Breakfast and continuation of the visit of the town: Governor Palace, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (except Monday and Friday), his stilt house, the One-pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, the temple of Quan Thanh, and the pagoda of Tran Quoc. Hanoi traditional lunch, then visit of the extraordinary Museum of Ethnology.
The day ends with a show unique in the world: the marvelous Water Puppet Show, accompanied by live traditional music and songs. Diner and night in Hanoi.
THE COMPLETE TOUR OF THE NORTH
IN 10, 11 AND 14 DAYS
IN 10, 11 AND 14 DAYS
Hanoi –Halong Bay – The Northern Mountains (Sapa, Bac Ha, etc.) –
Halong-Bay-on-Land (Ninh Binh/Tam Coc)
Halong-Bay-on-Land (Ninh Binh/Tam Coc)
THE COMPLETE TOUR OF THE NORTH IN 10 DAYS
Hanoi – Halong Bay – Sapa – Bac Ha – Tam Coc - Hanoi
Hanoi – Halong Bay – Sapa – Bac Ha – Tam Coc - Hanoi
This tour allows the visit of the essential of that magnificent region of the north of Vietnam, including Hanoi, Halong Bay in a 2-day cruise on a private traditional junk, the « Tonkin Alps » of Sapa with a 2-day easy trekking, the Flower h'mong of Bac Ha, and the magic "Halong Bay-on-Land of Ninh Binh (Tam Coc).
The tour must start on Saturday, to visit the Flower h'mong market of Can Cau (Saturday morning) or a Sunday, for the Bac Ha Market).
The tour must start on Saturday, to visit the Flower h'mong market of Can Cau (Saturday morning) or a Sunday, for the Bac Ha Market).
Day 1 : HANOI (lunch, dinner) Welcome by your car and guide at Hanoi Airport and transfer to your hotel. Visit of Old Hanoi, with its 36 Merchant Streets and the small Lake Hoan kiem pagoda (Ngoc Son). Lunch if you arrived early. Dinner and night in Hanoi. Diner and night in Hanoi. |
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Day 2 : HANOI AND THE WATER PUPPET THEATER (3 meals)
Day 3 : HANOI – CAT BA ISLAND – LAN HA (3 meals)
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The driver and guide meet you at your hotel around 6:30 for the transfer by car or bus from Hanoi to Haiphong and by boat from Haiphong to Cat Ba Island. Arrival in Cat Ba around 12:00, boarding on your private junk. Seafood lunch while the junk starts sailing through Lan Ha Bay, a protected site part of Cat Ba National Park. We towards isolated islands, cruising through passages inaccessible to larger boats. |
We stop on a isolated small beach for swimming and/or kayaking weather permitting. Visit of the Hang Ca Lagoon, accessible by a small craft through a tunnel. Delicious seafood diner and night on board in Lan Ha Bay.
Day 4 : LAN HA BAY - HANOI – NIGHT TRAIN - HANOI - LAO CAI (3 meals) Breakfast on board while sailing through Lan Ha Bay, approaching islets and peaks as close as possible. Visit of a floating fishing farm village. Lunch on board while we continue sailing through the magic Lan Ha Bay to return to Cat Ba Island. Disembarkation and return to Hanoi. Diner, followed by the transfer to Hanoi Railway Station for the night train Hanoi-Lao Cai. |
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Day 5 : SAPA AND THE VILLAGE OF CAT CAT (3 meals)
Arrival at Lao Cai Railway Station around 6:00. Minibus transfer to Sapa (1h). Meeting with your guide in front of a good breakfast. Registration at the hotel and visit of Sapa: the market, the church, the Belvédère, etc. Free lunch, followed by a stroll down the valley to the H'mong village of Cat Cat. Free diner and night in Sapa.
Day 6 : EASY TREKKING : SAPA - MA TRA – LU KHAU - TA PHIN (10 km/3-4 hours) (3 meals)
Departure around 9:00, to discover the rich Dao and h'mong culture. We walk up and down through terrace rice fields and small ethnic village, towards the Valley of Ma Tra. We arrive at the dao homestay local house in the dao village of Ta Phin, on time for lunch. Relaxed stroll around the village after lunch. Diner and night at the dao homestay.
