Itinerary in brief 

Day 1     Hanoi - arrival
Day 2     Hanoi - Hoa lu & Tam coc
Day 3     Hanoi - City tour - Night TRAIN - Sapa
Day 4     Sapa
Day 5     Sapa - Night TRAIN - Hanoi
Day 7     Hanoi - Halong - CRUISE and NIGHT aboard
Day 8     Halong - CRUISE - Hanoi
Day 9     Hanoi - FLY - Luang Prabang
Day 10   Luang Prabang
Day 11   Luang Prabang - CRUISE - Kamu Lodge
Day 12   Kamulodge - CRUISE - Luang Prabang- Khuang Sy waterfall
Day 13   Luang Prabang - Xieng Khoang
Day 14   Xieng Khoang - FLY - Vientiane
Day 15   Vientiane - Departure

Itinerary in details

DAY 1: HANOI - ARRIVAL

Met and welcome by the Hanoi Voyages Guide upon arrival at the airport. Then transfer by private car to your hotel

In the afternoon, we take a ride of exploration through the busy streets of the ‘Old Quarter’ (over 1000yrs old), by traditional cyclo, a tricycle ridden from the rear, giving an uninterrupted view of this historical district.

We will finish with after a water-puppet show, a traditional and ancient art form, unique to Vietnam, where the puppets appear on water, manipulated from behind a screen.

Overnight in Hanoi

DAY 2: HANOI - HOA LU & TAM COC

We leave Hanoi heading north to Hoa Lu the site of the country’s first capital (years968-1009) whose ancient citadel covered almost 3 sq kms. Although now mostly destroyed, ruminants remain today. The temples of Dinh Tien Hoang (restored in the 17th century) and Le Dai Hanh remain and the stunning views and scenery are worth the stop.

We then head for Tam Coc town. Known as ‘Halong Bay in the rice fields,’ the views and photographic opportunities are endless and it is truly one of the more beautiful places in the entire country.

• We will have lunch in Tam Coc town

After eating we board small sampan and traverse the Ngo Dong River through the rice fields where huge rock formations rise from these greenfield. The sampans are manned by locals who, incredibly, row with their feet. During this leisure trip the boats enter three sacred caves, Tam Coc Caves, after which the town itself was named. The boat trip takes approximately 2hrs and is a very peaceful and scenic time.

DAY 3: HANOI - CITY TOUR - NIGHT TRAIN - SAPA

This city tour gives a glimpse and an introduction to the history and highlights of the nation’s capital.

In the morning,

• Visit to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum to see the embalmed body of the nation’s hero, affectingly known by the people as ‘Uncle Ho’, and view his former residence, built on stilts and preserved just as Ho left it.
• Visite one pilar pagoda
• Visit the Temple of Literature, a fine example of traditional Vietnamese architecture founded in 1070 by Emporer Ly Thanh Tong, and dedicated to Confucius to honor literary scholars.
• Continuing on, we will move to West Lake district to we shall discover the Tran Quoc Pagoda, one of the oldest in Vietnam, and Quan Thanh Temple situated on the Truc Bach Lake shore

In the afternoon

• We begin with a visit to the museum of your choice, either the Nationl Fine Arts Museum, the Ethnology Museum or the Army Museum.

After dinner, at approximately 20:30 you will transit to the Hanoi Railway Station for the train journey to Lao Cai, the closest railway station to Sapa.

Overnight on board

DAY 3: SAPA

After meeting your guide in Lao Cai, transferring to Sapa and breakfasting, you will begin to meet the ethnic minority people who live in the surrounds.

Our hike begins in the village of Y Linh Ho, situated in the Muong Hoa Valley, and entails a gentle 6 kms hike to Lao Chai village, populated by the Black H’Mong ethnic group. You will wander through landscapes of terraced rice fields and be awe struck by the beautiful scenery of waterfalls, productive fields of rice, corn, bananas and sculpted hillsides. Along the way you will see the water buffalo working the fields, and meet many locals dressed in their traditional clothing, with whom many interactions take place.

After a break for lunch, we will continue our journey, walking approximately 2 kms to the village of Ta Van, populated by the Giay ethnic people.

The women of the village weave their own fabrics for the clothes they wear, and many looms will be seen along the way. Your guide will explain the decorative embroided designs of their clothing.
The people of Ta Van also engage in sculpture of both stone and wood, many of a very intricate nature.

Overnight homestay in Ta Van Village.

