An authentic, charming trip, the exotic landscapes, the splendid rice terraces, the meetings with the different minority ethnic groups, the nights of conviviality in the guesthouses but also the unmissable sites in the historic cities of the country, Ha Noi, Hue , Hoi An, as well as a little air of the Mekong. All these beautiful images constitute a dream tour for 3 weeks.

Are you ready to participate? 

Highlights :

+ Discovery of the most remarkable landscapes and entirely off the beaten track in the North of the country
+ Meeting and deep immersion in the life of several minority ethnic groups, with nights with the inhabitants

+ Authentic cruise on our beautiful private junk, in the part far from mass tourism.

Day 1: Hanoi arrival
(guide, private car, dinner, accommodation, visits)

Welcome by Zen Vietnam Travel guide and driver. Transfer to downtown Ha Noi.

An orientation walk on foot or by pedicab in the old town district, otherwise known as the 36 trades streets of Ha Noi because most of the shops on the same street sold the same thing: Rue des bambous, Rue de silk, Traditional medicine street, Bronze street, etc. A truly typical and charming district, with its shops on the sidewalks, small narrow houses, scooters everywhere.

Installation at the hotel for the shower and rest. Warning ! hotel rooms are only available from 2 p.m.

Gourmet dinner at the famous ¨Cha Ca¨ dish in a local restaurant. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi - Visits
(guide, private car, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits)

Today you will start the visit of the capital Hà Nội with a very old Buddhist pagoda, the 6th century Trấn Quốc pagoda, located in a beautiful setting by the large West Lake. Then, you will visit the Quán Thánh temple at 300m.

Then, the visit of the ethnographic museum, which gives you a panoramic view of the life of the 54 ethnic groups with 54 different cultures in the territory of Vietnam.

Time for lunch at the restaurant.

In the afternoon, visit of the political district with the mausoleum of Hồ Chí Minh, the founding father of modern Vietnam, the presidential palace, the house on stilts of Hồ Chí Minh, the pagoda with the one pillar. Visit of the Temple of Literature, the first university in the history of the country.

At the end of the day, you will witness the spectacle of the Water Puppet Theater, a unique culture that you will never find in any other country in the world. Vietnam is the only country that practices this art.

Dinner at the local restaurant. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 3: Ha Noi - Nghia Lo
(guide, private car, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure at 8:00 am towards Nghia Lo, passing through the tea hills at Thanh Son. Visit of small villages along the road. Visit of a small tea factory (depending on their work). On the road, stop and visit small villages of Muong and Thai ethnic groups with their typical houses, unexpected encounters!
Lunch at the local restaurant.

In the afternoon, visit Suối Giàng where there are centuries-old tea plantations created by the H’mong at an altitude of 1000m.
Arrival in Nghia Lo, a large and very peaceful valley surrounded by mountains, villages on the edge of rice fields. A picturesque landscape.
Dinner and overnight at the inhabitant in the house on stilts, Thai White ethnic group.

Day 4: Nghia Lo - Tu Le - Mu Cang Chai
(guide, private car, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits)

Breakfast at the inhabitant's.

Departure at 9:00 am to Mu Cang Chai. Visit the daily market of Nghia Lo, before leaving for the most beautiful rice terraces in Vietnam.

Arrive in Tu Le, a small town by the road, famous for its rice fields, sticky rice and chicken. You will take a walk in the small villages of the Thai Noirs, unexpected encounters with the local inhabitants, a little discovery of local life where the stress and worries of urban life are not yet known.

Lunch at the local restaurant with good sticky rice and sporty chicken. In the afternoon we will go up to altitude and admire the most beautiful rice terraces in the country. A magnificent landscape awaits you.

Visit of the black Hmong village at La Pan Tan. A natural spectacle made by human hands.

Arrival in Mu Cang Chai, a very quiet little town.

Dinner and overnight at the inhabitant.

Day 5: Mu Cang Chai - Sapa
(guide, private car, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits)

Breakfast at the inhabitant's.

At 8:30 am, departure to Sapa, the old summer resort founded by the French during the colonial era.
On the road to Sapa, you will still see kilometers of tea plantations, very beautiful rice fields and beautiful villages with houses on stilts.
Lunch on the road.

Before arriving in Sapa, you will visit the beautiful Thac Bac waterfall which is located on the longest pass in Vietnam, the O Quy Ho pass, a magnificent landscape.

