Discover Northern Vietnam’s Natural Wonders: Ha Long Bay to Ban Gioc Falls

HANOI ARRIVAL – FOOD TOUR ( MEALS: D) Upon arrival at Noi Bai airport, our guide and driver will meet you at the airport and transfer to your hotel in city center. In the afternoon, you’ll join food tour and discover every corners of the Hanoi Old Quarter. You’ll enjoy amazing local food including: Banh Cuon: Vietnamese steamed rice rolls Bun Cha: rice noodles with barbecue pork. Hoa Qua Dam: fruit beams - one of the most popular cooling dishes for young people on hot summer days. In the sweltering weather, enjoying a cup of sweet, refreshing, and cool beams of fruit is a wonderful thing that everyone loves. Egg – coffee: a Vietnamese drink traditionally prepared with egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk and robusta coffee Finnally, we are heading to Ta Hien street. It’s known as “ beer corner of the Hanoi Old Quarter”. Our guide’ll take you back your hotel. Overnight in Hanoi.

• Airport pickup and transfer to hotel
• Explore Hanoi Old Quarter
• Guided street food tour
• Taste local specialties: Banh Cuon, Bun Cha, fruit dessert & Egg Coffee
• Visit Ta Hien “Beer Corner” street
• Overnight in Hanoi

HANOI CITY TOUR ( MEALS: B,L) After breakfast, our tour guide will meet you in the hotel lobby. We will visit Hanoi with Ho Chi Minh Complex that completed in 1975. We visit outside Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The complex includes the Presidential Palace, House-on-Stilts, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and One Pillar pagoda. After that we will visit the Temple of Literature that was originally built as a temple to Confucius, this is the site of Vietnam’s first University dating back to 1070. The temple highlights the importance of Vietnamese society for education. Have lunch at a nice restaurant in city center. After lunch, we continue our trip to visit Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake: The Ngoc Son temple is set on a tiny island on the Hoan KiemLake, its history dating back to the 13th century. The temple is reached by crossing the The Huc Bridge which literally means the ‘Place Touched by Morning Sunbeams’. The Hoan Kiem Lake is the local point of the city and the source of many legends. After that, we take 45 minutes Cyclo Tour through the Old Quarter: Also known as the 36 streets, this bustling area of narrow streets is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. Originally, each of the 36 s names’ was related to the products being sold there. It’s a great place to explore on foot with numerous photo opportunities. Before back to your hotel, we will enjoy the water puppet show at Thang Long theatre - a tradictional performance of Vietnamese. Overnight in Hanoi.

• Visit Ho Chi Minh Complex (outside Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, House-on-Stilts, One Pillar Pagoda)
• Explore Temple of Literature
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Visit Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple
• 45-minute Cyclo ride through Old Quarter
• Traditional Water Puppet Show
• Overnight in Hanoi

HANOI – HA LONG BAY ( MEALS: B,L,D) After your breakfast, we leave Hanoi for Halong Bay in 3 hours drive. Ha Long Bay is known as the most famous World Heritage Site in Vietnam for its beautiful seascape, thousands of spectacular islands and islets jutting out from the sea, amazing caves with marvelous stalagmites and stalactites in different sizes and shapes. Upon arrival, you'll be welcomed on board. Lunch will be served while the boat is sailing to Halong Bay. In the afternoon, we’ll join some activities: sightseeing, kayaking, swimming, visit cave...(depending on each cruise’s itinerary). Stay overnight on the cruise.

• Drive from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay
• Board cruise and welcome briefing
• Lunch onboard while cruising
• Sightseeing limestone islands
• Kayaking, swimming & cave exploration (depending on cruise itinerary)
• Overnight on cruise in Ha Long Bay

HA LONG BAY – NAM MAU – BA BE – BAC KAN ( B,L,D) Enjoy the morning view of the beautiful landscape with a cup of coffee or tea then have breakfast. After breakfast, the cruise will bring you on a trip to explore deeper inside the bay. The brunch will be served on the way sailing back to the port and our driver will pick you up and transfer to Nam Mau. Overnight in Bac Kan.

• Morning cruise and sightseeing
• Breakfast and brunch onboard
• Return to port
• Transfer to Nam Mau / Bac Kan
• Scenic countryside drive
• Overnight in Bac Kan (homestay)

BA BE LAKE – LOCAL MARKET ( MEALS: B,L,D) After breakfast, we enjoy the boat trip in 3 hours (or 5 hours if you request). This is a spectacular boat trip on the lake. We stroll along the riverfront, visit some lovely villages and hike the upper reaches of the lake, in an area marked by massive limestone cliffs and mountains. The boat will come to Puong Cave where you can explore the stalactites and stalagmites which are a result of the erosion of the river on the karst as well as looking out for the bat colony several thousand strong. Lunch is served at local restaurant. In the afternoon, we’ll set out on our 10km hike to a H’mong village, where we’ll spend some time in a local school, interacting and playing with the children. Often our guide will bring some sweets, pens and notebooks to give out as gifts to the kids, something that always greatly excites them and brings a giant smile to their little faces. Our guide will also pack a basic but tasty picnic lunch that we’ll enjoy here. Dinner is served at local restaurant. Overnight in Bac Kan.

