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Sapa Trekking Tour 10 Days

Destination: Hanoi - Sapa - Tavan - Seomiti - Ta Trung Ho - Xa Fo - Nam Sai - Sin Chai - Suoi Thau - Thanh Phu - Ban Ho

Highlights: You’ll find Sapa a fascinating place. Perched high on the mountainside opposite Mt. Fan Si Pan, the views are stunning. However, the main attraction is the many colorfully dressed ethnic people and their different traditions. Some, like the H’mong, are jolly and outgoing, others like the Red Dao, are quieter and more reserved. The clothes are works of art – look out for the unusual rough linen material dyed with indigo that gives the Black H’mong their name. With a 10 days, you'll visit almost the remote areas in Sapa.

Details 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.

18.30: Your Welcome Dinner will be served at one of the good local restaurant.

You'll spend the night in Hanoi.

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

9.00: You'll be picked up at your hotel to start a Hanoi city tour.

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 drive back to your hotel for your refreshment before boarding a night train to to Lao Cai. You'll spend the night on the train.

Day 3: 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 4: Sapa/Tavan/Seomiti (B, L, D, G)

8.30 - 9.00: Breakfast at the hotel

9 a.m., where Russian jeeps will drive us into the valley south of Sapa. The trekking begins from the Day village - Ta Van - where we ascend the mountain and cross a pass in the altitude of 1,700 m. From here we have a magnificent view to the minority villages and terraced rice fields beneath us. The walk is about 16 km along the track that the Vietnamese used for fleeing, when the Chinese invaded Sapa in 1979.

You'll spend the night in tents near the remote Black H'mong village - Seomiti.

Day 5: Seomiti/Ta Trung Ho (B, L, D, G)

After breakfast we start the adventure of the day. The trekking is beautiful and easy seasoned by the crossing of two rivers by both a primitive aerial ropeway and an old suspension bridge. You'll spend the night in Ta Trung Ho.

Ta Trung Ho, which is inhabited by the Red Dao minority. Both the valley and the village received its first foreign visitors in 1996 in connection with a special project in the area.

Day 6: Ta Trung Ho/Xafo (B, L, D, G)

We are now at the fringe of the rain forest by the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. With 3,143 m the highest mountain in Vietnam - Fan Si Pan - is located in this mountain range. Crossing a mountain pass in the altitude of 1,180 m. we descend to Nam Sai. The Xafo Hill tribe, who inhabits Nam Sai, is one of the smallest minorities in Vietnam. Your overnight stay will be in a local house in Nam Sai.

Day 7: Xafo/Nam Sai/Sin Chai (B, L, D, G)

We trek further through the valley and pass Thanh Phu village, where we stay for lunch. After a minor ascend we arrive to the Red Dao village - Sin Chai. We enjoy our dinner in a private Red Dao house. You'll spend the night in bamboo huts.

Day 8: Sin Chai/Suoi Thau/Sin Chai (B, L, D, G)

We leave our huts in Sin Chai behind and walk by the track around the mountain to Thanh Phu. We cross the river and trek by the riverbank to Ban Ho village - inhabited by the Tay minority. It is possible to enjoy a refreshing evening swim in the river nearby the village. You'll spend the night in a friendly local Tay family.

Day 9: Sin Chai/Thanh Phu/Ban Ho/Sapa/Hanoi (B, L, D, G)

We leave Ban Ho after breakfast and ascend to Su Pan, where Russian jeeps are awaiting us. The jeeps will drive us back to Sapa. We arrive in Sapa in the early afternoon. You'll then transfer to Lao Cai Railways Station for your overnight train back to Hanoi.

Day 9: Hanoi departure (B)

Arrive to Hanoi in the early morning, you'll be picked up to your hotel for refreshment, you'll then be free until your driver arrives to take you to Noi Bai airport for your departure flight.

Prices per person in US$:

Number of people	2	3-5	6-9	10-15	Single Supplement
Three Stars	525	511	494	487
Five Stars	697	683	666	659

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.
Jeep transfer in Sapa as mentioned in the programme.
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
Government taxes