North Vietnam loop 10 days tour – Hanoi – Mai Chau – Pu Luong – Ninh Binh – Halong Bay

Airport reception and transfer to your hotel. Depending on arrival time, stroll through Hanoi’s Old Quarter and free time. Night at the hotel.

After breakfast, you will start the exploration of the fascinating city of Hanoi. You will head first to Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest pagoda in Hanoi on the edge of Westlake.  After the visit, you will go to the Temple of Literature, a peaceful place.

Local lunch in a restaurant

Take a walk in the Old Quarter to visit Ngoc Son pagoda to learn about the legend of “Sword lake”. Take a break to enjoy a Hanoi specialty, the egg coffee. Then continue walking along the lake to the Women Museum, unique museum of this kind in South East Asia. On the way back, pass by the opera house.

Free time to rest in the room before starting the evening food tour Try the local dishes walking and contemplating the active night life of the Old Quarter. End your day to have a drink in the train street. Overnight in the hotel.

Pick up at your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter to board the VIP bus and start the trip to Mai Chau. You will have a pass by Thung Khe Pass for a spectacular view of Mai Chau Valley.

Start the cycling tour to discover the beautiful Mai Chau valley. You will pass through fields and villages and get the opportunity to discover more about the unique cultural activities of the White Thai ethnic group. Take a break to visit brocade production facilities made by locals.  You are welcome to visit the shops and to buy souvenirs from this unique place. Back to homestay & free time to relax, enjoy the swimming pool or walk around in the narrow alleys around the homestay. Diner and peaceful night in the homestay

Early breakfast to be ready for the amazing day coming. Board the car to reach the beautiful Pu Luong Reserve and stop at Pu Luong Eco Garden to drop your bags before starting the exciting day. You will board the van to reach the starting point of the trek. On Thursday and Sunday, you will have a stop to the local Pho Doan market.

The trek will pass through a small dirt path, passing by isolated hamlet and through the jungle. Keep going to reach Hieu waterfall. Free time to enjoy the waterfall (swimming and water hiking depending on season). Time to join the local house for a Garden to Table Lunch at the homestay of ethnic minority people.

After a relaxing time in the village, you will come back to the Retreat. Rest of the day at leisure

After breakfast, board the car to reach the starting point of the afternoon trekking. You will first pass a hanging bridge over the Cham river. You will pass through Ba village and see old traditional houses.

After that, you will admire the ingenious agriculture system of the Thai ethnic minority, the bamboo waterwheels. Specificity of the Thai people, the waterwheels in Pu Luong are amongst the most impressive in Vietnam. The day will end by a relaxing and tranquil bamboo boat ride. Adapted for tourism, the boat is kept in use by locals to navigate and visit other houses or to go to the fields.

Back to the Retreat to relax in your room or enjoy a swim in the infinity pool.

Rest of the day at leisure to chill around the pool, take a walk to Bang village to see beautiful rice fields.

Breakfast at the Retreat. Then start the trek to Kho Muong Village & Bat Cave. The trekking will start by small alley nearby traditional Thai stilt houses until reaching beautiful view points of the infinity rice terraces. Arriving from the top of the hill, you will slowly see appearing the village of Kho Muong and understand how special is this place. After walking around the village, you will walk to the entrance the cave. Possibility to visit the cave (depending on weather conditions).

Check out and lunch at Pu Luong. Say goodbye to the fabulous Pu Luong Nature Reserve and start the journey to reach the Halong Bay on land, Ninh Binh. Arrival and check in. Dinner at the lodge.

The day begins with a bike ride in the middle of rice fields and karst peaks, crossing hamlets. You will arrive to Trang An complex, classified by UNESCO. The 3 hours boat ride is passing through karts pics covered by a lush nature, pagodas and crossing a long cave. Back to the lodge for lunch.

Afternoon, you will visit Hoa Lu Ancient capital, back to the 10^th and 11^th century when Ninh Binh was Vietnamese capital. Learn about the history of the place and dive into the old times when the emperors where leading the country.

Back to the Lodge and free time.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Bai Dinh Pagoda, the second biggest in Vietnam. Walking through this huge site, you will immerse yourself in this amazing and surprising site. Passing by the corridors with its hundreds of statues, the giant bells to reach the top and the ancient pagoda. From there, you will be amazes by the panoramic view.

You will then go to the restaurant for a local lunch to try specialties.

In the afternoon, you will visit Bich Dong pagoda. Three-levels pagoda with an ancient architectural style. This is a very spiritual place in Northern Vietnam. You will end the guided tour by climbing to Mua Cave. The 500 stairs can be challenging but you will be rewarded by the most spectacular view in Ninh Binh over the Tam Coc area.

Back to the hotel to relax. Evening and diner at leisure.

After breakfast, transfer to the pontoon in Halong. You will be transferred to the main boat to start the cruise to Lan Ha Bay.

Lunch will be served as the boat leisurely sails through the calm waters. The spectacle is dazzling as much by the beauty of the karst peaks gushing out of the water as by the color of the sea. You will beach the anchor for the first time for the first activities as kayaking, swimming. Back on the boat to enjoy a cocktail or a massage, the junk will sail to its home base for the night. Dinner served on board and quiet night lulled by the waves.

The cruise continues for other activities in the morning until mid-morning. Opportunity to practice a Tai Chi class on the pontoon at dawn. The boat will return quietly, while a brunch will be served to you, to the port of Halong from where you will be taken care of for the return shuttle to Hanoi around 3pm. Tour ends