19-day north to south- a journey of culture and adventure

  • icon-date19 DAYS
  • icon-date25 Meals

Embark on a 19-day cultural and adventurous journey through the heart of Vietnam. Explore the bustling streets of Hanoi and experience the local charm of Mai Chau and Tu Le then the terraced landscapes in Mu Cang Chai and Sapa. Immerse yourself in the tribal cultures of Ho Thau and Ha Giang and stop at the wonders of Cao Bang, Bac Kan, and Thai Nguyen. Return to the vibrant city of Hanoi before venturing to Buon Me Thuot, Da Lat, Phan Rang, Mui Ne, and Ho Chi Minh. Unravel the diverse beauty and rich heritage of Vietnam on this extraordinary expedition.

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

Whether you are curious about our services, travel information or an advise for your trip- We are ready to answer any and all questions

    Full Name*

    Email*

    Expecter length?*

    Area code*

    Phone number*

    Number of travelers*

    Destination(s)*

    Departure schedule?*

    Your special request

    Day 1: Hanoi Arrive (D)

    Our guide and driver will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to your hotel for check-in and drop off your bags and get some rest. Relax after your long flight and enjoy a delicious welcome dinner. (Our first-day schedule could be created and modified to meet your time of arrival).

    Overnight in Hanoi.

    Meal: Dinner

    Day 2: Hanoi – Mai Chau (B/D)

    We begin our day with a 3.5-hour drive from Hanoi to Mai Chau. The short journey offers many beautiful passes and some panoramic views down to the valley. Arrive at Mai Chau around midday and head to a traditional stilt house where your lunch is served by local people. In the afternoon, we will cycle around the town, and visit small stilt houses of the Thai minority to learn about their cultures, customs, and lifestyles. There will be a workshop at the local handicraft house for you to observe and make one for yourself. Dinner will be served with “Ruou Can” which is made of fermented glutinous rice mixed with several kinds of herbs from local forests. We don’t drink Ruou Can with a glass or cup, we use slim bamboo tubes.

    Meal: Breakfast, Dinner

    Day 3: Mai Chau – Nghia Lo – Tu Le (B/L/D)

    After breakfast, we depart to Tu Le in Yen Bai province. Tu Le is a valley located between three high peaks: Khau Pha, Khau Than, Khau Song. Tu Le always captivates many tourists with the wild beauty of the mountains. Especially when stopping for the night at Tu Le Mu Cang Chai, you can see the beautiful scenery when on the bright moon days the whole area is immersed in the fanciful moonlight creating a majestic and poetic scene.

    Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Day 4: Tu Le – Mu Cang Chai (B)

    After breakfast, we will then drive through Khau Pha Pass which is one of the greatest passes in the Northern part of Vietnam to get to Mu Cang Chai. These scenic roads offer loads of viewpoints and places for pictures while passing through different villages such as Lim Mong, Lim Thai, and especially La Pan Tan which is well-known for large and high rice terraces that his hand built by H’Mong people over the past hundreds of years or the paragliding point on top of this pass.

    Ovenight in Mu Cang Chai.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 5: Mu Cang Chai – Sapa (B)

    Once we make our way through the place we will have plenty of free time to roam around the area and explore. Start with a short hike to “Horseshoe” or “Rasberry Hill” (Đồi Mâm Xôi In Vietnamese)- the most picturesque spot for rice terraces with round shapes of the rice fields. The land is 2,200 hectares and is shared by three villages – La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha, and De Xu Phinh. The profound beauty of the land has been pictured by many famous photographers and published in many magazines. After that, we will be off the road for Sapa and another hike to Love waterfall which is a part of Hoang Lien National Park. Overnight in Sapa.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 6: Sapa – Ha Giang – Quan Ba (B)

    After having your complimentary breakfast, say goodbye to Sapa for a deep exploration of Ban Luoc Village. The days start with a nice adventurous trek up to the top of a mountain that offers us – more impressive captivation of multi-layered rice terraces, viewing more daily life of local Dzao, and contemplating a nice waterfall in the region. We continue driving on the trail to reach Quan Ba town. From there we will mark our first stop at a beautiful town offering magnificent views of the Heaven Gate and the Twin Mountains (Fairy Bosom).

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 7: Quan Ba – Lung Cu – Dong Van (B)

    Enjoy the morning light with the sounds of the mountainous region, check out, and prepare yourself as today we will reach the northernmost frontier of Vietnam. After breakfast and say goodbye to the host of our homestay and drive further north to Dong Van Karst Plateau, the perfect location to snap great photos. On the way, On the way, we will stop to visit Sung La valley with the old traditional clay house of the Hmong family & Vuong Palace that belonged to Vuong Trinh Duc, regarded as the H’Mong King who led 70 000 H’Mong ethnic people in this area during the French colonial.

