8-Day North & South Vietnam Tour: Sapa, Ha Long Bay, Cu Chi & Mui Ne
Overview
Destination: North and South
Duration: 7 - 10 days
Travel Style: Adventure & Nature
Theme: Friend
Tour Highlights
Value of the package
This 8-day north and south Vietnam tour fits both ends of the country into just over a week: the mountains of Sapa, the limestone islands of Ha Long Bay, the Cu Chi Tunnels outside Ho Chi Minh City and the sand dunes of Mui Ne. It is a private trip with a guide on sightseeing days and a car and driver for every transfer, from your arrival in Hanoi to your departure from Ho Chi Minh City.
- Straight to the mountains. You leave Noi Bai Airport for Sapa on the day you land, a drive of about 5.5–6 hours on the expressway, so your first full day starts in the mountains.
- Fansipan without the climb. The Muong Hoa Mountain Train and the cable car carry you to the 3,143 m summit and its pagodas, with a buffet lunch at Fansipan Restaurant and a stop at Moana Sapa on the way back.
- A H’Mong village on foot. A guided walk through Cat Cat Village passes wooden houses, rice terraces, indigo-dyeing workshops and a waterfall.
- A full day on Ha Long Bay. From Tuan Chau harbour the cruise takes you to Surprising Cave, Luon Cave by kayak or bamboo boat and Titop Island, with lunch served on board.
- Flight timed for the afternoon. A morning domestic flight gets you to Ho Chi Minh City in time for the Cu Chi Tunnels the same afternoon.
- Mui Ne at sunset. An open-top jeep takes you to the Fairy Stream, the fishing village, the White Sand Dunes and the Red Sand Dunes as the sun goes down, with a night at a beach resort.
Included in the package
- Airport pick-up at Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi) and drop-off at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City) with your guide, plus transfers for the Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City flight
- 7 nights’ accommodation – Sapa (2 nights), Hanoi (2 nights), Ho Chi Minh City (2 nights) and Mui Ne (1 night)
- 7 breakfasts and 4 lunches, as listed day by day
- Private car and driver throughout and an open-top jeep in Mui Ne
- English-speaking guide on sightseeing days
- Entrance fees and the activities in the itinerary, including the Muong Hoa Mountain Train and Fansipan cable car, Moana Sapa, Cat Cat Village, the Ha Long Bay day cruise with Surprising Cave, Luon Cave and Titop Island, the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mui Ne jeep tour
- 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
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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 at 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 halfway, climbs from the rice fields of the Red River plain through mountain passes and small villages.
Evening
Settle into your hotel, then explore Sapa town at your own pace – stroll to Sapa Stone Church, browse the local market or simply breathe in the cool mountain air.
DAY 2: MUONG HOA MOUNTAIN TRAIN, FANSIPAN PEAK & MOANA SAPA
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Overnight: Silk Path Grand Resort & Spa Sapa, Sapa | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch · Dinner on your own | Guide: Full day guide
Morning
After breakfast, your guide meets you at the hotel around 8:00 AM and takes you to the Muong Hoa Mountain Train station.
The 15-minute ride rolls through valleys and terraced slopes to the cable car station, where you glide up to the summit of Fansipan, at 3,143 m “the Roof of Indochina”. On a clear day the Hoang Lien Son range spreads out below like a sea of green waves. Climb the stone steps past pagodas wrapped in the scent of incense to the Great Buddha statue and the spiritual complex at the top.
Midday
Lunch around 11:30 AM is a buffet at Fansipan Restaurant, before the cable car carries you back down.
Afternoon
Moana Sapa is one of the most photographed spots in the region: a giant Bali-style gate, a hand sculpture and a swing that seems to hang over the Hoang Lien Son mountains. You are back at your hotel by about 4:00 PM, free to relax or wander Sapa town.
DAY 3: CAT CAT VILLAGE & RETURN TO HANOI
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Overnight: Tirant Hotel, Hanoi | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch · Dinner on your own | Guide: Half day guide
Morning
After breakfast, your guide meets you around 8:00 AM and leads you to Cat Cat, a traditional H’Mong village at the foot of Fansipan. The path winds down past wooden houses, terraced rice fields and handicraft workshops where indigo-dyed cloth hangs to dry, to a waterfall rushing under a small bridge. Along the way you learn how the local families farm, weave and live in these mountains.
Midday
Lunch around 11:30 AM is at a local restaurant.
