Hanoi

Welcome by our guide at Hanoi airport, direction the city center to start this trip to Northern Vietnam in beauty. The rooms being available from 2pm, we start a walk in the old quarter. Discover eternal sites such as the legendary Sword Lake (Hoan Kiem), the temple of Ngoc Son, St. Joseph's Cathedral, the old merchant house restored to its original state, the Dong Xuan market (built by the French), the Easthern gate and some pagodas.

Then a car drops us off for a visit to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, before enjoying a Hanoi specialty, cha ca, made from fish and basil, for lunch.

Afternoon free and overnight at the hotel.

Hanoi, Lao Cai

We spend the day visiting the gardens of the former governor's palace where Ho Chi Minh's house on stilts, the pagoda of the Single pillar and the site of the former imperial citadel are located. Discover the recently inaugurated museum, the flag tower, the relics of the Kinh Thien palace and the Northern gate.

After lunch, visit the ethnographic museum where the lifestyles and cultures of Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups are gathered.

Dinner in the city centre and night train to Lao Cai (northern mountains).

Lao Cai, Sapa

Early morning arrival at Lao Cai station. This former climatic resort created by the French, now famous for its valley, its ethnic villages and its breathtaking mountain views.

Ta Phin (the village of the Red Dao) offers itself to our curiosity. Women, experts in the manufacture of medicinal plant baths, have the particularity of wearing red headdresses and shaving their eyebrows. We reach the Silver Waterfall (100 m high), the village of Sin Chai with its local crafts, the waterfalls and the old hydroelectric station.

Walk in Sapa with its market, its church, and (if the weather allows it), we enjoy a breathtaking view of Fan Si Pan, the "roof of Indochina" culminating at 3143 m altitude! Overnight at the hotel.

Sapa, Thanh Phu, Nam Cum, Sin Chai B

Trek of about 6 hours to the remote villages and marked with a real authenticity of Thanh Kim, Thanh Phu and Sin Chai B. We descend into a narrow valley to a suspension bridge over the Muong Bo River. The many rivers, the terraced rice fields, the farmers in their daily lives, constitute a magnificent spectacle in the middle of the mountains.

Night at the inhabitant's house (the Red Dao).

Sapa, Bac Ha

During our second day of trekking (about 5 hours' walk) we successively cross the villages of Nam Nhiu (Red Dao), Nam Than (the only village inhabited by the white Hmong ethnic group) and My Son (of the small and isolated Xa Pho ethnic group).

The ascent to Nam Toong allows us to admire a magical panorama of Sapa and its valley. Discovery of Ban Ho, of the Tay ethnic group, one of the most important villages in the valley.

Headed to the Bac Ha area, near the Chinese border to spend the night with a Tay family in their traditional house on stilts.

Bac Ha, Thong Nguyen

Visit of the Bac Ha market. We find coloured tunics, fabrics, local crafts, tobacco, utensils and animals.

We take the small winding road to Thong Nguyen village through the territories of Hmong, Dao, and Phu La, then a succession of small villages of the Tay and Pa Then ethnic groups to spend the night in an idyllic place: Pan Hou Lodge. Access is via a small wooden suspension bridge, the bungalows are nestled in the middle of nature in a beautiful garden and are equipped in an environmentally friendly way.

Thong Nguyen, Nam Dam

Leaving Ha Giang, we continued our journey to the North of Vietnam through the mountains, valleys, winding roads, and through the "gate of heaven" in Quan Ba district, one of the poorest regions of the country.

Arriving at the village of Nam Dam, hike through the rice fields and we follow the path along the river to the village of Tam Son. Overnight at the Dao's house with long tunic.

Nam Dam, Dong Van, Bao Lac

Visit of the blue Hmong's village of Lung Tam where the artisanal activity of hemp weaving by the women of this village is a real enchantment. Continuation to Pho Bang, a small village with houses with clay floors, typical of the area as well as its Sunday market.

We drive to Dong Van in the middle of the mountains and old Chinese red tile houses to reach the Ma Pi Leng pass with a plunging view of the valley and karst mountains.

We cross Meo Vac and the villages Tay, Nung, Dao, and Lolo before arriving at Bao Lac. Overnight at the hotel.

Bao Lac, Ba Be

Departure to the village of the Lolo ethnic group in Coc Xa and discovery of their daily life and ancestral customs that have remained on the margins of modern society.

Ba Be is your next destination, this national park with its natural lake (the largest in Northern Vietnam) surrounded by karst peaks and lush vegetation reminiscent of Halong Bay. Its crossing by boat at sunrise is truly magical.

Night in Pac Ngoi, the village of the Tay ethnic group living from agricultural and piscicultural activity based on the land alluviated by the lake. This hamlet consists of nearly 40 houses on stilts with yin-yang tiled roofs.

Ba Be

Next stop on our trip to Northern Vietnam: walk to the Ba Be Lake pier to see its magnificent jungle, cliffs and other giant sugar loaves. Phuong Cave is home to an impressive colony of bats.

Visit of the small hamlet Ban Cam and their small local restaurant as well as the Dau Dang waterfall. Boat to the temple An Ma, perched on a tiny islet, where many celebrations take place throughout the year. Back in Pac Ngoi, second night with the Tay family.

Ba Be, Hanoi

Visit of the Hua Ma pagoda, the cave of Hua Ma, the local market (according to timing). We will travel 250 km along the many brickworks and tea fields in the Thai Nguyen region. On arrival in Hanoi, free time to eat.

Hanoi, Ninh Binh

A vehicle takes us to the Ninh Binh area (Halong Bay) in Hoa Lu, the ancient capital with its temples dedicated successively to the Dinh Tien Hoang emperors (the Dinh - 968 to 980) then the Dai Hanh (the - 980 to 1009).

A boat trip through the vertiginous karst peaks that surround the rice fields in this peaceful atmosphere. Then by bike, we cross the rice fields to the Bich Dong pagoda (pagoda in the Jade Cave) which is located on the side of a steep mountain.

Overnight at the hotel.

Ninh Binh, Lan Ha Bay

Ferry to Hai Phong to arrive on Cat Ba Island and board our junk at Ben Beo.

Immersion in Lan Ha Bay through floating villages. We are in the heart of these fishermen's lives with their pantry under their homes. After a moment of relaxation on the deck of the boat (or in the lounges inside) and kayaking, we set sail for Ong Cam Bay where the anchor is dropped for the night.

Lan Ha Bay, Hanoi

At sunrise on the bay, our junk slips through these countless small islets. Disembark in Hon Gai and visit the But Thap Pagoda with its many Buddha statues and its unique architecture. Return to Hanoi for your return flight which marks the end of your trip to North Vietnam.