ARRIVAL HANOI
You will be welcomed by your tour-guide and transferred to your hotel. You will have free time in order to recover from long flight journey.
Then we go and explore around Ba Dinh square, visit to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum (from outside) and the one pillar Pagoda known for its original construction entirely made in teak emerging from a pillar. The Hoan Kiem lake, the city’s landmark holding the Ngoc Son temple and the The Huc Bridge. This tour will end in a magnificent colonial style house and enjoy welcoming dinner.
HANOI TO SAPA
After breakfast at hotel, we will drive to the northern mountains via new main road known for its surprising diverse landscapes.
Road for a fascinating valley surrounded by beautiful mountains. Short trekking session in the heart of the mountain villages hidden between the rice plateaus, in areas untouched by mass tourism. Meet the locals and learn their daily life.
After that we head back to main road toward Sapa.
Upon arrival, we walk in this charming little mountain town and discover local markets and its stoned church…
TREKKING IN NAM HO VALLEY
After breakfast at hotel, take a short transfer to Muong Hum where we start trekking - follow a large path from our base for a 20 minutes up steep hill by the side of Den Thang Mountain.
Taking a turn to a large earthen path running on high elevation of the mountain side, passing through farm lands and some small hamlets of the Hmong peoples a fascinating panorama of the Nam Ho Valley. Leave the large path and follow a narrow dirt track to come down to a barrage at the bottom of the valley.
Enjoy picnic lunch on the rocks by a small creek. Crossing the Nam Ho Stream, trekking along the narrow dirt track through Rice plateau and lush tea farms scattered on the high side of Khu Chu Phin Mountain. Then the trail winds up and down between the forest and farmed lands before arriving to Lang Moi Village and the 40 Hmong families, meet welcoming Hmong before checking in for your home-stay, dinner with local dishes and stay overnight in a house of a Hmong family.
TREKKING IN NAM PEN VALLEY
Start trekking along the dirt trail, passing through the stunning Nam Pen Valley to Ki Quan San Village of the White Hmong. We will visit to local houses and the fields to see villagers’ daily life. Then, follow a narrow paved path to visit small hidden village, the Nam Pen which is located at the foot of Nhiu Co San Mountain. Then have a quick lunch in the village.
Continue trekking along the narrow path through a luxuriant natural forest to the hamlet of the Red Zao ethnicity which is set on the top of a mountain and dominating Nam Pen Valley. Trekking downhill through the village of the Red Zao ethnicity named Ki Quan San Tren.
Visit of local homes, meet the Red Zao peoples to learn more about the way they live and their strong and unique culture.
Rest of the day is free leisure to walk around in the village.
Enjoy your dinner with local family and stay overnight in a wooden house of a Red Zao family.
TREKKING IN PIENG LAO VALLEY / SAPA
Breakfast at homestay. We will leave for a trekking session along large villages paths for about three hours around the prosperous Pieng Lao Valley, known for its impressive terraced rice fields and for the Day ethnicity populating the area in beautiful villages sat along the Ta Loi Stream. Follow the path running along the stream and cross the suspension bridge leading to Phin Pao Village of the Zao people. After that we will have lunch at local house. After lunch, back to the trekking along the narrow dirt track which sneak among the rice fields, cross the Ta Le Stream which will take about an hour before winding uphill through Ta Le Village of the Red Zao to Sin Chai Village of the Ha Nhi ethnic. Explore local houses and meet the Ha Nhi peoples whose population is only 12,489 individual in Vietnam. Back to our base camp at Muong Hum Valley, you will be able to take a shower before heading to Sapa via Ban Khoang and Ta Giang Phinh with quick photo stops along the way. Arrival to Sapa in the late afternoon.
Check in at hotel and rest of the day is free leisure on your own.
SAPA / HOANG SU PHI
Breakfast at hotel, visit to Sapa’s local market. Taking the road to Hoang Su Phi, enjoy the astonishing sceneries with its beautiful terrace rice fields, the streams, its imposing mountains and valleys, the plum trees… We will have few stops along the way so you can enjoy the spectacular view. (Lunch on the way.)
Stop in Thong Nguyen village to walk around and meet the locals.
Arriving at Pan Hou Ecolodge, which is where we will spend the night.
HOANG SU PHI
Breakfast at the lodge and enjoy fantastic over view from the top of the mountain. This journey will be dedicated to trekking in the mountains. You will witness astonishing sceneries of terrace rice fields melting in tea plantation. Visit the Nam Hong village populated by Red Dzao peoples. Lunch at local house. Get back on the trails towards Nam Ai village to meet some members of the long dresses Dzao ethic minority. In the late afternoon, we will head back to the main road toward Pan Hou. Dinner and night at the lodge.
HOANG SU PHI / BA BE
Breakfast at the lodge. Back on the road to Ba Be following a narrow mountain road. Many stops along the way to discover some local markets and enjoy the scenic mountain view. Upon arrival to Ba Be, we visit the Pac Ngoi village, home of the Tay ethnic minority living on fishing and agriculture. Make yourself comfortable in a house on stilts and enjoy the view on the river flowing into Ba Be Lake. Lunch with the local family. Walking around the village to discover the traditional way of life of the Tay’s, you can help them with the daily tasks and get in touch with people. Dinner with host family.
BA BE TO HANOI
Breakfast in the village and transfer to Buoc Luom jetty where we start boat trip on the Ba Be Lake surrounded by the karstic mountains. The scenery is extraordinary, off the beaten track and the landscapes is very diverse, mountains, fields and jungle surrounding the entire area. The boat follows the Nang River and passes through the Puong cave before arriving to Dau Dang waterfall. After the Boat ride, we will take the road back towards Hanoi, taking a path out of the main touristic roads, the scenery will slowly change from mountain to the valley filled with rice fields. Arrival in Hanoi and check-in at the hotel. Rest of the day is free leisure on your own.
DEPARTURE
After breakfast at your hotel. Free leisure time until you connect flight and we will transfer to Hanoi airport.
