Best Of Northern Vietnam (9 days/8 nights)

Upon arriving at Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport, you will be welcomed by one of our MinMax Travel team members and brought to your hotel in a private car. As arrival times vary and international travel can be quite exhausting, we leave the remainder of the day open. Your first night is spent in Hanoi city.

We begin our tour of Hanoi by visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Here you can experience the architectural splendor and historical importance of Uncle Ho's final resting place- a national treasure for all Vietnamese. Adjacent to the mausoleum is Ho Chi Minh's former “House on Stilts,” where the leader spent a great deal of his free time. From here we visit the nearby One Pillar Pagoda, an 11th century temple built by King Ly Thai To. This pagoda is not only historically and religiously significant, but is also an important symbol for the people of Hanoi City. Continuing on, we visit one of the city’s most iconic destinations: the Temple of Literature (Quoc Tu Giam). Vietnam’s first University, this 11th century establishment boasts perfectly manicured gardens and extremely well-preserved architecture, offering visitors some excellent insight into Vietnam’s rich past.

After a busy morning, we will enjoy lunch at a delicious local restaurant and travel by cyclo through the bustling “Old Quarter” of Hanoi (approximately 1 hour). Our scenic cyclo tour ends with a visit to Lake Hoan Kiem’s Ngoc Son Temple and a live viewing of Hanoi's world-famous Water Puppet Show (Mua Roi Nuoc). A traditional form of entertainment in Northern Vietnam, the roots of these memorable shows date as far back as the 10th century. Day 2 ends with a transfer back to the hotel and another night in the capital city.

After breakfast, we will depart from your hotel (by private car) to the Ninh Binh Province (home to Hoa Lu). Here you will visit the historic 10th century capital of Vietnam and its famous Le & Dinh Dynasty Temples. Relaxing and walking around the picturesque, quiet village roads, you will pass through rice fields, rivers and rocky outcrops until reaching Tam Coc.

After having lunch in Tam Coc, the car will take you to “Sunny Wharf”, where you’ll board a traditional sampan for an hour and a half boat journey to the heart of “Inland Ha Long Bay”. Soak in the beauty of the surrounding karsts as you pass along their rocky bases and row into one of the many limestone-carved caves. 
We will stop for a short rest near a small shrine before returning to the boat. We will make our way back to the dock and begin the drive back to Hanoi, arriving to your hotel around 5:30pm. (Overnight in Hanoi.)

Day 4 starts around 8:00-8:30 AM with a hotel pickup and shuttle bus out to Halong Bay. Upon arriving at the port, the Ha Long Cruise boat crew will bring you aboard, where you can enjoy a welcome drink and check in to your assigned cabin. A seafood lunch will be served soon after, and as your boat launches out into the mystical bay, you’ll immediately see many of the numerous attractions. A quiet cruise carries you along the amazing karsts, all boasting different, unique formations. From the Mat Qui (Monster’s face), But Moc & Cap De islets, through the Trong (Drum), Luon and Trinh Nu caves, out into the remarkable Floating Fishing Village- you will be mesmerized and captivated by Halong’s timeless beauty. As for personal time, there will be plenty of opportunities for swimming, sun bathing and photography all throughout the day. Top off the day with an unforgettable sunset dinner and relax under the starlit sky before retiring to the comfort of your cabin.

Early risers can enjoy a morning view of the Bay’s iconic landscapes while waiting for breakfast. After eating, pass the morning hours atop the boat’s upper deck, where you can capture breathtaking, panoramic shots of the rocky islets rising up from the bay’s crystal-clear waters. With no towns, roads or traffic nearby, the silence is absolutely serene. Before heading back to town, explore one more “Amazing” (Sung Sot) cave, swim and relax at the Titop Beach and soak up some top-deck rays. Lunch is served while you make your way to port, and you’ll arrive at the harbor by 12:00 Noon. Your shuttle bus to Hanoi will be waiting, and you’ll arrive back at the hotel around 4.30PM. (Overnight in Hanoi.)

Day 6 is entirely open, and you are free to explore Hanoi city on your own. Around 7:30 PM, our transport will pick you up at your hotel and transfer you to the train station, where you will catch an overnight train to Lao Cai Station (Sapa). (Overnight on Train).

Upon arrival in Lao Cai (around 5:30AM), you will be picked up and transferred (in a private car) to Sapa. You will have a chance to eat breakfast and relax at local restaurant once you reach the town.

You will have the morning to walk around and explore Sapa on your own, and after lunch, will check in to the hotel. Around mid afternoon you will embark on a 2-hour trekking journey from the hotel to visit the authentic Cat Cat Village: home of to the Black H'mong hill tribe. A private car will pick you up and transfer you back to the hotel. (Overnight in Sapa).

After breakfast at the hotel, we will travel down to a neighboring valley to visit 2 other local villages of the H’mong and Dzay people (Lao Chai and Ta Van village). Here you will enjoy a traditional lunch (provided for you in a local family home), where you can experience the local’s daily life, work and special customs amidst the stunning Sapa landscapes. Our car will pick you up and bring you back to the Lao Cai train station where you will catch a night train back to Hanoi. (Overnight on train).

Upon arriving at the Hanoi Train Station (around 5:00 AM), you can walk to a nearby MinMax affiliate hotel to have some breakfast, relax and freshen up. Our driver will then pick you up and transfer you to the airport for your flight back home. (End of Tour).

We would like to express our sincere thanks for considering and (hopefully) choosing to travel with MinMax.We are confident that you will thoroughly enjoy every moment of your trip and every corner of our beautiful country.

MinMax: The Maximum experience for the Minimum price!