In the mountains of Sapa
Tourcode VIE 904 - 5 days / 4 nights
Hanoi - Sapa - Mu Cang Chai - Nghia Lo - Hanoi
Daily departure from/to Hanoi, minimum 2 persons, private tour
DAY 1 HANOI - SAPA L
Early morning you are picked up from the hotel in Hanoi. Drive first to the north for approx. 4 hours to Lao Cai to Sapa. After your lunch break visit Ma Tra & Ta Pin area, which is home to the ethnic minority people of Red Dzao. Shortly after you will reach Sapa and check in at the hotel. Afterwards take an orientation walk and visit the local market, where you can meet and interact to different hill tribe people or just do some shopping of local handicraft. Overnight in Sapa.
DAY 2 SAPA B/L
This morning we will take the short drive from Sapa to Y Linh Ho, a village of Hmong People located in the beautiful Muong Hoa Valley. From here start the hike to Lao Chai, another Hmong Village. You will hike along terrace rice fields with amazing scenery of mountains, clouds, local villages and the river flow along Muong Hoa Valley. In the village of Lao Chai you can visit some of the local families and their wooden church. Take another easy hike to Ta Van, a village of Giay minority people. After your lunch break keep hiking to Giang Ta Chai, a village of Red Dzao people. Continue hiking up and down here in the scenic mountain wilderness and reach the well known Cloud Bridge made by local people. Then it is time for your transfer back to the hotel in Sapa, where you will spend another night
DAY 3 SAPA - MU CANG CHAI B/L
After a filling breakfast it is time to leave Sapa and head towards Mu Cang Chai. This is one of the most scenic drive in the mountain area of Vietnam with lots of photo opportunities from the Gate of Heaven on top of Hoang Lien Son Pass, the amazing view of Hoang Lien Son mountain range from Than Uyen and specially the spectacular scenery of terrace rice fields in Mu Cang Chai, which has been recognized as National Heritage of Vietnam. Mu Cang Chai is mainly populated by the Black Hmong ethnic minority group. There villages are dotted around the district. Spend the night at a basic but clean tourist class hotel here in Mu Cang Chai.
DAY 4 MU CANG CHAI - NGHIA LO B/L
In the morning spend some time here in the area. Time for more hikes to enjoy terrace rice fields and remote hill tribe people. The rice terraces of Mu Cang Chai were sculpted over centuries of small scale cultivation with each season having its own charm. Then it is time to leave and continue your journey here in the mountains of the north. Travel via Khau Pha Pass, Lim Mong and Tu Le with stops on route at scenic areas and villages. Vietnam is home to an estimated 9 million ethnic minority people and most of them live up here in the mountains of the north. Later in the afternoon arrive Nghia Lo and spend the night here at a basic, but clean tourist class hotel.
DAY 5 NGHIA LO - HANOI B/L
In the morning drive approx. 3 hours to Duong Lam, a village in the Red River Delta, which still preserves many hundred year old houses constructed by laterite stone (an unique material just found in this area). Upon arrival take a pleasant walk around the village and then take a seat at the tea house to enjoy some local fresh green tea and special candy made from sticky rice flake (it is the oldest Tea House in Vietnam and was built around 400 years ago). The walk will concluded by the visit of the most beautiful ancient house in the village, where you enjoy the authentic home hosted lunch prepared by the hospitable family. After lunch take a bike ride in the rural area around the village and you will also see the thousand year old tree line that had been recognized as Heritage Trees in Vietnam. Later in the afternoon the last part of this journey will bring you back to the capital Hanoi. Transfer to your booked hotel or airport...depends on your further schedule.
REMARKS/FLEXIBILITY:
- Except for some nationalities (please check with us!) who can enter Vietnam without visa for a maximum stay of 15 days, you have to get your visa for Vietnam in advance! Please contact your nearest Vietnamese embassy or consulate for it. With "a letter of approval for visa on arrival" we still can also arrange the visa on arrival. If you wish to do so, please let us know at the time of booking! And in the mean time for most nationalities there is also an online visa service available: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/en_US/web/guest/khai-thi-thuc-dien-tu/cap-thi-thuc-dien-tu
- Additional nights in Hanoi before/after this tour package can be booked with us
PRICE INCLUDES:
Air-conditioned transportation during the tour, English speaking tour guide, all transfers and excursions as mentioned in the itinerary, accommodation for 2 nights at a middle class hotel (Sapa) and 2 nights at basic tourist class hotels (Nghia Lo and Mu Cang Chai) incl. breakfast, all other meals as per program (L = lunch), entrance fees as per program
NOT INCLUDED:
Visa for Vietnam, drinks, tips and personal expenses
HOW TO GET TO HANOI:
From/to Bangkok (Thailand) flights by Thai Airways, Vietnam Airlines, Thai Air Asia, Viet Jet Air and Thai Lion Air. From/to Chiang Mai flights by Bangkok Airways and Thai Air Asia. From/to Vientiane and Luang Prabang (Laos) flights by Lao Airlines and Vietnam Airlines. From/to Siem Raep (Cambodia) flights by Vietnam Airlines and Viet Jet Air. From/to Yangon (Myanmar) flights by Vietnam Airlines and Viet Jet Air. All these flights can be booked with us.