Destinations: Hanoi – Ha Giang – Quan Ba – Dong Van – Meo Vac – Hanoi.

Duration: 5 Days

Day 1: Hanoi – Ha Giang (L, D, G)

After breakfast, you’ll drive to Ha Giang, the northernmost province of Vietnam. You’ll stop en route at Tuyen Quang to visit the remains of the 15th century Mac Dynasty Citadel and a market nearby, passing countless tea plantations, mountains and ethnic minority villages along the way.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you’ll continue driving on a winding single lane road through strikingly mountainous scenery. In the mid-afternoon you’ll arrive at your hotel in Ha Giang. If time permits, you’ll explore the Ha Thanh and Thon Tha villages and meet the local people before you’re served dinner and stay overnight in a local Tay house.

Day 2: Trekking in Ha Giang (B, L, D, G)

After a sustaining breakfast, you’ll begin trekking for about 6 to 8 hours to the village of Lung Vai. Along this trek, you’ll get to take in the beauty of the terraced rice paddies, majestic mountains and serene palm-tree forests. You’ll also run into people from many different ethnic groups along the way, such as Man and Dao, who are generally more than happy to stop and interact with travellers for a short while.

You’ll enjoy a picnic lunch amidst nature before continuing to the remote village of Khuoi My. En route there will be many farmers working in the fields, and if we have the time you can even join in for some farm work if you so desire.

Finally, you’ll move on to Ban Tha Village, where our driver will pick you up and drive you to Nam Dam, where you can enjoy a home-cooked local meal and spend the night in a homestay operated by a Dzao family.

Around 13-15 km trek

Day 3: Quan Ba – Dong Van (B, L, D, G)

As we set out from Ha Giang after obtaining our permit from the immigration office, your journey to Dong Van will be filled with spectacular landscapes featuring a series of long passes. En route, you’ll stop for lunch in the small and beautiful mountain village of Tam Son before heading to the majestic “King of the H’mong Palace,” a fortress built by the local chief Vuong Chin Duc, who allied himself with French forces against the Viet Minh. Constructed in the 1900s, this palace was designed in the style of ancient Chinese architecture from the Qing era, using materials such as solid stone blocks, wood, and terracotta tiles.

You will then stop for lunch in the mountain town of Dong Van before embarking on a 3.5-hour trek to the highest mountain in Dong Van, where you can enjoy truly breathtaking panoramic views. The journey will also include visits to H’mong, Lo Lo, and Giay ethnic villages in this incredible, untouched frontier region. Youll spedn the night in Dong Van.

Around 8-10 km trek.

Day 4: Dong Van – Meo Vac – Ha Giang (B, L, D, G)

After breakfast, you will explore Dong Van Old Quarter before trekking off the beaten path to Pu Lo Fortress, built in 1890 and abandoned in 1945. From here, you can enjoy spectacular views of the entire region before climbing 8 km to the top of Ma Pi Leng Pass. You’ll navigate through a gigantic maze of limestone peaks, stone forests, and canyons before descending into the valley of Meo Vac.

Once the trek is complete, you will be driven back to Ha Giang for dinner and an overnight stay in a hotel.

Around 8-10 km trek.

Day 5: Ha Giang – Hanoi (B, L, G)

In the morning, you’ll return to Hanoi, pass through the hills of Central-North Vietnam and stopping for lunch en-route. The locals here are likely to be fascinated by your presence, as the area sees very few foreign visitors, so it’s a great time to interact with the locals and learn about their culture. You’ll arrive in Hanoi in the late afternoon. You’ll spend the night in Hanoi.

What’s included:

Breakfast and accommodation sharing double/twin room.
Pick-ups and transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle as specified in the itinerary above.
Travel in an appropriate private air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced safe driver.
The services of experienced English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary.
Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as mentioned in the programme.
Lunches and dinners (as specified in the itinerary) in the local restaurants, or picnics where no suitable restaurant is available.