Immerse yourself in Vietnamese culture on this tour of the mountainous North. Visit remote minority villages in Sapa, cruise amongst karst mountains, and enjoy the atmosphere of historic Hanoi.

You will be met and transferred between the airport to your hotel in a private vehicle with an English speaking driver.

The exquisite Metropole in Hanoi, which was built by the French in the colonial style in the early 1900s, combines old-world charm with modern convenience. With its rich history and evocative public spaces, it is easy to imagine the days when Graham Greene propped up the bar and intrigue radiated from every room. Located in the heart of downtown, the hotel features 363 rooms and suites and a beautiful interior garden. Le Beaulieu serves fine French cuisine while Hanoi specialties are served at the Spices Garden. A swimming pool and fitness center are available and the beautiful city of Hanoi is just at the doorstep, ready for you to explore its sights and sounds.

Hanoi is nestled on the banks of the Red River, it is a beautiful city that retains an air of French colonial elegance with pretty yellow stucco buildings lining leafy streets. Hanoi is also a city of lakes, which adds to its air of sleepy grace. In the middle of the city lies the peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake with the 18th-century Ngoc Son Temple sitting on an island in its center. To the north of Hoan Kiem Lake is the Old Quarter, a fascinating maze of small antiquated streets lined with markets and pavement restaurants and cafes. Also worth a visit, the former Ville Française was the old French administrative center and is characterized by enormous colonial-era châteaux and wide spacious boulevards. It also houses Hanoi’s most popular attraction, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and his former residence ( Closed on Monday, Friday and the whole of Oct & Nov), One pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature. After lunch, continue city tour to one of the museums ( Fine Art, History, Revolutionary, War, Ethnology Museum) of your choice ( closed on Monday), Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple and 01-hour cyclo. Finish your day off at the Thang Long Opera Theatre for a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show. Lunch is included. Enjoy lunch (included in tour price). Overnight at Sofitel Legend Metropole.

You will be picked up at 8am for your private transfer to Halong City. This takes roughly 3 hours. You may stop enroute to admire the local scenery. Arrive at the port around 11:30am and board the ship. Begin sailing and pass through magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons’ teeth. After lunch, take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with golden sails, go swimming on a quiet beach or sunbath on the sundeck. Later in the afternoon, you will visit an interesting fishing village with an opportunity to interact with
these local people who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. Back on board enjoy a lavish dinner. Overnight on board.


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Launched in mid 2006, the wooden junk that combines classic beauty with modern comfort. Our custom-designed junk features three decks that house an elegant restaurant, lounge, two bars, a small boutique, library and ten luxurious sleeping cabins. With so much space, passengers can truly unwind.

Ha Long Bay is located 160km (100 miles) north of Hanoi, this is an amazing complex of 3000 chalk islands rising out of the South China Sea. The area is strange, eerie and very beautiful. Many of the islands contain bizarre cave formations and grottoes. An entire culture of floating villages has evolved with interlinked boats that can move from island to island.

Wake up to Tai Chi exercises on the sun deck and continue cruising the bays. Breakfast buffet will be served in the restaurant, then you will visit the limestone grotto. Disembark in Halong City around 11am and transfer back to Hanoi with your private vehicle, guide and driver.


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Transfer between Hanoi Train station and your Hanoi hotel with private car and driver.

Travel in style on board the luxurious Victoria Express Train. The Victoria Express Train features one dining carriage and two sleeping carriages to make your travelling experience a most comfortable one. With its elegant carriages, the Victoria Express Train recalls a more romantic era. Passing through the exotic landscapes of North Vietnam, between the charming cities of Hanoi and Lao Cai it offers every visitor a wonderful traveling experience. Watch the beautiful scenery in front of you, from the luxury of your seat, or take a nap in the comfort of our cozy sleeping carriage. If you prefer, you can indulge yourself in our dining carriage, “Le Tonkin”, where you can savor the delights of traditional Vietnamese and Western cuisine. Our talented Chef Nguyen Tien Duc will be waiting for you with a selection of the best wines, adding a further exquisite touch to a memorable experience.

Transfer between Lao Cai train station and Sapa in a private vehicle with guide and driver. You will be picked up by private car and english speaking driver today for a visit to the colourful Coc Ly market full of montagnads from surrounding villages. The locals dress in their most colourful costumes and head to the market to exchange goods or sell self-made souvenirs. Continue visits to ethnic villages nearby. Enjoy lunch (included in tour price).

