ASIA TC JOURNEYS
Vietnam in action: trains, trails & local life
15 days | 2 adults
Trip highlights
Taste Hanoi’s famous egg coffee and northern dishes on a walk through the Old Quarter.
Cycle by e-bike from West Lake to Co Loa, crossing the Red River on Long Bien Bridge.
Walk through Sa Pa’s rice terraces and visit a Red Dao home in Lech Dao village.
Learn about rescued bears at Four Paws’ sanctuary and visit wildlife centres in Cuc Phuong.
Cook vegetarian dishes in Hue, meet a fishing family in Lang Co and cycle Hoi An’s villages.
Created in partnership with sustainable tourism NGO, Travel Forward, this itinerary brings you closer to local life through a Hanoi e-bike ride, visits with village hosts in Sa Pa and Ninh Binh, a family cooking lesson in Hue, and time with fishing and craft households around Hoi An.
Travel from Hanoi to Sa Pa, then continue south through Ninh Binh, Hue and Hoi An. Four overnight train journeys link the route togther, while walks, cycling, and boat trips bring you into the countryside between cities. Along the way, share meals with locals, learn about traditional crafts, and explore vital reservations working with rescued wildlife.
Days 1-3: Hanoi
Arrive in Hanoi and take a private transfer to The Lapis Hotel, your base for two nights. On a walking tour of the Old Quarter, stop for egg coffee and sample northern dishes such as bun rieu, a traditional noodle soup, topped with local rice-paddy crab. Follow narrow lanes to Dong Xuan Market and visit a traditional family-run business that supplies pho noodles to the neighbourhood.
The next day, set out by e-bike from West Lake. Cross the Red River on Long Bien Bridge, and continue through farmland to Co Loa, the ancient capital associated with the kingdom of Au Lac. Visit its temples and village houses, then return via Banana Island, a pocket of farmland within the city. After lunch, head back to the hotel before transferring to the station for the overnight train to Lao Cai.
Days 4-6: Sa Pa
Arrive in Lao Cai early and pause for breakfast before travelling into the mountains. In Hoang Lien National Park, take a light trek through the rice terraces and learn about the Black H’mong communities of the area. Continue to Thanh Phu, home to the Tay community, then walk in My Son village, where the Xa Pho people live. Stay for two nights at Topas Ecolodge, with mountain views from your bungalow.
The next day, walk from the lodge to Lech Dao village in Thanh Kim Commune. Meet Red Dao hosts at home and learn about their customs, embroidery, and basket weaving. The path back crosses a suspension bridge and follows rice terraces cut into the hillsides.
Spend your final day in Sa Pa at leisure, with time to enjoy the lodge or choose an optional activity. In the evening, transfer to Lao Cai and board the overnight train back to Hanoi.
Days 7-8: Cuc Phuong National Park and Ninh Binh
After arriving in Hanoi, have breakfast and freshen up before driving to Ninh Binh. At the Four Paws bear sanctuary, a guide explains the essential care of bears rescued from bile farming and the illegal wildlife trade. Visit the bear kitchen, veterinary clinic, and bear houses to learn about their rehabilitation.
Continue to Cuc Phuong National Park. Visit the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre and the Carnivore and Pangolin Education Centre, where guides explain the stories of animals that cannot return to the wild. The day also includes a stop at the Cave of Prehistoric Man, where ancient human remains and stone tools have been found.
Stay overnight at Tam Coc Garden Resort then board a sampan in Tam Coc and travel beneath limestone karsts, passing through the caves that give the area its name. Visit a local family and learn about their embroidery traditions, then enjoy lunch before cycling through villages and rice fields to Thai Vi Temple.
Return to the hotel before transferring to Ninh Binh station for the overnight train to Hue.
Days 9-10: Hue
Arrive in Hue in the morning and transfer to ANhill Boutique for two nights. In the afternoon, take a guided heritage tour that introduces the city’s royal past and layered history. A traditional three-wheeler cyclo ride beside Tinh Tam Lake leads to a private collection of royal possessions, followed by visits to historic sites including Tiger Arena and An Dinh Palace.
The next day begins at Dong Ba Market, where you’ll meet the chef and choose fresh ingredients for a plant-based cooking class. Continue to the garden of a Hue family whose ancestors helped establish Ngoc Anh village. Prepare two dishes alongside the chef, then enjoy a six-dish meal shaped by Hue’s culinary traditions and Buddhist influence.
Days 11-15: Lang Co & Hoi
Travel south towards Hoi An, stopping in Lang Co to spend time with a local fishing family. Take a wooden boat onto the lagoon and learn how the family uses nets and crab cages. Lunch is served at their fishing station on stilts, before you continue to Hoi An and check in to La Siesta Hoi An for three nights.
Explore Hoi An’s old town with a local guide, walking through former merchants’ homes, narrow lanes, and communal halls. At the Japanese Bridge, learn how it connected the Japanese and Chinese communities; at a Chinese communal hall, see the family altar and the offerings made there.
The following day, cycle from Thanh Ha pottery village to Cam Kim Island and Kim Bong carpentry village. Meet craftspeople who carve, lacquer and inlay wood, then visit a household still making mats from sedge grass. The ride continues past rice fields and local fishermen, ending with lunch at a family home and a boat trip on the Thu Bon River.
On your final evening, transfer to Da Nang station and board the final overnight train to Hanoi. After arriving the next morning, transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
