Standard room
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Destination
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Trip duration
5 days, 4 nights
This intrepid hiking adventure takes us through the remotest part of Sapa – northern Vietnam’s trekking focal point. We hit meandering trails that wind through rugged mountains and verdant valleys with lush rice terraces spilling down their slopes as we explore Sapa’s simply stunning scenery. This immersive trek takes us through many of the small hill tribe villages that dot the remote landscape and we meet locals and learn more about their way of life. Each of the tribes boasts their own language, traditional costumes and customs.
Day 1
Hanoi – Lao Cai
Upon arrival in Hanoi, you have the day to spend at your leisure to soak up the capital’s vibrant sights and sounds ahead of our overnight train trip. Hanoi’s streets are littered with food stalls serving fresh and flavorsome meals to feast on and keep hunger at bay during our journey. Chow down on Banh Canh, Vietnamese noodles with crab meat, chili, lime juice and coconut dip; the national dish of pho, a rice noodle soup with beef and herbs; or Goi Cuon, a fresh spring roll made of rice paper packed with fresh vegetables, pork and prawns, served with a sweet soya sauce dip. In the evening, we drive to the train station to board the night train bound for the mountainous north-western province of Lao Cai. Please note: The train is a local train, with four-berth cabins.
Food
-/-/-
Day 2
Lao Cai – Sapa: Trek Along Rice Fields To Remote Riverside House
The train arrives in Lao Cai in the early morning. We drive to Sapa for breakfast before heading to the starting point of today’s trek (moderate, six hours) in the remotest part of Hoang Lien National Park. We start at the Tay minority village of Thanh Phu and meander through verdant valleys and alongside emerald rice terraces that cascade down hillslopes, passing by animals, including water buffalos, mountain goats and pigs that belong to the Tay and Red Dao minorities that call this rugged landscape home. As we hike along the winding trails, we are blessed with beautiful views that stretch across to the Hoang Lien mountain range. Lunch is a picnic served in these stunning surroundings before passing by one of the few colorful Black Hmong villages in the area. The hike ends in the Red Dao village of Nam Cang. We spend the afternoon relaxing and swimming in the river. The overnight accommodation is a house converted into a lodge that is owned by a Red Dao family
Food
B/L/D
Day 3
Trekking Along Rivers and Remote Hillsides – Sapa
Nature serves as our alarm clock this morning as we wake to the soothing sound of the nearby river, birdsong and villagers rising early to start the day’s chores. Breakfast is served on the river-front veranda, gifted with beautiful morning views of the surroundings. Today’s hike (moderate, seven hours) takes us higher into the mountains, along trails that are usually only used by the local farmers. We cross rivers and streams as we wind upwards, visiting the remote Red Dao village of Nam Ngan. Here, we get the chance to enjoy tea, or locally-brewed rice wine, with a family in their home before we hit wider trails that take us to My Son, which is home to one of the area’s smallest tribes, the Xa Pho minority. After a local lunch, we end the hike close to Muong Bo River and drive back to Sapa. Dinner is charged to your own account.
Food
B/L/-
Day 4
Sapa – Lao Cai
Today sees us take a break from trekking, with the day free to explore Sapa town at your leisure. This former French hill station is flanked by rugged mountain ranges, lush rolling hills and sprawling emerald rice paddies. Take a walk around the compact town to visit the bustling local market, Notre Dame Cathedral and Ham Rong Mountain, which sits next to the town and is home to a colorful range of flowers and orchards. Stone paths lined with hydrangea, ox-eyed daisy and cherry blossom meander through wild peach forests, orchid gardens and trees overhanging with plums, peaches and pears. This is also a great opportunity to snap up souvenirs, with the hill tribe women who call this region home selling abundant handmade bracelets, scarves, jewellery, bags and shoes. In the late-afternoon we hit the road for a scenic drive to Lao Cai, where we board an overnight train to the vibrant capital city of Hanoi.
Food
B/-/-
Day 5
Ha Noi
Early arrive in Hanoi around 5.30 am, bringing this immersive tour to an end. You will then transfer for the onward leg of your travels, or have the rest of the day to explore this bustling capital city (by your own arrangement). You can spend some time exploring Hanoi’s historic Old Quarter, soaking up the bustling area’s sights and sounds, before joining the mix of locals and tourists for a stroll around picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake (Turtle Lake). The benches and public spaces that line the lake are full of people hanging out in the dappled shade of ancient trees, watching local entertainment on the pedestrian walkways, or feasting on food from the carts. Alternatively, get a dose of culture with a traditional Tuong, Ca Tru performance. This water puppet show originates in Hanoi’s rice fields in the 11th century when the paddies were flooded and villagers would wade waist-deep into the water to perform with puppets as a form of entertainment.
