12 Days Self Drive 4x4 Trip Around The Northern Vietnam - Organized road trips Vietnam

DAY 1. HANOI – MAI CHAU. 160km
– 8.30AM: Meeting at your hotel and transfer by bus to the Garage, from here you will take the cars and start your first day drive to Mai Chau village.
– Mixture of good roads and small dirt roads, village tracks. Beautiful limestone mountain scenery of the Northwestern region. Lunch picnic on route. Overnight and special dinner in a small resort of the Thais Minority family.
– Traditional music performance.
..Mai Chau is an ideal escape for nature lovers. Here, small ethnic minority villages sit among a patchwork of paddy fields surrounded by green mountains. Spend a night or two immersed in Vietnam’s rural culture, dining on delicious home-cooked cuisine, and learning about the traditions of the ethnic groups..

DAY 2. MAI CHAU – SON LA. 200km
– Continue our drive up to the Northwest direction. Discover the off-road forgotten French trail left from the Indochina War Time.
– Visit some local villages of minority peoples along the way. Lunch picnic or in a local restaurant.
– Arrive Son La at the end of the day. Dinner and overnight at hotel.

..Son La is a province nestled in the northwestern part of Vietnam, renowned for its stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage. The province is characterized by rolling hills, lush valleys, and terraced rice fields that paint a mesmerizing tapestry of green hues. Home to diverse ethnic communities, including the Thai, H’Mong, and Muong people, Son La showcases a vibrant mosaic of traditions and customs..

DAY 3. SON LA – SAPA . 240km
– Leaving the Western land and start to discover the Northeast, by taking a twisty mountain road going straight towards the extreme northern massive mountain range of the country. Driving on small tracks through a vast green tea plantation farm. Stop for picnic lunch in the middle of a green tea farm or experience local food in the restaurant.
– In the afternoon, driving on smooth road and enjoy the spectacular view from the top of the highest mountain pass in Vietnam (Tram Ton Pass), over 2000m from the sea level.
– Arrive and check-in a nice hotel. Dinner at the restaurant.

Sapa is a beautiful town located in the Lao Cai province of Vietnam. It is famous for its stunning landscapes and rich cultural diversity. Situated in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, Sapa is known for its lush green rice terraces, cascading waterfalls, and misty valleys.

DAY 4. SAPA
– Free time to relax, or join a short walking tour around the area to the local villages and enjoy the rice filed on terraces (Included in the tour)
– In the afternoon, taking the cable car to the highest mountain top Fansipan 3.143m from the sea level. Dinner on your own plan. (Not included in the tour)

DAY 5. SAPA – HA GIANG. 240km
– Drive on a beautiful twisty road all the way downhill to Lao Cai town. Make a short stop to visit the biggest Chinese border gate, then continue driving along the border until we meet the historical route 70 that goes along a beautiful river. Stop for lunch at the local restaurant.
– In the afternoon, we take an easy smooth road up towards Ha Giang town, where we have the night at a hotel located in the central of Hagiang Town.

…Ha Giang is a province in the Northeast region of Vietnam. It is located in the far north of the country, and contains Vietnam’s northernmost point. It shares a 270 km long border with Yunnan province of southern China, and thus is known as Vietnam’s final frontier. It covers an area of 7,929.48 km2 (3,061.6 sq mi), comprising 1 city and 10 rural districts, with a population of over 850 thousand people as of 2019..

DAY 6. HA GIANG – MEO VAC. 180km
– A beautiful day drive all the way up to the China border, the roads are small and twisty but the landscape is exceptional.
– Beautiful day with many stops for photos and visiting to small local villages along the way. Discover the highest and most beautiful mountain pass of Vietnam. Lunch in a small local restaurant that has a spectacular view point looking over the valley.
– Meo Vac is a small town, Capital of the Hmong peoples. Dinner and night at a small hotel.

..Meo Vac is a small but charming district capital hemmed in by steep karst mountains and, like many towns in the northwest, it is steadily being settled by Vietnamese from elsewhere. The journey here along the spectacular Mai Pi Leng Pass, which winds for 22km from Dong Van, is the main attraction. The road has been cut into the side of a cliff with a view of rippling hills tumbling down to the distant waters of the Nho Que River far below. Right at the top of the pass is a lookout point where you can stop to take in the scenery..

