Bac Ha Market and Terraced Rice Fields of Hoang Su Phi, and Discover Halong Bay
Overview
This tour let you experience a fabulous adventure off the beaten path, far from mass tourism in authentic Northern Vietnam: terraced rice fields of Hoang Su Phi, discovery of Thac Ba Lake, exploration of the Lam Binh karstic landscapes, colorful ethnic markets (Bac Ha or Can Cau market), remote villages, and encounters with local ethnic groups. The trip concludes with an unforgettable cruise in Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- A tour mainly off the beaten path, focusing on authentic encounters
- Mountain ethnic minorities and their ancestral way of life
- The largest and very famous ethnic minority market of Bac Ha
- The most beautiful terraced rice field landscapes in Northern Vietnam
- Karst landscapes in Halong Bay and Lam Binh
Itinerary Expand All
Day 1Arrival In Hanoi (L)
Upon your arrival at the airport, our guide and driver will welcome you and take you to downtown Hanoi.
Afternoon: Stroll along the tree-shaded Phan Dinh Phung Street. Walk to visit the Long Bien Bridge, which offers a beautiful view of the Banana Island. Visit the ancient capital of Co Loa. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2Hanoi – City Tour (B, L)
A day dedicated to visiting the city:
- Temple of Literature: The first national university built in 1070, where royal offspring and mandarins' sons pursued their studies to become literati and high officials. This temple also honors Confucius and the Kingdom's scholars. With its original architecture arranged among courtyards, ponds, and gardens, it is a true haven of peace and greenery in the heart of the capital.
- Ba Dinh District: Stroll through Ba Dinh Square, the botanical garden, the former Governor of Indochina's Palace (now the Presidential Palace), Ho Chi Minh's stilt house, and finally the One Pillar Pagoda, one of the city's oldest monuments built in 1049.
- Tran Quoc Pagoda: Built in 1615 on the shores of the large West Lake.
- Hanoi Old Quarter: Known as the commercial center of the capital, bordered by the elegant Hoan Kiem Lake. Despite the passage of time, the Old Quarter is known as an open-air museum of the capital: unique tube houses, small alleys, temples, and open-door markets.
- Optional: Visit to Train Street.
Lunch: Enjoy grilled pork with vermicelli and egg coffee.
The evening is dedicated to a traditional water puppet show, a typical folk art of Northern Vietnam blending traditional music and rural life scenes. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 3Hanoi – Bac Ha, Land Of The Flower Hmong (B, L, D)
Drive to Bac Ha, walking through ethnic villages of the Flower Hmong and Tay.
Depart at 8:00 AM for Bac Ha, the high region of Northern Vietnam, via the Hanoi - Pho Lu highway. Lunch at a local restaurant. Bac Ha, situated at 1,000 meters altitude, is populated by various ethnic groups such as the Hmong, Phu La, and Tay. A short, easy-access hike is proposed to the villages of Ngai Phong Tro and Din Thang. Discover the agricultural environment, traditional housing, lush terraced rice fields, and valleys dotted with trees. You will visit isolated hamlets and meet the Flower Hmong and Phu La ethnic groups.
The Hmong were part of the San Miao from southern China. Due to struggles against the Chinese feudal authorities, some Hmong immigrated to Vietnam towards the end of the 18th century and early 20th century. The Phu La also immigrated to Vietnam in the 18th century and early 20th century.
Dinner and overnight at a local homestay.
If you stay in Bac Ha on a Saturday night: Free participation in the public folk dance and song performance organized every Saturday evening at the Bac Ha market.
Day 4Weekly Market Of Bac Ha And Discovery Of Beautiful Valleys In Ban Phung (B, L, D)
After breakfast, you will set out to explore one of Bac Ha's weekly markets, which exclusively takes place on Sundays. As the habitat area of several different ethnic groups such as the Dzaos, Tays, Phu Las, Nungs, and Flower Hmong, the Bac Ha weekly market deeply showcases the typical cultural traits of the Ethnic Minorities living in these remote regions. Enjoy its vibrant atmosphere with a wide array of goods, vegetables, poultry, horses, buffaloes, etc., laid out for sale.
You can meet ethnic inhabitants dressed in their colorful traditional costumes who gather here to exchange goods, eat, and even find their soulmates.
In the afternoon: Departure for the beautiful rice valley of Ban Phung via the town of Xin Man. Upon arrival, explore Ban Phung, an exceptional place at 1000 meters altitude inhabited by the La Chi Ethnicity - a small minority group of just over 10,000 people. Take a one-hour walk through the village of Ban Phung, where you'll appreciate the fabulous landscapes of terraced rice fields dotted with around fifty stilt houses.
Overnight stay with a La Chi ethnic family.
Day 5Ban Phung – Ban Luoc Rice Valley – Nam Hong, Immersion In Red Dzao Culture (B, L, D)
After breakfast, embark on a journey to Ban Luoc, known as the paradise of terraced rice fields, a remarkable and highly appreciated region by photographers. Take a walk through the beautiful rice valley of Ban Luoc on a trail winding along the hillside to reach the village of Suoi Thau. Lunch will be served at a Black Dzao ethnic family's home, offering a beautiful view of the rice fields. Discover the customs and traditions of the Black Dzao people.
