8-Day Northern & Central Vietnam Tour: Sapa, Ha Long Bay & Hoi An
Overview
Destination: North and Central
Duration: 7 - 10 days
Travel Style: Cultural & Heritage
Theme: Couple
Tour Highlights
Value of the package
This 8-day northern and central Vietnam tour covers the mountains, the bay and the old trading port in one private trip: Sapa and Fansipan Peak, a day cruise on Ha Long Bay, Da Nang and Ba Na Hills, and Hoi An Ancient Town. It suits first-time visitors who want to see the mountains, the bay and central Vietnam in a week, with transfers, guides and hotels arranged for you.
- Two regions in eight days. Four nights in the north, split between Sapa and Hanoi, then a domestic flight to Da Nang for three nights in the centre.
- Sapa from the top. The Muong Hoa Mountain Train and cable car take you up Fansipan, past Bich Van Zen Monastery and the Great Buddha statue, with a buffet lunch at Fansipan and a visit to Moana Sapa.
- A village walk. The path through Cat Cat passes wooden houses, rice terraces and handicraft workshops on the way down to the waterfall.
- A full day on Ha Long Bay. Your guide stays with you on the day cruise from Tuan Chau Marina, with lunch on board, Surprising Cave, Luon Cave by kayak or bamboo boat, and Titop Island.
- Central Vietnam at an easy pace. Evening walks by My Khe Beach and the Han River bridges, a full day at Ba Na Hills, and a free morning before the basket boat in Cam Thanh and Hoi An Ancient Town.
- Guided where it matters. Your English-speaking guide accompanies you on sightseeing days, with a private car and driver for the transfers.
Included in the package
- Airport pick-up at Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi) and drop-off at Da Nang International Airport with your guide
- 7 nights’ accommodation – Silk Path Grand Resort & Spa Sapa or similar (2 nights), Tirant Hotel or similar in Hanoi (2 nights) and Radisson Hotel Danang or similar (3 nights)
- 7 breakfasts and 4 lunches, as listed day by day
- Private car and driver, the Muong Hoa Mountain Train and Fansipan cable car, the Ha Long Bay day cruise, the Ba Na Hills cable car and the Cam Thanh basket boat
- Entrance fees and the activities in the itinerary, including Fansipan, Moana Sapa, Cat Cat Village, Surprising Cave, Luon Cave, Titop Island, Ba Na Hills and Hoi An Ancient Town
- Drinking water on tour days, travel insurance, VAT and service charges
Not included: international flights, domestic flights, Vietnam visa fee, meals not listed, personal expenses, and tips for your guide and driver.
Download the detailed day-by-day itinerary (PDF) and ask us for a price using the box on this page, on WhatsApp +84 345 827 501 or at booking@hynatravel.com. Your price depends on your travel dates, group size and hotel choice.
Itinerary
DAY 1: HANOI ARRIVAL & SCENIC TRANSFER TO SAPA
+
Overnight: Silk Path Grand Resort & Spa Sapa, Sapa | Meals: Lunch and dinner on your own | Guide: Guide pickup
On arrival
Welcome to Vietnam. Your HYNA guide and driver wait for you in the arrival hall of Noi Bai International Airport with a name sign, and you set off straight for the mountains. The drive of about 5.5–6 hours on the expressway, with a rest stop, carries you past rice fields and small villages as the hills slowly rise around you.
Evening
Settle into your hotel, then step out into the cool mountain air. Stroll to Sapa Stone Church, browse the local market or simply watch the town light up against the dark slopes.
DAY 2: MUONG HOA MOUNTAIN TRAIN, FANSIPAN PEAK & MOANA SAPA
+
Overnight: Silk Path Grand Resort & Spa Sapa, Sapa | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch · Dinner on your own | Guide: Full day guide
Morning
Your guide meets you at your hotel around 8:00 AM and takes you to Sun Plaza station, where the Muong Hoa Mountain Train rolls for 15 minutes through valleys and terraced fields.
From there the cable car lifts you over ridges and forest to the summit of Fansipan, at 3,143 m the Roof of Indochina.
The Hoang Lien Son range unfolds in every direction as you climb the stone steps past Bich Van Zen Monastery, the Great Buddha statue and Kim Son Bao Thang Temple, incense drifting on the cool air, all the way to the peak.
