The 6-day tour is a combination of Sapa villages trek and Halong bay cruise tour. You meet up with different ethnic groups as you hike from village to village. Spending the night at local home (homestay) also offers a real life experience. The trek is a medium difficulty that is recommended to parents, children travelling in dry season. The overnight cruise tour to Halong bay is most beautiful in summer time when it is hot and sunny. The multi activity tour can be extended with other breaks such as spa package, homestay, Tam Coc sampan cruise tour, cooking class or rock climbing vacations…Contact your Lotussia Travel consultant for more details.


Day 1: Overnight train to Lao Cai.

In the evening, transfer to Hanoi Railways Station to take the night train to Laocai. Departure at???. Overnight on the train.

 Day 2: Arrive Lao Cai. Travel to Sapa. Trekking Sapa hilltribe villages (Tram Ton – Sin Chai).

Arrive Lao Cai Railway Station early this morning. You will be picked up by Lotussia Travel local team and transferred to Sapa.

Breaffast will be provided in a local restaurant in town.

Transfer to Silver Waterfall where you will be able to take a short walk to the waterfall. You will then drive further to Heaven Gate, the highest peak of roads in Vietnam. From there you can see Fansipan, the highest peak of Indochina mountains as well as enjoy stunning views. We start descending nearby the waterfall. The trail takes you all the way downhill through bamboo forest, which belongs to Hoang Lien National Park.

Your lunch will be served at a nice spot nearby a river.

After lunch, you continue the trek to Sin Chai village of Black Hmong minority, where Community Based Tourism in Sapa takes place. You will have opportunity to explore daily life of one of the largest group ethnic minorities in Sapa area.

Homestay in a local house.

Day 3: Continue hiking Sapa (Sin Chai – Cat Cat – Y Linh Ho)

After having breakfast, you start heading up the mountain. Once you get to the top, you will trek on a small trail with spectacular view and then gradually descend to Cat Cat village, where you will have lunch nearby a waterfall.

In the afternoon, you take a trail sneaking through mountain. You also will enjoy spectacular scenery while walking along a narrow river. Eventually you will arrive in Y Linh Ho village of Black Hmong minority, where you can take a rest in a nice spot nearby the beautiful river.

The night will be spent in a local house in Y Linh Ho village.

Day 4: Continue Sapa valley trek (Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van)

Today’s trek will continue along Hoang Lien mountain range, which offers you many opportunities to enjoy view over huge rice paddy terraces in Muong Hoa valley, the largest one in the area.

After lunch at a nice spot, you descend into the bottom of the valley. You will pass through Lao Chai village of Black Hmong minority and then Tavan village of Giay minority by following a very popular trekking route. 

You spend the night in a traditional house of Giay minority. You will be able to take a walk to enjoy the valley view as well as swim in the river nearby.

Day 5: Trekking Ta Van – Su Pan. Return Sapa town. Travel to Lao Cai. Overnight train back to Hanoi.

Today’s trek is short, but still the landscape is beautiful. Once you get energy for your last day trek after having breakfast, you leave for Giang Ta Chai village where you can take a rest nearby a waterfall for lunch.

After passing trough the bamboo forest we will find a nice place to enjoy lunch. After lunch we continue towards Giang Ta Chai, a Red Dao ethnic minority village. After taking a rest nearby a waterfall to refresh, you start climbing uphill to a road where the car is ready for your journey back to Sapa, then down to Lao Cai Railways Station.

Take the night train back to Hanoi. Departure ??? Overnight on the train.

Day 6: Arrive Hanoi. Travel to Halong bay. Boat junk cruise and sea kayaking tour.

Arrive early this morning in Hanoi. You will be picked up again by Lotussia Travel guide, driver and transferred to a local restaurant in town for breakfast.

At 8:30, depart to Halong Bay. Enjoy the journey through the rich farmlands of the Red River Delta and the scenery of rice fields, water buffalo and everyday Vietnamese village life. Arrive in Halong and board the Bai Tho traditional sailing junk (or similar junk). Whilst cruising the exquisite waters sample the regions fresh seafood. Visit the recently discovered Surprise Grotto with its great views, and on the next island see the yawning mouth of Bo Nau Cave. Alternatively journey to Dau Go Cave and nearby see the famous stalagmites and stalactites of Thien Cung Cave. Enjoy a swim in the emerald waters of Halong Bay at any spot that you wish to visit (if weather permits). Watch the sun set over the bay whilst enjoying a delicious dinner.

Overnight on board junk.

Day 7: Halong bay – Hanoi.

Wake up to fresh coffee and a wholesome breakfast before cruising back to Halong City.

At 11:00, disembark at the dock at Halong City. Transfer back to Hanoi.

Contact Lotussia Travel for more details.