Day 7 : TREKKING (16 km/5-6 hours) + ROUTE SAPA-BAC HA (3 meals)
| After breakfast, departure for the village de Sa Seng. We climb a pass leading to the Valley of Muong Hoa and arrive at the village of Hau Thao, offering magnificent panoramic views of the valley, the most beautiful around Sapa. Picnic lunch in the rice fields, followed by more walking to discover the local life, and walk to the Gian Ta Chai Waterfall. Return to Sapa by car. Diner and transfer by car to the Flower h'mong capital of Bac Ha. Diner and night in a beautiful homestay house in Bac Ha. |
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Day 8 : FLOWER H'MONG MARKET AND VISIT OF THE H'MONG VILLAGE OF BAN PHO (3 meals)
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In the morning, visit of the Can Cau (Saturday) or Bac Ha (Sunday) Flower h'mong market, where the local meet in their colorful tribal costumes, an unforgettable experience. Lunch, followed by a beautiful walk in the h'mong village of Ban Pho. We then return to Lao Cai, where we have diner and take the night train to return to Hanoi. |
Day 9 : HANOI - HOA LU – TAM COC (HALONG BAY-ON-LAND) (3 meals)
| Welcome at Hanoi Railway Station, breakfast, and departure by car, direction Hoa Lu, where we visit the two temples: Dinh Thien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh. We then drive on 15 superb kilometers of small roads through the lime peak maze, one of our little "secrets", and arrive in Tam Coc at the hotel Chez Loan, in the serenity of the rice fields, a small hotel famous for its elegant rooms, exceptional food (Mrs. Loan gives cooking lessons), and exceptionally friendly service; the best address in the region! |
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Delicious lunch of local specialties, followed by the visit –by car on bicycle at your choice- of the Bich Dong Pagoda, built on 3 stages on a cliff, and Thai Vi Temple. Around 16:00, when the tourist groups have left, boating on the 3-tunnel river through lime cliff canyons, one of the "Must Do" of Vietnam. Evening free to visit the numerous shops where the embroideries are hand-made and sold. Delicious diner chez Loan (Vietnamese fondue).
Day 10 : TAM COC – PHAT DIEM - HANOI (breakfast, lunch)
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After breakfast, short drive (15 mn) to the amazing Hang Mua Pagoda, perched on a high mountain, and from which you enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the entire region…at a price: climbing 450 steps, totally worthwhile (again, you will be alone, no other tours include that amazing visit). On the left of the steps, a short tunnel leads to the bank of the Tam Coc river. Then, short (1h) ride through the rice fields and canals of the Delta, the center of North Vietnam Catholicism. Arrival for lunch at the stupendous –and, again, rarely visited- Phat Diem Cathedral (1891), a Sino-European architectural masterpiece of enormous proportions. |
Lunch near the cathedral and visit of the complex (bell tower, main building, and the 4 elegant chapels). Return to Hanoi, where the driver leaves you at the airport or your hotel if you wish to continue your tour.
Please note that if you wish to visit the Center of Vietnam (Hué and/or Hoi An) after this tour, you can take the night train Ninh Binh-Hue on Day 10, after diner at your charge Chez Loan.
Please note that if you wish to visit the Center of Vietnam (Hué and/or Hoi An) after this tour, you can take the night train Ninh Binh-Hue on Day 10, after diner at your charge Chez Loan.
Rates per person in dollars
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THE NORTH OF VIETNAM IN 11 DAYS
Hanoi – Halong Bay – Sapa – Bac Ha – Tam Coc - Hanoi
Hanoi – Halong Bay – Sapa – Bac Ha – Tam Coc - Hanoi
This tour is the same as the 10 days, with the addition of 2 days on the beautiful Thac Ba Lake between Bac Ha and Hanoi.
