DAY 1: HANOI – SAPA – HAM RONG MOUNTAIN ( – / L / D )
06.00 – 06:30: Our mini van will pick hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter then transfer to sleeper bus, stop at Tran Quang Khai street and departure to Sapa following Noi Bai – Lao Cai highway. Along the way, you will have chance to enjoy the beauty of northwestern mountains, terraced fields are sparkling in sunlight or dim in thick fog. Have two short-breaks in 30 minutes for each and then continue the trip to Sapa.
13.00-13.30: Arrive in Sapa, eat lunch and check in hotel.
14.30: You will begin the trek up Ham Rong (Dragon’s Jaw) Mountain.
Ham Rong Botanical Garden: don’t miss the lovely botanical gardens above the main square in town with their spectacular viewpoint from the top. There are fabulous views of the town and the wider landscape as well as tended gardens to visit. This park is essentially a long cobblestone walkway to the top of Ham Rong Mountain. It’s a strenuous climb, but the panoramic vista at the top is well worth tackling all those stairs. Along the way, there are countless potted orchids, beautiful landscaped gardens and a few really tacky statues of cartoon characters like Scooby Doo and Mickey Mouse. One word of caution, the stone stairs could be treacherous on a rainy or misty day.
Ham Rong Mountain
18h30: Having dinner. Afer dinner, you are free to explore the charm of Sapa by night, enjoy roasted corn, baked eggs beside charcoal fire or go shopping. Especially on Saturday night, we highly recommend a stop at the Love Market – one of the unique cultures of ethenic minorities in nortwest of Vietnam. Overnight at hotel in Sapa.
DAY 2: SAPA – CAT CAT VILLAGE – FANSIPAN MOUNTAIN ( B / L / D )
07.00: Eat breakfast in the hotel.
08.00: Our car and tour guide will pick you up at your hotel in Sapa and transfer you to the Fansipan Cable Car Station.
Then start the journey to conquer Fansipan with the world’s most modern 3-wire cable car system with a cabin that can accommodate up to 30 visitors. Then continue conquering to the top of Fansipan at 3.143m higher from sea-level, the roof of Indochina. (Cable car ticket not included)
Enjoying the Views from the Summit – Heaven of Photographers
11.30: Back to Sapa, eat lunch and rest.
14.30: You will start hiking to Cat Cat Village which is occupied by the Black H’mong tribe. Here, you can see the hydroelectric power station which was built by the French in twentieth century. You will experience the tribal way of life of ethnic minotities while enjoying wonderful views of the terraced rice paddy fields and the waterfall in Cat Cat village. Visitors will also understand culture, unique customs, traditional crafts such as weaving, touching carved silver, forged agricultural tools…
Cat Cat Village Sapa
18.30: Having dinner. Afer dinner, you are free to explore the charm of Sapa by night, enjoy roasted corn, baked eggs beside charcoal fire or go shopping. Especially on Saturday night, we highly recommend a stop at the Love Market – one of the unique cultures of ethenic minorities in nortwest of Vietnam. Overnight at hotel in Sapa.
DAY 03: SAPA – BAC HA MARKET- HANOI ( B/ L/-)
6:30| Have breakfast at your hotel
7:00| Pick up at hotel. It takes 3 hour driving to Bac Ha market. At the market you will also meet Flower Hmong (Red Hmong), Black Dao, Tay, Nung, La Chi, Phu La and other tribal 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. Continue the trip to Hoang A Tuong Royal Palace.
Discover the lively and diverse atmosphere of Bac Ha sunday market
12:00| Lunch at local restaurant
13:30| Trek to Ban Pho village of the Flower H’Mong people, to see their house, the daily life, understand little more about their lifestyle and traditional customs. Especially, we can try homemade wine from corn. Drive back to Sapa, 110 km in about 3 hours ride. En-route, stop to see Trung Do village of the Tay people (if time permits).
16:30 – 17:00| Arrival in Lao Cai , the bus stops at the restaurant, you wait at the restaurant then the sleeper bus pick you up and returns to Hanoi
22:00| Arrive in Hanoi. You will get off at the bus stop on Tran Quang Khai Street near the Old Quarter and make your own way back to the hotel. The tour concludes here. We look forward to seeing you again!
Note: Bac Ha Market takes place every Sunday. Therefore, the itinerary may be adjusted accordingly to fit the market schedule. We will ensure that you still have the opportunity to visit all the destinations included in the original program.
