Day 1: Hanoi
You will be greeted at the Airport and transferred downtown to check into your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you may have time to explore a little of downtown and enjoy a stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake. Overnight in hotel.

Day 2: Halong Bay Cruise
We depart Hanoi and drive by private coach to Halong City, passing verdant farmland and witness the daily life of the local peasant farmers. We arrive in Halong at noon, board the boat and enjoy lunch, including fresh seafood, as we embark on a four-hour cruise into the Bay of the Descending Dragon. We stop to explore one of the many expansive grottoes here then continue cruising to a quiet lagoon. There will be lots of time for swimming and sun bathing. Later we enjoy a great sunset dinner and relax under the starlit sky before retiring to the comfort of the cabin. Overnight aboard the boat.

Day 3: Halong Bay Sea Kayaking
After breakfast we cruise to our island base camp. We have a basic skills lesson from our expert guide on paddling and safety, then start kayaking the Holy Bay. Exploring at our own pace, our guide will lead us to one of the many grottoes and you’ll paddle through the cave into its lush lagoon. Later, we stop to relax at some of the many secluded beaches then make your way back to base camp and enjoy a fresh water shower. We may have time to relax on the beach before dinner, and there’s always time for a swim! After a great dinner of Vietnamese food, lay back on the beach and enjoy the serenity of this peaceful place before heading to the cozy hut.

Day 4: Halong Bay - Hanoi
After breakfast at the base camp, we transfer back to the boat and continue cruising around the bay, passing Cua Van floating village to witness this unique way of life. At lunchtime, we arrive at the pier in Halong city where you’ll enjoy a lunch of Vietnamese food and live traditional music in a seaside restaurant. We return to Hanoi, arriving in the late afternoon. Overnight in hotel.

Day 5: City Tour of Hanoi
On this insightful day exploring Hanoi’s busy tree lined boulevards, we explore such interesting historic sites as The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum, One pillar pagoda and Temple of Literature. This amazing three-hour cyclo tour of the historic 36 street Old Quarter is both a shoppers and photographers delight as the streets are alive with stalls and vendors making and selling everything imaginable. In the evening, we transfer by minibus to the railway station to catch the night train to Lao Cai.

Day 6: Introducing Sapa
This morning we travel by minibus up the stunning mountain range sculpted with tiered rice terraces to the town of Sapa nestled at 1632 meters. After checking into the hotel we enjoy some free time to explore the town and its great market. After a local lunch, we take a three-hour trek down the valley to visit a H’mong hilltribe village. We return to Sapa and overnight in hotel.

Day 7: Trekking Sapa
This morning we trek for five hours to Lao Chai village to visit the local H'mong hill tribe then onto Ta Van village, home of the Dzao hill tribe. We take a break beside a stream and enjoy a picnic lunch. We return to Sapa town and are free at leisure to explore. Overnight in hotel.

Day 8: Sunday Hill Tribes Market
We start early (6.00am) today to Binh Lu market, the chance to see Lao, Lu, Black (flat) Dzao and Blue H’Mong minority peoples. We continue to Tam Duong Dat market, another amazing experience with Red H’Mong, Tay, Dzay seen here. We return to Sapa and enjoy a free afternoon exploring the town. Later we drive down to Lao Cai to catch the night train back to Hanoi.

Day 9: Exploring Hanoi
We arrive back in Hanoi at 4.30 am and check into the hotel. Enjoy this free day to relax and recover from the journey north. We leave lots of time to explore more of Hanoi and pick up some of those last minute souvenirs. Overnight in hotel.

Day 10: Departure from Hanoi
Today, we'll take you from the hotel out to the airport to see you safely on your journey home!