Tour Overview
Witness a local hill-tribal market in Dong Van Old Quarter. Experience on traveling to Ma Pi Leng Pass - one of the 4 highest passes in the north of Vietnam.
Itinerary
You will leave Hanoi from the Old Quarter and travel for about 2 hours to Duong Lam, an ancient village which has been under UNESCO protection since 2006. The houses date back 100-400 years and are surrounded by temples and gardens. This is an important historical site which is home to temples in honour of two kings, national heroes, who defended the land against the Chinese about 1200 years ago.
After looking around the village, you will also stop for lunch. You will continue to drive through the rural countryside, through flat paddy fields and then, as you gain height, you see tea plantations corn or maize dotted amongst the karst limestone outcrops. You will stay overnight with a delightful White Thai family in a traditional stilt house in Nghia Lo.
Highlights and activities: Duong Lam ancient, Nghia Lo, a 2 - 3 hour flat walk
Distance: Hanoi – Nghia Lo: 230 => 5 – 6 hours for driving
You will rise early and take a bike ride around the paddy fields, basking in the peaceful morning ambience. The mornings begin early for the villagers who can be seen quietly working in the fields surrounded by ducks, chickens, pigs and buffalos.
Breakfast is taken in the open air overlooking the fields before you check out and set off over the dramatic Khau Pha Mountain Pass. The rice fields of Tu Le along the way are spectacular and will fill you with wonder.
After lunch in a local restaurant, you will continue to drive to Nam Co Village where you will see the flower H'mong ethnic minority in their colourful traditional costume. If your trip falls on the correct day, you will also be able to visit the fascinating local market. You will then drive to La Pan Tan and Mam Soi terraced rice fields and take a short walk up the hill to a viewpoint to take in the incredible views.
Overnight in Mu Cang Chai
Highlights and activities: Khau Pha mountain Pass, La Pan Tan, a 5 - 7 km trek
Distance: Nghia Lo – Mu Cang Chai: 95 km => 2.5 - 3 hours for driving
After breakfast in the homestay, a local guide will collect you for the longest trek of the tour, from Kim Noi Village to Hang Dang De then to Che Cu Nha. You will enjoy a picnic lunch on the rice terraces and then continue to La Pan Tan where you will be picked up and driven back for your homestay to relax.
Overnight in Mu Cang Chai
Highlights and activities: Kim Noi village, Hang Dang De, a 15 - 17 km trek
After breakfast, you will drive from Mu Cang Chai through Than Uyen to Bac Ha town. Just forget Sapa with plenty of tourist. The road is very dramatic with many winding hairpin bends each opening up a new vista of the mountains. You will cross the Hoang Lien Son mountains before arriving in Bao Ha where you will have lunch at the chance to explore the town.
Then you will walk around and through ethnic villages to Bac Ha where you will have dinner and stay overnight in a Tay ethnic house.
Overnight in Bac Ha
Highlights and activities: Mu Cang Chai, Bac Ha town, a 4 - 6 km walk
Distance: Mu Cang Chai – Bac Ha: 190 km => 5 – 6 hours for driving
If it is a Sunday, you can visit Bac Ha and Coc Pai markets, or if it is a Saturday, Can Cau market. You will have lunch in Coc Pai before an adventurous trip along a narrow road full of hairpin bends leading towards the Ban May terraced rice fields. Each twist and turn will bring more gasps of amazement at the intricacy of the narrow, vertiginous rice terraces. Here you will see the La Chi people who are distinguishable by their traditional outfits. The girls’ clothing is mainly black with delicate coloured embroidery on a front panel and belt. A long strip is knotted around the hair makes up the headdress. As they spin, weave and dye all the fabric used for these clothes, it's common to see skeins of hemp and hand-woven strips of indigo dyed fabric drying on a line outside of the houses. You will spend the night in a homestay in the village.
Overnight in Hoang Su Phi
Highlights and activities: Ban May terraced fields, a 3 - 5 km trek
Distance: Bac Ha – Hoang Su Phi: 90 km => 2 – 2.5 hours for driving
Today, you will trek from the village of Dong Loi to Suoi Thau via the terraced rice fields, meeting the La Chi ethnic communities and seeing how they live.
Life for the La Chi can be very tough as often their houses can only be approached through the rice fields, so all food, equipment and building materials must be carried by hand. You will stop for a picnic lunch in Thang Loi Village. You will then visit the site of many ancient tombs, disguising the single treasured and protected tomb of Hoang Van Thung who was a national hero and king of the La Chi ethnic people.
After lunch, you will drive to Ha Giang to the homestay for dinner and a hard earned rest. Overnight in Ha Giang
Highlights and activities: Thang Loi village, Ha Giang, a 10 km trek
Distance: Hoang Su Phi – Ha Giang: 90 km => 2 – 2.5 hours for driving
Today you will encounter some spectacular landscapes. After acquiring a mandatory permit at the Immigration Office, you will begin your journey to Dong Van across a series of long passes.
