5 Days, Sapa Ethnic Minorities

Itinerary

ITINERARY IN DETAILS:

DAY 1 SAT: HANOI - TRAIN TO LAOCAI

Pick up at hotel in Hanoi and transfer to Hanoi train station for the soft sleeper train to Sapa.
Overnight trip to Lao Cai in sharing comfortable sleeping cabin of Livitrans. The train departs approx. 8:40hrs

DAY 2 SUN: ETHNIC MINORITY VILLAGES(B,L)
Arrival Laocai station early morning (approx. 06:00 hrs),transfer to local restaurant for refreshment & breakfast. A 2-hour drive through scenic mountain areas brings you to Muong Khuong, a small settlement bordering China's Yunnan province. Every Sunday the otherwise sleepy town is transformed into a bustling place full with various ethnic minorities. Here visitors can meet more of Lao Cai’s colourful Flower H’mong people, plus Nung, Dzao Tuyen, Tu Di and a number of other ethnic groups such as the Thu Lao, the Pa Di, the La Chi and the highly-photogenic Lo Lo. Drive back Laocai. Lunch at local restaurant then continue to drive (38km) on winding roads up the mountains brings you to Sapa. Overnight at hotel in Sapa

DAY 3 MON: SAPA VILLAGES (B,L)
Breakfast at the hotel. We then embark  on a lovely walks that will take us along rice field paths and villages trails and through several hill tribe villages of  Y Nin Ho,  Lao Chai and Tavan, home to H'mong, and Dzay people. This is a absolutely spectacular walk through stunning scenery inhabited by some of the friendliest people you can meet.  Once on the valley floor you can really appreciate the wonderful scenery that surrounds you. The walls of the valley are covered with multi-layered rice terraces and scattered villages. Opportunity to visit and see the local weaving and dying used natural indigo dye. Picnic lunch provided. Overnight at Hotel in Sapa
  

DAY 4 TUE: SAPA - HANOI (B,L)

Morning hike along the path of Matra villages, home to H'mong people to old church where our car take us to  Taphin Red Dzao village. Visit H'mong and Red Dzao minority villages. 
Lunch in Sapa. At leisure to visit Sapa market and shopping ethic craft.Later in the afternoon drive to Laocai , then transfer to train station, where you will board the overnight train to Hanoi at around 21:15 hrs back to Hanoi.

DAY 5 WED: ARRIVAL HANOI

The train will arrival Hanoi early in the morning.  You  will be transferred to your hotel or to airport for departure flight (accommodation in Hanoi not included).