Hanoi - Hoa Binh - Mai Chau - Hua Tat - Nghia Lo - Mu Cang Chai - Sa Pa - Ninh Binh - Halong bay

SPIRIT OF THE CIRCUIT:

The 15-day AUTHENTIC NORTH VIETNAM tour allows you to discover not only the must-see tourist sites of Northern Vietnam, but also more secret places, extraordinary landscapes, and to have many authentic interactions with the local Vietnamese population…

KEY STRENGTHS

– Private and personalized trip just for you.
– Walking tour of Hanoi's Old Quarter of the 36 Corporations
– Cyclo-rickshaw ride in the neighborhoods of the former French concession in Hanoi.
– Bike rides between the rice paddies and villages in Mai Chau, Ninh Binh…
– Walks and hikes in villages of different ethnic groups in the mountains of Northern Vietnam
– Water puppet show with traditional music.
– Overnight stays with local families in villages of typical ethnic minorities in the mountains of Northern Vietnam.
– Show of traditional dances and songs of the Muong, Thai, Hmong, Dzao minorities…
– Many authentic encounters with the inhabitants of ethnic minority villages.
– Visit to the most beautiful terraced rice paddies in Vietnam.
– Rowboat cruise through rice paddies, limestone peaks, caves in Ninh Binh – the inland Halong Bay.
– Cruise and overnight stay on board a junk (not private) in the wonderful Halong Bay.
– To experience all the poetry and cultural and historical richness of the capital city of Hanoi
– Discover Vietnamese cuisine with meals in local Vietnamese restaurants and at people's homes.

ITINERARY AND TRAVEL MAP

Day 1: Hanoi – Arrival
Day 2: Hanoi – Sightseeing
Day 3: Hanoi – Hoa Binh – Mai Chau
Day 4: May Chau
Day 5: Mai Chau – Hua Tat
Day 6: Hua Tat
Day 7: Hua Tat – Nghia Lo
Day 8: Nghia Lo – Mu Cang Chai
Day 9: Mu Cang Chai – Sa Pa
Day 10: Sa Pa – Hanoi
Day 11: Hanoi – Ninh Binh
Day 12: Ninh Binh
Day 13: Ninh Binh – Halong – Cruise
Day 14: Halong – Cruise – Hanoi
Day 15: Hanoi – Departure

DETAILED PROGRAM

DAY 1: HANOI – ARRIVAL (-/-/-)
Upon your arrival at Hanoi airport, you will be met and transferred by private car to your hotel in the city center.
Check-in at the hotel (from 2:00 PM).
Free time for your rest or personal exploration.
Meals at your own expense. Overnight stay in a hotel in Hanoi.

DAY 2: HANOI – SIGHTSEEING (B/L/D)

Breakfast at the hotel. City tour: the former French Concession area with its colonial-style villas, now occupied by embassies and upscale restaurants; the presidential district around Ba Dinh Square and the One Pillar Pagoda; near West Lake, the Tran Quoc Pagoda; and the magnificent Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, dedicated to Confucius.
After lunch, visit the Ethnographic Museum, located a little outside the city center, which showcases the customs, clothing, and even traditional houses scattered throughout the park, representing the many ethnic groups of Vietnam. Return to the view district and take a cyclo-rickshaw ride through the old quarter of 36 streets and guilds, with their evocative street names: Silk Street, Hemp Street, Rattan Street, Sail Street, Goldsmiths' Street… Enjoy a walk and visit Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword). Take in a water puppet show accompanied by traditional music.
Dinner at a restaurant. Overnight stay at a hotel in Hanoi.

DAY 3: HANOI – DUONG LAM – HOA BINH – MAI CHAU (B/L/L/D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Mai Chau via Hoa Binh. En route, walks to visit the Master's Pagoda (Chua Thay) in Sai Son village and then the ancient traditional village of Duong Lam, renowned for its centuries-old houses built with laterite blocks: visit to the old houses, the communal house…
Lunch at a local's home in Duong Lam before continuing on to Mai Chau.
After Hoa Binh, we leave the lowlands of the delta for the mountainous region. The landscape and the way of life change: terraced rice paddies, banana groves—we arrive in the land of the Muong people, then the Thai, whose houses are built on stilts. After crossing the Tong Dau pass, we reach the Mai Chau valley, covered in rice paddies cultivated by the White Thai. We stretch our legs with a stroll through a Thai village with its beautiful traditional stilt houses and welcoming women.
Dinner and overnight stay with a local family in a Thai stilt house in Mai Chau.