DAY 7. MEO VAC – BAN GIOC WATERFALL. 250KM.
– A long day drive today, not too far way in distance but the route is always small and twisty, beautiful landscape for taking picture so there will be many stops along the way.
– Lunch on route and arrive in Ban Gioc in the end of the afternoon. Accommodation at a hotel located by the border with China

DAY 8. BAN GIOC WATERFALL – BA BE LAKE. 220km
– The scenic easy smooth route climbs over many passes. Enjoy beautiful mountain ranges and valleys. Stop to visit some beautiful villages of Tay peoples. Lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant.
– In the afternoon, driving on a small quiet twisty route until Babe Lake National park. Dinner and overnight at family resort located by the beautiful lake.

…Babe is the largest natural lake in Vietnam. It is located in Nam Mẫu commune, Ba Bể district, Bắc Kạn Province in the Northeast region of the country.
Having been formed approximately 200 million years ago, the lake is surrounded by limestone cliffs, which in turn are covered by primary forests. The lake comprises three zones named Pé Lầm, Pé Lù, and Pé Lèng. Three rivers, named Năng, Tả Han, and Nam Cường, are the main inflows of the lake. The Năng river enters the lake through a large waterfall called Đầu Đẳng. In the lake there are also three islands, named Án Mã, Khẩu Cúm, and Po Gia Mải (literally “Widow’s Island”).

DAY 9. VISIT BABE LAKE.
– In the morning, We take a 10km trekking trip up hill to visit the remote villages of the Mong peoples. At the end of the trek, stop for lunch then take a 2hr small motor boat trip back to the resort, visit the Nang river and the beautiful babe lake.
– Dinner and over night at the resort.

DAY 10. BA BE – LANG SON. 220km.
– Discover the historical French route No 4c left from the Indochina War. Many stops to visit villages and historical sites along the drive. Lunch picnic. Night and dinner at a good hotel in Lang Son town.

Day 11. LANG SON – HALONG BAY. 250km
– Start driving early in the morning as We need to arrive in Ha long Bay around noon time.
– Smooth roads driving all the way down to the sea, where we meet the boat for a night in the beautiful Ha long Bay.
– By 12.30 AM, check-in on boat for a stunning boat cruise to discover the spectacular landscape of the Bay. Lunch served on boat while the boat move out to the bay. The cruise will take you by exotic islets with shapes of Dog, Incense Urn, Sail, Fighting Cocks, which are naturally formed by process of erosion between the see water and limestone mountains. Some activities as kayaking or small fishing boat ride to visit caves, tunnels or fishing villages. Overnight on Boat.

Day 12. HALONG BAY – HANOI. 170km
– Continue the boat cruise, then return to the harbor, finish the boat trip and travel back to Hanoi.
– Arrive in Hanoi by around 15.00 pm. Tour finished at Vietnamontrails Garage by 16.00PM.

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TOUR COST FULL PACKAGE 12 DAYS TRIP

The following costs have been calculated in USD for a party from 1 – 30 people travelling together, and on the basis of twin share accommodation. If Guest request single room, extra charge is 30$US/night at hotel, and 100$US for the night on the boat cruise.

* Please note that the cost above is subject to change annually

INCLUDED SERVICES
– Standard 4×4 Pickup Truck, year model 2014 – 2018 as Ford Ranger, Mazda BT50, Mitsubishi Triton, Toyota Hilux
– Material insurance for the car.
– Fuel, road fees
– Experienced 4×4 Tour guide/Mechanic.
– Meals as mentioned: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
– Accommodation (5 nights at 4**** standard hotel, 1 night at 4**** boat cruise, 2 nights at 3*** standard hotel, 3 night at 2** standard hotel,
– Boat trip, Entrance fee to the sightseeing during the trip.
– Drinking water during the driving time.

NOT INCLUDED SERVICES
– International air tickets.
– Vietnam visa.
– Travel Insurance. All persons are expected to arrange their own insurance. We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance from home.
– Optional Activities
– Beverage and alcoholic drinks.
– Personal expenditure such as telephone, laundry, shopping and any other services not clearly mentioned in the program.

BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS:

Confirmation: As per our company policy, booking will only be confirmed on receipt of advance deposit.

Tour package: Single travel service such as car rental, air tickets bookings or hotel reservations:

Deposit and Payment: Deposit can be settled by cash or wire transfer 90 days at least before the departure. The balance can be paid by cash or credit cards upon your arrival in Vietnam.

Amendment: There is no fee for any change or amendment you make prior to your final confirmation. Otherwise, amendment or cancellation fees may be charged (subject to Vietnamontrails tour supplier policy). Because we will launch the booking reservation immediately after we receive your final confirmation and starting from that point, service’s amendment/cancellation fees may be applied by our local service providers such as hotel, restaurants, airlines companies…

Please note that we will not charge you any fee if our service providers do not charge us.

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Route map