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

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.

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

The Silk Path benefits from an advantageous location in the heart of the charming old quarter of Hanoi: countless tourist attractions, government and diplomatic institutions as well as proximity to the business district of the city. The hotel, with its 106 well-appointed exclusively designed rooms and suites, is the preferred choice of the demanding traveler. The hotel has a 2 level restaurant with private dining rooms, a unique bar, and a fitness center and sauna. Silk Path Hotel guarantees a comfortable stay with all luxury amenities within reach. 

Overnight at Silk Path (4*).

Visit the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh and his former residence, One pillar Pagoda, and the Temple of Literature. After lunch, continue your city tour to one of Hanoi's many museums: Fine Art, History, Revolutionary, War, Ethnology (of your choosing), then head to Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple. Experience a one hour cyclo ride. Finish your day off at the Thang Long Opera Theatre for a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show.

Overnight at Silk Path (4*).

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.

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 a 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 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.

Overnight at Jasmine Halong Cruise (4*).

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.

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.

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

Travel in style on board the 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. *Please note that the dining carriage is not part of every train journey.

Overnight at Victoria Carriage (4*).

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.

Transfer between Lao Cai train station and Sapa in a private vehicle with guide and driver.

Experience the fantastic scenery of mountains and rice paddy fields as you cycle from Sapa into the surrounding valleys, the villages of Sin Chai and Ta Van village. You will have stops in the villages and have a chance to talk with the Black Hmong or Giay who are working in their fields Eat lunch in the Black Hmong village of Su Pan then continue cycling downhill to Ban Ho, inhabited by the Tay people. In Ban Ho you can observe in daily life of villagers who live in their traditional stilt houses surrounded by rice terraces and vegetable gardens. Walk to the nearby Lavie waterfall, where you can enjoy a swim; or trek uphill to visit to Red Dao village of Nam Toong. Your private vehicle will then pick you at Ban Ho village and transfer you back to Sapa.

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.

Overnight at Victoria Sapa (4*).

Depart from Sapa and enjoy the magnificent view from your private car on the way to Lao Chai village. Along the road, stop at stalls that serve tea, fruits and sweets. Arrive at the Black H’mong village of Lao Chai, where you will experience the daily life of the community. Afterwards, walk from Lao Chai to Ta Van village, where the Zay hill tribes live. Here you will rest and enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by your local guide (included). After lunch enjoy an afternoon of trekking through bamboo forests, followed by relaxation beside a waterfall. Continue and explore the Red Dao village of Giang Ta Chai. The tour ends with a return by private car to Sapa

Overnight at Victoria Sapa (4*).

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

Leaving Sapa early in the morning, travel by private car to Bac Ha Market (2.5hours). Visit the large outdoor market where various Hilltribe peoples come to buy and sell handicraft goods. After exploring the market, enjoy a complimentary lunch at a local restaurant. Leave Bac Ha Market for Trung Do Village, and enjoy a scenic water buffalo cart ride traveling through countryside of the Tay people. From the village, travel by boat down the Chay River and experience the picturesque scenery and magnificent sights along the way. After the boat trip, enjoy a refreshing cup of tea before transport back to Sapa.

Transfer between Sapa and Lao Cai train station in a private vehicle with guide and driver.

Travel in style on board the 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. *Please note the dining car is not always available.

Overnight at Victoria Carriage (4*).

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

Begin your day with a 110km drive south to visit Tam Coc Caves. The area has been called "Dry Halong Bay" due to the beautiful limestone rock formations that rise from streams and rice paddies. Enjoy a leisurely cruise on a creek across three vast stretchs of rice fields. Visit the Temples of the Dinh King and Le King built on the site of the Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel. Explore the caves of Tam Coc (Three limestone caves) all adorned with beautiful stalagmites and stalactites. Finish up with a visit to Bich Dong Pagoda before transfering back to Hanoi. Lunch is included.

The Silk Path benefits from an advantageous location in the heart of the charming old quarter of Hanoi: countless tourist attractions, government and diplomatic institutions as well as proximity to the business district of the city. The hotel, with its 106 well-appointed exclusively designed rooms and suites, is the preferred choice of the demanding traveler. The hotel has a 2 level restaurant with private dining rooms, a unique bar, and a fitness center and sauna. Silk Path Hotel guarantees a comfortable stay with all luxury amenities within reach. 

Overnight at Silk Path (4*).

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

Depart from Hanoi International airport - end of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart.