Northwest Loop from Sapa to Hanoi - 7 days / 6 nights

TOUR ITINERARY

Day 1: Hanoi – Sapa (L, D) (G)
Your private tour guide and driver pick you up at the hotel in Hanoi and begin with the drive to the mountain town of Sapa. The journey to Sapa will take the best part of the day. The drive is, however, worthwhile as the scenery that unfolds as we travel north and into the highlands is both dramatic and breathtaking. Arriving in Sapa late in the afternoon, we check into our hotel and use the remaining daylight to stretch our legs with a short walk around town. This evening we will dine at one of the local restaurants. Overnight in Sapa.
Accomodation:
• 3 star hotel: Sapa View / Deluxe 
• 4 star hotel: U Sapa Resort / Superior 
• 5 star hotel: Victoria Sapa Resort / Superior

Day 2: Sapa Trekking Tour to Muong Hoa Valley (B, L) (G)
Today you start by getting some exercise with a five to six hour trek to the hill tribe villages of Lao Chai , Ta Van villages of H’Mong and the Zay ethnic people. The H'mong women wear long aprons with embroidered waistcoats and have their hair rolled up into a turban-like hat, whilst the men wear a black skullcap, long waistcoat and loose trousers. Ta Van is home to the Zay people. They have become very adept at rice cultivation and, in marked contrast to the H'mong, they have a higher living standard as a result. As we walk through these villages nestled in the valleys below Sapa, we will meet some of the local ethnic minority people on their way to and from Sapa. These minority people, including the Red Dao, H'mong and Tay people, walk to Sapa to trade at the markets. Overnight in Sapa.
Accomodation:
• 3 star hotel: Sapa View / Deluxe 
• 4 star hotel: U Sapa Resort / Superior 
• 5 star hotel: Victoria Sapa Resort / Superior

Day 3: Sapa – Phong Tho / Lai Chau (B, L, D) (G)
In the morning you will leave Sapa for Phong Tho town located in the Lai Chau valley, where the Thai ethnic minority people have lived for centuries. After checkin hotel you will have time to discover the town and market and visit the Thai hill tribe villages. Overnight in Phong Tho.
Accommodation: Phong Tho Homestay

Day 4: Phong Tho / Lai Chau - Dien Bien Phu (B, L, D) (G)
After breakfast at our hotel you board your vehicle for the drive to Dien Bien Phu. It is a 6-hour journey on rough roads, but the dramatic scenery is worthwhile. By midday, we arrive in Dien Bien town and check into our guesthouse for the night.
The name Dien Bien Phu will always be linked with a historical battle, for it was here that Viet Minh soldiers overran a French garrison on May 7, 1954 and ended French colonialism in Indochina. To achieve this legendary victory, Vietnamese forces under the command of General Vo Nguyen Giap dismantled heavy anti-aircraft guns, lugged them up the sleep slopes overlooking the town of Dien Bien Phu and reassembled them. Encircled by artillery, the French could not receive supplies or reinforcements.In the afternoon visit Dien Bien Phu Old battle field, A1 hill and Dien Bien Phu Museum. Overnight in Dien Bien Phu.
Accommodation: Muong Thanh Dien Bien / Deluxe

Day 5: Dien Bien Phu – Son La (B, D) (G)
After breakfast you will set out on our drive to Son La. This is in quite a remote area, and as a result some of the roads will be fairly rough and uneven. Yet this is to our advantage as there will be fewer tourists along the way to spoil our views of the beautiful and dramatic scenery that we will encounter along the way. Once you reach Son La, you will check into our hotel and have the remainder of the day to visit the former French prison and SonLa Museum. Overnight in Son La.
Accommodation: Overnight in a Son La hotel

Day 6: Son La – Mai Chau (B, L, D) (G)
After breakfast you make your way to Mai Chau valley after a 5-hour drive along a scenic route. You stop at Moc Chau plateau for a cup of tea and visit green tea fields. Upon arrival in Mai Chau valley you are welcome to the village of the White Thai ethnic people. Lunch in the local house and enjoy free time to explore several neighbor villages. Overnight home-stay in the traditional house-on-stilts.
Accommodation: Mai Chau Homestay

Day 7: Mai Chau – Hoa Binh – Hanoi (B, L) (G)
Wake up to the sounds of the village: roosters, morning vendors and people's voices. You have an early breakfast this morning before bidding farewell to Mai Chau and its friendly people. Your destination for today is Hanoi. It is an 5-hour journey back to the nation's capital with a visit to the Muong ethnic minority in Hoa Binh province.

