Off the Beaten Path Tour in North Vietnam

Morning activities:

At 7.30 am leave Hanoi with our tour guide and driver for Nghia Lo – the second beautiful valley of rice fields in the north of Vietnam. En route you stop to visit the Mia pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam with over 250 statues. And then travel to Duong Lam ancient village, that’s renowned for its historic houses constructed with laterite blocks.

Afternoon & evening activities:

Continue to process to Nghia Lo through the Trung Ha bridge. Stop alongside the way to discover the daily life and activities of White Thai minority people. Have lunch on the way.

You also have chance to visit the beautiful Muong Lo Valley where has the beautiful terrace field at the valley

Arrive at Nghia Lo late afternoon. Check in stilt house. Have dinner with local minority family. O/N at stilt-house in Nghia Lo.

Note: Homestay at remote village at mountain area in Vietnam is just standard for mattress. Have a curtain between each mattress. Share the same toilet with many other people but clean.

Morning activities:

Breakfast at the family. Let start the day at 07:30 am to leave Nghia Lo for Tu Le ~40 km. It is an easy hike to visit the village of Thai ethnic people at Tu Le. It’s a tranquil village with beautiful scenery and terrace rice fields. Meet locals and visit a Thai family.

Continue to Mu Cang Chai around 40 km via the scenic landscape of terraced rice fields, especially from April to October (there are lovely seasons: the rice water and the harvest seasons). Have a stop for admire and shoot photo the lovely and scenic rice terraces. In particular on the neck of Khau Pha Pass with an amazing view over the valley and the most amazing rice terraces not only in northwest Vietnam but also in the country. These are inside the villages La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha, Shoes shape hill, Mam Xoi hill by motorbike. Have lunch on way.

Afternoon activities:

Process to Sapa town (~160 km) passing through fields of lovely tea. In Than Uyen the roads climbs up to the highest pass in vietnam (2047m) with terrace fields and views. Have a fast stop to experience the freshness and to admire Mount Fansipan. Arrive at Sapa town late afternoon, there’s some free time on your free entertainment and discovery. Lied at 1,650 meters above sea level and enjoy a cool temperate weather, Sapa town was an vintage resort created by the French in the region of Fanxipan Mountain ~ 3143m sea level which is known as the roof of Indochina. Have dinner at local restaurant.

Evening activities:

Evening is the time for the experience around Sa Pa town to get the beautiful of famous Sa Pa town. O/N in Sapa.

Morning activities:

Have breakfast at hotel. At 08:00 you begin the tour from Sapa town. Take a short road on the main road about 4 km with a stopover en route for lovely stunning scenery of Fansipan Mountain and Muong Hoa valley. Trekking uphill along a large and rocky path for 2 hours to Hang Da village (The home of the Black H’mong) which hides itself beneath lush trees on the way to Den Thang Mountain. Visit and discover the village, have a visit at local families. Have lunch in the village.

Afternoon activities:

This afternoon you continue trekking on the same trail which goes on the high mountain side for approximately an hour which gives a splendid view of Muong Hoa valley until arriving at Thao Hong Den also the village of the Black H’mong people for visit some families and interact with them. Keep go downhill to Pho village on the middle of Hau Thao commune. You’ll be picked up and transfer via avenue again to Sapa. You are back hotel in Sapa around 16.00pm. Free to have your own dinner. O/N in Sapa.

Note: The itinerary of trekking can be adjusted depending on the weather conditions, your age and your health status:

• Option 1: Lao Chai / Ta Van (5 km, soft trek, very touristy)
• Option 2: Cat Cat / Y Linh Ho / Lao Chai / Tavan (14 km, medium trek)
• Option 3: Xau Chau / Sa Seng / Hau Thao / Giang Ta Chai (14 km, medium trek, off the beaten track)

Morning activities:

After breakfast at hotel, this morning you will make a trekking to Y Ty village. First the driver transfer you about 2 hours to reach Y Ty village. From there you start to have your walking 3km more to visit the village of Blue H’Mong people. Have picnic lunch

Afternoon activities:

You will have more time to see beautiful terrace fields at the village which less touristic than other villages in Sapa. You have more 4km trek to Ha Nhi people village and learn more of their daily life as well as their house architecture uniquely. Get more enjoyment and then trek back the main road where the driver wait for transfer back Sapa town

Note:

• Trekking distance 7km and road difficult : 4/5
• Avoid visit on Sunday because the local authorities don’t work on this day so we cannot ask the permission for visiting or overnight at stilt house

Evening activities:

You have more free time in the evening to get more experience the romantic atmosphere in Sapa town. O/N in Sapa.

