Itinerary

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The North Vietnam Experience takes in some of the best sights and experiences in Northern Vietnam. This is one of the most beautiful parts of the country, rich with history and culture. The weeks are broken down as follows:

• Orientation, Culture and Sightseeing Week
• Waterfalls, Buddhism, Trekking and Adventure Week
• Adventure Week (Hill tribes, Trekking, Hanoi, War History)
• Beach Week - Lazy days by the sea, incredible beaches and parties!

The 4 week Itinerary

This is a flexible itinerary, meaning that it can change based on the weather or other events, but the schedule below covers all the things that you will be doing and places you’ll see, it just might not necessarily be in that order.

Day 1

This is it!  The beginning of your four week adventure that is full of excitement, culture, history and great times with new friends.  When you settle into your accommodation in Hanoi you’ll get a chance to meet up with your fellow backpackers and find out about everyone you’ll be spending the next few weeks with.  Most people on our North Vietnam Experience are in the same boat, i.e. they are travelling solo, so there is no need to be nervous.  Anyway, you’ll be far too busy to worry about that!

Day 2

To new visitors, Hanoi is a mad city bustling with crazy drivers, overloaded bicycles, colourful markets and street food stalls selling local dishes, some of which aren’t always identifiable (and yes, they are partial to chomping on a bit of Fido!).  Luckily you have a guide to help you through that initial culture shock, allowing you to absorb it with a bit of help.  You’ll visit the 12^th century Temple of Literature, see a local music performance and have lunch in the Old Quarter, when your guide will take the opportunity to tell you all about what the next four weeks has in store.  In the evening you’ll have dinner and see a performance at the world famous water puppet theater.

By the end of today the sensory overload will either have you sleeping like a log or wide awake with wonder!

Day 3

Today you’ll leave Hanoi and travel onto the large country town of Ninh Binh.  On the way there is a stop off to visit the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, known as Uncle Ho to the Vietnamese, the socialist leader who led resistance against French and American occupation.  His residence was a little house in a park and you’ll see that he didn’t live a very extravagant lifestyle and just lived with the basics – something which other communist leaders should take note of!

After lunch it’s onto Ninh Binh where you’ll be based for a couple of days to experience some real Vietnamese culture.

Day 4 and 5

The town of Ninh Binh can be a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi, with its much more laid back atmosphere and friendly locals (once you get past the guest house touts at the train station!).  Over the next couple of days you and your new mates get to immerse yourselves in the local culture with language lessons and the chance to use your new phrases in the market, where you’ll be picking up the ingredients for your cookery lessons.  Don’t worry though as you’ll have a bit of help to ensure that you don’t end up with ‘pets’!

You’ll also have plenty of time to socialize with your buddies and enjoy the unusual nightlife, which is mostly located in private homes that have garden furniture on the pavement or in the garage.  This is also where the locals go so you’ll get a chance to practice those newly learned phrases!

Day 6

Today involves a relaxing boat trip around Tam Coc and Dinh Cac Pier, which has a stunning landscape of towering karst islets and vast expanses of paddy fields.  You’ll also float through three impressive natural caves, which is what the name Tam Coc means, ‘three caves’.  This whole area epitomizes rural Vietnam and you’ll want to make sure your camera is charged.

After lunch you can cycle to the village and onto Thai Vi Temple and Bich Dong Pagoda, which dates back to 1428 and is located on Ngu Nhac Mountain.

Day 7 and 8

You now have two free days to enjoy whatever you like doing most.  Don’t waste it on sleeping though, there is far too much to see in the area!  Get together with your pals and arrange some trips to see what you can find, explore some more of the beautiful and eerie landscape of Tam Coc and go cycling around the local countryside to see what wildlife you can spot.

Day 9

You’ll really be feeling the zen-like atmosphere of the natural surroundings today with a little introduction to Buddhism and meditation in Kenh Ga.  This unique village gives you a great insight into river life and the local culture and you’ll find its mixture of majestic limestone formations, little stone fishing cottages and friendly locals quite enchanting.  We also visit Non Nuoc Pagoda and Tran Temple before stopping for some lunch.

In the afternoon you get to enjoy the hot pools on Kenh Ga Island before having a tasty dinner and settling down for the night.  It’s a great chance to chill out and prepare for the next day’s adventures.

Day 10

Today is a real treat for nature lovers, with a boat trip on the Kenh Ga river and a visit to the largest nature reserve in Vietnam.  If you don’t start the day as a wildlife fan, you certainly end it as one!  Cuc Phuong National Park consists of karst mountains that have numerous caves to explore and lush green valleys that contain amazing flora and fauna - hundreds of species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, not to mention primates including macaques and gibbons.  The plants are just as impressive with beautiful orchids, towering trees and lush ferns.  You also have the added bonus of staying overnight in the park for a real ‘at-one-with-nature’ feeling.

