Ha Giang Adventure 8 days (IPV47)

Xin Chao! Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam.

Upon arrival at Hanoi Airport, your private guide and driver are waiting to meet you, holding up a welcome signboard with your names on it and take you directly to your hotel.

After checking-in, you will have time to relax and adjust to the pace of Hanoi. There will be a short tour briefing this evening with your guide followed by a welcome dinner at KOTO restaurant, a social enterprise that trains and employs underprivileged youth to provide a step up in life.

Please note: Your travel documents contain a Visa-on-Arrival letter (unless otherwise arranged). Please ensure to pack this in your carry-on luggage. Your Visa-on-Arrival letter must be presented to Customs upon entry into the country.

Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: (_/_/D)

Morning
After breakfast, you will leave the bustling Hanoi behind and venture your way for 6 hours to the very northern tip of Vietnam – Ha Giang. Stop en-route for photo shooting at times when passing through many of the magnificent views along the way.

Lunch will be served in a local restaurant en route and continue your drive further to Ha Giang.

Afternoon
Arrive Ha Giang in the late afternoon and transfer to Thon Tha, a small village situated in Phuong Do Commune, less than 10 kilometers Ha Giang City. It has a tiny population of about 550 people. Only a total of 90 homes make up the whole neighborhood, traditional stilt houses made from wood and bamboo and with a palm-thatched roof.

After checking into a local homestay in Thon Tha Village, spend the rest of day to regain your energy and get yourself ready for the exciting upcoming trip. Dinner with your host family.

Overnight at a local homestay
Meals: (B/L/D)

Morning
After breakfast, the local guide will meet you at your homestay where you will start your trek for four hours through the terraced rice paddies, majestic mountains and serene palm-tree forests to the village of Lung Vai. Along this trek, you will have plenty of chances to meet and talk with the minorities such as Man and Dao, who are generally more than happy to communicate and interact.

Afternoon
After enjoying a picnic lunch, continue trekking for two hours more to the village of Ha Thanh, home to the Tay Minority group. Walk along the river and have a relaxing swim at the waterfalls. From there you will begin your real adventure to Quan Ba, the land called “Heaven on Earth” with your private guide and driver. Venture through small villages and past vast agricultural landscapes and the sweeping mountains of the North.

After passing the Heaven’s Gate and  Quan Ba’s Twin Mountain you will arrive at Nam Dam village inhabited by Dao Ethnic People (Indigo Dao or Long Dress Dao group). The charming village is nestled peacefully in a valley surrounded by karst mountains, holds inside it preserved traditional customs, habits and culture from ancient times which is appealing to travelers.

Tonight you will enjoy staying at homestay with the local family in their traditional houses. The houses’ walls are built from compacted soil to make it cool in summer and warm in the winter, protecting the people here from inclement weather in the high mountains. With fully equipped facilities and equipment, the homestay will make you feel happy and comfortable.

Overnight at a local homestay
Meals: (B/L/D)

Morning
After breakfast, your personal guide will take you to visit Lung Khuy Cave, one of the newest caves in Ha Giang discovered in 2015. A 2-km walk is required to get to the cave filled with amazing view of the surrounding and the natural creation of twinkling stalagmites and stalactites inside. After exploring the caves, you will visit Lung Tam, a Flower H’mong’s village, where you can learn how local villagers make embroidery.

Depart Quan Ba, embark on a four hour drive through rugged outcrops to the beautiful town of Meo Vac, inhabited by different ethnic minorities including the H’mong, the King, Tay and Dzao. Most ethnic groups have maintained their culture untouched from the outside world. Along the way, you will see the huge green mountains with the roads hugging the curves and edges. You will pass Yen Minh town, home to pine forests, terraced fields, and lush tropical jungles.

Afternoon
Arrive Meo Vac town and have lunch at a local restaurant then take a boat trip on the Majestic Nho Que River which will be a unique experience. The kayaks on the river are available if you want to be active. After the boat trip, transfer to Meo Vac Clay House in Pa Vi Community village to check in. Spend the rest of the evening at your leisure.

Overnight in Meo Vac
Meals: (B/L/D)

Morning
After breakfast, head out to visit Meo Vac market and then embark on a three hour trek through the rugged mountains and trails of Meo Vac. You will feel overwhelmed by the majestic mountains, valleys and rivers below.

After the trek, depart Meo Vac and drive to towards Dong Van Karst Plateau, a major geo-heritage site in Vietnam. The landscape is composed of unlimited rice fields and thousands of limestone rocks. Today you will enter the highlight of the journey, the Ma Pi Leng Pass, well known for its abrupt cliffs and breath-taking views, often referred to as the “king” of the passes in Vietnam with its highest point at an altitude of 2,000 meters.

Afternoon
Arrive Dong Van and have lunch at a local restaurant. After that you will have time to stroll around, meet the minority people and visit the ancient streets with old houses, built in centuries ago. The District of Dong Van is largely rural, with ethnic minorities living in the rugged mountains around the city. This town is famous for it’s Sunday market.

After exploring, transfer to your hotel for check in. Then spend the remainder of the day at your leisure.

Over night in Dong Van 
Meals: (B/L/_)

Morning
After breakfast, your guide will take you out to explore Dong Van’s Sunday Market, one of the most unique market places in the far north. Once a week, buyers and sellers who are mostly ethnic minorities from the surrounding hills, including the Hmong, Tay, Nung and Hoa ethnic groups, flood into Dong Van for trade.  Some come from miles away, walking on the side of the highway carrying goods on their back. Still, by 5AM the market is already alive with sounds of motorbikes and the smell of fresh Pho, the noddle soup. The market ends around 10am so set an alarm – it’s well worth the early wake up.

After exploring the market you will take a short trek to Pu Lo, a French fortress built in 1890 located on a hill above the town. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Dong Van.

Afternoon
Depart Dong Van and wind your way back to Ha Giang City. Along the way, pay a visit to Sa Phin Valley in Lung Phin Commune. Here you will visit the local workshops specializing in traditional flax embroidery, weaving, and dyeing. It has formed a closed chain ranging from self-supply of raw materials to production and consumption and created jobs for 95 members in Sa Phin village. You will also have a chance to explore the H’mong King Palace which once belonged to the “King of the H’mong Tribe” and was constructed by the French and Chinese architects, leading to an interesting fusion of styles.

Continue your journey back to Ha Giang. Arrive and check into Truong Son Ecolodge in the late afternoon where the remainder of the day will be free at your leisure.

Overnight in Ha Giang
Meals: (B/L/_)

After breakfast and check out of the Ecolodge you will be picked by your guide and driver and then transferred back to Hanoi.

If you wish to stop at any point to take pictures, simply inform the driver and he will make sure you get the chance.

Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant along the way.

Arrive Hanoi in the late afternoon and check in to your hotel. The balance of the day is at your leisure.

Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: (B/L/_)

Your private transfer greets you at the hotel after breakfast and escorts you to Hanoi International Airport where you board your flight home or travel on to more adventures, we will help you with the planning.

Meals: (B/_/_)