Day to Day itinerary
Day
1/Monday: Hanoi
- Night Train to Lao Cai
Early evening in Hanoi, we transfer you to the Hanoi Railway
Station for the overnight train to
Lao Cai. We travel in 4 berth soft
sleepers with air-con and the train ride, while at night is the start of our
journey!
Accommodation: Four berth cabin with soft sleeper on the
train
Transit: 15
minutes to the train station/ 8 hours by train
Meal plan: none
Day
2/Tuesday: Lao Cai - Coc Ly Market - Boat cruise - Visit a Tay minority village
– Sapa
We arrive in Lao Cai in the early morning and
your guide will meet you at the station.
We’ll enjoy breakfast and drive to Coc
Ly Market, a market only on Tuesday.The drive is easy and through rural areas and along
the Chinese border. The last 30 km are
on a secondary road and by the time we arrive, the market will be full of
traders, shoppers and few tourists.
The minorities are not concerned with
foreigner’s presence and you will mix in with Flower Hmoung, Black Dao Tay and
various minorities. The market is located
on the ChayRiver
which flows from China. This market is small but very charming and
not over-run by tourists.
After visiting the market, you travel by boat
down the ChayRiver. Along the ride, you can enjoy
magnificent sight of the beautiful caves and life on the riverbank. You will
have lunch on a beach or later in a village. The trip will also offers you a
visit to Trung Dovillage of Tay
minority, where you can stop by a traditional Tay
house for a cup of tea. Further downstream we arrive at BaoNhaiBridge and transfer to our car for the
drive to Sapa.
Accommodation: Hotel or Guesthouse from our list
Transit: 4.5
hours sealed road, a hour dirt road
Trekkingtime: limited
Roaddifficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B, L
Day
3/Wednesday: Daily market in Sapa - Topas
Eco-Lodge
We have breakfast at the hotel and are off to
see the daily market in Sapa. We’ll then walk up to HamRongMountain
for a bird’s eye view of Sapa and the MuongHoaValley.
The botanical gardens are also along the walk and we’ll make our way
down for lunch in town.
After lunch we take a drive up to Tram Ton pass
(Heaven’s Gate). The pass is about 2000
metres above sea level and when clear offers some of the most amazing views in
the northern Vietnam. From here we go back through Sapa and
continue to an isolated Eco-Lodge for the next two days.
Accommodation: Hotel or Guesthouse from our list
Transit: 2.5
hours sealed road
Trekkingtime: limited
Roaddifficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B, L
Day
4/Thursday: Ban Ho Valley Trek to Tay and Red Dao minority villages
You will travel by car to Su Pan
from where you will commence your walk downhill through the breathtaking
scenery. On the way you will pass through the Ban Ho village where you will be
able to see the stunning views of the valley and rice paddy terraces. You will
have the opportunity to explore the Ban Ho village of Tay
minority before crossing the suspension bridge over the river, where your guide
will prepare a delicious lunch in a local house.
The walk then continues through the
rice fields to the Red Dao village
of Nam
Toong, a Red Dao village, where you will enjoy a
cup of tea before heading back to Ban Ho to take a nice swim in the river
nearby. You will then take the walk uphill to Su Pan. Here you return to the
lodges by car.
Accommodation: Hotel or Guesthouse from our list
Transit: 30
minutes driving
Trekkingtime: 4 hours
Roaddifficulty: Moderate - difficult
Meal plan: B, L
Day
5/Friday: Topas Eco - Sapa - Lao Cai - Bac
Ha - Walk to Ban Pho Village of Flower Hmong and Tay minority
We sleep in today and enjoy late
breakfast. The rest of the morning is
for your relaxation. The lodges locate atop of a large hill side overlooking
the valley and mountains. From your bungalow, you will enjoy breathtaking view
over Ban Ho valley surrounded by stunning mountains. Relax, Enjoy.
Lunch will be at the Eco Lodge and we are then driving to Bac Ha. There is time to stop and take pictures of
scenic valleys and mountains. We’ve
travelled this road on the way up to Sapa so places you saw on the way up you’d
like a memory of, we’ll stop! On arrival
in Bac Ha, we check in hotel and take a little time to stretch your legs with a short walk to BanPhoVillage of Flower Hmong and Tay
minority for a look at village life.
.
Accommodation: Hotel or Guesthouse from our list
Transit: 5
hours sealed road
Trekkingtime: limited
Roaddifficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B, L
Day 6/Saturday: Bac Ha - Can Cau Market - Xin Man - Hoang Su Phi
We leave Bac Ha for one of the most fascinating
open air markets in the region which takes place only on Saturday in Can Cau. Situated in the
mountains in border area, 20
km from Bac Ha, Can Cau is a small, but very colorful
market. It always delivers a very photogenic display of Flower Hmong, Nung, Phu La ethnic costumes.
Chinese people also come for trading. After spending the whole morning
exploring the market, we continue over the mountains and through the forests to
Hoang Su Phi via Xin Man, a remote town in Ha Giang Province for the
night.
Accommodation: Hotel or Guesthouse from our list
Transit: 5
hours sealed road
Trekkingtime: Variable
Roaddifficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B, L
Day
7/Sunday: Hoang Su Phi Market - Xin Man
Market - Bac Ha - Lao Cai - Night train to Hanoi
Hoang Su
Phi Market
is one of the more isolated markets in the north and multiple minorities come
for the Sunday Market. We have breakfast
and then walk to the market for an hour visit and then traverse back to get the
tail end of the Xin Man Market. Both
markets are still among the least visited markets in the region.
We have a simple lunch at the market and
continue on back to Bac Ha. If time permits, we take a short visit to the Hmong KingPalace. We then begin our journey
back to Lao Cai, arriving around early evening and stop at the FriendshipBridge
entry point to China
and visit the temple there. We then check into a hotel in Lao Cai for showers
before boarding the night train back to Hanoi.
Accommodation: Four berth cabin with soft sleeper on the
train
Transit: 4.5
hours sealed road, 1 hour secondary road
Trekkingtime: 2 hours
Roaddifficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B, L, D
Day 8/Monday:
Arrive in Hanoi
We
arrive early morning in Hanoi
and we take you to a hotel of your choice.
Accommodation: Hotel or Guesthouse from our list
Transit: 20
minutes
Our trip
includes
- English speaking
guide
- Accommodation as
indicated
- Meals as
indicated
- One way train
ticket
- Transportation by
car or minivan
- Tour as indicated
- Entrance fee
Our trip excludes
- Domestic and international
flights
- Visa & visa
arrangement
- Meals not
indicated
- Drinking water,
soft drink and alcohol
- Tips & personal expenses
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