This tour should start from Hanoi a Tuesday, Saturday or Sunday, to visit the Minority Market of Coc Ly (Tuesday morning), Can Cau (Saturday morning) or Bac Ha (Sunday morning). If you start another day, the market is replaced by a superb excursion on the village to the small h’mong village of Ta Van Chu north of Bac Ha.
This tour should start from Hanoi a Tuesday, Saturday or Sunday, to visit the Minority Market of Coc Ly (Tuesday morning), Can Cau (Saturday morning) or Bac Ha (Sunday morning). If you start another day, the market is replaced by a superb excursion on the village to the small h’mong village of Ta Van Chu north of Bac Ha.
Day 1 : HANOI (lunch, dinner) Welcome by your car and guide at Hanoi Airport and transfer to your hotel. Visit of Old Hanoi, with its 36 Merchant Streets and the small Lake Hoan kiem pagoda (Ngoc Son). Lunch if you arrived early. Dinner and night in Hanoi. Diner and night in Hanoi. |
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Day 2 : HANOI AND THE WATER PUPPET THEATER (3 meals)
Breakfast and continuation of the visit of the town: Governor Palace, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (except Monday and Friday), his stilt house, the One-pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, the temple of Quan Thanh, and the pagoda of Tran Quoc. Hanoi traditional lunch, then visit of the extraordinary Museum of Ethnology. The day ends with a show unique in the world: the marvelous Water Puppet Show, accompanied by live traditional music and songs. Diner and night in Hanoi.
Day 3 : HANOI – CAT BA ISLAND - LAN HA (3 meals)
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The driver and guide meet you at your hotel around 6:30 for the transfer by car or bus from Hanoi to Haiphong and by boat from Haiphong to Cat Ba Island. Arrival in Cat Ba around 12:00, boarding on your private junk. Seafood lunch while the junk starts sailing through Lan Ha Bay, a protected site part of Cat Ba National Park. We towards isolated islands, cruising through passages inaccessible to larger boats. |
We stop on a isolated small beach for swimming and/or kayaking weather permitting. Visit of the Hang Ca Lagoon, accessible by a small craft through a tunnel. Delicious seafood diner and night on board in Lan Ha Bay.
Day 4 : LAN HA BAY - HANOI - NIGHT TRAIN HANOI - LAO CAI (3 meals) Breakfast on board while sailing through Lan Ha Bay, approaching islets and peaks as close as possible. Visit of a floating fishing farm village. Lunch on board while we continue sailing through the magic Lan Ha Bay to return to Cat Ba Island. Disembarkation and return to Hanoi. Diner, followed by the transfer to Hanoi Railway Station for the night train Hanoi-Lao Cai. |
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Day 5 : SAPA AND THE VILLAGE OF CAT CAT (3 meals)
Arrival at Lao Cai Railway Station around 6:00. Minibus transfer to Sapa (1h). Meeting with your guide in front of a good breakfast. Registration at the hotel and visit of Sapa: the market, the church, the Belvédère, etc. Free lunch, followed by a stroll down the valley to the H'mong village of Cat Cat. Free diner and night in Sapa.
Day 6 : EASY TREKKING : SAPA - MA TRA – LU KHAU - TA PHIN (10 km/3-4 hours) (3 meals)
Departure around 9:00, to discover the rich Dao and h'mong culture. We walk up and down through terrace rice fields and small ethnic village, towards the Valley of Ma Tra. We arrive at the dao homestay local house in the dao village of Ta Phin, on time for lunch. Relaxed stroll around the village after lunch. Diner and night at the dao homestay.
