Northern Vietnam In Depth

Cultural Traditions, World Heritage Sites, and Mountain Trekking

The green mountains of Sapa are emblematic of northern Vietnam and a trekker’s paradise. Trails are threaded with murmuring rivers and thundering waterfalls and dotted with remote hill tribe villages. But while Sapa will undoubtedly be a highlight, our 12-day Northern Vietnam in Depth trip offers a much more comprehensive and nuanced look at the north, beginning in the culturally rich capital of Hanoi. 

You’ll also get an exclusive tour of UNESCO World Heritage sites including Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh in unique ways that skirt the crowds and allow you to fully embrace the wonder of these natural showstoppers. Along the journey, expect intimate, heartfelt encounters that many travelers miss. Whether that’s visiting a family home that’s been passed down through the centuries or learning about traditional handicrafts in a remote Red Dao mountain village. 

Northern Vietnam In Depth: 12 days / 11 nights

Northern Vietnam In Depth Trip Highlights

Begin your journey through Vietnam in the vibrant city of Hanoi, where your VIP escort will whisk you through priority customs and immigration. Your personal guide and driver will welcome you and bring you to your hotel, the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. This centrally located, historic 1901 property is an exquisite example of Hanoi’s French Colonial architecture and houses a beautiful interior garden and an excellent French restaurant. 
Embark on a culinary tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter while gaining insights into Vietnamese food culture from your expert guide. Pass through the historic east gate and enter Thanh Ha Market, where a bouquet of aromas, sights, and sounds captures the essence of Vietnamese culture. Continue through the warren of streets in Dong Xuan Market, where you can try specialities such as tiu and bun dau and take in the visual feast of stalls heaping with spices, dried goods, and aromatics essential to local flavors. End by wandering down some of the Old Town’s most atmospheric streets to sample ceremonial cakes, a famous French fusion dessert, and seasonal fruits prepared in local ways. 
Connect with the centuries-old cultural and familial traditions that define Vietnamese domestic life with a visit to a 20th-generation Hanoi family home. Over a cup of tea, get to know the family as they share captivating stories passed down through the generations and explain the history and architecture of their home. Marvel at artifacts, heirlooms, and an impressively detailed family tree, and wander through a serene, manicured garden that reflects the family’s deep relationship to the land. This is an intimate and heartfelt way to connect with the time-honored traditions that continue to shape contemporary life. 
Discover the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ha Long Bay differently. Bypass the crowded group tours and board a private, one-cabin traditional Chinese junk boat, sailing the tranquil waters of Bai Tu Long Bay, a less-traveled alternative to the busier Ha Long Bay routes. Over two days, you’ll cruise and kayak through the region’s iconic karst formations and emerald waters, savoring fresh seafood lunches out on the deck or mouth-watering barbecue feasts on pristine beaches. Explore the region’s beautiful caves, try your hand at squid fishing, visit a traditional fishing village, and stargaze with only the sound of gentles waves to break the silence. 
Next, you’ll travel to UNESCO-designated Ninh Binh, where rivers flanked by sheer limestone cliffs reminiscent of Ha Long Bay’s karst formations have earned the region the moniker “Ha Long Bay On Land”. Head out on a day of active adventure to discover Ninh Binh’s beautiful landscape and rich cultural heritage. Glide along the river in a traditional boat past green rice paddies and visit the Tam Coc grottoes before hopping on a bike and cycling along mountain paths that wind through quaint villages. Continue to Hoa Lu, which served as Vietnam’s capital in the 10th and 11th centuries, exploring ancient temples before ending the day with a scenic hike up Ma Yen Mountain. 
Head into the jungle in Cuc Phuong National Park, a biodiversity haven and Vietnam's oldest nature reserve. Visit the Endangered Primate Rescue Center, dedicated to the conservation and rehabilitation of endemic species, including the gibbon, langur, and loris, then venture deeper into the park. Trek along leafy trails on the lookout for some of the 336 bird species and 135 different mammal species that call the park home, such as the clouded leopard, Delacour's langur, Owston's civet, and Asian black bear. You’ll also visit the ‘Cave of Early Man’, a fascinating ancient pictograph site. 
Travel north to Sapa, where mist-shrouded mountains are threaded with trekking routes that wind through rice terraces and shadowy forests to reach remote hill-tribe villages. Your home base here is Topas Ecolodge, a rustic yet elegant hilltop hideaway where you can decompress with spa treatments, locally sourced food, and infinity pool dips, all surrounded by the mountains of Huang Lien National Park. 
Connect with the Red Dao, a minority ethnic community, on a guided journey through a less-visited part of Sapa. Trek along a mountain trail marked by deep valleys, green rice fields, and thundering rivers and waterfalls to reach two small villages far from the usual tourist trails. Share a cup of tea with local people, learn about their agrarian lifestyle, and discover their traditional handicrafts, including making rice paper, crafting silver jewelry, and sewing colorful embroidery for traditional costumes.
A scenic hike to Silver Stone Mountain offers yawning views of Sapa’s postcard scenery, with deep valleys and emerald rice terraces stretching toward the horizon. Arrive at the Red Dao village of Lech, where you’ll enjoy a traditional lunch in a community home, gaining insight into local life here. You’ll also have the chance to stop by a local school if it’s in session and meet students of varying ages from the Red Dao and Hmong minorities, who share a single classroom. Then continue on the trail as it climbs up toward green mountain peaks with views of the tranquil Muong Bo River far below.

Price

Starting at $6,300 per person sharing in 2025

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