15 days
Hanoi → Sa Pa → Mai Chau → Pu Luong → Ninh Binh → Bay → Hanoi
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Walk through Sa Pa’s terraced valley, meet village life in Mai Chau and Pu Luong, then linger among Ninh Binh’s limestone scenery before a night on the bay. This 15-day northern Vietnam valleys and villages tour brings distinct landscapes together with comfortable hotel bases, guided discoveries and time between them.
Stay longer where the surroundings invite you to slow down. Two nights in Sa Pa, two in Mai Chau and two in Pu Luong give each valley its own chapter. Three Ninh Binh nights include an independent day to enjoy your stay, while an overnight cruise adds a different view of the north from the water.
Already planning your flights? Send your arrival and departure, group size and preferred hotel comfort. Vietpower Travel will shape the walking, road journeys and cruise around the holiday you want.
Plan your northern Vietnam holiday with Vietpower Travel on WhatsApp
Sa Pa through the Muong Hoa valley. Take a guided Ta Van village walk, with distance chosen for your energy and the trail conditions. There is time for local stories and lunch, rather than trying to complete several village routes in one day.
Mai Chau and Pu Luong, with two nights in each. Village paths, stilt-house settings, terrace landscapes and local lunches bring you closer to rural life. Choose shorter walks or optional gentle cycling where it suits your group, then return to the same stay for an easier afternoon.
Ninh Binh at a relaxed pace. A Trang An rowing-boat outing and Hoa Lu’s historic temples sit beside a genuine free countryside day. Spend that day at your hotel, on a nearby walk or discovering independently before the direct harbour transfer.
A cabin night among the limestone islands. Join the selected shared cruise with your own reserved cabin, meals and its actual activity programme. A Hanoi hotel night follows the bay morning, leaving time to enjoy the final evening before departure.
Private road and airport transfers connect the sample journey. Hanoi nights after Sa Pa and after the cruise create useful breaks between longer travel chapters. Your Ninh Binh-to-harbour transfer is direct, with pickup set around the vessel’s real check-in deadline and road buffer.
Choose sample three-star twin/double rooms, upgrade the stays that matter most or request family rooms. Named hotels, room facilities, bathroom arrangements, cruise cabin and any early room are confirmed in your offer. The independent day has no scheduled personal guide or on-call vehicle.
Indicative land price: US$1,480 per person, based on two adults sharing the sample configuration. It includes 13 hotel nights, one shared cruise night, the stated land services, guided visits, core tickets and meals. All flights are excluded; upgrades, optional changes and peak-date charges are itemised in your personal quotation.
Vietpower Travel has operated since 2009, holds an international tour operator licence and has served thousands of international travellers from many countries. Our offices in major Vietnamese cities, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, connect the regional teams with 24/7 assistance during your tour.
Long-standing relationships with hotels, local guides, cruise teams and transfer providers help us choose the combination that suits your budget and the experience you want. We coordinate the details and attentive partner support, from your first Hanoi pickup to the comfort of your valley stays and cruise cabin. Read traveller reviews of Vietpower Travel on Tripadvisor, then talk with the people arranging your journey.
Travellers who want Sa Pa’s mountain scenery, Mai Chau and Pu Luong’s village landscapes, a real countryside pause in Ninh Binh and an overnight bay cruise. Walking is planned around your ability, with hotel bases and road transfers connecting the regions. It welcomes couples, friends and families from any country, on your own dates.
No. It is an indicative land price per person for two adults sharing the sample three-star twin/double configuration, with the stated transfers, guided services, meals, core tickets and shared cruise. All flights, visa costs, upgrades and peak-date charges are separate unless itemised in your personal quotation.
The sample has 13 hotel nights and one overnight shared-vessel cruise: four Hanoi nights, two in Sa Pa, two in Mai Chau, two in Pu Luong and three in Ninh Binh, plus the bay night. Named properties, room types, bed setup and cruise cabin are confirmed in your offer. Upgrade selected stays or ask for a different comfort level or family rooms.
The guided routes in Ta Van, Mai Chau and Pu Luong are chosen around your ability and actual path conditions. Short cycling is optional where offered. Let us know about mobility limits or the length of walks you enjoy so we can agree the right route and any vehicle support. The sample does not impose one trekking distance on every traveller.
Yes. Ta Van is the sample village visit on the Sa Pa day; Cat Cat can replace it if that better fits your group. They are not both automatically promised in one outing. Tell Vietpower Travel what you most want to see, and we will confirm the selected route, walking level and any price difference.
