The Red River Valley | Vietnam and Yunnan Tour

Day 1 - Arrival in Hanoi and check-in to our centrally located hotel

Arrival in Hanoi and early afternoon check-in to our centrally located hotel. Afternoon introductory tour of the charming Old Town district before a local-style, welcome dinner.

Extra, pre-tour, nights in Hanoi are available on request

Overnight: Hanoi Transport: Taxi, Walk,  Meals: D, 

Day 2 - Day tour of Hanoi and the night sleeper train.

Day tour of some of the city’s sites, including Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, the 11th-century Temple of Literature, a walking tour of the narrow streets of Hanoi’s bustling old quarter and of course the city’s famous ‘Train Street’. Late check-out and evening departure by sleeper train for Lao Cai.

Overnight: Night sleeper train Transport: Minibus, Train, Walk,  Meals: B, L, 

Day 3 - Bac Ha Market and on to Sapa

Early morning arrival at Lao Cai with a visit to the spectacular Bac Ha hill-tribe market. In the afternoon we’ll take a short hike to a village of the Tay minority before continuing up the mountains to picturesque Sapa Town for an overnight stay in a well-located eco-lodge.

Overnight: Sapa Transport: Minibus, Train, Walk,  Meals: B, L, 

Day 4 - Sapa | Morning hike and afternoon at leisure

Leisurely morning hike through the area’s incredible scenery, known to the French as the Tonkinese Alps, taking in Dzao and Hmong minority villages, picturesque rice terraces, bamboo forest and towering peaks. The afternoon offers some time at leisure to explore the town with its numerous coffee shops, market and handicraft stores.

Overnight: Sapa Transport: Minibus, Walk,  Meals: B, L, D, 

Day 5 - Lao Cai | Across the border and on to Yuanyang

Crossing into China’s Yunnan Province at the town of Hekou, we’ll follow the Red River Valley northwest into the Ailao Ranges and mountain-top Yuanyang District. Afternoon visit to the region’s truly awe-inspiring and now UNESCO World Heritage rice terraces – carved out of the mountainsides over a thousand years by the local Hani people.

Overnight: Yuanyang Transport: Minibus, Walk,  Meals: B, L, D, 

Day 6 - Yuanyang | Discover the World Heritage Terraces

Early start for sunrise views over the rice terraces followed by a return to our lodge for breakfast and a visit to one of the local village markets. In the afternoon we’ll take a stroll through the terraces as well as checking out a selection of the many spectacular viewpoints.

Overnight: Yuanyang Transport: Minibus, Walk,  Meals: B, 

Day 7 - North to historic Jianshui

Crossing the Red River we’ll head north to historic Jianshui City where an afternoon walking tour takes you to a family tofu workshop, a 14th-Century Confucian Temple – the 2nd largest in China – and the amazing Zhu Family Mansion with its 42 courtyards and 250 rooms!

Overnight: Jianshui Transport: Minibus, Walk,  Meals: B, L, 

Day 8 - A fortified medieval village and Lake Fuxian

Morning visit to the fascinating village of Tuanshan, one of the last remaining Ming Dynasty fortified villages in Southwest China and recently placed on the UNESCO Protected List. We’ll also stop at the iconic Double Dragon Bridge before continuing our route north, via a lakeside lunch by scenic Fuxian Lake, to the provincial capital, Kunming.

Overnight: Kunming Transport: Minibus, Walk,  Meals: B, L, D, 

Day 9 - The World Heritage Shilin Stone Forest

Morning trip to the spectacular karst formations of the Shilin Stone Forest, another of Yunnan’s UNESCO’s World Heritage sites, with an afternoon visit to the city’s 17th century Green Lake Park.

Overnight: Kunming Transport: Minibus, Walk,  Meals: B, L, 

Day 10 - Kunming and end of tour

Late morning check-out and end of your tour. Transfers to Kunming International Airport are included if you booked the ‘with flights’ option and if you booked your own flights, can be added on request. (Note Kunming offers direct routes to Hanoi, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and most major regional airports.)

Note extra nights in Hanoi and or Kunming are available before and after your tour as are optional extensions to Halong Bay or Luang Prabang, before or after respectively

Meals: B,