Day 1:Hanoi - Hagiang - Quan Ba  (B, L, D)

7:30am, our car will pick you up from your hotel, ride to Ha Giang city ( about 300km in ~6hrs). The road is quite good, flat & low land. Around 14:00, you will arrive at Ha Giang city. We can take a rest before starting ride to the real mountain road and different scenery. We will drive beside the green river, drive up the winding passes, cross the valleys growing vegetables and crops. ,,You will reach Quan Ba in the late afternoon. Before Quan Ba, we will pass the “Heaven’s Gate”, with its mountains stretching to the horizon, marking the entrance to Dong Van Karst Plateau. This marks a magnificent point of view to share when you are back home with stunning landscape photos.,,We will hike down from Heaven gate to the Nam Dam village – the inhabited by Dao ethnic people (long dress Dao group) in around 1,5 hrs. Beautiful hiking trails through the verdant and hill, seasonal farmlands, the vista view of villages, and lake.,,Dinner and a night’s sleep in a homestay of Dao people in Nam Dam village

Summary:

Drive: 350km in around 7hrs

Hiking difficulty: Easy – 1,5hrs

Note: In the winter, if it’s dark early when you arrive Quan Ba, we will skip the hiking trip and transfer by car directly to homestay and trekking the next morning.

Day 2 : Quan Ba –Dong Van- Ma Pi Leng Pass - Meo Vac (B, L, D)

7:30 am, after breakfast, you can walk around the village to explore the life and culture of Dao people. The locals still keep their traditional customs, habits & culture from ancient times. You will have a chance to see the local traditional house made of compacted soil which protects people from the extreme weather in the high mountain. You are welcomed to visit the houses whose owners are very friendly and hospitable. As you walk in the village, you will have the opportunity to observe the daily life of the Dao people.After that, around 8:30 am, leaving Nam Dam village, our driver will transfer you to Dong Van. Our trip through the stunning winding roads, through the rocky karst mountains, old traditional houses of Hmong – ethnic people. It’s once again a very enjoyable ride today that you will see an amazing and majestic mountain view of the Rock Plateau and take the great photos. Having lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon: Trekking on the Sky Path – the path lies on the Rock mountain and rural village.,After lunch, transfer by car from Dong Van to the bottom of Ma Pi Leng pass and start to trekking. The adventure trekking path is located on the hazardous Karst mountains, run along Ma Pi Leng pass – also known as the “Sky path”. This steep rocky path goes through limestone cliffs, narrow road, Hmong villages and cornfields in the tiny valleys. From above, you can admire the extremely majestic scenery of the limestone mountains and the green Nho Que river which cuts through the valley below. The viewpoint on Sky path is a perfect place for taking the great photos. ,,After 2,5-3hrs trekking, you will reach the main road and be transferred to Meo Vac and stay at a homestay in Hmong cultural village.

Summary:

Transfer by car: ~110km, around 4hrs

Hiking difficulty: Gentle (2/5), around ~10km in 3hrs.

Day 3 : Meo Vac - Nho Que River - Hagiang City (B,L,D) ( 130km)

Morning: Take a boating/kayaking trip in Nho Que river. Nho Que River is located in the bottom of Ma Pi Leng pass with Tu San canyon – it’s a new interesting destination in your Ha Giang tour. Tu San canyon is considered the deepest and most unique canyon in Vietnam. The best way to explore the Tu San abyss alley is by boat, where you will be surrounded by the cool green water and immersed in the quiet and fresh atmosphere of the valley. You will be enchanted by the overwhelming presence of the towering mountains on both sides of the river.,You will hike down from the main road to the bottom of the river follow the steep and narrow rock road, sit on the boat and enjoy the poetic beauty with the green color of Nho Que river. You can jump to swim to relax after a long day.,,Leave Meo Vac ,transfer back to Ha Giang city, do light trekking through the Tay Village to see the beautiful rice field and the traditional stilt wood houses with palm roofs. We can spend around 2-3hrs this afternoon for light hiking in Thon Tha village – through the amazing rice fields, the palm forests, waterfall, and villages to explore the local life & culture of Tay people, their farming work as well as the natural. Stay at homestay stilt house of Tay people.

Day 4 : Ha Giang  - Hanoi ( 300km) (B, L )

7:30am, After a local breakfast, we say goodbye to your homestay host and ride back to Hanoi to arrive earlier, spend the rest of your time to relax and enjoy the city air in Hanoi. You will sleep in a 3-star hotel near the Hanoi Old quarter. You are free for this evening, enjoy the famous street foods or restaurant.

Summary:

Driving time: ~7hrs

Day 5 : Hanoi  - Halong Bay Cruise ( B,L,D)

8:00: After breakfast, our car will pick you up at your hotel. 12:30: Transfer by tender to the boat – enjoy Welcome Drink, receive cruise briefing and safety instructions.13.00-13.30: Check in and begin cruise. Enjoy deluxe Vietnamese and International Set Menu Lunch is served while cruising through the bay enjoy a seafood lunch while cruising through Bai Tu Long Bay and Ha Long Bay. In the afternoon, you will visit an exciting fishing village, the village is free from busy roads and streets, electric lights, houses and high rise buildings. Instead, there are only herds of little boats and rafts. You will have the chance to discover the traditional culture and customs of the fishermen. Enjoy kayaking, swimming, relaxing on the cruise (if the weather permits). 16.00 Return to the boat and join a cooking class,19.00 Dinner – Deluxe Vietnamese and International Set Menu Dinner,21.00 Evening activities include Leisure time to enjoy a chat around the bar. Relaxing and spending a romantic night on Cruise’s music. Or you can also try your luck at squid fishing & fishing from the boat.

Day 6: Halong - Ninh Binh ( B , L , D )

Morning: Rise early for morning tai chi on the sundeck or sunrise photo hunt. After breakfast, you will explore a cave. When you come back on the cruise, you can enjoy the bay on the sundeck when waiting for lunch.,,You will check out of the cruise at 12:00 pm, transfer to Ninh Binh town, 110 km to the south of Hanoi, to visit unspoiled villages and immense rice fields in the center of the Red river’s Delta – the biggest rice basket in North Vietnam. The road goes through Hai Phong city and Thai Binh province. We pass a lot of picturesque sceneries through the town, city, rivers, rice fields. Arriving Tam Coc area. Overnight in a nice and peaceful ecolodge.

Day 7: Cycling & Boating at Tam Coc- Hiking in Mua Cave ( Ninh Binh) - back to Hanoi ( B , L )

After breakfast, we start cycling on the countryside road to Tam Coc. Starting the rowing boat trip to explore the beauty of Tam Coc, known as “Halong Bay on Land”. In 1,5 hours on the boat, you are visiting the Ngo Dong River with three water tunnels, viewing the rice along both sides of the river ( especially in the rice season May and Sep), taking a photo of local farmers who is working and catching river food. Moving between the green high mountains, you feel as living in the quiet and far further from the modern recent life.,,After rowing boat trip, spend about half an hour to biking to the local village, close up to the local villager in the countryside and reach to Mua Cave. It is constructed following the model of ” Great Wall” in China with nearly 500 steps up to the mountain peak. After climbing up the many steps you will see a panoramic view of Tam Coc valley, the river, rice fields, and majestic Karst mountains. You will understand why Ninh Binh is called ” Halong Bay on land”.

Leave Mua Cave, come back to return bicycle and prepare to transfer back to Hanoi. After around 2,5h, you will arrive Hanoi around 6-7 pm. Check in your own hotel in Hanoi . End The Tour.

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