The 3-day tour includes the most important travel highlights in the northern Vietnam – Sapa and Halong bay. Take the overnight train to Laocai then enjoy a full day hike through terraced rice fields, local H’mong and Dzao villages. You have about 5 hour boat cruise in Halong bay on day 3. If your group size is big enough, we would recommend you booking a chartered boat junk offering you a complete flexibility while cruising.

Itinerary:
Day 1: Overnight train to Laocai.   

Overnight train to Laocai. Train??? Departure at ??? (To be advised). Overnight on board train.

Day 2: Laocai – Sapa. Sapa full day tour. Overnight train back to Hanoi (L).   
Arrive Laocai Railway Station early this morning. You will be welcome by our local team and transferred uphill to Sapa.

After breakfast (not included), travel to Sin Chai village. This is a beautiful village, located right at the foot of Hoang Lien mountain range and inhabited by the Black Hmong minority. There we start our trekking journey uphill. Once we reach to the top, you will take a small trail descending to Catcat village.

Your lunch will be provided near a waterfall.

In the afternoon, we will take another trail sneaking through mountain. The scenery is also spectacular. Take a short break upon arriving Y Linh Ho village before climbing up to the main road where our vehicle will be waiting for us for the journey back to Sapa.

Day use will be provided in a mini standard hotel in either Sapa or Laocai.

Travel to Laocai Railways Station for overnight train trip back to Hanoi. Train ??? Departure at ??? (To be advised). Overnight on board train.

Day 3: Arrive in Hanoi. Hanoi – Halong bay – Hanoi (L).

Arrive Hanoi Railway Station early this morning. You will be greeted again by Lotussia local team and transferred to Halong bay.

Enjoy 3.5 hour drive through the fertile flood plains of the Red River Delta to Ha Long City. Once at Ha Long City we board our private boat for a five-hour cruise of this stunning area, stopping along the way to visit one of the limestone caves in the bay. There will also be time for a swim in the bay’s emerald waters. Whilst on board, you will be served a delicious local seafood lunch.

The boat goes back to shore at about 15:30. Get on our car again and travel back to Hanoi. You will be dropped off at your hotel in Hanoi city center. End trip.

Contact Lotussia Travel for more details.

5 of 5 stars Reviewed October 18, 2012


We went on a 2 day trek with Lotussia Travel including a homestay and it was wonderful. We arranged everything through email (Lotussia Travel was very responsive) and everything was ready for us when we arrived. Our guide, Cho, spoke perfect English and was extremely knowledgeable about the area because it's where she has lived her whole life. She let us choose different routes and got us off the beaten path where we were away from other tourists. The homestay was very comfortable and the food was delicious!

As others have said, be forewarned that the women who tag along for the first half of the first day will want to sell you things. We got really ripped off because it took us off guard. We told Cho that we didn't want to buy anything more and asked her to please tell any other women that we were not interested. We had no more problems.

We had an incredible experience with the Sapa Sisters and would highly recommend them.

“Excellent guide”

My wife and I recently had a 2D trip with Chi in SaPa. Chi was lovely and is a very knowledgeable of the area. She asked what we wanted to do and made sure that we got what we wanted. For any like me who have never left the city, this was a big insight into how others live. Not in Kansas anymore Toto. We stayed in a well appointed local house, though even this felt like camping. We did have a fantastic time though and learnt a lot.

My only complaint was in regards to the 'hangers-on' mentioned by others, and mainly only due to my own stupidity. I am not good at bargaining and always forget. I have been ripped off so many times, but probably the most by these followers. Get back to town and find the same thing for 1/4 the price leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I would appreciate the guides giving more warning. She did feel sorry for us though and did some bargaining on our behalf later on. :)

Seriously though, if EVER a price is verbal rather than written down, 1/4 seems to be a fair price to pay. E.g. If they ask $20, pay no more than $5. I'm only slightly bitter...honest!

“Great adventure”
Trekking with Sapa Sisters was great: they adjusted the path, the pace as we wanted. They have helped us while trekking (as it was demanding and not easy, but this is how we wanted;)).
The best part was the satying over in the guest house and the evening with the local family. The atmosphere and the home made food was best I have tried;)
We have seen how people live in the villiges, how are their lifes, what are the challenges, that was the best life lesson ever.
If you want see real life and meet great people-definitely go there.
Visited December 2012

Hiking & Trekking in Vietnam

Vietnam offers some excellent trekking opportunities, notably in its growing array of national parks and nature reserves.

There are ample opportunities to hike to minority villages in the northwest, northeast and centre highland regions. Anything is possible, from half-day hike to a six-day ascent of Fansipan, Vietnam´s highest mountain. The best bases from which to arrange treks are Sapa, Bac Ha, Cao Bang, all in northern Vietnam; Bach Ma National Park in centre Vietnam and Cat Tien National Park and Pleiku in the south.
Contact Lotussia Travel fore more details.