Vietnam Off The Beaten Tracks

Welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, your private guide and driver will greet you and transfer you to your hotel in the city center (approx. 45 minutes). After check-in and a brief rest, begin your discovery of Hanoi — a city where timeless heritage meets modern energy.

Enjoy a leisurely walking and cyclo tour through the French colonial quarter, gliding past the Hanoi Opera House, the historic Sofitel Metropole Hotel, and elegant government buildings that reflect the grandeur of Indochina’s past. Continue into the Old Quarter, a lively maze of “36 Streets,” each once devoted to a specific craft. Wandering through its narrow alleys offers a charming glimpse of daily life filled with vendors, aromas, and colours.

Later, visit Hoan Kiem Lake, the poetic heart of Hanoi, and Ngoc Son Temple, gracefully set on an island linked by a scarlet bridge. The blend of myth, history, and architecture makes this a beautiful introduction to Vietnam’s capital.

Overnight: Hanoi

After breakfast at your hotel, begin your cultural discovery of Vietnam’s capital. Your morning starts at Phu Tay Ho Temple, dedicated to Saint Mother Lieu Hanh, one of Vietnam’s most venerated goddesses. Overlooking the serene West Lake, this spiritual site is both a pilgrimage destination and a peaceful retreat away from the city’s bustle. Continue to Van Nien Pagoda, among Hanoi’s oldest and most graceful temples, before visiting the Museum of Ethnology — a fascinating introduction to Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups. Its vast collection of artifacts and full-scale traditional houses offers a vivid insight into the country’s cultural mosaic.

In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Literature, founded in 1070 as Vietnam’s first university. This beautifully preserved Confucian sanctuary remains a symbol of learning and reverence. Afterwards, explore Ngoc Ha Village, a lively residential neighborhood where daily life unfolds amidst small alleys and markets. Nearby, see the B-52 Lake, where the wreckage of a U.S. bomber still rests, which is a powerful symbol of Hanoi’s resilience.

End your day with an optional Water Puppet Show, a beloved Vietnamese art form blending folklore, humour, and music.

Overnight: Hanoi

After breakfast at your hotel, depart by road for Nghia Lo, a picturesque town nestled in the Muong Lo Valley (approx. 190 km – 4.5 hours). The scenic drive takes you through the verdant midlands of Tonkin, where rolling hills, tea plantations, and rice terraces unfold like a living painting. Along the way, stop to visit H’mong and Thai ethnic villages, meeting locals and discovering their traditional homes and crafts. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant en route.

Arriving in the afternoon, you’ll reach the Muong Lo Valley, the heartland of the Thai people and the second largest rice bowl of Northern Vietnam. The valley’s beauty lies in its mosaic of terraced fields, lush forests, and rubber plantations, home to diverse ethnic groups including the Thai, Nung, H’mong, La Ha, and Ma.

Check in with your Black Thai host family in a traditional stilt house, offering an authentic yet comfortable experience. Take a gentle walk or cycle through the village to observe rural life and the peaceful rhythm of the countryside. In the evening, join your hosts in preparing a home-cooked meal – an intimate and heartwarming cultural exchange.

Overnight: Nghia Lo (Homestay)

After breakfast with your host family, begin the day with a stroll through the local market. This is a lively gathering where ethnic minorities from surrounding villages trade fresh produce, fabrics, and handicrafts. Making it a wonderful way to experience the colours and rhythms of daily life in the northern highlands.

Depart for Mu Cang Chai (approx. 100 km – 3 hours), a region famed for its spectacular terraced rice fields, recognized among Vietnam’s most beautiful landscapes. The scenic drive winds through the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, home to some of the highest peaks in Indochina. En route, stop in the Tu Le Valley, renowned for its fragrant sticky rice. Depending on your fitness level, take a leisurely one-hour walk through Thai and H’mong villages, crossing bamboo bridges and streams, surrounded by magnificent layered fields and stilt houses.

After lunch in Tu Le, continue along the breathtaking Khau Pha Pass (“Heaven’s Horn”), where panoramic views reveal vast valleys blanketed with golden rice terraces — a photographer’s dream.

Arrive in Mu Cang Chai by late afternoon and check in with a local Black Thai family. Enjoy a village walk before a home-cooked dinner in your cozy stilt house.

Overnight: Mu Cang Chai (Homestay)

After breakfast with your host family, depart for Sapa (approx. 160 km – 4 hours by road), following a scenic route through Than Uyen, a tranquil valley town once known for its gold mines. The Than plain, one of the four largest in Northwest Vietnam, opens up into vast stretches of cultivated land framed by gentle hills.

As the journey continues, the landscape transforms dramatically. The road winds into the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, the highest in Vietnam and all of Indochina. Climbing steadily, you’ll reach the majestic Tram Ton Pass at 2,047 meters, known for the highest mountain pass in the country. From here, enjoy breathtaking views of Mount Fansipan, the “Roof of Indochina,” rising proudly amid the clouds.

Arrive in Sapa around midday, once a charming French colonial hill station, now an atmospheric mountain retreat. After lunch at a local restaurant, set out on a gentle afternoon walk to the Ma Tra (Black H’mong) and Ta Phin (Red Dao) villages. Wander along scenic trails lined with terraced rice fields, meeting locals and observing their vibrant ethnic traditions.

Return to Sapa for a laidback evening to relax or explore the town’s quaint streets and local cafés.

Overnight: Sapa (Hotel)

Breakfast at the hotel.
This morning, discover the ethnic minority villages surrounding Sapa and learn about their daily life, cultures, and traditions. Travel along a scenic path leading into the Muong Hoa Valley, home to several mountain tribes, including the Black H’mong, Red Dao, and Giay people. Along the way, meet local women dressed in their colourful traditional attire and admire the magnificent terraced rice fields.

