Northern Vietnam: Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Halong Bay & Sapa

Land at Noi Bai (NOI) and take the public bus 86 (~30,000 VND / £1) or a Grab (~350,000 VND / £11) into the Old Quarter. Check into a hostel dorm or cheap private room near Ma May or Hang Bac. Spend the afternoon wandering Hoan Kiem Lake, the 36 streets and the night market (weekends). Book your onward travel tonight: an open-tour bus to Ninh Binh and a Halong Bay cruise for days 4-5.

🚌Airport bus 86 from Noi Bai (~£1) or Grab (~£11)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Old Quarter (£10-16)

• →Self-walk Hoan Kiem Lake & Old Quarter
• →Book onward buses and Halong cruise online
• →Bia Hoi corner at Ta Hien street

Take the open-tour or local bus from Hanoi to Ninh Binh (~2 hours, ~£5-7). Hire a bicycle (~£2) and ride to Hoa Lu ancient capital to see the Dinh and Le temples, then on to Tam Coc. Buy a Tam Coc boat ticket at the jetty (~150,000 VND / £5) for the two-hour row through Hang Ca, Hang Hai and Hang Ba caves — go late afternoon to dodge tour groups. Cycle back through rice paddies and limestone outcrops. Eat goat meat (de nuoi) at a local quan in Tam Coc village.

🚌Hanoi–Ninh Binh bus (~£5-7), bicycle hire (~£2)

🛏Ninh Binh homestay or budget hotel near Tam Coc (£8-14)

• →Hoa Lu ancient capital temples
• →Tam Coc rowing boat through three caves
• →Cycling paddy-field lanes and villages

Morning bus back to Hanoi (~£5). In the afternoon, either join a small-group street food walking tour on GetYourGuide/Klook (~£25-30, usually 10-12 tastings) or DIY it: start at Bun Cha Huong Lien or a local bun cha grill, move to banh cuon on Hang Ga, che at a Dong Xuan market stall, bia hoi on Ta Hien and finish with egg coffee (ca phe trung) at Cafe Giang. Duck into the Heritage House at 87 Ma May (~30,000 VND) for a look at a traditional tube house.

🚌Ninh Binh–Hanoi bus (~£5)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Old Quarter (£10-16)

• →Street food walking tour via GetYourGuide/Klook (~£25-30) or DIY food crawl
• →Heritage House, 87 Ma May
• →Dong Xuan market

Early shuttle from Hanoi Old Quarter hotels to the harbour (~3.5-4 hours, usually included in cruise packages). Board a budget overnight cruise (book direct with operators like Halong Fantasea, Lavender or similar, or via Klook — expect £70-95 for a 2D/1N all-in with meals). Afternoon: walk through Sung Sot (Surprising) Cave, climb the steps of Titop Island for the bay panorama, swim at Titop beach, then a sunset fruit-and-wine party on deck.

🚌Shuttle bus Hanoi–Halong harbour (included in cruise)

🛏Budget Halong Bay overnight cruise, twin/dorm share (£70-95 all-in)

• →Sung Sot (Surprising) Cave
• →Titop Island hike and beach swim
• →Sunset drinks on deck

Wake for sunrise on the water, then kayak through the karst channels (~£7-10 if not included in your cruise package). Join the on-board Vietnamese spring roll cooking demo, eat lunch while cruising back to the harbour, and return to Hanoi by shuttle by late afternoon. Evening free — recover with a beer and a bowl of pho.

🚌Shuttle back to Hanoi (included)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Old Quarter (£10-16)

• →Sunrise on the bay
• →Kayaking between limestone islands
• →Spring roll cooking demonstration

Slow day. Buy a Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre ticket at the box office on Dinh Tien Hoang (front rows ~100,000-150,000 VND / £4-5) for an afternoon show. Otherwise: Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Train Street (respect local signage), the Women's Museum, or a bia hoi crawl. Book your Sapa night train or sleeper bus tonight.

🚌Walking / Grab around the city (~£3)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Old Quarter (£10-16)

• →Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre show (~£5)
• →Temple of Literature
• →Old Quarter wandering and souvenir shopping

Take the night train (Hanoi–Lao Cai, ~8 hours, soft sleeper ~£22-28) or a sleeper bus (~£14-18) arriving early morning, then a shared minibus up to Sapa (~50,000-70,000 VND / £2). Or travel by day bus (~5.5 hours, ~£12). Drop bags and trek out past Sapa town into the Muong Hoa valley: terraced rice, corn and potato fields, a waterfall stop, and Hmong and Dzay villages. Night in a Hmong homestay booked direct or via Airbnb/Booking — dinner cooked with the family, rice wine and stories.

🚌Hanoi–Lao Cai sleeper train (~£22-28) + shared minibus (£2)

🛏Hmong family homestay, Sapa valley (~£12-18 with dinner and breakfast)

• →Muong Hoa valley trek through terraces
• →Minority village visit and waterfall stop
• →Family homestay dinner and cultural evening

Breakfast with your host, then choose your morning: a longer trek to Ta Van/Giang Ta Chai through bamboo forest and terraces (hire a local Hmong guide via your homestay for ~£15-20), or ask about helping in the family fields with planting or harvesting in season. Afternoon back in Sapa town — the local market, grilled skewers and hotpot, and a coffee with valley views. You can catch a late bus or the overnight train back tonight, or stay one more night.

🚌Local walking / xe om (~£3)

🛏Homestay or budget guesthouse in Sapa town (£10-16)

• →Guided trek through bamboo forest and terraces
• →Optional farm work with host family
• →Sapa local market and town

Morning bus or shared limousine back to Hanoi (~5.5 hours, ~£12-18), or the overnight train if you'd rather have another day in Sapa. Allow 3+ hours before an international flight — airport bus 86 or Grab to Noi Bai. Last souvenirs: coffee, silk, or a banh mi on the way out.

🚌Sapa–Hanoi bus (~£12-18) + airport bus (~£1)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Bus back to Hanoi
• →Souvenir shopping at Dong Xuan market
• →Transfer to Noi Bai airport