Afternoon
After checking out, you travel back to Hanoi on the expressway, about 5.5–6 hours with a rest stop, watching the mountains fade into the lowlands. You reach your hotel in Hanoi around 7:00 PM, and the evening is free.
DAY 4: HA LONG BAY FULL-DAY CRUISE
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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 to Ha Long Bay, about 2.5 hours on the expressway.
At Tuan Chau harbour you board your day cruise and sail out among nearly 2,000 limestone islands and islets rising straight from the emerald water – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Watch for the famous shapes of the Stone Dog, the Incense Burner and the Kissing Rocks as they slide past.
Midday
Lunch around midday is served on board as the boat cruises through the bay.
Afternoon
Step into Surprising Cave (Sung Sot), one of the largest in the bay, where vast chambers of stalactites and stalagmites open up one after another.
At Luon Cave, slip under a low stone arch into a lagoon walled in by cliffs, by kayak or in a bamboo boat rowed by local villagers, with only the splash of oars breaking the silence.
Last comes Titop Island: climb the steps for a sweeping view over the bay, or swim at its crescent beach, before the boat heads back to the harbour in the late afternoon.
Evening
You drive back to Hanoi and reach your hotel around 8:00 PM.
DAY 5: FLY TO HO CHI MINH CITY & CU CHI TUNNELS HALF-DAY
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Overnight: Rex Hotel Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City | Meals: Breakfast · Lunch and dinner on your own | Guide: Half day guide
Morning
After an early breakfast, your guide takes you to Noi Bai Airport for a morning domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh City, about 2 hours in the air, so that you land in time for the afternoon excursion. At Tan Son Nhat Airport, your HYNA guide and driver meet you and take you to your hotel to drop your bags, with time for lunch on your own.
Afternoon
Around 1:00 PM you head out of the city for Cu Chi, about 1.5 hours away. Beneath the forest lies a vast network of tunnels dug during the Vietnam War. Discover how guerrilla fighters lived and fought here, see the traps, bunkers and command rooms, and crouch your way through a preserved section to feel how tight the passages really are. You are back at your hotel by about 6:00 PM, with the evening free.
DAY 6: HO CHI MINH CITY TO MUI NE & SUNSET JEEP TOUR
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Overnight: Anantara Mui Ne Resort, Mui Ne | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch · Dinner on your own | Guide: Full day guide
Morning
After breakfast and check-out, your guide and driver meet you in the lobby around 8:00 AM. The drive to Mui Ne takes about 3.5–4 hours on the Dau Giay – Phan Thiet expressway, with a short rest stop. The city gives way to dragon fruit farms, their plants hung with bright pink fruit, and then, at last, to the sea.
Midday
Lunch around midday is seafood at a local restaurant in Mui Ne, before you check in to your resort.
Afternoon
Around 2:00 PM an open-top jeep collects you from the resort for a half-day tour of Mui Ne’s dunes and coast. First comes the Fairy Stream, where you walk barefoot through ankle-deep water that runs over soft sand between red and white sandstone cliffs.
Next, Mui Ne Fishing Village, where round basket boats bob in the bay and fishermen sort the day’s catch on the shore.
Late afternoon
The jeep heads up the coast road to the White Sand Dunes, rolling ridges of pale sand above a lake fringed with casuarina trees. Climb the crests for the view, or race across the sand by quad bike at your own expense.
You finish at the Red Sand Dunes as the sun goes down, the sand turning copper and gold in the last light, and you are back at your resort by about 6:30 PM.
DAY 7: MUI NE TO HO CHI MINH CITY
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Overnight: Rex Hotel Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City | Meals: Breakfast · Lunch and dinner on your own | Guide: Half day guide
Morning
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast and a last swim at your resort. Your guide and driver meet you in the lobby around 10:00 AM for the drive back to Ho Chi Minh City, about 3.5–4 hours on the expressway with a short rest stop.
Afternoon
You reach your hotel in the city centre in the early afternoon. The rest of the day is free for a last evening in Vietnam – Nguyen Hue Walking Street, Ben Thanh Market and the riverside are all close by, full of street food, music and motorbikes.
DAY 8: HO CHI MINH CITY DEPARTURE
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Overnight: — | Meals: Breakfast · Lunch and dinner on your own | Guide: Guide dropoff
Morning
Enjoy breakfast and some free time at your hotel – perhaps a last Vietnamese coffee – depending on your flight schedule.
Departure
Your guide accompanies you on the private transfer to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for your flight home. Thank you for travelling with HYNA – we hope Vietnam stays 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, cable car, day cruise, open-top jeep
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". 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.