Continue walking to the villages of Lao Chai and Ta Van, where you’ll be welcomed by a Giay family for a home-cooked lunch in their traditional home.

In the afternoon, transfer to Bac Ha (approx. 120 km – 3 hours by road). Upon arrival, enjoy a gentle walk to Thai Giang Pho village, set in a peaceful valley inhabited by the Tay ethnic group, known for their distinctive stilt houses and warm hospitality.

Check in with your Tay host family and share a convivial dinner featuring local specialties and a taste of homemade rice wine.

Overnight: Bac Ha (Tay Homestay)

Breakfast with the host family.
In the morning, attend the Bac Ha market, a typical open-air market bursting with colour, where the Flower H’mong take center stage. You’ll have a front-row view of the lively scene.

This mountain-surrounded market is mainly visited by the Flower H’mong, but also by the Tay, Black Dao, and Nung ethnic groups, whose distinct traditional tunics add vibrant splashes of color. Locals come to buy and sell goods for the week, including fabrics, simple wood or bamboo handicrafts, loose tobacco, kitchen utensils, and more. There’s also a fascinating buffalo and bird market.

The market is not just a place for trade — it’s a social gathering where ethnic minorities meet, share news, enjoy a glass of rice wine, and a bowl of soup.

After the market, depart Bac Ha and drive toward Quang Binh (130 km – about 3 hours), along a scenic route passing through small villages of various ethnic minorities, with stilt houses topped with thatched roofs, nestled among palm fields.

Arrive in this beautiful area in the late afternoon. Take a leisurely stroll to explore your host village and surroundings.

Lunch will be served at a local restaurant en route. Dinner and overnight stay with a local family (stilt house).

Overnight: Quang Binh

Notes: The Coc Ly market only takes place on Tuesday mornings. Depending on the day of the week, another regional market can be visited (Sunday: Bac Ha market; Saturday: Can Cau market, etc.).

After breakfast with your host family, enjoy a peaceful morning walk through nearby villages, following winding trails to a hidden waterfall tucked along the mountainside — a serene moment surrounded by untouched nature. Return to your host’s home by late morning.

Depart for Vu Linh (approx. 100 km – 2.5 hours by road), located in the Thac Ba district, home to Northern Vietnam’s largest freshwater reservoir. Built in 1963, the Thac Ba Dam supplies hydroelectric power and has shaped the lives of the surrounding lakeside communities.

Along the scenic drive, admire picturesque villages inhabited by the Dao, Thai, and Tay ethnic groups, characterized by traditional stilt houses and lush fruit orchards. You’ll pass peaceful stretches of countryside where fishermen cast their nets and children play by the lake.

En route, stop in Luc Yen, an area known for its precious stone mines and marble quarries. Visit a local marble-carving workshop to observe traditional craftsmanship before enjoying lunch at a nearby restaurant.

Continue south on winding backroads leading to Vu Linh village, home to the White Pant Dao people. Upon arrival, meet your warm host family and settle into their lakeside stilt house.

Dinner and overnight with the family in a comfortable, rustic setting.

Overnight: Vu Linh (Homestay)

After breakfast with your host family, take a leisurely morning walk to explore the peaceful surroundings of the village before embarking on a motorboat excursion across Thac Ba Lake. Dotted with more than 1,300 limestone peaks, this vast reservoir forms a breathtaking maze of emerald waters and forested islets. If time allows, you may take a refreshing swim in the crystal-clear water — a perfect way to end your northern adventure.

Return to your host family for lunch, then say goodbye as you begin your drive back to Hanoi (approx. 170 km – 4.5 hours). The route winds through the historic ATK zone of Dinh Hoa, a region of deep significance during the First Indochina War, where the Viet Minh once directed their campaigns from hidden bases between the provinces of Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, and Bac Kan.

Along the way, enjoy scenic photo stops overlooking lush tea plantations and charming rural villages, offering one last glimpse of the northern countryside before reaching the city.

Arrive in Hanoi by late afternoon. Dinner at your leisure and overnight at your hotel.

Overnight: Hanoi

Enjoy your rest day in Hanoi after a long trip to the northern part of Vietnam

Overnight: Hanoi

Breakfast at the hotel.
This morning, depart for Ha Long (160 km – about 3.5 hours by road), taking a scenic route through the Red River Delta.

Arrive at Hon Gai port around noon for check-in and embarkation. Enjoy a welcome drink, meet the crew, and receive a briefing on the cruise program before settling into your cabin.

Lunch on board as the boat begins sailing through Bai Tu Long Bay, amidst thousands of limestone islets rising from the turquoise waters like giant sugarloaves. The scenery feels like stepping into a legendary world.

Upon reaching the Cap La Island area, enjoy a kayak ride among the breathtaking karst formations and natural surroundings. You can also take a swim or simply relax.

In the late afternoon, return to the boat and enjoy a sunset cruise while sailing to the anchorage for the night.

BBQ dinner on board and evening at leisure — try your hand at Vietnamese puzzle games, go squid fishing, or simply sip a cocktail and enjoy the peaceful night on the bay. Overnight on board in an air-conditioned cabin with a private bathroom.

Overnight: Ha Long Bay

An early wake-up is recommended to fully enjoy the bay and sunrise. Around 6:30 AM, start your day with a Tai Chi class on the deck, or simply admire the morning scenery of the bay with a cup of tea or coffee. Breakfast on board as the crew raises the anchor and the boat sails toward the floating fishing village of Vung Vieng. Explore the village on a small rowboat. Brunch on board before disembarking at Halong pier. 

Transfer to Noi Bai International Airport for departure