Morning activities:

Have breakfast at your hotel. At 08:30 am you leave Sapa town for getting on the road to Lao Cai (~35 km). You will make a short stopover at Cau Kieu – the frendship bridge that links Vietnam and China. Continue to Bac Ha about 65 km and visit the old H’mong King house to learn more of traditional style and its history. Then check-in local H’mong home (1.5km from Bac Ha). Enjoy lunch and have some chatting time with friendly host members.

Afternoon & evening activities:

In the afternoon walk around to visit nearby Hmong minority villages, visit their houses, have a cup of tea and visit their green vegetable fields. Have dinner with the family and overnight in local home. O/N in Bac Ha

Note: Homestay is basic condition, no private room, clean mattress, pillow and blacket are provided for guests.

Morning activities:

Have breakfast at the family. At 8.00 am start the visiting Bac Ha Market right in the heart of Bac Ha Town. It is the largest minority market in this area. Every Sunday, the different and colorful minority people group all come here to sell their homemade products or buy something for their family. They are Hmong, Phu La, Back Dzao, Tay or Nung minorities. Some of these ethnic minorities can’t be met in any other areas. You can buy something at the market for souvenir and shoot photos of different groups and activities. Then you leave Bac Ha for Ha Giang Province and pass through Pho Rang for lunch.

Afternoon & evening activities:

Afternoon is the continue time to Viet Quang town where is the entrance to reach Ha Giang town. Arrive in Ha Giang. Have dinner and overnight at the stilt house. O/N in Ha Giang

Note: If your travel time not fall on Sundays, we can flexible to replace the market Bac Ha by Can Cau market which is open on Saturdays morning or other markets from Monday to Sundays (each market open only 1 day of the week).

Morning activities:

Have breakfast with the local family. At 08:00 am you walk & enjoy the Phuong Thien nursery, infirmary and village. Then you depart for Dong Van Plateau via Quan Ba and Yen Minh to visit Nam Dam village where is famous for homestay village, Quan Ba Heaven gate, Twin Mountain, pine forest road in Yen Minh. The remote region of Dong Van is a land of rugged mountains and beautiful hill tribe villages. You can see this region being remained unchanged for centuries. Have lunch on the way.

Afternoon & evening activities:

You travel to northwest out of Ha Giang Town towards this northernmost tip of Vietnam. The former Hmong royal house at Sa Phin is a primary attraction of the region. It is famous in some Vietnam film scene. It is the blend of the hill tribe people’s colourful costumes and the majestic mountainous landscapes make this long and sometimes bumpy trip an unforgettable experience. Have more visit Dong Van Karst Plateau. Once arrive in Dong Van, have dinner at local restaurant and O/N in Dong Van.

Note: Hotel in Dong Van is standard as guesthouse.

Morning activities:

Have breakfast at hotel. At 08:00am you visit the market and the old district of Dong Van for more experience. Next you continue the excursion to Lung Cu where has the Chinese border. View the panorama of the whole scenery from the top of Lung Cu Flag Tower. Back to Dong Van for lunch.

Afternoon & evening activities:

Afternoon you depart Dong Van for Meo Vac (30 km), in the heart of a mountainous region with a moderate climate, crossing the Mountain Ma Phi Leng at over 2000 meters sea level. You can admire a beautiful view over the valley with terraced fields of hemp, karst hills, stilt houses, and the minority people of Hmong, Dao and Nho Que River. This romantic and tranquil river takes its source in China to expand on the Vietnamese territory as a band of white silk. Arrive in Meo Vac. Check in guesthouse. Walk through the village enviroment. Have dinner and O/N in Meo Vac.

Morning activities:

After breakfast, At 08:00 am you travel to the Lung Phinh market (9 km from Meo Vac). It is the largest and most authentic Northeast Vietnam market. Here you will be impressed by this market that attracts all the minority groups in the region as the Hmong, Dao, Cao Lan, Lo Lo, Tay minorities all come here… Back to Meo Vac for lunch.

Afternoon & evening activities:

Then transfer to Bao Lac. Arrive in Bao Lac and free to have your own discovery and enjoyment of Bao Lac. Have dinner and O/N in Bao Lac.

Note: This route could be changed depending on Lung Phinh market days.

Morning activities:

Breakfast at hotel. Leave Bao Lac at 08:00am and transfer to the village of Black Lolo via the road (10 km), and you have a 2 km hiking to visit this Lo Lo village. Have lunch on the way.

Afternoon activities:

Afternoon you continue on the mountain road for return Hanoi city. Arrive in Hanoi at about 19.00 pm. End of our service at hotel in Hanoi city. Happy to have an enjoyable journey with us and have as much as possible photography Northern Vietnam beautifully!