Beauty of North-Vietnam

BEAUTY OF NORTH-Vietnam


This circuit around the Red River basin, cradle of Vietnamese culture, will reveal all the colors of the country: green rice fields and forests, red and gold pagodas, blue Halong Bay, imperial yellow, white rice in the porcelain bowls, dazzling costumes of the minorities… an anthology of emotions!


picto-duree_circuit Duration picto-type_circuit Type picto_nbre-pax Group picto_langue Languages
15D/14N Organised 2 pers French

15 days/
14 nights (in private circuit)

FROM : 1 650 € tax included/pers

Power points :
  • 1 night on board a boat in Halong Bay (seafood dinner).
  • 4/5* hotels.
  • 1 Unesco site: Halong Bay.
  • The bike ride in Mai Hich with a dance and music show.
  • 1 night homestay in Mai Hich.
  • 1 night homestay in the pretty village of Ba Be.
  • Dien Bien Phu for its minorities and the memories of the famous battle.
  • Mountain landscapes.
  • The very beautiful minority market of Meo Vac (every Sunday).

DAY 01 : ARRIVAL / HANOÏ
DAY 02 : HANOÏ / HALONG
DAY 03 : HALONG / NINH BINH
DAY 04 : NINH BINH
DAY 05 : NINH BINH / MAI HICH
DAY 06 : MAI HICH / SON LA / DIEN BIEN PHU
DAY 07 : DIEN BIEN PHU / MUONG LAY
DAY 08 : MUONG LAY / LAO CAI / SAPA
DAY 09 : SAPA
DAY 10 : SAPA / HA GIANG
DAY 11 : HA GIANG/ DONG VAN
DAY 12 : DONG VAN/ MEO VAC/ CAO BANG
DAY 13 : CAO BANG / BA BE
DAY 14 : BA BE / HANOI
DAY 15 : HANOI / DEPARTURE

DAY 1 : ARRIVAL / HANOI

OPTION :
+ Early check-in at the hotel in Hanoi:
✔ Before 09h00 : 90 USD/per room
✔ After 09h00 : 45 USD/per room

  • (Welcome by your driver at pillar 11 outside Hanoi airport)

– Meet at 7:00 p.m. at the reception of the Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi 4* hotel or similar.

Capital of Vietnam, Hanoi has retained the old-fashioned charm of the French colonial era. The modernization of the city undertaken by the French from 1882 continued until 1955 and the face of Hanoi has not changed much since. Some remarkably preserved or restored buildings stand out from a harmonious architectural ensemble. Hanoi is undoubtedly the most charming city in Vietnam with all its authenticity, large shaded avenues, numerous lakes, and well-kept gardens.

– Installation at the MUONG THANH GRAND HANOI 4* hotel or similar.

– Beginning of the discovery of the city:

➡  Passage in front of the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh to the One Pillar Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot): erected in the middle of a pond, this square wooden pagoda rests on a single pillar representing the stem of a lotus, the flower attribute of the goddess of fertility and mercy.

➡ Temple of Literature (Van Mieu): one of the most beautiful places of worship in the country, emblem of Confucianism. The architectural ensemble evokes the long road to knowledge, which requires calm, patience and perseverance.

➡  Tour of the small lake where the Temple of the Jade Mountain (Ngoc Son) is located, erected in the 18th century on an islet in the center of Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword). First called Ngoc Son Pagoda, it was later referred to as the temple, where people came to pay homage to Saint Van Uong, considered one of the greatest minds of his century. The temple also became a place of worship dedicated to the national hero Tran Hung Dao, after his fight against the Nguyen.

  • Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 2 : HANOI / HALONG (170 km –3h30 drive)

  • Breakfast at the hotel.

– Depart for Halong Bay.

Halong Bay is part of the Gulf of Tonkin. It covers an area of ​​1553 km2 and is strewn with thousands of limestone rocks with karstic relief. Known in Vietnam for several centuries as one of Vietnam’s most spectacular natural attractions. This site was classified as World Heritage by Unesco in 1994. It is one of the places where the action of the film Indochine takes place (with Catherine Deneuve).

– Technical stop in the handicraft center for the disabled in Daï Viet.

– Embarkation on board the boat HALONG SAILS or similar.

  • Seafood lunch.

Discover Halong Bay aboard your junk and visit a cave. Possibility of swimming (depending on weather conditions).

  • Dinner and overnight on board.

Note: As the nature of the visits is related to the change of tides and weather conditions, the itinerary will be defined by the captain of the boat on the day.


DAY 3 : HALONG / NINH BINH (135 km – 3h00 drive)

  • Breakfast on board and new navigation in the famous Halong Bay with changing landscapes.
  • Disembarkation for lunch, then drive to Ninh Binh. Scenes of the rural life of Vietnamese peasants will accompany you all the way.déjeuner, puis route vers Ninh Binh. Des scènes de la vie champêtre des paysans vietnamiens vous accompagneront tout le long du trajet.

