Itinerary
This tour is a great opportunity of an adventure expedition between Vietnam and Cambodia. Though this trip you explore Hanoi – Land of the Ascending Dragon, Halong Bay – One of the seven Natural Wonders of the World, Bac Ha Ethnic Market – The biggest minority peoples market in Northwest Vietnam, Sapa with its thousands of rice terraces and ethnic minorities, Fansipan peak – the roof of Indochina, Ban Gioc Waterfall – The largest waterfall in Asia. After the wonderful adventure experience in Vietnam, you will continue to the world heritage road of Cambodia with first exploring Siem Reap and Angkor Wat temple complex, Tonle Sap Lake and then south to Phnom Penh – The capital of Cambodia. The trip ends with a visit to the king’s palace and beautiful Khmer architecture sites. Take this trip with Green Discovery Indochina and create memories for a lifetime!!!!
BRIEF ITINERARY
Day 1/ Thursday: Hanoi Arrival – Hanoi City tour
Day 2/ Friday: Hanoi – Halong Bay
Day 3/ Saturday: Halong Bay – Lan Hay Bay – Night train/ Bus to Lao Cai
Day 4/ Sunday: Lao Cai Arrival – Transfer to Bac Ha Sunday Market – Transfer to Sapa Town
Day 5/ Monday: Sapa – Fansipan Climbing – Fansipan peak – back to Sapa Town
Day 6/ Tuesday: Sapa – Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van – Sapa Town – Night train to Hanoi
Day 7/ Wednesday: Hanoi Arrival – Ba Be Lake – Ba Be National Park – Pak Ngoi Village
Day 8/ Thursday: Ba Be National Park – Hua Ma cave exploring – Quang Uyen
Day 9/ Friday: Quang Uyen – Ban Gioc Waterfall – Cao Bang city
Day 10/ Saturday: Cao Bang Trekking – Driver back to Hanoi – Free day
Day 11/ Sunday: Hanoi flight to Siem Reap – Siem Reap arrival
Day 12/ Monday: Siem Reap – Angkor Thom – Angkor Wat Tours
Day 13/ Tuesday: Siem Reap – Banteay Srei Temple – Tonle Sap Lake – Flight to Phnom Penh
Day 14/ Wednesday: Phnom Penh – Departure flight
BRIEF ITINERARY
Day 1/ Thursday: Hanoi Arrival – Hanoi City tour (Welcome Dinner)
Upon your arrival in Noibai International Airport, you will be transferred to your hotel in Hanoi French Quarter. After check in hotel, then we will start our tour to visit the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, the apex of regional political power for more than a millennium where research and excavation is still underway, and then head to another 11th century relic, the Temple of Literature, which was built in homage to the Chinese scholar Confucius. We will continue to visit the Ngoc Son temple set on a tiny island on the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake. You’ll hear how it got its name from a legend of an emperor, a magic sword and a giant turtle! Take a breezy cyclo ride through the Old Quarter’s 36 streets, named after the products that were sold from their shops. End you day with a delightful water puppet show, a traditional art that is still being performed today.
Back to our hotel, you will have a short rest then we will meet our guide and driver again for welcome dinner at a restaurant in town.
Overnight in Hanoi.
- Accommodation: Hanoi Medallion Hotel – 3 stars
- Room Type: Superior Double/ Twin Room
Day 2/ Friday: Hanoi – Halong Bay (Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
7.30 – 08.00: Pick up from your hotel in Hanoi. Drive to Halong City through the paddy fields in the Red River Delta.
10.00: Stopover on the way for refreshments
12.00 – 12.30: Arrive at Tuan Chau Wharf – Break and photo opportunities at Glory Legend Private Lounge
12.30: Transfer by tender to the boat
13.00 – 13.30: Check in and enjoy Welcome Drink, receive cruise briefing and safety instructions.
13.30 – 14.30: Start cruising. Enjoy deluxe Vietnamese and International Set Menu Lunch is served while the cruising through the bay.
15.00 – 15.45: Visit Luon cave by bamboo boat or kayaking based on your preference. Enjoy quiet space and pure air, you will feel relaxed truly. If lucky, you will have chance to see monkeys on islands.
