Zen Vietnam Travel builds you a trip especially in the North and the Center of the country. This circuit will allow you to visit in depth the unmissable sites with very different charms, from the authenticity with the visit of Sapa, the colorful weekly market of Bac ha, to the historical and cultural richness of the cities of Ha Noi, Hue and the sweetness from Hoi An City.

Day 01: Ha Noi - Arrival
Day 02: Ha Noi - Visits - Night train
Day 03: Lao Cai - Bac Ha Market
Day 04: Bac Ha - Ta Phin - Sapa
Day 05: Sapa - Y Linh Ho - Ta Van - Night train
Day 06: Ha Noi - Ninh Binh - Halong Bay land
Day 07: Ninh Binh - Cat Ba - Cruise in Halong Bay
Day 08: Halong Bay - Flight to Da Nang - Hoi An
Day 09: Hoi An - Visits
Day 10: Hoi An - Cloud Pass - Hue
Day 11: Hue - Visits - Flight to Ha Noi

Highlights :

+ Discovery of the most famous sites of North and Central Vietnam
+ Program at a moderate pace, varied and rich activities in contact with the populations
+ Discovery of the most beautiful rice terraces in Sapa. Visit of the authentic weekly market
+ Authentic cruise on a private or collective junk in the part far from mass tourism in Halong Bay.
+ Visits to world heritage: all the historical monuments of Hue, the old town of Hoi An.

+ Superb rides in a rowboat or bicycle at the famous site of Halong Bay on land

Notes:

- Possibility to modify, shorten the program according to your requests.

- The price of this trip varies depending on the number of participants, the services chosen (accommodation category, activities and board during the trip, ...) as well as the tourist period of the year.
- Do not hesitate to contact us for more information. We are always ready to listen to you.

Day 1: Hanoi arrival
(guide, 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.

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.

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

Day 2: Hanoi - Sightseeing - Night train
(guide, 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.

Dinner at the local restaurant.

Departure to the station for the night train at 8:30 p.m. Overnight on the train to Lao Cai.

Day 3: Lao Cai - Bac Ha Market - Nano Village
(guide, car, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits)

Arrive at Lao Cai station early in the morning. Time for a little shower and breakfast before leaving.

Today is Sunday, the day of the biggest weekly market among the Hmong Fleur, Bac Ha market.
Due to the limited means of transport and the very mountainous terrain of the region, the locals are unable to meet every day to exchange their agricultural products, their animals or to buy things. So the weekly markets are created.

The locals come to the market not only for the goods but also to meet, have a drink together after a week. Indeed, 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 villages around Ban Pho, visit the former palace of King H’mong of the region.

Arrival at the village of the Tay ethnic group, Nano village. Walk in the village.

Night at a local's home, a great opportunity to discover local life, a little friendly moment awaits you.

Day 4: Bac Ha - Ta Phin - Sapa
(guide, car, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits)

At 8:30 am, departure to Sapa, the old summer resort founded by the French during the colonial era. Visit of the Sino-Vietnamese border.

At the entrance of Sapa, you will take a 3-hour walk contemplating the beautiful landscapes in the Matra and Ta Phin villages, the two villages inhabited by the Black H'mong and the Red Dao, the other two ethnic minorities of the northern Vietnam.

Lunch in the village.

In the afternoon, visit the center of Sapa, its church, its local market.

Dinner at the restaurant.

Night at the hotel.

Day 5: Sapa - Lao Chai Ta Van - Night train
(guide, car, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits)

Breakfast at the hotel.

At 9:00 am, departure to Y Linh Ho, Lao Chai, Ta Van villages for a 3:30 hour walk around the most beautiful rice terraces of Sapa, a wonder made by human hands, and friendly encounters with minorities.

Arrival at the end of the hike, lunch with the locals in Ta Van village.

Return to Sapa. Free time for your shopping and departure for the station around 5:00 p.m. for the night train at 8:00 p.m.

Time for the shower and dinner at the restaurant at the station

Night on the train.

Day 6: Ha Noi- Cat Ba - Cruise in Halong Bay- Overnight on board
(guide, car, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits, private junk or collective boat)

Breakfast at the hotel.

At 8:00 am, departure for Hai Phong 100 km away to board a shuttle bus that takes you to Cat Ba Island. 30 minutes more bus and you arrive at embaBen Beo rcad 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, 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, beautiful place for the kayak trip, 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 7: Cat Ba - Ninh Binh-Halong Bay land
(guide, car, 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.

