We’ll arrive in SaPa at 6 AM. Our local guide will meet us at the bus drop-off point and take us to breakfast. We’ll be able to check in at the hotel and, if we have time, grab a shower before heading to the festival. Today is scheduled as the celebration day of the Gau Tao Festival—a fantastic opportunity to taste local food, admire the traditional dress of the H’mong minority, and fully experience the festivity and traditions of this place. We can take part in their games, watch their dances, and marvel at the incredible traditional costumes. In the afternoon, we’ll return to the hotel to rest before taking a stroll around SaPa.

It’s time to experience one of the few bustling spots life in the mountains offers: the Can Cau market. After breakfast, we’ll begin our walk, taking photos through the maze-like alleys of the market. There we’ll have the chance to interact with people from the Flower H'mong, Black Dao, Phu La, and Tay minorities and admire their traditional clothing. We’ll leave the market around midday, driving back to Bac Ha town for lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll take a walk to the village of Ban Pho, a community of the Nung and Flower H’mong minorities. There we’ll taste corn wine, a famous local product. Tonight we’ll stay in a hotel in Bac Ha.

We’ll set off early to make the most of another traditional market, Bac Ha, famous for its clothing stalls and the section dedicated to livestock. We’ll have lunch at a local restaurant and spend the afternoon doing an easy trek from Bac Ha town to the village of Na Hoi, where people from the Hmong, Nung, Tay, Dao, and Phu La communities live together. There we’ll get to appreciate different traditions, like the Tay Xoe dance and the characteristic embroidery of the H’mong. We’ll spend the night in a Tay minority guesthouse, where we’ll rest and enjoy the company.

The time has come to begin the hiking routes. After breakfast, we’ll take the opportunity to trek from Bac Ha to Lung Phinh, passing through the village of Ban Pho, home to the H’Mong ethnic minority. We’ll learn how to make local corn wine and enjoy a lunch break surrounded by nature. In Lung Phinh we’ll be welcomed by a Phu La family, with whom we’ll spend the night. We’ll share tea and a wonderful dinner.

We’ll walk back toward Bac Ha, crossing the beautiful forest that surrounds the nearby rural villages. There we’ll learn more about the cultures of the Black Dao and Phu La ethnic groups. We’ll descend to the villages of Thai Giang Pho and Na Lo. After lunch at a local restaurant, we’ll drive to the village of Trung Do, where we’ll stroll through and see how the Tay keep their traditional way of life. In the afternoon, we’ll take a boat to cruise the Chay River—the scenery will leave us speechless. We’ll disembark in the village of Bao Nhai, and after a walk around, we’ll catch our transport back to rest again in SaPa. Today is for recharging, because the coming days we’ll be exploring the mountains on foot.

After breakfast, we’ll drive to the valley of Ma Tra village. Once there, we’ll follow a small trail leading to the top of a hill, where we’ll enjoy panoramic views of Mount Fansipan (the highest peak in Indochina) and the valley nestled at the mountain’s base. By lunchtime, we’ll reach the village of Hang Da, home to the H’mong tribe, where we’ll have a picnic. After a short rest, we’ll arrive at the Hau Thao community, where we’ll have the chance to experience the daily life of the Black H’mong minority. From there, we’ll head to Lao Chai, a H’mong village that has been inhabited for centuries. We’ll take in the views of the rice terraces and, with a cup of tea in hand, learn more about the art of Batik painting from a local artisan, who will guide us in creating our own piece to take home (not included in the trip price). We’ll spend the night in a guesthouse hosted by a Giay minority family.

Today we’ll head to Ta Van, where we’ll visit a Giay community. Traditionally, the Giay relied on subsistence fishing, so their villages were always established near rivers. They mastered the art of fishing and cooking fish using bamboo sticks, although nowadays it’s more common to see the Giay harvesting rice. We’ll continue our walk through an impressive bamboo forest to the village of SuPan, where we’ll rest and enjoy the mountain landscape while taking a break for lunch. After the meal, we’ll walk the final 6 km of the day to the village of Ban Ho, where we’ll spend the night in another guesthouse—this time with a Tay minority family. We’ll cook dinner over an open fire and get some rice wine to taste this local delicacy.

After a full breakfast with the family hosting us, we’ll walk 3 km to the village of Nam Toong, home to the Red Dao minority. From there, we’ll follow a trail through vast rice terraces, admiring the spectacular views of Halong National Park as we make our way to the village of My Son. There, we’ll meet the Xa Pho minority, one of the smallest tribes in the SaPa region. We’ll spend the night in the village of Thanh Phu, where we’ll enjoy local food and a bed in a Tay minority guesthouse.

On this last day of our journey we’ll hike back along a route to Ban Ho, following the Muong Hoa River. Anyone who wants can take a dip in the river before we say goodbye to these incredible landscapes. Upon arriving in SaPa, we’ll have lunch and then board our transport to head to Hanoi. We’ll arrive in the city at night and, after checking in, we’ll go to dinner at a delicious local restaurant where we’ll fondly remember the days we’ve shared and say our goodbyes with hugs.

After breakfast we’ll catch our flight home. Until the next adventure!