Ethnic Encounters Impression

Our Authentik Travel’s tour guide and driver will welcome you at airport and transfer to Hotel in the city center.
Get some first briefing information about our country and enjoy a welcome dinner in a finest local restaurant.

Overnight in Hanoi.
 

Today, we discover the wonders of the capital of Vietnam, filled with timeless charm. Start by visiting Van Mieu (Temple of Literature), the first University of Vietnam built from the 11th century by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong. Continue to visit Chua Ha (Ha Pagoda), known as a sacred place to pray for luck in love, especially for your future spouse.

After that, transfer to the Ethnology Museum (closed every Monday) which offers a deep insight into Vietnamese culture through traditional costumes, tools, musical instruments and traditional houses of many minority ethnic groups. Enjoy a special water puppet show in the museum garden.
Lunch is served in a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, discover the Ho Chi Minh complex including the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh's House on stilts and the fish pond. 

For those who are interested in visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, it is only open in the morning and closed every Monday and Friday. Sometimes it is necessary to queue for a couple of hours to go inside the mausoleum.
Transfer to the old quarter to visit Hoan Kiem lake (Restored Sword Lake) and Ngoc Son temple in the middle of the lake.

Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.

Home to Tay people at Tay Con Linh mountain range.

Depart from your hotel in Hanoi to Ha Giang via the highway to Phu Tho. Stop to visit the Zao village at Ham Yen, Tuyen Quang. First, discover the houses on stilts, a typical style of ethnic groups in this undulating region.
Arrive in Ha Giang in the middle of the afternoon, beginning a trek to the Me - Lup – Tha Villages. Featuring serene beauty, these villages are made up of hundreds of houses on wooden stilts covered by palm leaves. In front of the houses, there are small ponds for raising fish and water hyacinth cultivations for pigs. You will be welcomed by big smiles from the villagers testifying to their legendary hospitality. Visit a typical house and discover the local daily life.

Arrive in Tha Village, a village on the palm hills with rice fields where you can rest in the serenity.
Check in at your home stay then take a walk around the village to catch the rhythm of daily life in the mountain before sunset.

Enjoy a delicious local dinner.
Overnight in Tha Village - home stay (basic comfort, house on stilts).
Driving time: 5hours – 280km
Walking distance: 5km – 1.5 hours.

Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark – home to Hmong ethnic people.

Depart to Dong Van with the magical landscapes of this region present along the route.
Before arrival at the Quan Ba pass, we will stop to visit a village of Bo Y in the Quyet Tien Commune. Their origin is from China. The Bo Y is a small community of 2000 people who populate in the mountainous parts of the north.
Reach the Quan Ba pass and take a short break to admire Quan Ba town with the famous twin fairy mountains (Nui Co Tien).

After Quan Ba, you will enter the Limestone rock plateau zone, considered as mountainous Halong Bay. This majestic natural treasure has been listed in the World Geological Park book.
On the way, you will discover “Nha Trinh Tuong” by a walking to the Lung Hoa Village. This is the typical house of Hmong people in the village which is built on sticky ground.

Next, visit the Palace of the Hmong King, Dinh Vua Meo. Dating back 100 years ago, far from the plain, the regions of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van, Meo Vac created an autonomous zone with their own king.
They cultivated poppies and their economy was based on the opium business with China.

Arrive in Dong Van and check in at your hotel and relax.
Driving time: 5 hours – 150km

Grandiose Ma Pi Leng pass, the region of Black Lo Lo ethnic group.

In the morning, it's possible to visit Dong Van and Meo Vac market on Sundays.
After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart from Dong Van to Meo Vac by crossing Ma Pi Leng Pass which seduces you with the breathtaking view of limestone mountains, Nho Que River and Hmong Villages nested in the mountain.

Continue to Bao Lac. This is well known for the Black Lo Lo ethnic group. This region was highlighted by the French media, “The journey into unknown land”. This documentary was filmed in Khuoi Khon village of the Lo Lo people, 9km away from Bao Lac town, by the rugby player, Frederik Michalak

Lunch is served in Bao Lac town and check in to your hotel.