Day 7 : TREKKING (16 km/5-6 hours)+ ROUTE SAPA-BAC HA (3 meals)
| After breakfast, departure for the village de Sa Seng. We climb a pass leading to the Valley of Muong Hoa and arrive at the village of Hau Thao, offering magnificent panoramic views of the valley, the most beautiful around Sapa. Picnic lunch in the rice fields, followed by more walking to discover the local life, and walk to the Gian Ta Chai Waterfall. Return to Sapa by car. Diner and transfer by car to the Flower h'mong capital of Bac ha. Diner and night in a beautiful homestay house in Bac Ha. |
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Day 8 : FLOWER H'MONG MARKET AND VISIT OF THE H'MONG VILLAGE OF BAN PHO (3 meals)
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In the morning, visit of the Can Cau (Saturday) or Bac Ha (Sunday) Flower h'mong market, where the local meet in their colorful tribal costumes, an unforgettable experience. Lunch, followed by a beautiful walk in the h'mong village of Ban Pho. Return to Bac Ha for diner and a second night in your homestay. |
Day 9 : BAC HA – HANOI (3 meals)
We take the road alongside the valley of the Red River and then cross the delta to arrive in Hanoi early evening. Diner and night in Hanoi
Day 10 : HANOI - HOA LU – TAM COC (HALONG BAY-ON-LAND) (3 meals)
Departure from your hotel at 9 AM, direction Hoa Lu. Visit of the two temples of Hoa Lu: Dinh Thien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh. We then drive on 15 superb kilometers of small roads through the lime peak maze, one of our little "secrets", and arrive in Tam Coc at the hotel Chez Loan, in the serenity of the rice fields, a small hotel famous for its elegant rooms, exceptional food (Mrs. Loan gives cooking lessons), and exceptionally friendly service; the best address in the region! |
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Delicious lunch of local specialties, followed by the visit –by car on bicycle at your choice- of the Bich Dong Pagoda, built on 3 stages on a cliff, and Thai Vi Temple. Around 16:00, when the tourist groups have left, boating on the 3-tunnel river through lime cliff canyons, one of the "Must Do" of Vietnam. Evening free to visit the numerous shops where the embroideries are hand-made and sold. Delicious diner chez Loan (Vietnamese fondue).
Day 11 :TAM COC - PHAT DIEM – HANOI (breakf, lunch)
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After breakfast, short drive (15 mn) to the amazing Hang Mua Pagoda, perched on a high mountain, and from which you enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the entire region…at a price: climbing 450 steps, totally worthwhile (again, you will be alone, no other tours include that amazing visit). On the left of the steps, a short tunnel leads to the bank of the Tam Coc river. |
Then, short (1h) ride through the rice fields and canals of the Delta, the center of North Vietnam Catholicism. Arrival for lunch at the stupendous –and, again, rarely visited- Phat Diem Cathedral (1891), a Sino-European architectural masterpiece of enormous proportions. Lunch near the cathedral and visit of the complex (bell tower, main building, and the 4 elegant chapels). Return to Hanoi, where the driver leaves you at your hotel around 6 PM.
Please note that if you wish to visit the Center of Vietnam (Hué and/or Hoi An) after this tour, you can take the night train Ninh Binh-Hue on Day 12, after diner at your charge Chez Loan.
Please note that if you wish to visit the Center of Vietnam (Hué and/or Hoi An) after this tour, you can take the night train Ninh Binh-Hue on Day 12, after diner at your charge Chez Loan.
Rates per person in US dollars
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THE NORTH OF VIETNAM IN 14 DAYS
(Hanoi – Halong Bay – Sapa – Bac Ha - The Lolo of Bao Lac - Ba Be Lake - Tam Coc - Hanoi)
(Hanoi – Halong Bay – Sapa – Bac Ha - The Lolo of Bao Lac - Ba Be Lake - Tam Coc - Hanoi)
This tour is the same as the two preceding ones until Bac Ha. We then drive east to reach Bao Lac and its lolo villages, which we visit. We continue southeast through small mountain roads to reach Ba Ba Lake, where we spend a day boating on the lake and river.
The tour must start on Saturday, to visit the Flower h'mong market of Can Cau (Saturday morning) or a Sunday, for the Bac Ha Market).
The tour must start on Saturday, to visit the Flower h'mong market of Can Cau (Saturday morning) or a Sunday, for the Bac Ha Market).