END OF SERVICE

Inclusion:
•    All transfers and transportation in private air-conditioned vehicle with driver
•    Accommodation as indicated
•    English speaking guide (Other luaguages on request)
•    Entrance fees to indicated sights and activities as indicated
•    Meals as indicated in the itinerary
•    Bottled mineral water during touring days

Exclusion:
•    Drinks
•    Other meals
•    Insurance
•    Personal expenses
•    Expenses for any optional tours or activities during free time

If you do not know how to plan your Vietnam tour and Indochina holiday, please read our FAQ's below to get some information or send us an email at info@holidaytoindochina.com and one of our experienced travel consultants will be ready and happy to answer your questions as well as organise your amazing holiday in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and combination.

How to plan my Vietnam tour/Indochina holiday with you?
1. Send us an inquiry by submiting one of our online forms (Click). Tell us as much information as possible. For example;

• Please tell us how many people will be traveling with you, date of birth, if you have children, please tell us how old is/are the kid(s).
• Please tell us your preferred hotels, level of hotel (3, 4 or 5 stars), type of hotel, type of room...
• Please tell us your type of travel, length of travel and activities that you are interested in. For example; Family with kids, Couple's vacation, Honeymoon, Friends, Shopping, Sightseeing, Leisure and Relaxing, Cuisine & Cooking, Kayaking, Caves & Grottoes, Fishing, Swimming, Hiking, Minority, Adventure & Discovery...
• Please tell us where and what you want to visit, if you do not know much about Vietnam, just give us your travel plan and ideas.
• Most of our tour guide are English speaking tour guides, but if you want another language like French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Chinese... we can always arrange. Please tell us what you do you expect from your guides, for example; you want a guide with sense of humor? Good knowledge in history & culture? Male/Female guide? Talkative/Untalkative? Young/Old guide?
• Please advise if you want breakfast included only or also Lunch and Dinner, and please let us know if you are a Vegetarian, the food you can eat or cant not, if you want local food in local restautants or western food in tourist restantant...?
• Actually, you do not have to send us all information, but the more we know, the better we plan your Vietnam tour.

2. After we receive your enquiry, one of our professional Vietnam travel consultants will reply and send you the suggested tour itinerary with price as soon as possible.

3. If you accept the suggested tour itinerary (you may modify it till you are satisfied with), we will calculate the tour cost and send you the tour price. If you accept it, please confirm that you would like to book it.

How to proceed to book Vietnam tour/Indochina holiday with you?

• When you decide to book your Vietnam tour/Indochina holiday with us, please send us your full name (name on passport) for hotel and domestic flight reservations, and your international flight details (in and out) for airport transfers.

How to pay the deposit and the balance?

• Deposit: When the booking is completely confirmed, we will send you confirmation details including confirmed itinerary, invoice, voucher. Then you are required to send the deposit which is about 30% of the total tour cost (can be less). You can pay by credit cards (via onepay gateway, pay online), wire/bank transfer, western union. The deposit is used to pay the flight tickets, hotels, train tickets in advance.
• Balance: You can pay the outstanding balance 2 weeks before your arrival, or you can pay us on your arrival in Vietnam by credit cards, cash (AUD, USD, EUROS, VND...)
• More about credit card payment via OnePay: ONEPAY - ONLINE PAYMENT GATEWAY (VISA, MASTERCARD, AMEX & JCB ACCEPTED)
  Like PayPal, OnePAY is a payment gateway but specialized in Vietnam where the PayPal has not yet reached. This is a perfect and the first payment processor which gains reputation among clients about its efficiency and timely friendly support.

  OnePAY in cooperation with biggest bank in Vietnam - Vietcombank which has been implemented this service among many tour operators in Vietnam.