In the afternoon, we transfer to Coc Xa Village, in the Na Van commune. This village of the Lo Lo ethic group remains more authentic then Khuoi Khon village which became more touristic after the famous documentary. Walk through the rice fields and trails in the village, visit the local people's houses, and talk with the hosts to understand more about the local life as well as their traditional customs.
Go back to the town and stay overnight in your hotel.
Driving time: 3hours – 130km.

Into the Land of San Chi and Zao.

Depart to Cao Bang via Tinh Tuc. 30km from Bao Lac, in Hung Dao commune, there is a beautiful village of the San Chi ethnic group. Of course, we will stop to visit and discover the beauty of the village. You will be one of just a few travelers to visit this area because of its hidden location behind the hill.
The village with hundreds of houses on stilts is nested on the side of a mountain and has views of the stunning valley. To reach to the village, you will have to walk up a steep 2km incline. The higher you walk, the better the view you will get. Also, you can visit a family to understand the authentic life of this ethnic group.
After, continue to Cao Bang, where you will be in awe of the magnificent nature where the mountains gently meet the valleys of rice terraces so stop to film or take photos whenever possible.

Arrive in Cao Bang in the afternoon. Check in to your hotel and walk around the central market in the city.
Stay overnight in your hotel.
Driving time: 4 hour – 130km
Walking distance: 4km
 

Immerse into the Nung ethnic group. Discover the magical Ban Gioc Waterfall and Nguom Ngao cave.
In the morning, depart from your hotel to Ban Gioc waterfall located on the border between Vietnam and China. It is 30m in height and 208m in width and is the most beautiful waterfall in Vietnam.

After 2 hours of driving through the magical limestone region, you will arrive at Ban Gioc waterfall and be amazed by this beautiful natural masterpiece.
In the afternoon, transfer to Nguom Ngao cave, reached by walking a hundred steps. The cave is located in the maize valley and is 2km in length. It is filled with incredible stalactites and stalagmites. It was a shelter for thousands of local people during the Vietnam/China border war.

On the way to Cao Bang we will visit Phuc Sen, a blacksmith village, where you will have an opportunity to burn your name into your souvenir knife.
You will be one of just a few travelers who spend a night in the village. The comfort is limited; however, you will enjoy the friendly atmosphere and the legendary hospitality of the Nung ethnic group and their authentic lifestyle.
Have dinner and stay overnight in a homestay.

Immerse yourself in Nung Village.

In the morning, depart from your homestay for a 2 hour trek to Nung village. You will discover the craft villages specializing in the manufacture of paper and incense sticks. The landscape of rice paddies, the limestone peaks and the Nung ethnic group with their delightful hospitality will astonish you. According to our clients, this is one of the itineraries which gave them the most wonder.

In the Canh Phung Tren village, meet our driver for a transfer to Ba Be. On the way, you will enjoy the magnificent landscape of the villages nestled in the flank of mountain. Stop on the way to meet the natives and take photos wherever possible.

Arrive in Ba Be in the afternoon.
Check in at your homestay to freshen up and rest. Have dinner and stay overnight in the homestay.
Driving time: 4 hours – 140km
Overnight in Pac Ngoi village.

Relaxing in the Ba Be National Park.

In the morning, take a walk from the village to the pier to enjoy a boat trip on the lake. It is possible to swim in the lake. Stop to discover the Fairy Pond in the middle of the primitive forest. After the lake, walk along the banks of the Nang river to be immersed into the beauty of wilderness and reach Dau Dang water fall. Continue the boat trip in the opposite direction along the Nang River and through Puong Cave, home to thousands of bats, toward Buoc Lom pier

Arrive in Hanoi in the late afternoon. Check in your hotel and enjoy some free time after the mountain getaway.
Driving time: 5 hours – 250km.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Enjoy your last minutes in Hanoi, meet our tour guide and driver for a transfer to airport. Take your flight to next destination or flight home.

Tour ends.