14-Day North West Vietnam Exploration

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After breakfast, you have a full day to explore Vietnam’s charming capital. Visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and his personal residence; the One Pillar Pagoda and Tran Quoc Pagoda, and end the morning with a visit to the Museum of Ethnology. In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Literature and Ngoc Son Temple nearby Hoan Kiem Lake. Enjoy a one-hour cyclo sightseeing tour around Hanoi Old Quarter, then, watch a traditional water puppet show.

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After breakfast, drive to Ninh Binh, the destination that is well-known as “Halong Bay on land”. On the way, stop at Hoa Lu, the ancient royal capital of Vietnam to visit temples dedicated to the Dinh and Le Kings. Continue your trip to the World Heritage site, Tam Coc and board a small sampan for a spectacular 2-hour trip through caves, waterways and beautiful rural landscape consisting of limestone cliffs and rice paddies.

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In the morning, transfer to Van Long Nature Reserve for taking a bamboo boat ride to enjoy the stunning scenery of the limestone formations. Then, drive to Mai Chau Valley in the North West. Upon arrival, have lunch at a homestay and explore the traditional life of the ethnic Thai people in Mai Chau.

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In the morning, walk through the villages of ethnic Thai in Mai Chau Valley and explore the life of local people, interact with people at their stilt house. Enjoy a lunch prepared by the ethnic Thai women and then have some free time to relax in the afternoon before watching a traditional show by the villagers in the evening.

In the morning, say goodbye to Mai Chau Valley as we drive to Son La. We will pass through the breathtaking mountain scenery of the North West. Stops on the way for taking pictures and to visit local attractions. Have lunch at a local restaurant before arriving in Son La in the afternoon, check-in your hotel and relax for the rest of the day.

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In the morning, visit the former Son La Prison which is now a museum in Son La City. Although the original construction was partially demolished after the two wars, Son La Prison has still has some major features conserved. After that, continue our drive to Dien Bien, a destination where the epic memories of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu still resonate. Upon arrival, check-in your hotel and relax in Dien Bien Phu City.

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The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the decisive engagement in the first Indochina War. Today, we spend the whole day in Dien Bien Phu to visit these former battlefields, the victory museum and monuments to learn more about the historic and heroic land of Vietnam. Then, enjoy the free time to discover Dien Bien Phu City on your own.

Today, continue your northern Vietnam itinerary with another beautiful drive from Dien Bien Phu to Lai Chau. The mountain roads to Lai Chau weave through the picturesque valleys with terraced fields and small ethnic villages. We will have a chance to visit and interact with the ethnic people such as the H'Mong, Black Thai and Black Dzao. Arrive at Lai Chau in the afternoon, check-in hotel and relax.

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A morning walk around this peaceful town and take some time to explore the market before hitting the road. Its all uphill, as we wind upwards and through Tram Ton pass, the highest mountain pass in Viet Nam, often known as Heaven Gate. We are rewarded with magnificent views of these Northern mountain ranges. In the afternoon, visit Cat Cat village where you can meet the H'Mong ethnic people, enjoy the beautiful view from the village and see a traditional dance performance.

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Today, our beautiful trekking tour will start at your hotel for a short drive out of Sapa town to Y Linh Ho Village. On the way, we can stop at some viewpoints to enjoy the panorama view of the whole Muong Hoa Valley. Start the walking route to Y Linh Ho village where you will see the stunning view of the valley. Discover the daily life of the Black Hmong minority and their traditional customs before continuing to Lao Chai Village of Black H'Mong and to Ta Van Village of Giay ethnic community.

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After breakfast, take an easy hike to visit two of the ethnic villages of the H'Mong and Red Dzao people in Ma Tra and Ta Phin Village. Then, drive to Bac Ha to visit the colourful ethnic market on Sunday. Stop for lunch at Lao Cai City. Upon arrival at Bac Ha, check-in your hotel and visit some of the local villages nearby.

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After early breakfast, visit the local ethnic markets where you will see people of different hill tribes. The markets in Northern Vietnam are always the colourful meeting places for the hill tribes, a highlight for any North West tour. Depending on the day, markets can be held in different regions. Have lunch in a local restaurant before the drive back to Hanoi.