In summary
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Sports
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Duration13 days
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LevelConfirmed
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DestinationVietnam / Hanoi
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AgeFrom the age of 18
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CO₂-Emissions475 kg CO2
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Type of stayIndependent traveler
A minimum of 2 people (including at least 1 adult) are required to book this stay.
In a few words
Explore Vietnam on a trip combining trekking in the High Tonkin region and a cruise in Lan Ha Bay ! Your adventure begins in the vibrant Old Quarter of Hanoi and continues in the mountains of Sapa . You'll discover the famous terraced rice paddies and authentic villages inhabited by ethnic minorities . Each day of trekking brings its own share of discoveries, enriching encounters, and authentic experiences. You'll stay with local families for a complete immersion in Vietnamese culture. After your trek, you'll embark on a cruise in Lan Ha Bay. Aboard a traditional junk , you'll explore karst islets and floating villages , and disembark on Cat Ba Island for a hike offering panoramic views . Your cruise ends in Hanoi , where you'll enjoy one last glimpse of the capital of this country of fascinating contrasts.
The highlights
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An authentic trek: terraced rice paddies, villages and cultural immersion
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A unique cruise on a traditional junk in Lan Ha Bay
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An immersion into the lives of local people with overnight stays in their homes.
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Photos
Sport
Level
Hiking / Trekking
For those wishing to hike for up to 6 hours a day and/or cover an elevation gain of 600 to 800 meters, both on and off-trail. High-altitude sections are possible. You engage in a sporting activity once a week, hike regularly, and are in very good physical condition.
In figures
Autre
- Average duration/day: 5h30
- Average daily elevation gain: 708 m
- Average daily descent: 557 m
Management
During this stay, a supervisor will be present to guide and assist you.
Supervisor
Supervisor
French-speaking guide during hikes; non-French-speaking driver for transfers; English-speaking guide on board the junk
Program
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Welcome to Vietnam!
- Breakfast not included
- Lunch not included
- Dinner included
You will be met at Noi Bai Airport by your French-speaking guide and transferred to your hotel in the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter, just steps from Hoan Kiem Lake. After settling into your accommodation, you'll have some free time to relax. In the evening, accompanied by your guide, you'll explore the Old Quarter (also known as the 36 Streets) on foot and by cyclo (rickshaw), where each alleyway has its own unique character and shops. Immerse yourself in a traditional city: bustling alleyways, street vendors, and small sidewalk restaurants. From the very first moment, you'll feel completely transported to another world! For dinner, you'll savor Hanoi's culinary specialties.Day 1 -
Start of the trek
- Transportation 05h
- Activity Autre
- Duration of the activity 2h
- Positive elevation gain 360 m
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
Early in the morning, you set off for the northern mountains. As soon as you leave Hanoi, the change of scenery is striking. You drive alongside karst peaks covered in lush vegetation. You cross rice paddies, orange groves, dragon fruit orchards, sugarcane fields, tea plantations... You have lunch at a local restaurant and then continue your journey towards the Clear River massif where you embark on a beautiful trek to meet the northern ethnic minorities. You arrive in the town of Ban Ria in Ha Giang province. This is the starting point of your trek. You meet your local team: guide, porters, and cook. And so begins your 8-day trek. This afternoon, you hike for about two hours and cross a Tay village nestled in a beautiful valley covered with terraced rice paddies. Overnight in the village of Thon Thi with the Tay people.Day 2 -
Trek
- Activity Autre
- Duration of the activity 7h
- Positive elevation gain 800 m
- Negative elevation 700 m
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
This morning, you'll hike through Tay territory, crossing cinnamon, palm, and cassava plantations. Occasionally, you'll walk along the small dikes of terraced rice paddies, encountering locals working in the fields. Next, you'll pass through a H'mong village and then descend through the rice paddies to the village of Tan Binh, where you'll have lunch with a Tay family. After lunch, you'll continue your trek, which climbs quite steeply through palm groves and cornfields to the summit, where you'll be rewarded with a magnificent view. Finally, a descent through bamboo and tea forests will bring you to the upper reaches of Na Dat village, home to the Flower Hmong. After a short break, you'll descend to the lower part of the village, where you'll spend the night with a Tay family.Day 3 -
Trek
- Activity Autre
- Duration of the activity 6h
- Positive elevation gain 900 m
- Negative elevation 600 m
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
After breakfast, you leave your host family and set off for a beautiful day. You descend from the valley towards the town of Tan Nam. The captain awaits you for a boat trip on the Chung River hydroelectric dam lake. A beautiful panorama of mountains dotted with small houses is reflected in the emerald water. After a short half-hour ride, you disembark and take a gentle climb to the Red Yao family's home for lunch. You then continue your journey, which climbs slowly but steadily to Nam Ngoa, where you spend the night with a Red Yao family.Day 4 -
Trek
- Activity Autre
- Duration of the activity 7h
- Positive elevation gain 900 m
- Negative elevation 600 m