    Back on the trail, continuing our loop to the final frontier and traveling through Ma Le, the ‘one-eyed ghost’ area. This road remains a secret, it can take you to the northernmost point of Vietnam: Lung Cu, home of the Lo Lo ethnic minority.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 8: Dong Van – Meo Vac (B)

    If we are lucky to be in Dong Van on a Sunday morning, we cannot miss out on the tribe market which is only held once a week and gathers all the local ethnic minorities in the area. After that, escape the market & downtown Dong Van and start driving about 30 mins to visit Ma Pi Leng Pass, one of the most beautiful passes in Vietnam. In-between cliffs, you can see below the tranquil river Nho Que making its way into the land. Your journey takes you near the clouds as we will trek on a H’mong path along Ma Pi Leng Pass. After the trek, we will continue driving to Meo Vac for a boat trip on the Nho Que river, and witness the greatest canyon in northern Vietnam. Our motorbike riding will end in Meo Vac & check in a lovely clay house of a Hmong family in Meo Vac overnight.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 9: Meo Vac – Bao Lac – Cao Bang (B/D)

    After having our hearty breakfast, a short drive with 2 hours to bring us to Bao Lac, where we will take you to a long-lasting memorable moment of the trip, starting with Khuoi Khon Village. This is where the unique Lo Lo ethnic villagers preserve their special cultures and lifestyles. If luck strikes, we would be able to join in the fun and interesting weekly open fair of the tribal Lo Lo, Hmong, and Yao people in Bao Lac District. For more information, the fair is held every five days starting from the 5th of the lunar calendar. There will be another 3-hour drive before we get to Cao Bang where you will have your night free relaxing and exploring the area as you prefer.

    Overnight in Cao Bang.

    Meal: Breakfast, Dinner

    Day 10: Cao Bang – Ban Gioc Waterfall ((B)

    Down the paths in Phuoc Sen Village – the site is known to be where the Nung ethnic citizens call their home for centuries. Other than that, Phuoc Sen Village is where they make knives as traditional handicrafts for a living. Then, make our way to Ban Gioc Waterfall. Earning the award of the fourth largest waterfall in the world and the largest waterfall in South East Asia, Ban Gioc Waterfall won’t disappoint you. It is likened to the fairy scene between the mountains and the forest with the magnificent and poetic white-water layers. Choose to walk or take a bamboo boat to experience the waterfall at best. Not far from Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave is located inside a spectacular mountain with a length of 2144m and 3 main gates. Once we get inside the cave, we will surely be overwhelmed by the mysterious and shimmering scenery with the stalactites in various shapes and murmuring streams. The last activity of the day is visiting Phong Nam & Ngoc Con valley which is home to the Tay tribe who significantly contributed to the beauty of the town through their agricultural works a hundred years ago with rice terraces cultivated in the valley along the Quay Son River. Similar to the other parts of Northern Vietnam, the town will be in the most beautiful version of itself during the rice harvest season, in Autumn (August to early October) and it attracts visitors not only to the rice terraces but the wild beauty and peaceful rural lifestyles.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 11: Ban Gioc – Ba Be Lake (B/L)

    Take another day to travel from Ban Gioc to Ba Be via Phia Oac-Phia Den national park. We will visit Kolia Organic Tea Farm on the way for a short break and enjoy a cup of tea grown locally. Continue traveling along the main road, then take a smaller one snaking through the mountain’s tea plantations and rice terraces, we will be arriving at the Tay ethnic minority village of Pac Ngoi where you will be welcomed by a friendly Tay family in their traditional house. Enjoy your peaceful evening there.

    Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

    Day 12: Ba Be – Thai Nguyen – Hanoi (B/L)

    After breakfast, we will make our way to Hanoi via Thai Nguyen en route at Thai Hai village of Tay community which is listed by the UNESCO cultural heritage village as preserving ecological houses on stilts. Lunch be served by local family before heading to Hanoi

    Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

    Day 13: Hanoi – Fly to Buon Me Thuot – Lak Lake (B)

    After breakfast, our driver and tour guide will transfer you to the airport for a flight to Buon Me Thuot. Arrive at Buon Me Thuot airport, the driver wil pick you up to your hotel in Lak Lake for overnight. Check-in to your hotel and get relax.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 14: Lak Lake – Easy rider to Da Lat (B/L)

    After having our hearty breakfast, you will be picked at your hotel. While your guide straps your luggage on the back of the motorbike, you shall put on your safety riding gears and then we are ready for our remarkable motorbiking trip.

