Discover Hoang Su Phi & Bac Ha

When people talk about the mountains of North Vietnam, Sapa is usually the key reference point. This trip is a chance for you to swap Sapa’s crowds for a road of intrigue through a less traveled magnificent region tucked away in a majestic mountain range lying between Vietnam and China. Get ready for deep valleys, stunningly terraced rice fields, lush forests, weekly markets, remote villages, and the beautiful mountain people with their colorful ethnic textiles and personalities, dwelling for centuries in mountains high above the rest of us.

• Theme tour: Adventurous explorer
• Kids friendly: No
• Destination: Less traveled

• The splendor of the Sino-Vietnamese mountains.
• Stunning scenery in wild places you've only dreamt about.
• Vivid ethnic cultures. Big smiles. Unforgettable memories.

• Sun & rain gear 
• Insect repellent
• Trekking clothes
• Trekking shoes/sandals
• Warm clothes in winter (mid Nov to early March)
• Toiletries, towel and flashlight
• Original passport

Meals: Lunch, Dinner | Accommodation: Homestay

7:00 AM – Pick up at your hotel, we will leave Hanoi and head towards the mountainous landscape and striking scenery of Tuyen Quang province.

Our lunch will be served at a local restaurant en-route. In the afternoon, the road then takes us up into the lands of Hoang Su Phi district of Ha Giang province, famous for its amazing rice terraces carved in the mountain slopes and the villages of many hill-tribes including Dzao, Tay, Nung and H’mong… Upon your arrival in Thong Nguyen valley, you’ll start a 2.5 hours trekking through the trails to Nam Nghi village of the Dzao people before heading up towards the mountain trail to Nam Hong village. You’ll be greeted by a friendly Dzao family who will be your host for tonight. Dinner and overnight in the village.

Trekking distance: 10km – Grade: Easy.
Our accommodation tonight will be provided by a local family in their traditional house-on-silts. There will be no private room and we will sleep on the floor on a large communal area. The sleeping corner is set up with a single mattress (thin, but adequate), blankets (ditto), pillow and mosquito net. The restroom is a few steps from the main house.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Accommodation: Homestay

After breakfast, you will follow trails winding through rice terraces across Nam Khoa village, a place inhabited by the Man Ta Pan ethnic group. As you reach the village the reward is big as the view of the terraces, mountains and the valley; simply amazing. Lunch will be served in a local home on the way.

Afterwards we will continue our trek. On the way there will be a lot of encounters with locals. As we reach Nam Ai in the afternoon, you can wonder around the village trails and get to the ancient tea garden- the infamous “Shan tea”. All the tea plants here are over a hundred years old and are considered as heritage trees. There’s of course a chance for you to try some fresh tea with one of the families in the village. 
Dinner and overnight in Nam Ai village. 

Trekking distance: 10km – Grade: Moderate.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Accommodation: Homestay

For early birds it is always great to enjoy the dawn light over the mountains and rice terraces. After breakfast, you’ll give farewell to your host family in the village and then you will hit the 4km to the center of the commune in Nam Son.

Here you’ll meet up with your driver for a drive to the border town of Xin Man where we wil have lunch in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, we will drive to Bac Ha while enjoying the marvelous mountain scenery, especially over Tay Con Linh mountain range between Ha Giang and Lao Cai province. We will arrive in the late afternoon at the house of our hosts in a small hamlet near Bac Ha center. Time for shower and refreshments before dinner is served.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch | Accommodation: not included

Bac Ha is well-know for its Sunday market. Joining locals on their weekly market is indeed are a fascinating experience. Locals travel a long distance from their villages to the market once a week not only for buying and selling, the market is also a gathering place for ethnic minority people to meet and catch up. There will be plenty of colourful and authentic costumes, but very little to buy as a souvenir unless you want to barter for a water buffalo or a sack of fertiliser!

After the market, we will drive for 9-km till today’s hike starting point in Nam Mon Commune. It is a nice and easy walk on a small concrete path in the middle of nowhere. About 2-hours walk going mostly down, we will arrive in a small village lying next to the Chay river. We will stroll around and enjoy any opportunity to get better acquainted with the locals. A leisurely walk to explore the village before having lunch at a local home.
In the afternoon, we’ll leave the village and drive back to Hanoi, where ourtrip will end around 6.30 PM.

If you would like to extend the trip to Sapa, we can offer an extra transfer from Lao Cai to Sapa from Lao Cai by shuttle bus – extra charge. Please advice your return-date in advance so that we can proceed wih respective preparations. Should you need any assistance on hotel/tours bookinsg in Sapa, please feel free to contact your travel consultant anytime.