Discover the cultural and natural treasures of the Vietnam Northwest mountainous areas. These are the least traveled areas in the North of Vietnam and promise to offer local cultural immersion in the remote areas that is home to many ethnic minority people.
During this 11 day tour, you have the opportunity to meet some of the 52 Ethnic Minority tribes that live in Northern Vietnam. Each tribe has its own dress code, style of house building, culture, language and way of life. Your first stay in the mountains will be at an Eco Lodge in the village of Vu Linh where you will meet people of the Dao tribe. Other overnight stays will be with host families and small hotels.
Other tribes you will meet along your journey include Tay, White H'Mong and Nung. As well as having the unique experience of meeting people from the ethnic minority groups of Vietnam, you will also be amazed at the splendour and beauty of the landscape of the districts of the Northwest. Two highlights are the mountain ranges of Ha Giang, the northern most province on Vietnam and Ba Be National Park where you will see Vietnam's third largest lake.
En route to the villages, you will be able to take short treks, see the local foliage and enjoy the fresh crisp air of the unpolluted highlands. There will also be time built in for relaxing and simply doing your own thing.
And of course no trip to the North of Vietnam would be complete without a visit to the capital city of Hanoi, where you can enjoy the high energy of the Old Quarter with its narrow streets and vibrant street vendor culture. You can relax by the lovely Hoan Kiem Lake and visit some of the cultural highlights of this beautiful city.
- Personal attention to detail by all HGH from the time of your initial enquiry through to the end of your tour
- 24 hour support available during the tour
- Enjoy the degree of historical and cultural information throughout your tour from our local and knowledgeable tour hosts to the degree that you and your group are interested.
- We focus on sustainable tourism by creating the very best experience for you as the tourist while supporting our local environment and local people
Your arrival at the Noi Bai International Airport marks the start of your tour. Our guide is waiting to welcome you and take you into 1000-year-old city of Ha Noi, the capital of Vietnam, and the commercial, political, and cultural heart of the country.
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Depart for Yen Bai Province, 250km west of Hanoi where you have the opportunity to take a dip in the Thac Ba Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in Vietnam. Discover the local culture of the Dao people. You will stay in La Vie Vu Linh, an eco-lodge on the north side of Thac Ba Lake. This is a sustainable development project in four areas: Culture, education, environment and tourism.
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After breakfast, we go on a tour in Ngoi Tu village to discover the different plants and to meet the Dao ethnic people and experience some of their colorful lives. The village is surrounded by rice fields and you will learn many useful facts about the local plants and meet the villagers during their seasonal activities.
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After breakfast, we leave Vu Linh and travel to the province of Ha Giang. Ha Giang is truly breathtaking and covers the most northerly and most remote area of Vietnam. We will stop for lunch on the way. There are many ethnic minority villages of the Pa Then people along the spectacular road that leads from Bac Quang district to Ha Giang. You have the opportunity to meet many local people in Ha Giang. Finally, we arrive at the village of Me where you will have dinner with the host family.
Overnight stay in Me
After breakfast, we start a soft trek to explore and learn about the local life of the Tay people. We then board a bus to go to the northern district and to Yen Minh via Quan Ba pass. En route, you can enjoy the spectacular natural landscape of Quan Ba. Visit the villages of White Hmong and Dao people.
Overnight stay in Yen Minh
In the morning, visit the local market in Yen Minh, a lively place where the locals buy and sell handicrafts of many ethnic minorities of the region. Leaving Yen Minh, we head for Dong Van. The itinerary today offers many opportunities to explore and relax at your leisure.
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After breakfast, stroll out to the Dong Van Old Streets to see the old houses of the Hmong built centuries ago of clay bricks and tile roofs that are located near the market.
We will leave Dong Van, where we climb over the Ma Pi Leng Pass, along the zigzagged roads where we can enjoy the awesome mountain ranges and the Nho Que River. Ma Pi Leng is one of the best photo opportunities that this area has to offer. View the vast limestone mountain range and perpendicular walls of rock as we drive along the winding road. A further 15 km and we visit the village of Dao "Ao Dai" and Sung Mang before stopping for lunch at Lung Phin. Then onto the Bao Lac district where we visit the Nung before checking into the hotel and have dinner.
Overnight stay in Bao Lac
The destination on Day-8 is the Ba Be National Park, which is known as the "Green lung of the Northeast". Ba Be Lake is the third largest lakes in Viet Nam with an area of 500 hectares. Limestone Mountains around the Lake are covered with the bio-diversified tropical forests. The lake is also near rivers and waterfalls that make perfect opportunities for taking pictures.
Taking a paved road, we walk up the hillside to the south of the lake to reach the village of Pac Ngoi, home to the Tay people. After settling into your overnight stop at Pac Ngoi, you will spend the night with the locals and learn about the Tay people's customs.
Overnight in Pac Ngoi
Explore the Ba Be Lake on a boat trip. Admire the tranquil landscape of corn farm and stilt houses of the Tay community. You can walk to the village of the Nung people and see the waterfall of Dau Dang.
Overnight stay in Pac Ngoi
After breakfast, we drive to Hanoi enjoying a stop for lunch along the way. Once you arrive in Ha Noi, you will be free at leisure to do whatever you choose.
Hotel in Ha Noi
On the day of your departure, you are free to shop, relax and do whatever you would like at your own leisure until your transfer time to the airport.
