Vietnam's Northern Soul

Day 1-2

Hanoi

Before you head into the remote north, it’s time to hit the city — and in our book, there are few cities more exciting than Hanoi. For us, the best way to get beneath the skin of the capital is via its food culture, so we’ve included a half-day culinary tour to get you acquainted with the ins and outs of Vietnamese cuisine. Start at a local wet market, then head out into the streets to sample spring rolls and crispy pancakes for breakfast, before rounding it all off with a sweet iced coffee in the Old Quarter. The rest of your time in the city is yours to spend as you choose — and we’ll have plenty of suggestions to keep you busy.

Highlights

Spend the morning sampling street food in Hanoi’s Old Quarter

Use your leisure time to explore Hanoi’s historic sites, including the Temple of Literature and Ho Chi Minh’s former home

If history’s not your thing, wander the French Quarter or head to West Lake for a different perspective on the capital

Day 3-4

Ba Be

It’s time to leave the capital behind and head into the north, stopping for some background on Vietnam’s minority cultures at the Museum of Ethnology. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll arrive in Ba Be: a rainforested national park known for its beautiful lakes. This is the heartland of the Tay, Dzao and Hmong ethnic minorities, and the best way to explore it is by boat — cruising on the lakes and stopping to explore quiet temples, hidden caves, and some of the most beautiful waterfalls in Southeast Asia. While you’re here, you’ll get to learn about traditional culture first-hand as you stay at a simple guesthouse in a Tay minority village.

Highlights

Visit the Thai Nguyen Museum of Ethnology, packed full of information about Vietnam’s 53 minorities

Go cruising on the beautiful lakes of Ba Be National Park

Explore the caves and waterfalls of the national park

Day 5

Meo Vac

From the Tay villages of Ba Be, you’ll journey on over the stunning Colia Pass to Meo Vac, a townlet in a remote part of Ha Giang Province. That old cliché has never been more true: today it’s all about the journey, not the destination. Watch from your car as the mountain scenery becomes more dramatic, stop for coffee with the Zao Tien, wander around a San Chay village, break for lunch in Bao Lac, and walk through the valley of Niem Son to observe the traditional life of the Nung people. All these ethnic minorities maintain their own languages, traditions, and traditional costumes, and as you travel through their lands you’ll start to get a sense of the magnificent diversity of this region.

Highlights

Admire the scenery as you drive over beautiful Colia Pass

Visit a San Chay minority village

Hike through the Niem Son Valley and learn about the culture of the Nung ethnic minority

Day 6

Yen Minh

Today brings one of the most spectacular road journeys of the trip, as you snake your way along the Mai Pi Leng Pass — a route that wriggles its way along a plunging valley terraced with some of the steepest rice paddies you’ll ever see. It’s another day of stunning scenery and village stops, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know yet more minority cultures as you explore different villages and valleys along your way from Meo Vac to Yen Minh. The stand-out stop on your route today is the Vuong Palace, a Chinese-style courtyard mansion built by the French for an opium-dealing Hmong family in the 1920s. Not something you see often in these remote hills!

Highlights

Drive over the Mai Pi Leng Pass, one of the most spectacular in Vietnam

Explore the Hmong villages of the Dong Van Valley

Visit the Vuong family palace to see Chinese-style architecture in the hinterlands

Day 7-8

Hoang Su Phi

Leaving Yen Minh behind, continue your journey on to Hoang Su Phi, where you’ll be based at the wonderful Pan Hou Lodge. At this eco-friendly guesthouse, spend two nights in simple bungalows surrounded by ornamental ponds and vegetable gardens. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the region, including hiking through villages of the Red Dao and Yao, and paying a visit to the Lung Tam commune — where traditional weaving skills have lifted Hmong and Zao women out of poverty. Cloaked in lush forest, tea fields and some of the most impressive rice terraces in Vietnam, Hoang Su Phi is a dramatic contrast to the rocky landscapes around Meo Vac, revealing yet another side of northern Vietnam.

Highlights

Drive over yet more breathtaking mountain passes: Yen Minh and Quan Ba

Hike through the lush forests, tea farms and rice terraces surrounding Hoang Su Phi

Relax with a massage or a herbal bath at Pan Hou Lodge

Day 9-10

Bac Ha/Hanoi

You’re on the move again on day nine, as you follow the Chinese border for 100 kilometers through the Chay River Massif to Bac Ha. As well as a couple of hours exploring the picturesque Lung Cai commune and stops in villages of the Flower Hmong, Tay and Nung minorities, you’ll stop in at Hoang A Tuong Castle — one of the most impressive sights in northern Vietnam. A courtyard mansion built by a Tay minority king in a fusion of French colonial and Chinese styles, it’s a fascinating relic of a bygone era. After a final night in the mountains, it’s back to Hanoi for a night to reacclimatize to the modern world — and perhaps enjoy a few of its delights with an evening out in the city!

Highlights

Pass through the Chay River Massif, stopping to visit villages of the Flower Hmong, Tay and Nung ethnic minorities

Take in the fabulous views around the Lung Cai commune

Visit Hoang A Tuong Castle, a fascinating relic of French-colonial rule in Vietnam

Day 11-13

Lan Ha Bay/Hanoi

After ten days on the road, you’ll be swapping wheels for water as you take to Lan Ha Bay: the lesser-known (but no less spectacular) sibling of Halong Bay. With a day and a night on the water, you’ll have plenty of time to do a bit of on-deck t’ai chi, try your hand at squid fishing, and make excursions into the dramatic karst scenery of the bay. Alternatively, you might choose just to relax on deck and enjoy the bar. We’re not judging. To conclude your trip, you’ll have one final night in Hanoi — the perfect chance to revisit a few street-food favorites, or discover something new. With so many entertainment options on offer, the only thing we can guarantee is that it won’t be boring.