Vietnam: Hike, Bike & Kayak

Xin chao! Welcome to Vietnam. Your adventure begins in Hanoi with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you arrive early, why not head out and discover Hanoi at your own pace. Take a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and visit Ngoc Son Temple, start sampling the delicious street food or visit the Museum of Ethnology to find out more about the homes and lives of Vietnam’s ethnic communities. After the welcome meeting, you might like to join your group for an optional dinner at one of Hanoi's fantastic restaurants or streetside eateries.

After breakfast this morning, escape the city and board a private minibus to the small village of Lam Thuong – a community-based tourism project designed to empower and bring positive impact for Vietnam’s ethnic minorities. When you arrive, head out on a walk through the village to a traditional 50-year-old Tay home to learn about the Tay people's culture. Then, head straight out on a hike to a waterfall with a local from the community guiding you through the jungle. After the hike, you'll sit down to a home-cooked dinner with your hosts using local ingredients. Tonight you'll stay in one of the village's stilt houses with beautiful views across the valley.

Start the day early and drive to the town of Sapa, the starting point for today’s trek. You’ll stop for lunch and photo ops along the way before arriving in Lao Chai. From here, join your local guide and start your hike into the heart of the Vuon Quoc via Hoang Lien State Park, trekking through the dramatic landscapes of rural Vietnam on the way to Ta Van. Along the way, you'll pass by terraced farms ripe with corn and rice, over brooks and through villages. When you arrive in the small village, sit down for a home-cooked dinner and settle into your local family homestay.

This morning you’ll trek to Su Pan before taking some time to rest your feet on a bus ride back to Sapa. In the afternoon, the group returns to Hanoi, giving you a chance to rest, take a nap or play some road trip games with your fellow travellers. When you arrive back in Hanoi, maybe seek out a bird's eye view of the city from one of the popular rooftop bars or stop streetside for dinner and unwind with one of the famed iced coffees.

Vietnam's capital is best explored on foot, so this morning your group will head out on a walking tour of the city. See the final resting place of Vietnam's revered revolutionary at Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and Museum before stopping by the Temple of Literature. Although the original shrine was built in the 11th century and is therefore considered to be the city's oldest temple, the current structure and shrine to Confucius date back to the 18th century. This afternoon, jump on a bike for a leisurely cycling trip around Hanoi's West Lake. Tonight, you’ll have free time to grab some banh mi or bun cha (noodles with grilled pork) for dinner.

Leave Hanoi behind this morning and jump on your bike for a cycling trip to the Mai Chau Valley. There are some great photo opportunities along the way, including the viewpoint of Mai Chau – home to a variety of minority groups with their own unique cultures and languages. You’ll also have the opportunity to help local farmers plant rice seeds into the fields! Arrive in Mai Chau and head to the village of Pom Coong, where your local guide will introduce you to your hosts for lunch, and tell you about the region's people, lifestyles, customs and culture. This is a great opportunity to experience the local area, chat with your hosts and gain a real insight into life in this region. After lunch, you’ll have some free time before saddling up for another cycling trip to the nearby villages. Back at the homestay tonight, relax with a cold drink while watching the sun set over the mountains.

After breakfast this morning, you’ll set out again on your bike on a cycling trip from Mai Chau to Ninh Binh – a region well known for its lush green valleys, karst mountains and conservation areas. Ride through more paddy fields, testing your riding skills (or suspension) with shallow potholes and passing farmers drawn by water buffalo. After a day riding through green fields, small villages and waterways, you’ll have a free evening to recharge.