This 7-day soft adventure is fully customized for students from High Schools or Colleagues with many outdoor activities such as: cycling to the cultural village in the outskirt of Hanoi, trekking and homestay with Thai Minority Group in Mai Chau, Kayaking and caving in Halong Bay. However, if we can surely customize the trip to enable students from Secondary Schools too, so please send us more details in our Inquiry form.
General Information
Tour Code: VSTN 05
Duration: 7 Days/6 Nights
Start/End: Hanoi/Hanoi
Tour Route: Hanoi – Cycling to Dong Ngac Village – Trekking and Homestay in Mai Chau – Kayaking in Halong Bay – Hanoi
Tour Customizable: Absolutely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)
Brief Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D)
Day 2: Dong Ngac Cultural Village with Bike (B, L, D)
Day 3: Hanoi – Mai Chau – Cycling to Ethnic villages (B, L, D)
Day 4: Mai Chau Soft Trekking – Hanoi (B, L, D)
Day 5: Hanoi – Halong Kayaking (B, L, D)
Day 6: Halong Cave Exploring – Hanoi (B, L)
Day 7: Hanoi departure (B)
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D)
Upon arrival in Hanoi, 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" passing through boutique stores and amazing contemporary art galleries. In the evening, we will have welcome dinner at a fine local restaurant in town. We spend the night in Hanoi.
Day 2: Dong Ngac Cultural Village with Bike (B, L, D)
This morning, we travel to Dong Ngac Culture Village where is located about 15km from Hanoi center. This is an ancient village and a Cultural Heritage Site in honour of its educated and heroic people recognized by the kings of Vietnam.
Arriving the village, we will embark on an interesting market tour. At the local market, we will have the chance to experience the bustling market and local life; our tour guide will show us and help us to purchase the some offering for families we visit. After that, we take a short walk from Dong Ngac market to the hosting family’s house for a welcome drink and get ready for the biking around the Village. We start biking and venture deeper into the village: Visit Dong Ngac Communal House, the grounds and architecture of which are built in the shape of a dragon, the oldest house in the village belongs to the Do family and is more than 300 years old or the Nguyen family with a house given by the King; Passing by the oldest school in the Village built in 1921.
Later, we are back to the hosting family, it is time for our private cooking demonstration. After watching our host then practice ourselves and then the best part of all, try our dishes! After all our efforts we can reward ourselves and rest back into some reclining chairs in the fragrant retreat of our host’s village garden. All too soon it is mid-afternoon and time to say good bye to our new friends. We are leisure in the rest of the day. The diversity of ancient, cultural sites to visit for the day in Vietnam is immense, and often best explored on foot or bike. Spend a day cycling around the stunning villages and chatting with local people is your incredible day. Dong Ngac culture village is worth a visit to discover the well-preserved traces of its past that separate it from the hustle and bustle of daily life. In the late afternoon, we will drive back to Hanoi for overnight accommodation.
Day 3: Hanoi – Mai Chau – Cycling to Ethnic villages (B, L, D)
Early morning depart from Hanoi to Mai Chau which is located 150 km Northwest of Hanoi, the drive takes 3.5 hours. Just an hour out of Hanoi after Hoa Binh Town, the road will slowly weave itself through mountains, fertile valleys and traditional villages. Arrive in the picturesque Mai Chau Valley which is surrounded by spectacular karst rock formations and rice paddies, depends on hotel availability, check in and have lunch at local Thai house.
After lunch, you will cycle to a valley with some steep uphill and downhill. Many villages dot the hillsides and the undulating terrain make for an interesting journey. This evening we will have dinner at the local house and then enjoy a performance of traditional followed by local rice liquor. We will spend the night in a house-on-stilt in Pom Coong village in Mai Chau.
Note:
- Accommodation: Homestay in Mai Chau. (Local home-stay and basic) – Here they arrange tourists to stay at Ban Lac but we arrange the group at Pom Coong, less domestic tourists and quieter.
- The Can rice liquor is one of the most special mild wine in Vietnam and widely used in special events, ceremonies of different Ethnic groups. Drinking Can wine through a small bamboo straw from a jar will be an unique experience, of course, with allowance from students’ parents and teachers.
Day 4: Mai Chau Soft Trekking – Hanoi (B, L, D)
Start this morning with a soft trek through the Mai Chau Valley. We will be visiting the Mo Luong (Soldier) Cave. Walk to walks to Thai villages of Pom Coong and visit some local homes where we can see the locals weaving the fabric by handcraft, working on the rice fields and doing their daily housework.
Continue to Salinh Village (H'mong Ethnic Group). Have picnic lunch in the house of a local H'mong family. After lunch, begin the journey back to Hanoi. Arrive Hanoi late in the afternoon and spend the night in our hotel.
Day 5: Hanoi – Halong Kayaking (B, L, D)
Experience Halong Bay, on a V’Spirit Classic Cruise, one of the best Mid-range cruises available. You will not only see many fantastically shaped islands, beautiful beaches, and great natural caves, but you will also learn more about Halong Bay’s history and local people.
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 our 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 6: Halong Cave Exploring – 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 your cabin. Continue your cruise exploring the Bay, passing Ba Hang fishing village, Dog Islet, and more. While heading back to the habor, watch the cooking demonstration before enjoying a traditional Vietnamese lunch. We will disembark at round noon and find your car is waiting and take you back to Hanoi.
Approx: 5 hours walking/ 1-hour lunch.
Day 7: Hanoi departure (B)
Time will be free until car and guides arrives to take students and teachers to the airport for departure flight. Tour ends.
Hotel List:
Location | Hotels & Ratings 3* (please click to open hotel website links) | Room Type |
Hanoi | Hanoi Authentic Hotel *** | Deluxe Room |
Mai Chau | House-on-stilt Homestay | Local standard |
Halong Bay | V’Spirit Cruise *** | Deluxe cabin |