15.45 – 17.00: Visit the beautiful Soi Sim or Ti Top beach for swimming if the weather permits. Or you can reach on the top of Soi Sim beach to have a panorama view of Halong Bay.
17.00: Back to the boat and free time.
Option: Massage service available. Please book with Cruise Manager directly (please see massage menu)
18.30 – 19.00: Cooking class on sundeck – How to make spring rolls. Then enjoy Sunset Party together and Happy Hour (buys two drinks, gets one free from 18.00 to 19.00). It is time for chit chat and relaxing.
19.30 – 21.30: Dinner – Deluxe Vietnamese and International Set Menu Dinner
21.30 – 23.00: Evening activities include: Leisure time to enjoy a chat around the bar. Watching movies and many sorts of Vietnam cultural films. Relaxing and spending a romantic night on Glory Legend Cruise’s music. Reading magazines in room and dining room. Passengers may also try their luck with squid fishing.
Option: Massage service available. Please book with Cruise Manager directly (please see massage menu)
- Accommodation: Glory Legend Cruise – 3 stars
- Room Type: Superior Double/ Twin Room
Day 3/ Saturday: Halong Bay – Lan Hay Bay – Night train/ Bus to Lao Cai (Breakfast/ Lunch/-)
06.15 – 06.45: Enjoy Tai Chi instruction on the sundeck (duration about 30 minutes).
07.00 – 07.45: Coffee, tea and breakfast pastries is served in the dining room
07.45: Transfer by tender to the Sung Sot Cave. Walk up about 100 steps to the cave entrance and tour the cave for approximately 45 minutes. Walk down about 100 steps and return to the boat. Proper shoes are highly recommended
09.00 – 9.30: Return to the boat then check-out and payment in reception area
10.00: Have brunch (breakfast/lunch) while cruising back through Halong Bay to the pier. Relax on the sundeck or in the dining room enjoying the bay scenery as we approach the pier.
11.30: Transfer by tender to Tuan Chau pier. Time to say goodbye to the crew
12.00 – 12.30: Return from Halong to Hanoi by shuttle bus.
14.00: Stopover in Dong Trieu town to visit a ceramics workshop
16.30: Arrive in Hanoi. Free to explore Hanoi by your own.
19:30: Meet our guide and driver again for transferring to Hanoi Rail Way station, take a night train to Sapa.
Overnight in on train to Lao Cai.
- Accommodation: King Express/ Sapaly Train – Soft sleeper with A/C cabin.
Day 4/ Sunday: Lao Cai Arrival – Transfer to Bac Ha Sunday Market – Transfer to Sapa Town (Breakfast/ Lunch/Dinner)
Upon your arrival in Lao Cai train station, you will be picked up by our guide and driver, then drive forward Bac Ha Sunday Market.
Bac Ha Market is held every Sunday and is the biggest minority peoples market in Northwest Vietnam. Alive with the bright colours and extravagant costumes of the local people, here you will meet Flower Hmong (Red Hmong), Black Dao, Tay, Nung, La Chi, Phu La and other minority groups who come from far and wide to buy and sell a wide variety of goods and livestock, to exchange news and to renew friendships. In the past the market was a centre for trading horses but now that motorbikes have replaced them it is more common to see buffalo, cows, goats, fish and other livestock being traded. The market opens at around 7.30am and closes mid-afternoon, so an early start is advisable.
Drive to Bac Ha (72km / 1.5 hours from Lao Cai). Take time to wander around the market, enjoy the atmosphere and have fun trying out your trading skills with the friendly local people.
Have lunch in a local restaurant where a variety of foods are available for your delectation and delight. You can even try the traditional local lunch of Thang Co (horse stew) and strong corn wine!
After lunch you will be driven to Ban Pho village where you can take a short walk around the village where Flower Hmong, Tay and Nung minorities live.
Enjoy an hour long horse carting trip from Ban Pho village to Na Hoi village.
Drive back to Sapa Town. Overnight in Sapa.
- Accommodation: Sapa Hmong Hotel – 3 stars
- Room Type: Superior Double/ Twin Room
Day 5/ Monday: Sapa – Fansipan Climbing – Fansipan peak – Back to Sapa Town (Breakfast/ Lunch/ -)
Perfect for hardcore trekkers short on time but not on energy.
