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Overview
This tour offers a perfect blending of onboard cruising tour sailing spectacular Halong Bay and breath-taking mountain-scenic experience trekking and exploring Vietnamese local culture from the Sapa ethnic community. With a 5 day trip, we have chance to discover the lifestyle of the hill tribe, the magnificent rice terraces in Sapa and the closing of experience of this journey takes you to Halong Bay, one of seven wonders of the new world.
- Duration: 5 days / 4 nights
- Tour Type: Private Tour
- Departure: Hanoi
- Theme: Northern Vietnam Tours
Highlights
- Explore a wonderful destination which has rich activities such as light walking, photography, minority village markets, etc.
- Trek to interesting ethnic minority villages, enjoy the peaceful sightseeing and meet lovely children.
- Visit one of the world’s ‘natural wonders’ which is defined by nearly 2000 awe-inspiring limestone karsts and islands of various sizes.
- Spend time relaxing, and refreshing between wonderful natural landscapes.
Tour itinerary
20:00 Our guide will pick up you at your hotel lobby and transfer to train station, take overnight train to Lao Cai.
Notes:
- Our tour guide will not accompany during the train trip
- Train schedule is subject to change.
- Private compartments on request at surcharge.
- Train journeys are part of a great local experience. Cabins are shared with other local passengers (unless private cabin is requested and all berths paid for - with supplement). Restrooms at either end of the carriages complete the local experience.
Arrive in Lao Cai Train Station at around 05:00. Then take an one hour bus ride up hill to the beautiful town of Sapa. The ride gives you a glimpse of the stunning vistas and impressive rice terraces that make Sapa famous with travelers.
9.30am: Meet up your local guide and start trekking. The first part is on the road but we soon turn to the right and walk on a small path down the valley to Y Linh Ho village settled down by the Muong Hoa River and from here to the Black H’mong village of Lao Chai. Black H’mong is one of the biggest minority groups in the Sapa area. They have their own language and wear traditional indigo blue clothing. The H’mong peoples have just recently changed their living way from sifting style into the sedentary one. So there are still a lot traces of the past time can be seen: rudimentary houses, stone wall around homes… After this you continue to Ta Van village (1.200 m) to visit Zay people. Zay is a fairly small minority group of about 38.000 people who live mainly in the mountains in Northwest Vietnam.
After visiting Ta Van village the car will return you to Sapa. Free at leisure the rest of the day. Overnight at Sapa Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa
Activities:
- Participate in a trek a long the Muong Hoa Valley straight to Y Linh Ho Village.
- Meanwhile enjoy the landscape, continue the excursion to visit Lao Chai Village of the H'mong people where the local are so friendly and hospitable.
- Hiking to the Ta Van Village of the Zay minority.
Local children in Ta Van Village
Locating just a bout 5km southeast of Sapa town, Ma Tra Village attracts visitors for its stunning scenery highlighted with impressive terraced rice fields. The Hmong peoples has changed from sifting lifestyle into sedentary one form early 20th Century and built terraced field to ensure their permanent earning by farming wet rice.
Trip commences from Sapa at 08.30am or 01.30pm by a 5km road transfer out of Sapa town. Then walk starts from here downhill and cross the stream to the other bank where Suoi Ho village beautifully sits on the top of a low hill. Spend half an hour to visit several local homes for understanding of local life before continue walking along a large path on hillsides which is paved with rock to get through Ma Tra village. This portion of the walk offers beautiful scenery of the valley and terraced paddies as well as flower farm. Transfer back to Sapa.
15:00 - 15:30 Driver will pick you up & transfer 5 hours to Hanoi.
Halong Bay is listed by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage and voted as a Wonder of Nature by the New7Wonders Foundation. You will have a night staying in this world famous bay.
After breakfast in Hanoi, depart the capital for the 3hr 30mins drive to Halong Bay. Arrive to Halong City’s jetty (around noon) and proceed with check-in formalities. After a welcome onboard, lunch will be served while cruising towards the bay. In the afternoon, enjoy some sightseeing, on-board activities (depending on each boat’s itinerary) or just spend some time relaxing on the vessel. Towards the end of the day the boat sets anchor for the night among the karst formations. Dinner is served on board.