Private road transfers are used in the sample land price, with comfort breaks on the longer journeys. A comfortable shared limousine or cabin-bus service is an optional alternative. We confirm the provider, pickup, luggage and seat or berth arrangement for your dates before you agree a change.
The Hanoi night after Sa Pa splits the mountain-to-valley road journey and gives you an easier evening before the next region. Another Hanoi night after the bay provides a departure buffer. If you prefer a different connection, we explain the revised travel time, night plan and services in your personal itinerary.
Yes in this private sample. Day 13 takes you directly to the harbour confirmed for your selected vessel, with an early pickup and road/check-in buffer. There is no sightseeing stop before boarding. A shared package starting from Hanoi is a different arrangement; any additional travel or night is agreed separately.
Your land transfers and stated guided sightseeing are private, while the overnight vessel and visitor rowing boats can be shared. You have your reserved cruise cabin. Harbour, vessel, cabin, permitted route, kayaking and meals follow the configuration confirmed for your dates. A private charter is quoted separately.
Breakfast and your hotel night are included. No personal guide or on-call car is scheduled, so you can enjoy your stay and nearby independent exploring. Additional outings, transfers, meals or drinks are quoted or paid separately. This pause keeps the countryside chapter from becoming a daily checklist.
Yes. Send your dates, flights, group size, hotel preference and the walking level you enjoy. Add a rest night, upgrade a hotel or change an outing, with the revised price and services confirmed in writing. Vietpower Travel coordinates the regional partners and provides 24/7 assistance while you travel.
For a more active highland journey with local stays, see our 17-day northwest Vietnam tour. To combine Sa Pa with central heritage and southern river life, compare our 16-day Vietnam journey.
Send your dates, flights, country of travel, group size, room preferences and the walks or landscapes that excite you. Tell us where you would like more time to rest. Vietpower Travel will send a personal programme and quotation with the chosen services and booking terms in writing.
Plan your northern Vietnam holiday with Vietpower Travel on WhatsApp or email sales@vietpowertravel.com.
Highlights
| By Day | Transfer | Destinations | Activities | Meals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Hanoi | Welcome to Hanoi | ||
| Day 2 | Hanoi | Hanoi’s heritage and old streets | B, L | |
| Day 3 | Hanoi / Sa Pa | Travel north to Sa Pa | B | |
| Day 4 | Sa Pa / Ta Van | Ta Van and the Muong Hoa valley | B, L | |
| Day 5 | Sa Pa / Hanoi | Back to Hanoi, with time to rest | B | |
| Day 6 | Hanoi / Mai Chau | Into the Mai Chau valley | B | |
| Day 7 | Mai Chau | Village paths and a local lunch | B, L | |
| Day 8 | Mai Chau / Pu Luong | From Mai Chau to Pu Luong | B | |
| Day 9 | Pu Luong | Pu Luong’s fields and village life | B, L | |
| Day 10 | Pu Luong / Ninh Binh | Travel to Ninh Binh | B | |
| Day 11 | Ninh Binh / Trang An / Hoa Lu | Trang An waterways and Hoa Lu | B, L | |
| Day 12 | Ninh Binh | A free countryside day | B | |
| Day 13 | Ninh Binh / Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay | Direct to the harbour and a night on the bay | B, L, D | |
| Day 14 | Bay / Hanoi | Bay morning, then a Hanoi evening | B, Br | |
| Day 15 | Hanoi | Farewell at your pace | B |
A private driver meets you at Noi Bai Airport and takes you to your Hanoi hotel. Settle in after the flight and enjoy independent time for a nearby walk or a first Vietnamese meal. Standard hotel check-in applies; an early room is a separately arranged option.
Meals: at your own expense. Overnight: Hanoi.
Visit the Temple of Literature and the Ho Chi Minh complex with your local guide, following the day’s opening arrangements. Entry inside the Mausoleum is not available every day. Pause for lunch, then enjoy the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake at your pace. Train Street is an optional stop only where access is permitted; a neighbourhood café provides a pleasant alternative.
Meals: B, L. Overnight: Hanoi.
Leave Hanoi by private car for the mountain town of Sa Pa. Allow a full road day with comfort breaks, then check into your selected hotel and rest. A comfortable shared limousine or cabin-bus service is an optional alternative: we confirm the operator, pickup, luggage and seating or berth details for your dates. The sample land price uses the private transfer.
