Northern Escape
7 days · North · Active pace
Mountain valleys, a night on the bay and the old streets of Hanoi, for travellers who like to walk.
Overview
A private journey for two, shaped around you. Start here; every day can change.
A week in the North for active travellers: two days in Hanoi, two in the mountains around Sapa walking between villages and rice terraces, and a night on Lan Ha Bay. This is the most physically demanding journey we offer, and the most rewarding for those who enjoy a long walk.
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Regions
- North
- Pace
- Active
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Places
- Hanoi, Sapa, Lan Ha Bay
Day by day
7 days, 6 nights
Times are approximate, and every day can change: slower, shorter or in a different order.
1Day 1
Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi
Your driver meets you at Noi Bai airport for the 45-minute drive into the city. An easy evening and an early night before the days ahead.
Overnight: Hanoi
2Day 2
Day 2: Hanoi on foot
A long morning walk through the Old Quarter, the lakes and the Temple of Literature with your guide. The afternoon is free to rest or explore on your own.
Overnight: Hanoi
3Day 3
Day 3: Up into the mountains
About five and a half hours by road to Sapa, with stops on the way, climbing into the Hoang Lien Son range. A short walk in the late afternoon to stretch the legs.
Overnight: Sapa
4Day 4
Day 4: A day in the valleys
A full day of walking through the Muong Hoa valley, between rice terraces and the villages of the Black Hmong and Red Dao people. Lunch is taken on the way, and the car meets you at the end of the trail.
Overnight: Sapa
5Day 5
Day 5: A morning walk, then back to Hanoi
A shorter morning walk to a quieter valley, then the drive back down to Hanoi, about five and a half hours. Dinner is close to your hotel.
Overnight: Hanoi
6Day 6
Day 6: To Lan Ha Bay
About two and a half hours by road to the coast to board a small cruise ship. The afternoon is spent kayaking or by small boat among the limestone islands.
Overnight: Overnight cruise on Lan Ha Bay
7Day 7
Day 7: Sunrise on the bay and depart
An early morning on deck and brunch on board, then the drive back to Noi Bai airport, about two and a half hours, for your onward flight.
Overnight: none (departure day)
Pace and walking
Active pace
- Two days of country walking around Sapa: four to six hours a day, 8 to 14 km, on uneven, sometimes muddy paths with steady climbs and descents.
- Good walking shoes and a reasonable level of fitness are needed; the guide sets the pace to the group and a car can collect you on the way.
- Two long drives of about five and a half hours each between Hanoi and Sapa, on a modern expressway with stops.
- Kayaking or a small boat on the bay, both optional.
Tell us about any mobility needs: we shorten visits, add rest and plan the days around them.
Best months
Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- March to May and September to November are the walking seasons: clear, mild days and green or golden terraces.
- That is spring or autumn for travellers from the UK, Ireland, the US and Canada, and the opposite season for those from Australia and New Zealand.
- Winter (December to February) can be cold and misty in the mountains; summer is hot, wet and often hazy.
Where you'll stay
Nights, place by place
The hotels depend on the tier you choose, and we check them with you for your dates before you book. Swapping a hotel for another of the same tier is part of the free planning.
Below are hotels we often use in each tier; our coordinator team suggests the ones that suit you.
- Signature
- Five-star hotels and the finest small hotels, a mountain retreat with valley views in Sapa, and a small luxury cruise ship with a balcony cabin.
- Heritage
- Boutique heritage hotels in Hanoi, a characterful lodge in Sapa and a well-regarded small cruise ship.
- Essential
- Comfortable, well-reviewed four-star hotels, a comfortable hotel in Sapa town and a comfortable cruise ship.
