Northwest Tour

The northwestern part of Vietnam is one of the most interesting and beautiful areas of South East Asia. Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic groups and the northwestern part of the country is an exciting place to see the lives, customs and cultures of some of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities. In this part of the country the minorities still dress in their traditional colorful clothing – especially the women. Each minority group has its own distinct color and style of dress. On the Northwest Jeep tour you will both do a minority trek and stay with some of the tribes in the Sapa area and go on a jeep tour through some of the country’s most spectacular scenery and home to many distinct hill tribes. There will be a lot of time to stop at local markets and visit small minority villages rarely visited by other tourists.

Day 1: Hanoi – Lao Cai.
You will be picked up at your hotel 1 hour before train departure (20:10) for a transfer to the train station. Night train (soft sleeper) to Lao Cai. The night trains leave at around 21:10. O/N on train.

Day 2: Lao Cai – Sapa.
You arrive at Lao Cai train station early in the morning, from where you will be picked up and have a shared bus transfer to Sapa (35 km - about 1 hour drive). Check-in at Cat Cat Hotel. In the morning you will have time on your own to enjoy the view of Fansipan (3.143 m) on the other side of the Sapa valley - and to explore the market where some of the different ethnic minority groups come into town to sell their products. In the afternoon you will meet the guide who will give you brief information about the following days in the Sapa area. After this you will visit the Cat Cat village which is home of the Black H’mong people. Stay overnight in Cat Cat Hotel, Sapa.

Day 3: Sapa – Lao Chai – Ta Van.(B, L, D)
After breakfast you leave the hotel and trek to Lao Chai village to visit Black H’mong people.Then you continue to Ta Van village to visit Zay people. Dinner and stay overnight in a homestay in Ta Van village.
Trekking distance: 15km.

Day 4: Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai - Ban Ho. (B, L, D)
Breakfast in Ta Van village. Trekking to visit Red Dao people at Giang Ta Chai where you also see a waterfall. Arrive Ban Ho in the afternoon to visit the Tay people. If you get to Ban Ho in the early afternoon you will have time to go on your own to swim in a nearby river.Dinner and stay overnight in Ban Ho.
Trekking distance: 15km.

Day 5: Ban Ho – Sapa. (B)
After breakfast, trek to Su Pan Hill. Then you will be picked up and transfer back to Sapa town. Check in Cat Cat Hotel. In the afternoon: Free exploration Sa pa town, Sapa market with all different ethnic groups and their homemade products. Overnight at Cat Cat Hotel.

Day 6: Sapa – Lai Chau ( 178km). (B)
This morning the Jeep will take you on a 5 – 6 hour drive to Lai Chau. On the first part you will pass the beautiful Silver Waterfall Thac Bac and Tram Ton Pass (1900m) with views of the Fansipan Mountain Range. Later you pass and have the chance to visit - Lao, Lu, Thai, Mang and Black Dao villages. On the way you will see deep river gorges, tall mountains and green rice fields. In the afternoon you arrive to Lai Chau, one of the hottest places in Vietnam during the summer months.Stay overnight in a hotel in Lai Chau.

Day 7: Lai Chau – Dien Bien Phu (130km).(B)
3 – 4 hours drive to Dien Bien Phu along a road with spectacular views and steep heavily forested hills. Visit some of the minority villages (Kho Mu, Thai and H’mong) en route.At noon we arrive at Dien Bien Phu in the flat Muong Thanh Valley. Dien Bien Phu was the site of the last calamitous battle between the forces of Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh army and the French in 1954. In the afternoon you will visit the Museum in Dien Bien Phu, which gives you a better understanding of the history. Stay overnight in a hotel in town.

Day 8: Dien Bien Phu – Son La (180km).(B)
Leave Dien Bien Phu and drive 6 – 7 hours to Son La. The scenery is awesome with high mountains, limestone rocks, gorges, rice fields and small villages. On the way you have the possibility to visit the Thai people. Stay overnight in a hotel in Son La.

Day 9: Son La – Mai Chau (180km). (B)
Leave the hotel at 08:00 in the morning. Short trek on the way and visit Thai village. Arrive Lat village in Mai chau at 15:00. Homestay in Lat village of Thai people.

Day 10: Mai Chau – Hanoi (165 km). (B)
Leave Mai Chau for Hanoi at 08:00.On the way visit Hoa Binh Hydro-Electric Power. Arrive Hanoi at around 12:30. End of tour.

(B: Breakfast, L:Lunch, D: Dinner).

How you stay overnight:

• 1 night on train (soft-sleeper) from Hanoi to Lao Cai.
• 2 nights in Cat Cat Hotel, Sapa
• 3 nights in homestays.
• 3 nights in hotels.

What to bring:

• Trekking shoes or boots;
• Rain-wear;
• Warm fleece jacket in the winter;
• Cap or hat, sunglasses and sun lotion;
• Torch;
• Medicine for personal use;
• Earplugs

The tour itinerary might be changed according to the weather condition!

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