Best of Hanoi - Halong Bay and Sapa 6 days

The northern area of Vietnam is always an attractive destination for tourists visiting the country. After visitng Hanoi captital, you will take a night train to Lao Cai then transfer to the hill town of Sapa. After exploring the area, you will return to Hanoi and visit Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site and New Seven Natural Wonder of the World with kayaking experiences (optional). Many of these isolated islands feature dramatic sea caves and sheltered, pristine beaches that can only be reached by kayak. You will enjoy ending your trip with a relaxing traditional junk trip and take part in a wide variety of activities like kayaking, cave climbing…

Day 1- Hanoi Arrival 

When you arrive in Hanoi, tour guide will meet you at the Noi Bai international airport and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is your leisure time.

Accommodation: hotel in Hanoi

Day 2 - Hanoi City tour night train to Sapa (B/L/-)

Breakfast is at the hotel. Then, our guide and driver pick you up at the hotel to explore Hanoi captital. The first destination is Ho Chi Minh Complex which includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, His House-on-Stilts, One Pillar pagoda…Then enjoy an hour Cyclo trip around Hoan Kiem lake and the Old Quarters with ancient buildings and narrow streets. Then, we will visit the Temple of Literature - known as Vietnam’s first University built in the 10th century.

Having lunch with Pho bo Hanoi or Hanoi Noodle soup with beef and served with Hanoi flavorful spring roll. After lunch time, tour continues visiting Museum of Ethnology where you can both study about the history of Vietnam’s ethnic groups and South East Asia’s. Next, we will head back to Hanoi’s central to visit Ngoc Son Temple situated in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. In the evening, you will be on an overnight train trip heading to Sapa.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Overnight train 

Day 3: Laocai – Sapa (B)

We will arrive at the Laocai railway station in the early morning. Your guide and driver will meet you there and take you on the 40km drive to Sapa – Northwest Vietnam’s premier travel destination. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel then catch a few hours of rest before beginning your adventure in this beautiful mountain landscape and home to many minority hill tribe peoples. In the late morning, your guide will take you on a two hour trek through the terraced rice fields to visit the villages Cat Cat and Sin Chai, where you will learn about local traditions and daily life. Rest of the day, you are free at leisure or explore the town on your own.

Meal: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa

Day 4: Sapa – Visit hill tribe villages (B,L)

This day is a full day for the trek to explore Sapa’s cultural diversity and haunting natural beauty. Take a guided hike through yawning valleys decorated with terraced rice fields and pass through remote hill tribe villages. You have three trekking options to choose from: Soft trek (~ 3 km), medium trek (~ 6km) and long trek (~ 12km) to explore the daily life and familiarize yourself with the cultures of the H’mong, Dzao and Dzay people who populate the region. Have lunch at a hill tribe village then drive back to Laocai to catch your return night train to Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: on train (in a 4 shared soft berths cabin with A/C)

Day 5: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Overnight on cruise (B,L,D)

Arrive in Hanoi in the early morning. Your guide and driver will meet you at the railways station and take you to a local restaurant for breakfast, before driving to Halong Bay. Spend 24 hours on a traditional Junk Cruise in the amazing bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. Arrive at the dock around noon and board your junk. Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as we sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, cruise around some of Halong’s many islands, including Dinh Huong and Ga Choi. Along the way visit one of the bay’s 3 largest caves (Thien Cung, Dau Go or Sung Sot). Stop at an island cove with a sheltered white-sand beach and take a dip in the warm waters of the Tonkin Gulf (weather permitting). Pass the night on your junk, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of calm waters.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: cruise

Day 6: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Departure (B)

In the morning, let awake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax and enjoy the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, before having an exploration nearby islands by rowboat. Return to the junk for breakfast then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay. Have brunch on board the boat before returning to Halong pier. Your driver will meet you at the dock and take you to Noi Bai Airport for your departure flight.

Meals: Brunch

This tour is built upon our firsthand knowledge & experience, offering you the best choices available. The price of this trip varies depending on the number of people in your party, dates of departure, and availability of ground services.

Please click on CUSTOMIZE YOUR TRIPS and supply the required information, enabling us to send you your personalized quote within 24 hours!

