This 8-day itinerary will give students and teachers the most spectacular scenery of the northernmost of Vietnam including thousands Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark and its ancient town, Ma Pi Leng Pass with more than 20-Kilometer long and 2,000-meter high, Northernmost Lung Cu Flag Tower, Ba Be National Park and the limestone of Halong Bay. There will be many sharp curves en-route but with our experienced driver, it will surely be trip of lifetime for all students and teachers.
General Information
Tour Code: VSTG 02
Duration: 8 Days/7 Nights
Start/End: Hanoi/Hanoi
Tour Route: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Ha Giang – Quan Ba – Yen Minh – Lung Cu – Dong Van – Ma Pi Leng Pass – Meo Vac – Ba Be Lake – Hanoi
Tour Customizable: Absolutely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)
Brief Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D)
Day 2: Hanoi – Halong (B, L, D)
Day 3: Halong – Hanoi (B, L)
Day 4: Hanoi – Ha Giang (B, L, D)
Day 5: Ha Giang - Quan Ba - Yen Minh - Lung Cu - Dong Van (B, L, D)
Day 6: Dong Van – Ma Pi Leng Pass – Meo Vac – Ba Be Lake (B, L, D)
Day 7: Ba Be Lake – Hanoi (B, L, D)
Day 8: Hanoi departure (B)
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D)
Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, teacher and students will be greeted then transferred to hotel. After a short rest, we enjoy a 1-hour cyclo tour of the French inspired "old quarter". We will then sit down to enjoy a performance of the city’s famous Water Puppets. After the show, we will have welcome dinner at a fine local restaurant in town.
Day 2: Hanoi – Halong (B, L, D)
Today we set off to the ‘Jewel in the Crown of Vietnam’; Halong Bay. Arriving before lunch we will board our boat and then set sail, cruising amongst thousands of extraordinary limestone karst formations. Halong Bay was voted one of ‘The New 7 Wonders of Nature’ in 2011, and once here you will know why it was included in this group.
On arrival in Halong, we will embark on V’Spirit Classic Cruise followed by a short cruise briefing. We will then savor a delectable lunch while V’Spirit Classic cruises among the limestone islands. In the mid-afternoon, we will kayak among the hidden areas of the bay, around the Bo Nau Cave area before going back to the V’Spirit Classic and continue cruising to Soi Sim Island. Go swimming and relaxing at the beach of Soi Sim or climb up to the top of the island for a panorama view of Halong Bay.
In the evening, we will cruise back to the main boat for a shower before having dinner and spend the night onboard.
Day 3: Halong – Hanoi (B, L)
Wake up early in the morning and start your day with Tai Chi exercises or a photo hunt before having breakfast. After that, we will explore the amazing Sung Sot Cave – the nicest cave in Halong Bay. After that, we will return to the boat, freshen up and check out of our cabin. Continue our cruise exploring the Bay, passing Ba Hang fishing village, Dog Islet, and more. While heading back to the harbor, watch the cooking demonstration before enjoying a traditional Vietnamese lunch. We will disembark at round noon and find our car is waiting and take us back to Hanoi.
Day 4: Hanoi – Ha Giang (B, L, D)
After breakfast at hotel, we will leave for Ha Giang. The drive to Ha Giang takes around 5 hours but is some of the most breathtaking in Vietnam. On the way, we will stopover at some places to visit small villages and take photos. After the long drive, we will take a short walk around Ha Giang to visit Tha Cultural Village of Tay and Nung people, set in a picturesque valley near town. We will spend the night in Ha Giang.
Day 5: Ha Giang - Quan Ba - Yen Minh - Lung Cu - Dong Van (B, L, D)
In the morning we will drive to Quan Ba district, on the way we will stop in Quan Ba to visit the Bo Y minority village. Having lunch in Yen Minh town and take rest for an hour then we continue the trip to Sa Phin village to visit the Former H’Mong King’s Palace, and then keep driving up ahead we will visit the Flag tower on the top of Lung Cu mountain, the border with China. Arriving in Dong Van district in the late afternoon, take rest and walking around the ancient town of Dong Van. Our overnight accommodation will be in Dong Van town.
Day 6: Dong Van – Ma Pi Leng Pass – Meo Vac – Ba Be Lake (B, L, D)
If today falls on Sunday we will have chance to visit Dong Van ethnic market, where all kinds of goods and multi-colored clothes can be purchased. The people here remain their traditional life of remote minority tribes. After hang around the Sunday market, we will drive from Dong Van along the Nho Que River and go through Ma Pi Leng pass which is considered as the most beautiful pass in Vietnam. We will arrive in Meo Vac after two hours later. Have a short rest before drives to Ba Be Lake. Tonight we will have dinner and enjoy beer time in home stay, enjoy the nice river view in Pac Ngoi village.
Day 7: Ba Be Lake – Hanoi (B, L, D)
This morning we will take a boat trip on Ba Be Lake, the largest lake in Vietnam which has a water area around 500ha, spreading over 8km. We will visit Puong Cave – one of the most beautiful caves in Ba Be national park, and then take the boat to Dau Dang waterfall, while waiting for the lunch serve in Minority restaurant, we will take a short walk to visit Dau Dang waterfall. After lunch we will take a boat back to Pac Ngoi village, have a rest for few minutes then driving back to Hanoi (240 km). Arrive in Hanoi in the late afternoon, we will check in our hotel and spend the night.
Day 8: Hanoi departure (B)
After breakfast at hotel, students and teachers will have time to wander around the bustling Old Quarters of Hanoi before going back to our hotel where car and driver is waiting to take us to the airport for departure flight. Tour ends.
Hotel List:
Location | Hotels & Ratings (please click to open hotel website links) | Room Type |
Hanoi | Hanoi Authentic Hotel *** | Deluxe room |
Halong Bay | V’Spirit Cruise *** | Deluxe cabin |
Ha Giang | Hoang Ngoc Hotel ** | Standard room |
Dong Van | Cao Nguyen Da Hotel ** | Standard room |
Ba Be Lake | Homestay | Local standard |
