Trekking Tour North Vietnam 5 Days – Sapa, Lai Chau

Trekking Tour North Vietnam 5 Days Sapa Lai Chau is provided in the northern Vietnam and includes such highlights as trekking Sapa, homestay at local home in Sapa, trekking in Tam Duong, Lai Chau, visit Sin Ho Sunday market.

Description

Trekking Tour North Vietnam 5 Days Sapa Lai Chau is provided in the northern Vietnam and includes such highlights as trekking Sapa, homestay at local home in Sapa, trekking in Tam Duong, Lai Chau, visit Sin Ho Sunday market. The below itinerary is a standard version of Hiking Vietnam. This can be customized further to better fit each individual needs.

Map of trekking tour north Vietnam

Trekking tour north Vietnam itinerary

Night 1: Hanoi – Lao Cai.

19:00 you will be met up with our guide, driver and transferred to Hanoi train station. Overnight train to Laocai. Overnight on the train.

Day 1: Lao Cai – Sapa.

Arrive Lao Cai Train Station early this morning at 6:00am (to be advised). You will be greeted by our local team and transferred to Sapa. Breakfast will be provided in a local restaurant in town. 8:30 am, you will be transferred to Ban Ho village. We will trek through the scenic valley of “Ban Ho”. This  is  a  village  of Tay  ethnic minority. The Tay preserve a traditional and fairly developed agriculture with cultivation of all kinds of plants including rice, maize and sweet potato as well as seasonable fruit and vegetables. Then we continue walking to Thanh Phu village where your lunch will be provided in a local house. After  lunchtime,  you head  to  Sin Chai  village. This is a village of of Red Dao people. Dinner and overnight at the village.

Day 2: Sapa Hiking.

After breakfast, we start our day by walking downhill toward the My Son village which is inhabited by the Xa Pho ethnic minority, one of the smallest group’s ethnic in Northern Vietnam. After one and a half hours walk to the Red Dao village of Nam Toong, we bill stop for lunch. In  the afternoon, we  continue our hiking trip towards Ban Ho village where  it will be possible  to  take a swim (Please check your guide’s advice before jumping on the water. Since the water can be very cold in summer time). Then our vehicle will transfer you back to Sapa. Free dinner and overnight at hotel in Sapa town.

Day 3: Sapa – Lai Chau.

Depart for Tam Duong. Stop at Tram Ton pass (“Heaven Gates”) to enjoy the stunning views over the valley. From there, we will then drive downhill on the zigzag mountain paved road to Tam Duong. Upon arrival in Tam Duong, we start our walk through tea fields, limestone  and  several villages of Flower Hmong and Giay minorities. Your lunch will be provided en route. In the afternoon, we will continue our walk to Ban Giang village, which is around 1.5 hours away. The Giay people also inhabit in Ban Giang. We will then take a smaller trail to reach Hon village which inhabited by Lu people. We will be picked up by our vehicle again and transferred to Lai Chau. Check into a local hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Lai Chau – Sin Ho.

After breakfast, we drive up the rough road passing the home of Meo, Man, Thai minority groups. Other may be made en route for you to visit other hill tribe villages. Picnic lunch at the good place near the bank of  the River. Arrive Sin Ho and check into a local guesthouse.

Day 5: Sin Ho – Lao Cai – Hanoi.

After breakfast, we attend to the Sin Ho market that is open on Sunday morning only. You will encounter a photogenic display of Red H’mong, Black Dao and Thai ethnic costumes. Chinese people also attend the market for trading. After visiting the market, we will have lunch in a local restaurant then drive back to Sapa, then to Laocai train station for overnight train back to Hanoi. Train ??? Departure at ??? (to be advised). Overnight on the train.

Tailor-made trip

Hiking Vietnam specializes in tailor-making trekking and hiking vacations in Vietnam. We offer the widest selection of day walks, jungle trekking, mountain hiking, trekking home-stay, camping and wild life discovery in the northern Vietnam. With a dedicated team of senior travel consultants, hiking tour specialists, experienced English-speaking tour leaders, local H’mong, Thai, Tay guides, cooks, porters we can design any trekking, hiking, walking option for any age and budget. This Trekking Tour North Vietnam 5 Days Sapa Lai Chau is only a sample that can be further customized to better fit your personal requirements. Just follow this itinerary or contact us for designing your own adventure.

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Additional Information

Depart from

End at

Hanoi

Availability

Upon request

Difficulty

Places to visit

,

Travel style

Trip duration

Itinerary disclaimer

Occasionally our tour itineraries are updated during the year to incorporate improvements stemming from past travelers’ comments and our own research. The information given in this itinerary may be slightly different to that in the service proposal. It’s very important that you print and review a final copy of your itinerary a couple of days prior to travel, in case there have been changes that affect your plans. If you have any queries, please contact us. We are here to help you!

Please note that while we operate successful trips in Vietnam throughout the year, some changes may occur in our itineraries due to inclement weather and common seasonal changes to timetables and transport routes. This can happen with little notice so please be prepared for modifications to the route. The order and timing of included activities in each location may also vary from time to time.

Difficulty levels

Our trekking tours can be classified into three levels

Easy

There are about 8 – 10K to walk on flat roads. No previous experience is necessary. Anyone in good health and fit enough to perform an occasional hike can take an easy level trek. Vietnam easy walks are provided in Hanoi, Bac Giang, Mai Chau, Ngoc Son Ngo Luong…

Moderate

There are about 10 – 15K to hike on flat and hilly roads. At this point too, no special background is required. Hikers accustomed to trekking in hilly areas of Mai Chau, Pu Luong or Lai Chau, Yen Bai successfully accomplish our treks “moderate”, provided they are in good health and to have a correct fit. These treks are moderate or easy hikes with an average duration or shorter but more difficult steps.

