6 days
Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay
Walk through Cat Cat village beneath Sapa’s mountain slopes, rise above the valley on the Fansipan cable car, then trade the highlands for the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay. A night aboard your cruise brings sunset on deck, dinner among the islands and a morning that begins on the water.
6 days / 5 nights: three hotel nights in Hanoi, one hotel night in Sapa and one overnight cruise cabin. This northern Vietnam journey is for travellers who want the mountains and the bay in one short holiday, with Hanoi as their arrival and departure point.
Your trip, your choice of comfort. This is a sample itinerary. Choose your hotel category, cruise cabin and shared or private touring style; Vietpower Travel shapes the final programme around your dates, interests and group. The displayed “Only from” price is a starting point for your personalised quotation.
Send us your arrival and departure times, travel dates, group size, children’s ages and hotel preferences. We will fit the Sapa excursion, cruise boarding and airport transfers around your plans.
Plan your northern Vietnam holiday on WhatsApp or use this page’s Enquire button.
Cat Cat’s descending paths lead past village houses and towards a waterfall, with mountain scenery around each bend. Your local guide brings the village’s Hmong heritage into the experience. The walk includes steps and an uphill return, so we choose the pace that works for your group.
On day 3, enjoy the Fansipan cable-car experience, with time for the mountain’s temple setting and summit area before returning to Hanoi. Cloud and clear sky give the mountain very different moods; the experience is more than one promised view. Explore our Sapa tours if you would love additional highland nights.
Step aboard your overnight cruise and leave the roads behind. Kayaking among limestone islands, a cooking activity near sunset and dinner on the bay bring a different rhythm to the second half of your holiday. The following morning is for quiet deck time and your boat’s final bay excursion before returning to Hanoi.
Browse our Ha Long Bay cruises to choose the cabin, boat style and bay itinerary you would enjoy. The reference programme leaves a final night in Hanoi before your flight home.
Six days brings the north’s contrasts together. It includes two long Sapa road journeys and a morning Fansipan visit before the day-3 return to Hanoi. This makes it a rewarding, compact holiday for travellers comfortable with road travel and village walking.
For families with young children, travellers with mobility needs or anyone who wants longer village time, we can add a second Sapa night and design a longer trip. If you prefer countryside waterways to mountain transfers, compare our 5-day Hanoi, Ninh Binh and overnight Ha Long cruise. More routes are available in our Vietnam tour collection.
Local knowledge and personal care, from first enquiry to your final transfer. Operating since 2009, Vietpower Travel has served thousands of international travellers from many countries, including families and groups. We understand that food preferences, cultural expectations and travel pace differ, and build the holiday around your group. Years of working together have built close relationships with hotels, mountain guides, drivers and cruise teams. We understand the details of their services and choose the right combination for your budget, interests and preferred comfort, with attentive, priority support from our partners throughout your journey.
Our offices in major Vietnamese cities, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, provide 24/7 assistance during your tour. International tour operator licence: 01-711/2015/TCDL-GPLHQT. Read guest reviews of Vietpower Travel on Tripadvisor and talk directly to the team arranging your journey.
Yes. This sample includes arrival and departure days, a two-day / one-night Sapa excursion and a two-day / one-night bay cruise. It uses three hotel nights in Hanoi, one in Sapa and one cruise night. Choose a longer trip if you want more highland time or shorter travel days.
The reference services include private airport transfers and shared land and cruise transfers. The overnight cruise also carries other passengers. Vietpower Travel can arrange private land touring, hotel upgrades and a suitable cruise cabin with a personalised quotation.
This six-day programme visits Cat Cat and Fansipan. Ta Phin and Coc Ly Market are different excursions and are not included in the reference itinerary. Tell us if you would like a longer Sapa or highland-market programme so we can plan the route and dates.
Many can, with the right pace and arrangements. Cat Cat has steep paths and steps; Fansipan involves a high-altitude visit; the Sapa road transfers are long. Share ages, mobility needs and travel preferences so Vietpower Travel can recommend an easier walk, additional night or different route.
The sample programme includes a Fansipan cable-car visit. Your written quotation states the exact ticket package and whether any connecting mountain-train services are included or added. Vietpower Travel checks the operating schedule for your chosen dates.
This itinerary returns to Hanoi on day 5 and departs on day 6, leaving a final night ashore. If you need a same-day flight, send your departure time so we can assess cruise disembarkation, road transfer and airport check-in before confirming an alternative.
Highlights
Route map: Hanoi → Sapa → Hanoi → Ha Long Bay → Hanoi, by road with the cruise section on the bay. The return to Hanoi separates the highland journey from the cruise boarding morning.