    The first destination is the M’Nong tribe, an option for playing with elephants or taking dug-out boat to visit the lake. The next stop will be an amazing bamboo bridge and colorful market of Krong No (the border river between Lam Dong province and Dak Lak province). Having lunch at a local restaurant at Phu Son Pass. Then we drive along the country road with some stop for marvelous mountain views in the vast areas of coffee farms. Visit the local chopstick making factory then traveling through the jungle path. Continue driving and visit Linh An temple with huge statue of Happy Buddha, and is one of the biggest waterfalls of the Central Highlands, the waterfall is 30m high and 15m wide.

    We keep our journey to the Dalat city for overnight.

    Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

    Day 15: Da Lat sighseeing (B)

    After having breakfast at your hotel, we will start our city tour. First destination is Place I of Bao Dai King – The Last King of Vietnam. Then we will take to Dalat Cable Car station (2,300m) to get to get the panorama view of the Dalat City and enjoy the marvelous sight of the pine-forested valley stretched down to the South.  Then, pay a visit to Truc Lam Zen monastery, the biggest Zen University in Viet Nam, which constructed above the Tuyen Lam river and surrounded by the pine forest. After finishing 140 steps, a complex of pagodas and monastic buildings is revealed. Noted the rule to dress formally and stay at a low voice when talking. Move to visit Valley of Love, the most romantic place for lovers with many beautiful love-signs, flowers, and pine hills scenery. You will have an opportunity to see hundreds of flowers in the Flower showroom. You can buy some kinds of dry flowers, which we can keep for a very long time. Then we go back to your hotel to get some rest.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 16: Da Lat – Phan Rang easy rider (B)

    Continue our motorbiking trip to Phan Rang. Start with the “must see” of Da Lat including the railway station, French district, Linh Phuoc pagoda, the Crazy House which is the number one attraction in Da Lat and it is listed as one of the strangest architectures in the world. Allow sufficient time to explore and feel the “wild, weird and wonderful” house as the word from CNN once described. Make our way to the outskirts of Da Lat where we can see how the locals grow vegetables, coffee and tea. Enjoy your ride to Datanla Waterfall which has a wonderful deep natural pool in the middle of a pine forest and is surrounded by flowers. Those who are looking for thrills should try the mini roller coaster ride from the top of the falls, if you are not that adventurous, take an easy 15 minutes to walk to the bottom.

    Once we have got a lot of Da Lat, we will head to Phan Rang. On the way, we will stop at Cham Tower “Poklong Garai”, Trung Son Pagoda where you not only broaden your knowledge about the East culture but also can enjoy “the best Phan Rang view and the beach view”. Fishing village will be our last destination of the day before checking in at your hotel to spend the night.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 17: Phan Rang – Mui Ne easy rider (B)

    After enjoying your complimentary breakfast at your hotel, we will get ready for another exciting day. You might wonder how salt is made? Our first destination is Bau Truc pottery village where pottery has long been associated with a certain standard of quality, with generations of artisans having collectively created a distinctive style. Clay is carefully chosen, formed, decorated, baked, then glazed to create wonderful works of art that will stand the test of time and human usage. Then make our way to My Nghiep hand weaving village. Now, it is the time to spend your last hours of the day at one of the most beautiful beach coast in the Vietnam – Mui Ne beach where you can get some rest.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 18: Mui Ne – Ho Chi Minh city easy rider (B)

    It is the time to set off on the final ride of our exciting tour. To start the day, we will make out way back to visit. Of course, we cannot miss the highlight of Mui Ne which is Red/white sand dunes, Fairy Springs, and fishing village. After that, we will visit Champa Tower to learn about the unique architecture and their culture. Get back on the bike and enjoy the last ride with the breeze in your hair before we get to Ho Chi Minh at the end of the day.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Day 19: Ho Chi Minh Departure (B)

    You will have some free time to wander on your own or get stuck into some souvenir shopping until we take you to the airport and fly home with wonderful memories (not including late check-out for the hotel).

    End of service!

    Meal: Breakfast

    RATE, PAYMENT & TERMS

    IMPORTANT NOTE:

    This proposal and these rates of GROUND OPERATION are valid 14 days (unless otherwise mentioned) from the date of offer.  After 14 days the proposed rates and the accompanying offer are not valid anymore and rates may be revised. This is a proposed itinerary and at this point no reservations have been made.

