Vietnam Northern Loop Adventure Tour 10 Days

• After breakfast, time to say goodbye family. Transfer by boat to the other tale of the Nang River to start your trekking day. The first three kilometers are in the tropical forest, you trek under the shade of the trees, then you would cross the rice paddy fields. Along the way, you will meet the first families of the Hmong ethnic group. It's a great opportunity to interact and talk with local people to better understand their way of life.
• Picnic Lunch.
• After lunch, continue towards the biggest hill of the day before going down to the silver Dzao minority houses.
• From here take a short boat trip to Pac Ngoi Village, passing the Widow Island.
• Welcomed by our driver and transfer to the village Pac Ngoi for the night at a Tays ethnic family.

• After breakfast at the homestay, we leave for Hua Ma Cave for a short visit, then drive to Ban Gioc Waterfall.
• Lunch in Cao Bang city, then we continue to Ban Gioc, on the way we stop visit Nung people living in the village of Phuoc Sen, a mountainous village famous for its traditional blacksmithing. The farming tools made here are an integral part of the lifestyle which is evident in the surrounding rice paddies and fields.
• Nestled amongst these amazing landscapes is the breath-taking Ban Gioc Waterfall which spans over 300 meters, split half and half between Vietnam and China. You’ll get some time here to simply take in the amazing atmosphere surrounding the falls, which presents an excellent opportunity for some fantastic photography.
• Once you’ve finished at the falls, it’s time to head over to Nguom Ngao Cave, for a very different, but no less impressive natural wonder. The cave stretches for 2,144 meters underground and is brimming with incredible stalactites and stalagmites.

• After breakfast, we head out to visit Meo Vac market and then embark on a 3 hour trek through the rugged mountains and trails of Meo Vac. You will feel overwhelmed by the majestic mountains, valleys and rivers below.
• After the trek, we leave Meo Vac and drive to towards Dong Van Karst Plateau, a major geo-heritage site in Vietnam. The landscape is composed of unlimited rice fields and thousands of limestone rocks.
• In Dong Van you will visit the former residence of the Vuong family, still called “Palace of Hmong King”. Then you will embark on a moderate hike to the Rocky Mountains on backroads which leads us to some hill tribe villages which is situated in between the grey rocks. We’ll also visit H’mong, Lo Lo and Giay ethnic villages in this incredible, untouched frontier region.
• After the hike, you get on van drive over the massive Ma Pi Leng Pass, well known for its abrupt cliffs and breath-taking views, referred to as the “king” of the passes in Vietnam with its highest point at an altitude of 2,000 meters, to Quan Ba Valley – an area of stunning natural beauty with green hills and abundant limestone caves. Travel through Quan Ba Pass – known as Heaven’s Gate with its panoramic views of the terraced rice fields below.

• After breakfast at the Lodge, we have a short visit Lung Tam where you will learn about Hmong handicraft. The craftswomen will demonstrate the techniques of hemp weaving and another traditional handicraft.
• Then we drive to Hoang Su Phi, withs top in Ha Giang, you will visit a nearby Tay Village (Tha Village). The village is located in the middle of a large valley inhabited mainly by Tay ethnic groups. Walk around the village among beautiful houses, gardens and rice fields.
• Along the way, you will have the chance to see beautiful rice terraces, waterfalls as well as various ethnic minorities.
• Arrive in Nam Hong village, Hoang Su Phi at around mid-afternoon, after check in Hoang Su Phi Lodge, spend the time for relaxing.

• It is a half day drive today but stunning scenery along the zigzag road. We arrive in Bac Ha town around noon, check in hotel in Bac Ha and Lunch at local restaurant.
• In the afternoon, walk to Ban Pho village of Nung and Flower Hmong, which locate in a small valley. The villagers grow vegetables and fruit trees. One of the most famous fruit of the area is plum. You will be able to visit a local house, where you might have chance to taste a cup of corn wine, another famous product of the village.
• It is open choice for you to relax at hotel or trek to Thai Giang Pho Village of the flower H'mong and the Nung, visiting one school, and trekking by the side of the the highest mountain in Bac Ha through the beautiful plumb gardens before another visit to the palace of the H'mong King that built in 1921.

Opened every Sunday at the center of Bac Ha township, this is the biggest ethnic market in Lao Cai Province and probably among some most interesting ones in the northern mountains. Peoples from ethnic groups including Black Zao, Tay, Phu La and Flower H’mong wearing their best traditional clothes attend the market to turn it into a kind of festival. Commodity sold at the market is varied from embroidered clothes, handicraft, farming products, food… to poultry and cattle such as vegetable, spices, chili, chicken, cat, piggy, doggy… At the market place, after finishing their shopping, peoples gathered into groups at footstalls or restaurants enjoying “Thang Co” a kind of H’mong traditional specialty, drinking corn wine and talking cheerfully. Not far away from the main market place, there is the buffaloes and horses’ market and it is really interesting to see the buyers carefully searching in order to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the animals before buying because a buffalo or horse is a real important property in their farming work. The best time to join the market is from 09.00 to 12.00 but it is fascinating to spend few hours earlier to see the people along the trail to the Bac Ha Market.

Lunch at a local restaurant. After Lunch and short rest, we leave for Sapa town (about 3hrs driving).

Approx.: 30 mins driving/ 5 hours walking/ 1-hour lunch
Appropriate footwear must be worn for treks to local villages. Note that in wet weather condition, programs may be changed.

• Meet up your local guide at the hotel and start trekking. The first part is on the road but we soon turn to the right and walk on a small path down the valley to Y Linh Ho village settled down by the Muong Hoa River and from here to the Black H’mong village of Lao Chai. Black H’mong is one of the biggest minority groups in the Sapa area. They are proud of their culture and keep their traditions and way of living. They have their own language and wear traditional indigo blue clothing. The H’mong peoples have just recently changed their living way from sifting style into the sedentary one. So there are still a lot traces of the past time can be seen: rudimentary houses, stone wall around homes…
• We continue to Ta Van village (1.200 m) to visit Zay people. Zay is a fairly small minority group of about 38.000 people who live mainly in the mountains in Northwest Vietnam. The development has meant that some of their old customs have been lost but many women still wear traditional shirts with a purple, blue or green color. The Zay houses are built of wood and bamboo with a clay floor.
• Then you check in homestay, get to know the family of Dzay People. Spend time to enjoy the mountain life on Sunset. You may attend cooking local dishes with the family and enjoy dinner in peace.