Halong Bay – Sapa Luxury 5 Days

Meet at your hotel in Hanoi at around 20:00 hrs and transfer to Hanoi train station. Overnight train trip to Lao Cai in shared sleeping compartments (sharing with other passengers in 2 lower & 2 upper berths per compartment). Train departs at approximately 21:15 hrs.

Notes:
- Our tour guide will not accompany during the train trip
- Train schedule is subject to change.
- Private compartments on request at surcharge.
- Train journeys are part of a great local experience. Cabins are shared with other local passengers (unless private cabin is requested and all berths paid for - with supplement). Restrooms at either end of the carriages complete the local experience.

Meals: NA
Accommodation: 4 soft sleepers A/C wooden cabin - Sharing cabin (Superior)
Activities: Pick up from hotel in Hanoi to transfer to the Hanoi Train Station for the night train to Lao Cai

Arrive in Lao Cai Train Station at around 5:00. Then take an one hour bus ride uphill to the beautiful town of Sapa. The ride gives you a glimpse of the stunning vistas and impressive rice terraces that make Sapa famous with travelers.
Have breakfast and freshen up upon arrival to Sapa town. Then take a morning walking tour of SaPa to visit a local market where Red Dao, Black H’mong and other ethnic minority people gather from the surrounding villages to sell and buy embroideries, silver wares and handicrafts...

In the afternoon, take a walk down to the South-west of Sapa (around 3 km) to visit Cat Cat Village of the Black H’mong, one of the more well-known ethnic village of Sapa. Relax at the foot of the stunning Silver Waterfall and the vestige of a hydroelectric power station that was constructed by the French during the colonial time in Vietnam.

Get transferred back to Sapa town and have free time until dinner.

Overnight in hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Victoria Sapa Resort & Spa – Deluxe Room
Activities: Upon arrival in Lao Cai, transfer to the Sapa town that gives you a glimpse of the stunning vistas and impressive rice terraces.

After breakfast, take a morning walk in Sapa to visit a local market where many ethnic minorities gather to sell and buy local products.
Trek downhill to the Cat Cat village, one of the most well-known places of Sapa.

Trekking distance: 3 km
Trekking: 3 km trekking, 40 km driving

In the morning, have breakfast at the hotel.
Then enjoy a trek to the Ta Phin village of Red Dao people. Red Dao is probably the ethnic group with the most beautiful traditional costume. It is very easy to catch sights of women, who wear colorful clothes, gathering together and make some handmade products with various stunning bright red colors and patterns.

In the afternoon, trek through the green Sa Pa Valley to visit the Black H'mong minority of Lao Chai Village and Giay minority of Ta Van Village then back to Sapa. On the way, visitors can admire the sight of a range of huge mountain looms dimply in the veil of smog on one side and rice terraces on the other side.

Have fresh shower, check out and prepare to get to the train station. Get transferred to Lao Cai Train station at 18:00 and catch the train back to Hanoi.

Overnight on train to Hanoi.

Notes:
- Our tour guide will not accompany during the train trip
- Train schedule is subject to change.
- Private compartments on request at surcharge.
- Train journeys are part of a great local experience. Cabins are shared with other local passengers (unless private cabin is requested and all berths paid for - with supplement). Restrooms at either end of the carriages complete the local experience.

Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: 4 soft sleepers A/C wooden cabin - Sharing cabin (Superior)
Activities: Participate in a trek to Ta Phin of the Red Dao people which have the most beautiful traditional costume.
Continue to the Lao Chai and Ta Van villages, it's the chance to enjoy the sight of huge mountain and rice terraces.

Get back to Sapa, Lao Cai and take the night train back to Hanoi.
Trekking distance: 5 km
Trekking: 5 km trekking, 10 km driving

In the morning, arrive in Hanoi Station at around 5:30 am.
Upon arrival, our guide will transfer to a hotel near train station for early check – in and have breakfast.

8:30 AM - 8:45: Pick up from Hanoi transfer to Hanoi airport for your flight to Halong.

10:00 Take your flight to Halong Bay, upon arrival Ha Long, you have chance to fly around Halong to see the beauty of this destination. Flight end around 11:00 am, you have some more time to relax before check in cruise.

Welcome on board and sail through the Halong Bay. Allow your eyes to swim through the azure waters of this magical place, where thousands of sculpted limestone and islands rise from the water like gigantic teeth of dragons. Pass through picturesque areas like the Mat Quy Islet and Am Tich Islets.

A delectable buffet lunch is served shortly upon boarding and you find yourself getting acquainted with the facilities of the boat. The boat starts to cruise into the Bay and within the first hour you can enjoy this World Heritage Site. A first visit will take our guests by tender to the Tien Ong Cave. The Cave is huge – about 2.000 sqm –and is peppered with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, formed out of ancient limestone karsts about 700,000 years ago. The cave is four meters above sea level. This visit will last approximately 20 minutes (we strongly recommend that you do not wear high heel shoes for this excursion).

The voyage continues with the arrival at the Cua Van Fishing Village, the biggest and oldest fishing village in Halong Bay via a pleasant boat ride (a maximum of four persons per boat). You will pass by this ancient village which comprises floating houses and floating schools – simply irresistible.

After returning to the boat in the late afternoon guests can sharpen their culinary skills at our cooking class performance conducted by our energetic chef. Surely you can give him a helping hand any time and try your skills in preparing special Vietnamese dishes. The boat cruises slowly with the evening sun to its mooring points. If not now when then it is time to enjoy a massage or at least to quaff a drink – in the miraculous descending sun – on our terrace deck.

At approximately 19.00 guests can attend a presentation in the restaurant area about the Halong Bay before dinner is served. The night is yours – kick back on a comfy pillowed bench and inhale the surreal beauty whilst sipping a glass of wine. Not many places in the world offer those special feelings. The mooring place is a fantastic overnight spot with glittering lights from the other boats and a calm sea, perfect for your first dream in the middle of the Bay where once Dragons played amid sparkling jewels.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Violet Cruise - Violet Suite Room
Activities: After arriving in Hanoi, take a short break until the picking up to the airport for the flight to Halong Bay.
Enjoy the cruise program with visits to the huge Tien Ong cave and Cua Van floating village.

Join the cooking class on board with special Vietnamese dishes.

For early risers complimentary tea, coffee and pastries are served in the restaurant followed by – if you so desire – a Tai Chi Class on the terrace deck (7.00h). A great morning activity to feel one with this natural wonder.
Then it is time for an early morning bath – in the Bay. By tender boat we bring the guests to a natural white sandy stretch of a beach with crystal clear water. Sporty ones can climb up to a hill top to have a last view from above over the Halong Bay before we return to the boat and cruise slowly back to Halong City, passing picturesque areas like the Titop Island, the Tam Cung Cave and Poem Mountain.

During our trundle, a buffet brunch is served before we arrive at the shore at around 11.00h. The crew will bid you farewell and you disembark with our tender boat to the Royal Park Pier.

11:00: Transfer back Hanoi by private car.

Accommodation in Hanoi is at client's owned arrangement

Meals: Breakfast, Brunch
Accommodation: Not included
Activities: Get on a smaller boat to reach the natural sandy beach with crystal water, you also can climb up to a top of hill to have the view over Halong Bay.
On the way back to the main cruise, pass by picturesque areas like the Titop island, the Tam Cung cave and the Poem Mountain.

Get back to Hanoi by private car and free time for the rest of the day.