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
You get up early to enjoy the cool morning air as you hike uphill for two hours before entering the Tien Nguyen primary forest. The atmosphere is completely different from your first few days of trekking. You walk alongside a stream at 1,250 meters altitude for a short while, then continue through a beautiful mixed forest of chestnut, bamboo, and banana trees. You also discover cardamom plantations, an important source of income for the local people. After two hours of hiking through the jungle, you stop for lunch with a Red Yao family. In the afternoon, you descend to the small, remote town of Tien Nguyen. You'll have the opportunity to meet and chat with the friendly and welcoming locals and children. At the end of the day, you make a gentle ascent to the village of Hong Son to stay with the Long Tunic Yao family.Day 5 -
Trek
- Activity Autre
- Duration of the activity 5h
- Positive elevation gain 800 m
- Negative elevation 500 m
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
Another beautiful morning of walking with very varied landscapes: villages, terraced rice paddies, bamboo forests, streams... Lunch in the village of Son Thanh, home of the Red Yao people, then you continue your walk through the narrow terraced rice paddies that follow the natural curves of the mountain. You skirt the Nam Khoa pass and then descend to the village of Nùng Cu, inhabited by the Nung minority. The women of this ethnic group are certainly the most elegant, dressed in the sampot and wearing a turban secured with a silver brooch in their hair bun.Day 6 -
Trek
- Activity Autre
- Duration of the activity 5h
- Positive elevation gain 650 m
- Negative elevation 750 m
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
Another beautiful day of walking through rice paddies, tea fields, and villages clinging to the mountainsides. You say goodbye to your hosts and continue your trek down to the village of Nam Khoa, where you cross a stream to reach the other side of the valley. From Nung territory, you enter the land of the Red Yao people. You pass through Khoa Trung and Khoa Thuong, two beautiful villages inhabited by the Red Yao ethnic group. After lunch, you climb to the Khoa Thuong pass (1,148 m altitude) and then hike through magnificent rice paddies to the village of Nam Ai, where you stay with a Long Tunic Yao family surrounded by centuries-old tea trees.Day 7 -
Trek
- Activity Autre
- Duration of the activity 6h
- Positive elevation gain 750 m
- Negative elevation 650 m
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
Early in the morning, you descend to the town of Nam Son, the main town in the area. Your day continues with a steady climb offering splendid views of the terraced rice paddies carved into the mountainsides. You share lunch with a local family. In the afternoon, a series of ascents and descents through forests, terraced rice paddies, centuries-old tea plantations, and villages (Red and Black Yao) lead you to the hamlet of Ta Ho Pien, where you spend the night with a H'mong family.Day 8 -
Trek
- Activity Autre
- Duration of the activity 4h
- Positive elevation gain 500 m
- Negative elevation 650 m
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
You'll have a commanding view of the Suoi Giang Valley, sculpted with terraced rice paddies stretching as far as the eye can see. The highlands of this valley are inhabited by the Red Yao people, specialists in green tea, which they harvest from centuries-old trees. Enjoy lunch in Yen Son with the Red Yao, and then in the afternoon, descend through the network of dikes in the Tay rice paddies at the bottom of the Suoi Giang Valley. After a few more beautiful viewpoints, you'll reach your accommodation in Nam Hong, where you'll spend the night in a guesthouse.Day 9 -
Heading to Hanoi
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner not included
In the morning, after a good breakfast, you'll depart for Hanoi. You'll arrive in Hanoi in the mid-afternoon and check into your hotel. Dinner and evening at leisure.Day 10 -
Cruise on Lan Ha Bay
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
After breakfast, you'll travel to Hai Phong, from where you'll fly to Cat Ba Island. Here begins your unforgettable cruise in Lan Ha Bay, a pristine and less touristy part of Ha Long Bay. Board a traditional junk and sail amidst countless limestone karsts and lushly vegetated islets. Relax and soak in the unique scenery, enjoying the tranquility and beauty of this exceptional setting! The itinerary includes a visit to a cave, swimming, and kayaking. Meals are served on board.Day 11 -
Cruise on Lan Ha Bay - Cat Ba Island - Hanoi
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner not included
Sunrises and sunsets create surreal landscapes. The morning mists enhance the mysterious atmosphere. After breakfast, you continue sailing amidst the karst peaks. You'll encounter nomadic fishing communities who live in the bay and gather in floating villages. Lunch is served on board, followed by disembarkation on Cat Ba Island, a national park. The park is home to numerous mammal and bird species. If you wish, you can take a two-hour hike to a viewpoint overlooking Lan Ha Bay. Enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the bay and the rugged terrain of Cat Ba Island. You'll then return to the mainland by ferry and fly back to Hanoi.Day 12 -
Free time in Hanoi and return flight
- Breakfast included
- Lunch not included
- Dinner not included
Depending on your flight schedule, return transfer to Hanoi airport.Day 13
Note
- Don't hesitate to contact us to adjust the duration or personalize your stay. Our destination experts will be delighted to help you create a trip that meets your expectations! - The program was established based on the latest information available at the time of writing; however, unforeseen circumstances are always possible, and situations beyond our control may alter the itinerary. Depending on weather and operational conditions, your driver reserves the right to modify this itinerary to ensure the best possible experience and your safety.
