How To Make Full Use Of A 5-Day Northern Vietnam Holiday

See the best of Northern Vietnam in 5 days!

Northern Vietnam, promises epic adventures, tasty foods and even better nature scene. Great for a short visit or long stay, this lively region has plenty to see and do. If you have only a few days in northern Vietnam, we hope our 5-day itinerary below would inspire you!

Day 1: Hanoi city

Welcome to Vietnam! After arrived  Noi Bai airport, you definitely after receiving your luggage, the first thing you should do is to get a prepaid micro SIM with data. There are shops that selling these SIMs in the airport. FYI, Vinaphone and Viettel are the two biggest brand provide telecom service in Vietnam, it would be reliable to purchase the SIMs from those brands.

Get to the city:

The public transport systems around this region is not the most efficient, so we’d definitely recommend going around by car. If you don’t want the hassle of driving on your own, be sure to pre-book a private car charter on A21 Tours and let the driver take you around.

 Hanoi Airport Transfer

What to do in Hanoi

Get around the city on the motorbike to explore Hanoi form the dwellers perspective. Try the Hanoi City Afternoon Motorbike Tour to enjoy the cool breeze while the driver take you to see historical sight of the city.

If you're up for a physical activity, take the a ride around the town and explore the hidden path of the city. Pre-book Hanoi city Biking Tour on A21 Tours and get a closer look on the daily routine of Hanoi's people.

For dinner, if you’re a true foodie and want to hit up all the must-eat spot, you should definitely book yourself a Hanoi Street Food Tour and try all the Hanoi delicacies.

Make sure to grab couple of warm Hanoi's style fired dumpling. Besides that, another iconic beverage is the Hanoi egg coffee.

   Egg coffee

Day 2: Halong Bay

To kick off your second day in Vietnam, it’s time to vist one of the famous Vietnam's destinations, the spectacular Halong Bay.

The Halong One day cruise trip on A21 Tours not only comes with a 1-day crusie trip to see most highlight sight of Halong, but you also get a kayaking experience in the emerald water!

On this trip, you will be picked up at your hotel in Hanoi, transferred to Halong, get on a wooden boat. The boat will take you to some outstanding destinations of Ha Long: enjoy Tuan Chau Island; discover Surprise Cave - the longest and most beautiful cave of Halong Bay;

Enjoy your lunch on the cruise, featuring famous traditional Vietnam cuisine.

 Kayaking in Halong bay

Go kayak at Luon cave in the afternoon, go trekking to conquer the summit of Titop. The cruise will end at around 6pm.

You would return to Hanoi with the group, then take the train or sleeper bus from Hanoi to Sapa.

Day 3: Sapa: Lao Chai -  Ta Van trekking

The next destination recommended for you is Sapa town, a romantic mountain town in north-west Vietnam. After exploring the ocean, it’s high time for some mountains adventure in the North Vietnam.

What to do when you arrived

Arrived at Sapa in the morning, it's about time to have a taste of the local dishes.  Good Morning View Restaurant is a fine place to stop by for breakfast.

Trekking in Sapa is a must try for tourists in Sapa. This trip will take you to the H'Mong village and the Dzay (the name of drewerl ethnic) village. You should book a day trekking tour as your guide. They will introduce the customs, culture, and people here. Moreover, the scene in Lao Chai valley - Ta Van is beautiful. Have lunch at Lao Chai village, then go to Ta Van village.

 Tavan village - Sapa

Explore the Red Dao village of Giang Ta Chai where you will also have the chance to see their daily activities. In the afternoon the car will pick you up for the return journey to Sa Pa.

Freely explore Sapa town at night

Enjoy the quiet, tranquil of this mountain town before returning to rest and prepare for trekking on rice field terrace the next day. The night in Sapa is quite cold, you should prepare some warm clothes.

Day 4: Sapa: Suoi Ho - Ma Tra - Ta  Phin trekking

Trekking to Suoi Ho village to see tea plantations and cardamom gardens. Follow the buffalo trails to visit the hospitable villages of the Black Hmong minority people in Ma Tra.

Matra Village in Sapa

After passing a school and scenic views enroute, a picnic lunch will be served. Then, continue our trek to Ta Phin village and visit Red Dao people and handicraft shops.

In the afternoon, return to Sapa and explore the central market with plenty shops of the local ethnic minority. Then, have dinner at Sapa then back to Hanoi by night bus or train. Aira Sapa Restaurant might be the spot to try out.

In case you want to return to Hanoi sooner, you can take the bus at 3 pm from Sapa, to Hanoi at 9 pm. Still have enough time for a lavish night in Hanoi. Pre-book the right transport from Sapa to Hanoi with A21 Tours to secure your ticket.

Day 5: Hanoi city - Flight back

On the last day of this journey, explore Hanoi freely through the streets of the old quarter before going to Noi Bai Airport.

Hanoi old quarter

There are some shopping venues:

• Trang Tien plaza: Located in the heart of Hanoi, at 24 Hai Ba Trung street, Hoan Kiem District, opposite to Hoan Kiem Lake, near the Hanoi Opera House, it has the area of up to 20.000m2 with 6 floors to sell a variety of luxurious goods.

• Aeon Mall: a Japanese style shopping center that attracts many customers because of Japanese sales, Japanese quality. Supermarkets on the first floor sell fresh sushi and fresh food daily at an affordable price.

• Dong Xuan market: As the main wholesale market in the North, offers a wide range of products such as clothing, footwear, household items, toys, fabrics with traditional designs, candy, souvenirs, food, etc. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there is a night market at Dong Xuan market.

• Hang Gai Street: Also known as Silk Street, the lively Hang Gai is one of the famous shopping areas of Hanoi. The street is famous for its silk shops and tailor-made tailors. Stalls, tailors, street vendors, and art galleries are decorated with backdrops combining traditional and modern architecture.

To go from Hanoi to the airport, you have 3 choices as public bus, Grab car, and book a Private car to the Airport at the price of $12 for 4-seat car.

With this 5-day schedule, we provide you with all the must-see destinations in the North of Vietnam. Check out Northern Vietnam 5 Day Tour now for the best price.