DAY 4: SAPA - BAC HA MARKET - NIGHT TRAIN - HANOI

Sunday is market day in Bac Ha, and it is one of the largest markets in the mountainous north, and also the most colorful of all. Many tourists are attracted to this sprawling, authentic market, attracted by the many different ethnic minority groups who all gather at this great meeting point.
The ethnic groups often walk for many miles over mountains to get to here as it is their once a week opportunity to sell, trade and barter their goods, including handicrafts, handmade jewelry meat, vegetables, rice and corn wine, and live animals including water buffalo.

Moving on from the market, we will take a cruise on the Chay River. The river carves its way through the mountains, with impressive gorges amongst other scenery. Impressive waterfalls will be discovered along the way, and the “Cave of the Fairy” will be located deep in the rocky banks.

Transfer to station for a night train back Hanoi.

DAY 6: HANOI - HALONG - CRUISE AND NIGHT ON JUNK

Transfer from your hotel to Halong Bay by private car with your tour guide.

Halong Bay, with its 1969 islands, is set in beautiful turquoise waters and was recognized for its natural beauty by UNESCO in 1994, and classified as a World Heritage Site.
Ha Long means “descending dragon” and according to legend, a dragon was lowered into the bay to harness the ocean currents. His violent tail movements disturbed and spread the mountain, and when he plunged into the sea the water level rose up, leaving only the highest peaks above the water.
This is a program that led to the discovery of Bai Tu Long, a jewel in Halong Bay, outside the channels travelled by junks for mass tourism.

Day 1:
On boarding receive a welcome drink
Installation in private cabins
Presentation of the crew by the captain
Start your cruise while enjoying lunch.

Lunch in the elegant dining room or on the outside deck, a delicious seafood menu, of food prepared with skill and dedication, exquisitely decorated, and served excellently by qualified personnel.

Admire the beautiful landscape that will impress everywhere you look. These islands with their striking shapes, allow your imagination to take over and “see” many different images amongst their formations, whilst cruising water the color of jade, which is so enchanting it never tires.
Fall in love with the magic of this place... .. and you have the privilege of being on a junk which sails away from the “beaten tracks” of mass tourism. No noise, and your eyes will focus on the beauty of the site.

Deck chairs are available to admire the spectacle that unfolds before your eyes.

Visit the mysterious cave Canh Thien.

Overnight on board

DAY 7: HALONG - CRUISE - HANOI

Under the morning sun, surrounded by enchanting and astonishing beauty, your breakfast will be served.

In rowboat, you will journey through the heart of a fishing village, to discover the floating houses and the lifestyle of its population, who live constantly on the water.
You will meet the village chief who will help you imagine the daily lives of the inhabitants of Halong Bay. You will also visit a floating school.

• Lunch on board the junk will close this beautiful cruise.

The whole crew will greet you and thank you for your patronage.
By early afternoon you will return to the port. After disembarking from the junk, our driver will welcome you back to dry land, and the return journey to Hanoi begins.

On the way back, we visit the village of Dong Trieu, specializing in ceramics, and the But Thap pagoda

Overnight in Hanoi

DAY 8: HANOI - FLY - LUANG PRABANG

Transfer to the airport for flight to Luang Prabang. Met and welcome by the guide upon arrival at the airport. Then transfer by private car to your hotel.

Then stroll through the Darat market, before climbing Mount Phousi to discover a magnificent panoramic view of the ancient capital and Mekong River at sunset.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

DAY 9: LUANG PRABANG

Designated a UNESCO Heritage City.
Very early in the morning at sunrise, before breakfast, you have the opportunity to witness the everyday ritual of monks collecting alms. The monks, barefooted and dressed in their resplendent saffron robes, walk in single file through the streets, collecting food for the monastery. It is a wonderful, colorful sight!

After alms we will visit some small morning markets, selling produce from market gardens across the region. They also sell insects, bats and snakes for human consumption.
We visit a local food market to discover some typical local Laos cuisine.

After breakfast we travel by tuk-tuk, and enjoy an in depth discovery tour of this ancient capital of Laos.
We visit:

• Wat Xieng Thong, in the centre of a small religious complex built in 1560, considered the most beautiful - Buddhist temple in Luang Prabang, where we discover the chapel of the sacred Buddha Pavilion, the Royal
• Funeral Chariot and the Reclining Buddha Sanctuary contained in the complex.
• The temple of Wat Visoun, built in 1515, and the oldest temple in Luang Prabang, which houses numerous gold statues of Buddha.
• The That Makmo stone stupa
• Vat Aham, a major shrine in the city, dedicated to the ancestors of Laos.

