Day 1: Hanoi – Lao Cai train station

This evening, our driver will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to Hanoi train station to board the overnight train to Sapa with comfortable sleeping berth and convenience. Overnight on the train.

Your train will arrive to Lao Cai town at around 5.30 Am the next day

Day 2: Sapa Arrival – Excursion to Hill tribe market

Arriving in Lao Cai the early morning, you will be met up by a local guide and driver and transferred to a hotel nearby, here we can freshen up in a day-use room and enjoy breakfast before traveling to one of the most colorful markets of the region. After the market tour, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and then we continue to travel by road Sapa and check into our hotel.

Below are the market options. (Your tour program is very flexible because of depending on your day of arrival)

Option 1: Cao Son - Wednesday Market.

This option, you will enjoy a beautiful scenic 2 hour drive to visit the Cao Son market. We take a dirt road which leads up into the mountains through the pine tree forests and villages that surround tiny markets. Flower H'mong, Tu Di, Tay and Giay are ethnic minorities who come to trade local products. After exploring these markets our car will take us back to Muong Khuong for lunch.

After lunch, we will visit the most secluded peaceful villages to observe traditional practices like distilling wine from corn and making bacon! We will be offered a special corn cake when you stop by a local house.

Option 2: Bac Ha - Sunday Market.

With this one, We will be drive to Bac Ha market for 2 hours to visit the big market and the colorful ethnic people of the Flower H'mong, Phu La and Dao Tuyen minorities with their handicraft products. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant and then we drive downhill and begin a short walk to Trung Do Village where Tay minority inhabits, visit traditional Tay house, travel by boat through this amazing countryside to Bao Nhai Village.

Option 3: Can Cau Market - Saturday market.

Take a 2 hour drive to Can Cau market through the mountainous border area between Vietnam and China.  Can Cau is a small but very colorful market which opens only on Saturdays. There is a very photogenic display of Flower Hmong, Nung and Phu La ethnic costumes. Exploring the market in the morning, we will leave for Bac Ha town for lunch.  Then we drive downhill and begin a short walk to Trung Do Village where Tay minority inhabits, visit traditional Tay house, travel by boat through this amazing countryside to Bao Nhai Village.

Option 4: Coc Ly Market – Tuesday market.

Drive from Lao Cao 2 hours to Coc Ly market which is between the stunning mountains by the Chay River. Every Tuesday morning, Coc Ly market is place for Flower H’mong, Phu La and Dao Tuyen gathering to buy and sell products. Having explored the market, we will then take a boat trip to Flower H’mong village of Na Nen and trek to Trung Do which is the village of the Tay minority people. Here we will enjoy a picnic lunch in a local house. Then, we will travel by boat down the river, and experience the magnificent sights surrounding the river banks.

Day 4: Sapa – Trek to Hill Tribe villages – Option, staying at a local homestay

After breakfast, starting from Sapa we will have a trek via Y Linh Ho to the Black H'mong Village of Lao Chai, located at the bottom of the valley. Along the way, we will have opportunities to take photos of this breathtaking scenery and chat with the locals.  After a few hours, we reach the bottom of the valley, and then rest  & have our picnic lunch.

In the afternoon, we continue our trek for 1 ½ hours, through local villages, and arrive Tavan village, located in the valley of Muong Hoa. Here, we will have dinner with the local family, enjoy talking with them, and overnight in homestay.

Note: Trekking distance is 15km and the grade is easy to moderate. This trek is adjustable, and can be shortened or lengthened, to your liking. For those who do not wish to experience a “homestay” we can go back to town and stay in a hotel with additional charge.

Meals included: Hotel breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner in homestay.

Stay overnight in local home in the village or hotel in Sapa.

Day 5: Sapa for further discovery – Overnight on train to Hanoi

For those who choose to stay at the local home:

After breakfast, from Ta Van we trek along the edge of paddy fields, passing a bamboo forest and the hill to the Red Dao tribe in Giang Ta Chai village. We will stop by a waterfall for relaxing. We continue our trek to the main road, picked up by our private driver and back to Sapa town around noon.

For those who choose to stay in hotel in town:

After breakfast, we take a 40 minute drive to Tram Ton Pass, a height of 2047 meters above sea level, the highest pass in Vietnam. Enjoy amazing views of the surrounding mountains and lush forests of the Hoang Lien National Park. Then we will trek 30 minutes through a tropical rain forest enjoying the wonderful flora and fauna. Continue having a trek along a stream arriving at the Love Waterfall, a wonderful place to relax in Sapa. Returning to Tram Ton, back to your hotel in Sapa.

In the afternoon, we will visit Cat Cat cultural village, just 3kms from Sapa town, walking through the old village helps you to have an overview of the traditional customs and practices of the ethnic Black H'mong people. This’s a great chance for you visiting a local home and watching how they make their distinctive textiles and costumes. We continue walking and stopping by a stunning waterfall and the vestige of a hydro-electric power station, which was constructed by the French during the colonial era in Vietnam. We follow a dirt trail snaking through the mountain and enjoy the spectacular scenery while trekking along a narrow river bed until you reach the main road to back to Sapa.

The rest of day is free until we go to Lao Cai station to catch the overnight train back to Hanoi.

Meals included: Hotel breakfast

Stay overnight on A/C train/ Soft sleeper

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