• Boat trip on Ba Be Lake (3–5 hours)
• Visit riverside villages and limestone landscapes
• Explore Puong Cave and bat colony
• Lunch at local restaurant
• 10 km hike to H’mong village
• Visit local school and interact with children
• Cultural experience with local community
• Overnight in Bac Kan

BA BE - BAN GIOC WATERFALL – CAO BANG ( MEALS: B,L,D) After breakfast, we will say good bye Ba Be then Continue your trip to Ban Gioc waterfall (about 210km and 5 hours to drive). Have lunch at local restaurant in Cao Bang city at around 11:30am. This afternoon, we drive to Ban Gioc waterfall. Stop on the way to visit Ma Phuc pass, Phia Thap incense making village, Pac Rang forging village, Ngoc Con and Phong Nam – the most picturesque and beautiful landscapes of Cao Bang where Vietnamese photographers come for great pictures and you will also meet local Tay and Nung ethnic minorities to learn about their culture and life. Arrive at Ban Gioc in the afternoon, we visit the waterfall. Dinner is served at local restaurant. Overnight in Cao Bang.

• Drive to Cao Bang province
• Scenic stops at Ma Phuc Pass
• Visit Phia Thap incense village & Pac Rang forging village
• Explore Ngoc Con & Phong Nam landscapes
• Visit Ban Gioc Waterfall
• Cultural interaction with Tay & Nung ethnic groups
• Overnight in Cao Bang

NGUOM NGAO CAVE – MEO VAC - MA PI LENG PASS – LUNG CU - HA GIANG ( MEALS: B,L,D) After breakfast and check-out hotel, we drive to explore amazing Nguom Ngao cave which was formed about 300 million years ago. According to Tay language, Nguom Ngao means the cave of tigers. Legend has it that, the sound of the stream inside the cave likes the growl of tigers, so the local people named the cave as Nguom Ngao. Lunch is served at local restaurant on the half-way. After that, we are heading to Ha Giang. Arrive Meo Vac, we visit Ma Pi Leng pass, inlcuding a visit to the "Happiess Road Museum" and take a short walk to the top of amazing Ma Pi Leng pass. We continue to drive on the "Happiness road and stop where you want for photos. Check in hotel in Lung Cu. Overnight in Ha Giang.

• Explore Nguom Ngao Cave (300-million-year-old formations)
• Scenic drive toward Ha Giang
• Visit Happiness Road Museum
• Walk and viewpoints at Ma Pi Leng Pass
• Photo stops along Happiness Road
• Overnight in Ha Giang

DONG VAN – YEN MINH – PAO’S HOUSE – VUONG PALACE – QUAN BA ( MEALS: B,L,D) After breakfast, we will drive via Yen Minh pass where you enjoy and fall in love with fabulous view of limestone mountain and valley, we visit The King Palace of Hmong people which is one of the few sites in Ha Giang travelers can visit for magnificent architecture and historical values. After that, we visit Lung Cam culture village to visit the home filming “ Story of Pao”, the film which won four Golden Kite Prizes (the Oscars of Vietnam). On the half-way, we stop at Pho Cao pass (Tham Ma pass) to take the photo of Happiness road. Lunch is served at local restaurant in Quan Ba. In the afternoon, we visit Nam Dam village - The charming village is nestled peacefully in a valley surrounded by karst mountains, holds inside it preserved traditional customs, habits and culture from ancient times which is appealing to tourists. Walk around the village, enjoy beautiful view of the village with the high mountains and the lovely terraced fields, houses of earthen walls gleamed in the sun. Dinner is served at local restaurant. Overnight in Ha Giang.

• Drive through Yen Minh Pass
• Visit Hmong King Palace (Vuong Palace)
• Explore Lung Cam cultural village (Pao’s House)
• Photo stop at Tham Ma Pass
• Lunch in Quan Ba
• Visit Nam Dam ethnic village
• Walk through terraced fields and traditional houses
• Overnight in Ha Giang

QUAN BA – HA GIANG – HANOI ( MEALS: B,L) After breakfast, we check out hotel then drive to Quan Ba Heaven Gate. You will have a great chance to walk up the top on hill to enjoy the stunning view of Quan Ba town, take the photo of Co Tien Double mountain. After that, we are heading back to Hanoi. Lunch is served at local restaurant on the half-way. In the afternoon, we arrive Noi Bai International Airport. Our guide & driver say goodbye to you.

• Visit Quan Ba Heaven Gate viewpoint
• View Co Tien (Twin Mountains)
• Scenic drive back to Hanoi
• Lunch en route
• Transfer to Noi Bai International Airport
• Tour ends / departure