SANGEETHA'S PLAN: VIETNAM ITINERARY 10D9N IN NORTHERN PART

Welcome to Ha Noi – the capital of Viet Nam!

You will get picked up by our driver from the airport.

Transfer to Ha Noi hotel.

Explore Hanoi by yourself.

Overnight in Ha Noi

06:20: Our sleeping bus will pick you at the address on Tran Quang Khai street and depart to Sapa following Noi Bai – Lao Cai highway. Along the way, you will have a chance to enjoy the beauty of northwestern mountains, terraced fields sparkling in sunlight or dim in thick fog. Have two short breaks in 30 minutes for each and then continue the trip to Sapa.

13:00 – 13:30: Arrive in Sapa, eat lunch and check in at the hotel.

14:30: You will start hiking to Cat Cat Village which is occupied by the Black H’mong tribe. Here, you can see the hydroelectric power station which was built by the French in the twentieth century. You will experience the tribal way of life of ethnic minorities while enjoying wonderful views of the terraced rice paddy fields and the waterfall in Cat Cat village. Visitors will also understand culture, unique customs, traditional crafts such as weaving, touching carved silver, forged agricultural tools…Come back to the hotel.

After dinner, you are free to explore the charm of Sapa by night, enjoy roasted corn, baked eggs beside charcoal fire or go shopping. Especially on Saturday night, we highly recommend a stop at the Love Market – one of the unique cultures of ethnic minorities in northwest Vietnam. Overnight at hotel in Sapa.

Overnight in Sapa

Having breakfast at the hotel.

08:30: Start trekking about 6 km to the Southeast of Sapa along the slopes of Muong Hoa valley to Y Linh Ho village of Black H’mong. After that, we will continue walking about 3 km to Lao Chai village of the H’mong people. Tourists need to walk through a small tunnel/over a small bridge leading to Muong Hoa valley to get inside the village.

11:30 – 12:00:  Having lunch at Ta Van village and rest

13:00 – 15:00:  Tour guide will take you to visit the villages of the local people with terraced fields and streams.

16:00: Back to hotel in Sapa Town

Overnight in Sapa

Have breakfast in the hotel.

08:00: Car and tour guide take you to Fansipan Cable Car Station to start the journey to conquer Fansipan with the world’s most modern 3-wire cable car system with a cabin that can accommodate up to 30 visitors. Then continue conquering to the top of Fansipan at 3.143m higher from sea-level, the roof of Indochina.

Then visiting Moana check-in spot such as Bali sky gate, Moana girl statue, Infinity lake.

12:00: Back to Sapa, have lunch and rest.

14:00: Get on the bus and go back to Hanoi.

20:30 – 21:00: Arrive to Ha Noi

Overnight in Ha Noi

07:30: Get picked up by tour guide and driver. Heading to Phat Diem Cathedral is one of the oldest cathedrals in Vietnam, with the age of more than 100 years. Phat Diem Cathedral is about 120 kilometers away from Hanoi, so it takes about more than 2 hours to get there.

The cathedral draws many tourists due to its unique blend of Eastern and Western architecture.

Unlike the traditional architecture of other cathedrals in Vietnam, the highlight of Phat Diem Cathedral’s architecture is the combination of Eastern and Western styles.

Next, visiting Bich Dong pagoda renowned as a timeless cultural and historical relic in Vietnam, Bich Dong Pagoda is a striking spiritual attraction for tourists all around the world. Coming to this pagoda, you have a chance to worship and make offerings, enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, and learn more about Buddhism in Vietnam.

Having lunch at local restaurant with Vietnamese foods.

In the afternoon, take the boat to visit Tam Coc route on Ngo Dong River. It takes you about 1 hour 30 minutes for the boat trip.

Finish the trip. Driver and tour guide take you to hotel in Tam Coc. Check in hotel. Have a rest!

Overnight in Tam Coc.

On this day you are joining group tour. The group will start from Ha Noi. Check out hotel. Hotel will catch taxi to take you to the meeting point to meet up the group.

10:00: You are visiting Bai Dinh pagoda complexes, the largest pagoda, not only in Vietnam but also in Southeast of Asia. Scenically set on the foot hill of Dinh Mountain surrounded by amazing views of the exquisite river valley below and dotted and the limestone karsts dotted around which will take your breath away.

This pagoda complexes stunningly boast one of the most massive and magnificent architecture of Vietnamese tradition refined ever built that it takes a full day to explore all. So you will visit some of the highlights that owned the national: 500 stone statues of “La Han” (Arhats),2 huge bronze bells, one weighs 27 tons, other weighs 36 tones. Visit The Quan Yin statue with thousands of arms and eyes, visit Gautama Buddha statue.

12:00: Enjoy the lunch at our restaurant with the great local cuisines.

13:30: Leave for the Trang An Grottoes, an out-standing natural beauty of majestic limestone massif at 20 square kilometer rise dramatically out from rice paddy fields. Deep into the linked chains of towering mountain are pristine places of mystical valleys, numerous fresh water ponds, and jungle.

Embark on a traditional sampan gently rowed down the exquisite river through numerous caves: Lam Cave, Vang Cave, Dai Cave, Thanh Truot Cave and Cao Sơn Temple, Suoi Tien Temple, Vu Lam Temple…

15:30: Visit Mua Cave and start an amazing trek up to the top of Ngoa long mountain for watching the spectacular rice valley with precious view of the nature.

16:30: Return to our bus and then come back to Ha Noi.

