On arrival at Noi Bai Airport, you are met and transferred to hotel. Ha Noi , Vietnam's capital, is a stylish and gracious city that retains an unique old world charm and some Asia ‘s most striking colonial architecture. The many lakes and parks make for relaxing atmosphere. (If time permit ) we enjoy a short cyclo excursion through the bustling old quarter streets named after the specific goods once offered for sale at these places. O/N in Ha Noi.(B)

Today we enjoy a full day city tour starting  with the Ho Chi Minh Complex, containing the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. This complex also comprises the One Pillar Pagoda, whose origins date back to the foundation of city. We follow this with a trip to the Temple of Literature well known as Vietnam’s first university and the History Museum, which displays an excellent collection of artifacts illustrating the Vietnamese history. Our next stop is the impressive Ethnologic Museum, dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 hill tribe groups, some of which we will see on our forthcoming days. We also visit the peaceful lake of Hoan Kiem with its sacred temple and the vibrant Dong Xuan Market before attending a performance of Hanoi's famous water puppets. O/N in Hanoi. (B)

The journey northeast begins as we depart the town and pass through the undulating terrain of tea plantation and the many timeless villages linked to the road which is the main artery of trade between the northeastern region and the capital city. This is our first glimpse of rural Vietnam and sets the tone for the days ahead. Depending on road and traffic conditions our drive will leave us with a mid to late afternoon arrival in Ba Be lakes. After checking into hotel we will have free time to walk around or simply to relax on the lake. O/N in Ba Be. (B)

The national park of Ba Be is centred on large Ba Be Lake. This is just one continuous water body although its name means "three lakes”. Today we embark on our boat navigating around the lake, which gives us a taste of relaxation and an enjoyable visit to the park . Along the way, we make stopover at some hill tribe villages before getting off the beaten track to the Dau Dang Waterfalls. The cruise continues on the main water source of Ba Be Lake up to Cho Ra. At this small village, we meet up with our vehicle and drive towards Cao Bang, our final destination. O/N in Cao Bang. (B,L)

Heading out of the town we start venturing into the most northern region of Cao Bang Province. The scenic roads traverse Trung Khanh before arriving at Ban Gioc Waterfall, which boasts the largest waterfall in Vietnam. We visit this sight and follow our trip to Nguom Ngao Caves, just off the road to Cao Bang. This enormous cave has two main entrances and one branch reaching almost all the way to the waterfalls where is a ‘secret’ entrance. A local guide is provided for your exploration of the cave. On the way back, you can make stops as you please, to visit hill tribe villages and take pictures. O/N in Cao Bang. (B,L)

An early morning departure to the historical cave of Pac Po where Ho Chi Minh set up the headquarter for the August Vietnamese Revolution in 1945. After seeing this vestige site  we set off on a half day drive past the verdant and rugged mountain landscape, with a mixture of terraced rice fields and hill villages. We also traverse Dong Khe and That Khe on our way to Lang Son. This border town had been all destroyed during the recent Sino - Vietnamese war, but was rebuilt to become an important trade center in north eastern region. O/N in Lang Son. (B)

The central market of Lang Son and the legendary Tam Thanh Cave are visited this morning before we travel by roads to Halong Bay, truly one of Vietnam’s most impressive scenic sights. The journey is long and challenging at times as we drive through many mountain areas. Their breathtaking scenery is some of the best in Asia. We encounter en route many ethnic minorities doing their daily works such as logging, herding buffalo and tilling the field. On arrival in Halong we spend the remainder of the day for a well -earned rest on a beach. O/N in Ha Long. (B)

Today we embark on a boat for an exploration of the legendary Ha Long Bay. Views of sailing junks navigating past over 3,000 limestone islands and out crops jutting out of the clear and emerald water of the bay are nothing short of spectacular. These limestone karst formations are littered with beaches, grottoes and beautiful caves. Along the way we will anchor for a leisurely swim in a secluded cove and an enjoyable visit to one of the many hidden grottoes beneath towering cliffs. After a seafood lunch on board we continue our trip and have time for another swim. We return Ha Noi , stopping en route at Dong Trieu pottery village. O/N in Ha Noi. (B,L)