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Unusual and alternative discovery of Hanoi by bike. You discover the city of the Hanoians outside the tourist axes. From the Long Bien Bridge to the Red River nurseries to the pleasant district and temples of West Lake… Most of the time you will be pedaling on secondary roads with little traffic. Lunch of local specialties. Free time at the end of the day to stroll through the 36 streets of corporations, where many trades come together.

Road to the southwest of Hanoi. Stay in a guest house with a bike ride in the countryside. Visit of the village with ancient architecture of Duong Lam. Strolling through its narrow alleys around century-old houses really gives the impression of stepping back in time… Traditional foot massage and initiation into ancestor worship.

Initiation to Tai Chi in the morning before taking the road to Thac Ba lake. Check-in with the resident of the “white-pants” Dao minority. Walk in the village. Dinner and overnight with the locals.

In immersion with the locals, you will discover life by the lake, artisanal activities including basketry. You will be introduced to local fishing techniques. Walk and boat trip on the lake. Depending on the season, you can participate in daily activities such as feeding animals, helping in the kitchen or doing farm work.

Road to Bac Ha towards neighboring China. Installation in the village with the locals, lunch, then walk among the Tay and the Hmong with very different habitats.

On the way to the weekly Bac Ha market where all the mountain minorities of the region gather. A moment full of observations and colorful where you will meet Hmong flowers, Tay, Fula, Nung, Dao… Free time in the afternoon for rest, preparation for the trek or continuation of the immersion by participating in daily activities.

Beginning of the 3-day trek through the landscapes of rice terraces of the Bac Ha region. 5 hours of walking, elevation gain 500m. Night among the colorful Hmong.

Continuation of the hike through rice fields, hills of plum trees, fields of corn… On the way, meet colorful Hmong dressed in their superb traditional costumes. Short climb to the village of Phu La, dinner and overnight with the locals. 5 hours of walking, elevation gain 200m, highest point at 1350m.

Last day of walking in a beautiful valley… Arrival at the end of the afternoon. Shower at the Tay’s before going to Lao Cai station for the return to Hanoi by night train. 5 hours of walking, elevation gain 250m.

Arrival early in the morning in Hanoi, then trip to Tam Coc, the “terrestrial Halong Bay”. Installation in a friendly family pension. Break. In the afternoon, bike ride in the surrounding area or cooking class taught by your host.

Boat trip on the Van Long site, then bike ride along the river to discover the villages of the Red River delta. Lunch with the locals to taste regional specialties. Free end of the day in Tam Coc.

Discovery of another astonishing natural site, still unknown to visitors. Access by boat through the wild landscapes of limestone peaks to discover a huge cave with magnificent limestone concretions. Walk to the temple of Bich Dong nestled in a rocky peak. Meeting with the embroiderers of Tam Coc in the alleys of the village at the end of the day.

Charming cruise in Halong Bay. Road to Halong, boarding around noon and lunch on board. Beginning of navigation through this mythical bay of the dragon. During lunch, the boat heads to Thien Canh Son Island, where you can swim or take a sea kayaking tour among the islets. Friendly evening on board and night in a comfortable cabin.

The cruise we have chosen takes a different route from the roughly 500 other boats that ply the bay, ensuring you have a peaceful cruise. This company is a local player in responsible tourism in the bay.

Last morning of boat trip with a visit to a floating village. The majestic junk resumes navigation to bring you back to the port. Last lunch on the boat before disembarking. Road to Hanoi and airport transfer for the international return flight.

Tour of Hanoi starting with the West Lake District and the city’s oldest pagoda. Continue with the One Pillar Pagoda and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum District. Visit of the ethnology museum, a good introduction to the trekking days to come. Finally, the temple of literature. Puppet show on water, traditional art. Dinner and overnight.

Road to the southwest of Hanoi. Stay in a guest house with a bike ride in the countryside. Visit of the village with ancient architecture of Duong Lam. Strolling through its narrow alleys around century-old houses really gives the impression of stepping back in time… Traditional foot massage and initiation into ancestor worship.

Introduction to Tai Chi in the morning before taking the road to Nghia Lo. Stop en route in a tea plantation. Walk to discover the village of black Thai. Installation at the hostel or homestay in the village of Tram Tau. Dinner and overnight.

Beginning of the trek in the beautiful Tram Tau valley populated by black Thai people. Then small climb to reach the green Hmong. Beautiful rice terraces where rice is cultivated from February to June. Continue to the top before descending for the night with the locals in a large house on stilts in Tram Tau. Dinner and overnight. 6 hours of walking, 600m elevation gain.

Longer and more difficult day. Cross the forest to reach an isolated Hmong village at an altitude of 1895m. The habitat of the Hmong is very different, on one level on the clay. The bed is isolated from the ground by wooden platforms. 7 hours of walking, elevation drop 1200m.

Descent on a path that reveals superb panoramas. Depending on the season, you will discover plum trees in bloom, rice fields at different stages of cultivation… A few kilometers before the arrival, bath in the local hot springs. Arrival in a vast Thai village planted in the middle of nowhere… Very warm welcome. Dinner and overnight stay with the locals. 5 hours of walking, elevation gain 650m.

Go up the other side of the valley to a Hmong village overlooking the river bed to a small town where lunch will be taken. Then, a magnificent hiking trail through superb rice terraces in the Mu Cang Chai sector. End of the trek. Dinner and overnight stay with the locals. 5 hours of walking, elevation gain 500m.

