IMMERSIBLE CIRCUIT IN NORTH VIETNAM

IMMERSIBLE CIRCUIT IN NORTH VIETNAM  15 Days

This exceptional private tour offers you a complete immersion in all of northern Vietnam, from the west (Sapa - Ta Phin) to the east (Cao Bang). The program includes incredible stays, meals, and nights in villages of minority ethnic groups (Dao Rouge, Giay, Black Hmong, Black Lolo, Tay, Nung), and passing by the most beautiful natural wonders of the region (terraced rice fields in Sapa and Hoang Su Phi, Khau Coc Cha pass, Pac Bo and its emerald river, Mat Than mountain - "the eye of god" - Ban Gioc waterfall, etc...). And of course, as is the custom at THAI TREK ADVENTURE, we follow the course of Vietnamese history in Hanoi and along the ancient colonial road number 4 (Dong Khe, That Khe). Finally, the tour ends with a well-deserved rest and a sublime cruise to the south of Ha Long Bay (Ha Long Bay).

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Program

Day 1
  • Wednesday – Hanoi
  • - We will meet at the hotel in Bangkok at 8:30 a.m.
  • - Visit of Hoa Lo prison, the famous “Hanoi Hilton” where communist opponents of France were imprisoned and where American pilots were imprisoned (an explanation of colonization and the wars in Vietnam and Indochina).
  • - Morning: Visit to the Temple of Literature dedicated to Confucius and the mandarins. Many female graduates come to have their photos taken there in traditional Ao Dai costumes (an explanation of Buddhism and Confucianism, architecture, history, etc.).
  • - Lunch in one of the best Pho Ga (chicken soup) restaurants in Hanoi.
  • - Afternoon: Visit to the magnificent Ethnography Museum of Vietnam and its reconstructed ethnic houses (detailed explanations about the 53 minority ethnic groups in the country).
  • - Vietnamese tasting dinner.
  • - Overnight in Hanoi (4-star hotel – Room for 2 people).
Day 2
  • Thursday – Hanoi – Sapa
  • - Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
  • - Morning and afternoon: a walking tour of the old quarter of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem Lake, the trades districts, the many small pagodas located in the city and the Ngoc Son temple on its peninsula (explanation of the history of Hanoi) and the Bach Ma temple (the oldest in the city!). Explanations about Tam Giao (the Vietnamese triple religion), the temples and pagodas.
  • - Vietnamese lunch.
  • - Afternoon: Drive from Hanoi to Sapa in a private vehicle.
  • - Vietnamese fondue dinner.
  • - Overnight in Sapa (4-star hotel – room for 2 people). * Duration of the journey by vehicle: approximately 5 hours.
Day 3
  • Friday – Sapa Trekking – Ta Van
  • - Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
  • - Recovery by our local guide (expert in ethnic groups and the local flora) at 9:00 AM and departure for a hike in the mountains, jungle and rice fields (beautiful panoramic views!) – 5 to 6 hours of hiking.
  • - Lunch during the march.
  • - Dinner and overnight stay in a homestay of the Giay people.
Day 4
  • Saturday – Ta Van Trekking – Ta Phin
  • - Breakfast at the homestay
  • - Hiking in the mountains and in the rice fields (beautiful panoramic views!) – 3.30-hour or 6-hour hike to choose from.
  • - Lunch during the trekking
  • - Traditional dinner and overnight stay in the traditional house of a friend of the Red Dao people. Possibility to take a bath in medicinal herbs (the Dao people are the great specialists in medicinal herbs).
Day 5
  • Sunday – Ta Phin – Bac Ha
  • - Breakfast in the home of the Dao ethnic group.
  • - Travel by private vehicle to Bac Ha.
  • - Visit to Bac Ha ethnic market and Vietnamese lunch on site.
  • - Visit to the Hmong King’s Palace (Palace Hoang A Tuong). Explanation of the trade in opium and rice in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
  • - Visit to the astonishing Bac Ha temple dedicated to the warrior brothers Vu Van Uyen and Vu Van Mat (the Later Lê dynasty) and to the spirits of nature.
  • - Dinner and overnight at the Binh Minh Bac Ha Hotel (3-star hotel) near the market. * Travel time by vehicle: approximately 2 hours 30.
Day 6
  • Monday – Bac Ha – Hoang Su Phi
  • - Breakfast at the homestay-resort.
  • - Departure at 8 am by private vehicle and journey to Hoang Suphi along the Chinese border. Crossing the very isolated Xin Man district (beautiful landscapes and panoramic views).
  • - Lunch in the Dao village in long tunics of Suoi Thau.
  • - Walking tour (about 2 hours 30 with many photo stops) in Ban Luoc, the "doorway to Paradise". Observation of the highest terraced rice fields in Vietnam (sublime!). Crossing villages and hamlets of the Dao and La Chi peoples.
  • - Travel by vehicle towards the village of Dao Rouges (different from those of Ta Phin) in Thong Nguyen (Hoang Suphi).
  • - Traditional dinner and overnight stay at the homestay of Yem, a friend of the Red Dao with a long tunic (room for 2 people). Possibility to take a bath in medicinal herbs of the Dao. * Duration of the journey by vehicle: approximately 4 hours
Day 7
  • Tuesday – Hoang Su Phi – Xa Phin
  • - Breakfast at the homestay
