OVERVIEW

Vietnam Northwest Loop

Visit the beautiful northwest located in the mountainous northwestern part of the Vietnam country. This breathtaking landscape is famous for its spectacular scenery and ruggedness, primitive infrastructure and very friendly people that offer a real unique experience for any travelers who want to discover the unknown. This tour can be personally customized for you to meet all your special requests.

ITINERARY

Show all Info

Show less info

Day 01

Hanoi Arrival

Arrive in Vietnam and relax after your flight

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Meals: Not included

Upon arrival in Hanoi, your guide & driver will personally meet you at the airport and transfer to your hotel.

The rest of the day is time at leisure.

Day 02

Hanoi – Tho Ha rice paper village – Sapa

Visit the Tho Ha rice paper village and drive to Sapa

Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

08.00 AM: In the morning, Asia Top Travel's tour expert picks you up at your hotel for a transfer to Tho Ha village. Upon entering the village via a ferry across the Nhu Nguyet River, you will see thousands of tall bamboo grids each covered with sheets of rice paper. The grids are leaning against exterior walls, horizontal supports about 5ft high, and along passage ways. Loacals are moving the grids from one location to another as the gelatinous rice sheets dry out. No one is measuring moisture content with an electronic device; rather, it is all done by experienced eyes. Experience a unique glimpse into rural life that you will not see elsewhere during your time in Viet Nam. Your tour expert will show you the isolated village and interact with friendly local people. Head back to Hanoi after the visit. You will reach Hanoi around 12.30.
Have lunch at a local restaurant before driving to Sapa.
Arrive Sapa after 5.5 hour drive. Check in and have dinner.

Day 03

Sapa – Lao Chai – Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai

Head to Giang Ta Chai through Lao Chai and Ta Van

Accommodation: Hotel in Giang Ta Chai

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

The day is devoted to a beautiful hike through the breathtaking scenery of Sa Pa valley. Start by road that descends in the wake of the street Cau May (6 km) En route, admire the rice terraces hidden behind mist of the morning, a truly awe-inspiring sight.

Follow a small track and cross Muong Hoa River and pass well tended rice terraces on your way to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai. Continuing through the colorful rice terraces you will reach the village of Ta VanGiay. As you continue your trek along the Muong Hoa River you will cross a small suspension bridge, roughly 2km from the settlement. Here you can discover a fascinating collection of rock carvings. These engravings depict some beautiful images of man, stilt houses and some beautiful decorative patterns. We lunch in a home in the village. After lunch the walk continues through a bamboo forest to Giang Ta Chai, a Red Dao ethnic minority village. After taking a rest nearby a waterfall to refresh, you start climbing uphill to a road where the car is ready for your journey back to Sapa.

Approx: 2-hour driving/ 4 hours walking/ 1-hour lunch.

Day 04

Sapa – Binh Lu – Lai Chau

Sapa - Heaven Gate - Tram Ton Pass - Binh Lu - Lai Chau

Accommodation: Muong Thanh Lai Chau Hotel

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

8:00AM: After having breakfast, depart to Lai Chau.

Enjoy the beauty of this wonder of nature, walk up the steps to high elevation for marvelous scenery of the surrounding nature: Walled-up mountain covered by thick rain forest and deep valley doted with terraced paddies.

Continue the road trip for some kilometers further to Heaven Gate and Tram Ton Pass. At 2684m above sea level, the Heaven Gate & Tram Ton Pass is the highest mountain pass in Vietnam. From here enjoy walking around for an hour for beautiful scenery of both two side of Hoang Lien Son mountain range.

Continue driving 27 km downhill to Chu Va village of the Red Hmong. Walk for an hour to visit this village which beautifully sits near the food of the pass by the side of a river before continue 8 km to Binh Lu Town let, lunch break here.

After lunch, take a short drive 2 km through the lush Binh Lu Valley to Pa Pe village of the Lu ethnic peoples who where beautiful traditional costumes and still dye their teeth black. Walk for half an hour to visit this village before continue the road trip to Lai Chau Town(Old Tam Duong). Arriving in Tam Duong at about 16.00, check in hotel.

The rest of the afternoon is for exploring villages, enjoying a peaceful walk to see tea farm in the suburb of Lai Chau.

Day 05

Lai Chau - Dien Bien Phu

Leaving Lai Chau to Dien Bien Phu via Muong Lay town

Accommodation: Hotel in Dien Bien Phu

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Leaving Lai Chau at 08.00 for a drive through the beautiful region along the back road for nearly 3 hours to Muong Lay(Old Lai Chau Town) via Sin Ho district. The road trip offers stunning landscapes of large valley, fabulous forest and the group will take some short stops along the way to pay visit to villages of the Red H’mong and Thai peoples before arriving to Muong Lay town let. Spend half an hour walking around Muong Lay valley before having lunch.

Arriving in Dien Bien Phu at about 15.00 and spend the rest hours in the afternoon for historical sightseeing around Dien Bien Phu former battle fields famous for the last campaign of the Viet Minh( Vietnamese communist forces) against the French colonial army. The sights for visiting include the A1 hill, Dien Bien Phu Museum, the head quarter of the French army and the beautiful Muong Thanh valley. Check in hotel and at 17.30 and free to explore Dien Bien Phu city in the evening.

Day summary: Road transfer 190 km

Day 06

Dien Bien Phu - Son La

Traveling to Son La

Accommodation: Hotel in Son La

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Another early start from Dien Bien Phu heading for Son La. The road crosses two mountain passes before the mountain scenery gives way to rice fields and banana plantations. Stop for a lunch break at Tuan Giaoand walk over hanging bridges to visit Black Thai villages. Arrive in Son La mid afternoon and visit the former French prison where anti-colonial revolutionaries were once held.

Check in hotel in Son La.

Day 07

Son La - Moc Chau - Mai Chau

Traveling downhill to Mai Chau Valley

Accommodation: Hotel in Mai Chau

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Leaving Son La early in the morning the road climbs up onto a high plateau where tea and coffee are grown before arriving at the market town of Moc Chau. Keep heading to Moc Chau plateau. We will stop to visit Bat cave and Green tea hills.

In the afternoon, we drive to Mai Chau valley. Set in an idyllic valley, hemmed in by hills, the Mai Chau area is a world away from Hanoi's hustle.

Arrive homestay or Lodge and have dinner. This evening you will also have a chance to enjoy traditional dance and Ruou Can at the lodge.

Day 08

Mai Chau - Hanoi

Return Hanoi

Accommodation: Not included

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

In the morning, cycle to explore Mai Chau beautiful ethnic villages including Na Thia, Nhot, Pom Coong, Lac and Chieng Chau villages. Be welcomed by the friendly local people, talk with them and discover their traditional culture. Total cycling time is around 2 – 3 hours on flat village paths. Take it all in: the spectacular scenery of Mai Chau and the relaxed rhythm of local life.

Have lunch before driving back Hanoi.

Arrive hotel in the late afternoon

Price

We can customize this itinerary to meet your specific needs.
Please click the yellow button Send Enquiry This Tour to get our free quotes.

SEND ENQUIRY THIS TOUR

TOUR INCLUSIONS

For your peace of mind, our tours are designed to include as much as possible in the price, but also to give you the freedom to find a special place to eat or to seek out an independent adventure that especially appeals to you.

Trip Inclusions