Day 1 Ha Noi - Ha Giang

This first long day will take you over a good road to Ha Giang which is located at the highest latitude in Vietnam. It is surrounded by Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, and Yen Bai. And there are many ethnic minorities, including the Dao, H’mong, Tay , and Nung living there. We will meet many ethnic villages en route with rich culture, this is a political sensitive area - Ha Giang shares its borders with Vietnam 's arch-enemy China in the north and your guide will apply for a "permit" for the days to come.

Overnight: Hotel in Ha Giang

Meals included: none

Day 2 Ha Giang - Sa Phin - Dong Van

This day we will drive over an endless winding road to the most northern town of Vietnam, Dong Van. You'll travel through many of the Heaven Gates such as Quan Ba, Yen Binh, and Dong Van. This is the best time and place to enjoy the wonderful sightseeing of the vast limestone mountain range and perpendicular rock walls which give a feeling of adventure while being lost in a magic land.

Then we continue our trip to visit the infamous Vuong Palace , a H'mong high-rank family during French colonial rule. This palace attracts keen interest from architecturally minded visitors due to its mixed style of European and Chinese architecture. The more you go north, the further "normal" Vietnam seems to vanish and most people you'll see wear their traditional, extremely colorful clothes. In Dong Van, you'll spend the night in guesthouse.

Overnight: Hotel in Dong Van

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 3 Dong Van - Meo Vac - Lung Phin - Bac Me

The road from Dong Van to Meo Vac will be along a steep, hundreds of meters deep abyss the road will take you through a spectacular mountain area with on your left side China. Meo Vac is conquered by the Lo Lo and Pu Peo ethnic minority people. They still retain their age old cultural traditions and are recognizably distinct from each other by their dress. The remoteness and the simple lifestyle of local people are a highlight of Meo Vac although conditions are very basic. Main goal of this day is a visit to the market of Lung Phin, a small village where time has stood still for ages. Miles and miles before you'll reach Lung Phin there's an endless stream of people accompanied by goats, cows and dogs - for human consumption – who are heading by foot to the market. Then, you'll keep going to Bac Me via Yen Minh.

Overnight: Hotel in Bacme

Meals included Breakfast

Day 4 Bac Me - Bao Lac - Nguyen Binh - Babe lakes

In the morning we will drive through the rolling hills and the picturesque scenery to Ba Be National Park. The roads are very bumpy and zigzagging however we will have a chance to meet the Hmong, Dao, Tay and Nung ethnic minorities who make for the main population of this region. Depending on road and traffic conditions, we arrive in Ba Be by late afternoon or early evening.

Overnight: Homestay Babe lake

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 5: Babe lake

Today we embark on a boat cruising down the Nang River which is the main water source of the lake. This exciting river trip will give us a taste of the tranquil countryside and an enjoyable exploration of the Ba Be National Park. We traverse the Poong Grotto en route before stopping at some nearby hill tribe villages and getting off the beaten track to the scenic Dau Dang Waterfalls. You'll spend the night in a traditional Tay house.

Overnight: homestay

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 6 Babe - Cao Bang

After breakfast we set off on our half day journey to Cao Bang past the spectacular mountainous landscapes, with a mixture of steep terraced rice field and hill villages. Along the way, we can made stops at our pleasure, to stretch our legs and shoot some wonderful photographs. The remainder of the day will be free to explore the town or simply to relax.

Overnight: Hotel in Caobang      

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 7 Cao Bang- Ban Gioc Waterfalls- Cao Bang

This morning we will drive to the Ban Gioc Waterfalls. Half way, you'll visit a village of the Nung minority. Close to the Chinese border you'll make a short walk to the falls which are 300 meters wide and 50 meters high. In winter, the dry season, it's possible to take a boat to the falls. On a short distance from the falls are the Nguom Ngao caves. Our local guides will take you for a trip to underground rivers and lakes and sinter caves. Late in the afternoon you'll return to Cao Bang.

Overnight: Hotel in Caobang

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 8 Cao Bang - Pac Bo cave - Lang Son

After breakfast, we will head north to the historical cave of Pac Po where Ho Chi Minh set up the headquarter for the August Vietnamese Revolution in 1945. After seeing this vestige site we continue our journey past the many hill villages and the tranquil town of Dong Khe and That Khe. The journey north continues along the National Highway 4 and follows the Ky Cung river which flows around the foot of limestone mountains to Lang Son.

If time permits, we will visit Mau Mount - 1542 m above sea level, This area's picturesque scenery turns it a mini Sapa characterized with the beautiful steep mountains. It's about 30 kilometers from Lang Son city to Mau Mount on the winding narrow mountain path, like a snake, lies tucked between 2 steep mountains.. In the late afternoon we drive back to Lang Son, Visit KyLua busy night market. And spend the night in Lang Son.

