12 Days North Vietnam Discovery

Day 1

Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam’s bustling colonial capital. Your driver and guide will greet you outside the baggage claim at Noi Bai Airport and transfer you to your hotel in the city center. In the afternoon, enjoy an orientation walk, visiting some of Hanoi’s main attractions: the Opera House, Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, and Ngoc Son Temple.

The rest of the day is free time.

Accommodation at hotel in Hanoi

Meals included:

None

Day 2

Breakfast will be at the hotel.

Today, you have an entire day to explore Vietnam’s charming capital. Hanoi, with its wide, tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes, and ancient oriental pagodas, is an eclectic mix that offers something for everyone. Your city tour will take you to Hanoi’s key sites, including the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and stilt house), the Presidential Palace, the nearby One Pillar Pagoda, and the Temple of Literature. You'll also visit West Lake, the serene Tran Quoc Pagoda, and Quan Thanh Temple. Choose to explore one of the city's museums: either the History Museum or the Ethnology Museum. This evening, enjoy a traditional Water Puppet Performance, a unique Vietnamese art form originating from Southeast Asia’s wet-rice culture.

Accommodation at your hotel in Hanoi.

Meals included:

Breakfast at the hotel

Lunch at a local restaurant

Day 3

Breakfast at the hotel.

After breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you in the hotel lobby to depart Hanoi for Sapa on a six-hour journey along Vietnam’s longest and most modern highway. Upon arrival, check into your hotel and take a stroll to visit Cat Cat Village.

Spend the afternoon exploring the charming town of Sapa or relaxing at your leisure.

Accommodation at your hotel in Dong Van.

Meals included:

Breakfast at hotel

Lunch at local restaurant

Day 4

Breakfast at the hotel

At 10:00 A.M., leave Sapa by car towards Lao Cai City. After a 3 km drive, ascend a hill to the remote ethnic minority village of Sa Seng, where you can observe the daily life of the Black H'mong community, which has recently transitioned from a migratory lifestyle. Notice the remnants of past villages with stone wall foundations that were seasonally used. Enjoy lunch before trekking uphill along the side of Den Thang Mountain. After an hour, arrive at Hang Da Village, situated at an elevation of 1,800m, and take in the breathtaking view of the Muong Hoa Valley. The next 30 minutes are level walking before descending through Hau Chu Ngai village. Continue descending into Hong Den Hamlet, a small community with only a few homes scattered on a rocky point. Pause to enjoy some of the best scenery in the area. Continue trekking down the trail to Hau Thao village, and then conclude your day at Ta Van Bridge, where your driver will meet you and take you back to Sapa Town.

Accommodation at your hotel in Sapa.

Meals included:

Breakfast at hotel

Lunch at local restaurant

Day 5

Breakfast at the hotel.

In the morning, you are free to relax or explore the town on your own. At 10:00, drive to Silver Waterfall, where you can enjoy the marvelous scenery of the surrounding nature. Visit Hoang Lien National Park and the nearby Tram Ton Pass, known as Heaven’s Gate – the highest road in Vietnam (over 2,000m), which divides Sapa Town and Lai Chau Province. Admire the spectacular views, including the summit of Fansipan, the highest peak in the Indochina mountains (weather permitting).

Continue driving downhill to Lai Chau, where you will have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, embark on a nearly three-hour journey to Muong Lay Town in Dien Bien Province. Muong Lay is a resettlement town lining the bank of the mighty Da River, which powers the nation’s largest hydropower plant, and is home to some of the country’s most colorful hill tribes. The town center is in a long narrow valley, at the confluence of the Da River, the Nam Na River, and the Nam Lay Stream. Since becoming a resettlement area for those who ceded land for the Son La Hydropower Dam, Muong Lay has undergone a transformation, evolving into a modern urban area with full community services and becoming an attractive tourist destination in Vietnam’s Northwest provinces. Continue driving to Dien Bien Phu – where you spend the night.

Accommodation at your hotel in Dien Bien Phu.

Meals included:

Breakfast at the hotel

Lunch at local restaurant

Day 6

Breakfast at the hotel.