– Arrival at the end of the afternoon, installation at the LEGEND 5* hotel or similar for 02 nights.

  • Dinner.

– Night at the hotel.


DAY 4 : NINH BINH

Ninh Binh is a province located in the Red River Delta. It has forests, the sea and a diverse system of fauna and flora. Ninh Binh is known by many landscapes of interest, very attractive to foreign tourists and Vietnamese.

  • Breakfast at the hotel.

– Drive to Bai Dinh Pagoda, the largest Buddhist temple complex in Southeast Asia.

– Boat trip to discover Van Long, which is nicknamed the “terrestrial Halong Bay”.

– Departure towards Phat Diem, a village known for its cathedral with Sino-Vietnamese architecture and which was built between 1875 and 1899.

  • Lunch at the inhabitant.

– site visit.

– Then visit the Dinh and Le temples.

  • Dinner.

– Night at the hotel.


DAY 5 : NINH BINH / MAI HICH (160 km – 4h00 drive)

  •  Breakfast at the hotel.

– Road to the west admiring the rice fields and beautiful landscapes along the road.

– Arrival in Mai Hich for lunch.

  • Homestay lunch

– Then, bike ride to discover the surrounding countryside with villages in the middle of rice fields and varied cultures.

– Free time.

  • Dinner and night at the inhabitant

– Attend a traditional music show presented by young Thai girls and taste the local specialities: corn alcohol.


DAY 6 : MAI HICH / SON LA / DIEN BIEN PHU (350 km – 7h00 drive)

  • Breakfast at the hotel.

– Departure to Son La.

  • Lunch at Son La.

– Visit of Son La Penitentiary.

– Continuation to Dien Bien Phu via Col Pha Din, one of the four most spectacular passes in the North-West.

– Installation at the MUONG THANH DIEN BIEN 4* hotel or similar.

  • Dinner.

– Night at the hotel.


DAY 7 : DIEN BIEN PHU / MUONG LAY (200 km -5h30 drive)

  • Breakfast at the hotel.

– Morning, visit of famous historical sites: the headquarters of Commander De Castries, the moving French memorial, the museum with its animated map of operations and the Eliane hill which was the last to fall, stroll through the city.

  • Lunch.

– In the afternoon, continuation to Muong Lay, the ancient Lai Chau, a very beautiful city next to the “black river”.

  • Dinner.

– Overnight at HOANG-NHAM 5* hotel or similar.


DAY 8 : MUONG LAY / LAO CAI / SAPA (80 km- 2h00 drive)

  • Breakfast at the hotel.

– Departure to Sapa to discover one of Vietnam’s picturesque destinations.

Lao Cai is the name of a mountainous province in northern Vietnam, bordering China. It encompasses the famous tourist sites of Sapa, Bac Ha…Sapa is at 1650 m altitude, a very touristic place now because the surroundings of Sapa with their terraced rice fields and their magnificent extracts of country life, offer many hiking opportunities.

– Stop at the spectacular “Silver Waterfalls” almost 100m high, the most beautiful waterfall in the region before arriving at the hotel in Sapa.

  • Lunch in town.

– Visit the village of Ma Tra, through beautiful landscapes where you can discover H’Mong ethnic minorities. There are not many tourists in this village.

– Installation at the SAPA HIGHLAND RESORT 4* hotel or similar for 2 nights.

  • Dinner.

– Night at the hotel.


DAY 9 : SAPA

  • Breakfast at the hotel.

– Visit of the Cat Cat village which attracts tourists with its splendid landscapes, but especially the original customs and cultural activities of the H’mong people.

  • Lunch at local restaurant.

– Walk in the valley of Lao Chai – Ta Van between typical villages and rice terraces.

– Discovery of the city with the colonial district around the church and the covered market frequented by minorities, in particular the black Hmong, recognizable by their costume.

  • Dinner.

– Night at the SAPA HIGHLAND RESORT 4* hotel or similar.


DAY 10 : SAPA / HA GIANG (240 km – 6h00 drive)

  • Breakfast at the hotel

– Drive to Ha Giang. Lunch en route.

– Arrival in Ha Giang in the afternoon, visit the village of Thon Tha of the Tay ethnic group with the beautiful houses on stilts.

– Installation at the PHOENIX 4* hotel or similar.

  • Dinner.

– Night at the hotel.


DAY 11 : HA GIANG/ DONG VAN (150 km– 4h00 drive)

– Depart for Dong Van.

  • Breakfast en route.

– Stop at Quan Ba ​​for the beautiful view of the Nui Doi valley and the very beautiful weavers’ village.