  OnePAY is approved by MasterCard for this payment collection on the behalf of us. OnePAY uses SSL Verisign® over internet transaction under 3D-Secure program by respective creditcard companies so you are free from worries your card information disclosed. OnePAY payment portal also meets standards of international financial system such as PCI DSS of PCI Security Standards Council, 3D-Secure of Visa, MasterCard and JCB.

Note: Before coming, please make sure you have all travel documents such as; confirmed tour, invoice, flight tickets..., especially the visa to Vietnam and Indochina is done.

What about tipping?

• The tour guides and drivers expect tips, but it is not mandatory. You can tip more or less, or nothing that depends on the serviced provided. We recommend that you trip the tour guides; US$ 10 - 15  per day anddrivers: US$ 7-10 per day. Tipping at restaurants, tuk tuk, cyclo, taxi..., our tour guides will give you the advice.

Do you offer any discounts?
Yes, we offer discounts for;

•  Family with kids and children < 12 years old
•  Disable people
•  People of old ages (> 65 years old)
•  Repeated clients who have the second trip with us
•  Travel in big group of friends, families (the more people, the cheaper the price is)
•  We offer big discounts in low season (May - September)

Is there any charge if i change my travel dates, tour itinerary, hotels...?

• We are happy to work on your requests, and will not charge you any money for all extra work. However, if it is too urgent and the date is too close, the hotels or airlines may charge you some money, in this case we will let you know.

What is the latest time that I can make my reservation?

• We suggest you make reservations at least one month before the departure date. If you decide to travel to Vietnam/Indochina from October to April which is peak season, we recommend that you make the reservations two months (at least one) before your departure date. Late reservations can not be guaranteed for the availability of domestic flights, hotel rooms, etc. However, we can accept urgent booking, just 1-2 days before arrival. Things are possible at Holiday to Indochina.

What about Cancellation policy?

• In case of cancellation, we will not impose any charges if we are not being charged and possible to get refund from our suppliers but if our suppliers apply charges for cancellation, you will have to pay those charges that apply. Cancellation policies vary, depending upon the type of service, the time of year, and the reason for cancellation. We will pass on to you all details of any cancellation policy with our transparent reply upon demand.

General cancellation charges that applied by travel services in Vietnam and Indochina.

• Domestic flights: 25% of the fares
• 3 star hotels, train tickets, no charge if you cancel 3-5 days before your arrival. (FIT)
• 4 star hotels, 7 - 10 days before your arrival (FIT)
• 5 stars hotels, 10 - 15 days before your arrival (FIT)

However, in peak season, we may have to pay the hotels one month before your arrival to secure the booking, and in this case, the cancellation policy will be based on the hotels' cancellation plolicies.

Can we get refund?

• For the unused services, Holiday to Indochina will refund you.

How do I get a visa?

• Vietnam Visa - For those who would like to avoid the perhaps lengthening visa procedures with their local Vietnam's Embassies, the service of  Vietnam Visa On Arrival is available for help. It is legitimated and supported by the Vietnamese Immigration Department. We recommend that you choose visa upon arrival, as picking up visa at the Vietnam int'l airport/border is quite simple, easy, no additional charges and no fail.

Steps to obtain Visa on arrival
a) Please provide the following information for us to apply for your visa.

• 1) Full name on passport (male/female)
• 2) Passport number
• 3) Date of birth
• 4) Nationality
• 5) Date of arrival
• 6) Date of issue
• 7) Date of expire
• 8) Please make sure that your passport is still valid for 6 months

b) How long does it take?

• It will take 2-3 days (Normal process), 01 day (Urgent process) to get the “Visa Approval Letter” which we will send you via mail. What you need is to print it out and take it along to get the stamp at airports/borders

c) Get the stamp

• Upon arrival, you will need to fill in a certain form with your personal information, get the stamp and visa will be done. For this process, you will need to prepare 02 photos (4*6) and $45 USD each in cash which is stamping fee.

Do our tour guides and drivers have meals with us?

• The guide and the driver in each destination will dine at the same restaurant as yours. But, they will not join you unless you invite them.