Dien Bien Phu holds tremendous historical significance as the site of a major French defeat in 1954 during the First Indochina War. This defeat led to the complete withdrawal of French forces from their colonies in Indochina and the division of Vietnam into North and South. Historians describe the Battle of Dien Bien Phu as the first time a non-European colonial independence movement had evolved from guerrilla bands to a conventionally organized and equipped army capable of defeating a modern Western occupier in pitched battle. This victory had a massive impact on world politics, inspiring other independence movements and spurring a period of decolonization, particularly in French-ruled Africa.

Today, Dien Bien Phu is a relatively quiet town with a population of approximately 100,000. It serves as a regional hub for trade and transportation in the province.

In the afternoon, visit the Vietnam Military History Museum (also known as the Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum) and the cemetery. Then proceed to the famous “A1 Hill,” a site of fierce fighting between French and Vietnamese forces during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Conclude your day with a visit to the French Command Bunker, located west of the River Ron.

Accommodation at your hotel in Dien Bien Phu.

Meals included:

Breakfast at the hotel

Day 7

Breakfast at the hotel.

After breakfast, check out of the hotel at 8 A.M. and set off for the drive to Mai Chau, a small town nestled in a lush valley surrounded by emerald-green rice fields. The most picturesque scenery on today’s journey is Pha Din Pass, a charming pass at an elevation of 1,300m with breathtaking views, known as a historical site from the 1st Indochina War that ended in 1954. According to local legend, “Pha Din” means the connection between Heaven and Earth.

Stop for lunch in Son La City, approximately 150 km from Dien Bien Phu. Continue the journey and make stops en route to visit villages of various tribes, including the Thai, Muong, and Dzao. Additionally, visit an orchard and tea farm in the Moc Chau plateau, Vietnam’s premier tea-growing region. Arrive in Mai Chau in the late afternoon and check in at your hotel for the night.

Accommodation at your hotel in Mai Chau.

Meals included:

Breakfast at the hotel

Lunch at a local restaurant

Day 8

Breakfast at the hotel.

Mai Chau Valley is a scenic patchwork of villages and limestone cliffs located about 150 kilometers from Hanoi. This beautiful mountainous area, with its thick jungle, bamboo groves, tea plantations, and waterfalls, is ideal for fantastic walks and short treks to ethnic villages.

After breakfast, walk around the Thai villages before embarking on an easy trek (ranging from 2 to 4 hours) through Xa Linh and Pa Co, home to the Green Hmong hill tribe. You may have the opportunity to chat with the local minority people who are out and about, collecting firewood, working in the fields, and tending to their animals. Enjoy a lunch.

After lunch, take a leisurely walk to the Thai villages of Van Mai, Mai Hich, Cum, and Xam Khoe before returning to your homestay. In the evening, join the family for dinner, witness a performance of traditional songs and dances, and immerse yourself in the age-old cultures.

Accommodation at your hotel in Mai Chau.

Meals included:

Breakfast at the hotel

Lunch at a local restaurant

Day 9

Breakfast at the hotel.

After breakfast, bid farewell to Mai Chau for a scenic countryside drive through Ninh Binh province, where fascinating limestone karsts rise skyward between verdant rice paddies and lazy rivers. Make an interesting stop at Cuc Phuong National Park to break up the long drive.

Upon arrival in Tam Coc, check in to your hotel and take a couple of hours to relax. At sunset, enjoy a relaxing sampan tour along the Ngo Dong River, passing under rocky outcrops and through three limestone caves known as Tam Coc. During the boat ride, take in the unique landscape that has been dubbed “Halong Bay on Land.”

Afterwards, take a short walk through the limestone mountains to Thai Vi Temple, which is dedicated to the four Kings of the Tran dynasty from the 13th century. This temple offers a place of peace and simplicity set against a backdrop of ancient architecture.

Accommodation at your hotel in Ninh Binh

Meals included:

Breakfast at the hotel

Lunch at local restaurant

Day 10

Breakfast at the hotel.

Check out and Then transfer to Halong Bay

HANOI - HA LONG BAY - TRINH NU CAVE

07.30-08.00: You will be picked up at your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter and transferred to Ha Long (For guests booking Limousine Bus or shuttle bus only).

11:30-12:00 Upon arrival at Tuan Chau International Cruise Port, you will enjoy a warm welcome by our cruise staff in the waiting lounge and complete check-in procedure.