Difficult

There are about 16 – 23K to trek on uphill/downhill dirty, rocky trails. Physical fitness is very important for these treks and you may have to lead you home before the trek. Most treks in this level are comparable with long rides in the Fansipan mountain or the the mountainous region of Ha Giang, Cao Bang, sometimes higher altitudes. The climate and isolation can also participate in difficulty. Prior trek experience is preferable but not vital if you have confidence in your fitness.

Inclusions

Our trip cost usually includes the following services. Please bear in mind Lotussia Travel is specialized in tailor-made trips. Trip cost vary depending on group size and other details.

  • Car transfers
  • Local tour guide. The English-Speaking guide is provided by default. Other language may be available upon request (with extra charge).
  • Local porter(s)
  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • Sightseeing entrance fees.
  • Bottled water.

Exclusions

Unless required most of the following services are usually not included in our tour price.

  • Visa (required)
  • Flight/Train tickets.
  • Accommodation pre/post trip.
  • Travel insurance
  • Tips
  • Personal expenses

Tour Guide

Our tour guides speak English or French. They hold a university degree in tourism and national license as a guide. If you wish to send a tour leader along with any group, he or she can fully rely on the knowledge and experience of our local guides.

Remote treks are always accompanied by a local representative to deal with permits and authorities and manage the porter team. They speak the local dialects, know the cultural traditions and give tips on suggested behavior in fragile ecological areas and tribal communities. For some itineraries, the role of tour leader and representative is combined.

When to hike

The north Vietnam experiences two distinct seasons; winter and summer. Winter is cool, dry and lasts from November to April. Temperatures range between 15 to 25°C during the day and 0 to 10°C during the night. With little rain, the winter season offers the most pleasant weather conditions for trekking in Vietnam. Read more about Vietnam weather.

Porter

During all trekking tours we may use local porters to carry your luggage as well as our trekking equipment, where required. To generate local income we employ local villagers for this task. Participants will have their own porter, carrying trekking equipment and luggage to a maximum of 15 kg per client. Travelers only have to carry their day packs. Read more how to pack

Vehicle

Depending on the nature of the tour, journeys will be accompanied by an air-conditioned car/minibus cover the larger overland sections.

Accommodation

Campsites and lodges are not common in Vietnam, instead we make use of homestays; staying the night in tribal villages along the way. Facilities are clean, but very basic. Travelers share a bamboo-slat floor, separated by curtains. Animals usually sleep under the house and restrooms and showers are often absent. Water sources are available outside. Mattresses, blankets and mosquito nets are taken care of.

Over the years Lotussia Travel has established a number of projects to upgrade home stay accommodation into a bit more comfort. Basic facilities aside, spending the night in a tribal village and enjoying a meal with the locals brings travellers unforgettable cross-cultural experiences. In the past 15 years of organizing trekking by this way, we never received a complaint.

Food

During all treks meals will be arranged on the spot, in local restaurants and at home in local villages along the way. The meals are prepared by our cooks, the local guide or by the local host. Our cooks are well trained to prepare and serve food hygienically and they cook a variety of local delicacies. Sometimes this may include the slaughter of a chicken, duck or pig. We sometimes have the chance to bring western food, and snacks from Hanoi for breakfast and picnics along the way, and coffee and tea are available in abundance. Our cooks make a special effort to provide as much variety as possible. The porters give necessary assistance on the spot.

Drinking water

There are many shops and villages that have bottled water for sale. On remote trekking tours, we buy a sufficient supply of water for the next couple of days. We recommend bringing some water purifying tablets.

Packing

Comfortable lightweight clothing in natural fabrics such as cotton is most suitable for travelling in Vietnam. The dress code is fairly casual as in most parts of the tropics but it is advisable to cover arms and legs in the evenings against biting insects. A lightweight raincoat is a good idea in the rainy season. During the winter months warm clothing is needed for visiting the north of Vietnam. Visitors should not wear shorts, short skirts or other skimpy clothing when visiting religious buildings such as pagoda, temple, communal house and shoes should be removed before entering a private home.

What you take will naturally depend upon where you are travelling and the style of journey you are undertaking, and it can often be difficult to decide what to pack. Nevertheless, the following should act as a useful checklist of essential items worth thinking about taking.

  • 1 medium-sized backpack.
  • Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
  • 1 long (easy to dry) pants and 1 long sleeved shirt to wear during the trek (easy to dry).
  • 1 pair of flip flop (sandals).
  • 1 pair of shorts and T-shirt to wear at camp site (2 if you do 4-day trek).
  • 1 medium-sized towel.
  • 1 medium-sized dry bag.
  • Hiking poles/walking sticks
  • GPS

Responsible Tourism

We strongly believe that Responsible Tourism can support to local communities: proving incomes,positive cultural exchanges and an incentive to protect natural environment. We recognize that there is always space for improvement. We continually strive to narrow the gap between principle and practice.

Environment

We have been turning environmentally responsible tourism into practices to minimize tourist impact upon the local habitat. From biodegradable soaps to re – usable water containers, we provide clients with the best information and mean to help them identify and implement effective ways to positive protect local nature and communities. It is a vital criteria that can be passed on and abided by all, long after the trip ended.

Community

Prior to our tours, we contact and work with local community leaders to make sure we are welcome and in a manner that minimizes negative social and cultural impacts. We visit local development and community projects specific to the region, encouraging customers to donate and assist such a projects in appropriate and sustainable manner.

Where make sure that where and whenever possible our tours positively benefit the local community. We stayed at locally owned accommodation and visit cottage industries for local handicraft souvenir, generating income for local business. We often employ, hire support team such as local guide, motor-taxi drivers, cook assistants on all trips to ensure that the local community benefit not only short term but with increased employment opportunities for the future.

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