2 Weeks Ultimate Northern Vietnam Tour

Have breakfast at hotel.
Today, we will take the sightseeing of the most city's outstanding historical and cultural sites. The visit includes:

- The complex of Ho Chi Minh historical sites, also called the political center of Vietnam including Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh's House on Stilt, One Pillar Pagoda.
- Visit Tran Quoc pagoda on the Westlake, the oldest pagoda in Hanoi.  
- The Temple of Literature for the brief understanding about the two most popular religions in Vietnam (Buddhism and Confucianism).
- Visit the Hanoi Train street
- Explore the Old Quarter with 36 streets bearing names such as Rice Street, Silk Street or Paper Street to reflect the businesses originally carried on there from the 15th century, Hoan Kiem Lake with Ngoc Son Temple, an enchanting body of water right in the heart of Hanoi.
- Enjoy our welcome show of northern rural of Vietnam – Water Puppet show. Overnight in Hanoi.

Notes: 
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed on Monday & Friday.

06:30 - 06:45: Pick up at hotel or at the meeting point in Hanoi city centre and then depart to Sapa, following Noi Bai - Lao Cai high-way.

Along the way, you will have chance to contemplate the beauty of northwest mountains that terraced fields are sparkling in sunlight or dim in thick fog. Have a short break for 30 minutes then continue the trip to Sapa.

12:30-13:00: Arrive to hotel in Sapa, meet our local guide and have lunch.

Afternoon: Start a 2km drive to Cat Cat village, the village of Black H’Mong hill tribe. The village is on the slope of the hill and easy walking, rice and corn are grown here. Cat Cat village possesses many imposing waterfalls and also is home to the water hydropower construction built under French rule. 
Return to the hotel by car. Stay overnight in hotel.

After breakfast, leave the hotel and take a short car ride to Y Linh Ho village where we start trekking down to Lao Chai village of Black H’mong ethnic people. Here we will discover their daily life and how they make traditional clothes, handicraft, indigo... We will visit the biggest valley which provides the best view for golden rice terrace fields in Vietnam. After Lao Chai, we walk to Ta Van village of Dzay people. It is a small group of ethnic people in Vietnam with a rich culture and beautiful houses located on rice paddy fields. 
Early afternoon- Pick you up from Ta Van village to hotel in Sapa town and have lunch. Return to hotel and rest of the day is free on your own to relax or explore the town, local markets in town on your own. Overnight in Sapa. 

After breakfast, our guide takes you to Fansipang Cable Car Station and spend 20 minutes with cable car to enjoy the spectacular scenery.
Reach the altitude of 2800 meters, you have a good time to see the view and take photos, visit pagoda the spiritual destinations and trek up to 600 steps you will reach the peak of Fansipan - the Roof of Indochina. (Spend about 1,5 hours for hiking and taking photos). Come back to Fansipan Cable Car Station and return to Sapa by car and have lunch at the restaurant.
14:00-14:15 - The sharing Limousine van will pick you up at hotel in Sapa and return Hanoi
19:30-20:00 - Arrive in Hanoi city center. Drop off at your hotel. Overnight in Hanoi.

Have breakfast at hotel. Today, you are free to unwind after few days touring and traveling. Overnight in Hanoi.

After breakfast, you will leave for Halong Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas and the world’s largest marine limestone ‘karst’ landscape. There you will board your boat, a wooden junk built from the model of the old Vietnamese court vessels with sails, a wide transom and rectangular superstructure, that will take you first to the busy World Heritage area and then to some of the less well-known grottoes and caves. Weather permitting, you will be able to swim, fish, climb a hill for an overview of the Bay’s remarkable seascape, or venture into some of the sea level caves in a small sampan. All your meals will be provided on board, usually based on fresh seafood. Your overnight will be aboard.

Have breakfast at hotel.
Morning, board a small sampan to visit Tam Coc which means literally “three caves” (1.5 hour boat trip). With Halong bay type views of majestic limestone cliffs and mysterious caves, as well as countryside landscape like peaceful streams, rice paddies and deserted green fields, Tam Coc really has it all. You will feel the fresh air and peaceful moments, very good opportunities for photo lovers, freezing the special moments and scenery.
Then, visit Mua Cave and start an amazing trek up to the top of Ngoa Long Mountain for watching the spectacular rice valley with specious view of the nature.

Afternoon, visit Glimmering Bai Dinh pagoda complexes, the largest pagoda, not only in Vietnam but also in Southeast of Asia. Scenically set on the foot hill of  Dinh Mountain surrounded by amazing views of the exquisite river valley  below and dotted and the limestone karsts dotted around which will take your breath away.
This pagoda complexes stunningly  boast a array of the most massive and magnificent architecture of Vietnamese tradition refined ever built that it take a full day to explore all. So you will visit some of the highlights that owned the national:

• 500 stone statues of “La Han” (Arhats)
• 2 huge bronze bells, one weighs 27 tons, other weighs 36 tones
• Three bronze statues of Tam The (50 tons each)

Late afternoon, return to the hotel. Overnight in Ninh Binh.

Have breakfast at hotel. Then, leave Ninh Binh for Pu Luong on a 3 hour drive. On arrival, visit picturesque valleys and Suoi Cham water wheels, you will catch the unexpected images about how local people create power and provide water for their fields and daily living. After that, feast on mouth-watering local specialties such as rice cooked in bamboo (Com lam), Muong pork, steam sticky rice and so on. At the end of the day, transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Pu Luong.

A full day to explore Pu Luong. After breakfast, head for trekking to an adventure and ecotourism for the morning sightseeing in Pu Luong Nature Reserve to see the idyllic Vietnamese landscape and rural life. Pu Luong, with 1700 meter height, as the local people definition, meaning the peak of the village.
The next stopover on the second day is Ban Don village. The people here are still remaining traditional life so you will completely immerse into the peaceful as well as tranquil of the ambiance. Enjoy the cozy local lunch with bamboo shoots, chicken hill and colorful sticky rice in a local people’s house before moving to the next destination.

Your journey to Pu Luong will not be completed without visiting Kho Muong-a beautiful valley with the green color of the paddy fields, mountains and water wheels rotating day and night time. Explore the fascination of the small villages lying sparsely on the foot of the mountains. Visiting the houses of the local people to get an insight into the uniqueness of ethnic communities in the remote areas in Northwest Vietnam living in the traditional stilt-houses. The village is surrounded by the wild primary forests makes you feel like the mother is protecting her children.
Go back to the hotel at the end of the day. Overnight in Pu Luong.

After breakfast, roam on the narrow road among the rice fields of Ban Kit to enjoy the fresh air and smell the scent of the idyllic countryside before returning to Hanoi. Greet local people and dine on a lunch then go back to Pu Luong accommodation to check out. Your driver will pick you up in the afternoon to go back to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.

Have breakfast at hotel. Today you are free to rest or doing your own things or hunting for souvenirs in the Old Quarter, etc… Overnight in Hanoi.