7-Day Vietnam Authentic Experience Tour

Welcome to Hanoi. Take pleasure in a delightful walking tour around the Old Quarter.

When landing at Noi Bai airport, you will be greeted by our guide and driver at the pickup lobby, then transfer to your hotel in the old town. Along the way from the airport to the city center, the guide will offer brief information about the cuisine, traffic, culture weather, and main attractions in the city. After arriving at your hotel, check-in and take a rest.

Note: The check-in time for the hotel is 02:00 pm.

For the remainder of the day, our guide will lead you to visit the Ba Da Pagoda, situated in a small alley and dating back to 1056. This is a holy ancient pagoda linked to the legends of the Le Dynasty, just a few steps away is the Great Cathedral (St. Joseph’s Cathedral). Continue walking through the typical streets of Hanoi, such as Hang Bac Street (famous for a wide variety of silver items), Lo Ren Street (renowned for its metal items), and Lan Ong Street (the sale of traditional medicine)… Make a stop to discover Dong Xuan Market, Hanoi’s biggest market. Afterward, take a leisurely walk to Ta Hien Street, a famous area for night activities and street food. Here, you can immerse yourself in the lively pace of life, enjoy the energetic atmosphere of Hanoi, and taste the local cuisine.

Then return to your hotel.

Note: The walking tour will be moved to the city tour day if your flight is late or you are suffering from jet lag after a long flight.

Visit the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam) and the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, explore the French Quarter, and enjoy a water puppet show.

9:00 AM: Our guide will pick you up at the hotel and transfer you to the Temple of Literature, a must-see spot in Hanoi. This historical site was constructed under the Ly Dynasty in the 11th century to worship Confucius and teach children of the royal and nobility. Stroll in Giam Garden and go to the Khue Van Cac (the symbol of Hanoi), explore Quoc Tu Giam – Vietnam’s first university, and visit some monuments such as the 82 Doctor’s Stelae (a world documentary heritage), Thien Quang Well, the House of Ceremonies…

The next spot is the Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays), which offers a comprehensive exploration of Vietnamese culture with its exhibits showcasing traditional houses, costumes, musical instruments, and tools from 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. It takes approximately 2 hours to explore this entire fascinating museum.

During the afternoon, visit the French Quarter, referred to as a ‘little Paris’ in Hanoi, featuring tree-lined streets, a big square, and government head offices. Observe the exterior of Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, then walk through the botanical gardens to visit the Presidential Palace and Stilt House (where Uncle Ho used to live and work). Proceed to reach the One Pillar Pagoda, an extraordinary architectural masterpiece and a symbol of Hanoi. The tour of this complex often lasts 1-2 hours, depending on the number of travelers.

Head back to the city center. Rest a bit, then continue to watch a water puppet show. This is a traditional Vietnamese performing art, originating in the Red River Delta in the 11th century. Water puppetry requires a smooth combination of puppetry techniques, water effects, and traditional music. The content of these performances typically revolves around historical events or depicts the culture, beliefs, and rural life of Vietnam through puppets on the water.

After the show, unwind and have dinner (at your own expense) or take a stroll around the city center. In the evening, take a short transfer to Hanoi Train Station and start your journey from Hanoi to Sapa by overnight train.

Explore the famous hiking route Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van, and admire the stunning valley.

Upon arriving at Lao Cai train station in the early morning, our private guide and driver will collect you and accompany you on an uphill trip to Sapa, which will take about an hour. At every turn, travelers will admire the charm of nature and rice terraces, encountering H’mong and Red Dao people along the way. Enjoy breakfast at a local restaurant before exploring the town.

Commencing from Y Linh Ho village, we will experience a full day of trekking. Follow along the downhill path and interact with the friendly H’mong ladies and children residing in houses nestled within the valley. Take a moment to relax at the cable bridge and take in the harmonious beauty of surrounding nature. If you are active and adventurous, choose the uphill trek along the Buffalo Path which features breathtaking views and fewer tourists. For those seeking an easier trek, partake in a stroll along the Muong Hoa River.

Continue to Lao Chai village, then turn on a small path through the rice fields to reach a small hamlet. Make a special visit to a grandma who is the sole craftsman remaining in this community. She employs traditional beeswax decoration techniques to create the distinctive indigo clothing of the Hmong people. This is also a wonderful opportunity to learn about their culture and daily life.

Proceed to Ta Van village, the enchanting land of the Dzay people, conveniently located on the hill with great views of the river, rice terraces, and the Hoang Lien Son Mountain range. While strolling around the beautiful and peaceful village of the misty town of Sapa, meet and converse with local people who will warmly invite you to visit their homes.

Finally, return to town and relish your stay.

Contemplate stunning landscapes, trek through Ma Tra and Ta Phin villages.

