Overview

Tour the less-traveled North West of Vietnam is a off-the-beaten track adventure travel itinerary by Private Vietnam Tours. The tour was inspired by the captivating wild of the North West of Vietnam when our team made series of expeditions into the far-flung regions of Vietnam.

Day-to-day Itinerary
Day1    (    Tuesday)    Ha Noi – Thac Ba – Nghia Lo (B/L/D)
Day2    (    Wednesday)    Nghia Lo – Tu Le – Mu Cang Chai (B/L/D)
Day3    (    Thursday)    Mu Cang Chai – Than Uyen – Sa Pa (B/L)
Day4    (    Friday    )    Sa Pa (B/L)
Day5    (    Saturday)    Sa Pa – Can Cau Market – Ha Noi (B/L)

Hotels

 

• Nghia Lo: Standard Hotel with basic facilities
• Mu Cang Chai: Guest house
• Sapa: Standard Hotel with basic facilities (3 and 4-star hotels are available upon request with additional costs.)

The tour price includes

• English-speaking guide;
• Transportation as indicated on the tour itinerary;
• Accommodations in twin-shared rooms as indicated on the tour itinerary;
• Meals as indicated as indicated on the tour itinerary: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner;
• All admission fees as indicated on the tour itinerary;

The tour price doesn’t include

• Insurance of any type;
• Drinks or personal expenses;
• Others not specified in the inclusions;

Itinerary

Day1    (    Tuesday)    Ha Noi – Thac Ba Lake – Nghia Lo (B/L/D)
08:00 A.M Leaving Ha Noi, we take a 3-hour road trip to Thac Ba Lake. The journey offers spectacular scenery along the Red River and the mountainous countryside of Phu Tho Province. Arriving at Thac Ba Lake, we'll have a 2-hours cruise amid the over 1300 islands of the lake with hidden caves and deserted beaches. After the cruise, we'll travel to Cat Lem Town for lunch.

In the afternoon, continue our journey uphill amid the terraces of green tea and eucalyptus forests. We'll stop every now and again on the way for visiting ethnic villages. We arrive at Nghia Lo Town of Muong Lo Valley in late afternoon. Check into our hotel and have free time for the remainder of the day. Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight at Nghia Lo Town.

There's a hot-spring in a Muong Village, 5 km from Nghia Lo Town which offers relaxing bath. The facilities here are very basic. Private Vietnam Tours can offer a free ride to the geyser and back to the hotel upon request.

Day2    (    Wednesday)    Nghia Lo – Tu Le – Mu Cang Chai (B/L/D)
08:30 A.M Travel on the scenic road of towering mountains and deep ravines toward Tu Le Valley. Tu Le is inhabited by the Black Thai and the valley of Tu Le offers breathtaking rice terraces which attracts thousands of photographers and artists of Vietnam, the terraces are especially stunning in the harvest times (August-September) when the whole area turns into golden color.
Lunch at Tu Le Town.
After lunch, climb the over 2000m Pass of Khau Pha. The 20 km or so of the pass offers heavenly beauty which may require quite a few stops for adoring the wild nature and taking photos. Arriving at Mu Cang Chai, we'll check into our guest house and head out to visit the local communities and the famous rice terraces which have been claimed the national heritage.
Dinner at a local restaurant.
Overnight at Mu Cang Chai.

Day3    (    Thursday)    Mu Cang Chai – Than Uyen – Sa Pa (B/L)
08:30 A.M Leaving Mu Cang Chai, we follow the road flanked by rugged mountains and deep ravines for Than Uyen, a little town famous for the gold mines. The Than Plain, where Than Uyen is located, is among the 4 biggest plains in the North West of Vietnam. After Than Uyen Town, the scene changes quickly with undulating mountains of the famous Hoang Lien Mountain Range, the highest one in Vietnam (and of Indochina). We'll stop for photos at the Heavenly Gate and the Silver Waterfall before entering the cloud-covered town of Sa Pa.
Lunch at a local restaurant at Sa Pa.
In the afternoon, have a walking tour to the breathtaking Cat Cat Waterfall.
Have free time in the evening.
Overnight at Sa Pa.

Day4    (    Friday    )    Sa Pa (B/L)
Our morning tour is for climbing the mountain of Ham Rong which is just located near the town. Ham Rong Mountain offers wild orchid gardens and the panoramic view of Sapa Town and the fresh surroundings. We'll also have an opportunity to enjoy a traditional performance by the local boys and girls from the different local ethnic groups. Then we'll travel back to town and visit Sa Pa Market.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, visit the villages of Lao Chai (Black H'mong) and Ta Van (Giay).
Free time in the evening.
Overnight at Sa Pa.

Day5    (    Saturday)    Sa Pa – Can Cau Market – Ha Noi (B/L)
07:30 A.M Leave Sapa Town for Can Cau ethnic market. The market of Can Cau is on a mountain slope, by the side of the Chay River. The market is in session only on Saturday morning and the local communities including Flower H'Mong, Nung, Giay, Phu La... would travel to the market for bartering and for socializing. The local people travel to the market from early in the morning and would start leaving the market for home at around 10:00 – 11:00 A.M. Leaving Can Cau, we'll travel through the scenic roads of the North West of Vietnam and arrive in Ha Noi in the early evening. We just you had a wonderful adventure tour of the North West of Vietnam with Private Vietnam Tours.

Trip Photos