Saturday Night
We transfer to the railway station and catch the 10:00pm night train to Lao Cai, enjoying the comfort of a soft sleeper with air-con.

Sunday
After breakfast in a local restaurant we drive through the steep Bac Ha Mountains. We check in to the hotel, then walk to explore the famous Bac Ha market. The sights, sounds and smells in this bustling hill tribe market are a barrage for the senses! Be sure to try the local corn whisky that Bac Ha is so famous for! After lunch we do a loop around Bac Ha to visit the locals, stopping in Ban Pho village, then we hit a dirt road winding through plum orchards, rice fields, past local inhabitants of the villages surrounding Bac Ha. Overnight in Bac Ha.

Monday
After breakfast, we visit the impressive house of the former H'mong King before embarking on a ride to Lung Phin village, home of Flower H'mong and Phu La people. The ride is on sealed road and there is a steep climb that we can ride or drive, depending on our energy levels! After visiting a local family, we glide back to Bac Ha. After lunch in the hotel we check out and start riding out of town and down the stunning mountain road to Bao Nhai Bridge. Here we board a long boat for a trip up the Chay River, relax and take in the spectacular scenery of the Chay River Valley. We then head back down river to Trung Do village in a Tay Hamlet. We enjoy dinner and the warm hospitality of our Tay hosts during this wonderful homestay experience.

Tuesday
After breakfast, we explore the hamlet to meet the locals and enjoy the breathtaking scenery. We then drive from Trung Do to Coc Ly Black Dzao village to explore the colourful market where we encounter Flower H'mong, Black Dzao, Tay and Nung hilltribes gathering for this important social and economic event. We then ride out the rolling rocky road back to the main road. We stop for a lunch of local Vietnamese food then, depending on our energy level, drive or ride the sealed road 38Km back to Lao Cai. If time allows, we may visit the beautiful Upper Temple with its impressive old banyan tree. We can shower in Lao Cai before sitting down to dinner. We board the night train back to Hanoi, where the tour ends.