Day 11

When you wake up on day 11 you may well have that feeling of ‘Where am I?!’  Well, you’ll soon remember when you gaze over the serene landscape and then don your walking boots to visit the park’s oldest residents – two magnificent trees, Sau (700 years old) and Tro (an unbelievable 1000 years old).  On the way you’ll pass a prehistoric cave, walk through jungle and rainforest, all the time listening to the sounds of the animals and insects.  Very atmospheric!

Day 12

Today we head back to Ninh Binh where you have time to rest and relax before continuing the adventure onto the old capital of Vietnam.

Day 13

In the morning the bus takes you to the 10^th century capital of Vietnam, Hoa Lu.  Although little remains of the ancient citadel there are two amazing temples, Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh, to explore.  In addition, the surrounding landscape provides the perfect backdrop for some amazing photos, with limestone mountains, a picturesque river and waterfall.  The next stop after lunch is the intriguing Catholic church of Phat Dien, which is actually the largest church in the country.  Built between 1875 and 1899 this picturesque complex consists of a network of lakes, ponds and caves. 

Day 14 and 15

You have a couple of days ‘off’ at this point in the trip - that is you are free to explore at your own pace and see what you and your adventuring friends can find.  Meet up in the evenings and swap stories and photos with the whole group, whilst soaking up the atmosphere and thinking about everything you’ve seen and done so far.

The next part of the trip involves taking a train to the Lao Cai province and Sapa town, where a few days of adventure trekking starts, which is by far the best way to see the beautiful Vietnamese countryside.

Day 16

A local village, hill tribes and beautiful scenery are on the agenda today.  Cat Cat Village is about 1km from Sapa, located at the bottom of the Muong Hoa Valley and as you walk there you’ll see the breathtaking mountains, over 3000m high, and the green rice terraces that drop almost 1000m below.  You’ll also pass the sparkling Cat Cat waterfall.  The village itself is home to the H’Mong tribe, who retain many of the old customs and traditions, some of which you can see, such as hand weaving and dying of materials to make textiles.  Have you still got room for souvenirs?!

Day 17

We hope you’re feeling well rested for today as there is a 10km trek through the hills, past the streams and into the valley of Muong Hoa to visit Ta Van village, where you'll stay overnight with a local family.  This gives you the chance to experience firsthand the lifestyle and culture of the people living in this area.  After the long trek, the pool is bound to look appealing to soothe those aching muscles, but you also have the chance to pitch in and help to cook dinner (you might even get to use some of the skills you learnt in your cookery class) before settling down for a peaceful night with your local hosts.

Day 18

You’ll have been glad for a peaceful night as today is an amazing seven hour round trip trekking to a waterfall and passing through some stunning landscapes along the way – something that you’ll probably be getting used to now, given how beautiful the country is.  Anyway, you’re young and fit so no slacking, you can handle it!

Day 19

Today it’s back to Sapa for a well earned rest.  You’re more than half way through your adventure so you can sit back, chill out and reflect on all the places you’ve been, things you seen and people you’ve met so far.  We reckon by this point you’ll definitely realize this is one of the best things you’ve ever done!

Day 20

Today is a visit to the beautiful orchid gardens on the Ham Rong Mountain.  Located in Sapa town you don’t have far to travel to admire the panoramic views, gardens and unusual rock formations.  It is well worth the effort of walking to the top as once you get there, and along the way, you’ll be rewarded with some great photo opportunities.

You have more free time in the afternoon/early evening before boarding the overnight train back to Hanoi.

Day 21 and 22

You’ve had quite a number of days admiring the beautiful Vietnam countryside and now it’s back to crazy Hanoi.  You have a couple of days to explore more of the city, after which time you can decide whether you love it or hate it – it’s a bit like Marmite!  Your guide will be able to give you the lowdown on the best places to visit and where to eat and drink.

Day 23

So far this trip has combined city life, rural villages and lush countryside, so to make it absolutely perfect the last week is beach week, so make sure you’ve got your swimming gear and suntan lotion before setting off for Halong Bay.

Days 24 – 28

Halong Bay, which means ‘Bay of the Descending Dragon’, is approximately 170km north of Hanoi and is famous for its surreal and somewhat eerie landscape of over 3000 limestone monoliths that rise imposingly from the ocean.  As you float through these islets there is an otherworldly feeling about the place and you’ll understand why it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and so popular with visitors to Vietnam.  Whilst on board a boat trip you can enjoy lunch and soak up the sun on the top deck.

Throughout the week there are trips to Monkey Island, where you can play about on the beach and watch the antics of the cheeky local inhabitants, and Cat Ba, the largest island in Halong Bay, which has a gorgeous mixture of jungle, rocky cliffs, waterfalls, sandy coves and coral reefs.  In addition to this you’ll have plenty of free time to do some lazing around in the sunshine by day and partying by night.

Just make sure that you get those all important emails addresses from your trip mates so that you can swap photos and keep each other up-to-date with any more adventures you do.  Believe us, this trip will leave you wanting more.  There is no vaccination for the travel bug!!