Road to Ninh Binh. Arrival at Tam Coc village

Overnight at the hotel.

Day 8: Ninh Binh-Halong Bay land-Flight to Hue
(guide, car, lunch, accommodation, visits, plane)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Ninh Binh, nicknamed Ha Long Bay on land because of the similarity between the landscapes and the geological formation, with thousands of rocks covered by beautiful vegetation, a succession of natural cirques linked together by caves dug by erosions.

At 8:30 am, bike ride around Tam Coc to Thung Nham for another rowboat ride. It will be a very small moment to contemplate the beauty of the terrestrial Halong Bay with rocks, rice fields, caves ....

Visit the temple of Thai Vi and the Bich Dong pagoda.

Lunch at the restaurant.

Transfer to Ha Noi km airport for the 18:00 flight to Hue. Arrival in Hue. Welcome by the guide and the driver. Transfer to the hotel.

Installation at the hotel around 8 p.m. Free dinner. Night at the hotel.

Day 9: Hue-Visits
(guide, car, lunch, accommodation, visits)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Hue, former capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. A charming city which has a great cultural richness with its history, its historical monuments, its imperial city, its mausoleums, its Perfume river ...., which seduced the soul generations of Vietnamese poets as well as visitors. Despite damage due to the two wars, the renovation projects are gradually giving it back its original charm.

The day's visit begins with Dong Ba Market, the largest indoor market in the city. Here you find everything the locals need. A beautiful market to see

Next, you will visit the Heavenly Lady Pagoda, the most important pagoda in Hue. Built in 1601, the Heavenly Lady Pagoda is not only a Buddhist temple but also an important ceremonial place for members of the royal family. A little discovery on local religious life.

The visit continues with the most important monument in Hue, the Imperial City. Built for 29 years from 1804 to 1833, the imperial city was the political, economic, cultural center of the country and the home of 13 Nguyen emperors and their families. The construction of the imperial city was a typical example of oriental architecture by harmoniously applying Confucianist philosophies, fengshui and also the use of local and exotic materials.

Time for lunch.

Continuation of the visit to the 2 mausoleums of Khai Dinh and Minh Mang. While the Mausoleum of Minh Mang is a typical construction of the city, strictly respecting local criteria, oriental philosophies, fengshui ... the mausoleum of Khai Dinh is an exception. Its architecture is really an original invention of this emperor and under the hands of the artists of the time, a splendid building, mixed with several styles: Catholic, Buddhist, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, as well as a most beautiful mosaic work. from Vietnam.

Overnight at a guest house.

Day 10: Hue-Col des Nuages-Hoi An
(guide, car, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visites)

Breakfast.

The morning begins with a visit to the Thanh Toan Bridge, a cute little Japanese-style bridge located in a small village not far from the city center. Visit of the very authentic daily market where the villagers come to shop every day. A market that stands out from the rest.

Departure towards Hoi An via the Col des Nuages. A photo stop on the pass is highly recommended.

Arrival in Da Nang. Time for lunch at the restaurant.

Visit the pretty Ngu Hanh Son Buddhist temple which is hidden in the marble mountain in Da Nang.

Arrival in Hoi An, nicknamed the Little Venice of Vietnam, Hoi An was a former silk trading port since the 14th and 15th centuries, a city which is very very well preserved, with its ancient temples, its ancient houses of various styles. , from the West with French houses, to the East with Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese houses. A favorite city for most of the people who have visited it.

Town tour.

Dinner at the restaurant in the center of the old town. This outing allows you to see the city again but under the magnificent light of the lanterns.

Night at the hotel.

Day 11: Hoi An-Visits-Tra Que Village
(guide, lunch, accommodation, visits)

Breakfast at the hotel.

This morning, you will start with a bike ride to Tra Que village, a village renowned for its cultivation of aromatic vegetables, salads, onions .... in an organic way. Over here, you will dress up as a peasant, participate, learn and work the land with the people of the village.

After the time to learn the profession of peasant, it will be a small cooking class with the family to make some typical dishes of the region. Continuation of the bike ride through villages surrounded by rice fields, to the sea. Then, you will start another ride, by boat towards the old town of Hoi An.

Lunch at the restaurant.

Visit of the city with some temples and typical houses, the Japanese bridge and also time for your shopping.

Night at the hotel.

Day 12: Da Nang-Flight to Ha Noi Airport - Departure Flight
(transfer)

Meet the driver and transfer to Danang Airport for flight to Ha Noi and then your flight home.

End of the trip!

Travel with passion!