Xin chao! Welcome to Vietnam! On arrival in Hanoi you will be met by your World Expeditions Schools local Guide and transferred to your hotel. You will have a full trip and safety briefing and an introduction to Vietnamese language and important phrases that you can learn and practice through your journey. A little language goes a long way with the local people! Explore the city on a traditional cyclo ride before enjoying a delicious welcome dinner as a group.

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Start off your adventure in Vietnam with a day exploring cultural sights of Hanoi! Visit the Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh complex and One Pillar Pagoda. At these sights, learn about the roots of Confucianism, the period of Vietnam's war and unification and gain an appreciation for Buddhist architecture. For lunch, the group will go to KOTO restaurant, a social enterprise that acts as a hospitality training centre providing disadvantaged youth with the opportunity to learn and thrive in their lives. This is a small and valuable way of contributing to ending the cycle of poverty in Vietnam. Wrap up the day with an urban hike that meanders through banana trees and vegetable gardens in the heart of Hanoi, then walk across the beautiful and historic Long Bien Bridge. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant before transferring to the train station for your overnight train bound for the mountains.

Meals:  B,L,D

Wake up in the misty north as your train pulls into Lao Cai, and transfer to Sapa for a delicious breakfast. From here, transfer to the trailhead at Sin Chai village at the foot of Hoang Lien Mountain Range and begin your trek into the terraced highlands. Start heading up the mountain toward a small trail with spectacular views and then gradually descend to Cat Cat village for lunch by a waterfall. In the afternoon, enjoy spectacular scenery while walking alongside a narrow river until you arrive in Y Linh Ho village where you’ll stay in a local homestay and experience daily life of a Black Hmong community. Overnight in Black Hmong homestay in Y Linh Ho Village Walking time: Approximately 5 hours

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Today’s trek offers many opportunities to enjoy views over beautiful rice paddy terraces of Muong Hoa valley, including the largest in the area. After lunch, descend into the bottom of the valley to pass through Lao Chai village of Black Hmong minority. From here, continue along a popular local trail to Ta Van village where you will spend the night in a traditional house of Giay minority. Enjoy some time exploring the village, the views and the refreshing waters of the nearby river. Overnight in Giay homestay in Ta Van Village Walking time: Approximately 4 hours

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The final day of trekking is short and boasts spectacular landscapes! Pass by waterfalls, trek through bamboo forest and enjoy sweeping mountain views along the way. You'll make your way through a Giang Ta Chai, a Red Dao village before making your way to the end point of your trek in Su Pan. Transfer back to Lao Cai for your overnight train back to Hanoi, with time to rest and reflect on the incredible cultural experience in the mountainous Sapa region. Walking time: Approximately 3 hours

Meals:  B,L,D

Disembark your overnight train in Hanoi. Enjoy a delicious breakfast at a local restaurant before you transfer to Ninh Binh for a leisurely morning. After lunch, the group will make their way to a local bear sanctuary to take part in an educational service-learning program run by an NGO. Learn about how the sanctuary ensures animal welfare, and the history of bear bile farming in Vietnam. Listen to some of the rescue stories and then help prepare some enrichment foods for the bears, learning about conservation in a hands-on way.

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Ninh Binh boasts one of the most spectacular settings in all of South East Asia, with hundreds of limestone karsts rising straight out of rice paddies and rivers. We begin our day at the boat pier where we board traditional sampans for a scenic boat trip to Trang An. We make our way to the valley of Tam Coc for a delicious lunch at a local restaurant before an afternoon visit to Bich Dong Pagoda. From here, we continue by bike, leisurely riding along the flat backroads toward Hoa Lu, weaving between limestone karsts and rice fields. Finish off this fun-filled day with a visit to Dinh and Le temples before transferring back to your hotel. Biking distance: Approximately 12km / 7.5mi

Meals:  B,L,D

Leave the mainland behind and head for the coast. Transfer by bus and boat to Cat Ba Island, where jungle-clad hills meet turquoise waters and jump straight on to a bicycle. because we will be riding to our eco-lodge located at the heart of the island, close to the entrance of Cat Ba National Park. Biking distance: Approximately 12km / 7.5mi

Meals:  B,L,D

Lace up your boots for a half-day trek through Cat Ba’s jungle trails, a place where few travellers venture. We start by following a small road toward the edge of dense forest, then into the jungle we go, learning about unique plants and animals as we make our way through the forest to Viet Hai village. After a well-deserved lunch, we have the afternoon to stroll or ride around town, meet the local people and really take in what island life is all about! Walking time: Approximately 3-4 hours

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After breakfast, we ride bicycles to get to Viet Hai pier, at the Eastern edge of the island to start our conservation service-learning day. Paddle sea kayaks through hidden bays and floating villages, navigating the calm waters surrounding Cat Ba. During your journey, take part in a marine clean-up effort. This is a simple but important act of giving back to this fragile ecosystem. We finish our day with a relaxing cruise back to Cat Ba town. Biking distance: Approximately 5km / 3mi

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Enjoy a relaxed morning exploring Cat Ba town before saying goodbye to the coast and transferring back to Hanoi. Take some time in the evening to relax, shop at the bustling night market and join your friends for a celebratory farewell dinner.

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It’s time to say farewell. Transfer to the airport for your flight home with a backpack full of memories, new friendships, and a life-long love of Vietnam.

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