|
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.
18.30: Your Welcome Dinner will be served at one of the best 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 spend the night in Hanoi.
Day 3: Hanoi/Mai Chau (B, L, D, G)
8.30 - 11.00: Pick up at your hotel and drive to
Mai Chau valley, you'll pass-through mountainous landscape on the way.
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)
8.00 - 8.30: You can have breakfast at local family or alternatively wake up
very early to enjoy the fresh air of the mountain valley.
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$:
|
Number of people |
2 |
3-5 |
6-9 |
10-15 |
Supplement for single
occupancy |
|
Two stars |
644 |
557 |
466 |
421 |
78.60 |
|
Three stars |
677 |
589 |
499 |
545 |
101.40 |
|
Four stars |
749 |
662 |
571 |
526 |
168.00 |
|
Five stars |
896 |
808 |
718 |
673 |
332.40 |
Contact Us
for more details
Valid until December 31, 2010
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, indoor swimming pool) or
similar
-
Mai Chau: Home
stay
-
Sapa: Victoria
Sapa Hotel (**** the best hotel in Sapa, indoor swimming pool/fitness centre
in separate building, Superior room)
Hotel list for Four Stars standard
Hotel list for Three Stars standard
Hotel list for Two Stars standard
Creating Unique Touring Experiences with Gia
Linh Travel
All the touring itineraries on this
website have been carefully crafted by our
in-country management teams and represent a
series of experiences we can certainly
recommend. However, we understand that every
travel experience should be as unique and
individual as each traveler. Our consultants
are waiting to hear from you so that we can
tailor or
custom design
a tour to your individual specifications. |
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}