’s first University dating back to 1070.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Continue the tour with a visit of the Museum of Ethnology, widely acknowledged as the best museum in the country and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples. As well as the comprehensive array of exhibits inside, there are also traditional tribal houses reconstructed within the ground. Go back to the center of Hanoi to visit Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake.

A 45 minute Cyclo Tour takes you through the Old Quarter of Hanoi, also known as the 36 streets and guilds, this bustling area of narrow streets is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. Originally each of the street’s names was related to the products being sold there. It’s a great place to explore on foot with numerous photo opportunities.

Watch a traditional water puppet show at Thang Long theatre before going back to your hotel.

07:30: We pick you up from hotel then depart for Ba Be national park via Thai Nguyen, province of tea plantation. We make some stop en-route for shooting nice pictures. After that, keep going to Ba Be lake via Bac Kan province. Stop in Cho Ra for lunch before heading to Ba Be lake. You will travel on our local boat on the Ba Be Lake first visiting the Puong Cave, famous for its thousands of bats. You will continue down the Nang river to see the Dau Dang Waterfall before having lunch at a nearby village restaurant on the banks of the river. Then heading to Bo Lu village where you will spend a night at a homestay of Tay ethnic group (Tay people is one of the 54 Vietnamese group who still keep living very traditional style).

This evening, you enjoy a delicious home-cooked dinner, prepared by the host and learn the food culture of Tay people.

After the breakfast, drive to Cao Bang province.
On this day you’ll take a scenic insightful day trip in the north of Cao Bang to the beautiful Ban Gioc waterfall on the Chinese border. This picturesque, cascading waterfall is 53 meters high and has an impressive span of 300 meters. The drive offers unique landscapes, limestone karts formations soar from the verdant rice paddies of the surrounding farms of local ethnic minorities. Along the way, you’ll see Tay, Hmong and Dzao ethnic minority groups. Then we make another stop at the expansive 2, 144 meter Nguom Ngao Cave and its brilliant stalactites. Before heading back Cao Bang city, we stop at Pac Rằng village to learn more about the daily life of Nung people.
Return to Cao Bang for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, our driver will take you to Ha Giang. The scenery is spectacular and the road runs along the sides of the mountains on the way. Stop en route for taking pictures of Ma Pi Leng Pass the most spectacular pass of the Northeast Vietnam.
Upon arrival at Dong Van town, strech your legs around the town and ancient village before relaxing in your hotel.

Head to Ha Giang city via Yen Minh & Quan Ba. The scenery along the way is spectacular – a vast limestone mountain range and perpendicular walls of rock. You’ll visit the infamous Vuong Palace, once the home of a high-ranking H’mong family during French colonial rule. Stop at Quan Ba Twin Mountain and Heaven Gate. Today you have many chances to take pictures of Vietnam’s outstanding landscape.
Arrival at Ha Giang in the late afternoon and overnight in a homestay in Tien Thang village.

In the morning, hike around Tien Thang village to enjoy the fresh atmostphere of the morning and rice fields. Move to Thon Tha village, Only a total of 90 homes make up the whole neighborhood, traditional stilt houses made from wood and bamboo and with a palm-thatched roof.

Lunch served at a local family.

In the afternoon, head to Hoang Su Phi – a rural distric of Hagiang province known for the deep valleys and unique adaphological character. Hoang Su Phi not only brings good harvests for local but also offers a splendid attraction for travelers.

Spend the whole day for a further trek to explore the mountains of Hoang Su Phi. This area is well-known for its dramatic rice terraces and also has been recognized as the national heritage. The highlights of the day also include the local hill tribes who you will meet on the way, such as the Tay people, the Black Dao people or Yao with long tunic, the Red Dao people.

Stop on the way for a picnic lunch served by a local family.

Late afternoon get back to the lodge/homestay for the night.

In the morning, return to Hanoi with some short breaks for lunch and photos en-route.

Arrival in Hanoi in the afternoon, your guide will lead you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free at leisure.

Breakfast is served at your hotel and free time till check-out and transfer to the airport for your return flight.