Road to Sapa via the Hoang Lien Son pass. Lunch, then a nice walk in the Muong Hoa valley in Sapa where black Hmong, red Dao and Giay live. Relaxation in town at the end of the day. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Sapa.

Stopover at Thac Ba lake on the way back to Hanoi. Welcome to the Dao in white pants, skilled fishermen and builders. Beautiful walk in the village on foot and by boat on the lake. Dinner and overnight stay with the locals.

Nice walk of 3 hours before taking the road to Hanoi. Free end of the day in Hanoi. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Continue to Tam Coc, the “terrestrial Halong Bay”. Stop at the fishing village of Kenh Ga to get on bikes and pedal to Tam Coc. Visit of Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam. Boat trip on arrival in a magical setting of limestone peaks. Dinner and overnight in a family pension.

Charming cruise in Halong Bay. Road to Halong, boarding around noon and lunch on board. Beginning of navigation during lunch. Then, swim or sea kayak in the middle of the islands. Friendly evening on board and night in a comfortable cabin.
This cruise takes a different route from the 500 or so other boats that ply the bay, ensuring you have a peaceful cruise. This company is a local player in responsible tourism in the bay.

Last morning of sailing with a visit to a floating village by boat. The majestic junk resumes navigation to bring you back to the port. Last lunch on the boat before disembarking. Return to Hanoi. End of day free. Dinner and overnight.

Free time until departure for the airport and return international flight.

Tour of Hanoi starting with the West Lake District and the city’s oldest pagoda. Then One Pillar Pagoda and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum District. Visit of the ethnology museum, a good introduction to the trekking days to come. Finally, the temple of literature. Puppet show on the water, traditional art. Dinner and overnight.

Departure for the Cao Bang region with a very beautiful mountain road via the Bao Lac pass at the entrance to the border territories. The very complex relief constitutes a natural fortress based on the three points: Cao Bang, That Khé and Lang Son that we will discover. Overnight at hotel in Cao Bang.

We meet our local team, the liaison officer and the porters, before taking the bus to the Chinese border. After an hour and a half on the road, we arrive at a small village where we start our walk. The villagers come to see us with great curiosity! A small stage on a very flat path before joining the Nam La river. We enter more and more in the jungle, then follow the river to arrive at the hamlet of a few houses where we will spend the night … Homestay with Tay people. 5 hours of walking, elevation gain 750m.

The track climbs gently towards a beautiful waterfall then leads to a well-marked path. We encounter more and more sugar cane plantations. The afternoon is quiet along the river in the village of the Tay ethnic group, which will welcome us warmly for the night. Night in a house on stilts surrounded by a large banana garden by the river, swimming possible. 5h walk, elevation gain 450m.

Get up early with the rhythm of the household. We cross a suspension bridge then green hills. We discover life of a Vietnamese market and we have lunch in a small school. We are now entering a region specializing in planting sugar cane. On board a tractor we join Ta Lung. This town is an important border post between Vietnam and China. The visit to the border post is impressive (you imagine yourself being the actor in a spy film …). Night in a school. 5 hours of walking, elevation gain 500m.

After some fruit purchases at the market, visit of a cane sugar factory. The walk resumes, crossing the river in a raft. The path goes deeper and wilder. After a few pleasant “bumps”, then a passage through the jungle, the track leads to a huge basin invaded by rice fields. The peasants stare at us with curious eyes … Homestay with Tay people. 5 hours of walking, elevation gain 515m.

In the morning, we follow an easy track that crosses several Tay and Nung villages. After lunch, a path under the trees leads us to an impressive ridge which leads to a beautiful valley with sumptuous rice fields, surrounded by superb limestone peaks. We arrive at our destination in the late afternoon. The children run behind us shouting “Lien Xo” (Soviets…!). Homestay with Tay people. Hosts are very hospitable. 5 hours of walking, elevation gain 555m.

A 2 hour climb to reach the pass overlooking the Dong Khê basin. A splendid landscape awaits us. After a meal in a local restaurant in Dong Khê where there are some blockhouses built by the French army, we reach another pass overlooking Dong Khê. The path then descends to the small village of Daos where we will spend the night. 5h walk, elevation gain 630m.

After a 1/2 hour on an easy path under the trees, we follow down a torrent through a primary forest. This is the path that the French soldiers themselves took to escape the Dong Khê area… We then follow a small river before arriving at our stopover, a Tay village where the welcome is excellent. Unforgettable atmosphere for this last evening of the trek… Watch out for the rice alcohol… ! 5 hours of walking, elevation gain 435m.

A well-marked path along the river brings us around noon to the point where we find our vehicle. Departure for Lang Son, the most important Chinese border town, passage of most of the Chinese products which are imported into Vietnam. Visit of the central market. Night at the hotel. 5 hours of walking.

Charming cruise in Halong Bay. Road to Halong, boarding around noon and lunch on board. Beginning of navigation during lunch. Then, swim or sea kayak in the middle of the islands. Friendly evening on board and night in a comfortable cabin. This cruise takes a different route from the 500 or so other boats that sail the bay, ensuring you to have a peaceful cruise. This company is a local player in responsible tourism in the bay.

Last morning of cruise with a visit of a floating village. The majestic junk resumes navigation to bring you back to the port. Last lunch on the boat before disembarking. Return to Hanoi. End of the day free for some souvenir shopping. Dinner and overnight.

Free time until departure for the airport and international return flight.