Note: Amendments CAN be made to this tour to suite your requirements, but may incur price changes

 

WHAT'S INCLUDED?
• Accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels 
• Private Vehicles and Drivers
• Transport from Hanoi to Halong and return by mini van
• Train tickets Hanoi – Sapa – Hanoi per deluxe cabins.
• Private English Speaking Guides (Other languages if available, upon request)
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)
• All domestic flights
• Airport Taxes and Fuel charges
• Entrance fees for all mentioned sights visited
• Drinking water available on the vehicles.
• Service Charge & Government Taxes
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED?
• Your International Flights
• Personal Expenses (such as laundry, telephone, drinks, etc.)
• Any bank fees or charges at your end
• Meals other than those mentioned in the itinerary
• Personal Travel Insurance
• Tips for tour guide and driver in each region
• Peak season or public holidays surcharge if any
• Compulsory Gala dinner on X-Mas or New Year if any
• Vietnam visa stamp fee 
• Other services not mentioned above

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HOTEL SELECTION:

The hotels listed below are our suggestions for the best value on this tour.  However, Asia Essence Tours offers many more options of hand-picked hotels, with different "star ratings", allowing you to customize the vacation to meet your taste and budget.  

LOCATIONS	FIRST CLASS CATEGORY	SUPERIOR CATEGORY	DELUXE CATEGORY
Hanoi	Silk Queen Hanoi	Golden Silk Boutique	Hanoi D’Opera
Halong Cruise	Swan Cruise	Huonghai Sealife	Indochina Sails
Sapa	Bamboo Sapa	U Sapa	Victoria Sapa
Sapa Overnight  on train	King Express	Sapaly Express	Victoria Express

ABOUT HOTELS:

We, at Asia Essence Tours, are aware that a good tour must have good hotels. As the hotel cost will be the major expense of your vacation in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, it is essential that all of the hotels chosen by us are the highest quality for the price paid. All of our prices are based on twin, double or queen shared rooms.

BELOW IS AN EXPLANATION OF THE HOTEL "STAR" RATINGS:

First Class/ 3 Star (from US$ 40 - US$ 60 per room/night)

The First Class/ 3 Star Hotels are good value and normally centrally located. They all have comfortable en-suite rooms, good amenities and public areas to relax in. They are usually family run hotels, so offer great personalized service for your enjoyment and comfort. Most first class properties offer an in-house restaurant, and some may even have a swimming pool!

Superior/ 4 star (from US$ 80 - US$ 110/ per room/night)

The 4* superior Hotels offer a wide range of services. Many superior hotels feature a choice of several in-house restaurants. In addition virtually all of them have a swimming pool. Some may even feature a spa or health club. This grade of hotel offers more for your enjoyment and comfort, while still remaining affordable.

Deluxe/ 5 Star (from US$120 - US$ 180++/ per room/night)

These 5* Deluxe hotels are usually owned by Worldwide, well known Hotel chains. The deluxe hotels feature excellent locations, offer the highest standards of service and facilities, and are known as the best hotels in each region. Facilities such as swimming pools and spas are the norm, and guest rooms are luxurious. These hotels offer first class service and amenities throughout.

ASIA ESSENCE TOURS™ BESPOKE STYLE SUITS EVERYONE

Flexibility: The sample itinerary can be modified to suit your interests, budget as well as your personal wishes including departure date, duration, accommodation used & how long you spend in each destination.

Tailor-Made Journey: This trip can be tailor made to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. It is a more individual trip that will suit those who enjoy immersing themselves in new cultures and environments, with the flexibility to plan a trip at your own pace. Quality and value are the hallmark of the trips, with most services being provided on a private basis.

Commitment to Excellence: We enjoys excellent relationships with all of the highly regarded hotels and finest properties in our destinations as well as with service suppliers so that we are able to negotiate the most attractive prices for our clients, which enables us to provide exclusive holidays and affordable special offers. We create one-of-a-kind vacations for groups and individuals. We love our destinations and do our best to make sure that our customers feel the same way. Our job is to make sure that everyone gets the right balance of comfort and excitement to enjoy the experience of a lifetime.