With this trip, we have built our reputation!

Designed with great variety, these trips are geared towards travellers searching for a healthy mix of active exploration, uncommon landscapes and local cultures.

 TOUR INFORMATION
The information below is intended to assist you as you consider your travel options for Vietnam with Friends Travel Vietnam. In addition to the detailed itinerary each tour has been supported with some useful information to provide you with an overview of your accommodation & meals, all things money, passports, visas, vaccinations, insurance, clothing, personal equipment and much more to help you with your travel preparations.

 Day 1: Noi Bai Airport - Hanoi
Our driver picks you up from the airport and arrives in bustling Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. As you can arrive at a various time, depends on your flight.

You will stay overnight in the city centre of Hanoi. Our hotel is located in the Old Quarter. All rooms are double or twin share with air conditioning and en suite bathroom. Free-Wifi and a computer are available in the lobby

Inclusion:
Accommodation: Golden Lotus Hotel 
Room: (standard room) upgrade on request
Transportation: Private car with A/C    
Meals: not included
Optional Rice Wine & Dinner Tour

 Day 2: Hanoi- Ninh Binh- Hoa Lu- Tam Coc  (B, L)

Inclusion:
Accommodation: Golden Lotus Hotel
Room: (standard room) upgrade on request
Transportation: Limousine Bus with A/C    
Meals: Breakfast, lunch , 
Others: Entrance fees, boat trip
Optional Rice Wine & Dinner Tour

 Day 3: Hanoi Walkie Talkie Tour - Overnight train to Sapa (B-D)

Inclusion:
Transportation: Sleeper train to Sapa*
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner
Tour: Hanoi Walkie Talkie  Tour
Drink & snacks:  coffee, tea, fruit salad & snacks

 Day 4: Sapa-Y Linh Ho-Lao Chai-Tavan (B-L-D) 

Our driver will pick you up from Lao Cai train station and bring you to Sapa Eden Hotel. On arrival at Hotel in Sapa you'll be offered a refreshing shower and enjoy breakfast with stunning views of Sapa town and the Muong Hoa valley. Your private local Hmong tour guide will meet you after breakfast at around 9 am. On your request (own expenses +/- 3 USD$) our guide can arrange to transport your luggage to the homestay in Ta Van.

The new day will be started with the visit to Lao Cai and Ta Van village down in Muong Hoa valley. 10 km walk, visit three villages of different minorities.

Enjoy the spectacular views of the beautiful valley towards Fansipan – the highest peak in Viet Nam and Indochina. Trek through the village of Black H’mong ethnic minority to learn the way people weaving and embroidering their clothes, keep going down to enjoy colourful rice paddy fields and reach Ta Van village where the Dzay ethnic people inhabited.

We’ll have a filling lunch on the way and dinner in a traditional house in Ta Van. We overnight in a homestay with a local family.

Inclusion:
Accommodation: Local Homestay
Transportation: A/C Private & Group transportation    
Trekking distance: 10 KM moderate level 3
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Guide: English speaking local Hmong tour guide
Others: Entrance fees

 Day 5: Tavan - Sapa-Overnight train to Hanoi (B-L-D)
After a traditional breakfast, we leave Ta Van and continue our trek to visit the Red Dao people in Giang Ta Chai village. We pass some stunning scenery and a lovely waterfall along our route. As their name suggests, red is used extensively in the Red Dao women’s clothing and scarves.

Our journey leads us along the small paths edging the rice fields, across the Muong Hoa River and lunch will be on the way at a fantastic spot. We’ll head back to Ta Van after our second amazing trekking in the early afternoon where we can enjoy are time before the taxi will bring you back to the hotel in Sapa where you can enjoy a refreshing shower and dinner before the car will drop you off at Lao Cai train station.

Inclusion:
Transportation: Sleeper train to Hanoi*
Other transportation: A/C Private & Group transportation    
Trekking distance: 8 KM moderate level 3
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Guide: English speaking local Hmong tour guide
Others: Entrance fees

 Day 6: Hanoi Departure (B)
Transportation: A private car with A/C
Meal: Breakfast at our office.
Enjoy your last day in Hanoi.
Private airport transfer provided for your next destination. End of services

 Dietary or special food request
In order to take care of your special food request we would like you to inform us by email in advance. info@friendstravelvietnam.com
 
 EXTEND YOUR TRIP
You can easily connect our "Ready to Go Package's" to design your own tour.

