HANOI - TRAIN TO LAOCAI - SAPA 05 DAYS

Full day city tour starting with the Ho Chi Minh complex (Closed on Mondays and Fridays mornings and whole September and October for annual repairs). Visit One Pillar pagoda, founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049. This structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi. Our next stop will be the Temple of Literature - Vietnam’s first university. Constructed in 1070. The temple is dedicated to one of the world’s most famous scholars, Confucius. Inside the temple grounds huge stone stele rest on the backs of even larger stone turtles (in Vietnamese culture the turtle represents longevity).

After lunch at Cha ca street with “Cha Ca La Vong”, a favorite dish of Hanoian - Listed in 1000 places to visit before you die, we continue to visit Vietnam Museum of Ethnology - The museum has successfully recreated the daily life together with the religious rituals and the symbolic festivals of each ethnic group in Vietnam. Visitors have the opportunity to admire costumes, embroidery as well as outside stilt houses and habitats from the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. 

We will have a short walking to visit the oldest bridge of Hanoi “Long Bien bridge” to take photos and see the local life of Hanoi people before enjoying a cyclo ride through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, also known as “36 streets.” This bustling area of narrow streets and alleys is home to thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. It’s a great place to explore with plenty of photo opportunities all around you.

Free your time until 20:30 p.m to take night train to Lao Cai. Overnight on train (soft sleeper 4-berth shared cabin).

We suggest: Sapaly Train, King Express Train or Victoria Express Train. 

6:30 a.m. Upon arrival in Lao Cai station. Our driver will pick you up and transfer to Sapa town (35 km). Enjoy the picturesque scenery along the way leading towards Sapa, a mountainous area of stunning natural beauty and diverse ethnic minorities. You will be taken to a local restaurant for a morning shower & breakfast.

We transfer to Lao Chai, a Black H’mong ethnic minority village and we then walk to Ta Van village where the Giay ethnic minority hill tribe lives. Here we will be able to rest and enjoy our lunch in a local restaurant. After your lunch our walk continues on a hilly trail through a bamboo forest to Giang Ta Chai, a Red Dao ethnic minority village. On the way, we make a stop at a waterfall for a rest and to take in the beautiful surroundings and then descend to a suspension bridge before reaching the main road where our vehicle is awaiting for our drive back to Sapa. Free your time at leisure and overnight in Sapa (Excluding early check in). 

Depend on your time, you can enjoy one of interesting local markets (optional tour will be surcharged):

Bac Ha market on Sundays only - The largest and most colorful market in the area. Muong Hum market on Sundays only - This hidden Sunday market  will allow you to meet a large variety of ethnic minorities.  Coc Ly market on Tuesdays only - Coc Ly market is a small market which takes place every Tuesday. Can Cau market on Saturdays only - very colorful market. Xin Cheng market on Wednesday only - With many local minorities. Muong Khuong market on Sundays only - Which is 50 km Northeast of Lao Cai.

We suggest 03 options for accommodations:

Breakfast at hotel. Today we leave Sapa behind and take a short transfer to the small village of Sin Chai, inhabited by Black H’mong people. Sin Chai is located at the foot of Fansipan mountain in an area covered by rain forest and under the protection of Hoang Lien National park.

Upon arrival at the village, we experience the daily life of the villagers who still maintain their ancestor’s way of life. Departing the village, we take in the spectacular scenery as we follow a dirt trail running through rice paddies and along a narrow river where we also visit a local house of the few Black H’mong families living here. Have your lunch at local restaurant. Drive back to Sapa. Free your time at leisure. Overnight in Sapa.

Breakfast at hotel. We will visit Ham Rong mountain with a stop at a garden of orchids. Here you can observe more than 300 species of orchids blooming profusely. Keep on following the path leading to the mountain covered with plum, peach and apricot trees, you will get into European Garden with many kinds of beautiful flowers.

Continue discovering the charming and imposing scenery of Ham Rong mountain by dropping in Four Season Flower garden, culture village of ethnic minorities in Sapa, Heaven gate, and Cloud yard on the top of Ham Rong mountain is an ideal stop for a full overview of a fanciful Sapa in mist. Have your lunch at Cha Pa Garden restaurant. 

Free your time at leisure until the time our guide and driver takes you to Lao Cai for sightseeing tour and short visit to the Ha Khau border gate of Vietnam - China on the bank of the Red river which serves here as a natural border line. Afterwards transfer to the train station for night train to Ha Noi. Overnight on train (soft sleeper 4-berth shared cabin).

5:30 a.m: Arrival in Ha Noi. Pick-up at the Hanoi train station. Enjoy a walk to visit Hoan Kiem lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) to experience early morning Hanoi. Locals gather around this lake in the early morning doing tai chi, aerobics, light sports, or simply strolling. Join them in their morning exercise and take a walk around the lake, where there will be plenty of opportunities to take wonderful photographs.

Enjoy a Vietnamese coffee or a refreshing juice at a café boasting marvelous views of the lake. After that our guide will take you to try "Pho - Vietnamese Noodle Soup". This will give the real taste of Hanoi.

Transfer you to your hotel or airport.