  • Lunch at the local restaurant in Yên Minh.

– Visit the house of the Hmong king.

– Stop at Dong Van to visit the old town.

  • Dinner.

– Overnight at HOA CUONG 3* hotel or similar.


DAY 12 : DONG VAN/ MEO VAC/ CAO BANG (250 km – 7h00 drive)

  • Breakfast.

– Departure to visit the Meo Vac market (every Sunday). Every Sunday morning, many different ethnic groups such as Hmong, San chi, Tay and Dao gather to buy and sell local products that cannot be found elsewhere.

  • Lunch en route.

– Drive to Cao Bang.

  • Dinner at the local restaurant.

– Night at the SUNNY 3* hotel or similar.


DAY 13 : CAO BANG / BA BE (330 km – 7h00 drive)

  • Breakfast.

– Departure to visit the blacksmiths’ village before arriving at the famous Ban Gioc waterfalls delimiting the border with China.

  • Lunch at local restaurant.

– Road to Ba Be.

  • Dinner and night at the inhabitant of the village of Pac Ngoi where the Tay live.

DAY  14 : BA BE / HANOI (240 km – 5h00 drive)

  • Breakfast.

– Cruise on Ba Be Lake by boat. Ba Be Lake actually includes 3 freshwater lakes Pelam, Pelu and Peleng. According to local people, Ba Be has been ranked among the 20 most beautiful lakes in the world. This region has beautiful landscapes: waterfalls, rivers, valleys, lakes and caves.

– Then drive to Hanoi.

  • Lunch en route.

– Visit to the lacquer factory.

  • Dinner and overnight at the MUONG THANH GRAND HANOI 4* hotel or similar.

DAY 15 : HANOI / DEPARTURE

  • Breakfast at the hotel.

– Town tour :

➡ Visit the Quan thanh temple and the Tran Quoc pagoda located on the shore of West Lake.

➡You will discover the life, manners and customs of the 54 ethnic groups by visiting Vietnam’s Ethnography Museum (closed every Monday).

➡Walking tour around Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword), named after a legend, is located downtown and likened to a bouquet of flowers in the heart of Hanoi.

➡Visit the Ngoc Son temple (Temple of the Mount of Jade), erected on the Ngoc islet, and dedicated to Van Xuong, genius of letters and to General Tran Hung Dao, winner of the Yuan-Mongol in the 13th century.

  • Free lunch
  • Transfer to the airport.

OPTION :
+ Late check-in at the hotel in Hanoi:
✔ Before 18h00 : 45 USD/per room
✔ After 18h00 : 90 USD/per rrom

NOTE: If you go in winter, please remember to bring warm clothes, temperatures can be very low.

THE PRICE INCLUDES :

Transport by air-conditioned vehicle.

  The service of the same French-speaking guide throughout the circuit.

  12 nights in the indicated hotels or similar for the long circuit.

  2 nights homestay in Mai Hich and Ba Be.

  1 night on board a shared junk in Halong.

  Meals as in the program.

  Excursions, visits, special services and shows mentioned.

  2 airport transfers on arrival and departure.

THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE :

  International and national flights.

  Lunches on the day of arrival and departure.

  Services not mentioned in the program.

  Drinks, excursions, visits and optional activities at an additional cost.

  Tips

  Expenses of a personal nature.

  Travel insurance: assistance/repatriation/cancellation.

  The Covid PCR test.

Supplément diner réveillon de Noël: 50 USD/personne.

Supplément diner réveillon de Nouvel An: 50 USD/personne.

Destination Information: Vietnam

Health

  No compulsory vaccination to date.

Language

  The official language is Vietnamese, however Chinese, Thai and Khmer are also spoken. For historical reasons French is sometimes spoken, although English dominates in tourist areas.

Currency

  The national currency is the dong (VND)

Jet lag

  6 a.m. in winter and 5 a.m. in summer (example: 12 p.m. in France = 5 p.m. in Vietnam in summer and 6 p.m. in winter.

Means of payment

  Prefer the credit card which will allow you to withdraw money wherever you are and to pay in certain shops and restaurants.
  Prices include the government tax applicable to all services paid for in foreign currency (hotels, transport, tickets, guides, etc.).

Voltage

  Voltage : 220 volts/50 Hz

Clothing to bring

  Light clothing whatever the season in the south but for the visit of temples and pagodas, provide short sleeves (the shoulders must be covered) and skirts or shorts covering the knees, this for women and men. From November to March it is cooler in the North, bring warm clothes in the evening and in the morning.

Climate

➡  The dry season extends from November to April and the wet season from May to October. In August and September, the rains are almost daily and in the other months, there is an alternation of rain and sun.
➡ For more info, see the menu Vietnam.