Itinerary
Day 1: Ha Noi - Can Cau market
Day 2: Bac Ha Market - Boat Trip on Chay River
Day 3: Hamrong - Thac Bac - Hanoi
Night 1: Ha Noi - Lao Cai
You will be collected by an English speaking guide who will take you from your hotel to Hanoi Train Station. You will then take the night train to Lao Cai Train Station.
Highlights and activities: Hanoi. Lao Cai night train
Accommodation: Not included
Meals: Not included
Day 1: Ha Noi - Can Cau market on Saturday (B, L, D)
You will be collected from Lao Cai Train Station for a 2-hour drive along the border with China, passing through wonderful landscapes of mountains and valleys. Today you will visit Can Cau Market which is 20 km from Bac Ha. Can Cau is a special market. It is smaller and not as busy as Bac Ha Market, but it has the added bonus of being less touristy.
After exploring the market, you will travel to Bac Ha around midday where you will have lunch and check into a hotel. In the afternoon you can walk to Thai Giang Pho Village (4 km) to learn about the life of the Flower H'mong and the Nung. You will meet some local families and may even be invited for a drink of tea or corn wine (considered a local specialty) with them. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish, and we suggest you walk to the palace of the H'mong King which is not far from your hotel. You will spend the night in Bac Ha.
Highlights and activities: a 4 km hike
Accommodation: Lap Xuan's Homestay
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Day 2: Bac Ha Market - Boat Trip on Chay River (B, L, D)
After breakfast, you will walk to Bac Ha Market. Upon entering the market, you will be amazed at the overwhelming medley of colours, sights and sounds. The stalls are overflowing with fascinating goods from handmade clothing to speciality ingredients. The market becomes even livelier when you enter the livestock section, with people bringing along pigs, cats, buffalos, and horses to sell.
After lunch, you will drive to the Chay River for a 2- hour boat trip upstream to see the wonderful landscapes by the riverside. After the relaxing boat ride, you will drive to Sapa with a short break in Lao Cai by the border with China. You will stay overnight in a hotel in Sapa.
Highlights and activities: a 2 hour boat trip
Accommodation: Sapa Horison hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3: Hamrong - Thacbac - Ha Noi (B, L, D)
In the morning, you will visit Ham Rong (Dragon's Jaw) Mountain to take in fantastic views of the whole town, with the rice paddies in the background. Up here on the mountain, you can also see beautiful orchard gardens, the traditional stilt houses of the Tay people and watch traditional music and dance performances.
In the afternoon, your guide will take you to one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Sapa (Silver Waterfall), and a little further up to the top of Tram Ton Pass which is also known as Heaven's Gate. You will see a long, vast valley on one side and high mountains on the other. From here you will be able to see Fansipan, the highest mountain in Indochina. After taking in the breath-taking views, you will travel back to Sapa at about 16:00 to prepare for your train journey back to Hanoi.
Highlights and activities: Fansipan, Ham Rong Mountain, Silver Pass
Accommodation: Not included
Meals: Breakfast, lunch