Hanoi – Mai Chau – Pu Luong – Ninh Binh – Halong Bay Tour > 8 Days / 7 Nights

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, start the adventure discovering Hanoi boarding a jeep. This is a special way to discover the city. You will pass through the Old Quarter and go through the Long Bien bridge, historical one! Then back to the center (if weekend, we will go to the train street for a café and see the train passing in the narrow alley) to pass in front of the main buildings as the war museum, Ho Chi Minh mausolea, Tran Quoc pagoda.

Local lunch with Pho Cuon and Banh Tom

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 Southeast Asia. On the way back, pass by the opera house.

As a reward after the long adventurous day, enjoy a foot massage. 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. (If you didn’t see the train street in the morning, you will go for a drink) Overnight in the hotel.

7:00 – Pick up the guests from Hanoi Old Quarter and start the trip to Mai Chau.

You will have a stop in Thung Khe Pass for a spectacular view of Mai Chau Valley. During the stop, you can see the local stands selling typical products. Take a chance to try one of the local specialties, the “Com Lam”, sticky rice cooked in bamboo. Arrival in Mai Chau which is considered the capital of the Thai people. Check in and have lunch in the traditional house on stilts with specialties of the Northwest mountains.

Take a small rest to relax by the pool or a quick walk in the narrow alleys to admire the local life.

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.

You will then be dropped at the starting point. The trek will pass through a small dirt path, passing by isolated hamlet and through the jungle. You will arrive to the higher part of Hieu village contemplating some stunning views.  While going down to reach the waterfall, you will see some local houses. 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.

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. Before heading to the hotel, you will make a stop at Mua Cave. If climbing the around 500 stairs to reach the top is challenging, you will be rewarded by the most beautiful view of Ninh Binh valley and Tam Coc. Dinner in Trang An Ecolodge.

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 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. Back to the hotel to relax or enjoy the swimming pool. Evening is at leisure to dine on site or go to a local restaurant.

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 (depending on the cruise chosen). 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.

Cozy bay option : You will head to Viet Hai (ancient fishing village). Reaching the pier, you will take a bicycle (possibility to go by electric car) to visit this special village only accessible by boat or a trek through the national park.

Moncheri option: You will join the tour of Cat Ba World Biosphere by transshipment. It takes 30 minutes to transfer from Gia Luan to Trung Trang – one of the most impressive caves in Cat Ba island, Vietnam. The limestone cave has thousands of stalactites in various shapes, offering geological values with a typical cave ecosystem.

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.