In the afternoon

• The National Museum (formally the Royal Palace) which displays a collection of artifacts that once belonged to the royal family.
• The temple of Wat Mai, the most richly decorated temple in Luang Prabang, and was the residence of the Buddhist patriarch before 1975.
• Relax with a massage provided by the Lao Red Cross

In the evening : we enjoy a traditional Baci ceremony and local dance spectacle.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

DAY 10: LUANG PRABANG - CRUISE - KAMU LODGE

From your hotel, we head for the pier and board traditional wooden boats for the 1hr 30min cruise along the Mekong River to visit two sacred caves at Pak Ou. The Tham Ting and Tham Phoum caves are highly venerated and revered in Laos, and house many thousands of Buddha statues and other memorabilia, placed there by the people who come to visit and pray.
The caves offer a magnificent view over the Mekong and the Nam Ou rivers and their contrasting waters.

During the boat ride you may observe some elephants bathing in the water close to the banks, or some locals trying their luck and panning for gold.

We continue our cruise for another 1hr 30mins through spectacular landscapes, and truly wilderness areas with the rainforests butting up to the river banks, until we reach Kamu Lodge.

Kamu Lodge, constructed in total harmony with nature, is an exceptional site, and while here you will enjoy the original and authentic experiences of the Laotian countryside.

You can participate in activities (optional) such as planting rice, gold panning or fishing in the Mekong, and enjoy a guided tour of an ethnic “Kamu” village.

Overnight at Kamu Lodge.

DAY 11: KAMULODGE - LUANG PRABANG - KHUANG SY WATERFALL

After a relaxing morning at Kamu Lodge, we cruise back to Luang Prabang by boat.

Depart for the beautiful Khuang Waterfalls, approximately 30kms from Luang Prabang.
This journey takes you through some beautiful nature places and past traditional houses made from bamboo, wood, and palm leaves.

The waterfalls are nestled in lush tropical vegetation with beautiful, clear pools of water for swimming.
On the way we visit H’Mong minority a village of Ban Thinkeo, and Khmu peoples village of Ban Thapaene.
We visit the weaving village of Ban Xang Khong, where the people, using traditional techniques, make Saa paper from mulberry tree leaves.

Overnight in Luang Prabang 

DAY 12: LUANG PRABANG - XIENG KHOANG

We begin with a 6hr drive to the province of Xieng Khuang. This region was heavily bombed in 1970 by the United States in an attempt to conquer the Pathet Lao troops of Laos. Still today there are many unexploded bombs found in the region.

We visit the “Plain of Jars” (site 1), to discover massive sandstone jars weighing as much as 6 tonnes, scattered over a dozen separate sights. The origin of these jars is still unknown and further future excavations hope to answer this question. We visit villages of ethnic H’mong and Thai Phuan Dam people.

Overnight in Xieng Khoang

DAY 13: XIENG KHOANG - FLY - VIENTIANE

Excursion to Muang Kham, a small village near the border Laos - Vietnam to visit Tai Dam et Hmong. Stopover in local market before transfering to the airport for a short flight to Vientiane. Then transfer by private car to your hotel.

Overngith in Vientiane

DAY 14: VIENTIANE - CITY TOUR

Our day is spent visiting the main attractions of the city by tuk tuk.
Attractions include:

• Vat Sisaket, built in 1818 and the only temple in Vientiane that was not destroyed by the Siamese in the fiery raid in 1828.
• Phraken Ho, the former royal chapel, which was home to the Emerald Buddha, and the power base of the Kingdom of Lane Xang.
• Patouxay, a large monument, reminiscent of the Arc de Triumph in Paris. It boasts four archways and was built to commemorate the Lao people who died in pre-Revolutionary wars.
• The large golden stupa of That Luang, founded by King Setthathirah in 1566 and a symbol of Lao sovereignty and Buddhist religion. It is said to contain a hair of Buddha.
• The temple Wat Si Muang, the most visited temple in Vientiane as it is considered the seat of the guardian spirit of the city.
• Relax in the Wat Sokpaluang, enjoying a wonderful steam bath and massage. Centered in a large park, with a hut on stilts as its steam room, and a large pot of aromatic plants and herbs “cooking” below, steam is piped and circulated in the steam room.

Enjoy some free time to stroll and investigate some of Vientiane’s markets, including the covered market, known as the “Morning Market” with lots of local crafts, jewelry, gold and silver on display.

In the evening : enjoy dinner with a folk dance show.

Overnight in Vientiane

DAY 15: VIENTIANE - DEPARTURE

Free time until transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

End of our services