Northwest Mountain Villages

A seven-day guided tour of Vietnam’s Northwest Mountain area and its ethnic minority communities

Highlights: Hanoi, travelling by train to the north-west mountains, ethnic minority villages and an authentic market, hiking and homestays in family houses

Your tour begins with...

A night in Hanoi, half a day to explore the city and an orientation session before overnight train journey
Once you’ve arrived and settled in, we’ll provide you with some light, but informative entertainment. On the following day, we’ll show you the sights of Hanoi and take you to the Ethnology Museum to prepare you for your excursion up into the mountains. In the evening, we’ll meet you over dinner to say ‘hello’, and talk about your tour.

Around 21.30, you’ll board the overnight sleeper to Lao Cai, on the border with China.

Meals: one breakfast, one lunch and one dinner

Guide: transfers from the airport, a full day and transfer to the train

Four days in the mountains
The train arrives in Lao Cai at a decidedly uncongenial time of 05.00, but breakfast and a shower will fortify you for a drive to a market in a remote area. Then it’ll be back to Lao Cai and on up into the mountains to Sa Pa. As you’ll probably be suffering from the effects of getting up in the dark, we put you in a hotel for the night.

At a more civilised hour, you set off to visit some of the many ethnic villages in the area. How you travel is mainly up to you. Hardy souls will probably want to trek, but other options are gentler hiking routes, bicycle, the back of a motorbike, jeep or, for the ‘softies and proud of it’, an air-conditioned car. Of course, the more comfortable modes of travel limit your range.

You’ll sleep in local houses, usually communally in a large room. If there’s no other travellers booked in, you’ll probably have the place to yourselves, as some the house owners prefer a separate room.

Meals: four breakfasts, four lunches and three dinners

Guide: from meeting you at Lao Cai to helping you on to the train, apart from an evening in Sa Pa

Back to Hanoi
Another early morning, unfortunately, but your hotel room will be ready for you for a rest and breakfast, and you have time to do some souvenir shopping before your car arrives to take you to the airport.

Meals: one breakfast

This tour is seven days/six nights
It includes:
All transfers and train fares
All accommodation
Six breakfasts, five lunches and four dinners