Midday
A buffet lunch at Fansipan around midday, then the cable car and train bring you back to town.
Afternoon
Visit Moana Sapa, one of the most photographed spots in the region, with its giant Bali-style gate, the hand sculpture and an infinity lake that seems to spill straight into the mountains. You are back at your hotel by about 4:30 PM, with a free evening to relax or wander Sapa town.
DAY 3: CAT CAT VILLAGE & RETURN TO HANOI
+
Overnight: Tirant Hotel, Hanoi | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch · Dinner on your own | Guide: Half day guide
Morning
After breakfast and check-out, your guide meets you around 8:00 AM for Cat Cat, a Black H’Mong village at the foot of Fansipan. The path winds down past wooden houses, terraced rice fields and handicraft workshops to the rush of the Cat Cat waterfall, and along the way you learn about the customs and daily life of the community.
Midday
Lunch around 11:30 AM at a local restaurant in Sapa, a last taste of the mountains.
Afternoon
Your driver takes you back to Hanoi, about 5.5–6 hours on the expressway with a rest stop, as the peaks fade behind you and the green plains of the Red River Delta open up ahead. You check in to your hotel in Hanoi at about 6:30 PM, and dinner is at your own arrangement.
DAY 4: HA LONG BAY DAY CRUISE: SURPRISING CAVE, LUON CAVE & TITOP ISLAND
+
Overnight: Tirant Hotel, Hanoi | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch · Dinner on your own | Guide: Full day guide
Morning
Your guide and driver meet you at your hotel around 8:00 AM for the drive of about 2.5 hours to Ha Long, with a short rest stop. At Tuan Chau Marina you board your day cruise, and your guide stays with you on board as the boat heads out into the UNESCO-listed bay.
Midday
Lunch around midday is served on board, Vietnamese dishes with seafood, while limestone islets such as the Stone Dog and the Kissing Rocks rise from the jade water on either side.
Afternoon
Step into Sung Sot, the Surprising Cave, one of the largest in the bay, where vast chambers of stalactites and stalagmites open one after another.
At Luon Cave, paddle a kayak or sit back in a bamboo boat rowed by a local through a low stone arch into a quiet lagoon enclosed by cliffs.
Last comes Titop Island: climb the steps to the viewpoint for a sweeping panorama over the bay, or swim at its crescent-shaped beach.
Evening
The cruise returns to the marina for the drive back, and you are at your hotel in Hanoi by about 8:30 PM.
DAY 5: FLY TO DA NANG: MY KHE BEACH, LOVE BRIDGE & DRAGON BRIDGE
+
Overnight: Radisson Hotel Danang, Da Nang | Meals: Breakfast · Lunch and dinner on your own | Guide: Half day guide
Morning
After breakfast, your guide takes you to Noi Bai International Airport for your domestic flight to Da Nang. On arrival, your HYNA guide and driver meet you and take you to your hotel near My Khe Beach to check in and rest.
Afternoon
Your guide meets you at the hotel around 4:00 PM. Walk along My Khe, Da Nang’s long ribbon of fine sand, as the afternoon heat fades, the waves roll in and the Son Tra Peninsula rises on the horizon.
Evening
As night falls, walk the Love Lock Bridge on the Han River, where padlocks glint along the railings, then look across the water to the Dragon Bridge, the symbol of modern Da Nang, glowing gold against the night sky. You are back at your hotel by about 7:30 PM, and dinner is at your own arrangement.
DAY 6: BA NA HILLS FULL-DAY TOUR: GOLDEN BRIDGE & FRENCH VILLAGE
+
Overnight: Radisson Hotel Danang, Da Nang | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch · Dinner on your own | Guide: Full day guide
Morning
Your guide and driver meet you at your hotel around 8:00 AM for the drive of about 45 minutes to Ba Na Hills. Ride one of the world’s longest cable cars up the mountain, the forest spreading out beneath your feet, and the air turns noticeably cooler as you climb.
At the top, walk across the famous Golden Bridge, held aloft by a pair of giant stone hands, then wander the Le Jardin D’Amour flower gardens.
Midday
A buffet lunch around midday at a restaurant in Ba Na Hills.
Afternoon
Explore the French Village, with its cobblestone streets, town square and stone church, where it is easy to forget you are in Vietnam.
