North Vietnam in 10 days: Hanoi, Sapa and Lan Ha Bay
10 days, 9 nights · Hanoi → Sapa → Hanoi → Lan Ha Bay
Ten days in the north alone: longer in the mountains, more time in Hanoi, and a night on the bay at the end.
The route
Hanoi
2 nights, from day 1
Typical hotel: Apricot Hotel or La Siesta Premium Hang Be
Sapa
3 nights, from day 3
Typical hotel: Sapa Jade Hill Resort & Spa or Topas Ecolodge
Hanoi
3 nights, from day 6
Typical hotel: Apricot Hotel or La Siesta Premium Hang Be
Lan Ha Bay
1 night, from day 9
Typical hotel: Halong Capella Cruise (Lyra Cruise Collection) or Heritage Cruises Binh Chuan Cat Ba Archipelago
Day by day
10 days, 9 nights
Built from our Northern Escape journey. Times are approximate; every day can change in the builder, where it opens on your own dates.
1Day 1
Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi
Noi Bai airport to Hanoi · about 45 minutes by private car
- Afternoon:
- Your driver meets you at Noi Bai airport and takes you into the city.
- Evening:
- An easy evening and an early night before the days ahead.
Overnight: Hanoi
2Day 2
Day 2: Hanoi on foot
- Morning:
- A long walk through the Old Quarter, the lakes and the Temple of Literature with your guide.
- Afternoon:
- Free to rest or explore on your own.
Overnight: Hanoi
3Day 3
Day 3: Up into the mountains
Hanoi to Sapa · about 5½ hours by road, with stops
- Morning:
- The drive north, climbing into the Hoang Lien Son range.
- Afternoon:
- A short walk in the late afternoon to stretch the legs.
Overnight: Sapa
4Day 4
Day 4: A day in the valleys
- Morning:
- A full day of walking through the Muong Hoa valley, between rice terraces and the villages of the Black Hmong and Red Dao people.
- Afternoon:
- Lunch on the way; the car meets you at the end of the trail.
Overnight: Sapa
5Day 5
Day 5: Indigo and weaving
- Morning:
- A short walk to a village where Black Hmong women dye cloth with indigo and weave.
- Afternoon:
- Free in Sapa.
Overnight: Sapa
6Day 6
Day 6: A morning walk, then back to Hanoi
Sapa to Hanoi · about 5½ hours by road
- Morning:
- A shorter walk to a quieter valley.
- Afternoon:
- The drive back down to Hanoi.
- Evening:
- Dinner close to your hotel.
Overnight: Hanoi
7Day 7
Day 7: Hanoi through its food
- Morning:
- A walk through a neighbourhood market with your guide, tasting as you go: pho, fresh rolls, the fruit of the season.
- Afternoon:
- Free, or a slow coffee in one of the old cafés above the lake.
- Evening:
- Street food in the Old Quarter at a table your guide knows, at an unhurried pace.
Overnight: Hanoi
8Day 8
Day 8: The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
- Morning:
- The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, with its houses of Vietnam's peoples rebuilt in the garden.
- Afternoon:
- The One Pillar Pagoda and the quiet streets around Ba Dinh Square.
Overnight: Hanoi
9Day 9
Day 9: To Lan Ha Bay
Hanoi to the coast · about 2½ hours by road
- Morning:
- The drive to the coast to board a small cruise ship on Lan Ha Bay.
- Afternoon:
- Kayaking or a small boat among the limestone islands.
Overnight: Lan Ha Bay
10Day 10
Day 10: Sunrise on the bay and depart
The coast to Noi Bai airport · about 2½ hours by road
- Morning:
- An early morning on deck and brunch on board.
- Afternoon:
- The drive back to Noi Bai airport for your onward flight.
Overnight: none (departure day)
Make it yours
The builder opens with these days on real dates: change the length, the pace, a day or a hotel, then book the pieces yourself with partners, or send it to us and a person fine-tunes it with you, free.
Other itineraries
- North Vietnam in 5 days: Hanoi, Sapa and the bay
- Vietnam in 10 days: a private itinerary
- Central Vietnam in 10 days: Hue, Hoi An and the coast
- South Vietnam in 10 days: Saigon, the Mekong and Phu Quoc
- Vietnam in 12 days: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
- Vietnam in 7 days: Hanoi, the mountains and the bay
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