Northwest tour 7 days

 Hanoi - Mai Chau - Sapa

Code: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, G = Guide  

Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D, G)

Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you'll be met and driven to your hotel.

17.15: You'll be picked up to watch the Water Puppet show an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and a good, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture.

18.30: Your Welcome Dinner will be served at one of the best local restaurant.

You'll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B, L, G)

9.00: Pick up at your hotel for your Hanoi city tour.

9.30 - 10.30: Visit Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, his simple stilt  house where he lived

10.30 - 11.00: You'll visit the Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest pagoda located on West Lake

11.00 - 12.00: Visit Temple of Literature - the first university in Vietnam

12.00 - 13.15: Lunch at local restaurant

13.15 - 15.30: Visit the Ethnology Museum for an overview of Vietnam's 54 distinct ethnic

15.30 - 16.15: Visit Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake, the heart of city.

16.15 - 17.15: You'll have around 1 hour to walk around the Old Quarter. You'll drive back to your hotel. You'll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi/Mai Chau (B, L, D, G)

8.30 - 11.00: Pick up at your hotel and drive to Mai Chau valley, you'll pass through mountainous landscape on the way.

11.00 - 12.30: You'll check in to a stilt house in Lac village, the home of a Thai ethnic minority group and have lunch at the same house on stilt.

13.00 - 16.30: You can wander around the houses to see the daily life of local people. They specialise in weaving brocade products, and are happy to show visitors their skills. The village is operated as a community co-operative, set up by the people themselves.

16.30 - 19.30: Back to the village for refreshment and free time for shopping brocade products and a dinner will be served by the house holder.

20.00 - 21.00: You'll enjoy with the performance of dancing of White Thai minority people.

You'll spend the night at house on stilt in Lac village.

Day 4: Mai Chau/Hanoi/Lao Cai (B, G)

8.00 - 8.30: You can have breakfast at local family or alternatively wake up very early to enjoy the fresh air of the mountain valley.

8.30 - 12.30: You'll walk to visit Mai Chau market to visit the local life culture of the Thai people. You'll then continue walking to Van village - the village near by the mountain with good atmosphere surrounding and then back to the Lac village for your lunch.

12.00 - 14.00: You'll be driven to Hoa Binh to have a brief visit Hoa Binh Hydro Electricity

14.00 - 16.00: Return to Hanoi for your refreshment before boarding a night train at 10 pm to Lao Cai.

You'll spend the night on the train.

Day 5: Lao Cai/Sapa (B, L, G)

5.15 - 6.30: You'll be met by your tour guide at Lao Cai Station and have a breakfast at the local restaurant.

6.30 - 11.30: You'll be picked up to visit a market frequented by ethnic minority peoples. You'll enjoy the customs of the minorities people. You'll have time for shopping in the market.

11.30 - 12.30: You'll have picnic lunch at local restaurant.

12.30 - 15.30: Drive to Sapa, a scenic mountain area with high peaks, rivers, valleys and hillside terracing. The villages are traditional and are typically tucked away at the bottom of the hill slopes. Most of the villagers wear traditional costumes. Rest of the day will be free to explore Sapa town by yourself. You'll spend the night in Sapa.

Day 6: Sapa/Lao Cai (B, L, G)

8.00 - 8.30: Breakfast at your hotel

8.30 - 11.30: You'll hike down a scenic valley calling in at the H’mong ethnic minority villages on the way. You'll then be driven by Jeep to visit Lao Chai village - the village of Black H'mong people.

11.30 - 12.30: You'll have picnic lunch.

12.30 - 14.30: You'll take a Russian Jeep to visit Ta Van village - the village of Day people and then visit Giang Ta Chai village - a village of Red Dzao people.

14.30 - 15.00: You'll return to Sapa to refresh at a local standard hotel.

16.00 - 17.00: Escorted to Lao Cai station. You'll have dinner by yourselves. You'll then take an overnight sleeper train at 21.15 back to Hanoi. Your accommodation will be on the train.

Day 7: Hanoi departure

You'll be free to shop at some of the local markets before being driven to the airport for your international departure flight.

Prices per person in US$:

Valid until December 31, 2007

Surcharge for peak season of hotels are not inclusive in the prices above.

Prices include:

• Breakfast and accommodation sharing a twin or double room.

• Return train tickets: Hanoi - Lao Cai - Hanoi, air-conditioned soft four-berth cabin

• Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver.

• The services of experienced English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary

• Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as mentioned in the programme.

• Lunches and dinners, as specified, in the local restaurants.

• Government taxes

Price do not include:

• International flight tickets and airport tax.

• Visas.

• Dinners except as specified.

• Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses.

• Insurance.

Hotel list for First Class standard

• Hanoi: Sofitel Metropole Hotel (***** colonial building, city centre) or similar

• Sapa: Victoria Sapa Hotel (**** the best hotel in Sapa, Deluxe room)

• Mai Chau: House on stilt of Thai people (clean and basic accommodation)

Hotel list for Deluxe standard

• Hanoi: Sofitel Plaza Hotel (***** overlooking the West Lake) or similar

• Sapa: Victoria Sapa Hotel (**** the best hotel in Sapa, Superior room)

• Mai Chau: House on stilt of Thai people (clean and basic accommodation)

Hotel list for Superior standard

• Hanoi: Sunway Hotel (**** city centre) or similar

• Sapa: Sapa Hotel (*** overlooking Sapa lake) or similar

• Mai Chau: House on stilt of Thai people (clean and basic accommodation)

Hotel list for Mid-range standard

• Hanoi: Army Hotel (***city centre with swimming pool) or similar

• Sapa: Auberge Hotel (local standard standing on terraces on the side of the mountain – good views, fireplaces in rooms for use during cold weather) or similar

• Mai Chau: House on stilt of Thai people (clean and basic accommodation)

Hotel list for Budget standard 

• Hanoi: Nam Hai Hotel (** in the Old Quarter) or similar

• Sapa: Hoa Sua Hotel (local standard, good view to the mountain and terraces field)

• Mai Chau: House on stilt of Thai people (clean and basic accommodation)