Then enjoy the indoor games of Fantasy Park at your own pace before the cable car carries you back down the mountain. You are back at your hotel in Da Nang by about 5:00 PM.
DAY 7: CAM THANH COCONUT VILLAGE & HOI AN ANCIENT TOWN
+
Overnight: Radisson Hotel Danang, Da Nang | Meals: Breakfast · Lunch and dinner on your own | Guide: Half day guide
Morning
The morning is free to enjoy the beach or the hotel pool.
Afternoon
Your guide and driver meet you around 2:00 PM for the drive of about 45 minutes south to Cam Thanh. Climb into a traditional round basket boat and glide through the water-coconut forest, the fronds rustling overhead. Your boatman spins the boat in dizzying circles, shows you how to cast a fishing net and shares how local fishermen live.
Evening
Walk into Hoi An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and once a busy trading port, where yellow merchant houses line the lanes.
Cross the Japanese Covered Bridge, step into the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall with its curling incense coils, and linger at a riverside café as silk lanterns light up the streets. Dinner is at your own arrangement, and you are back at your hotel in Da Nang by about 8:00 PM.
DAY 8: DA NANG DEPARTURE
+
Overnight: — | Meals: Breakfast · Lunch and dinner on your own | Guide: Guide dropoff
Morning
Take your time over breakfast and enjoy some free time, perhaps a last walk on the beach, depending on your flight schedule.
Departure
Your HYNA guide accompanies you by private car to Da Nang International Airport for your flight home. Thank you for travelling with HYNA – we hope the mountains, the bay and the lantern-lit streets stay with you long after you leave.
Children Policy
Children under 5 years old Children from 5 to 9 years old Children 10 years old and above Charged at 100% of adult tour price Note: Children’s age is calculated based on the start date of the tour, not the booking date.
PRICE ON REQUEST
Your price depends on your travel dates, group size and hotel choice. Tell us your plans and we will send you a quote.
Meals: 7 breakfasts · 4 lunches
Transport: Private car, domestic flight, mountain train and cable car, day cruise, basket boat
Or email us at booking@hynatravel.com
All Reviews
Why HYNA's Travel?
Local Expert Team
A Vietnam-based team that plans every route on the ground and knows each region first-hand.
Honest & Transparent
Clear itineraries, clear inclusions and no hidden surprises, from your first message to your last day.
24/7 support
24/7 support throughout your journey.
Customized Itineraries
Every itinerary can be tailored to your travel dates, pace and interests.
Price and policy
Flexible cancellation policy.
FAQ
1. Does the tour price include airfare?
No. International and domestic flights are not included in our tour prices. Where a route uses a domestic flight, the itinerary shows it so you can plan your bookings.
2. Can you arrange vegetarian or other special meals?
Yes. Tell us about your dietary needs when you send your enquiry and we will arrange the included meals accordingly.
3. Can I change the itinerary?
Yes. Every itinerary can be tailored to your travel dates, pace and interests. Tell us what you would like to add, remove or swap when you ask for a price.
4. What is your cancellation policy?
Our cancellation policy is flexible, and the terms depend on your travel dates and the services booked. Ask us for the full terms before you book.
5. When is the best time to take this tour?
The weather in Vietnam differs a lot between the north, the centre and the south. The best months for this route are shown under "Best time to go" in the Trip facts on this page. Tell us your travel dates and we can suggest the best way to plan the route for that season.
6. Is travel insurance included?
Travel insurance during the tour is included, as listed under "Included in the package". Children can be covered from 6 weeks of age. Special conditions apply to travellers over 80, adventure activities and pre-existing illnesses or injuries. The insurance does not pay out if an incident involves alcohol, drugs or other stimulants, or any breach of Vietnamese law – for example, riding a motorbike yourself without a licence valid in Vietnam or on a vehicle without proper papers. Riding as a passenger with an easy rider on our motorbike tours is covered. We also recommend your own international travel insurance that covers medical care and flight changes.
7. Is airport pick-up included?
Yes. Your guide and driver meet you at the airport on the first day and take you to the airport for your departure on the last day, as shown in the itinerary.
8. What documents do I need to travel to Vietnam?
You need a passport valid for at least six months from your arrival date and a Vietnam visa or visa exemption, depending on your nationality. The Vietnam visa fee is not included in the tour price.
