Private 7-Day Vietnam Boutique Cultural Tour: Hanoi & Mai Chau

Overview

Day by day itinerary

1. 1Airport pick-up & Arrival at hotel⌄

   Rest and recoup after arriving in northern Vietnam, readying yourself for the coming days' activities. (Transportation from Hanoi's Noi Bai airport -- or anywhere within 32 km / 20 miles -- to your hotel in the Hoan Kiem area of Hanoi is included.)

   Meals: Dinner: Enjoy a meal at your hotel's excellent restaurant.

   Overnight: Overnight at an elegant boutique hotel in Hanoi's tourist district.

2. 2Get acquainted with Hanoi (Old Quarter + city highlights)⌄

   Morning: Take a guided walk through the narrow streets and sights of Hanoi's Old Quarter. Soak up the colorful hustle and bustle.

   Mid-day: Ride in style aboard an old-era, open-air jeep to discover a mix of Hanoi's iconic landmarks and hidden gems. Savor several Hanoi specialties along the way.

   Meals: Breakfast: Included at your hotel. · Lunch: Several local cuisines comprise lunch during your jeep tour. · Dinner: Back at your hotel's restaurant.

   Overnight: Another night of rest at your comfortable, boutique hotel.

3. 3Get to know Hanoi better (pottery workshop + military museum)⌄

   Morning: Learn about and try your hand at some traditional techniques when you visit a pottery village on the outskirts of Hanoi. (≈45-minute drive from your hotel)

   Afternoon: Immerse yourself in a bit of Vietnam’s history at one of the country’s newest museums. (≈45-minute drive back to your hotel afterward)

   Meals: Breakfast: Included at your hotel. · Lunch: Hanoi-style eats with your guide for the day. · Dinner: Another relaxing meal at your hotel's restaurant.

   Overnight: One more night at your lovely Hanoi boutique hotel.

4. 4Welcome to Mai Chau: Lakeside scenes⌄

   Morning: Soak up the countryside scenes during your 3-4 hour ride through plains and mountain passes, with some photo ops and a rest stop along the way.

   Soak up the lovely views of the mountain pass on your way to Mai Chau (weather permitting).

   Admire a hidden jewel in the bamboo jungles of Mai Chau. Hike a short path down to the foot of the waterfall (optional). Refresh with a dip in the waterfall's pool, if it suits your fancy (a bit of quick bouldering required). About 30 minutes from your Mai Chau hotel for the night.

   Afternoon: Grab a kayak or board a private boat just a short walk from your lakeside lunch at Mai Chau Hideaway Resort. Sit back and marvel as you paddle -- or cruise -- among the mountains on the magnificently serene lake.

   Meals: Breakfast: At your hotel before leaving Hanoi for the Mai Chau area. · Lunch: Dine pleasurably at Mai Chau Hideaway Resort with a panoramic view of Hoa Binh Lake. · Dinner: At your hotel.

   Overnight: In a fine hotel room amid the mountains.

5. 5Welcome to Mai Chau: Waterfall, Hot Springs, and Hmong Culture⌄

   Morning: Travel about an hour into the edge of nearby Son La province to discover a waterfall in a setting quite distinct from the one you saw the day before. Moreover, you can relax in an adjacent natural hot spring surrounded by rice fields and bamboo forests.

   Afternoon: Visit a Hmong home up in the mountains to learn about their traditional fabric production and make your own batik design (beeswax drawing and indigo dyeing).

   Late afternoon: Drive down from the mountains and into the heart of the Mai Chau Valley. (≈1-hour drive)

   Meals: Breakfast: At your hotel. · Lunch: Provided as part of your excursion for the day. · Dinner: At your hotel in the heart of Mai Chau.

   Overnight: Rest at one of central Mai Chau's best hotels.

6. 6Welcome to Mai Chau: Deep in the Heart of White Thai Culture⌄

   Morning: Visit several villages in the Mai Chau Valley in the comfort of a golf cart or on a bicycle to discover traditional dance, Thai weaving, and bamboo craftsmanship.

   Explore the depths of one of Mai Chau’s most famous caves. After tackling a serious staircase up the mountainside, walk through the coolness of the breath-taking chambers and admire the beauty of the stalactites. (Alternatively, guests can choose to view a cave that doesn't require a mountainside climb.)

   Enjoy a sumptuous feast served by a White Thai family in a stilt house and accompanied by live traditional music.

   Meals: Breakfast: Included at your hotel near the rice paddy fields. · Lunch: A simple-yet-tasty part of your tour day in Mai Chau central. · Dinner: Enjoy a sumptuous feast served by a White Thai family in a stilt house and accompanied by live traditional music.

   Overnight: Another night at your quaint albeit stylish Mai Chau hotel.

7. 7Farewell to Mai Chau⌄

   Stroll through a quaint White Thai village that is typically unknown to tourists and see their way of life first-hand.

   Upon departing from Mai Chau, transportation included in your tour package would take you back to Hanoi, to Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, or to any other destination in Vietnam within 160 km / 100 miles of Mai Chau town.

   Meals: Breakfast: Included at your hotel. · Lunch: Included (though depends on the timing of your departure from Mai Chau).