Arrived in Sapa, you will visit its market, its church, Catcat village inhabited by the Black Hmong, a minority ethnic group from Vietnam who still keeps very well its customs as well as its pretty traditional dress.

Dinner at the restaurant. Night at the hotel.

Day 6: Sapa - Matra Village, Ta Phin
(guide, lunch, dinner, private car, accommodation, visit)

Breakfast at the hotel.

This morning, a short 3 hour hike through Ma Tra and Ta Phin villages, the two villages which are inhabited by the Black Hmong and the Red Dao, the two main ethnic minorities in Sapa. A little meeting, the discovery of their daily life and storytellingmpler the magnificent landscapes, this is what awaits you.
Lunch at the inhabitant in the village Ta Phin.

In the afternoon, free time to rest or stroll around Sapa.

Dinner at the restaurant.

Night at the hotel.

Day 7: Sapa - Sin Chen Market - Bac Ha
(guide, lunch, dinner, private car, accommodation, visit)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Today is Wednesday, the day of the Hmong Fleur's weekly market, Sin Chen Market. Departure around 8:00 am from your hotel. After a 3h30 drive, you arrive at the market where the Flower Hmong from the region come to exchange their agricultural products, have a drink together after a week. In fact, the market is not only an opportunity for shopping but also an opportunity to meet local people, a small local festival for young people, to meet each other. An opportunity to find the husband or wife of their life.

Lunch at the local restaurant.

In the afternoon, stroll through the Ban Pho villages, village of the former French military airport Thai Giang Pho.

Dinner and overnight at the inhabitant, Tay ethnic group.

Day 8: Bac Ha - Pan Hou Bungalow
(guide, lunch, dinner, private car, accommodation, visit)

Breakfast at the inhabitant's.

Departure to Ha Giang, the extreme province in the north of Vietnam via Xinman, Coc Pai. Visits to the superb rice terraces in the Ban Nhung and Ban Phung villages.

Lunch on the road.

Arrival at Pan Hou, a bungalow that gets lost in the middle of the mountain, very nice. Time to rest. Dinner and overnight at the Pan Hou hotel.

Day 9: Pan Hou Bungalow - Nam Dam
(guide, lunch, dinner, private car, accommodation, visit)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Leaving Hoang Su Phi, you will still see beautiful landscapes. Join the RN 2 towards the city of Ha Giang. Visit of Thon Tha village, a paradise village, with stilt houses with thatched roofs, and surrounded by hills of palm trees.

Lunch time.

Continuation of the road to Quan Ba. You will start to ascend the Dong Van Karst Plateau, the geological park of the world. A new kind of landscape that you have never seen in 9 days.

Arrival at the Dao village in pants, Nam Dam. A great village with mud houses. A walk at the end of the day will be unforgettable.

Dinner and overnight at the inhabitant.

Day 10: Nam Dam - Dong Van - Meo Vac
(guide, lunch, dinner, private car, accommodation, visit)

Breakfast at the inhabitant's.

Departure to Dong Van. Today, you will return to the heart of the park, a grandiose landscape awaits you! Visit pretty Hmong villages on the way to Sung La. Before arriving at Dong Van town, you will visit King Hmong Palace, typical architecture of Hmong region.

Arrival in Dong Van, coffee break and visit of the old quarter.

In the afternoon, you continue the road towards Meo Vac, passing through the Ma Pi Leng pass, with its splendid landscapes.

Arrival at Meo Vac. Installation at the hotel.

Dinner at the local restaurant. Night at the hotel.

Day 11: Meo Vac - Ba Be
(guide, lunch, dinner, private car, accommodation, visit)

This Sunday morning, you will participate in the weekly market of Meo Vac, the large local market for the ethnic minorities of this region. A bustling market that you cannot pass up.

After the market, we leave Meo Vac towards Ba Be Lake.

Local lunch.

Arrival at Ba Be Lake in the afternoon, time to rest with the Tay family by the lake.

Dinner and overnight at the inhabitant in the house on stilts.

Note: A bit tiring day due to the long road but inevitable. Be brave !

Day 12: Ba Be - Visits
(guide, lunch, dinner, private car, accommodation, visit)

Breakfast at the inhabitant's.

This morning, you will leave for the discovery of the lake.

Boat trip on the lake, up the Na Nang River to the Puong bat cave while contemplating the lush vegetation next to it.

