Northern Vietnam 13 Days Private Tour

7:45 – 8:15: Pick up at Old Quarter by tour guide.

Begin your adventure in Ha Thai village, renowned for its lacquerware production since the17th century. Meet a celebrated local artisan who will introduce you to this traditional artform. Under their expert guidance, you’ll have the opportunity to create your own lacquerpainting as a unique souvenir. Next, journey to the 300-year-old Chuong village, famous for its conical hat making. Wanderthrough the village and, depending on availability, either visit a war veteran to hear personalstories from the Vietnam War or meet other local artisans to learn about their daily lives. Enjoy a delicious home-cooked lunch prepared by a local female artisan, immersing yourselfin authentic Vietnamese hospitality. After lunch, try your hand at painting your own hat orjoin in the hat-making process with guidance from skilled craftspeople. Complete your artisanal tour at the vibrant Quang Phu Cau incense village. Walk through thevillage center to observe family-scale incense production. Visit a household specializing indyeing incense sticks and capture stunning photos of colorful incense bundles. The experience culminates with a tour of the village’s largest incense factory, where you’llwitness the entire production process and gain insights into the lives of rural workers. 17:00 – 17:30: Your journey concludes with a return to Hanoi, with the option to be droppedoff at the famous Train Street or another location of your choice. This full-day tour offers a comprehensive immersion into Vietnam’s living craft traditions,combining hands-on experiences, cultural insights, and visual spectacles.

Overnight in Hanoi.

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In the morning, travel by private car from Hanoi towards Bac Ha in the Sapa region. The drive will take approximately 5 hours. Press on along the winding road before taking your first glimpse of Bac Ha village, sitting in a valley with cleared hillsides and rustic farmland. Stretch your legs as you walk off the bus, then begin a trek to your homestay in Ta Van Chu (approximately 10 km/6 mi). Arrive at the homestay, which is comfy, quiet, and surrounded by pristine farmland. The rest of the day is a relaxing time.

Overnight in Ta Van Chu.

After breakfast at your homestay, visit the Bac Ha fairground market. This is a great place to pick up locally dyed fabrics, hemp plants, and handmade textiles. Depending on the availability, you can witness the extraordinary atmosphere of the ethnic markets around this region:

Tuesday: Coc Ly market

Wednesday: Sin Cheng market

Thursday: Cao Son market Lun Khau Nhin market.

Saturday: Can Cau market

Sunday: Bac Ha market

Then trek approximately 5 to 6 hours to the hill tribe village and enjoy a picnic lunch on the way. Push on through terraced farmland and bamboo scrub for excellent views of emerald valleys, superb rice terraces, and spectacular mountains.

In the evening, settle into your homestay in Bac Ha for the night.

Overnight in Bac Ha. 

In the morning, take a long drive to the Ha Giang province. This is a highland region of forests and terraced rice and corn paddies, with the mountains of Heaven’s Gate (Quan Ba pass) soaring in the background. The Ha Giang province also shares a border with southern China and is known as Vietnam’s final frontier.

After relaxing and getting to know your surroundings, visit the local markets and shop fronts, which are relics of a bygone era. Afterwards, venture to the local museum and explore Cuom Village, witnessing the colorful traditional dress of the local people. The evening is free to spend as you wish.

Overnight in Ha Giang.

Today, leave for the first of many scenic mountain drives throughout Ha Giang province. Stop to browse Minh Tao Market before wandering through the village of Nam Luong. Afterwards, pass through Lung Tam textile village and the Vuong Family Palace in Sa Phin commune, built in the shape of a royal Manchu palace. This is known as the former palace of the Hmongs’ King before continuing to Dong Van where you’ll spend the night.

Overnight in Dong Van.

This morning, we take the most spectacular road in all of Vietnam, which winds for 15 km to the top of the Ma Pi Leng Pass, a hulk of desert peaks and unique canyons in the world. We then descend on Meo Vac for lunch. Visit the Meo Vac market before setting off on a trekking loop that starts and finishes in Dong Van. The trek (approximately 4 hours in total) is moderate and suitable for those with an average fitness level. Wind your way through the spectacular landscape, where you can expect to witness glorious views and capture some amazing pictures of lush valleys and rice paddies.

After that, drive past terraced rice farms on the road to Bao Lac (approximately 4 hours), a small town in the mountainous region of northern Vietnam. The area is home to the Black Lo Lo ethnic group, who are well known for their colourful attire and finesse in making bronze drums. The bronze drums hold a special place in Lo Lo customs, being used at funerals and important family events. In Lo Lo culture, only the sound of the drums can help the souls of the dead find their way to the birthplace of their ancestors.

Overnight stay in Bao Lac.

Today you will travel to Ba Be Lake (approximately 4 hours). Once there, head down the river by boat on an exploration of Ba Be National Park, visiting the largest natural lake in Vietnam. Disembark for some light walks along the way, visit the impressive waterfalls that feed the lake and observe the natural flora and fauna. Return to land in the afternoon, and head to a family-owned guesthouse in Pac Ngoi village where you will spend the night. The family you’re staying with will prepare lunch for you, and the rest of the day is free to explore the surrounding area. In the evening sit down for a delicious dinner with your hosts. This is a great opportunity to gain an insight into their lives and culture.

Overnight in Pac Ngoi.

After breakfast, have a boat trip to explore the lake and the Nang river to the Dau Dang waterfalls. Stroll around to admire the waterfall, then embark on the boat to go up the river and cross the lake from north to south. Then head back to your homestay and get ready to transfer to Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Today you will experience the ancient culture and history of Vietnam together with seeing the stunning landscape and beautiful scenery when we travel to the Ninh Binh Province. Your guide will pick you up from your hotel around 7:30-8:00 am and depart to Ninh Binh.

The first destination to visit is Hoa Lu ancient capital. Here you will explore the outstanding architecture of King Dinh and King Le temples, the first emperors of ancient Vietnam. 

Then move to Tam Coc wharf, where you will have lunch with Vietnamese food. And then board the rowing boat and cruise along the river through the limestone caves. After the boat trip, you will take a cycling trip around the idyllic village through the rice fields to explore the surrounding sceneries. 

Then come back to the shuttle bus to return to your hotel in Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi.

In the morning, check out of the hotel, and get picked up by the Cruise team. Take the most scenic route to reach Halong Bay, taking you across the Red River Delta with emerald green rice paddies stretching for as far as the eyes can see. 

On arrival at the pier, you will board the cruise and enjoy the fantastic views of limestone rocks and the karst grottoes. Have an utterly delicious seafood lunch and enjoy the time at the sundeck exploring the Bay. 

The cruise will stop in a secret place where you will spend time kayaking or swimming, so you can explore the karst grottoes closer. Towards the evening, you will return to the boat for an early dinner, followed by some time at leisure. You can optionally attend the activities taking part on the boat or just relax.

Overnight on cruise.

Note: In case of bad weather (the boat is not allowed to push off or not allowed to overnight in the sea), the Ha Long bay tour could be canceled without notice. We will consider other replacement tours or a refund based on the specific circumstances.

Rise early today to view the sunrise at the wonder of nature with breakfast served in the dining room. A Tai Chi class on the sun deck will awake your mind and muscles.

Then head off to visit the limestone cave full of stalagmites and stalactites. After your exploration return to the boat to check out and enjoy the brunch while the cruise is sailing back to the harbor. Later you will be transferred to your accommodation in Hanoi. 

Overnight in Hanoi.