Watch Northern Vietnam inspiration from Vietpower Travel in our video, then share the places you would most love to experience with our team.
| By Day | Transfer | Destinations | Activities | Meals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Hanoi | Private airport pickup and free time in Hanoi | — | |
| Day 2 | Hanoi, Sapa, Cat Cat village | Road journey to Sapa, lunch, guided Cat Cat village walk and dinner | B, L, D | |
| Day 3 | Sapa, Fansipan, Hanoi | Morning Fansipan cable-car visit, lunch and road transfer back to Hanoi | B, L | |
| Day 4 | Hanoi, Ha Long Bay | Expressway transfer, cruise boarding, kayaking or bay activity, cooking activity and overnight cabin | B, L, D | |
| Day 5 | Ha Long Bay, Hanoi | Morning cruise programme, bay excursion, brunch and return to Hanoi | B, Br | |
| Day 6 | Hanoi, Noi Bai Airport | Free time and private airport transfer for departure | B |
Welcome to Hanoi. Your airport welcome and private transfer take you from Noi Bai Airport to your hotel. Settle in, rest after the flight and spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter are inviting places to begin at your own pace. If you would like a guided city tour, a water puppet performance or a welcome dinner, ask Vietpower Travel to add it to your personalised programme.
Overnight: Hanoi. Meals: at your own expense.
After breakfast, depart Hanoi for Sapa via the Hanoi–Lao Cai expressway and the mountain road into town. Allow typically about 5–6 hours by road, with extra time for hotel pickups, breaks and traffic. Enjoy lunch and settle into your hotel.
In the afternoon, visit Cat Cat village. Walk down into the valley past village houses and towards the waterfall, with your local guide introducing the Hmong community and the surrounding mountain scenery. The route includes steps and an uphill section on the way back; pace and walking arrangements follow your group’s needs.
Return to Sapa town for dinner and an evening in the highlands.
Overnight: Sapa. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
After breakfast, set out for the Fansipan cable-car visit. Rise above the valley and enjoy the mountain’s temple and summit setting, with the precise access route and ticket package stated in your final programme. Allow time for the visit before the return journey; weather and operating schedules shape the day.
After lunch, return to Hanoi by road. This is a long travel afternoon, so the evening is free to relax, dine at your own pace and prepare for the following morning’s cruise pickup.
Overnight: Hanoi. Meals: breakfast and lunch.
After breakfast, leave Hanoi for Ha Long Bay. The expressway journey typically takes about 2.5–3 hours, before additional pickups, breaks and traffic. Arrive for your selected cruise’s boarding time, enjoy the welcome briefing and have lunch as limestone islands fill the view.
The afternoon brings your boat’s bay experiences, such as kayaking, a swimming stop or other scenic exploration. Back aboard, enjoy a sunset cooking activity, dinner and a relaxed evening on the water. Your selected cruise confirms the exact excursions and activity programme.
Overnight: cruise cabin. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Wake to morning light on the bay. Enjoy breakfast and the selected cruise’s morning programme; a Tai Chi session on deck is a lovely start when scheduled. Continue with the boat’s final excursion, such as Sung Sot Cave on a suitable Ha Long route.
Enjoy brunch aboard, check out of your cabin and disembark at the scheduled time. Transfer back to Hanoi in the afternoon, leaving your final evening for local food, the Old Quarter or a lakeside walk.
Overnight: Hanoi. Meals: breakfast and brunch.
Enjoy breakfast and free time until your private transfer to Noi Bai Airport. Vietpower Travel arranges pickup around your flight, allowing time for the road journey and airport check-in.
For more village time, another cruise night or a longer Vietnam holiday, ask us to extend this route around your interests.
Meals: breakfast. End of the six-day programme.
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Customize Your Trip
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Bring your curiosity to the village walk, enjoy the mountain’s changing atmosphere and leave time to savour life aboard the cruise. This compact itinerary works best when you are comfortable with long road transfers. Vietpower Travel can build in an extra Sapa night, gentler walking or private transport around your group’s preferences.
April–May and September–October are popular periods for Sapa. Winter brings cold and mist to the highlands; summer can bring rain, humidity and slippery paths. Ha Long and Hanoi have a different climate from the mountains, so pack layers rather than relying on one outfit for the whole route.
Bring comfortable shoes with grip, a rain layer, warm clothing for Fansipan, sun protection, swimwear and a small bag for the overnight cruise. Mountain views depend on the day’s conditions.
The day-3 Fansipan morning is followed by the road return to Hanoi. The cruise starts on day 4; your flight home is on day 6. Keeping these stages separate avoids trying to reach the cruise port straight after a mountain excursion and gives you a final city night before departure.
Send your dates, flights, group size and preferred hotel or cruise standard to Vietpower Travel on WhatsApp or use the enquiry form. We will design the final itinerary and confirm your services and quotation in writing before payment.
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