From Hanoi to Cat Ba Island
Duration: 11 days
Place: Hanoi - Bac Ha - Ha Giang - Yen Bai - Cat Ba Island
Meals: 10 Breakfast, 4 Lunch, 6 Dinner
Group size: Min , Max
Operated in: English
Highlights
North Vietnam tour 11 days: Discover Bac Ha, Hoang Su Phi, Lan Ha Bay,... on an unforgettable journey through stunning landscapes and culture
- Hanoi is a bustling city with a mix of Vietnamese and colonial influences
- Bac Ha and Ha Giang, the ethnic cradle of Vietnam. Unforgettable encounters with northern minorities, colorful markets. Hikes in sumptuous landscapes of rice terraces in the heart of Tonkin
- Thac Ba Lake is the largest artificial lake in northern Vietnam, allowing you to discover local activities along the water
- Cat Ba Island, boasts stunning beaches, lush jungles, and dramatic cliffs. It’s perfect for hiking and relaxing amid breathtaking scenery
Itinerary
-
Welcome by the tour guide upon your arrival at the airport, and transfer by private car to the hotel
In the afternoon, try cyclo for 1 hour to discover:
- From the colonial district with its charming architecture, to the avenues lined with greenery
- Hoan Kiem Lake and its legend and Ngoc Son
- From the maze of streets teeming with small shops in the heart of the famous and fascinating “old quarter of the 36 corporations” and its famous silk street (Hang Gai)
Depending on your wish, the evening entertainment will be scheduled either on the 1st day of your arrival or on a following day to be chosen with your guide, depending on the timing of the days in Hanoi
- Water puppet show
- Welcome dinner with our host
- Overnight in hotel
Meal: Dinner -
Depending on your centers of interest and the timing, you manage with your guide the choice of these visits and the order in which you wish to do them!
- The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
- The One Pillar Pagoda
- Quan Thanh Temple & Tran Quoc Pagoda
- Visiting Dong Xuan Market
- Visiting the Women’s Museum
- The visit to the Ethnography Museum, the result of Franco-Vietnamese cooperation, is marvelous
- The street of the train: surprising... houses glued to each other and crossed by a railway line and the inhabitants who live on the rails
- A workshop for making lacquer, the specialty of Vietnam. You will have the explanations of the different stages, the inlay of mother-of-pearl, eggshells, etc...
Around 8:30 PM, transfer to the Hanoi train station to take the overnight sleeper train to Lao Cai with your guide
Overnight on train
Meal: Breakfast -
Lao Cai - Bac Ha: 75 km - 2h
Very early arrival at Lao Cai station. Breakfast at a local establishment before starting the visits
Transfer to Bac Ha where the relief from tourists is apparent
- Tour to the H’mong Kings House that was built by the French in 1920
- Arrive at Ban Pho village and meet with the colourful Tay and H’mong members
- Continue to engage with local people by familiarizing yourself to your homestay
- Overnight in homestay
Meal: Breakfast, Dinner -
Bac Ha - Hoang Su Phi: 85 km - 3h
Transfer to Lung Phinh market which takes place only on Fridays
10 km from Bac Ha, this small market is in the valley, surrounded by mountains and rice terraces. The minority ethnic groups, Flower Hmong, Black Dzao, Black Hmong, Tay, Nung, Phu La gather in the markets because they are places of meetings and commercial and social exchanges. Different costumes for each ethnic group, total dazzling! You will taste rice and corn alcohols made by minorities
Departure for Hoang Su Phi via Coc Pai. Short stop to fully enjoy the grandiose landscapes. Except during foggy days, especially in January and February, the landscapes offer spectacular, breathtaking views. Visit a village perched at around 1000m altitude on the side of a mountain which dominates the valley. Lunch at Hoang Su Phi then visit Mount Kiou Leou Ti, which rises to 2402 meters. Hike uphill, through beautiful rice terraces and villages. Welcomed into a black Dao family
Lunch and dinner included
Overnight in homestay
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner -
Hoang Su Phi - Ha Giang - Ha Thanh: 100 km - 3h
2-hour hike on a mountainous road where rice terraces and hamlets populated by Dao people follow one another
Drive through the Hoang Su Phi region en route to Ha Giang. After crossing two passes called “gates of heaven”, we descend towards the basin of the Lô river. Between these two passes, discovery of the renowned and classified landscape: the magnificent rice terraces of Thong Nguyen, developed by the Red Dao
Starting from the town of Tan Quang, we head north for a distance of 45 km along the river to the superb village of Ha Thanh. This set includes around fifty houses on stilts with wooden partitions and roofs made of latan leaves. Charming, peaceful and relaxing, this village is nestled at the foot of the Tay Con Linh massif
At the end of the afternoon, according to your wishes, walk to discover the village and the rice fields. Rice fields, vegetable gardens, small ponds dedicated to fish breeding and houses on stilts surrounded by greenery make up the landscape which shapes the living environment of local inhabitants
Dinner included
Overnight in homestay
Meal: Breakfast, Dinner -
Hike for a few hours in the Tay Con Linh massif through a path shaded by broad-leaved palm trees. Visit the village of Red Dao. The rice fields surrounding the village extend over the rolling slopes of the mountains like the flanks of an immense animal. Their appearance varies considerably depending on the season
In winter and spring, bare crops expose raw soil dotted with burnt straw. From the end of April to the end of May, the flooded terraces reflect the sky. From July to October, they are adorned with a palette of colors, ranging from bright green to golden yellow. Continuation of the hike towards another Tay village, a true haven of peace