You will have lunch en route in the small but beautiful mountain town of Tam Son. Then, you will head to the majestic King of the H’mong’s Palace, a fortress built by a local chief, Vuong Chin Duc, who was allied with the French against the Viet Minh. The palace, built in the early 1900s was designed in the ancient Chinese architectural style of the Man Qing era. It was made from materials such as solid stone, wood and terracotta tiles.
After continuing your journey, you will arrive at your hotel around 17:00 in time for dinner and an overnight stay in a hotel. Overnight in Dong Van
Highlights and activities: Tam Son mountain, King Palace, a 2 - 3 km trek
Distance: Ha Giang – Dong Van: 130 km => 2.5 – 3 hours for driving
Your morning will start with a visit to the market of Dong Van (Sunday morning), where the locals shop before returning to their mountain hamlets. You will then climb a pass up to the French Fortress of Pu Lo, built in 1890 and evacuated in 1945, from which you enjoy a spectacular view of the entire region.
The trek 7 km to Thien Huong village, this is a small village located in the valley adjacent to the border with China. It is also inhabited by Tay tribal, we then geting back to Dong Van for lunch and the road climbs 5 km up to the top of the Ma Pi Leng Pass, through a unique landscape of craggy limestone peaks and gaping valleys. You will descend into Meo Vac Valley to the village of Bao Lac, where we have diner and spend the night.
Overnight in Bao Lac
Highlights and activities: Pu Lo fortress, Thien Huong village, Ma Pi Leng, a 7 - 9 km trek
Distance: Dong Van – Bao Lac: 125 km => 2.5 – 3 hours for driving
You will then take the mountain road from Bao Lac to Cao Bang. En route to Cao Bang, we will share our secret route with you, a gorgeous small road snaking through the mountains to the Tay village of Cho Ra and then down to Ba Be National Park.
After have lunch in local restaurant we will then visit Hua Ma cave before continue travel to Tay village of Coc Toc, where you will be welcomed by Mr Linh and his amazingly friendly Tay family in their traditional stilt house. If it’s hot, you can copy the local kids and jump into the inviting waters of Ba Be lake.
Overnight in Ba Be
Highlights and activities: Bao Lac, Ba Be NP, Hua Ma cave, a 2 - 3 km trek
Distance: Bao Lac – Ba Be: 140 => 3 – 4 hours for driving
After breakfast at the homestay, you will go on foot to Bo Lu Quay where you will board a boat trip around Ba Be Lake. You can relax on board, do some wildlife spotting or if you need to cool off, you can jump into the cool, clean waters for a refreshing swim! As you float down the Nang River, you can take in the scenery of the surrounding karsts decorated with patches of wild vegetation and inhabited by all sorts of interesting creatures. Look out for the rainbow of butterflies that flit across the sky or listen to the gentle song of the many species of birds in the park. The boat will come to Puong Cave where you can explore the stalactites and stalagmites which are a result of the erosion of the river on the karst as well as looking out for the bat colony several thousand strong.
After your, exploration of the lake, you can rest on the drive back to Hanoi, taking in the beautiful scenery on the way.
You will stop for lunch at a local restaurant on the way before arriving back in Hanoi at about 17:30.
Highlights and activities: Ba Be Lake, Boat trip, Puong Cave, a 2 - 3 km trek
Distance: Ba Be lake - Hanoi: 240 km => 5 – 6 hours for driving.
End of services
List of accommodations
Trip includes
Included
• Sharing Communal house on stilts or 3* hotel with double / twin sharing
• Meals as mentioned in the program. B= Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner Base on Vietnamese Food
• Transfer from and to the airports by private vehicle with A/C. Transportation by private vehicle with A/C.
* Mineral water with 2 bottles of 500ml/ tour day/pax.
• All entrance fees and sightseeing as mentioned in the program.
• Local English speaking guide(s) as mentioned
• Local Moutain guide escort
• FOC in ½ Twin room for group of 15 paying pax onward (excluding internal airfares and visas). Maximum 01 FOC per group.
Excluded
• Early check in and late check out at hotel
• Meals and drinks which are not mentioned in the program
• International flight tickets and airport taxes. All internal/ regional flight tickets in economy class
• TIPPING for local guide and van driver
*2 – 4 pax: 7 – 10 USD/ pax/ day
*5 – 7 pax: 5 – 7 USD/ pax/ day
*8 – 10 pax: 3 – 5 USD/ pax/ day
*10 pax up: 3 USD/ pax/ day
• International flight tickets and airport taxes. All internal/ regional flight tickets in economy class
• Visa fees upon arrival in Vietnam
• Hotel in Hanoi
• Tips & personal expenses. Personal insurance. Any services not clearly mentioned in the program
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