Every part can be changed to suit your group.

1. Day 1 Hanoi to overnight train

   After a short briefing at our office, we transfer to Hanoi railway station for the overnight train to Lao Cai. The train departs Hanoi at 22:00 and arrives in Lao Cai around 5:45 the next morning. It is a comfortable way to cover the distance overnight, and most travellers get some sleep along the way before the trek begins. The train has shared four-berth cabins with soft beds, bedding and air-conditioning. Please bring a small bag for the trek and leave larger luggage at your hotel in Hanoi, as you will only need a few changes of clothes, rain gear and good walking shoes for the next two days.

   
2. Day 2 Trek to Y Linh Ho and Giang Ta Chai

   On arrival in Lao Cai, a minibus takes us to Sapa through mountain scenery and layered rice terraces. After breakfast, we set out on foot toward the villages of Y Linh Ho and Giang Ta Chai, home to Black Hmong and Giay communities. The trek covers around 10 to 15 km, following paths through valleys and past working rice paddies. We stop to watch farmers plowing with water buffalo, tending crops, or fishing in the stream, with a countryside lunch along the way. The day ends in Giang Ta Chai, where a Giay family welcomes us into their home for the night, with dinner and conversation by the fire.

   
3. Day 3 Ban Ho trek and return to Hanoi

   After breakfast at the homestay, we walk through terraced farmland and bamboo forest toward Ban Ho, covering around 12 to 16 km, with views over green valleys and waterfalls. A minibus brings us back to Sapa, where there is time to rest or browse the local market for woven textiles and hemp fabrics. In the late afternoon, we transfer to Lao Cai station for the overnight train to Hanoi, arriving around 5:30 the following morning. The trails can be muddy and slippery after rain, so good walking shoes are important. Your guide sets a comfortable pace and adapts the route to the weather and your fitness. On the way back to Lao Cai, the road gives a last view of the terraces and mountains of Sapa.