DAY 1 : HANOI / LAO CAI (-/-/-)
A private shuttle will pick you up at the hotel and transfer to Hanoi Rail Station for an overnight train to Lao Cai.
DAY 2 : LAO CAI / SAPA / Y LINH HO / LAO CHAI / TA VAN (B/L/D)
The train arrives at Lao Cai Station approx at 05h30. From here you will take a private shuttle to Sapa town, where you enjoy your locally produced and homemade breakfast at a one of the nicest places in Sapa. Upon request, we can also arrange a room for quick refreshment and shower.
At 9h00 you will commence the excursion today with a walk through the town of Sapa and along a dirt trail through vegetable gardens and rice paddy terraces. The spectacular scenery of Muong Hoa valley gradually appears within your eyesight. You will then reach the river running at the bottom of the valley and continue the walk on the bank of the river. You eventually arrive in Y
Linh Ho village of Black H’mong minority, where you will take a rest and have lunch at a nice spot. After lunch, the walk from Y Linh Ho village to Lao Chai village of Black H’mong minority is almost on the hillsides. The view of the valley is more and more extending and stretching to the horizon. You take a stop at Lao Chai village to visit a local house, before following the dirt path linking the village with Ta Van village, the only one in the valley inhabited by Giay minority. We’ll share the dinner with a Giay host family. Overnight in homestay at Ta Van village
NOTE : The total trekking distance is 14km on dirt trail. Trekking duration : 5 hours with stops and lunch break
DAY 3 : TA VAN / GIANG TA CHAI / SU PAN / BAN HO (B/L/D)
After the breakfast we continue to visit Red Dao people at Giang Ta Chai where we also see a waterfall. The Red Dao women have very colourful red embroidery and coins on their clothing. On their head they wear a red scarf. Some of the women have shaved off their eyebrows because of a nice Red Zao legend.
We continue along small paths in the rice fields, cross the Muong Hoa River and arrive to the Tay village Ban Ho (900 m). Because of the development and adaptation to the Vietnamese society some of them have started wearing Vietnamese clothing. But most women still wear the traditional checkered headscarf. We stay overnight in a wooden Tay stilt house. If we reach Ban Ho in the early afternoon you will have time to swim in a nearby river. In the evening we have dinner with the Tay family.
NOTE : The total trekking distance is 18km on dirt trail. Trekking duration : 7 hours with stops and lunch break
DAY 4 : BAN HO / NAM TOONG / SAPA / LAO CAI / HANOI (B/L/-)
you will know when it’s time to wake up when you hear the patter of feet on bamboo as the household comes alive. After a filling breakfast in the homestay we will walk 3km to Nam Toong village, home to the Red Dao minority. Providing the weather is nice you will be able to cool off with a swim in the river (and if the weather’s not so nice you still can if you’re feeling brave!). Lunch will be provided back at the Ban Ho homestay, after which we will drive back to Sapa, arriving at around 3pm with a great sense of achievement! At 17h30, you will take the shuttle bus from Sapa to Lao Cai for the night train back to Hanoi.
NOTE : The total trekking distance is 07km on dirt trail. Trekking duration : 3 hours with stops
DAY 5 : HANOI (-/-/-)
Early morning arrival in Hanoi at approximately 4:30 am, trip concludes.