    The cost of air tickets is subject to change without prior notice by the airlines.

    Reservations during peak times (Christmas, New Year, Vietnamese Lunar New Year, National Holidays) are subject to supplements.

    For any modification of date or itinerary, the prices can be revised.

    ACCOMMODATION:

    LocationAccommodationCategoryWebsite
    HA NOITIRANT HOTEL4*https://www.tiranthotel.com/
    MAI CHAUMAI CHAU ECOLODGE4*https://maichau.ecolodge.asia/
    TU LELE CHAMP TU LE4*https://lechamp.vn/en/
    MU CANG CHAIMU CANG CHAI ECOLODE3*https://mucangchaiecolodge.com/
    SAPATOPAS ECOLODGE5*https://topasecolodge.com/
    QUAN BAHMONG VILLAGE RESORT3*https://hmongvillage.com.vn/#
    DONG VANHOA CƯƠNG HOTEL3*——–
    MEO VACMEO VAC CLAY HOUSE3*https://www.meovacclayhouse.com/
    CAO BANGMAX BOUTIQUE3*——-
    BAN GIOCSAIGON BAN GIOC4*https://saigonbangiocresort.com/en/
    BA BESAIGON BA BE3*https://saigonbaberesort.com/en/
    LAK LAKELAK TENTED CAMP3*https://www.laktentedcamp.com/
    DA LATDU PARC HOTEL4*https://www.duparchoteldalat.com/index.php/en/
    PHAN RANGLONG THUAN HOTEL & RESORT4*https://longthuanhotelresort.com/
    MUI NETHE CLIFF4*https://www.thecliffresort.com.vn/
    HO CHI MINHHARMONY4*https://harmonysaigonhotel.com/en/

    FLIGHTS (Economy class)

    DATEFROMTOFLIGHTDEPARR
     HANBMVQH140316:5018:40

    Baggage allowance is: 20kg for checked luggage & 7kg for hand luggage per person per flight.

    INCLUSIVE:

    • Land transportation by private air-conditioned vehicles
    • Vietnam Visa pre – approval letter
    • Hotel accommodation with daily breakfast
    • English speaking local guide (Mr LAN)
    • Flight ticket: HANOI-BUONMETHUOT (Economy Class)
    • All admission fee at attractions as mentioned in the itinerary
    • All meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B: Breakfast, L: lunch, D: Dinner)
    • Border permit for frontier area of Ha Giang & Cao Bang
    • Boat trips as mentioned in the itinerary
    • Mineral water & cold towels during sightseeing tours  

    EXCLUSIVE:

    • International flights to/from Vietnam
    • Bank fees for both sides
    • Visa stamp fee at the airport on arrival ($25/pax in Vietnam and $30/pax in Cambodia)
    • Any other meals not mentioned above.
    • Any kind of drinks
    • Personal expenses (laundry, telephone, drinks, tip…)
    • Early/late check in/out service at hotels (surcharge if request)  
    • All other services which are not mentioned in INCLUDING
    • Single Suplement.
    • Tipping Policy for Local Guide

          From 2 – 3 person: $10/group/day

    From 4 – 6 person: $5/person/day

    From 7 person: $3/person/day

    NOTE: It is recommended for travelers to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to have a travel insurance covering also the cost of medical evacuation flights.

    1. CONFIRM & DEPOSIT

    When you are totally satisfied with our service proposal and tour itinerary and agree with our terms and conditions, please send us an email confirming that you agree to our Service Proposal. By doing that, our team will know how to guide you to the next step – Deposit payment

    2. DEPOSIT PAYMENT

    A deposit is required to confirm the booking. A deposit of 30% of the total of the tour or any other products is required upon confirmation of the booking. A full prepayment will need to be made 30 days before departure for all services by money transfer or credit card payment with all bank transfer charges/ fees to be paid by the client.

    Bank detail:

    Bank account: 0000 1520 608 (USD)

    Account Name: VIETNAM FTRIP COMPANY LIMITED

    Bank name: Tien Phong Commercial Joint Stock Bank

    Bank address: TPBank Building, 57 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Tran Hung Dao Ward,

    Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Swift code: TPBVVNVX

    We also accept credit card, such as: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and JCB Card and we connect with OnePay Payment Gateway to accept Online Card Payment (check the www.onepay.vn for more information). Your card information will not be stored in our system and are processed through SSL protocol with international card security standard.