  • - Departure at 8:30 AM and journey from Hoang Suphi to the isolated Dao village of Xa Phin (about 3 hours by car). Welcome by Mr. Hau, the village shaman who is also an expert on Shan Tuyet tea (listed as a national heritage of Vietnam).
  • - Lunch with Mr. Hau's family.
  • - Afternoon: a walk to see the hundred-year-old tea plantations (these are trees!). The possibility of attending a workshop to learn the process of making tea (from harvesting to roasting).
  • - Traditional dinner and night at the homestay of Mr Hau in Xa Phin.
Day 8
  • Wednesday – Xa Phin – Khuoi Khon
  • - Breakfast at the homestay.
  • - Departure at 7 a.m. and journey to the village of Lolo Noirs in Khuoi Khon (several stops on the very beautiful mountain road). Entrance into the province of Cao Bang.
  • - Lunch at the Black Lolos in Khuoi Khon.
  • - Afternoon: a walk through the village to discover the way of life of the Lolo people and the beautiful traditional houses.
  • - Dinner and overnight in the traditional house of Sin, a friend of the Lolo Noir people. * Duration of the journey by vehicle: approximately 5 hours 30 minutes.
Day 9
  • Thursday – Khuoi Khon – Pac Bo
  • - Breakfast at the homestay.
  • - Departure at 8 am and journey to the historical site of Pac Bo, passing through the incredible Khau Coc Cha pass and its famous 15 hairpin bends. A short walk to the pass to enjoy a fabulous panorama.
  • - Visit to the very beautiful natural site of Pac Bo where Ho Chi Minh hid in 1941 after his arrival in Vietnam (he named the river Lenin and the mountain Karl Marx!). Explanation about the Second World War, the Japanese presence and the beginning of the Indochina War.
  • - Dinner and overnight at a homestay near Pac Bo, room for 2 people. * Travel time by vehicle: approximately 3 hours.
Day 10
  • Friday – Pac Bo – Trung Khanh
  • - Breakfast at the homestay
  • - Departure at 8 am and journey to the spectacular mountain of Mat Than, called the mountain of the eye of God. Hiking in the very beautiful valley to Lake Thang Hen.
  • - Lunch near the lake.
  • - Afternoon: journey from Thang Hen to Phong Nam Valley. Walk for 30 minutes to the pass to observe the superb panorama from Pi Pha viewpoint or stroll along the Quay Son river. Many Tay and Nung people work in the fields.
  • - Arrive in the beautiful village of the Tay ethnic group of Khuoi Ky. This village is known for its old stone houses that were used in the past as fortifications.
  • - Dinner and overnight stay in the traditional homestay of a Tay family. * Duration of the journey by vehicle: approximately 3 hours.
Day 11
  • Saturday – Trung Khanh – Phia Tap
  • - Breakfast at the homestay.
  • - Departure for the Nguon Ngao cave (the "tiger cave"). This cave, which has been developed (one of the most beautiful in Vietnam), is a magnificent journey in the mountains (stalactites, stalagmites, rock formations, streams). Explanations about Vietnam's geology.
  • - Visit to Ban Gioc waterfall (the most beautiful in Vietnam!) that serves as a border with China. Possibility to take a boat to get closer to the waterfall (price not included).
  • - Return to the Homestay for lunch.
  • - Afternoon: Visit to the Phuc Sen blacksmith village, then if the weather permits, visit to the Phia Thap village inhabited by the Nung minority. Almost every house has a workshop for making traditional incense sticks.
  • - Dinner and overnight at Mr Kim's homestay in the village of Phia Tap (room for 2 people). * Duration of the journey by vehicle: approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes
Day 12
  • Sunday, May 2, 2027 – Phia Tap – Cao Bang – Hanoi
  • - Breakfast at the homestay.
  • - Journey from Phia Thap to Hanoi along the famous Route Coloniale number 4 (RC4). Stop at the historical sites of Dong Khé and That Khé where the famous battle took place in September-October 1950.
  • - Lunch on the way.
  • - Free dinner in Hanoi.
  • - Overnight in Hanoi (4-star hotel). * Duration of the journey by vehicle: approximately 6 hours 30 minutes.
Day 13
  • Hanoi Ha Long Bay (Lan Ha Bay)
  • - Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
  • - Journey from Hanoi to the island of Cat Ba where the pier is located.
  • - Cruise on a junk boat in the magnificent Lan Ha Bay (the southern part of Ha Long Bay, which is much less touristy).
  • - Possibility to do sea kayaking and swim in the sea of China.
  • - Lunch, dinner and overnight in the yacht (cabin). * Duration of the journey by vehicle: approximately 4 hours.
Day 14
  • Tuesday – Lan Ha Bay – Hanoi
  • - Buffet breakfast in the yacht.
  • - Continue the cruise in Lan Ha Bay.
  • - Bike ride or electric buggy ride around the island of Cat Ba to explore its inner circus or a village is set up.
  • - Continuation of the cruise and lunch on the yacht.
  • - Trip from Cat Ba to Hanoi in the afternoon.
  • - Free dinner in Hanoi.
  • - Overnight in Hanoi (4-star hotel).
Day 15
  • - Monday – Lan Ha Bay – Hanoi
  • - Buffet breakfast.
  • - Journey to Hanoi airport – End of the tour.
  • Or - Possibility to continue our journey to the center of Vietnam (Imperial City in Hue, Hoi An, My Son).
  • Or - Possibility to continue our journey in Cambodia (Angkor, Phnom Penh) for as many days as you wish (we have several programs of 4 to 7 days).

