|
Day 1: Ha Noi - Mai Chau (L, D)
8.00AM - Depart by jeep from Hanoi to Hoa Binh province. On route, you will traverse a region of spectacular limestone mountains and valleys before arriving at Mai Chau Valley of the Thai people.
12.00PM - After lunch, the afternoon will be spent being guided around one of their picturesque villages while learning about the Thai and experiencing their renowned hospitality.
6.00PM - Enjoy a sumptuous dinner whilst watching traditional local dances and sample the local rice wine. Spend the night in a house on stilts.
Day 2: Mai Chau – Moc Chau – Son La (B, L, D)
8.00AM - You will be traveling further westward towards the even more remote area of Son La. Fruit orchards, tea plantations and towering mountains line your journey. En route, you will have the chance to meet and talk to the black Thai, white Thai, H'mong and Muong hill tribe people as they journey to work or the local markets.
12.00PM - After lunch in the afternoon, visit the Prison Museum in Son La, which presents one perspective on the former French colonial rule.
6.00PM - Dinner and overnight at the Cong Doan Hotel.
Day 3: Son La - Dien Bien Phu (B, L, D)
8.00AM - Visit tribal villages along the way to Dien Bien Phu city. The farther you drive, the more impressive the mountain scenery will become.
12.00PM - Stop for lunch in Tuan Giao. Continue onwards and enjoy the spectacular scenery of Pha Din pass.
3.00PM - Arrive in Dien Bien Phu city, the last military base of the French colonial power in Indochina. Visit monuments, museums and preserved bunkers.
6.00PM - Dinner and explore the nightlife of this remote mountain city. Overnight in Muong Thanh Hotel.
Day 4: Dien Bien Phu – Lai Chau - Tam Duong (B, L, D)
8.00AM - depart Dien Bien Phu city for Tam Duong, through Lai Chau valley where you will be impressed by the breathtaking and dramatic scenery. Meet the some of the most beautiful and friendly hill tribes in northern Vietnam, such as the H'Mong, Black Thai, Black Dzao and Pazi.
6.00PM - Dinner and overnight in Tam Duong.
Day 5: Tam Duong – Sapa (B, L, D)
8.00AM - Explore Tam Duong and its market by day
10.00AM - Depart Tam Duong for Sapa through Tram Ton pass, the highest mountain pass in Vietnam, you will be rewarded by truly magnificent views of the majestic mountains, passes and valleys. Explore Sapa upon arrival.
Day 6: Sapa, trek and homestay (B, L, D)
8.00AM - Depart Sapa by jeep through a rugged but scenic downhill road from Sapa and visit the village of the Zay people
10.00AM - Trek across paddy fields, villages and streams to discover the hill tribes' gentler and tranquil way of life.
6.00PM - Conclude your day's trek at a Tay village called Ban Ho, where you will stay with a local family - the perfect conclusion to a truly satisfying day filled with cultural insights and the unspoiled beauty of nature.
Day 7: More trek and jeep back to Sapa, night train to Hanoi (B, L, D)
8.00AM - Depart your homestay and trek to the main road. Return to Sapa by jeep.
12.00PM - Explore Sapa after lunch.
8.50PM - Depart Lao Cai train station for Hanoi in an air-conditioned soft sleeper. Arrive in Hanoi at 5.00AM the next morning. | 