12:00 Upon boarding Amanda Cruise, our crew welcome you with a refreshing drink and cold towel before checking into your cabin. The vessel leaves Tuan Chau Marina, taking you on an exciting journey to discover the beauty of Ha Long Bay. Along the way, you can enjoy the view of some of the most beautiful spots in Ha Long and admire the grandeur of the Bay with thousands of limestone islands while the vessel heads to Trinh Nu Cave.

Enjoy your lunch at our luxurious restaurant on board while the vessel cruises toward Trinh Nu cave.

14.00: You return to your cabin for a short rest and prepare for kayaking activities in Trinh Nu Cave area.

15.00: You will be transferred to Trinh Nu Cave by tender.

Arriving at Trinh Nu Cave area, you will take part in kayaking activities here. To get to Trinh Nu beach, you need to kayak around thousand-year-old limestone formations and then walk for 5 minutes through Trinh Nu cave. Trinh Nu beach will amaze you with its white sand, emerald water and mild pleasant weather conditions

17.30-18.00 Back on board, you will participate in Sunset party & cooking class while the vessel cruises toward the shore. You can enjoy relaxing moments while sipping a cup of traditional Vietnamese tea or coffee on the sundeck amid wonderful scenery and beautiful sunset. Ha Long Bay is calm during the day, but when the sun goes down, the Bay becomes even more tranquil and peaceful.

You will be instructed to make delicious traditional Vietnamese steamed rice rolls by our chef and then enjoy the rolls made on your own.

17.30-18.30 Happy hour - BUY 2 DRINK GET 1 FOR FREE

19.30 Gala Dinner. Enjoy your dinner on the Sundeck (if the weather is favorable)

20.30 After dinner, you will enjoy a peaceful view of the Bay at night on the deck. You can also participate in evening activities such as massage (subject to additional charge), herbal foot bath on sundeck (free of charge one herbal bag for each cabin) or enjoying music and some drinks at Sky Bar while admiring the breathtaking view of the Bay at night and squid fishing.

Meals included:

Breakfast at the hotel

Lunch and Dinner on board

Day 11

LAN HA BAY-DARK & BRIGHT CAVE-THREE PEACHES BEACH

08:30 Day boat pick up at Amanda Cruise and depart from Titop area in HaLong bay

10:30 Transfer to Lan Ha bay which is formed by the archipelago Cat Ba island. Stop at Dark and Bright caves area for kayaking in an hour and a half  

11:30 Lunch will be served on boat

12:30 Move to Ba Trai Dao beaches (Three Peaches Beaches) for swimming in the crystal water and a beautiful white sandy beach for an hour and fifteen minutes.

13:30 Boat return to HaLong bay to explore more land-scape  

14:45 Visiting Pearl Farm Exhibition Center and Museum for learning how to raise the farm, harvest pearls and its business about forty minutes  

15:25 Back to the boat and transfer to the Amanda Cruise  

Meals included:

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on board

Day 12

SUNG SOT CAVE - HALONG BAY

06.15: Start your day with Tai Chi class on the sundeck.

06.30-07.00 Enjoy a light breakfast with coffee, tea, cake and fruit.

07.30 Exploring Sung Sot cave. This is one of the largest and most beautiful caves in HaLong Bay. The cave has some unique rock formations which couldn't be found anywhere else. The path to the mouth of Sung Sot Cave is under a canopy of leaves. Walking through steep stone steps, tourists may have the feeling of climbing mountains and experience the excitement as if they are stepping to the sky.

08.30-09.30 Back on board, you can rest in your room, enjoy the herbal foot bath prepared by our crew, sunbathe on the sundeck, take pictures of HaLong Bay or shop for souvenirs on the boat.

09.30 Check-out time.

Please put your luggage outside your cabin and leave the room key at the reception desk. Our staff will transfer your luggage to the waiting area. While waiting, you can shop for some products of Amanda cruise.

10.00 Enjoy an early lunch buffet at the restaurant on the 2nd floor and settle the bills if any.

11.00 Arrival at Tuan Chau Marina. The trip ends.

Meals included:

Breakfast, Brunch on board

12 DAYS NORTH VIETNAM DISCOVERY

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Single Supp

Package price for 4–star 

 $3,157

 $1,786

 $1,356

 $1,200

 $1,180

 $1,160

 $723