Rates

The price of 1,990 euros per person for a group of three to four people:

  • - English-speaking guide + local guides
  • - all vehicles with driver and taxis;
  • - All activities and excursions
  • - all breakfasts, all lunches and dinners (except the free dinner on day 11);
  • – All hotel nights (hotels, homestays, and ethnic houses) ;
  • - all nights in hotels (3 and 4-star hotels depending on the location + homestays in the villages).

The price does not include :

- the drinks; - free dinner (days 11); - the insurance; - personal expenses; - the plane ticket France-Vietnam-France; - the insurance; - personal expenses;

 

Price: 75,200 THB

  • - Price for 2 people: 2,290 euros per person
  • - Guests wishing to have a single room must inform us in advance and pay a supplement.
  • - The departure from this circuit must be made on a Wednesday in order to be able to attend the exceptional ethnic market of Bac Ha on Sunday!
  • - This circuit is available in a version without trekking for those who don't like hiking!
  • - This tour is available in a 12-day version, excluding the cruise in Ha Long Bay. Feel free to ask us for the program.
  • - This tour can be extended with a few days in the center of Vietnam (Hue, Hoi An, My Son) or a 4 to 7 day tour in Cambodia (Angkor and Siem Reap).
  • - In addition to the local guides, our tour is accompanied by an expert on the history and ethnic minorities of Vietnam.

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