Saturday, September 6, 2014

Sapa – Bac Ha market, Can Cau market – Halong Bay – 6 days

Sapa Train

DAY 1: HANOI CITY TOUR – LAO CAI STATION (B,L)

After having breakfast the tour guide and shuttle bus will arrive to pick up you to join Hanoi city tour at 8.30am. You will start the tour by visiting Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ho Chi Minh Museum. Enjoy the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho’s final resting-palace. Just next door is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where he used to live in the past. Lying to one side of the Mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda, built by King Ly Thai To in 1049 the structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi.

Continue to visit the Temper of Literature (Quoc Tu Giam) – Vietnam’s first University constructed in 1070. Its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past. Have lunch at local restaurants. Proceed to visit the Ethnology Museum. After that we will take you to Hoan Kiem Lake, see the peaceful water, and visit Ngoc Son Temple.

An hours cyclo tour around the bustling old quarter.

18.00: Back to your hotel. It’s your free time now to have dinner and a short while to explore the streets of Hanoi.
20.00:  Our tour assistant pick up from your hotel to go to Tran Quy Cap train station. He will lead you to your cabin on the train.

21.00: Sapa train departs and sleep the night on train. Travel time approx 9 hrs.

DAY 2: LAO CAI – CAN CAU MARKET (Saturday) (B,L,D) Private tour

6.00 AM: Arriving and picked up at Laocai Train Station have breakfast then transfer to Can Cau market. It takes more than 2 hours to get to CanCau – a small market situated in a valley surrounded by mountains and only 7 km from China. The market deeply shows the typical cultural features of the minorities in remote mountainous areas in Vietnam. Further more, you can enjoy seeing boys and girls in colourful costumes – different colours of the mountains. They attend the market in the hope of finding “the other halves of their lifves” and this is also the time for them to chat, to exchange everything among different ethnic peoples through cups of wine sold in the market and have lunch there.Say goodbye to the market and transfer to BacHa. On the way, spend time visiting a village of the Flower H’mong and then check in hotel in BacHa. Free to explore the town. and have dinner in Bac Ha. Overnight at Sao Mai hotel in Bac Ha town.


Bac Ha Market
DAY 3: BAC HA MARKET – LAO CAI STATION (Sunday) (B,L,D) – Private tour

Visit one village and an old building called The H’mong king’s house. Breakfast and the beginning of the day on which you visit a big market filled with many different hill-tribe peoples. This is the most colourful market in North Vietnam. At the market, you have chance to enjoy Bac Ha people’s simple but unique kinds of food with special wines made from rice, cassavas, corn and different sorts of fruits such as plumps, apples, peaches… talking to the minorities through the guide’s interpretation. Leave the market for the H’mong King’s house (King Hoang A Tuong) built by the French colonists and the Chinese in 1920. Return the town for lunch. In the afternoon, spend time visiting another village (BanPho village) Say good bye to BacHa and get back to Sapa. On the way back, drop in to see the Vietnamese and Chinese border in LaoCai. Reach Sapa late in the afternoon or back to Station for the train to Ha Noi.

DAY 4 : HANOI – HALONG BAY (B, L, D)

05.00: Arrive at Tran Quy Cap station (Hanoi) for Bus transfer to hotel and have breakfast.
8.00 Our guide pick up service at your hotel and depart for Ha Long city.
12.00 Arrive in Halong city. You will board your Luxury Imperial Cruise, check into your cabin and enjoy first class lunch while you are cruising through thousand amazing islands and islet passing by Stone Dog Islet, Floating fishing Village, Incense Burner Islet, Fighting Cocks Islet…
14.45 Visit Surprising Cave ( the most beautiful one in Halong Bay)
15.45 Enjoy an hour or more kayaking through slide rock cliffs before swimming (weather permitted).
18.30 Board back the Cruise, take shower and relax on upper deck bar.
19.00 Enjoy a specially prepared dinner in a romantic atmosphere.
20.00 Evening activities – enjoy movie night, board games, and squid fishing or relax at leisure. Overnight on boat.
Halong Bay

DAY 5: HALONG BAY – CAT BA ISLAND – BUNGALOW (B,L,D)

07:45 Breakfast, tea and coffee will be served
08:30 Start cruising to visit Van Gia floating village and passing by Halong Pearl Farm.
09:30 Take a local boat to Lan Ha bay.
10:30 Biking at Catba national park, to visit VietHai village, in the valley of the heart of Cat Ba National Park
13:30 Visit Nam Cat Island. Lunch.
14.00 Swimming or kayaking activities to explore the untouched area in LanHa bay.
15:00 Visit Monkey island.
15:30 Check in the Deluxe Bungalow on Nam Cat island (Catba Sandy Beach resort).
18.30 Dinner and overnight in bungalow.

DAY 6: CAT BA ISLAND – HALONG BAY – HANOI (B,L)

07:15 Cakes, fruits, tea and coffee will be served. Continue cruise through Halong Bay
10:30 Enjoy the cooking course after you pack your things and leave the cabin.
11:30 Sail back Halong pier and take a van back to Hanoi.
17.00 Arrive in Hanoi city.

End the tour.

Include

    Transfer from the hotel to the station and return.
    Return train ticket.
    Shortstay between Hanoi – Sapa – Hanoi – Halong Bay.
    01 night at hotel in Bac Ha town.
    01 night on boat.
    01 night in Bungalow of Cat Ba Sandy Beach Resort.
    Transportations/transfers as tour program.
    Meals mentioned.
    English speaking guide.
    All entrance fees.
    Kayaking in Halong Bay.

Exclude

    Drinks.
    Personal expenses.