Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi (-)
Upon arrival, you will be picked up at the airport and transferred to downtown Hanoi. Check-in at the hotel, dinner on your own and free time in the evening.
Overnight: at the hotel.
Day 2: Hanoi – visit of the city (B, L, D)
The day will be dedicated to the discovery of Hanoi, the charming capital of Vietnam. Walk around the beautiful Hoan Kiem Lake where the locals go to relax and drink the very strong local “weasel” coffee. Visit the Temple of Literature and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the resting place of the former leader of the Communist Party and national hero. Go to the Museum of Ethnology and explore the Old Quarter. While on this tour, you will taste ice-cold fruit shakes and delicious bowl of Pho among other northern Vietnam delicacies.
Enjoy the lively streets, busy markets and the hustle and bustle in Hanoi. In the evening, you will enjoy a very nice water puppet show and have free time for shopping at Hanoi Night Market.
Overnight: at the hotel.
Day 3: Hanoi – Mai Chau (B, L, D)
Have a good breakfast at the hotel before departing for Mai Chau. While on the way, you will be delighted to see picturesque sceneries with stunning views on the mountains.
Upon arrival, you will meet a family of Thai ethnicity who will cook a delicious lunch for you.
Later, you will visit Mai Chau, an area located in a pretty valley where landscapes are like a patchwork of rice paddies, farms, and stilt houses.
After dinner, you will enjoy a traditional show (music & dance).
Overnight: homestay – Ban Pam Coong (Pam Coong Village).
Day 4: Mai Chau – Kho Muong (B, L, D)
Wake up and have a nice breakfast served by the host family. After that, get ready for a 20-km drive to the starting point of a 5-km trek that will lead you to Kho Muong Village.
Upon arrival, check-in at the homestay. You will meet your hosts for the two following nights.
Kho Muong is a village inhabited by the Thai minority, well-hidden by the mountainous surroundings. It is home to large rice fields and to a beautiful water stream. The afternoon will be dedicated to community service activities in a local school, such as cleaning the school or painting the walls.
Overnight: homestay – Ban Kho Muong (Kho Muong Village).
Day 5: Kho Muong (B, L, D)
Good morning! The sounds of crowing roosters will let you know its time to wake up. After breakfast, you will start the service project for the day. The schoolhouse is in need for some renovations and there is always plenty of work to do in the rice fields and gardens.
Afterwards, you will be able to relax and swim in the creek, walk the buffalos to pasture, take a hike to the top of the mountain, or just hang out with your new friends teaching English and learning Vietnamese. All the words you can learn now could be be a useful down the road while you continue the journey.
In the late afternoon, all the village women head out to collect wood that will be used for cooking the dinner of the evening. Grab a woven back and accompany them, you will share beautiful and happy moments with them and you will realize that your help is very much appreciated.
Overnight: homestay – Ban Kho Muong (Kho Muong Village).
Day 6: Kho Muong – Pho Doan – Hanoi (B, L, D)
Wake up early and savor a hot tea while sitting on the balcony of your house. You will then head to the schoolhouse and add the finishing touches to your project. After completion of your work, take group photos and give out some high-fives to the kids as you get ready to leave Kho Muong for your next destination.
Have a nice breakfast before going to visit the massive Kho Muong Cave. After that, you will trek for roughly 90min up until reaching Pho Doan, where you will meet the driver. Have lunch before boarding the bus for the drive back to Hanoi.
Check-in at the hotel upon reaching Hanoi. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight in the capital.
Overnight: at the hotel.
Day 7: Hanoi – Ha Long Bay (B, L, D)
Have a nice breakfast at the hotel. Your next destination is Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
You will be driven to Ha Long and board a large junk boat for a 24-hour journey along the coasts. Junk boats are ancient Chinese sailing ships that appeared around the 2nd century and that are still used today.
Enjoy lunch on the deck as the vessel is sailing past thousands of jagged limestone karsts. Kick back, relax, snap some photos and sunbathe. You will also stop to discover the mysteries of Sung Sot Cave and swim at Titov Beach.
Afterwards, you will go back to the boat and enjoy a delicious dinner. Spend the evening onboard at your own leisure.
Overnight: on your private boat in Ha Long Bay.
Day 8: Ha Long Bay – Hanoi (B, L)
As the sun rises over the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, wake up and board a kayak to head to Luon Cave. Inside this enormous cavern, you will see thousands of years at work in the form of amazing stalactites and stalagmites. Take the kayaks further down the bay and try your hand at fishing.
After that, go back to the the junk boat. The vessel will sail to Bai Tu Long Bay and you will enjoy some sightseeing on Fire Island. Bai Tu Long Bay is home to several islands where wild animals can be seen (including exotic birds, monkeys, antelopes, and lizards).
After a lunch onboard, the boat will dock at the wharf and you will hop onto the bus to go back to Hanoi.
In the evening, you will walk through the historic Old Quarter and have dinner on your own.
Overnight: at the hotel.
Day 9: Hanoi – depature (B)
Breakfast at the hotel and free until time the transfer to the airport for the departure flight.