After savoring breakfast, start on the trek from Ma Tra hamlet to Ta Phin village. This journey will take you to the magnificent rice terrace valley. You will have a chance to encounter people of the Black Hmong and Red Dao ethnic groups. These ethnic communities inhabit high altitudes, far away from the influences of the modern world. It helps them to preserve their traditions, language, and most importantly their ancestral way of life. Along the way stop to visit some Hmong families and a school in Ma Tra Village. After a 3-hour trek, we will arrive at the Ta Phin village of the Red Dao ethnic group. Engage with villagers during your walk to gain insights into their life and culture.

14:00: Be picked up by the shuttle bus at the hotel lobby, then transfer to Hanoi. You will arrive at the hotel in Hanoi around 20:00.

Ride a bicycle to Thung La Temple, enjoy an exciting drumming performance, and take a boat ride in Van Long Wetland nature reserve.

8:00 AM: Begin to transfer from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, traversing through the scenic countryside of the Red River Delta.

At the first attraction in Ninh Binh, you can choose to bike 15 km or walk through the villages (depending on your preference) to Thung La temple. Along the dyke, you will see beautiful landscapes of rice fields, a river, and majestic limestone mountains. There are several stops for travelers to take photos or interact with local people. Then continue walking to Thung La temple, a sacred temple dating back to the 11th century, located in a quite deep valley surrounded by five large mountains. Meet and converse with Mr.Tuong (the temple guardian) to delve into the temple’s history. Breathe in pure air and enjoy the peaceful beauty of mountains and forests. Conclude the experience with a 20-minute drum show.

Take a sampan trip along Van Long Lagoon – regarded as the “waveless bay”, and explore the enchanting beauty of Van Long Nature Reserve. In this renowned ecotourism spot, enjoy a serene atmosphere, admire majestic limestone mountains, and immerse yourself in the untouched natural surroundings. If fortunate, you can see Delacour’s Langur or egrets perched on the cliffs.

After the boat trip, we will visit an embroidery village and attend an embroidery class with Mrs Lam, a local artisan. She will be giving you instructions and explaining to you the techniques of traditional embroidery. Here, you can practice embroidering on fabric like a real craftswoman.

At the end of the day, head back to Hanoi.

Travel to Lan Ha Bay, contemplate the stunning seascape, explore the Dark and Bright caves.

9.00 am: We will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to Lan Ha Bay. It takes about 2.5 hours to drive from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay on National Highway No.5B, passing through a series of villages and rice fields in the Red River Delta. On the way, there will be a stop for drinks and restrooms. Arriving at the harbor around noon, you will be welcomed warmly at the cruise reception.

12:30: You’ll be taken on our support vessel at the wharf and transferred across the bay to board the luxurious Peony Cruising. You will be offered drinks and cold towels, then have lunch at the restaurant on the cruise. After relishing the delicious meal, we will start our voyage to Lan Ha Bay,  acknowledged as one of the most beautiful bays in the world.

15:30: Explore Dark and Bright Cave located at Lan Ha Bay in Cat Ba Archipelago. Inside the mysterious cave is a large lake surrounded by limestone mountains of various shapes. This place is known for its unspoiled beauty, poetic seascape, and smooth white sand beach. During exploring, make sure you take photographs to capture the stunning scenery here. This is an ideal destination for swimming, kayaking, or rowing bamboo boats to uncover the bay. On the Peony Cruise, you can also relax in the mini pool with Jacuzzi.

17:30: Return to the Peony Cruise to admire the sunset at Lan Ha Bay. It’s a great opportunity for photography enthusiasts to capture the beautiful sunset over the bay.

19:30: Savor a romantic dinner at the restaurant on the cruise.

From 21:00: Enjoy the bay’s nightlife from the top deck. Sip cocktails at the bar, listen to music, watch famous films, take in the bay from your balcony, or simply rest in your room. Alternatively, you can also join the fishing for squid and octopus.

Overnight on the cruise.

Discover Trung Trang Cave, enjoy a leisurely cruise, return to Hanoi, and depart.

6:30 – 7:30: Indulge breakfast at the restaurant on Peony Cruise.

8:00 am: The cruise takes you to Frog Pond, a famous unspoiled destination in Lan Ha Bay. This peaceful area is surrounded by a variety of flora and fauna and the ecological systems of Cat Ba National Park. It’s a great place for swimming, water sports, and kayaking to explore the beautiful land with its majestic rocky mountains and take awe-inspiring photos The four-season mini-pool at Lan Ha Bay is also the perfect place to relax.

9.30 AM: Complete check out from your room. Then, savor your lunch in the restaurant. When transferring to the port, please pay the supplement (if any) at reception.

11:15 – 11:30: Head back to the harbor.

11:30-11:45: Dock at Tuan Chau International Marina.

The driver will wait for you at the harbor and take you back to Hanoi on the new highway No.5B for 2.5 hours. You will be dropped off at your hotel located in the old quarter of Hanoi.

Our private driver will pick you up from your hotel lobby and take you to Noi Bai Airport. The transfer takes 45 minutes (international or domestic terminal depending on your request). Thank you for visiting our city and have a safe journey.

Note: International flights must be at the airport 3 hours before departure and domestic flights 2 hours.