Day 1 : HANOI (lunch, dinner) Welcome by your car and guide at Hanoi Airport and transfer to your hotel. Visit of Old Hanoi, with its 36 Merchant Streets and the small Lake Hoan kiem pagoda (Ngoc Son). Lunch if you arrived early. Dinner and night in Hanoi. |
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Day 2 : HANOI AND THE WATER PUPPET THEATER (3 meals)
Breakfast and continuation of the visit of the town: Governor Palace, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (except Monday and Friday), his stilt house, the One-pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, the temple of Quan Thanh, and the pagoda of Tran Quoc. Hanoi traditional lunch, then visit of the extraordinary Museum of Ethnology. The day ends with a show unique in the world: the marvelous Water Puppet Show, accompanied by live traditional music and songs. Diner and night in Hanoi.
Day 3 : HANOI – CAT BA ISLAND - LAN HA (3 meals)
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The driver and guide meet you at your hotel around 6:30 for the transfer by car or bus from Hanoi to Haiphong and by boat from Haiphong to Cat Ba Island. Arrival in Cat Ba around 12:00, boarding on your private junk. Seafood lunch while the junk starts sailing through Lan Ha Bay, a protected site part of Cat Ba National Park. We towards isolated islands, cruising through passages inaccessible to larger boats. We stop on an isolated small beach for swimming and/or kayaking weather permitting. |
Visit of the Hang Ca Lagoon, accessible by a small craft through a tunnel. Delicious seafood diner and night on board in Lan Ha Bay.
Day 4 : LAN HA BAY - HANOI - NIGHT TRAIN HANOI-LAO CAI (3 meals) Breakfast on board while sailing through Lan Ha Bay, approaching islets and peaks as close as possible. Visit of a floating fishing farm village. Lunch on board while we continue sailing through the magic Lan Ha Bay to return to Cat Ba Island. Disembarkation and return to Hanoi. Diner, followed by the transfer to Hanoi Railway Station for the night train Hanoi-Lao Cai. |
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Day 5 : SAPA AND THE VILLAGE OF CAT CAT (3 meals)
Arrival at Lao Cai Railway Station around 6:00. Minibus transfer to Sapa (1h). Meeting with your guide in front of a good breakfast. Registration at the hotel and visit of Sapa: the market, the church, the Belvédère, etc. Free lunch, followed by a stroll down the valley to the H'mong village of Cat Cat.
Free diner and night in Sapa.
Free diner and night in Sapa.
Day 6 : SAPA - MA TRA – LU KHAU - TA PHIN (10 km/3-4 hours) (3 meals)
Departure around 9:00, to discover the rich Dao and h'mong culture. We walk up and down through terrace rice fields and small ethnic village, towards the Valley of Ma Tra. We arrive at the dao homestay local house in the dao village of Ta Phin, on time for lunch. Relaxed stroll around the village after lunch. Diner and night at the dao homestay.
Day 7 : TREKKING (16 km/5-6 hours) + ROUTE SAPA-BAC HA (3 meals)
| After breakfast, departure for the village de Sa Seng. We climb a pass leading to the Valley of Muong Hoa and arrive at the village of Hau Thao, offering magnificent panoramic views of the valley, the most beautiful around Sapa. Picnic lunch in the rice fields, followed by more walking to discover the local life, and walk to the Gian Ta Chai Waterfall. Return to Sapa by car. Diner and transfer by car to the Flower h'mong capital of Bac Ha. Diner and night in a beautiful homestay house in Bac Ha. |
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Day 8 : FLOWER H'MONG MARKET + BAC HA-HA GIANG (3 meals) In the morning, visit of the Can Cau (Saturday) or Bac Ha (Sunday) Flower h'mong market, where the local meet in their colorful tribal costumes, an unforgettable experience. Lunch, followed by the drive from Bac ha to Ha Giang, capital of the Flower h'mong, where we have diner and spend a night in a beautiful resort on the Lo River. |
Day 9 : HA GIANG – BAO LAC (3 meals)
In the morning, we take a very scenic mountain road overlooking the valley of the Song Gam River, all the way to the charming village of Bao Lac. We visit a nearby lolo village; diner and night in Bao Lac.
