Best of Northern Vietnam

Once you have arrived at Noi Bai International Airport, a private transfer takes you into the city, with a maximum wait of 30 minutes after landing and around an hour on the road to reach your accommodation in Hanoi's Old Quarter.

Vietnam's capital blends centuries of history with a distinctly modern buzz, from its tree-lined lakes and French colonial boulevards to the maze of streets in the Old Quarter. The rest of the day is free, and Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter's night markets are both within easy walking distance of your accommodation if you feel like exploring.

This morning, a guide and driver meet you at your hotel for a safety briefing before setting off on a four-hour Vespa tour of the city, running from 8 am to 12:30 pm, with a helmet and rain poncho provided for the ride.

The route weaves through Hanoi's backstreets and alleyways, past local homes, schools and markets, giving you a sense of daily life away from the main tourist trail. You also pass many of the city's best-known landmarks, including Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, the thousand-year-old Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, the French Quarter, the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, Hanoi Opera House and Long Bien Bridge.

From the city centre, the ride continues out to the quieter outskirt villages around West Lake and Truc Bach Lake, offering a contrast between Hanoi's hectic centre and its more peaceful edges. Along the way, you stop at a series of local restaurants, eateries and food stalls where you can try some of the city's dishes, including family recipes and local specialties.

Please note: Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum is closed to visitors on Monday and Friday mornings, closed every afternoon, and closed to the public for maintenance each year between early September and early November.

Please note: Your driver for today is licensed and local travel insurance is included, though bringing your own travel insurance is also recommended.

Today is free to spend as you choose, with the whole of the Old Quarter and central Hanoi at your doorstep - a good chance to browse the shops of the Old Quarter, wander back through the lakeside parks, or simply relax before tonight's journey.

In the evening, you're transferred from your hotel to Hanoi Train Station, with pickup from your hotel reception at 8 pm for the short 30-minute drive. From here, the SP3 overnight train departs Hanoi at 10 pm, arriving into Lao Cai at 5:55 am the following morning.

You travel in a private, air-conditioned two-berth sleeper cabin, complete with wifi and a seasonal snack of fresh fruit or herbal tea with biscuits.

On arrival into Lao Cai, a representative meets you at the station and transfers you onward to Sapa, a mountain town surrounded by peaks and rice terraces, arriving by around 9 am.

After checking in, your guide and driver collect you for a full day exploring away from Sapa's busier valleys. You head north along national road 4C towards O Quy Ho, stopping for views over Fansipan, Sin Chai valley and the surrounding flower and vegetable farms, before turning onto a narrow road that winds for half an hour through thick rainforest and past several waterfalls to reach Ban Khoang, a Red Dao village known for its terraced wet rice fields and cardamom farming.

You spend over an hour walking through Ban Khoang before continuing around 10 km to the Ta Giang Phinh valley, home to Black Hmong communities settled along a quiet stream.

After an hour's lunch break on the riverbank, you follow village paths connecting the settlements, watching locals plough and harrow their fields, grow and harvest crops, build and repair houses, and weave traditional costumes. The walk ends in the mid-afternoon, when you're picked up for the drive back to Sapa.

In total, today involves around two hours of driving, four hours of walking and an hour for lunch.

This is a free day to explore Sapa independently. If you'd like some suggestions, the Sapa Culture Museum offers an introduction to the traditions and costumes of the area's ethnic groups, or you could head up to Ham Rong for views over the surrounding valley.

The morning is free before you check out of your accommodation, giving you time for one last look around Sapa.

In the afternoon, a shared limousine transfer collects you from your hotel, or from Cau May Street in the town centre, at 2 pm for the six-hour drive back to Hanoi, dropping you at your hotel in the Old Quarter by around 8 pm. The rest of the evening is free.

After breakfast, a shuttle bus collects you from your hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter for the road journey to Mai Chau, arriving at your accommodation in the early afternoon.