Overnight: Hotel in Langson

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 9 Lang Son- Hanoi

Langson is the capital of this mountainous area and is an important crossing and trading route with China . As a trading post, Langson has two markets worth visiting, the Ky Lua Market and the Dong Kinh Market. You’ll find everything from electronics and gadgets to textiles and house wares. Its definitely buyer be aware, as there’s lots of knock-offs of the original. If the markets aren’t your thing then just a couple of kilometers from town are two large, beautiful caves and the ruins of the Mac Dynasty Citadel worth a visit. Tamthanh Cave contains a pond and offers great views of the surrounding farmlands. Nhithanh Cave , formed by the river that flows through it, has poems carved into the entrance by the man who discovered the cave in the 18th century. After your morning of exploration its time for lunch and prepare for the trip back to Hanoi. The road from Langson is a modern highway that quickly carries down from the mountains, back onto the Red River Delta and into Hanoi . Back to the hotel for dinner and a toast to the completion of one of Vietnam 's most spectacular loops

Meals included: breakfast

This tour is built upon our firsthand knowledge & experience, offering you the best choices available. The price of this trip varies depending on the number of people in your party, dates of departure, and availability of ground services.

Please click on CUSTOMIZE YOUR TRIPS and supply the required information, enabling us to send you your personalized quote within 24 hours!

Note: Amendments CAN be made to this tour to suite your requirements, but may incur price changes

 

WHAT'S INCLUDED?
• Accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels 
• Private Vehicles and Drivers
• Private English Speaking Guides (Other languages if available, upon request)
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)
• All domestic flights
• Airport Taxes and Fuel charges
• Entrance fees for all mentioned sights visited
• Drinking water available on the vehicles.
• Service Charge & Government Taxes
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED?
• Your International Flights
• Personal Expenses (such as laundry, telephone, drinks, etc.)
• Any bank fees or charges at your end
• Meals other than those mentioned in the itinerary
• Personal Travel Insurance
• Tips for tour guide and driver in each region
• Peak season or public holidays surcharge if any
• Compulsory Gala dinner on X-Mas or New Year if any
• Vietnam visa stamp fee 
• Other services not mentioned above

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HOTEL SELECTION:

The hotels listed below are our suggestions for the best value on this tour.  However, Asia Essence Tours offers many more options of hand-picked hotels, with different "star ratings", allowing you to customize the vacation to meet your taste and budget.
  

LOCATIONS	FIRST CLASS CATEGORY	SUPERIOR CATEGORY	DELUXE CATEGORY
Ha Giang	Hagiang Hotel	Hagiang Hotel	Hagiang Hotel
Caobang	Caobang Hotel	Caobang Hotel	Caobang Hotel
Babe lake	Homestay	Homestay	Homestay
Langson	Langson Hotel	Langson Hotel	Langson Hotel

ABOUT HOTELS:

We, at Asia Essence Tours, are aware that a good tour must have good hotels. As the hotel cost will be the major expense of your vacation in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, it is essential that all of the hotels chosen by us are the highest quality for the price paid. All of our prices are based on twin, double or queen shared rooms.

BELOW IS AN EXPLANATION OF THE HOTEL "STAR" RATINGS:

First Class/ 3 Star (from US$ 50 - US$ 80 per room/night)

The First Class/ 3 Star Hotels are good value and normally centrally located. They all have comfortable en-suite rooms, good amenities and public areas to relax in. They are usually family run hotels, so offer great personalized service for your enjoyment and comfort. Most first class properties offer an in-house restaurant, and some may even have a swimming pool!

Superior/ 4 star (from US$ 100- US$ 150/ per room/night)

The 4* superior Hotels offer a wide range of services. Many superior hotels feature a choice of several in-house restaurants. In addition virtually all of them have a swimming pool. Some may even feature a spa or health club. This grade of hotel offers more for your enjoyment and comfort, while still remaining affordable.

Deluxe/ 5 Star (from US$160 - US$ 240++/ per room/night)

These 5* Deluxe hotels are usually owned by Worldwide, well known Hotel chains. The deluxe hotels feature excellent locations, offer the highest standards of service and facilities, and are known as the best hotels in each region. Facilities such as swimming pools and spas are the norm, and guest rooms are luxurious. These hotels offer first class service and amenities throughout.

ASIA ESSENCE TOURS™ BESPOKE STYLE SUITS EVERYONE

Flexibility: The sample itinerary can be modified to suit your interests, budget as well as your personal wishes including departure date, duration, accommodation used & how long you spend in each destination.

Tailor-Made Journey: This trip can be tailor made to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. It is a more individual trip that will suit those who enjoy immersing themselves in new cultures and environments, with the flexibility to plan a trip at your own pace. Quality and value are the hallmark of the trips, with most services being provided on a private basis.

Commitment to Excellence: We enjoys excellent relationships with all of the highly regarded hotels and finest properties in our destinations as well as with service suppliers so that we are able to negotiate the most attractive prices for our clients, which enables us to provide exclusive holidays and affordable special offers. We create one-of-a-kind vacations for groups and individuals. We love our destinations and do our best to make sure that our customers feel the same way. Our job is to make sure that everyone gets the right balance of comfort and excitement to enjoy the experience of a lifetime.