(15 days /14 nights)

Hanoi - Sapa - Bac ha ethnic market - Perfume pagoda - Tam Coc - Hoa lu - Halong Bay - Bat trang ceramic village - Vientiane - Charming Luang Prabang town - Pak ou cave

Combining Vietnam and Laos enables you to explore two countries that own one of the most colourful cultures of Indochina. Laos, the Land of a million Elephants provides you with a rare insights into a traditional and unique part of South East Asia. Travelling from exciting Hanoi to charming Luang Prabang,  we will have an forgettable experience including  colorful cultures of hill tribe people, superb sceneries of Halong Bay and Perfume Pagoda, enchanting cities.  

  HIGHLIGHTS

  . Hanoi capital                   

  . Sapa Hill station                    

  . Bacha ethnic Sunday market

  . Perfume pagoda                         

  . Hoalu  & Tamcoc    

  . Haiphong                            

  . Halong Bay

  . Battrang handdicraft village              

  . Vientiane

  . Luang Prabang

  . Pak Ou cave

DAY 1:ARRIVAL - HANOI

Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, you are greeted and transferred to hotel. Ha Noi, Vietnam's capital, is a stylish and gracious city that preserves an unique old world charm and some Asia s most striking colonial architecture. The peaceful lakes, green parks, oriental temples and friendly people provide tourists a relaxing atmosphere. (If time permit) we enjoy a short cyclo excursion through the bustling old quarter streets named after the specific goods once offered for sale at these places. O/N in Ha Noi.(B)

DAY 2: HANOI

Ha Noi, The capital of Vietnam, is a unique city with tree -lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and magnificent temples. We start our city tour with a visit to the mausoleum of the nations founder Ho Chi Minh, the Presidential Palace , Ho Chi Minhs house on stilts and the One Pillar Pagoda, whose origins dated back to the foundation of city. Then we continue seeing the Temple of Literature known as Vietnams first university, the History Museum, which displays an excellent collection of artifacts illustrating the Vietnamese history and the peaceful lake of Hoan Kiem with its sacred temple. We also visit the beautiful West Lake and the impressive Ethnologic Museum, dedicated to Vietnams 54 ethnic minorities. A great way to end our day is to enjoy the water pupet show. O/N in Hanoi (B)

DAY  3: HANOI - SAPA

With early start, we journey by car along the red river from Hanoi up the stunning mountain range sculpted with tiered rice terraces to the town of Sapa nestled at 1600 meters. Lots of sight seeing en route. Sapa is a delightful hill station, founded by the French colonials  in 1922 to escape the heat of the low land when it became unbearable. The remoteness, the simple lifestyle of friendly ethnic minority people and spectacular scenery are the highlights of Sa Pa although conditions are basic. After checking into your hotel, we will spend some time exploring the town and its great market. O/N in Sa Pa.

DAY 4: SAPA

Our day commences with another short visit to the bustling Sa Pa Market where the Red Dao, Black H'mong, Tay and Xa Pho ethnic minorities converge from the surrounding mountainsides and valleys to trade their goods and buy provisions. We then get well off the beaten track as we embark on a walk to explore this beautiful mountain region.  Here, the walk will continue through the scenic landscape along the river surrounded by impressive mountains and neatly arranged rice terraces. We will pass a numbers of different ethnic minority villages inhabited by Black Hmong, Day... hill tribe communities and experience their daily works such as dyeing their fabric, logging, herding buffalo and tilling the field. O/N in Sa Pa. (B)

DAY 5 : SAPA - BACHA ( Sunday)

The huge Bac Ha market is a riot of colour with its entire collection of ethnic peoples. Flowered Hmong, Phu La, Dao, La chi.. are just a few of the tribes present. All gathered here to sell and buy their produce. They still retain their age old cultural traditions and are recognisably distinct from each other by their dress. This colourful market only operates on Sunday morning. Upon leaving Sapa early morning, we set off on our scenic drive through the border town of Lao Cai to Bac Ha arriving just in time to see the market. After the market we will take an easy walk around the area, visiting the H'mong Kings former residence and Ban Pho where the villagers specialize in local maize alcohol distillation. O/N in Bac Ha. (B)

DAY  6: BAC HA - HANOI

The reverse trip commences as we depart Bac Ha Town and pass through the verdant and rugged mountain scenery to Hanoi. These back roads are a great way to explore the real Vietnam. We see very few other travellers, mostly rural dwellers who are just as interested in finding out about our lives as we are of theirs. The drive is very long , but we can make many stops along the way to stretch our legs and take wonderful  photographs. O/N in Hanoi (B)

DAY  7: HANOI - PERFUME PAGODA - NINH BINH

Your trip starts with a scenic countryside drive through the rich farming land of the Red River Delta to Perfume Pagoda. Upon arrival, you are rowed along a tranquil river to the Perfume Mountain. Then an energetic climb will bring you to the amazing Huong Tich grotto The most beautiful grotto under the southern sky for an exploration of the pagoda complex which is located deep in the grotto. We then drive to Ninh Binh, our final destination. O/N in Ninh Binh.(B)

