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TRAVEL TOOL

Itinerary in brief
Day 1. Arrive Hanoi
Day 2. Hanoi city tour - Lao Cai  
Day 3. Lao Cai - Sapa  
Day 4. Visit Sapa  
Day 5. Sapa - Can Cau - Bac Ha  
Day 6. Bac Ha - Lao Cai - Hanoi  
Day 7. Hanoi - Vinh Bao - Haiphong  
Day 8. Haiphong - Halong Bay  
Day 9. Halong - Hanoi  
Day 10. Depart Hanoi

Detail Itinerary

Day 1. Arrive Hanoi
Welcome at the airport by your local guide and transfer to the hotel. After check-in, climb into a traditional cyclo (pedicab) for a 90-minute tour of the colonial city's traditional "36 streets of 36 wares" in the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake vicinity. In the evening enjoy a traditional water puppet show before dinner at one of the finest restaurants in town. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2. Hanoi city tour - Lao Cai  
Full-day tour of Vietnam's capital city, including Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and traditional stilt house, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, and the revered One-Pillar Pagoda. Pay visits to typical Vietnamese places of worship, the Quan Thanh Temple and Tran Quoc Pagoda, along the shore of West Lake. Just before lunch, tour Vietnam's first university, the thousand-year-old Temple of Literature. In the afternoon visit the Ethnology Museum, and end the day at the beautiful Ngoc Son Temple on an island in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. After dinner, transfer to the Hanoi railway station for the night train to Lao Cai (departing at 9:30p.m.). Overnight on the train.

Day 3. Lao Cai - Sapa  
Arrival in Lao Cai railway station around 6:00 a.m. Transfer to the old French hill station of Sapa by private vehicle (a one-hour drive). Check in at the hotel before visiting the village and the market of Sapa. After lunch, explore Sapa and the surrounding hills by Russian Jeep. Pay a visit to the friendly village of Ta Phin. Lunch and dinner at local restaurant and overnight at the hotel in Sapa.

Day 4. Visit Sapa  
Today, hike down into the verdant Sapa valley to visit Black H'mong and Red Dao ethnic villages. Return to Sapa late afternoon for dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 5. Sapa - Can Cau - Bac Ha  
Transfer to Can Cau by car, arriving in time to enjoy the very colorful H'mong market in Northern Vietnam. This weekly outdoor gathering isn't just a chance to buy and sell goods, it's also the social highlight of the week for ethnic groups from all over the area. After the market, hike on small paths through the villages and around the markets. Transfer by car to the village to Bac Ha in the late afternoon. Overnight at the hotel in Bac Ha.

Day 6. Bac Ha - Lao Cai - Hanoi  
Enjoy the bustling morning market of Bac Ha. After the market, take a hike to visit the small traditional villages around Bac Ha. Then, the vehicle will transfer you to Lao Cai for the night train back to Hanoi.

Day 7. Hanoi - Vinh Bao - Haiphong  
Arrival in Hanoi around 5:00 a.m. and transfer to your hotel for a nap and shower before breakfast. Depart Hanoi for Vinh Bao, an agricultural village 40km from Haiphong. Explore the traditional tobacco, water puppet, paper kite and wood sculpture workshops before a typical country lunch hosted by a family in the village. In the late afternoon, travel by ferry to Haiphong and check in at the hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 8. Haiphong - Halong Bay  
After breakfast, enjoy a short tour of the colonial port city of Haiphong before leaving for Halong Bay. Travel by two local ferries, arriving in Halong Bay around noon. Board a traditional wooden junk and begin your exploration of magical Halong Bay, one of Southeast Asia's premier tourist destinations. An excellent, fresh seafood lunch and dinner will be served on the boat. Overnight onboard the comfortable and charming junk.

Day 9. Halong - Hanoi  
Wake up early in the morning to enjoy the aquamarine water of the bay at its best. After breakfast and early swim, the junk will cruise quietly through spectacular limestone formations dotting the bay and visit famous caves (including Sung Sot and Dau Go). Return to Halong harbour just after lunch for transfer back to Hanoi. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 10. Depart Hanoi
Free time until transfer to the airport for flight home or to next destination.