HA NOI - MAI CHAU - SON LA - DIEN BIEN PHU - TAM DUONG - SA PA

Adventure seekers consider the mountains of Northwest Viet Nam a highlight. While Son La and Dien Bien Phu offer an encounter with recent history, the colourful hill tribe villages dotting the mountainsides, are living as they have for hundreds of years. Though the road can be at times rugged, the journey through this region’s breathtaking natural scenery and daily life will be a truly unforgettable experience.

                                                                                                                                       
DAY 01        ARRIVE HA NOI

On arrival at Ha Noi Noi Bai Airport, we will be met and transferred to our centrally located hotel where we will have a welcome drink and tour briefing.

DAY 02        HA NOI - MAI CHAU

Traveling to Hoa Binh, we pass through a region of spectacular limestone mountains and tea plantations to arrive in Mai Chau. We spend the night in a villager’s  house-on-stilt of the White Thai minority, experiencing their wonderful hospitality and traditional dancing.

DAY 03        MAI CHAU - SON LA

Leaving for Son La, we pass fruit orchards, tea plantations, towering mountains and the traffic of Black Thai, Meo and Muong hill tribe people heading to markets. We visit the Prison Museum, which remains as a poignant reminder of the inequities of the former French colonial rule.

DAY 04        SON LA - DIEN BIEN PHU

Impressive scenery, and hill tribe villages fill the journey to Dien Bien Phu, the last bastion of French power in Indochina. Monuments, museums and preserved bunkers tell the story of the final and victorious liberating battle of 1954.

DAY 05        DIEN BIEN PHU - TAM DUONG

Sometimes steep and often rugged, the road through the Lai Chau valley is both breathtaking and dramatic. Hugging rice terraced mountainsides and fording turbulent rivers, our travels today are visually spectacular.

DAY 06        TAM DUONG - SA PA

As we traverse Tram Ton, the highest pass in Viet Nam, and approach the old French Hill Station of Sa Pa. A busy market town for the regions minority groups, the town is encircled with towering peaks, often shrouded in cloud, and the air is cool and crisp.

DAY 07        SA PA

Trekking to the H’mong and Red Dao villages of Lao Chai and Ta Van hamlets, we are introduced to a different way of life as we enjoy the genuine hospitality of these hill tribe people. A truly satisfying day filled with insight and the unspoilt beauty of nature.

DAY 08        SA PA - BAC HA - HA NOI

Departing in the early morning, we drive to Lao Cai and descend the scenic mountain roads and return to Ha Noi. We also stop on the way to discover more local villages before arriving in Ha Noi in late afternoon.

DAY 09        DEPART HA NOI

Free at leisure until transfering to the airport for our ongoing flight.

Remark :  Compulsory surcharge on Peak season*