DAY 4: MAI CHAU (B.L/L/D)

Breakfast at a local's home. Bike ride further on through the rice paddies near villages dominated by the jagged limestone peaks of the Tonkin mountain range.
Lunch at a local's home.
In the afternoon, we continued our bike ride in the other direction to visit other villages in the Mai Chau valley.
Dinner and traditional dance performance by the Muong, Thai, Hmong, Dzao minorities…
Overnight stay with a local family in Mai Chau.

DAY 5: MAI CHAU - HUA TAT (B/L/L)

Breakfast at a local's home. Bike ride in Mai Chau, then transfer to Hua Tat (Van Ho, Son La). Accommodation with a Hmong family (another ethnic minority in Vietnam).
Lunch at a local's home.
In the afternoon, a walking tour to visit the Hua Tat village of the Hmong people.
Dinner and overnight stay with a local family in Hua Tat.

DAY 6: HUA TAT (B/L/D)

Breakfast at a local's home. Hike through villages in Hua Tat to discover the beautiful landscapes and the authentic real life of the Hmong people.
Lunch, dinner and overnight stay with a local family in Hua Tat.

DAY 7: HUA TAT – NGHIA LO (B.B./LUN/DIN)

Breakfast at a local's home. Departure for Nghia Lo via Phu Yen with stops to visit some Hmong and Thai villages along the way.
After lunch, we set off for the Thai capital. Flooded rice paddies, peaceful villages nestled in beautiful valleys at the foot of the mountains…
Arrived in Nghia Lo (formerly Muong Lo) at the end of the day. Settled in with a Thai family.
Dinner and overnight stay at a local's home in Nghia Lo.

DAY 8: NGHIA LO – MU CANG CHAI (B.B./LUN/DIN)

Breakfast at a local's home. Departure for Tu Le. An easy hike to visit a Thai ethnic village in Tu Le, nestled amidst rice paddies and magnificent mountains. Meet the locals and visit Thai families.
After lunch at a local restaurant in Tu Le, continue to Mu Cang Chai, passing through the picturesque landscapes of terraced rice paddies. Several stops will be made to admire the views from the top of the terraces, including at Khau Pha Pass with its stunning panorama of the Tu Le Valley, and at La Pan Tan and Che Cu Nha. Arrive in Mu Cang Chai in the late afternoon. Check in to a Thai family. Dinner and overnight stay with a local family in Mu Cang Chai.

DAY 9: MU CANG CHAI - SA PA – TA VAN (B.F./LUN/DIN)

Breakfast at a local's home. Departure for Sapa with stops at magnificent tea fields and rice paddies, beautiful mountain landscapes or villages of ethnic minorities such as the Thai and Hmong to meet the local people.
Lunch at a local restaurant in Than Uyen before continuing our journey to Sapa, which climbs to the summit of Vietnam's highest mountain pass (2047m). We'll stop at the pass to enjoy the cool air and, weather permitting, see Mount Fansipan (3143m), the highest peak in Indochina. Upon arrival in Ta Van village, we'll stay with a local family. Dinner and overnight stay in Ta Van.

DAY 10: TA VAN - SA PA - HANOI (B.B./LUN/DIN)

Breakfast at a local's home. Hike along the Muong Hoa Valley through terraced rice paddies, picturesque mountains, and ethnic minority villages towards Sa Pa: from Ta Van village (Black Hmong and Dzay) to Lao Chai village (Black Hmong) and then to Y Linh Ho village (Black Hmong). We then return to our vehicle to drive to Sa Pa town and stroll through the center, visiting Cau May Street and the Sa Pa Church.
Lunch at a local restaurant before returning to Hanoi via the Lao Cai-Hanoi expressway. Arrival in Hanoi in the late afternoon.
Dinner at a restaurant. Overnight stay at a hotel in Hanoi.

DAY 11: HANOI - NINH BINH - TAM COC (B.F./LUN/DIN)

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Ninh Binh, the "Halong Bay on land." The road descends south through stunning landscapes, offering picturesque scenes of rural life. At the Van Long pier, you will board a flat-bottomed boat for an unforgettable ride along the winding waterways of the site, bordered by rice paddies, limestone karsts, and caves. The Van Long site offers a dreamlike landscape of contrasting lines and colors, in the silence of nature, barely disturbed by the sound of oars and the calls of birds.
After lunch at the restaurant, transfer by road and visit to the Bai Dinh Pagoda – the largest pagoda in Vietnam and also in Southeast Asia.
Dinner at a restaurant. Overnight stay at a hotel in Ninh Binh.

DAY 12: NINH BINH – BIKE RIDE (B/L/D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Bike ride on village paths to discover the beautiful landscapes and the daily life of the local inhabitants.
After lunch at the restaurant, a bike ride on the Tam Coc dikes between villages, rice paddies and limestone peaks to the Bich Dong pagodas to visit them.
Dinner at a restaurant. Overnight stay at a hotel in Ninh Binh.

DAY 13: TAM COC – HALONG BAY – CRUISE (B/L/D)

Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning, drive to Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994, one of the wonders of the world.
Upon arrival, board a junk and set off on an unforgettable cruise through countless islets with fantastical shapes. Cones, pinnacles, needles, and hills dot the landscape of the world's largest marine karst. Stops will be made to visit a beautiful cave or a stunning beach.
Lunch and dinner on board the junk. Overnight stay in a comfortable private cabin.

Please note: This is a shared boat tour with an English-speaking guide on board. It is possible to book this tour with a private boat and/or a French-speaking guide on board (additional charge applies, please contact us for details).

DAY 14: HALONG – CRUISE – HANOI (BRUNCH/DINNER)

Breakfast on the junk. The cruise continues in the morning, passing more limestone karsts, more hills, basket boats, and floating villages. The scenery of Halong Bay remains as enchanting as ever.
Brunch (or lunch) on board. Disembarkation and return transfer to Hanoi. Arrival in Hanoi and check-in at your hotel. Dinner at a restaurant. Overnight stay at the hotel in Hanoi.

DAY 15: HANOI – DEPARTURE (B/-/-)

Breakfast at the hotel. Free time in Hanoi's Old Quarter for shopping and to soak up the atmosphere of the place, until your transfer to the airport for your return flight.
Lunch and dinner are at your leisure.

***End of our services***

THE PRICE INCLUDES:

– Accommodation with breakfast in the hotels and junk indicated or similar and with locals depending on availability at the time of booking.
– Meals mentioned in the program (B: breakfast, L: lunch, D: dinner)
– Services of local French-speaking or English-speaking guides depending on the program.
– Transfers and transport by comfortable private air-conditioned vehicles with driver and according to the program.
– Visits and entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the program
– Rides by cycle-rickshaw and bicycle as mentioned in the program
– Boat trip according to the program.
– Boat cruise in Halong Bay according to the program.

THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:

– Visa fees for Vietnam (no visa required for French citizens if your stay does not exceed 15 days)
– International round-trip flights, nor airport tax
– Meals not mentioned in the program
– Tips
– Drinks, telephone, personal expenses and anything not clearly mentioned in the "Price includes" section.
– Cancellation, medical, repatriation, baggage insurance… to be purchased in your country

THE ADVANTAGES OF ASIAPLUS TRAVEL:

– Bottle of water in the vehicle for every day of guided tours.
– 24/7 monitoring of your trip's progress.

NOTES ON THE ROUTE:

Please note that the hotels listed above are indicative only and entirely dependent on their availability at the time of your confirmation. In the event that booking is impossible or the hotel cancels due to force majeure, the listed hotel(s) will be replaced with at least an equivalent option.
– Hotel rooms are available from around 2 pm and are vacated from around 12 pm. For earlier check-in or late check-out, you will need to request it and an additional fee will apply.
– The program may be changed due to local weather conditions or other unforeseen reasons.
– Prices may be subject to change in the event of program modifications, changes in the number of participants, or postponement of dates…

Important: This is a travel proposal. No services have been booked yet. We await your confirmation and deposit payment to proceed with the booking in accordance with our terms and conditions.

PAYMENT TERMS:

• A deposit of 25% of the total price is payable by bank transfer or credit card via the internet upon booking
• The remaining 75% must be paid before the start of the trip by bank transfer or credit card, or in cash at the start of the trip upon your arrival on site.
• Bank charges related to the payment are the responsibility of the customer

YOUR TRIP PRICES:

The price of a trip varies depending on several factors such as the number of participants, the services included, and the tourist season…

To find out exactly what the price of your trip is, simply request a completely free online quote for your travel project by writing to us directly at our email address: info@asiaplusvoyages.com or by clicking on the "REQUEST A FREE QUOTE" button below to fill out the form.

Our specialist, French-speaking personal advisor will respond to you as soon as possible, within a maximum of 48 hours for working days.

Whether you are travelling with family, as a couple, with friends or alone, Asiaplus Voyages adapts to your expectations so that everyone is satisfied!

See you very soon in Vietnam!