Hanoi – Ha Long – Sapa 5 Days / 4 Nights

Ha Long Bay by boat and Sapa by overnight train

Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Sapa in five days: Hanoi's landmarks, a boat trip among Ha Long's islands and caves, then the overnight train to the mountains for Ham Rong, Cat Cat village and the Lao Cai border.

Itinerary

Day 1 · Hanoi – Ha Long (L/D)

1. Morning

   Pick-up at your hotel in Hanoi. Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum area (outside), the One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university.

2. Noon

   Lunch at a local restaurant, then travel to Ha Long.

3. Evening

   Dinner at a local restaurant and free time to explore Ha Long. Overnight in Ha Long.

Day 2 · Ha Long Bay – Hanoi – overnight train to Lao Cai (B/L/D)

1. Morning

   Breakfast at the hotel, then a boat trip on Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, visiting Thien Cung and Dau Go caves.

2. Noon

   Seafood lunch on board while cruising past more islands. Back on shore, stop at a green bean cake shop on the way to Hanoi.

3. Afternoon

   Visit Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple, then free time to shop in the Old Quarter.

4. Evening

   Dinner, then board the overnight sleeper train to Lao Cai.

Day 3 · Lao Cai – Sapa (B/L/D)

1. Morning

   Transfer by coach to Sapa, check in and have breakfast. Explore Sapa market and town.

2. Noon

   Visit Ham Rong Mountain with its stone garden and orchid garden, the Heaven Gate viewpoint and the view over Sapa town. Watch a performance by H'mong and Dao artists in traditional dress.

3. Evening

   Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Sapa.

Day 4 · Sapa – Cat Cat – Lao Cai – overnight train to Hanoi (B/L/D)

1. Morning

   Breakfast, then visit Cat Cat village to see the daily life of the Black H'mong, call at local homes and see the early 20th-century hydroelectric station by the waterfall.

2. Noon

   Lunch in Sapa, check out and transfer to Lao Cai. Free time at Lao Cai market and a visit to the Vietnam–China border gate.

3. Evening

   Dinner, then board the overnight sleeper train back to Hanoi.

Day 5 · Arrive in Hanoi

1. About 06:00

   Arrive at Hanoi station and transfer to your hotel in the Old Quarter. Tour ends.

Good to know

• The order of visits may change with weather and train schedules; all listed sights are still included.
• Bring warm layers for Sapa, where evenings can be cool all year round.
• Hotels can be upgraded on request.