18:30: Drop you off at your hotel/stay in Ha Noi.

06:45: You will get pick up from the hotel stay in Ha Noi then depart to Ban Gioc Waterfall – one of the four waterfalls located between 2 countries VietNam – China, the most beautiful waterfalls in Vietnam and top 10 the world.

Our car leave Ha Noi from old quarter, drive though the highway of Ha Noi – Lang Son, on the way you will see the beautiful rural villages, limestone mountain range.

Then we drive though Lang Son province on the way you will see many rural villages, rice paddies fields our limousine van will some stop some view point for you to enjoy the view and relax take pictures.

Then we arrive to Dong Khe district of Cao Bang Province. We drive along China border belong to national way to Ban Gioc waterfall, we pass many people places on the way we have stop to visit a local village to see the daily life of local living and the vast of sugarcane farm, learn how people farming.

12:45 – 13:00: Arrive to Quang Hoa town for lunch

After lunch, continue the journey to Ban Gioc Waterfall before visit waterfall we arrive to famous and traditional villages of (Khuoi Ky it means stone house village) not too far from the waterfall just around 2 km, where we stay overnight, you will have relaxing and check in the room before we continue to visit the waterfall

On the way to the water you can see China borders and close to the waterfall on the main road you will see amazing and beautiful of waterfall appear in the valley on the main road you already see spectacular of the waterfall.

Get to main gate walk inside the waterfall, where you will enjoy and see how spectacular of the waterfall, then our guide will book a rafting to come close to the waterfall for you experience on the river to see beautiful waterfall, we stay on rafting in the waterfall for around 1 hour.

Then we will be back to our homestay, you have free time to walk around the village relaxing and have dinner at homestay.

Overnight at Cao Bang homestay.

08:30: Have breakfast at homestay then we check out the room take all our luggage back to the car.

09:30: We visit Khuoi Ky Village in north east of Vietnam,

Khuoi Ky community-based tourism village is located on provincial road No. 206, only 2km from the famous Ban Gioc waterfall. The village was established in the period between 1594 and 1677 when the Mac dynasty moved from Thang Long to Cao Bang province.

The road leading to the village is paved with cobblestone. The village is currently home to 16 Tay ethnic households and 14 stone-built houses on stilts, which were constructed in the 16th century.

The houses in the village are surrounded by stone fences, which have existed for hundreds of years. In an area of about 10,000m2, 16 houses in Khuoi Ky stand together, symbolising the strong bond between families. The remaining area of the village is used for agricultural cultivation.

10:15: After visit the cave, we continue to visit Ban Gioc Pagoda we will hiking up to the pagoda for 300 step where you well panorama view of Ban Gioc waterfall and China can see the view with beautiful and spectacular of the landscape.

12:00: Back to our car then drive back to Ha Noi, on the way we will see many beautiful area and villages we will stop some places for you to visit or stop for pictures

12:30: We stop to have lunch at the local restaurant then continue drive back to Ha Noi.

18:30 – 19:00: We will be back to Ha Noi.

8:00: Driver picks up from hotel and transfer to Ha Long by private car.

12:15: Transfer to the cruise by speedboat.

12:45: Check-in the cruise.

13:00: Enjoy lunch in the restaurant.

14:00: Receive key and check-in the cabin.

15:00 – 17:30: Gather at reception area to participate in Kayaking activities at Ao Ech area,or use the swimming pool on the cruise.

16:00 – 18:00: Take pictures with the cruise by drone at the Sundeck area.

17:30: Welcome sunset and enjoy afternoon tea at the swimming pool area.

18:00: Cooking demonstration at the swimming pool area.

18:00 – 19:00: Join the Happy Hour program and the sunset at the Sky Bar area.

19:00: Enjoy an 8-course fine dining menu at the restaurant.

20:30: Join the fishing session at the aft of our cruise or relax at our swimming pool, mini-golf course, spa, etc.

Overnight in Elite of The Sea.

05:45 – 06:15: Enjoy the sunrise & join a golf class at the golf course.

06:15 – 06:35: Morning exercise session: Tai Chi at the golf course.

06:45 – 07:30: Enjoy the breakfast in the restaurant.

07:45 – 08:45: Gather at the reception area to visit Dark and Bright Cave by local rowing boat.

09:30 – 09:45: Pack up the luggage and put them in front of the door, then return the key to the reception counter.

09:45: Enjoy the buffet in our restaurant.

10:45: Settle down the payment for personal expenses (beverages, spa, etc.).

11:10: Return to the mainland by the speedboat.

Note: The schedule may change depending on weather conditions, water conditions, operating conditions, regulations of local authorities.

14:30 – 15:00: Arrive to Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi

Having breakfast. Spend the last morning in Hanoi to visit Quang Phu Cau incense village

08:30: Driver picks you up at your hotel and head out of Hanoi by car

09:40: Arriving in Quang Phu Cau. By the time we arrive, the villagers have already set out incense to dry in various formations and we’ll get pictures of people working among this sea of red. We will have time to capture a variety of shots of the workers in action.

We also venture further into the village workshops, shooting images of the incense-making process, including bamboo chopping, dipping the sticks in dye, and the creation of incense paste. We’ll take more images of the friendly locals who have worked on producing incense in this village for generations. We leave the village at noon, as the workers are preparing for lunch and head back to Hanoi for lunch.

15:00: Depart for the Noi Bai Airport. Goodbye Vietnam!

Trip ends. See you next time!

Thank you for travelling with Jenny From The Blog!!!