Day 10 : BAO LAC – BA BE LAKE (3 meals)
We start early to take the mountain road Bao Lac- Bang. Before Cao Bang, another one of our little secrets : a gorgeous small road snaking through the mountains to the Thai village of Cho Ra and then down to the White Thai village of Pac Ngoi, where you are welcomed by Mr. Duy Tho amazingly friendly Thai family in their traditional stilted house. If it's hot, do like the local kids, just jump in the river! Superb diner (Mrs. Duy Tho is a true Cordon bleu) on the river terrace. |
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Day 11 : BABE LAKE (GROTTO AND WATERFALLS) (3 meals)
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A treat! Breakfast on the river terrace, then short drive to the house owner's boat, who takes you through the entire length of the 3 connected lakes (Ba Be - "3 bays") and up the Nang River, to an astonishing site: Dong Phuong, an enormous tunnel (300 m long by 30 m high) that the river has dug through a lime mountain. The boat then goes up river to the small village of Hua Tang. As simple and authentic as you have been dreaming of! Lunch in a local house cooked by "Pirate", an older woman famous in the entire region for her culinary skills. |
After lunch, a short walk (20 mn) through the jungle takes you to the very scenic Dau Dang Waterfalls, a series of spectacular cascades between sheer rock walls. You may continue the trail to arrive in a large river bend full of colorful local life, with a small "harbor" where the local unloads goods to then bypass the falls by motorbike and then reload them on boats to go through the lake. Return by boat for another delightful evening at your Thai house.
Day 12 : BABE LAKE - HANOI (3 meals)
Relax in Pac Ngoi and late morning departure on a secret road of ours, following the river and then snaking from pass to pass through the hills of Central North Vietnam. Everybody will look at you, for no tourists ever go that spectacular way. Arrival at your Hanoi hotel around 18:00.
Day 13 : HANOI - HOA LU – TAM COC (HALONG BAY-ON-LAND) (3 meals)
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Departure from your hotel at 9 AM, direction Hoa Lu. Visit of the two temples of Hoa Lu: Dinh Thien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh. We then drive on 15 superb kilometers of small roads through the lime peak maze, one of our little "secrets", and arrive in Tam Coc at the hotel Chez Loan, in the serenity of the rice fields, a small hotel famous for its elegant rooms, exceptional food (Mrs. Loan gives cooking lessons), and exceptionally friendly service; the best address in the region! Delicious lunch of local specialties, followed by the visit –by car on bicycle at your choice- of the Bich Dong Pagoda, built on 3 stages on a cliff, and Thai Vi Temple. |
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Around 16:00, when the tourist groups have left, boating on the 3-tunnel river through lime cliff canyons, one of the "Must Do" of Vietnam. Evening free to visit the numerous shops where the embroideries are hand-made and sold. Delicious diner chez Loan (Vietnamese fondue).
Day 14 : TAM COC – PHAT DIEM - HANOI (breakf, lunch)
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After breakfast, short drive (15 mn) to the amazing Hang Mua Pagoda, perched on a high mountain, and from which you enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the entire region…at a price: climbing 450 steps, totally worthwhile (again, you will be alone, no other tours include that amazing visit). On the left of the steps, a short tunnel leads to the bank of the Tam Coc River. |
Then, short (1h) ride through the rice fields and canals of the Delta, the center of North Vietnam Catholicism. Arrival for lunch at the stupendous –and, again, rarely visited- Phat Diem Cathedral (1891), a Sino-European architectural masterpiece of enormous proportions. Lunch near the cathedral and visit of the complex (bell tower, main building, and the 4 elegant chapels). Return to Hanoi, where the driver leaves you at your hotel around 6 PM.
Please note that if you wish to visit the Center of Vietnam (Hué and/or Hoi An) after this tour, you can take the night train Ninh Binh-Hue on day 14, after diner at your charge Chez Loan.
Please note that if you wish to visit the Center of Vietnam (Hué and/or Hoi An) after this tour, you can take the night train Ninh Binh-Hue on day 14, after diner at your charge Chez Loan.
Rates per person in US dollars:
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