Accommodation
- Days 1 to 12
During the trek , you'll stay with local families to encourage interaction, discovery, and sharing with the community. Tay or Yao houses are generally large homes with several bedrooms. In each house, a space is reserved for guests in the common area. Yao homes usually have beds, while Tay homes typically only have mattresses (mosquito nets are provided if needed). Bathrooms are basic, and electricity is sometimes unreliable ( Days 2 to 9 ).
You will be staying in standard and good quality hotels in Hanoi ( Days 1, 10 and 12 ).
During the cruise, you sleep in a shared junk ( Day 11 ).
Access
Departure
Hanoi
Day 1
End of stay
Hanoi
Day 13
Go to the starting point
The nearest airport ishanoi
Price details
The price includes
- Accommodation for 12 nights, in a hotel in Hanoi, with a local family during the trek and on the junk during the cruise on Lan Ha Bay
- Breakfasts and meals "included" in the day-by-day
- Airport transfers to and from the airport on Day 1 and Day 13
- The services of a local driver in a private vehicle
- A French-speaking guide and his support team (assistant, cook, porters) during the trek from Day 1 to Day 10
- An English-speaking guide during the Lan Ha Bay cruise
- Telephone support
Prices may be subject to change depending on availability.
The price does not include
- International flights and airport taxes
- Personal expenses
- Drinks
- Meals listed as "not included" in the daily itinerary (allow approximately €8 per meal)
- Tips for local teams
- The “solo supplement” if you are travelling alone
Options
- Flex fare and insurance
Practical information
Specific formalities
Specifics
Before your departure, check with the embassy or consulate regarding the entry and stay requirements for your destination country. You can also find this information on the France Diplomatie website ( https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/ ).
In the case of flights with stopovers operated by different airlines, also check the entry requirements of the countries you are transiting through.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in compliance, particularly regarding the validity of your identity documents (
For example, some countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after your return date. Consider visa requirements, necessary vaccinations, and health recommendations. And don't forget to take into account any customs restrictions and other potential requirements of your destination or transit country.
ℹ️ Information may change up to the departure date, remember to regularly check official websites.
In the case of flights with stopovers operated by different airlines, also check the entry requirements of the countries you are transiting through.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in compliance, particularly regarding the validity of your identity documents (
For example, some countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after your return date. Consider visa requirements, necessary vaccinations, and health recommendations. And don't forget to take into account any customs restrictions and other potential requirements of your destination or transit country.
ℹ️ Information may change up to the departure date, remember to regularly check official websites.
Equipment
Equipment to bring
- Pair of waterproof, comfortable "trekking" shoes with a high-top upper and grippy sole (Vibram type)
- Pair of sandals to wear during walking stages involving river crossings, in towns and villages
- Telescopic hiking poles
- Sleeping bag liner in the warm season (April to October) and sleeping bag in the cold season (November to February) for nights spent with locals in the North
- Toiletries kit and bath towel
- Sunscreen cream (face and lips)
- Mosquito repellent cream or spray
- Headlamp, with spare batteries and bulbs
- A lightweight, insulated water bottle with a minimum capacity of 1.5 L.
- Pocket knife, preferably multi-purpose (in checked baggage)
- Swimsuit
- Toilet paper
- Earplugs
Clothing to bring
- Cap or hat for the sun
- Scarf to protect the neck
- T-shirts, preferably made of quick-drying technical fabric
- Lightweight shirts
- Lightweight fleece or equivalent
- Warm fleece or equivalent (useful from November to March)
- Waterproof, breathable, windproof jacket with Gore-Tex hood
- Rain cape
- Long shorts
- Comfortable walking trousers (ideally with detachable legs)
- Hat and gloves (useful from December to February)
- Socks
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Decathlon Travel Partner
The Paulin team
4.4/5
(1434 reviews)
• 429 stays
For over 30 years, our local partner has been designing adventure walking trips around the world. Specializing in small-group treks, they cater to both casual hikers and seasoned trekkers seeking unspoiled natural environments and a return to the essentials. Their key strength? They own their own agencies in over 30 countries, guaranteeing complete trip creation from start to finish, without intermediaries. This direct, on-the-ground expertise ensures memorable active experiences and total freedom amidst breathtaking landscapes.
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