8:00 AM: Depart from your hotel in Hanoi to Ha Giang via the highway to Phu Tho. Stop to visit the Dao village in Ham Yen, Tuyen Quang. First, discover the houses on stilts, a typical style of ethnic groups in this undulating region.

Arrive in Ha Giang in the middle of the afternoon, beginning a trek to the Me – Lup – Tha villages. Featuring serene beauty, these villages are made up of hundreds of houses on wooden stilts covered by palm leaves. In front of the houses, there are small ponds for raising fish and water hyacinth cultivations for pigs. You will be welcomed by big smiles from the villagers testifying to their legendary hospitality. Visit a typical house and discover the local daily life. Arrive in Tha Village, a village on the palm hills with rice fields where you can rest in the serenity.

Finally, check in your accommodation and free to stroll around to catch the rhythm of daily life in the mountain before sunset.

8:00 AM: Our adventure begins in Ha Thanh village, where we’ll explore part of the Tay Con Linh Mountain range. This region is renowned for its rice terraces, palm forests, limestone mountains, and numerous hill tribe villages.

The first part of our journey is mostly uphill and can be a bit challenging, but the effort is well worth it for the stunning natural landscapes along the way. You’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views of lush valleys and mountain peaks.

After a few hours, we’ll arrive at Lung Vai village, home to the Dao ethnic group. Here, you'll have time to explore the village and enjoy lunch in a local home.

After lunch, we’ll take a short break to soak in the views of the rice terraces before following an asphalt road for about 3-4 km to reach Khuoi My village, inhabited by both Dao and Tay ethnic groups. Here, villagers live in simple wooden stilt houses with palm-thatched roofs.

From Khuoi My, we’ll take a narrow trail winding through rice terraces, tea plantations, and bamboo forests. The path mostly descends, offering splendid views of the terraces and glimpses of daily village life.

Finally, we’ll reach Thon Tha village, where our adventure concludes.

Walking distance: approximately 16-18 km

8:00 AM: Travel to Dong Van with the magical landscapes of this region present along the route. Before arrival at the Quan Ba pass, we will stop to visit a village of Bo Y people in the Quyet Tien Commune. Their origin is from China. The Bo Yis a small community of 2000 people who populate in the mountainous parts of the north. Stop at the Quan Ba pass and take a short break to admire Quan Ba town with the famous Twin Fairy Mountain (Nui Co Tien).

Continue drive to the Limestone rock plateau zone, considered as mountainous Halong Bay. This majestic natural treasure has been listed in the World Geological Park book. On the way, you will discover “Nha Trinh Tuong” (a special type of house) by a walking to the Lung Hoa Village. This is the typical house of Hmong people in the village which is built on sticky ground. Next, visit the Palace of the H'mong King (Dinh Vua Meo). Dating back 100 years ago, far from the plain, the regions of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van, Meo Vac created an autonomous zone with their own king. They cultivated poppies and their economy was based on the opium business with China. Arrive in Dong Van, check in accommodation and relax.

Depart to Lung Cu, located 1470m above sea level. This is well known as a Northern Vietnam landmark. Lung Cu flag pole highlights our nation's sovereignty. Walking up 900 steps will give you the magnificent view of the mountains, valleys and villages in the vicinity then discover the Lo Lo Chai village where the Lo Lo ethnic group lives.

Return to Dong Van town at noon and enjoy lunch. In the afternoon, trek to the villages in Dong Van through Hau De – Ma Pia – Ma Pang Village along the Nho Que river that separates Vietnam and China. Travel back to Dong Van at the end of the day.

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll set off from Dong Van toward Meo Vac, crossing the stunning Ma Pi Leng Pass. Here, you’ll be captivated by the breathtaking views of limestone mountains, the winding Nho Que River, and traditional H'mong village nestled along the slopes.

From there, we’ll continue to Bao Lac, a region renowned for the Black Lo Lo ethnic community. The area gained prominence through the French documentary, "The Journey into Unknown Land", filmed in Khuoi Khon village—just 9 km from Bao Lac town—by rugby player Frédéric Michalak.

We’ll enjoy lunch in Bao Lac town before heading to Coc Xa village in Na Van commune. This Lo Lo village retains a more authentic charm compared to Khuoi Khon, which has become a popular tourist spot since the documentary’s release. Here, you’ll stroll through rice fields and scenic trails, visit local homes, and have meaningful exchanges with the residents, giving you a deeper understanding of their way of life and traditions.

Later, we’ll return to town, where you’ll stay overnight in a local hotel.

Depart to Ba Be via Tinh Tuc, 30km from Bao Lac, in Hung Dao commune, there is a beautiful village of San Chi ethnic. Of course, we will stop to visit and discover the beauty of the village. You are one of a small number of travelers who get to visit this area because of its hidden location behind the hill. The village has hundreds of houses on stilts nested on the side of mountains and views of the beautiful valley. To reach to the village, you will have to walk up a 2km steep incline. The higher you walk, the better view you get. Visit a family to understand the authentic life of this ethnic group.

Continue to Ba Be, where you will be surprised by the magnificent nature where the mountains gently meet the valleys of rice terraces. Stop to film or take photos whenever possible. Upon arrival in Ba Be, check in your accommodation in Pac Ngoi Village and go cycling through several villages of Tay ethnic groups to Hua Ma Cave (5km from the village). This is an attractive place with amazing formations of stalactites and stalagmites. Finally, come back to your accommodation.

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.

Enjoy breakfast and pure air in morning at the national park, then travel to Tan Trao, a former Viet Minh resistance base during the first Indochina war. Visit the historic banyan tree, Na Lua shack house and Tan Trao communal house where President Ho Chi Minh and his team lived and worked before August, 1945 Revolution.

Continue on the less touristic journey which is distinguished by the Tay ethnic villages whose houses stand on stilts, with a backdrop of tea plantation hills, palm plantations and rice valleys. Visit the villages to meet the locals along the way and obviously do not miss some stops to take the photos of the scenery whenever possible.

Arrive in Hanoi in the late afternoon. Check in at your hotel and enjoy some free time after the mountain getaway.