4WD North-West Vietnam

Hanoi - Mai Chau - Son La - Dien Bien - Lai Chau - Sapa - Hanoi 

Day 1: Hanoi - Mai Chau
Pick up at your hotel and leave at 8:00 this morning. The road from Hanoi to Hoa Binh o­n highway 6 has been upgraded. The pretty landscape is dotted with churches, pagodas and villages. You will stop to visit the Muong tribe en-route, then another break at Thung Khe Pass for the spectacular view of Mai Chau valley.
Have lunch in Mai Chau. Spend the afternoon for trekking away from the tourist track, close to Song Ma River. Here, you will discover the beauty of this valley and the culture of Thai people who is living in this area.
Tonight, you will have dinner and stay with a Thai family.
Distance: 160 km or 100 miles.
Meals: L, D
Accommodation: Home Stay in Mai Chau.

Day 2: Mai Chau – Son La
Have breakfast at the home-stay before embark o­n a beautiful drive north to Son La. This good stretch of road is filled with stunning sceneries; you will make frequent photo stops and visit to the minority villages of the H’mong and Black Thai.
Lunch is served at a local restaurant en-route. The highlight o­n your drive today will be a visit of a tea plantation in Moc Chau plateau. Here, you will find the best Vietnam teagrowing region, along the roads and o­n the hillsides. You will reach Son La in the afternoon. Dinner and stay overnight in Son La.
Distance: 187 km or 116 miles.
Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Hotel in Son La

Day 3: Son La – Dien Bien
Today you will travel o­n more winding & stunning roads, longer passes and see more colorful minority groups. Just as in the previous day, you may want to stop more often for pictures and visits the villagers to learn more about their rich cultures.
After lunch, the drive to the impressive Pha Din pass will be the highlight of the day.
Pha Din pass sits 1,000 meter or 3280 feet above the sea level. According to local legend, Pha Din means the connection between Heaven and Earth. Climbing and descending the slopes with the many bends and deep gorges is an unforgettable experience. You will reach Dien Bien Phu early in the afternoon and spend the rest of the day visiting the historical site of the Vietnamese / French war. Dien Bien Phu Museum and A 1 Hill are o­n the list to see.
Dinner and stay overnight in Dien Bien Phu.
Distance: 170 km or 105 miles.
Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Hotel in Dien Bien Phu

Day 4: Dien Bien – Lai Chau
After breakfast, you will have some free time before we begin another spectacular drive, passing the stunning gorges and the Nam Na River. There will be stops to visit the H’mong and ZDao villages o­n the way. Arrive in Lai Chau in early afternoon, have lunch & free rest of the afternoon in Lai Chau town to ralax. Dinner and stay overnight in Lai Chau.
Distance: 180 km or 110 miles.
Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Hotel in Lai Chau

Day 5: Lai Chau - Sapa travel
The drive today is the highlight of this trip. The road is a bit bumpy at times but it compensates by the magnificent scenery of the surrounding fertile valley, pristine rivers and high mountains - the photographer’s dream. The 25 miles drive to Sapa goes up the ChinCo pass and Tram Son pass, the highest pass in Vietnam with the view to Fansipan Peak – The roof of “Indochine”. En-route is the beautiful areas of Heaven’s Gate and Silver Waterfall.
Nested in the spectacular valley near the border of China, Sapa is the premier destination of Northwest Vietnam. Built in 1922 it was the former hill station for the French colonists. Today, Sapa is a paradise for trekkers, thanks to its beautiful trekking routes, stunning rice terrace, colorful minority groups and the back drop of mountain Fansipan. At 3143 meters or 10,311 feet from sealevel, it is Vietnam’s highest peak.
You will reach Sapa in the afternoon and the rest of the day is free to explore o­n your own.
Dinner and stay overnight in Sapa.
Note: The colorful Sunday market in Tam Duong is very interesting to see, with lots of colorful ethnic minorities. Today we will visit the Fair market en route. (Twice a week o­n Thu and Sun)
Distance: 180km or 110 miles.
Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa

Day 6: Sapa travel
After breakfast at the hotel, you will start the great trekking day downhill to the Muong Hoa valley. To begin the most beautiful trekking route in Vietnam. You will trek o­n dirt path away from tourist tracks, through pine forest, terraces and Hmong villages. You will visit a school in the village and have a picnic lunch by the river. In the afternoon, you will hike through the village of Zay and end of the hike today, Driver will pickup at Ta Van Bridge for the drive back to Sapa.
Evening, relax in the hotel area and have dinner o­n your own
Trekking: 5 hours, downhill.
Meals: B, L
Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa

Day 7: Sapa – Hanoi
After an early breakfast at the hotel, you will depart from Sapa for the long and beautiful drive to Hanoi. You will have many stop breaks on the way to make the trip more interesting. You will see how the views quickly changed from mountains into the flat plains of the Red River Delta. Arrive in Hanoi in the late afternoon.

2 person: $730/person

3 - 4 person: $625/person

5 - 6 person: $548/person

Single Supp' $120

(*) For a supplement, you can take the night train from the town of Lao Cai to Hanoi for a more comfortable journey.
Distance: 340 km or 236 miles.
Meals: B
Meals: B
(*) Price is quoted in US dollars per person based o­n Dbl/Twin share room.