A new exciting day waiting us to discover, we depart for Ha Long, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. Hạ Long Bay has an area of around 1,553 km2, including 1,960–2,000 islets, most of which are limestone. The core of the bay has an area of 334 km2 with a high density of 775 islands and islets in all sides reflecting on turquoise water. The limestone in this bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments.
There are a lot of photo opportunity on our way to Ha Long as we drive through the rural area, street markets, paddy fields, vegetable farms, poultry farms and lotus farms. We take a rest stop Hong Ngoc shop after 2 hour drive for a coffee break then continue to Ha Long Bay. At midday we board the overnight junk for the cruise. A welcome drink is well prepared for us as we get on board then check in and enjoy a pleasant cruise on the bay. Seafood lunch is served on board while the junk is slowly going among the islands and islets. There are some activities for us to join in in this afternoon; visiting to the cave, swimming at Ti Top beach, climbing up the top of Ti Top Island for panoramic view of the bay, kayaking in late afternoon or joining squids finishing at night. The junk is anchored in a quiet bay for overnight. Dinner and overnight on board.
Morning just join the Tai Chi Class on sundeck for half an hour and then we will have breakfast. We keep on our excursion and visit to Sung Sot cave, fantastic stalactites and stalagmites in all different sides with beautiful natural color. Return to our junk and check out. Enjoy a pleasant cruise back to the pier for disembarkation then drive Ninh Binh. This city offers a wide range of interesting thing for us to do from Hoa Lu ancient capital, Dinh and Le temple, Trang An complex, the world landscape heritage, Cuc Phuong National Park, Phat Diem Cathedral, Tam Coc and Bich Dong.
On arrival, we check in hotel then free at leisure.
Start our day with a visit to Hoa Lu ancient capital which was the economic, political and culture center of Dai Co Viet, an independent Vietnamese polity founded in 968 AD by the local warlord Dinh Bo Linh who was known as Dinh Tien Hoang, the first Dinh Emperor. This site consists of Dinh and Le temple dedicated to Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh Emperors. Continue our day with a boat ride to Tam Coc, a picturesque scenery which is known as Halong on land. The Tam Cốc (“three caves”) portion is a three-hour excursion by small boat along the Ngo Dong River beginning at the village of Van Lam and proceeding through a scenic landscape dominated by rice fields and karst towers. The route includes floating through three natural caves (Hang Cả, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba), the largest of which is 125m long with its ceiling about 2m high above the water. Bich Dong is our next visiting place, it is a pagoda on nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain dating to 1428, comprising three structures: Hạ, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas, in ascending order. Finish our day with a visit Phat Diem Cathedral and its architecture is a cross between Vietnamese and European styles. Although a church, it was built in traditional Vietnamese temple architecture. It was built of stone and wood in 24 years.
Return to Hanoi and drive to Hanoi railway station for an overnight train to Sapa.
Early morning we get to Lao Cai railway station then transfer to Sapa town. Sapa is a hill station resort built during the French in 1880s and a lovely town located at 1600 m above the sea level. Sapa is very famous for hill tribe markets, mountainous and fabulous Hoang Lien Son mountain range in which Fan Si Pan, at a height of 3314 meters above the sea level is considered as the highest peak of Indochina peninsula. We enjoy our breakfast at hotel where we can leave our luggage and refresh before trekking to Ta Van and Lao Chay village. Late afternoon we drive back hotel then check in. Rest of the day is free at leisure.
Morning we trek to Cat Cat village for 2 hours then free at leisure. Late afternoon we drive to Loa Cai railway station for an overnight train to Hanoi, en route, we visit to Ta Phin the home of the Red Dao people. We also have a chance to visit the border gate between Vietnam and China in Lao Cai City before getting on the train. Dinner is at local restaurant.
Early morning we arrive Hanoi railway Station then transfer to your hotel. End of service.
Any part of this itinerary can be altered to fit your need, e.g.accommodation, add/skip city, tour length...
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