Hanoi
2 nights
Signature
Capella Hanoi
Art-filled luxury hotel in Hanoi's French Quarter, near Hoan Kiem Lake
or Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Photo: Capella Hanoi · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Heritage
Apricot Hotel
Art-themed boutique hotel steps from Hoan Kiem Lake, with an indoor pool
or La Siesta Premium Hang Be
Photo: Apricot Hotel · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Essential
Hotel du Parc Hanoi
Calm city hotel with a pool, a short drive from the Opera House
or Silk Path Hanoi Hotel
Photo: Hotel du Parc Hanoi · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Sapa
2 nights
Signature
Hotel de la Coupole Sapa - MGallery Collection
French-Indochine hotel in the centre of Sapa, with a pool and a spa
or Silk Path Grand Sapa Resort & Spa
Photo: Hotel de la Coupole Sapa - MGallery Collection · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Heritage
Sapa Jade Hill Resort & Spa
Stone-and-wood bungalows on a slope near Lao Chai, outside Sapa
or Topas Ecolodge
Photo: Sapa Jade Hill Resort & Spa · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Essential
Pao's Sapa Leisure Hotel
Modern hotel with valley views, a short walk from Sapa's square
Photo: Pao's Sapa Leisure Hotel · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Hanoi
1 nightSignature
Capella Hanoi
Art-filled luxury hotel in Hanoi's French Quarter, near Hoan Kiem Lake
or Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Photo: Capella Hanoi · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Heritage
Apricot Hotel
Art-themed boutique hotel steps from Hoan Kiem Lake, with an indoor pool
or La Siesta Premium Hang Be
Photo: Apricot Hotel · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Essential
Hotel du Parc Hanoi
Calm city hotel with a pool, a short drive from the Opera House
or Silk Path Hanoi Hotel
Photo: Hotel du Parc Hanoi · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Overnight cruise on Lan Ha Bay
1 night
Signature
Ambassador Signature Cruise Lan Ha Bay
Overnight cruise in Lan Ha Bay; every cabin has a balcony or terrace
or Stellar Of The Seas
Photo: Ambassador Signature Cruise Lan Ha Bay · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Heritage
Halong Capella Cruise (Lyra Cruise Collection)
Overnight cruise from Tuan Chau with a pool and a spa
or Heritage Cruises Binh Chuan Cat Ba Archipelago
Photo: Halong Capella Cruise (Lyra Cruise Collection) · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Three ways to travel
One journey, three levels of comfort
Every tier is private, and the days are the same. What changes is the style of hotel, how you are guided and the touches along the way. You book each part with the provider that offers it.
The finest
Signature
The finest stays and the most private way to travel, with room in the days for the special touches.
Priced by each provider
For two travellers, for the whole journey. Ask us for your dates.
- Where you stay
- Five-star hotels and the finest small hotels, a mountain retreat with valley views in Sapa, and a small luxury cruise ship with a balcony cabin.
- Guiding
- A senior private guide for the whole journey, and a private driver.
- Getting around
- A private car or van with a driver for every transfer, timed around you.
- Also with Signature
- Every special touch listed for this journey, where it can be booked for your dates
- Early check-in or late check-out requested at each hotel
- Swapping a hotel for another of this tier, free in the planning
Most chosen
Heritage
Characterful stays and a private guide in each region: the balance most travellers choose.
Priced by each provider
For two travellers, for the whole journey. Ask us for your dates.
- Where you stay
- Boutique heritage hotels in Hanoi, a characterful lodge in Sapa and a well-regarded small cruise ship.
- Guiding
- A private English-speaking guide in each region, and a private driver.
- Getting around
- A private car with a driver for every transfer.
- Also with Heritage
- One or two special touches, chosen with you
- Swapping a hotel for another of this tier, free in the planning
The essentials, privately
Essential
Comfortable, central stays with private transfers and a guide on the sightseeing days.
Priced by each provider
For two travellers, for the whole journey. Ask us for your dates.
- Where you stay
- Comfortable, well-reviewed four-star hotels, a comfortable hotel in Sapa town and a comfortable cruise ship.
- Guiding
- A private English-speaking guide on sightseeing days; the other days are yours.
- Getting around
- A private car with a driver for every transfer.
