Day 1: HA NOI
Arriving at Noi Bai airport. Transfer to hotel. Visit Hanoi "The city situated on the side of Red river." Walk in the residential district where was the Presidential Palace, the house and the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, the One-Pillar pagoda. Next, we will visit the museum of ethnology, Quan Thanh temple and Tran Quoc pagoda established by the West lake, the temple of literature (the first university of Vietnam in the 11th century) and Ngoc Son temple. In the late afternoon, we go by cyclo in the old quarter. Have lunch and dinner in city. In the evening: water puppet show. Night at hotel.

Day 2: HA NOI - CHO RA - BA BE
Departure for Ba Be, passing through the mountainous region of Tonkin. There are superb landscapes with the rice fields in terrace, the paddle wheels in bamboo on the two sides of the river. Have lunch on road. Upon arrival at Cho Ra, take a boat on Nang river that slips in a cultivated country before penetrating in a landscape of chalky cliffs whose flank are characterised by small wild gardens, where hang the lianas and its long roots in quest of earth. Sometimes, the jungle, the purple canes, the silver spindly marbled trunks and the old trees bending their twist above the river swallow some earthy mounds. In the other view, it is the spectacle of fishing. The lobster pots stake out the course of river, some men throw the sparrow hawk, and others hit the rocky banks to dislodge some of lower-case shrimps. Then we enter into the Puong Cave. The river flows, making up a wonderful site where you can enjoy the stalactites on foot of this pothole. We continue going by boat to Pac Ngoi- a village of Tay ethnic situated no far from the lake on the flank of hills. The Tay lives on fishing, rice and corn cultivation. Their stilt houses with the thatched roofs disperse in the austere surrounding landscapes. Have dinner and overnight at the inhabitant.

Day 3: BA BE - CAO BANG
We take a boat in the fairy decor of Ba Be lake; "the lake of three seas" that stretches on 9 km long and from 100 to 1800 m large, at altitude of 145 m. It is located at the outlet of 3 valleys that join together in bow of circle. Ba Be is not only a site for the imaginative, but also for the nature lovers. About over forty pieces of mammal live there, as well as hundred pieces of bird and butterflies. You can visit Dau Dang cascade, a village of the Dao ethnic. Then, we leave for Cao Bang, a small city at the extremity northwest of the country. Arrive and dinner in city. Night at hotel

Day 4: CAO BANG - MO SAT
Departure from city to the northwest. Following the itinerary, we turn left to go along the track of Thong Nong. A six hours trek to get to Mo Sat village of Tay, through the narrow small valleys, go round some skywards slim peaks. Here we have an opportunity to pass through the suspended bridge that was made of bamboo to make contact with the Tay villagers and see them working on their rice fields in terrace. At noon: Picnic. Dinner and night at the inhabitant

Day 5: MO SAT - NA CHAO
A six hours trek from the Mo Sat village to the Na Chao village of the Tay. We go back up toward the frontier with China while running along the track edged by stream to the superb wild mountainous landscapes with the rice fields in terrace and the paddle wheels in bamboo on the two sides of river. Then the path abandon very quickly to the well organised world of Tay and to the dispersed isolated houses of the Dao. Their low houses are constructed in the land that they reclaim and cultivate on the burnt land. A short stops to visit a village of the Dao. At noon: Picnic. Dinner and overnight at the inhabitant

Day 6: NA CHAO - SOC GIANG - CAO BANG
A trek for one hour from Na Chao to Soc Giang. Visit a typical market, where the Tay and Nung women come with conical hats, black trousers and blue or red short tunics, the black Hmong in indigoes. This market takes place on every fifth day of the lunar calendar. Then walking in one hour to the Chinese frontier. Then, we take our minibus to the Pac Bo grotto, one of the most historical sites where the uncle Ho stayed over years. Return to Cao Bang. Dinner and night at hotel

Day 7: CAO BANG - DONG KHE - PAC HOAN
The run is characterised by its beauty. It is a continuation and combination of the mountains, the hills and the thick forests. This road is famous for its name RC4 - Colonial Road number 4 which implies the several fighting between French and Vietminh in the 1950s at the time of the frontier battle. After arriving in Dong Khe, we have lunch and continue to Pac Hoan village of Nung. Dinner and night at the inhabitant

Day 8: PAC HOAN - COC XA - NA BAN
A six hours trek from Pac Hoan to Na Ban a village of the Tay. Following our itinerary, we will explore the tracers of the colonial attendance that now became rare. Outsides, in the small flap of the Dao - Coc Xa where 5 000 French legionnaires had been killed by the Viet Minh, during the time of the frontier war. We Continue going to Na Ban. Dinner and night at the inhabitant