With an early start time of 6.30am-7.30am, we meet our guide and driver. We are then transferred by car 15km from Sapa, to arrive at the Fansipan Park Ranger’s Station at a height of 2,000m, ready to begin the climb. The mountain’s ecosystem is rich, with 2,024 floral varieties and 327 faunal species. The challenging ascent and descent will take around 7-8 hours. Throughout, we hike through stunning primary deciduous and evergreen forests, follow crystal clear mountain streams, and brave windswept ridges. Short breaks along the way will allow you to take in the various scenic views that this climb has to offer. Forest types change with increasing altitude. Around the summit, dwarf bamboo is all that can survive. We arrive at the 3,143m summit around midday, and celebrate this victory with a picnic lunch, sitting high above the hills with views of this stunning mountainous landscape. The descent, will take around 3-4 hours (depending on individual fitness levels). We arrive back at the start point with the car waiting for us and are taken back to Sapa. To the victors belong the spoils! Our tour is completed with a soothing herbal medicine bath or foot massage.
Please Note: It is required for you to be of a high level of fitness to complete this climb in 1 day.
Overnight in Sapa Town.
- Accommodation: Sapa Hmong Hotel – 3 stars
- Room Type: Superior Double/ Twin Room
Day 6/ Tuesday: Sapa – Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van – Sapa Town – Night train to Hanoi (Breakfast/ Lunch/ -)
We start the day trekking through the beautiful Muong Hoa Valley to Y Linh Ho village, home to Black Hmong minorities. Weather permitting you will enjoy stunning views across the valley with mountains and rice terraces as far as the eye can see. Next on the route is a stop at Lao Chai, an established Hmong minority village which has been inhabited for centuries.
Here you will have the opportunity to see the products of this minority at its best with hereditary rice terraces, homes and a vibrant community. Continuing on to Ta Van Village you will visit the Giay minority people. This group traditionally fished for a living and as a result established themselves close to rivers. They have mastered the art of fishing with bamboo sticks, and cook the fish inside bamboo.
Nowadays however you are more likely to see the Giay working in fields planting or harvesting rice. Transport will be waiting in Ta Van to take you back to Sapa town, take a short rest then drive back to Lao Cai train station, take a night train back to Hanoi. Overnight on train.
- Accommodation: King Express/ Sapaly Train – Soft sleeper with A/C cabin.
Day 7/ Wednesday: Hanoi Arrival – Ba Be Lake – Ba Be National Park – Pak Ngoi Village (Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
At 7:00 AM: Our Green Discovery Indochina tour guide and driver will pick you up at the lobby of your hotel in Hanoi then take a drive on a 250-kilometers (5 hours) journey to Ba Be National Park. On the way we will have several scheduled stops for lunch and visiting Tay ethnic minority community and mostly living by rice cultivation.
Arrive Ba Be Lake, we will check-in home-stay at Pac Ngoi Village, take a rest an hour then we will start a boat trip along Nang River to discover Ba Be Lake, Puong Grotto, the rapids of the Dau Dang Waterfall and tiny Widow Island. These poetic landscapes will bring us relaxing time with fresh air and green environment, so don’t forget your camera for nice photos.
In the afternoon, we will arrive to the stilt houses of the Tay community in Pac Ngoi Village and also spend your night in a home-stay in the village.
- Accommodation: Home-stay at Pac Ngoi Village
Day 8/ Thursday: Ba Be National Park – Hua Ma cave exploring – Quang Uyen (Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
After breakfast at the host family, we will take a short walk visit Hua Ma cave, a huge grotto with thousands of stalactites. We will then depart for Quang Uyen, frontier town which is inhabited mostly by the Nung ethnic minority people. They still retain their centuries old cultural traditions and are recognizably distinct from each other by their dress. The remoteness and the simple lifestyle of the area’s local people are highlights of Quang Uyen. Living conditions are very basic here. Overnight in a small but comfortable hotel.
- Accommodation: Duy Huong Hotel
- Room Type: Superior Double/ Twin Room
Day 9/ Friday: Quang Uyen – Ban Gioc Waterfall – Cao Bang city (Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
After breakfast, we will depart for Ban Gioc waterfall, which is closed to Vietnam’s northern border with China.