- Also with Essential
- Our own suggestions for the free time, sent before you travel
- Swapping a hotel for another of this tier, free in the planning
Moments that may be part of it
- Lunch in a village home with a family who farm the terraces (may include, where it can be booked)
- An evening with a Hanoi street-food expert who knows the stalls by name (may include, where it can be booked)
- A Black Hmong indigo dyer showing her craft in her own home (may include, where it can be booked)
Nothing is charged today
Asking is free. When your plan is ready, you book each part on the provider's own site and pay it directly, after reading its terms. Tripora never takes your payment.
Make it yours
Northern Escape, your way
Most travellers change something. Change any day below, then send us your version.
Your version: 7 days, 6 nights · as planned
Request this journeyNothing is booked or charged. We plan your version and price it in our reply.
Bigger changes
Add a few days
Stay longer where you are happiest, or add a region: the North, the Centre or the South.
End by the sea
Finish with quiet days on the central coast, Phu Quoc or Con Dao, depending on the season.
Slow it down
Fewer places, two nights or more in each, and afternoons with nothing planned.
Start somewhere else
Begin in Ho Chi Minh City instead of Hanoi, or join the journey from a stay in Singapore or Bangkok.
In the plan
What the plan covers
In the plan
- A hotel for every night of the journey, at the level of your tier
- Private transfers between places, including the airport
- Private guided tours as described for your tier
- The boat trips, visits and meals named in the itinerary
- A booking link for each piece: you book and pay each partner directly
- Free planning help from Tripora, reachable by WhatsApp or email while you travel
- One night on a small cruise ship on Lan Ha Bay, with meals on board
Not in the plan
- Flights, international and within Vietnam: booked separately, and we suggest the flights that fit the journey
- Vietnam visa (most travellers apply online for an e-visa)
- Travel insurance (strongly suggested)
- Meals and drinks not named in the itinerary
- Tips and personal spending
Cancellation
Each booking follows the change and cancellation terms of the partner you book it with, shown on its site before you pay. Ask us if you need help finding them.
Travel insurance
Please take out a policy that covers cancellation and your health while abroad, once your journey is confirmed.
Add tours, or book the pieces yourself
Lay this route out on your dates, add well-reviewed tours to any day, and book hotels and tours on our partners' sites, or send it to us and a person fine-tunes it with you, free.
Plan it day by dayPractical answers
Heat, walking, food and safety
The questions travellers ask us most, answered plainly. More questions and answers
- How hot will it be?
- Vietnam is warm and often humid, and the heat is what most travellers find hardest, more than the walking. We plan sightseeing for the cooler mornings, keep the middle of the day for rest, and every transfer is in a private air-conditioned car. The months listed for each journey are the most comfortable ones.
- How much walking is there?
- Each journey says plainly how much walking there is, where there are steps, boats or uneven ground, and which days are long. Any visit can be shortened or swapped for a drive or a boat. Tell us about any mobility needs and we plan around them.
- What about the food?
- Vietnamese food is fresh and mostly gentle: chilli is usually served on the side. Your guide chooses restaurants they know well, every hotel serves Western dishes too, and you can tell us about any diet or allergy before you travel.
- Is Vietnam safe for visitors?
- Vietnam is generally a calm and welcoming country to travel in. The main things to watch are the traffic and pickpockets in busy places. With a private car door to door and a guide beside you in the old quarters, you rarely handle either.
- Do I need travel insurance?
- Yes, please. Choose a policy that covers cancellation and your health while abroad, and check its age limits and terms. We do not sell insurance, so we cannot advise on a policy, but we will gladly tell you what the journey includes.
Plan with people who know Vietnam
Plan with Tripora's coordinator team
An experienced team based in Vietnam
Our coordinators are an experienced team who know Vietnam well, from the far north to the islands, and the hotels, drivers and guides there.
They plan each journey with you, check the days before sending you the booking links, and stay reachable while you travel.
Speak to us
Plan Northern Escape with us
A few questions, then a reply from a person. We design the days with you and send them back with a booking link for each part.
Nothing is charged today.
We reply within one business hour, 8:00–18:00 Vietnam time (UTC+7), Monday to Saturday.