Early risers can enjoy a memorable sunrise over the karst formations of Halong Bay. Breakfast will be served shortly thereafter.
Enjoy breakfast (brunch on some boats) while the vessels cruises slowly through the magnificent rock formations back towards port. Upon disembarkation, our driver will be waiting to provide transport to Hanoi.
Around 16:30 arrive in Hanoi. Drop off at hotel (owned arrangement). End of tour.
Tour ends on arrival in Hanoi.
Price & Inclusion
| Tour Class | Price | Booking | |||
| 2 pax | 3 - 4 pax | 5 - 7 pax | 8 - 10 pax | ||
| Standard (2*) | USD $308 | USD $267 | USD $249 | USD $239 | |
| Superior (3*) | USD $335 | USD $292 | USD $275 | USD $268 | |
| First Class (4*) | USD $394 | USD $334 | USD $316 | USD $309 | |
NOTE: PRICE PER PERSON
* Please contact our travel consultants at sales@vietodyssey.com to get discount for big group OR special price for children (under 10 years old).
* Private tour for a solo traveler is also available with a surcharge. Single supplement: applies for those who travelling with others but requires an single room for him/herself.
* The prices above are for the ready-to-book adventure outlined in this detailed program which has been handcrafted by our product experts to include the best of every destination. Our travel consultants are also happy to customize this journey to suit your specific interests and style of travel: longer or shorter stays, offer hotel upgrades, or add an extension to additional places of interes
Accommodation
Hotel (3 nights), 04 soft sleeper sharing cabin (1 night), On-board an overnight cruise in Halong Bay (1 night)
Destinations | 2 stars | 3 stars | 4 stars |
Hanoi | La Suite Hotel & Spa Deluxe Room | Gondola Hotel Superior Room | Tirant Hotel Deluxe Room |
Halong bay | Lavender Cruise Deluxe Cabin | Glory Legend Cruise Deluxe Cabin | Pelican Cruise Deluxe Cabin |
Sapa | Sapa Vista Hotel Superior Room | Chapa Ecolodge Superior Room | Sapa Legend Hotel & Spa Deluxe Room |
Special Information about train: Sleeper trains typically have four berth compartments (occasionally six berth depending on seasonal variations and group configuration), which have bench seats that convert into sleeping bunks. A sheet, pillow and blanket are provided, although some travellers prefer to bring their own sleeping sheet. On occasion, passengers of different genders will be required to share a compartment and there will be times where you'll be sharing with local travellers or others who are not part of your group. Some trains have a dining carriage serving simple food or snack carts, but travellers tend to prefer to take some of their own snacks (bread, cookies, fruit etc) in case of getting the munchies.
Meals
4 Breakfast, 2 Lunch, 1 Brunch, 1 Dinner
We choose local ingredients, typical of the way people eat in the area, at local restaurants, markets or homes.
We also cater for Vegetarians, please request this at time of booking.
Transportation
Price Includes
- AC land transfer in Car/ Minivan.
- Accommodation shared in Twin/Double room with daily breakfast.
- Al in-tour experienced English speaking guide.
- Halong Bay Cruise program shared in Twin/Double cabin as per tour.
- Meals as stated in the itinerary (B: Breakfast ; L: Lunch ; D: Dinner)
- Overnight train tickets Hanoi - Lao Cai in 4th berth sleeper cabin (sharing cabin).
- All sightseeing tickets.
- Vietnam visa Approval letter (single entry).
- Services charges and government tax.
Price Excludes
- Early Check in & late check out at hotel
- Peak season surcharge & compulsory dinner in the accommodation.
- International flights & departures taxes.
- Beverage.
- Personal expenses, tips and gratuities.
- Travel insurance.
- Other services not mentioned above.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellation by Customer
- Cancellation received before 60 days: FREE of charge
- Cancellation received from 30 days to 59 days prior arrival date: 10% of total rate
- Cancellation received from 15 days to 29 days prior arrival date: 30% of total rate
- Cancellation received from 7 days to 14 days prior arrival date: 50% of total rate
- Cancellation received less than 7 days prior arrival date or No show: 100% of total rate
