Destination: Hanoi - Mai Chau - Sapa

Highlights: Focus your ethnic interest in a specific location in Vietnam. You'll be able to glue your sense to the culture and custom of local ethnic groups at their villages. Wander around the villages in Mai Chau valley to witness the daily life of local people who are friendly and happy to show you the skill of weaving brocade products. Have a walk to Mai Chau market grasping the culture of Thai people and visit villages of rich tradition minority groups in Sapa.

Detail Itinerary 

Code: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, G = Guide  

Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D, G)

Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you'll be met and driven to your hotel.

17.15: You'll be picked up to watch the Water Puppet show an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and a good, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture.

You'll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B, L, G)

9.30 - 10.30: You’ll visit Ba Dinh Square, where silent sentries guard the marble and Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum where Ho Chi Chi lies in state (closed on every Monday & Friday and October & November). You’ll see the simple cottage where Uncle Ho lived and worked. You’ll continue to visit the One Pillar Pagoda and hear the legend of its construction, born from the love of an emperor in the 11th Century.

10.30 - 11.00: You’ll drive to visit the serene Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest in Hanoi, on the banks of Hanoi’s West Lake.

11.00 - 12.00: You’ll also call the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 and the dedicated to Confucius, it is a serene retreat from the busy streets outside and later become Vietnam’s first university.

12.00 - 13.30: Lunch at local restaurant

13.30 - 15.30: Visit the Ethnology Museum for an overview of Vietnam’s 54 distinct ethnic

15.30 - 16.15: Pass by Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake , also known as Lake of Restored Sword from the legend that surrounds it en-route to one of the city’s fascinating museums.   

16.15 - 17.15: You’ll then take to the streets by cycle ride tour of the Ancient Qurter of 36 streets District. This densely populated corner of the city was once a centre of commerce where goods were sold under the street name of a particular guild. Still a thriving community of sellers today, you’ll see streets name such as Sugar Street, Tin Street and Paper Street. Ancient homes and temples are interspersed with stores in this souvenir hunter’s paradise.

You’ll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi/Mai Chau (B, L, D, G)

11.00 - 12.30: You’ll ‘check in’ to a stilt house in Lac village, the home of a Thai ethnic minority group and have lunch at the same house on stilt.

13.00 - 16.30: You can wander around the houses to see the daily life of local people.

They specialise in weaving brocade products, and are happy to show visitors their skills. The village is operated as a community co-operative, set up by the people themselves.

16.30 - 19.30: Back to the village for refreshment and free time for shopping brocade products and a dinner will be served by the house holder.

20.00 - 21.00: You'll enjoy with the performance of dancing of White Thai minority people.

You’ll spend the night at house on stilt in Lac village.

Day 4: Mai Chau/Hanoi (B, L, G)

8.30 - 12.30: You'll walk to visit Mai Chau market to visit the local life culture of the Thai people. You'll then continue walking to Van village - the village near by the mountain with good atmosphere surrounding and then back to the Lac village for your lunch.

12.00 - 14.00: You'll be driven to Hoa Binh to have a brief visit Hoa Binh Hydro Electricity

14.00 - 16.00: Return to Hanoi for your refreshment before boarding a night train at 10 pm to Lao Cai..

You'll spend the night on the train.

Day 5: Lao Cai/Sapa (B, L, G)

5.15 - 6.30: You'll be met by your tour guide at Lao Cai Station and have a breakfast at the local restaurant.

6.30 - 11.30: You'll be picked up to visit a market frequented by ethnic minority peoples. Although it’s quite a long drive, the landscape is attractive and the ethnic markets are a fascinating experience. Unlike those in the tourist areas, the markets that we choose are for not only buying and selling, but also meeting places for ethnic minority people to meet and exchange news. There will be plenty of colour and authentic costumes, but very little to buy as souvenirs unless you want to barter for a water buffalo or a sack of fertiliser!

11.30 - 12.30: You'll have picnic lunch at local restaurant.

12.30 - 15.30: Drive to Sapa, a scenic mountain area with high peaks, rivers, valleys and hillside terracing. The villages are traditional and are typically tucked away at the bottom of the hill slopes. Most of the villagers wear traditional costumes. The rest day will be free to explore Sapa town by yourself. You’ll spend the night in Sapa.

Day 6: Sapa/Lao Cai (B, L, G)

8.00 - 8.30: Breakfast at your hotel

8.30 - 11.30: You’ll hike down a scenic valley calling in at the H’mong ethnic minority villages on the way. You'll then be driven by Jeep to visit Lao Chai village - the village of Black H’mong people.

11.30 - 12.30: You'll have picnic lunch.

12.30 - 14.30: You'll take a Russian Jeep to visit Ta Van village - the village of Day people and then visit Red Dao ethnic minority people of Giang Ta Chai village.

14.30 - 15.00: You'll return to Sapa to refresh at a local standard hotel.

16.00 - 17.00: Escorted to Lao Cai station. You’ll have dinner by yourselves. You'll then take an overnight sleeper train at 20.00 back to Hanoi. You’ll spend the night on the train.

Day 7: Hanoi departure

You'll be free to shop at some of the local markets before being driven to the airport for your international departure flight.

Prices per person in US$:

Valid until December 31, 2007

Surcharge for peak season of hotels are not inclusive in the prices above.

Prices include:

• Breakfast and accommodation sharing a twin or double room.

• Return train tickets: Hanoi - Lao Cai - Hanoi, air-conditioned soft four-berth cabin

• Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver.

• The services of experienced English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary

• Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as mentioned in the programme.

• Lunches and dinners, as specified, in the local restaurants.

• Government taxes

Price do not include:

• International flight tickets and airport tax.

• Visas.

• Dinners except as specified.

• Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses.

• Insurance.

Hotel list for Five Stars standard

• Hanoi: Sofitel Plaza Hotel (***** overlooking the West Lake) or similar

• Sapa: Victoria Sapa Hotel (**** the best hotel in Sapa, Superior room)

• Mai Chau: House on stilt of Thai people (clean and basic accommodation)

Hotel list for Four Stars standard

• Hanoi: Sunway Hotel (**** city centre) or similar

• Sapa: Sapa Hotel (*** overlooking Sapa lake) or similar

• Mai Chau: House on stilt of Thai people (clean and basic accommodation)

Hotel list for Three Stars standard

• Hanoi: Army Hotel (***city centre with swimming pool) or similar

• Sapa: Auberge Hotel (local standard standing on terraces on the side of the mountain � good views, fireplaces in rooms for use during cold weather) or similar

• Mai Chau: House on stilt of Thai people (clean and basic accommodation)

Hotel list for Two Stars standard 

• Hanoi: Nam Hai Hotel (** in the Old Quarter) or similar

• Sapa: Hoa Sua Hotel (local standard, good view to the mountain and terraces field)

• Mai Chau: House on stilt of Thai people (clean and basic accommodation)

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