The Victoria Sapa Resort is the only luxury hotel in North-Western Vietnam, and was built as a traditional mountain chalet with accented wooden décor and a welcoming stone hearth fireplace. The Victoria Sapa Resort overhangs the village, blending in perfectly with the natural surroundings. The resort features 77 stylishly designed rooms, each with private terrace, wood flooring and a warm touch of local decoration. Enjoy fine dining at Ta Van Restaurant and enjoy a glass of red wine by the fireplace at Ta Fin Bar. After a day of sightseeing in the Sapa region, unwind at the spa center before turning in.

Sapa is an incredibly picturesque village that lies on the Hoang Lien Son mountain range near the Chinese border in NW Vietnam. It is called as "the Tonkinese Alps" You can see many hill tribe people, their villages, rice terraces, lush vegetation, and Fansipan, highest peak in Vietnam.

From Sapa you will be cycling downhill into Muong Hoa and into Ban Ho valley. The ride offers beautiful views to fantastic scenery of mountains and rice paddy fields along the way until you arrive at the Tay stilt restaurant for lunch. After lunch, you will take a pleasant walk to the Ecolodge consists of 25 individual lodges placed in a circle around the hills. From the Ecolodge, there are breathtaking views across the scenic valleys below, which are home to villages of Tay, Red Dao and Xa Pho minorities. Later you will cycle over to the nearby Red Dao village of Lech. Here you have time to explore the daily life of the Red Dao minority. After visiting the Red Dao village you cycle back to the Ecolodge from where you will return to Sapa by car. Enjoy lunch (included in tour price). Overnight at Victoria Sapa.

The short journey will commence with a drive southwards Muong Hoa valley by private car and English speaking guide. You will then start your descending walk into the valley, which is the largest paddy terrace in Sapa area. The guide can provide you with interesting information about rice and rice growing. If you visit the valley some time in between May and October, you will be able to experience how the local do planting and harvesting, one of the most important activities in their daily life. The walk takes you from Lao Chai village of Black H'mong minority to Ta Van village of Giay minority including a visit to the local Catholic Church. After visiting Ta Van, the car will take you back to Sapa. Enjoy lunch (included in tour price). Transfer between Sapa and Lao Cai train station in a private vehicle with guide and driver.

Travel in style on board the luxurious Victoria Express Train. The Victoria Express Train features one dining carriage and two sleeping carriages to make your travelling experience a most comfortable one. With its elegant carriages, the Victoria Express Train recalls a more romantic era. Passing through the exotic landscapes of North Vietnam, between the charming cities of Hanoi and Lao Cai it offers every visitor a wonderful traveling experience. Watch the beautiful scenery in front of you, from the luxury of your seat, or take a nap in the comfort of our cozy sleeping carriage. If you prefer, you can indulge yourself in our dining carriage, “Le Tonkin”, where you can savor the delights of traditional Vietnamese and Western cuisine. Our talented Chef Nguyen Tien Duc will be waiting for you with a selection of the best wines, adding a further exquisite touch to a memorable experience.

Lao Cai Province is located in the north of the country. It borders the provinces of Ha Giang, Yen Bai, Son La, and Lai Chau, as well as the province of Yunnan in the People's Republic of China. Lao Cai is a mountainous region. In the northwest of the province is Phan Xi Pang (a.k.a. Fansipan), Vietnam's highest mountain. The province is bisected by the Red River, the most significant river of northern Vietnam, which flows out of China towards the capital Hanoi. Much of the province is heavily forested. The temperature generally ranges between 18° and 28°, although lowland areas tend to have less variation than mountainous areas

Transfer between Hanoi Train station and your Hanoi hotel with private car and driver. Almost unique amongst Asian capital cities, Hanoi's French quarter is now fully recognized as an important part of Vietnam's heritage. Yet much of the history behind it still remains a mystery to most. Today, you will take a tour exploring the French Quarter through the ideas of its architects and the shape of its stones. It sets about unraveling all threads of civilization, which have left their mark on the area, beginning with recent reminders in a Soviet style. Discover a different world altogether as will visit the Buddhist pagoda of Quan Su, the centre of Vietnamese Buddhism and Tran Hung Dao streets. Learn about the French approach to justice and punishment and hear tales of daring Vietnamese resistance to the repressive regime. Finish your walking tour with a nice cup of Vietnamese coffee. Overnight at Sofitel Legend Metropole.

You will be met and transferred between the airport to your hotel in a private vehicle with an English speaking driver. Kensington Tours donates a portion of proceeds to our charitable initiative www.kensingtoncares.com which supports education-based initiatives in disadvantaged communities.

Depart from Hanoi International airport - end of itinerary.