Hanoi – Tam Coc – Hoa Lu – Sapa – Halong Bay Tour – 7 Days

Tour Highlights

• Explore the contrasting landscapes of Hanoi, Sapa’s highlands, Ninh Binh’s nature, and the stunning Halong Bay.
• Engage with ethnic minorities in Sapa and experience their colorful costumes and warm smiles.
• Cruise through Ninh Binh’s picturesque rivers, visit Tam Coc and Hoa Lu for breathtaking scenery, and kayak in Halong Bay’s hidden areas.
• Savor Vietnamese cuisine through street food tours and a chance to taste regional specialties.
• Visit UNESCO-listed sites like the Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Complex, and Halong Bay.

Take an amazing opportunity to discover the most famous splendid spots in North Vietnam Tour as the thousand-year Hanoi capital, pure nature in Ninh Binh, enthralling Sapa, and the World Heritage Halong Bay. If Sapa and Halong Bay are the tourist destinations with its beauty and its charming, Ninh Binh attracts tourists with the pure nature, fresh air, and really friendly hosts. This 7-day tour from Hanoi blends the outstanding values of people as well as the nature with its majestic scenery mixed with human values created by the ethnic minorities.

General Information

Tour Route: Hanoi – Sapa – Ninh Binh – Tam Coc – Hoa Lu – Halong Bay – Hanoi
Duration: 7 Days/ 6 Nights
Departure Date: Any Time You Wish
Start/ End: Hanoi/ Hanoi

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival – Night Train to Sapa (D)
Day 2: Sapa – Cat Cat – Y Linh Ho Village (B, L, D)
Day 3: Sapa – Lao Chai, Ta Van – Bus back to Hanoi (B, L, D)
Day 4: Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Tam Coc – Hoa Lu (B, L, D)
Day 5: Ninh Binh – Halong Bay, overnight on cruise (B, L, D)
Day 6: Halong – Hanoi – Street Food (B, L, D)
Day 7: Hanoi City – Departure (B, L)

Full Itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival – Night Train to Sapa (D)

Upon arrival at Noi Bai International airport, your local guide will pick you up and then transfer to the hotel. After a short rest, take a one-hour cyclo ride around Hanoi Old Quarter, visit Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam dating back from the 11th century. Later on, watch the traditional Water Puppet Show before dinner time at a local restaurant. Our car will take us to Hanoi Railway Station to catch the night train to Lao Cai. Overnight on the train.

Day 2: Sapa – Cat Cat – Y Linh Ho Village (B, L, D)

Arriving in Lao Cai station in the early morning, then picked up and transfer to Sapa Town. After having breakfast at a local restaurant, take a visit to Cat Cat Village with two stops at a magnificent waterfall and a hydroelectric station. Continue walking to admire the rice fields to Y Linh Ho – the house of Black H’ mong People. After 3 hours of walking, we returned to town and had free time to visit and shop in Sapa town. Overnight at a hotel in Sapa.

Day 3: Sapa – Lao Chai, Ta Van – Bus back to Hanoi (B, L, D)

After breakfast at the hotel, your today trip will begin by a scenic drive to Muong Hoa valley. On the way, we will stop en-route to get the panorama of Fansipan mount and the charming Muong Hoa Valley with hundreds of tribal villages.

Welcome to the gate of villages that are home to H’ mong and Red Dao. Witness their daily life, immerse in the innocent smile of children with colorful costumes. Then, leave it all behind and start walking through the largest rice paddy terraced among Sapa & around.

You will meet some mothers and sitting-on-the-back babies working on the fields, which deems as one of the iconic features of ethnic people living in North Vietnam. We also stop at some local houses and a local school for chatting with children. Later on, back up the road and transfer to Sapa for lunch & check-out, hop on the Express Bus to back Hanoi. We arrive in Hanoi at around 9h30 PM, we will check in the hotel for overnight accommodation.

Day 4: Hanoi – Tam Coc – Hoa Lu (B, L, D)

Embark a day by a two-hour drive to Ninh Binh away from Hanoi. Our car will reach Tam Coc, board on the boat and ride through stunning Ngo Dong river for 1.5 hours. You have time to visit and relish in the scenery in Tam Coc and then back to a local restaurant for lunch.

In the afternoon, take a visit to Hoa Lu, the capital of Dai Co Viet (the former name of Vietnam) under the Dinh and Le dynasties. The ancient capital witnessed a lot of historic events. Then we visit King Dinh and King Le’s Temples. Stay in Ninh Binh for overnight accommodation.

Day 5: Ninh Binh – Halong Bay – Overnight on Boat (B, L, D)

This morning, we will take you to Halong Bay, which was recognized by UNESCO as the World Natural Heritage in 1994 and 2000. After a 180km trip, we will board our overnight cruise and savor a delicious seafood lunch. We will visit some limestone islands, kayak between hidden areas of the Bay, then swim at Soi Sim Beach or challenge trekking to the top of the island. Enjoy dinner and stay overnight on the boat.

In the afternoon, discover Sung Sot (Surprising) cave – one of the most wonderful caves in Halong Bay, a visit to Ba Hang fishing village, Dog island and more. Witness the culinary performances and enjoy lunch before returning to the dock and find our car to take us back to Hanoi. Overnight on boat.

Day 6: Halong – Hanoi Street Food (B, L, D)

After breakfast on the boat, check-out the boat then drive back to Hanoi. After check-in, the hotel in Hanoi, embark on your exciting Hanoi street food tour.

Try the delicious Vietnamese cuisine as exactly the locals do. Stroll through the hidden small alleyways and bustling markets of the ancient Hanoi Old Quarter. It’s a chance for you to learn more about the unique food culture in Hanoi, try a lot of local specialties influenced by French and Chinese foods. Indulge the stunning night view of Hoan Kiem Lake from a secret cafe shop. Later on, sightseeing the beauty of Hanoi with a fascinating cyclo tour around the 36-ancient streets of Hanoi. Drive back to the hotel for overnight accommodation.

Day 7: Hanoi City Tour – Departure (B, L)

After breakfast, the guide will pick you up at the hotel and embark on your Hanoi city tour. We first visit Ho Chi Minh Complex located on Hung Vuong Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. The complex includes the myriad of architectures as Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, Ho Chi Minh Stilt House, and iconic One Pillar Pagoda. Finish the first part of your Hanoi city tour at a local restaurant for lunch.

After lunch, our driver will take you to the airport for a flight back. Your 7-day Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Sapa – Halong Bay tour ends. See you the next time!