Lunch at the local restaurant.

In the afternoon, visit Dau Dang waterfall and return by boat to the village.

Dinner and overnight at the inhabitant.

Day 13: Ba Be - Cao Bang
(guide, lunch, dinner, private car, accommodation, visit)

Breakfast at the inhabitant's.

This morning, you will visit a beautiful cave 6km from the village, the Huama cave, before taking the road towards Cao Bang.

Lunch at the local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you arrive at Cao Bang via a beautiful mountain road and its passes, known as Col du Vent, Col Ngan Son.

Time for a stroll in the city and visit the daily market.

Dinner at the restaurant.

Night at the hotel.

Day 14: Cao Bang - Ban Gioc
(guide, lunch, dinner, private car, accommodation, visit)

Breakfast at the hotel.

In the morning, departure for the falls of Ban Gioc taking a beautiful road surrounded by beautiful landscapes, peaceful villages on both sides.
Ban Gioc Falls is one of the most beautiful du country. The roar of falling water can be heard miles from Trung Khanh and an opaque mist forms on the side of the mountain. A point of refreshment of the most appreciable. A river lined with rare flowers is located at the foot of the fall. In the early 1920s, the French had started building chalets by the river for their vacation.

Lunch at the local restaurant.

On the way back and just before the falls is the Ngom Ngao cave, considered the second most beautiful in the country after that of Phong Nha. It stretches for 3 kilometers, it seems to the falls. The part that can be visited is lit and includes a huge room over 100 m long with beautiful stalagmites and stalactites. An underground wonder.

Still on the way back, stop at the village of blacksmiths of the Nung ethnic group, named Phuc Sen. A little discovery on their way of working iron and the opportunity to bring back some artisanal knives as a souvenir.

Arrive in Cao Bang in the late afternoon.

Dinner at the restaurant. Second night in Cao Bang.

Day 15: Cao Bang - Lang Son - Ha Noi
(guide, lunch, private car, accommodation, visit)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Depart for Lang Son, the very important border town for import and export between Vietnam and China. Visit the Dong Kinh market where you find all the cheap Chinese products, from clothes or food, to electronic tools.

Lunch at the local restaurant, tasting of the superb lacquered duck from Lang Son.

Continuation of road to Ha Noi. Arrival around 4 p.m. at the hotel.

Rest time.

Night at the hotel.

Day 16: Ha Noi - Cat Ba - Cruise in Halong Bay - Overnight on board
(guide on board, bus, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits, private junk or collective boat)

Breakfast at the hotel.

At 7:30 am, departure for Hai Phong 150 km away, to board a shuttle that takes you to Cat Ba Island. 30 minutes more bus and you arrive at the Ben Beo pier where you will board our beautiful private junk (or collective boat) and start the 24 hours on board for a discovery of one of the natural wonders of the world, the Halong Bay.
From our ¨zen¨ criteria for trips, we have chosen the part of the south of the bay where the large mass tourism boats do not pass yet, just a few small traditional junks in this area. A part of the bay that is still very authentic with thousands of rocks, wild beaches and huge floating villages that you cannot find in the other part of Ha Long Bay.

Lunch on board with seafood. Time for swimming or simply resting on the deck to admire this miracle that nature offers us. After 3 hours of navigation, we arrive at Hang Ca, a beautiful place for the kayak ride, another way to see the bay up close.
Around 5:30 p.m., we anchor in a magnificent circus in the middle of the bay where you will be alone. A hell of a time to watch the sunset over the bay.

Dinner on board and a test of squid fishing in the evening will be great memories.

Overnight on board.

Note: The order of visits during the cruise may be changed depending on local weather conditions.

Day 17: Cat Ba - Ha Noi
(guide on board, bus, lunch, accommodation, visits)

An early morning awakening in a magical setting around 5 am to admire the sunrise over the bay, why not?
After a good breakfast, the junk continues to sail in the bay and takes you to Viet Hai village for a nice bike ride or visit the fish farm or just enjoy the tranquility on a beach. You choose !

Lunch on board and disembarkation around 11:30 am.

Return to Ha Noi.
Free dinner. Night at the hotel.

Day 18: Ha Noi - Departure
(transfer)

Breakfast at hotel. Completely free day for your purchases before leaving.
Meet with the driver to leave for the airport for your return flight.

End of the trip!

Travel with passion!