On the way to Ban Gioc Waterfall, you will see many terraced rice paddies dotted with some houses creating a peaceful and poetic landscape. Arrive at Ban Gioc, you will marvel at its spectacular beauty, which is worth to be the Vietnam’s most beautiful waterfall. After spending some time relaxing and taking nice photos, you will visit Nguom Ngao Cave, listen to its interesting legends then come back Cao Bang Town for overnight in a local hotel.
- Accommodation: Bang Giang Hotel
- Room Type: Superior Double/ Twin Room
Day 10/ Saturday: Cao Bang Trekking – Driver back to Hanoi – Free day (Breakfast/ Lunch/-)
On the next day, on the way transferring back to Hanoi (about 310 kilometers), you will enjoy the charming sceneries deeply reflecting the Northwest color: stunning limestone peaks, long-lasting lush paddy fields and untouched peaceful villages. To satisfy your desire of discovering, we will stop at an ethnic village known for its tobacco production, where you can not only learn more about the daily life of the locals but also enjoy the peace and tranquility. There is a stop for lunch before getting back to Hanoi city and free at your own leisure to explore Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
- Accommodation: Hanoi Medallion Hotel – 3 stars
- Room Type: Superior Double/ Twin Room
Day 11/ Sunday: Hanoi – Flight to Siem Reap – Siem Reap arrival (Breakfast/ Lunch/Dinner)
Transfer via: Domestic Flight and International Flight
VN 931 Vietnam Airlines Hanoi 12:45 Siem Reap 16:05
Today you have free time at your own leisure and wait till transfer to Noi Bai Airport, take an afternoon flight to Siem Reap.
Upon your arrival in Siem Reap, welcome by our local tour guide and driver transfer you to hotel (The room checks in is subject to availability). Rest of the day is free at leisure by your own arrangement. Overnight in Siem Reap
- Accommodation: Claremont Angkor Boutique Hotel – 3 stars
- Room Type: Superior Double/ Twin Room
Day 12/ Monday: Siem Reap – Angkor Thom – Angkor Wat Tours (Breakfast/ Lunch /-)
Breakfast at hotel, this morning we visit Angkor Thom – the great city of the ancient Khmer empire. The visit includes: the South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphoun, Elephant Terrace and Leper King Terrace. Afternoon, it is time to visit the most famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor: Angkor Wat. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Enjoy wonderful sunset from the top of Phnom Bakheng Hills.
Tonight while having dinner tonight will be accompanied with classical Apsara dancers depicting scenes from Khmer mythology.
- Accommodation: Claremont Angkor Boutique Hotel – 3 stars
- Room Type: Superior Double/ Twin Room
Day 13/ Tuesday: Siem Reap – Banteay Srei Temple – Tonle Sap Lake – Flight to Phnom Penh (Breakfast/ Lunch/-)
Breakfast at hotel, today we enjoy a drive to the rural outskirt 35km from the town and visit to Banteay Srei, the birthplace of Khmer classical style architecture. This is a small temple but its carvings are so impressive. It is nearly everyone’s favorite’s site. Next Stop we visit Banteay Samre Temple.
Then will continue to visit the Cambodia Landmine Museum getting to know about the recent civil war in Cambodia was ended 1998 as well will complete the morning activity visiting Banteay Samre temple
Afternoon we enjoy a boat ride on Tonle Sap Lake, Chong Kneas to visit the floating village that completes with schools, hospitals, and restaurants, shops and floating crocodile farm and local Market. Then transfer to airport for departure to Phnom Penh. Up on arrival will greet by our local guide and driver then transfer to hotel in town for check-in.
- Accommodation: Salita Hotel – 3 stars
- Room Type: Superior Double/ Twin Room
Day 14/ Wednesday: Phnom Penh – Departure flight (Breakfast/ -/-).
In the morning after having breakfast we tour Phnom Penh, the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia. We will visit Wat Phnom, the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum, with many pre & post Angkor artifacts.
Then free time until transfer to airport for departure flight to your country.
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The itinerary above could be customized to suit your desire, feel free to get in touch with us for the ideas and best quotation
