Trip overview
Of everything on our list, this is the one that follows the capital with mountains instead of another stop on the coast or the plain. There is no night on the bay: a single day cruise covers it, which releases two nights for Sa Pa at the far end of a six-hour drive each way. Pick it if the Fansipan cable car and the northwest highlands matter more to you than time afloat.
In the mountains you travel by road to Heaven Gate, the Tram Ton Pass and the Silver Waterfall, then ride the longest cable car in the world to the 3,143-metre summit of Fansipan, the roof of Indochina. Plan around the transfers, which run some 315 km and about six hours in each direction, and avoid the wettest summer weeks, when the roads and the views are both less dependable.
Trip highlights
- A day cruise on Ha Long Bay, with lunch served aboard
- A six-hour overland drive to Sa Pa through terraced rice fields
- Heaven Gate, Tram Ton Pass and the Silver Waterfall
- A cable-car ride up Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina
- A half-day Hanoi city tour before you fly home
Your day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi (about a 45-minute, 25 km transfer from the airport)
Colonial streets, pagodas beside the lakes and the crowded Old Quarter ease you in before the long travel days. The afternoon you arrive is normally free, and the Old Quarter is the obvious place to spend it.
Day 2: Ha Long Bay day cruise (about 3 hours / 170 km one way)
You leave early, crossing the rice fields of the Red River Delta to the coast, where a private junk takes you out for about four hours among the 3,000 limestone islands of the bay. Lunch on board is seafood; the drive back gets you to your hotel by evening.
Day 3: Hanoi to Sa Pa by road (about 6 hours / 315 km one way)
The Noi Bai–Lao Cai highway carries you northwest, terraced fields climbing the slopes on either side, with one break along the way. Check-in is followed by lunch at a local restaurant, and the evening is free to walk around the town.
Day 4: Heaven Gate, Silver Waterfall and Fansipan by cable car
Rose farms and chayote trained over bamboo frames line the climb, and the Silver Waterfall makes the first stop. Heaven Gate and the Tram Ton Pass come next — at 2,047 metres, no road in the country goes higher — and then the Fansipan cable car, the world's longest and highest, which lifts you to the 3,143-metre summit known as the roof of Indochina. The drive back to the capital begins in the late afternoon.
Day 5: Sa Pa to Hanoi by road (about 6 hours / 315 km one way)
The Lao Cai–Noi Bai highway takes you back down through the highlands, with one break on the way, for a last night in the capital.
Day 6: Half-day Hanoi city tour, airport transfer (about a 45-minute, 25 km transfer)
Half a day covers the Mausoleum and stilt house, One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, Quan Thanh Temple and Tran Quoc Pagoda beside West Lake. The transfer to Noi Bai International Airport follows in the afternoon.
What's included
- Accommodation with twin/ double/ triple sharing room basis with daily breakfast in the category chosen or similar (subject to availability).
- Meals as mentioned in the Tour Itinerary.
- Sightseeing & Transfers according to the above Tour Itinerary Details only.
- Transportation by vehicle with A/C
- Local English-speaking guide’s assistance.
- All Entrance fees for attractions included in the program
- All activities and cruises clearly mentioned in the program
- Government taxes & service charge
- Air Fare / Train fare.
- Personal Expenses such as Laundry, telephone calls, tips & gratuity, mineral water, soft & hard drinks, porterage, water sports.
- Early check-in, late check-out
- Additional sightseeing or extra usage of vehicle, other than mentioned in the itinerary.
- Room Up gradation Charges.
- Any cost arising due to natural calamities like, landslides, road blockage, political disturbances (strikes), etc (to be borne by the client, which is directly payable on the spot).
- Travel Insurance.
- Bank Charges
- Tip to Driver & Guide (Compulsory)
- Airport Taxes
- Visa and Visa arrangement
- Anything which is not included in the inclusion.
Not included
- Air Fare / Train fare.
- Personal Expenses such as Laundry, telephone calls, tips & gratuity, mineral water, soft & hard drinks, porterage, water sports.
- Early check-in, late check-out
- Additional sightseeing or extra usage of vehicle, other than mentioned in the itinerary.
- Room Up gradation Charges.
- Any cost arising due to natural calamities like, landslides, road blockage, political disturbances (strikes), etc (to be borne by the client, which is directly payable on the spot).
- Travel Insurance.
- Bank Charges
- Tip to Driver & Guide (Compulsory)
- Airport Taxes
- Visa and Visa arrangement
- Anything which is not included in the inclusion.
Booking this trip
- Days
- 5 nights / 6 days
Sending this does not charge you. We hold the space and confirm within 24 hours.
Visas, payment schedules and cancellation terms are set out on the [Vietnam travel information page](vietnam/travel-information).
Tell us your travel dates and how many people are travelling, and we'll confirm availability and send you a quote by email.