Nature and Beach Tour 10 days

Destination: Hanoi – Cuc Phuong – Ba Be – Ha Long – Cat Ba

Code: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, G = Guide

Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (D, G)

Upon arrival at Noi Bai airport, our guide will greet and accompany you to your hotel. Free time until you?ll be picked up to watch water puppet performance, a traditional art form closely connected with the long-standing spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. You?ll then be driven to a good local restaurant and enjoy a welcome dinner with us. Your overnight stay will be in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi/Cuc Phuong/Hanoi (B, L, G)

After breakfast, you will be picked up at your hotel and driven to Cuc Phuong National Park, the oldest national park of Vietnam. It boasts engaging cultural and wildlife heritage and enchanting scenery. On arrival, you’ll be able to wander through a subtropical forest, rich in flora and fauna with thousand-year-old trees and dripping vines, visiting the Prehistory Cave. After lunch at the park centre, our guide will take you to visit the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre. You could take this opportunity to see with your eyes and know more about thousands of different endangered species. Return to Hanoi for overnight accomodation.

Day 3: Hanoi/Ba Be (B, L, D, G)

After breakfast, you will take a six hour drive to Ba Be National Park in the north-east region of Vietnam. The park offers an inviting environment to relax and enjoy nature. It’s special limestone landscape, centred on the lake and dotted with small villages of different ethnic groups, creates a charming vista of both human and natural beauty. You’ll stop on the way to have lunch at local restaurant. The road will then take you through striking mountain scenery. On arrival, you’ll check in your guesthouse in the park centre. The rest day, you can enjoy a sunset and stroll in the crisp forest air before dinner. You?ll spend the night in Ba Be National Park.

Day 4: Ba Be (B, L, D, G)

After a breakfast, you’ll embark on the motorboat to cruise around the Ba Be Lake, the centerpiece that highlights the park with its stunning landscape and geological features. It is also is Vietnam?s largest and highest, natural freshwater lake, situated at about 150m above sea level. Enjoy the calm and peaceful asmosphere along the waterway.You will visit Puong Cave and then the Fairy Pond, set in dense forest with many birds. Keep your eyes open for birds, especially kingfishers and small forest species.

In the afternoon, you’ll cruise to visit Dau Dang Waterfall that is quite sightworthy and have picnic lunch on the way. You’ll take a motorboat again to visit Horse Saddle Mountain. Your tour ends after a short walk to the village of Tay people nearby to enjoy the local Tay culture and hospitality. You’ll spend the night in Ba Be.

Day 5: Ba Be/Hanoi (B, L, G)

You’ll be driven to visit weekly market of the minority people near Ba Be National park before returning to Hanoi for overnight stay.

Day 6: Hanoi/Ha Long/Cat Ba (B, L, D, G)

7.30: You’ll leave for Ha Long Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas and the world’s largest marine limestone ‘karst’ landscape.

9.30: You’ll take a short break at Hong Ngoc Embroidery workshop.

10.00 – 11.30: You’ll continue driving to Ha Long Bay.

11.30: You’ll board your boat, a wooden junk built from the model of the old Vietnamese court vessels. It will take you first to the World Heritage area where you’ll visit Amazing Cave. You’ll have time for swimming on the emerald water in Ha Long Bay. Your lunch will be provided on board, usually based on fresh seafood. If you don’t like seafood during this trip, please let us know what you like so we can arrange for you.

17.00: On arrival to Cat Ba Island, you’ll picked up by bus to your hotel. Your dinner will be served at the local restaurant. You’ll spend the night in Cat Ba.

Cat Ba Island has a small seafront town and a large  National Park with mountains, lakes and the  Cat Ba Langurs, one of the most endangered species in the world – only 58 remain in the wild, all on Cat Ba. There are two small sandy beaches which are nice but often crowded.

Day 7: Cat Ba (B, L, D, G)

7.30 – 9.00: Breakfast at your hotel and then drive to Cat Ba National Park

9.00 – 15.30: Your guide will take you to the National Park to hike through the forest. Although the distance is only about 18 km, it will take at least 6 hours to cover the undulating terrain. On the way, you’ll have a break for a picnic lunch at Viet Hai village.

15.30 – 16.30: You’ll follow the path through some the farm, village and then to the harbour on the south of the island.

16.30 – 17.30: You’ll finally find a boat is waiting to take you back to the town’s harbour. On the way you can enjoy your swimming on Lan Ha Bay. Your dinner will be served later on at the local restaurant.

You’ll spend the night in Cat Ba.

Day 8: Cat Ba (B)

Your time will be your own to relax on the beach!

Day 9: Cat Ba/Hanoi (B, G)

8.00 – 8.30: Breakfast at your hotel, you’ll then be free to relax at Cat Co Beach.

15.00 – 16.00: You’ll take a short walk to the other harbour where you’ll take a hydrofoil to Hai Phong

16.00 – 18.00: Arrive in Hai Phong, you’ll take a vehicles back to Hanoi. End of the services.

Day 10: Hanoi departure (B)

You’ll be free to shop at some of the local market before being driven to the airport for your international departure flight.

Prices include:

• Breakfast and accommodation in twin or double room.
• Hydrofoil ticket: Cat Ba-Hai Phong
• Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver.
• Experienced English-speaking tour guide as indicated in the itinerary.
• Entry fees for all sightseeing as mentioned in the programme.
• Lunches and dinners, as specified, in the local restaurants and on the boat in Ha Long Bay.
• Government Taxes.

Price do not include:

• International flight tickets and airport tax.
• Visas.
• Dinners except as specified.
• Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses.
• Insurance.

Hotel list for Three Stars standard

• Hanoi: La Belle Vie Hotel (***located on Nguyen Truong To Street, just a few steps away from the old quarter and within walking distance to West Lake, Superior Room) or similar
• Ba Be: Ba Be National Park Hotel (local standard)
• Cat Ba: Holiday view hotel (***sea side, over looking the beautiful Lan Ha Bay, Standard Room)