Sapa Trekking and Halong Cruising

Arrive into Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport, where your guide and driver will be waiting to welcome you and transfer you to your hotel. If time allows, take a walk through the Old Quarter and around Hoan Kiem Lake before gathering this evening for a welcome dinner and trip orientation. Overnight in Hanoi.

Spend a full day exploring Hanoi's landmarks with a guide, beginning at the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 as Vietnam's first university and still one of the country's most significant historic sites, its gardens and centuries-old architecture offering a window into the past. Continue to the One Pillar Pagoda, founded in 1049, and the nearby Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, including the stilt house where Ho Chi Minh lived from 1958 to 1969, a modest home that speaks to the humility of Vietnam's most famous revolutionary. Round out the morning at West Lake and the sixth-century Tran Quoc Pagoda, before lunch at one of the city's finest restaurants. In the afternoon, visit the Museum of Ethnology, dedicated to Vietnam's ethnic diversity, or the Vietnam Women's Museum, tracing the role of women in Vietnamese society through births, weddings, motherhood and spirituality. In the evening, transfer to the railway station for the overnight train toward Sapa, settling into a shared four-berth cabin for the journey north.

Arrive into Lao Cai early in the morning, a border town with China, then continue by road around an hour to Sapa town for breakfast and a briefing on the days ahead. Set out on foot through Sapa's bustling market, then descend along winding roads into the valley. The first stop is Y Linh Ho, where terraced rice fields catch the morning light, before continuing to Lao Chai San, home to the Hmong community and its traditional wooden houses. Trek deeper into the Lao Chai Valley, known for its golden terraces, before reaching Ta Van, a quiet village beside a running stream. Around 12 kilometres of trekking today, six to seven hours, rated medium. Overnight in Ta Van.

Depart Ta Van through peaceful bamboo forest along rugged trails, passing Seo Choong Ho, a charming village set among green fields, and reaching the trek's highest point at around 1,548 metres. Continue to Giang Ta Chai, known for its terraced fields and red dirt roads, watching farmers at work in the fresh mountain air before arriving at Su Pan, a village known for its traditional houses and peaceful setting. Around 12 kilometres of trekking today, six to seven hours, rated medium. Overnight in Su Pan.

Trek from Su Pan to Lech H'mong village, with the chance to meet locals and learn a little about daily life here, before continuing to Lech Zao, known for its terraced fields and clean mountain air. Follow the trails on to Ban Ho, a village with clear streams and beautiful scenery, a welcome stop after a long day's walk. Around 10 kilometres of trekking today, four to five hours, rated medium. Overnight with the Tay community in Ban Ho.

After a light breakfast of local specialties, trek out from Ban Ho through golden rice fields toward a Red Dao village known for its vibrant traditional dress and rich customs, with the chance to meet locals and taste traditional dishes. Continue on for lunch featuring local specialties like sticky rice cooked in bamboo, grilled mountain-stream fish and fresh wild herbs, before trekking on through tea hills and clear streams to Sin Chai, a remote village surrounded by untouched nature. Overnight in Sin Chai.

Trek from Sin Chai toward Nam Cum, following winding trails through lush forest with sweeping views over the surrounding mountains, then continue to Thanh Phu for lunch, with local dishes such as smoked buffalo, five-colour sticky rice or fern soup. From here, transfer around ninety minutes back to Lao Cai for the overnight train to Hanoi, settling into a shared four-berth cabin for the journey south. Around four to five hours of trekking today, rated medium.

Arrive into Hanoi early in the morning and rest up over breakfast before setting off around 9am for the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Halong City. Board your boat around midday for a cruise through the UNESCO World Heritage waters of Halong and Lan Ha Bay, with lunch served as the boat glides past thousands of limestone karsts rising from the emerald water. Spend the afternoon on deck or joining onboard activities before the boat anchors for the night among the karsts. Watch the sunset from the deck, then settle in for dinner as evening quietly falls over the bay. Overnight aboard your cruise.

Wake to the still waters of the bay for a leisurely breakfast, taking in the surrounding rock formations before checking out as the boat returns to port. Disembark and transfer back to Hanoi, with the afternoon free before gathering this evening for a farewell dinner to mark the end of the trip. Overnight in Hanoi.

The day is free until transfer to the airport for your onward flight, bringing your journey through Vietnam's northwest and Halong Bay to a close.