Continue the journey to the Red Dzao village of Nam Hong.Upon arrival at the village, enjoy an exceptional moment of relaxation with a medicinal plant bath, a result of the long experience of the Red Dzao Tribes to relieve fatigue.
Optional: Participate in the fire dance ceremony – a mystical festival of the Red Dzao ethnic group.Overnight stay in a private bungalow at a homestay.
Day 6Nam Hong – Lam Binh, Mountainous Halong Bay (B, L, D)
Take a walk to visit the Red Dzao village. Depending on the season, you may participate in tea picking and traditional tea drying with the local residents; then, observe the production of handmade paper using straw and resin from a wild plant by the Dzao people.
These papers are used for ancestral worship and offerings. Walk around the village surroundings. Then, depart for Lam Binh, an exotic region with beautiful karst landscapes.
Dinner and overnight stay with a local family in Lam Binh.
Day 7Lam Binh – Thac Ba Lake (B, L, D)
Embark on a cruise on the Gam River to Na Hang Reservoir. Admire the rare beauty of Lam Binh, sometimes referred to as the "Halong Bay of the mountains," due to the presence of imposing limestone peaks.
You will still see the dense forest. Stop to visit Khuoi Nhi Waterfall, with the possibility of being massaged by the fish living in the stream. Take a bike ride on a flat path through villages surrounded by karst rocks, with stops at the village and the palm forest. Lunch at a local family's home.
Afternoon: Head to Thac Ba Lake. Overnight stay with a local Dzao family.
Day 8Thac Ba Lake - Hanoi (B, L)
Embark on a motorized sampan cruise on Thac Ba Lake, observing daily activities and local life: dip net fishing, net fishing, and lifting shrimp traps made of bamboo. Admire the hills of cajeput trees emerging from the water. Lunch at a local family's home.
Afternoon: Return to Hanoi.
Day 9Hanoi – Baitulong Bay, Overnight Cruise (B, L, D)
8:00 - 8:30 AM: Departure by collective Limousine Dcar to Sun Pier. Boarding at noon. Transfer to a smaller boat to reach the hotel boat.
12:45 PM: Welcome drink and brief presentation on safety instructions aboard the boat and the itinerary.
1:30 PM: Lunch on board while the boat sails towards Bai Tu Long Bay.
3:00 PM: The boat sails to the Cong Do and Cap La region, with a kayaking activity through the karst rocks. Possibility to stop at a wild beach depending on the tide.
5:30 PM: Return to the boat and relax on the upper deck.
7:00 PM: Dinner on board. Free evening for squid fishing. Overnight on Renea Cruise.
Day 10Baitulong Bay – Hanoi (B, L)
6:00 AM: Tai Chi exercise on the upper deck or enjoy the sunrise in Bai Tu Long Bay amidst beautiful karst landscapes while sipping a cup of tea or coffee.
7:00 AM: Breakfast on board.
8:00 AM: Visit to Thien Canh Son Cave. From the cave entrance, you'll have a panoramic view of Bai Tu Long Bay with rock formations resembling dolphins.
9:00 AM: Return to the boat. A demonstration of Vietnamese cuisine will help you learn how to make spring rolls. Cruise back to the pier.
11:00 AM: Early lunch on board. Disembarkation at noon. Travel by collective bus back to Hanoi. You will arrive in Hanoi around 3:00 PM.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 11Hanoi – Departure (B)
Prices and Accommodation
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"Pricing is for up to 6 adults. For larger groups, please request a customized offer in your 'special requests'
Included
- Accommodation
- Transportation according to the program in a private vehicle with a driver for your group ONLY
- Meals as mentioned in the program: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
- English-speaking guide
- Visit fees and entrance fees to sites to be visited
- One liter of bottled water per day per person, administrative fees
- Cruise on the Na Hang reservoir and Thac Ba Lake
Excluded
- Personal travel insurance
- Bank fees
- Drinks, telephone, personal expenses, and anything not clearly mentioned in the "This price includes" section
- Tips
- Surcharges during public holidays (if any)
Useful Information
- Safety equipment: bring hiking shoes, a flashlight, and insect repellent, sunscreen from April to November, warm clothing during winter (mid-November to early March), a towel, and a toiletry kit. Safety equipment: bring hiking shoes, a flashlight, and insect repellent, sunscreen from April to November, warm clothing during winter (mid-November to early March), a towel, and a toiletry kit.
- During the winter season (December to January), the weather is often cold and foggy early in the morning and late afternoon, and sometimes all day long. Hoang Su Phi and Bac Ha have only one harvest between June and September, and there are two beautiful seasons ideal for visiting: from mid-September to early October, which is the ripe rice season. After the harvest, the terraced fields retain their beauty but remain empty of any crops until the following spring.
- In May-June, during the rainy season, water from the mountains flows into the terraces. The fields are irrigated, the arid soils become saturated with water and soften again, the harnessed buffalo plow the rice fields, and the replanting work can resume.
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