Hello Hanoi!		Discover North Vietnam
The Hill Tribes of Northern Vietnam		Discover Central Vietnam
Ba Be Experience		Discover South Vietnam
Adventure Cave Experience		Complete Holiday Packages
Amazing Mekong Delta Experience		Other Tour Around Vietnam

We will inform you when you will do each activity throughout your tour throughout our specific detailed itinerary.

 Payment Policy:
Full payment is required by credit card via our website.

 Currency Exchange Rates
Friends Travel Vietnam actively manages currency risks associated with a weakening US dollar. Unlike most other travel companies, we insulate our guests from exchange rate risk by locking in the trip cost at the time of booking. In other words, no currency supplements will be assessed should the dollar decline prior to your departure.

 Cancellations and Refunds
If you must cancel your trip (or any portion thereof), a cancellation charge will apply; refunds depend on the timing of the cancellation. Friends Travel Vietnam cannot refund you for any unused accommodations, services, or features. For more details, please see the terms and conditions for this trip, along with the Limitation of Liability agreement in your pre-departure packet.

 En-Route Flights and Stopovers:
Travel to Vietnam/from your stay to Hanoi
Our trip cost does not include transportation between your home city and Hanoi (trips starting in Hanoi and ending in Hanoi). We encourage you to take advantage of Friends Travel Vietnam’s complimentary, full-service, in-house, air-ticketing department, whose staff comes with decades of experience arranging complex travel to remote destinations. Not only do we offer professional travel planning consultation, particularly helpful in the event of delayed or canceled flights. We’ll make every effort to secure the best possible fare and routing for you. (Unfortunately we cannot initiate frequent flyer bookings, but we are able to assist you with frequent flyer ticketing upgrades.)

Reserving early is the key to securing the airlines, routings, seating, and departure times you desire.

Feel free to contact us with questions about routings, fares, and even trip extensions—we’re happy to assist you with these arrangements as well. If you have pre- and post-trip extension plans, please notify us immediately.

If you are booking your own air travel, it is essential that you give us your flight schedule at least 30 days prior to your departure so that we may confirm your arrival and departure hotels.

 Important Note on the Itinerary
While we endeavor to make the itinerary as accurate as possible, it should be considered an approximate schedule of activities rather than a rigid schedule of events. We are constantly looking for ways to improve our trips, and advance reconnaissance may present opportunities for superior routing or activities with minimal advance notice. Trip itineraries are also subject to revision due to weather, road and trail conditions, government restrictions, and other factors beyond our control.

 Pre-departure | Vietnam Handbook
After signing up for a trip, you will receive a detailed Handbook of Vietnam with information on health and safety, travel documents, recommended clothing, background information, and suggested reading specific to your destination and others

 Trip Grade/Comfort Level
Moderate touring with moderate day hikes through some remote areas with limited tourist infrastructure. There are 2 days of hiking incorporated into the itinerary. Hiking is at altitudes less than 4750 feet and range in lengths of 5-7 hours with some moderate ascents, following dirt paths, sometimes through rice paddy fields and valleys. Hikes may involve some muddy paths and slippery rocks, so hiking boots with ankle support and good treads are recommended. To enjoy day hikes to the fullest, participants should be in good physical condition Drives might be along mostly paved roads, although a few are still bumpy dirt roads.

Your hotel in Hanoi is quite luxurious, however in Ta Van you’re staying 1 night in a basic simple local homestay with Hmong family which will be basic with mattresses on the floor. Linens, blankets and mosquito netting will be provided. Toilets and hot water are available. Be prepared however to encounter odd plumbing, an occasional power outage, and varying, though pleasant service. Private house option for the choice of Deluxe or Luxury has all basics necessaries.

Participants should be aware that while part of the joy of traveling off the beaten path in an developed region such as Sapa in northern Vietnam is its special quality of seclusion, however travelers’ amenities may be rustic or sparse.

 Visa Information
Visas are required for most citizens traveling to Vietnam. Visa applications and instructions will be included in your pre-departure packet.

 Trip References 
For a list of unfiltered references from past trips,
please contact us at info@friendtravelvietnam.com