Day 9: NA BAN - THAT KHE - LANG SON
A five hours trek from Na Ban to That Khe with the superb karstic landscapes and the culture of corn, cassava, rice. After lunch, we leave for Lang Son by bus, then continuing on the same road that lead up to the valley and runs along Ky Cung clinching, which is the continuation of the Canton river. You will see the beautiful perspective on the river and the surrounding rocky peaks. Dinner and overnight in Lang Son

Day 10: LANG SON - HA LONG
Lang Son, a small dynamic city that was went trough a disaster in 1979; it woke up in the beginning of the year 90 with the reopening policies of trade between China and Viet Nam. In the early morning, we visit Dong Kinh central market, Tam Thanh grotto. Then, depart for Halong. The road is very nice with the beautiful mountainous landscapes and the coasts of Tonkin gulf. On arrival in Halong, check in Tuan Chau bungalow. Tuan Chau island has a surface of 3 square km and populated by 1200 fishers. At an ideal location, the hotel is composed of three villas that were constructed during the year of 1960s to receive Ho Chi Minh. Today, the High Dignitary Families of the Communist Party often come again to spend their weekends and vacation there. The hotel has a very beautiful view on the bay. It is really a privileged place that doesn't normally available for tourists, my personal relations with the Director Board of hotel, will enable you to enjoy it. In the afternoon, take a walk to a fishing village. Have lunch and dinner with seafood. Night in the bungalow.

Day 11: HA LONG
If Hanoi was Thang Long, "Ascending Dragon", the Halong bay, "Descending Dragon". This name is originated from a legend explaining the present of its rocky peaks that are the remains from a fierce battle of a great dragon. The fantastic peaks cutting the horizon in bluish teeth or sunken mountains which emerge only their summits, caves and grottoes where the streams disappear, game of mists and clouds. The most typical is that these peaks with the strange shapes seem floating on the surface of water and here the silence of this spreads sea dominates everywhere, sometimes broken by the scream of a sea bird. Take a private boat, and cruise all day on the bay. Have lunch and dinner with fresh seafood. Night on board.

Day 12: HA LONG - CAT BA
We continue cruising to Cat Ba island. You will discover Cat Ba national park that includes humid forests, inshore mangrove swamps, numerous small fresh water lakes, sandy beaches and reefs of beautiful coral. It is the home for 28 pieces of mammal, 37 pieces of bird, 20 pieces of reptile and 200 pieces of fish. There you will find a rare tree "stick tree". It is named following its wood, which is reactive with the poisonous foods and often used to manufacture the sticks utilized in the court. Lunch and dinner with fresh seafood. Night at hotel

Day 13: CAT BA - HAI PHONG - HA NOI
You can visit a fishing village, the market of fish. But especially, you will have an impressive memory of Cat Ba with the lifestyle of its local fishers and the magnificent sites. Embarking on a hydroplane for one hour journey to Hai Phong. Discover Hai Phong, the city with French colonial style is very famous for its streets and avenues edged by flaming. Then we visit Du Hang pagoda, Hang Kenh Communal House. Return to Ha Noi. Night at hotel

Day 14: HA NOI - PERFUME PAGODA - NINH BINH
Departure for the Perfume pagoda, one of the most beautiful sites of Vietnam. The pagodas and temples are perched on the flank of chalky mountain whose architecture integrates perfectly with avery lush nature. Take a sampan which drive you on the Yen river to the root of the Perfume mountain, but according to the rules of pilgrimage, a stopover should be made at the Trinh temple to ask the Genius -guardian permission to pursue our journey. Then you will need a 3 hours round-trip to climb up to the Huong Tich pagoda, an immense cave where stalactites and stalagmites form candelabra and altars. Have lunch there. We leave for Ninh Binh, crossing the superb landscapes of mountain filled with tea trees. Dinner and night at hotel

Day 15: NINH BINH - TAM COC - BICH DONG - HOA LU
Departure for Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam in the 10th century. Visit the commemorative temple dedicated to Dinh and Le kings. Have lunch at Tam Coc. An excursion by boat on the Ngo Dong river that snakes between the hills and the rice fields in a marvellous landscape, often called "Ha Long on land". Visiting Bich Dong pagoda situated on the flank of hills. Dinner and night at hotel.

DAY 16: HOA LU - PHAT DIEM - HANOI
Take a light trek in surrounding villages of Tam Coc for 4 hours. After lunch, we depart for Phat Diem, one of the most beautiful cathedrals of Vietnam which was constructed in 1891. It is very remarkable by its material (marble, granite and wood). Return to Hanoi. Night at hotel

DAY 17: HA NOI
Free at leisure until tranferring to Noibai airport for onward flight. Meal and night on board.