Day 1: Hanoi Arrival in Hanoi.
Meet and Greet at the airport and transfer to the hotel downtown Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi

Day 2: Hanoi (B)
Full day Hanoi city tour. Hanoi, a city of lakes, shaded boulevards and verdant public parks, is the capital of Vietnam. We will visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum, the One Pillar Pagoda and the historical Temple of Literature. In the afternoon we will come to see the History Museum continued by a walking tour in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. In the evening we will attend a traditional Water Puppet show.
Overnight in Hanoi

Day 3: Hanoi - Halong Bay - Cat Ba National Park (B,L)
Declared as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, Halong Bay is one of Vietnam's most spectacular natural attractions. Located about 200 km from Hanoi, the bay covers an area of more than 1500 square kilometers and is dotted with thousands of limestone islands, which rise from the clear green waters like sculptures crafted by the gods. Since the ancient days some of these islands have got names due to their shapes, such as Banana Island or Tortoise Island. Thousands of these islands still remain unnamed and unexplored. A sea cruise with a lunch on board will allow you to experience the majestic beauty of the Halong Bay. After we have enjoyed our cruise for about five hours we will reach Cat Ba, the largest island in the area and home to one of the eleven national parks in Vietnam. The park is habitat to 32 different types of mammals, more than 70 species of birds and about 745 kinds of plants.
Overnight in Cat Ba

Day 4: Cat Ba - Halong Bay (B,L,D)
After the breakfast we will drive towards the national park. We come to see the Trung Trang cave, which was operating as a secret, bombproof hospital for the Vietnam Navy forces during the American War. We will meet our ranger and start to a challenging 18-km-trek through the park stunning nature. During the trek we will have the opportunity to lea about the park's fauna and flora. We will enjoy a short break at the Frog Lake to listen to the frogs' concert. After approximately six hours of trekking in the jungle we will reach the Viet Hai village, a remote village, which is located in a beautiful valley. We will have a typical Vietnamese lunch served by a local family. After the lunch we will do a short walk to get back to the junk. We will have dinner and stay oveight on board. At night you can swim to see phosphorescence in the water. (due to weather conditions).

Day 5: Halong Bay - Hanoi (B)
After breakfast we head back to Halong city. We will see a floating village on the way. We drive back to Hanoi with stop on the way to visit a ceramic factory.
Overnight in Hanoi

Day 6: Hanoi - Cuc Phuong National Park (B,L,D)
In the morning we depart to Cuc Phuong National Park (approx. 90km). Cuc Phuong is one of Vietnam's most important nature reserves. We will have a quick visit to the Primate Rescue Center before we continue to the center of the park. We start trekking through the dense jungle escorted by an experienced local ranger. En route a delicious picnic lunch will be served in the jungle. After six hours of trekking we get to Khanh, a village of the Muong ethnic minority, where we will be guests of a local family. After the dinner the local Muong girls and boys, performing their traditional songs and dances, will entertain us.
Overnight in Khanh village

Day 7: Cuc Phuong - Hanoi (B)
After the breakfast we say goodbye to the locals and walk on to the highway (approx. 5km) to catch our bus back to Hanoi. The afternoon is at leisure.
Overnight in Hanoi

Day 8: Hanoi - Ba Be (B,D)
In the morning we depart to Ba Be, a national park 240 km north of Hanoi. This beautiful region covers more than 23000 ha with boasts waterfalls, rivers, deep valleys, lakes and caves. On the way to Ba Be we will visit the museum of the Cultures of Vietnam's Ethnic Groups in Thai Nguyen. This museum is home to a wide array of colorful exhibits, representing the fifty hill tribes in Vietnam. When we arrive in Ba Be we will have a boat ride on the lake to Pac Ngoi, a village of the Tay minority people. We will stroll around the village and visit one of the Tay families to lea about their culture.
Overnight in a local house in Pac Ngoi village

Day 9: Ba Be (B)
After breakfast we will enjoy a three-hours trip by boat trip to discover the Ba Be Lake (Three Bays Lake), an area of three linked lakes with a total length of about 8 km and a width of approximately 400 m. During the trip we will have the opportunity to swim in the crystal water. The boat takes us to Dau Dang Waterfall, which consists of spectacular cascades between sheer walls of rock. Another place of interest is the Puong Cave, which is 30 m high and 300 m long, completely passing through a mountain. We continue to Cho Ra. Overnight in a guesthouse in Cho Ra

Day 10: Ba Be - Hanoi (B)
In the morning we drive back to Hanoi with a lunch on the way (option). We will reach Hanoi at around 6 pm.

Day 11: Departure (B)
Day at leisure
Transfer to the airport for departure