DAY  8: NINH BINH - HAIPHONG

The capital of Vietnam during the Dinh and early Le Dynasties is Hoa Lu, which however has left its legacy in  the form of two small temples, each one nearly a thousand years old. After a short drive we visit these two remaining structures, dedicated to the Dinh and Le Rulers , then climb 200 steps to the top of Ma Yen mount for a fantastic view over the surrounding areas. The next stop of our trip  is Tam Coc which is surnamed Inland Halong Bay. We take a boat trip on a river through the quiet and peaceful landscape of rice fields surrounded by limestone formations to the grottoes of Tam Coc. Upon leaving this site we commence our scenic drive to Hai Phong, the  biggest port town of northern Vietnam. O/N in Hai Phong. (B)

DAY 9: HAIPHONG - HALONG

Saying farewell to Hai Phong, we travel by road to Ha Long Bay, truly one of Vietnams most impressive scenic sights. On arrival we board a boat for a memorable trip into the bay of the Descending Dragon which will give us a chance to  explore the picturesque scenery blending with the sky and some 1,969 limestone islands, rising amazingly from the clear and emerald water. The limestone karst formations are littered with beaches, grottoes and beautiful caves. We will stop to visit one the mous beautiful hidden grottoes beneath towering cliffs, then anchor for a leisurely swim in a secluded cove before sitting down for a lunch of savory local seafood. Afterwards, we continue our exciting cruise and have time for another swim. O/N in Ha Long. (B,L)

DAY  10: HALONG - BAT TRANG - HANOI

Our trip back to Hanoi is much more pleasant as the road is very good. Today we have plenty of time to observe the rural landscape and visit the riverside village of Bat Trang, where distinctive ceramics are made and used throughout the delta region for over 500 years. The vitality of this village is still blown up by the hundreds of pottery kilns on fire day and night. We stroll around various cottage industries and watch craftsmen forming, painting and glazing their products in traditional ways. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Hanoi's older quarters or simply to relax. O/N in Hanoi. (B)

DAY 11: HANOI - VIENTIANE

Early morning is yours to walk around Hoan Kiem Lake to watch hundreds of people  come to do their morning exercise (optional). After breakfast we have free time until  transfer to airport for a flight to Vientiane. The charming and fascinating capital of Laos, Vientiane is located on the banks of the Mekong River. This small city conjures up exotic images, with the curious mix of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French influences. A city tour includes Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple still standing in Vientiane. The following sight is the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. We also visit the imposing Patouxai Monument well known as Vientianes own Arc de Triomphe on our way to the great sacred structure of That Luang Stupa. O/N in Vientiane. (B)

DAY  12: VIENTIANE - LUANG PRABANG

The royal capital  of the former Lane Xang Kingdom, Luang Prabang with its gleaming temple roofs, fading colonial architecture and stunning mountain backdrop  retains an unique charm rarely found in all Asia. This morning we take a short  flight to Luang Prabang. There is plenty to see in this delightful town, some of which are the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun, the shrine of Wat Aham and Wat Mai with five tiered roofs. We include these sights in a half day guided tour which ends with a climb to Phousi Hill for a beautiful sunset view  of the town and the Mekong River. There  are 329 steps leading us on zigzag way past various temples to the sacred, gilded stupa of Wat Phousi at the summit. O/N at Luang Prabang. (B)

DAY  13: LUANG PRABANG  - PAKOU - LUANG PRABANG

Today we continue seeing this town with the citys oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong, which nestles at the meeting of the Mekong and the Nam Khan River. The temple structures are decorated in various ways with gilded stuccoes and doorways while the main sim has a marvellous 'tree life' mosaic pattern on an outer wall. We  board a boat for a leisurely trip on the Mekong River. Upon leaving this village we wave our wave through the stunning mountain landscape to the mysterious Pak Ou Caves. They are  crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes, all brought there by devout villagers. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. After the river trip we drive  towards Ban Phanom and visit the hand weaving. O/N in Luang Brabang. (B,L)

DAY 14: LUANG PRABANG - VIENTIANE

The exploration of Luang Prabang would not be complete without a visit to the national museum at the former Royal Palace. This interesting structure displays a lovely collection of treasures and artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign.  We then spend our time wandering through the charming streets until transferring to the airport for a short flight back to Vientiane. On arrival we head out to see the impressive Friendship Bridge which links Laos and Thailand, and the Buddha Park. This landmark represents a blend of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures created by mystical monk on a parkland located by the Mekong River. A perfect way to round off the day is to watch the spectacular sunset over the Mekong River from one of riverside bars. O/N in Vientiane. (B)

DAY 15: VIENTIANE - DEPARTURE

There is a free time for your own exploration of the city  and catching up on some shopping areas. The trip ends after your transfer to the airport for departure. (B)

INCLUDING : Transportation in private air-conditioned vehicle with driver +  Meal as mentioned: B = breakfast, L = Lunch, D = dinner + Accommodation:  twin sharing room at the below  mentioned hotel or similar one  +   English or French speaking guide +  Entrance fee to indicated sights + Boat trip in Halong, Perfume pagoda, Tam Coc & Luang Prabang +  Flight ticket: Hanoi - Vientiane - Luang Prabang - Vientiane + Cyclo trip & Water puppet show.

NOT INCLUDING : Other meals, tip, drinks, airport tax, single room supplement, personal expenses, travel insurance, visa to Vietnam & Laos, flight in/ out Indochina, any optional additional tours or activities during free time.

TRIP NOTES:

     The itinerary is corrected at the time of viewing. Occcasionally, our itineraries change as we make improvement that stem from our past traveller's comments and our own research or due to local conditions or circumstances beyond our control. This includes festival, pubplic holidays, weather and flight delay,... that may effect the itinerary.

       Departure place could be changed upon clients request.