VIETNAM ESSENTIAL

Upon your arrival at the Hanoi airport, you will be welcomed by the Tour guide of THREELAND TRAVEL and transfer to your hotel in Hanoi to check-in. At your leisure in the rest of the day. Overnight in Hanoi.

Morning drive overland to Ninh Binh, 100km south of Hanoi to visit wonderful scenery at one of the oldest capitals of Vietnam. We can take a rowing boat trip in Tam coc to visit "Halong-Bay-in-land" landscape with many grottoes on the Ngo Dong river, then go on to Hoa Lu to visit the temples dedicated ot King Dinh and King Le, who reigned Vietnam during the 10th centuries and climb up the mountain near King Dinh Temple to enjoy the panorama view of villages and ricefields of Hoa Lu. Back to Hanoi late afternoon. Enjoy a Show of Water Puppetry at Thanglong Water Puppetry Theatre or Central Water Puppetry Theatre. Overnight in Hanoi.

It is your day to visit the Capital of Vietnam today. Let's start from the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, his simple house-on-stilts and the One-Pillar pagoda near Ba Dinh Square, where the most solumn ceremonies of Hanoi take place. Go on to the Temple of Literature, the very first high school of Vietnam Scholars and the Fine Arts Museum. Afternoon we will visit Hoan Kiem Lake to visit Ngoc Son temple, Ly Thai To statue, and stroll around the Old Quarter of Hanoi by cycloes before learning about the various cultures of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam at the Ethnology Museum. Have a short rest before transferring to the Hanoi Railway Station to take the night Train to Lao Cai. Overnight on the train. 

Upon your arrival in Lao Cai Station, picked-up by our van or bus at Lao Cai and transferred to a market of the Hmong ethnic people in Bac Ha region. Every week, the Hmong people and many other ethnic groups gather for purchasing and for meeting each other like a cultural tradition of Bac Ha. Stroll around the market place before heading to Sapa. Afternoon climb up with our tourguide in Sapa to the Dragon Peak to enjoy a panoramic view of the town. Overnight in Sapa.

Please note! Depending on the day, optional markets to choose are inclusive of Bac Ha, Can Cau and Coc Ly.

The 100-year-old hill station with magnificent landscape of mountains, pinewoods and mysterious mist, Sapa, always  inspires every artist and photographer who used to stopover or hear about this unique place. Along with our guide, we will  stroll around the marketplace of Sapa and Sapa church before climbing up the Dragon Peak to enjoy a panorama of the town and its neighbourhood. Go downhill for about 4km to visit "Cat Cat" Hmong village (on foot or by car depending on your interests) before back to the hotel in the afternoon. At your leisure in the evening. Overnight in Sapa.

After breakfast, our van (or bus) will transfer you to Ta Van and start our trek from here to Ban Ho. On the way from Ta Van to Ban Ho, we will have opportunities not just to admire the surrounding view of mountains, bamboo forest and paddy fields but intermingle with the montagnards from different ethnic groups like Zay, Red Dzao, Hmong and Tay. Overnight homestay in Ban Ho.

After breakfast, have a short trek before catching our vehicles again to be back to Sapa. At your leisure in the rest of the day to discover Sapa by your own. Pick-up at your hotel again late afternoon to be back to Lao Cai Station to take our night train to Hanoi. Overnight on the train.

Please note! Usual checkout time is 12.00 noon.

Upon arrival in Hanoi, we will be picked-up at the Station and arrive in a good hotel or restaurant for our Breakfast and a short relax before carrying on to Halong Bay, the pride of the Tonkin Gulf with nearly 3,000 limestone islands and islets. The drive to Halong takes about 3h30m and we can stopover to enjoy the landscape on the rice fiels, visit a ceremic town or refresh at a green-bean cake shop. Have your time in Halong for lunch before boarding our Junk to cruise the Bay and learnt why it is presently one of the leading candidates for 7 World Natural Wonders. Go swimming and kayaking and visit the caves on the Bay will create a wonderful feeling and get us out of our hard trek. Overnight on the Junk in the Bay. 

Have breakfast on the boat and continue our trip with stops to go kayaking in Lan Ha Bay and go swimming at nice beaches. Overnight on the bay.

Have some tai-chi quan exercises with the crew before breakfast and cruise back to Halong city, where our van is waiting for our return to Hanoi. Lunch en route at Hong Ngoc Charity centre. Check-in hotel in Hanoi and at your leisure in the rest of the day. Overnight in Hanoi.

At your leisure in the rest of the day until our tourguide and car come to transfer us to the airport for departure flight. End of the trip.