Vietnam tour: off to the highlights in the north!

After landing at Hanoi airport, a team member will pick you up from the airport. The public bus then takes you to the city center and on to the hotel. Around 18 p.m., a very special city tour is on the program - a food on foot tour through the historic center of Hanoi. Life rages in the bustling Old Quarter: there you will meet nice people from all over the world on the streets, in the markets or in the small sidewalk cafes. The guide will take you to the streets and squares typical of the district. You won't be able to stop being amazed: For example, there are whole streets where only silver jewelery or herbal medicine is sold, in other streets one food stall follows the other. Despite the competition, the shops, bistros and pubs are well frequented.

Then we try some typical street dishes such as noodle soup with beef, noodle soup with grilled pork balls, mixed tropical fruits with yoghurt etc. Then we go to a bar before returning to the hotel. (A)

We leave our hotel around 9 a.m. to see the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum before the big tourist rush. There you will learn more about the life of the Vietnamese revolutionary and president, who is also called "Uncle Ho" by many Vietnamese. The building is also the final resting place of Ho Chi Minh. Afterwards we continue to the approx. 700 meter long Hoan Kiem Lake. Hanoi's most famous body of water, on the banks of which more than 18 princely palaces still stood in the 50th century, separates Old Hanoi from the former French colonial quarter. We grab a bike or an electric car and drive through the French Quarter. Lunch will be at a nice local restaurant.

In the afternoon you will learn more about the various ethnic groups in Vietnam, their customs and everyday life in the Ethnology Museum on a beautiful site with old original houses. Then it's back to the hotel. The rest of the evening is free to explore Hanoi's nightlife on your own. (F,M)

Today you will dive into the great art of batik: Beautiful patterns have been printed on fabrics with wax and paint for centuries. As far back as 2400 years ago, the Egyptians used a form of tie-dye to wrap their mummies, and the practice quickly spread to Asia. In Vietnam, the Hmong are dedicated to this ancient art: in the Muong Hoa Valley, just outside of Sa Pa, these batik masters introduce us to batik. And maybe you enjoy it so much that you want to continue with it at home? After lunch we trek back to Sapa to check in at the hotel. (F,M)

Around 8 a.m. we drive to Fansipan, about 10 kilometers away, the highest peak in Vietnam and all of Indochina. We buy the tickets for the cable car and off we go. At over 3000 meters it is noticeably cooler than down in Sa Pa. So it's best to take a jacket with you! And don't forget your smartphone or camera! The view is breathtaking! Back in Sa Pa, we have lunch at a local restaurant and then take the bus to Hanoi. We arrive around 20 p.m. and check into the hotel. (F,M)

Around 8am, the shuttle bus will pick you up from the hotel and head towards Cat Ba Island, the largest island in the world-famous Halong Bay. Cat Ba is part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve with a national park that is one of the most beautiful in Vietnam. At around 12 o'clock we are on the island. You check in with your host family and also have lunch there. Then the next adventure is already calling – a half-day jungle tour through the national park. Relaxation is the order of the day in the evening. Enjoy a cozy dinner with your host family and learn a lot about the local culture on the island as well as the everyday life of the family. You stay with the host family. (B, M, A)

Your day starts around 8 a.m. On a private half-day boat tour we drive through the fantastic island world of the less touristy Lan Ha Bay (which is also part of Halong Bay), past many islands and islets. We then go on a cave exploration tour in a kayak. Lunch is on the boat.

Spend the rest of the day at nearby Cat Co Beach. There you can swim, relax or explore the area. 
You stay with the host family again. (F,M)