This journey to the Northeast gives you an opportunity to witness spectacular sceneries and the villages of mountain tribes. Travel from Hanoi to Bac Son mountain valley, visit the famous Ban Gioc waterfall and take a trek through Ba Be Lake national park
8:00 AM: Depart to Bac Son via Thai Nguyen on the brand new free-way, passing the peaceful countryside of the North Vietnam with rice field and tea plantation. Highly recommend have a tea break to try the finest tea brand in Vietnam.
Keep travel to Dang Mo waterfall in Gia Binh, enjoy lunch with local cuisine then explore the waterfall (it is possible to swim in summer time). After that, drive to Quynh Son village where you will be warmly welcomed by the Tay family homestay. Take a rest then stroll around (or bike optional) to visit rice field and Tay ethnic villages nested in the beautiful Bac Son valley.
In the late afternoon, come back to homestay to relax, enjoy dinner cooked by the host.
Enjoy the local breakfast with family at the long house, and then take a short walk from village to Na Lay Mountain where you'll start the soft hiking up to the peak of mountains (about 1,200 steps up, few steps are collapsed after the raining season). The view changes after every step and when getting up the top, you could not believe the spectacular panorama view of entire the valley.
After that, enjoy the journey to Cao Bang via That Khe & Dong Khe town by the famous colonial road no. 4 which used to be one of the evidences for the fierce fight between Viet Minh and French colonialists. Stop as your commands to take picture. Arrive in Cao Bang, check in hotel then free to relax and visit the town.
Depart from your hotel to Ban Gioc waterfall located on the border between Vietnam and China. It is 30m in height and 208m in width and is the most beautiful waterfall in Vietnam. After 2 hours of driving through the magical limestone region, you will arrive at Ban Gioc waterfall and be amazed by this beautiful natural masterpiece.
In the afternoon, transfer to Nguom Ngao cave, reached by walking a hundred steps. The cave is located in the maize valley and is 2km in length. It is filled with incredible stalactites and stalagmites. It was a shelter for thousands of local people during the Vietnam/China border war. On the way to Cao Bang we will visit Phuc Sen, a blacksmith village, where you will have an opportunity to burn your name into your souvenir knife. You will be one of just a few travelers who spend a night in the village. The comfort is limited; however, you will enjoy the friendly atmosphere and the legendary hospitality of the Nung ethnic group and their authentic lifestyle. Have dinner and stay overnight in a homestay.
In the morning, depart from your homestay for a 2-hour trek to Nung village. You will discover the craft villages specializing in the manufacture of paper and incense sticks. The landscape of rice paddies, the limestone peaks and the Nung ethnic group with their delightful hospitality will astonish you. According to our clients, this is one of the itineraries which gave them the most wonder.
In the Canh Phung Tren village, meet our driver for a transfer to Ba Be. On the way, you will enjoy the magnificent landscape of the villages nestled in the flank of mountain. Stop on the way to meet the natives and take photos wherever possible. Arrive in Ba Be in the afternoon. Visit Pac Ngoi village, a typical village of Tay people.
In the morning, transfer from the village to Buoc Lom Pier to take a boat trip along the Nang river and enjoy the beautiful scenery of forests along the river. The boat will pass through Puong cave, home to thousands of bats, toward Dau Dang waterfall.
Lunch will be served at a local restaurant by the waterfall. In the afternoon, take the boat back to the lake, stopping at the Fairy pond located in the middle of the primitive forest. Here, you will gently cruise around the lake and it's possible to swim if the weather permits. Disembark at around 04:00 PM. Rest of the day on your own free and easy, enjoy sunset over mountain ranges.
In the morning, cycle through several ethnic Tay villages. Keep your path along the river, get into national park to Hua Ma cave (5km from the village), an attractive place with amazing formations of stalactites and stalagmites. Go back to Pac Ngoi village at 11:00am and meet our driver for a transfer to Hanoi.
Optional: If time permits and you are sportive, may extent to Silver waterfall (more 4km from Hua Ma cave)
Arrive in Hanoi in the late afternoon. Check in at your hotel and enjoy some free time after the mountain getaway.