In the afternoon, meeting with a villager, artisanal producer of the most popular drink in the ethnic villages of the north, which has become a distinctive cultural trait: rice alcohol. He explains the entire production process of this drink to you. Then with another villager for his explanations of rice growing techniques. Introduction to agricultural work according to the seasons
Lunch and dinner included
Overnight in homestay
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner -
Ha Thanh - Thac Ba Lake: 175 km - 4h
Departure for Thac Ba Lake, the road winds through pretty hillsides in a charming region of small rice-growing valleys, punctuated with small hamlets of the Dao ethnic group
Thac Ba Lake covers an area of 23,000 hectares and reaches a depth of more than 50 meters in places. Depending on the season, it retains between 3 and 4 billion cubic meters of water. Its creation in 1970 flooded a vast area of hills, resulting in the formation of more than 1,300 islands
Stop at the town of Cam Nhan for a one-hour walk in its valley. Visit to the Tay hamlets of Ban Hung
Arrival at the charming Dao village of Ngoi Tu early in the afternoon. A boat trip on the lake will allow you to discover local activities along the water
Lunch and dinner included
Overnight in homestay
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner -
Thac Ba Lake - Hanoi: 150 km - 3h
Morning exploring Thac Ba Lake: according to your wishes with activities of your choice:
- Cao Bien mountain hike
- Bike ride around the lake
- Swimming and fishing on the lake
- Discovery of Dao fishing activities
- Visit to historical sites: Thac Ba Temple, Sao Pagoda
- Walk on the lake and the Chay river (motor canoe)
- Visit to the Thac Ba hydroelectric center
- Visit Thuy Tien Stalactite Cave, Xuan Long Cave
Return to Hanoi by road and arrive in Hanoi late in the afternoon
Overnight in hotel
Meal: Breakfast -
Hanoi - Cat Ba Island - Viet Hai Village: 3h
Tu Long Bay, the eastern part of Halong Bay, was already in the spotlight of our programs, away from the hordes of junks in a world of charm. Today, further south of Halong Bay, and close to the island of Cat Ba, further out in the sea, and far from common routes, Lan Ha Bay wins the beauty list!
Departure from the hotel, transfer to Hai Phong. By ferry (30 minutes), navigation for the island of Cat Ba, the largest island around Halong Bay, renowned for its reliefs and its forest
Boat tour in the magnificent Lan Ha Bay to the east of Cat Ba Island
At the end of the day, disembarkation at the port of Viet Hai and collection of bicycles to reach the village. The path runs along the sea, passes a pass then crosses a valley surrounded by limestone peaks
Overnight in hotel
Meal: Breakfast -
Viet Hai Village - Cat Ba Island - Hanoi: 3h
Morning hike in the heart of the Cat Ba national park, relatively strenuous (around 4 hours). The trail, difficult at first, crosses a fairly dense forest before turning into an easier path towards the entrance to the park
Transfer to the port of Cat Ba, then boarding for a cruise of approximately 2 hours in the middle of the 1969 islands and islets of the famous Halong Bay. Lunch on board
Road back to Hanoi
Overnight in hotel
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch -
Free time for personal activities until transfer to the airport for your departure flight
Meal: Breakfast
Inclusions
Included
- All accommodation in suggested hotels
- All meals as mentioned in the program
- All transfers by private car and a professional driver
- All other transportation used for travel: sampan, small boat, etc...
- A professional English – speaking guide at each stage the entire time (except during free time)
- All tours as per the designed program
- All entry fees for places you visit
- All the entertainment and shows mentioned in the program
- All program activities (bike, kayak, or others...)
Excluded
- International flights to and from your home country
- Beverages, personal expenses and other services not clearly mentioned
- Tipping guides and drivers, which are of course not mandatory, but always appreciated, are subject to your discretion
- Travel insurance of any kind that you subscribe to personally
- Any free time services: including car and driver, tour guide, lunch and dinner
BOOKING POLICY
To make the booking, please fill out the reservation form and personal form and return to us by email. Then make a deposit payment 20% of the total amount. The balance to be paid on the first day of arrival in the country
As soon as our agency has collected your deposit, within 10 days, you will receive our confirmation of your travel reservations, by email
Flexible cancellation policy with a small charge deducted from the total deposit
Various payment options available, including:
- International bank transfer
- Credit card
- Cash at our office
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Frequently Asked Questions
Hanoi Voyages offers a complete and varied range of accommodation options, where comfort, charm and warmth of welcome are always at the forefront. These hotels range from 3 stars to 5 stars depending on your budget.
Of course, Hanoi Voyages offers tailor-made and custom tours, so all changes are possible before departure, even after confirmation.
In case of cancellation, please contact us so that we can offer you a suitable solution.
We prioritize having a local guide specialized by region: one for the north, one for the central area, and one for the south. However, we balance the itinerary to minimize the tour guide's presence so you can save costs and enjoy other services.
It’s best to make your reservation as early as possible to find attractive prices and availability of services.
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