Mai Chau is a valley of rice fields and stilt villages, home to the Thai ethnic minority. In the afternoon, you set out on a 15 km cycling route from your accommodation, stopping first at Nhot village to visit a local family - the Diep family, who live together across four generations - for tea and local fruit, with the chance to try weaving, embroidering, pounding rice and making the local rice wine.

From there, you continue cycling through a string of villages including Na Thia, Chieng Sai, Cha, Cha Long, Tong Dau, Pom Coong and Lac, taking in daily Thai village life along the way, before returning to your accommodation by early evening.

This morning, you're driven from your accommodation into Thanh Hoa province, arriving at Don village after around two hours on the road. From here, your guide leads an off-road trek past the tribal settlements of Kho Muong and Trinh village, following muddy trails through dense forest and alongside a stream, with views over local farming life along the way.

From Trinh village, a short 30-minute drive brings you to Nua village, where you stop at a local household for a traditional lunch of dishes such as chicken, bamboo roots and grilled pork paste, along with time to rest and learn about the family's way of life. The trek then continues on to Doc village, reaching Pho Doan in the mid-afternoon, where you have the option of staying overnight in Pu Luong or returning to your previous accommodation in Mai Chau by road.

This trip continues with an overnight stay in the reserve, in a rice-field setting surrounded by forest and karst mountains. In total, today's trek covers around 7-10 km at an easy level, descending from roughly 700 m to 200 m in altitude, with about two hours of driving included.

A private car collects you from your accommodation this morning for the three-and-a-half-hour drive south to Ninh Binh, an area often described as "Halong Bay on land" for its limestone karst scenery. On arrival, you enjoy a lunch of local specialties before setting out with your guide in the afternoon.

You're transferred to the Tam Coc river, where you board a private sampan for a cruise through the UNESCO-listed waterway, passing beneath towering limestone karsts and through the three river caves that give Tam Coc its name (meaning "three caves"). Afterwards, you take a scenic bike ride around the surrounding villages, riding alongside rice fields set against the limestone mountains, before visiting Bich Dong Pagoda.

A climb of 200 steps up Ngu Nhac Mountain leads to three cave pagodas dating back to 1428, with views out over the countryside. You're then transferred back to your accommodation in Ninh Binh.

The day starts with a three-hour private car transfer to Halong Bay. You check in for your cruise at Tuan Chau International Marina between 11:30 am and 11:45 am, before being tendered out to board your boat.

Once aboard, you're welcomed with a briefing and a drink before lunch is served as the boat cruises out among the islands of Halong and Lan Ha Bay. In the afternoon, the boat drops anchor for swimming and sunbathing, with the option to go kayaking under your guide's instruction.

Back on board, you can watch the sunset from the sundeck before joining a sunset gathering with local snacks and fruit, followed by a cooking demonstration on how to make traditional Vietnamese spring rolls. Dinner is served from a set menu, and the evening continues with drinks at the panoramic bar or squid fishing from the boat, at an additional cost.

Please note: The cruise itinerary and activities, including swimming, kayaking and sampan trips, are subject to change based on weather, tides and operating conditions.

Please note: Drinks such as cocktails and wine are not included and are priced higher on board due to storage, service and tax costs.

Please note: The wifi signal on board can be inconsistent due to the surrounding islands.

An early start on board brings the chance to watch the sunrise and join a Tai Chi session on the sundeck, weather permitting, before a light breakfast is served with views over the bay. Mid-morning, you have the choice of a traditional bamboo sampan ride or kayaking through the Light Cave area, rowing beneath its stone formations on calm water.

Back on board, you pack up and check out before a final lunch is served, then disembark by speedboat to Tuan Chau Marina to say farewell to the crew. From here, a private car takes you on the three-and-a-half-hour drive back to Hanoi, where the rest of the day is free and you overnight in the Old Quarter.

Once you have had breakfast, you're transferred from your hotel to Noi Bai International Airport for your onward flight, with pickup at 6 am and a maximum wait of 30 minutes. Your driver collects you from the hotel reception for the hour-long journey to the airport, bringing your tour to a close.