Meals: B. Overnight: Sa Pa.
Explore the terraced valley and Ta Van village with a guide. Choose a walking distance suited to your energy and the trail conditions, with time for village stories and a local lunch. Return to Sa Pa rather than rushing through several village routes. Cat Cat can replace Ta Van if it better suits your group; both are not automatically included in one day.
Meals: B, L. Overnight: Sa Pa.
After breakfast, travel by private car from Sa Pa to Hanoi, allowing comfort stops along the expressway journey. Check into your city hotel and keep the evening easy. This overnight breaks the mountain-to-valley journey rather than adding a second long drive on the same day.
Meals: B. Overnight: Hanoi.
Travel from Hanoi towards Mai Chau by private car, with a scenic or comfort stop when conditions allow. Check into your selected valley accommodation and enjoy the gentler surroundings. Leave the rest of the day for settling in, a nearby independent stroll or time on the terrace.
Meals: B. Overnight: Mai Chau.
Walk between stilt houses, fields and gardens with a local guide, meeting a host through an arranged visit. Enjoy Vietnamese dishes for lunch and time to notice the valley’s everyday rhythms. Confident riders may choose a short bicycle outing; walking remains an option. Return to your accommodation for an unhurried afternoon.
Meals: B, L. Overnight: Mai Chau.
A private road transfer takes you into the Pu Luong landscape. Enjoy the changing scenery and check into your selected accommodation, with time to relax after the journey. This is a transfer day, with no compulsory full-day trek added after arrival.
Meals: B. Overnight: Pu Luong.
Follow your guide through a manageable section of the terraced landscape and local villages. The distance and slopes are adapted to your fitness, weather and path conditions. Learn about local farming, stop for a regional lunch and return to your accommodation with time to enjoy the view.
Meals: B, L. Overnight: Pu Luong.
Leave Pu Luong by private car for Ninh Binh, with road breaks and time to check into your countryside hotel. Spend the remaining day independently, enjoying your accommodation or a nearby walk. The sightseeing programme begins the next day.
Meals: B. Overnight: Ninh Binh.
Take a visitor rowing boat through Trang An’s limestone scenery and explore the temples of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital with your guide. Enjoy lunch and, if the pace suits, a gentle countryside walk or bicycle ride. Hang Mua can replace part of the day for guests wanting a steeper climb; it is not added automatically to every itinerary.
Meals: B, L. Overnight: Ninh Binh.
Breakfast and a day to enjoy Ninh Binh independently. Relax at your hotel, take a nearby walk or choose your own café and meal. No scheduled guide or on-call vehicle is included today. Vietpower Travel can arrange an extra experience with its services and price agreed separately.
Meals: B. Overnight: Ninh Binh.
Leave Ninh Binh early by private car for the confirmed Halong or Lan Ha cruise harbour, allowing around 3.5–4 hours or more with a check-in buffer. An early or packed breakfast may be arranged. Settle into your shared cruise cabin, enjoy lunch, the vessel’s afternoon programme and dinner. Kayaking or a shore visit follows the selected boat’s itinerary and conditions.
Meals: B, L, D. Overnight: Bay cruise.
Enjoy the vessel’s morning activities and breakfast or brunch arrangement, then disembark for your private road transfer to Hanoi. Allow roughly 2.5–3 hours plus breaks, depending on harbour and traffic. Check into your Hanoi hotel and enjoy a final easy evening. This night leaves a comfortable buffer before departure or another journey.
Meals: B / Br according to vessel. Overnight: Hanoi.
Breakfast and any independent time that fits your flight. Your private driver takes you to Noi Bai Airport with an agreed check-in buffer. Standard hotel checkout applies; luggage storage, a late room or another night can be arranged for a late flight.
Meals: B. Overnight: No overnight.
13 hotel nights
1 bay-cruise night
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Customize Your Trip
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Your northern holiday should feel rewarding and comfortable. Share the landscapes you most want, the walks you enjoy and the hotel comfort you prefer so we can connect the journey around you.
Travel at a pace that suits you. Tell us about walking limits, travel sickness, dietary preferences and children’s ages if relevant. We can shorten walks, upgrade accommodation or add rest time while keeping the experience enjoyable.
Vietpower Travel is available 24/7 during your tour. Keep the agreed local contacts with your itinerary and contact us whenever you need assistance.
Plan your northern Vietnam holiday with Vietpower Travel on WhatsApp
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