Where can I change our money into Vietnam currency?

• We advise you to stop in any Vietnamese bank during the tour (Our tour guides will take you to the bank), you can exchange money at your hotel, but the exchange rate is a bit lower than the bank's exchange rate.

Can I use credit cards in Vietnam?

• Major credit cards such as Master Card, Visa, Diner's Card, American Express and JCB can be used to purchase goods in large shopping malls and stores in the big and medium cities, to pay for hotel rooms and for meals in some of the fancier restaurants, and to buy plane tickets with them.

Note: If you are to travel to those small cities or even remote rural areas, only cash in Dong can be used.

Do I need to bring my medical record with me?

• Yes, we suggest you take your medical record with you in case that you need it in the event of an emergency, and please also take with you your doctor's name, address and phone number, emergency contact name and phone number, and your insurance company's name, address and phone number.

When I finish my tour in Vietnam, if I still have some local money, what can I do?

• Upon leaving Vietnam, if you still have some local money, you can change them back to foreign currency with your passport and the exchange memos given by the banks or money exchange counters. So please keep those exchange memos well whenever you change money.

Private Guide & Transfer
Holiday to Indochina offers private tour packages across Vietnam and Indochina; During the tour, you will have a private tour guide, private driver, and an air-conditioned vehicle escorting you at every destination you travel across Indochina. This will provide you with maximized personal care, security, and flexibility.

Tour Guide:
Holiday to Indochina does understand that a good tour guide will make your Indochina holiday a beautiful time and tour guides who work with us are well-paid, experienced with a university background, eager to exchange our culture, lifestyle, knowledge...with travelers, and have a great passion for their country and understand the personal touch. At every departure, you’ll be escorted & assisted until you have checked in and passed through the security checkpoint. All of our tour guides in Vietnam and other Indochina area are locals. Knowing the area well, they are good at guiding you around and telling background stories of the tour sites, as well as showing you the secret spots for best photos. If any change of itinerary is needed for unexpected reasons, your private tour guides will be more than accommodating in suggesting alternatives to ensure that you always have a wonderful experience

Note: In Sapa or some mountainous areas, we may use local tour guides who come from the ethnic groups like H'Mong, or Red Dao as they know better than anyone else about their land, culture, customs and habits...

Holiday to Indochina's requirements for a good tour guide:

•  5 years of experience working as a tour guide
•  Guiding does require more than just hanging out in the sun. Guides must be friendly and good with people, organized enough to keep groups or people on schedule, quick on their feet and ready for the inevitable snafus that arises.
•  Must be an honest broker of their services and able to take criticism.
• Should be qualified at some level in health, health care or first aid.
•  Able to relate to people from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds.
• Clear speech and good hearing.
• Must not be a alcoholic or No-alcohol during working time or anytime when on tour.
• Tour guide is a nurse to take care of visitors, a boss to keep the right itinerary, a teacher to give information, an ambassador to introduce our country, an entertainer
• Must be on time every time. Being late or delay is unacceptable.
• Check flight tickets, train tickets, meals, weather... to make sure things are in order and inform local office if any changes that might effect the tour.
• Solve problems with care when there is dissatisfy. Argument should be averted by courtesy.
• If any change of itinerary is needed for unexpected reasons, your private tour guides will be more than accommodating in suggesting alternatives to ensure that you always have a wonderful experience.

Transportation:
Holiday to Indochina guarantees to offer the best means of transport during your holiday in Vietnam and Indochina. The safety, comfort and security of our customers come first. We use only the latest modern cars, vans, coaches and all our drivers are full time workers, government licensed in the tourism industry with at least 5 years driving experience. We are fully in control of our quality and service as we own our vehicles.

Holiday to Indochina's requirements for a driver:

• Our drivers must have good driving skills with at least 5 years of experience
• Our drivers must keep the vehicles clean,
• Our drivers are not allowed to hear cell-phone or smoke, chat, drink when driving.
• Our drivers must be friendly, helpful.
• Our drivers are not allowed to take you to shops unless you ask for.
• Your vehicle in each destination is air conditioned, insured, clean, and regularly maintained.