EXPLORE NORTHERN VIETNAM

Greeted by the tour guide of THREELAND and transferred to your hotel. At your leisure in the rest of the day. Dinner followed by a show of Water Puppetry, a unique stage art of Northern Vietnam peasants. Overnight in Hanoi.
Please note: Standard check-in time is at 14:00. 

Morning visit the Ethnology Museum, a wonderful stop that gives us more knowledge of the hill tribal people we are going to see in the upcoming days. Depart for Babe Lake, a mountain area nearly 300km North of Hanoi. Overnight in a house-on-stilts in Pac Ngoi village of "Tay" people (Lunch en route, dinner at the village).

National Park is famous for it pure atmosphere and nature. Take a boat in the morning to cruise on emerald water of Ba Be Lake, with stop to visit the Fairy Pond, Puong Cave or to go swimming near Widow Islet. The Nang River hereby has a two-color waterflows and surrounded by wonderful greenery, paddy fields, and magnificent mountain peaks. After lunch in Ba Be, take our car thru the lowland of Northeast mountains to Bao Lac, a small mountain town, for overnight. 
Please note: Other roads can be used depending on the weather and seasons.
 

Wake up early if you wish to contemplate a specific character of minority ethnic of Vietnam - their weekly markets. All Bao Lac, Meo Vac, Dong Van and Yen Minh offer wonderful Sunday markets with hundreds of people from H'mong, Yao, Thai, Tay tribes coming for purchasing goods, or even just exchanging. After intermingle with the H'mong and Yao people at Bao Lac Sunday market, we'll head East and get over emerald rivers to reach the newest Geology Park, as recognized by UNESSCO.
This area, for many years, was considered the capital of H'mong people with their former King, Mr. Vuong Chi Sinh. Getting thru Meo Vac, the utmost pole of Northeast Vietnam, we continue riding on one of the highest passes of Northern Vietnam - Ma Pi Leng, where we can enjoy beautiful mountain ranges and Nho Que river that makes a tiny line at the chasm bottom. Heading to Dong Van, whose central market is in a nearly one-century old building with old Vietnamese architecture. After lunch in Dong Van, walk around to see Dong Van small ancient streets or have some coffee before going on to Yen Minh, with stops to visit to the house of Vuong Chi Sinh, a typical design of the White H'mong people housing. overnight at Yen Minh. 
Please note: Today should be Sunday to catch the weekly mountain markets.
 

Yen Minh, the centrepoint of this rocky highland, is a tranquil mountain town with very hardwork and nice ethnic people. The road from Yen Minh to Hagiang pass by many graceful villages and almost untouched areas, where we can take some stops to visit the villages or scenery. About 90km from Yen Minh, we will reach the breathtaking view or the "Fairy Bosom mountains" in Quan Ba. Dozens of steps here will lead us to the "Heaven's gate" above Quan Ba Pass. A big wooden gate used to be here as the only gateway from the plain land to the Northwest mountains of Vietnam in early 20th century. Have lunch in Ha Giang city before heading to Bac Ha, the white highland, with stops for pictures at palm and bamboo forests or greentea farms. Overnight in Bac Ha. 
Please note! Another shortcut from Ha Giang to Bac Ha via Hoang Su Phi and Xin Man, two Northwest districts of the province, is renowned for picture hunters by their incomparable terraced ricefields. 4WDs are recommendable for this shortcut while normal vehicles are available in the dry season only.
 

With a dozen of tribes living in the surroundings, including Flower H'Mong, Chinese, Nhang, Dzao, Nung, Phu La, Thai and King (or Viet), the markets near Bac Ha, including Bac ha market itself (Sunday) and Coc Ly market (Tuesday) are extremely exciting in the morning. We can meet hundreds of beautiful women from Flower H'Mong tribe, who are famous for their original craft and hand-made flowering clothes and textile fabrics, or intermingle with people from these ethnic groups coming to the market not for purchasing stuffs, but for meeting and chatting - just once a week - like at a cultural center. After lunchtime, we can hike around for several hours, following mountain people back home to their hamlets in Ban Pho, or immediately head to Sapa, the hub of most hectic activities in the Northwest. At your leisure to stroll around the town of Sapa after many days of driving. Overnight in Sapa. 

At your leisure in the morning to have a rest after long days. Around noontime our tourguide will come to take us to a light climb up the Sapa Flower Garden and reach the Dragon Peak, from where we can have a panoramic view of the town with pinewoods and gardens looming in the mist. Head to Taphin valley to reach the villages of the H'mong and Red Dzao people, who are skillful in dying and making clothes and embroidery by traditional, old silk thread. Back to Sapa for overnight. (lunch and dinner not included for more flexibility). 
Optional: Afternoon going to Lao Chai (10km from Sapa) and walk for 5km to Tavan thru mountain villages.
 

Free at leisure in the morning, check-out hotel and transfer back to Hanoi (around 05 hours driving). 
Upon arrival in Hanoi, check-in hotel. Free at leisure rest of day after a long route. Overnight in Hanoi. 
 

Have breakfast at hotel and check out. From Hanoi, at 8AM, pick up at your hotel and head East for more than 3 hours by shuttle bus to Halong Bay, the pride of the Gulf of Tonkin, a Natural World Heritage as designated by UNESCO in 1994 and 2006. The road will pass by the Red River delta with green paddyfields and rural villages, where hard-work farmers are busy with their farming jobs, ploughing buffaloes or planting seedling. Upon arrival in Halong, we’ll take a big boat to cruise the Bay to discover the magnificent beauty of this “Descending-dragon” bay, created by thousands odd-shaped limestone rocks and karst grottoes. After a lunch of fresh seafood on board, we can visit the Surprising Grotto, stop for swimming or kayaking (at your own cost), passing floating villages and approach islets to enjoy their beauty in close distance. Evening attend activities on the boat or relax at your own leisure. Overnight on the boat. 
Please note: The program may be little varied upon the cruise you choose. Only Vietnamese & International food available on the boat. Depending on the cruise, kayak will be included or not.
 

After breakfast, visit by boat to Luon Cave, a ring-shaped pool inside an island in Halong with absolutely tranquil landscape and emerald water. Back to the Wharf of Halong passing the most densely area with many islands that have been named like the Cock-Fighting Rock, Sail Island, Incense burner rock or Sea Dog Rock. Arrive at Halong Wharf around 11.00. Return to Hanoi around 4PM and drop off at your hotel for check in. Free at your own leisure. Overnight in Hanoi

Breakfast at hotel and check out. You are free until transfer to airport for departure flight. End of service!
Please note: Standard check out time is 12:00.