The Wild North West of Vietnam is an adventure holiday which brings you to the untouched north-western region of Vietnam for 6 days, 5 nights.
Adventure Tour in The North West of Vietnam Overview
On the trip, you will travel through the most scenic beauty of the wild mountains in northern Vietnam. The road is generally in good condition. The tour highlights include traveling on an elevation of 1000m-2000m with sublime nature, visiting myriad hill tribe communities, lost amid vast green tea plantations.
On the tour, we’ll also travel back in time to learn for about one of the most famous battles the Vietnamese fought in modern time at Dien Bien Phu. The tour activities include walking, trekking, hiking and homestaying. The travel pace is moderate and the accommodations are basic ranging from family home to 2 star standard. The tour is definitely of immense interests for the adventure travellers who love to travel off the well-trodden path and who love fresh nature. For the travelers who expect luxury amenities, then Paradissa has other travel packages which are more suitable for you.
The trip can be done all year round, but the best time is in the dry season from January to April. In February, the North-West of Vietnam is particularly beautiful with blossoms of peach and plum flowers. In late March – April, you will be charmed by forests of Ban Flowers (aka Hoa Ban, Bauhinia variegata, Phanera variegata, camel's foot tree, mountain-ebony).
Day-to-day itinerary
Day1 Ha Noi – Mai Chau (150km) (L/D)
Day2 Mai Chau – Son La (180km) (B)
Day3 Son La – Dien Bien Phu (160km) (B)
Day4 Dien Bien Phu – Muong Lay - Phong Tho – Lai Chau (200km) (B)
Day5 Lai Chau – Tam Duong – Binh Lu – Sa Pa (80km) (B)
Day6 Sa Pa – Ha Noi (380km) (B)
{Inclusions
English-speaking guide;
Transportation as indicated in the program;
Accommodation with twin-shared room as indicated in the program;
Daily breakfast as indicated in the program;
All admission fees in the program;
}
{Exclusions
Insurance of any types;
Drinks or personal expenses;
Others not specified in the inclusions;
}
Detailed itinerary
Day1 Ha Noi – Mai Chau (150km) (L/D)
Leaving Hanoi at 0830 am, we travel 150 km (4 hours) to Mai Chau, a heavenly valley inhabited by the White Thai Minority. On the way, you will have chances of taking pictures of the picturesque scenery in the North West of Vietnam characterized with splendid mountains and colorful hill tribes who can be seen and visited on the way.
Arriving at Mai Chau at mid day, proceed to the family where we spend the night with.
In the afternoon, visit the villages of the White Thai in Mai Chau.
Lunch and dinner at the homestay.
Overnight with an ethnic White Thai family in a house on stilt in Mai Chau.
Breathtaking landscape at the Thung Khe Pass between Tan Lac and Mai Chau
Day2 Mai Chau – Son La (180km) (B)
Breakfast at the home.
Today we travel 180 km (5 hours) from Mai Chau to Son La. As we drive, we will see the landscapes and people more and more different, more isolated from the mainstream world. The highlights on the road today include the idyllic tea plantations and the cool climate at Moc Chau Plateau, scenic mountains and valleys and Yen Chau, the historical Co Noi Road Intersection, Na San Airfield.
Arriving in Son La at mid day, check into your hotel and have time for refreshment and lunch (on your own account).
In the afternoon, visit the infamous Son La Prison in which many Vietnamese patriots were jailed in the 1930s-1940s. In late afternoon, free time to visit the city or the peaceful countryside on the outskirt.
Overnight in Son La.
The Old Prison of Son La
Day3 Son La – Dien Bien Phu (160km) (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
We travel 160 km (4 hours) from Son La to Dien Bien Phu. For the first half of the journey, the road goes uphill and the scenery is unbelievably beautiful with imposing mountains and serrated ridges! We will stop at Pha Din Pass to take in the breathtaking view of the area. Descending the pass, we travel amid idyllic valleys with green rice terraces and ethnic houses on mountains slopes. Arriving in Dien Bien Phu, we check into our hotel and have time for refreshment.
In the afternoon, we tour the historical sites of the famous battles including the museum, the A1 Hill (Eliane 2), D1 Hill (Dominique 2) and the Commander's Post. You will have better understanding of the famous battles that brought victory to the Viet Minh and Vietnam over the French colonialists in 1954.
Overnight in Dien Bien Phu.
A2 Knoll (Eliane 2) at Dien Bien Phu
Day4 Dien Bien Phu – Muong Lay - Phong Tho – Lai Chau (200km) (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
We travel 200 km (6-8 hours) from Dien Bien Phu to Lai Chau. On the journey, you will love the rice terraces at Muong Pon and Muong Muon, the mountains at Muong Cha and the scenic landscape by the Da River at Muong Lay. The provincial capital city of Lai Chau is nestled in a beautiful valley with green tea plantations and with pleasant temperatures all year round. Arriving at Lai Chau, we will visit the breathtaking Gia Khau Village, a Hmong community. Then, travel to the hotel for check-in and have leisure time.
Overnight at Lai Chau.
Landscape by the Nam Na River, Lai Chau
Day5 Lai Chau – Tam Duong – Binh Lu – Sa Pa (80km) (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
We travel 80 km(2.5 hours) from Phong Tho to Sapa which is home to 7 hill tribes. The road mostly goes uphill and we can feel the change in altitude. It also gets cooler the closer we get to Sapa. On the spectacular pass of O Quy Ho, you can look back to Binh Lu and be awe-inspired by the unreal landscape.
Arriving at Sapa, we have a walking tour to the villages of Lao Chai (Black Hmong People) and Ta Van (Giay People). Then, check into the hotel and have time for refreshment.
In the afternoon, we’ll have a walking tour to Cat Cat waterfall and Cat Cat Black H'Mong Village. Overnight in Sa Pa.
Black Hmong at Sapa
Day6 Sa Pa – Ha Noi (380km) (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
We travel 380 km ( 5-6 hours) back to Hanoi. The road is on a great highway and we should arrive back to the city in the early afternoon. We trust you had a great adventure to the North-West of Vietnam with Paradissa Travel.