    After receiving your payment, we will issue the hotel voucher, flight’s ticket and/or final confirmation itinerary which can be sent to you by email or fax.

    3. BOOKING AMENDMENT

    You can amend your booking anytime once the confirmation is made. All the amendments are only accepted by email, so please contact us at team@ftripvietnam.com with your booking number. Our reservations team is glad to amend your booking accordingly.

    If there is any extra expense, the team will inform you before you decide to amend the services or travel date.

    4. TRAVEL INSURANCE:

    Travel insurances, including travel cancellation insurance, shall be taken out by you in so far as they are not included in the travel price and shown in the description of performance. We strongly recommend that each traveler takes out travel insurance to cover cancellation, holiday abandonment, personal liability, and also travel medical insurance. We can suggest you the insurance carrier case by case according to your references

    5. PASSPORT, VISA, CURRENCY, CUSTOMS, AND HEALTH REGULATIONS:

    Each traveller shall carry a passport which is valid for at least six months offer the end of travel.

    It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of a valid passport and visa and all travel documents are valid for travel.

    You are responsible for adherence to all rules and regulations that are important for travel. All disadvantages, in particular the payment of withdrawal costs resulting from not following these rules and regulations, shall be imposed on you.

    6. CANCELLATIONS POLICY:

    A NON-REFUNDABLE deposit of US$100 per person upon the package’s tours or any other services confirmation.

    Cancellations will be charged as follow:

    • Cancellations made after booking confirmation or more than 30 days before departure date: Non-refundable deposit charge and the cancelation fees applied by the concerned suppliers such as flight, boat, cruise, hotel, etc. by their cancellation policies if any.
    • Cancellations made between 16 and 30 days before departure date: 50% of the total booking cost will be charged or loss of deposit plus the number of penalties charged by hotels or car operators by their cancellation policies if any. All penalties will be itemized.
    • Cancellations made between 7 and 15 days before departure date: 70% of the total booking cost will be charged or loss of deposit plus the number of penalties charged by hotels or car operators by their cancellation policies if any. All penalties will be itemized.
    • Cancellations made less than 7 days before departure date or No-Show: 100% of the total booking cost will be charged.

    *** Non-refundable deposit and banking services fee will be forfeited in all cancellation cases.

    Refund of Unused Services during traveling:

    • No refund will be given for any unused service after the trip has commenced or during the tour.

    7. FORCE MAJEURE CLAUSE

    We may cancel a trip at any time before departure due to such events of force majeure as terrorism, natural disasters, war, fire, or other external events which are not viable for us to operate the planned itinerary. In case such events happen, we are responsible for immediately informing the client and refunding the full amount that you have paid. The client can also transfer the paid amount to an alternate departure date if the operation condition is permitted.

    Special conditions: This policy may vary for holiday and peak season bookings and depending on the cancellation policies of hotels, airlines, cruises and other contractors of Ftrip Vietnam Travel.

    About FTRIP VIETNAM CO,.LTD

    Business License No.: 0107783321 .Issued by: Investment Planning Department of Hanoi
    International Tour Operator License No.:
    01-1747/2022/TCDL-GP LHQT .Issued by: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism
    Public Liability No:
    5920923 .Issued by BaoViet Insurance

    Reviewed by

    Diep Van

    Phone: +84901166884

    Email: diep.van@ftripvietnam.com

    Diep Van

    Founder & Photography Guide

    Specialties: Culture, landscape, portrait, hiking, active and adventurous tour

    Besides my unlimited passion for traveling, a professional tour guide for over a decade, I have been taking photographs since sitting at Hanoi of the University of Culture in the early 2000s. Photography started as a hobby but it was seriously taken due to my work relations and my significant passion for the beauty of our world, especially in Southeast Asian parts such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

    Within a few years of taking photographs, my works began to be recognized by many reliable international publications such as AFAR Travel, The Times, and The Daily Telegraph newspaper. In addition, I continuously add to my growing profile by winning numerous major awards: 3rd Position of The Independent Photographer 2018, 1st Position of Amateur Photographer of the year 2018, Grand Prize Winner of the AFAR Travel Photography 2019, and a Gold Award of San Francisco Bay International Photography 2020.

    I photograph a wide variety of subjects, from travel to landscapes to street scenes. I enjoy documenting the East’s rich cultural heritage and its land soaked in glorious sunrise or sunset light in remote and secluded spots. And, I am very happy to share my knowledge and experience with you. You can visit Luminousvietnamtour to explore tour!


    RELATED TOURS