Food
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Nam Cang village
Topas Riverside Lodge
Sapa
Aira Boutique Sapa
Deluxe Balcony
Create the experience of your dream with our travel experts
Make your own trailIncluded
- Tours and transfers with licenced English-speaking guiding services/ assistance. Other languages are on request and are subject to availability;
- Accommodation in sharing twin/ double;
- Transportation for tour and transfers by air-conditioned vehicle, unless otherwise stated;
- All entrance fees for visits as mentioned in the program;
- All applicable taxes and service charges;
- All meals as indicated in the program (food only)
Not Included
- Voluntary Carbon Offset Compensation: USD1.50 per person per day;
- Vietnamese visa approval letter and Visa stamping fee;
- Any domestic / international airline tickets, airport taxes, specific camera / video fees, additional transportation cost from and to the general pick-up / drop-off regions (such as airports, out-of-town resorts, ports, harbours and accommodation in surrounding towns);
- Personal expenses such as other meals, drinks, tips and gratuities, shopping, portage fees and optional tours/ visits, unless otherwise stated;
- Any accommodation expenses of a personal nature. This includes (compulsory festive) meals and drinks, mini-bar consumption, laundry, room service, any telephone or other communication cost not mentioned in the program;
- International travel and medical insurance coverage for customers;
Payment and Cancellations
- Full payment is due 30 days prior to departure. We reserve the right to release all services in case of payment default.
- Intermediate bank charges and fees are the responsibility of the client.
- Cancellation policy: In case of cancellation, the following cancellation fees will apply:
• Between 30-15 days prior to departure - 25% of total price
• Between 14-7 days prior to departure - 50% of total price
• Less than 7 days prior to departure – 100% of total price
You are booking
5 Days Sapa Rice Terrace and Ethnic Hill Tribe
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Destination
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Trip duration
5 days, 4 nights
About your trip
RESERVATIONS
All tours and services can be booked directly with our office in China
A TRAILS CHINA / DAOCHENG
Beijing Office
Suite 810, SunFlower Tower
#37 Maizidian Street Chaoyang District, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100022, P.R. China
Tel: (86-10) 6515 9259
Fax: (86-10) 6515 9293
Email: info@atrails.cn
CONFIRMATIONS
All reservations are confirmed by return with the up-dated booking status within 2 working days. Due to occasional delays in communication with more remote destinations, it may take a few days longer to get confirmation.
RATES AND AVAILABILITY
All rates are quoted in RMB and are subject to change without prior notice. Inclusions and exclusions in the tour packages are indicated at the end of each itinerary. Commonly our package tour rates include accommodation, transfers, certain meals, and other tour related services. Domestic or international airfares are included where mentioned. Our tour itineraries do not include visa fees and expenses of a personal nature. The validity of our rates is November 01, 2018, until October 31, 2019, unless otherwise specified.
SERVICES
Local English speaking guides are accompanying tours and transfers in each destination. German, French, Italian, Spanish and Russian and Chinese speaking guides are available on request in major cities and subject to confirmation.
DELIVERY FEES
A delivery fee will be charged according to the distance traveled, if any train tickets are required to be delivered to clients’ hotel.
PAYMENT
Full pre-payment by bank transfer is required 30 days before the commencement of services.
Our bank account details are:
Bank Name: Bank of China Beijing JianGuoMen Wai Sub-Branch
开 户 行：中国银行北京建国门外支行
Account Name：ATC TRAVEL SERVICES (BEIJING) LTD.
账 户 名：北京道成国际旅行社有限公司
Account No.：3259 6908 9747
账 号：3259 6908 9747
Swiftcode : BKCH CN BJ 110
For itineraries operated outside China
Account Name：BEIJING GLORY INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICE CO, LTD.
账 户 名：北京千乘假期国际旅行社有限公司
Account No.：3211 6010 0100 1577 67
账号：3211 6010 0100 1577 67
Bank Name: Industrial Bank Co., Ltd Sanyuanqiao Sub-Branch
开 户 行：兴业银行三元桥支行
CHILD POLICY
For children aged between 2 and 11 years following rates will apply:
- Child in shared adults’ room with extra bed will pay 80% of the total package price
A maximum of two children per party is granted such a discount. Besides this general policy, specific conditions may apply case by case.
CANCELLATIONS
For cancellation of confirmed reservations, following general cancellation charges apply :
- Between 30 and 15 days prior to arrival : 20% of the total amount
- Between 15 and 7 days prior to arrival : 50% of the total amount
- Less than 7 days prior to arrival : 100% of the total amount.
Special conditions apply for cruises, beach resorts as well as for some of the boutique and landmark hotels. Expeditions and specific products may have different conditions.
Domestic and international air tickets are non-refundable once issued. You are obliged to pay full airfare (inclusive of any tax and fuel surcharge) of any cancelled tickets based on the contract rate.
PROGRAM CHANGES
We reserve the right to re-arrange the order of any tour program, to cancel or substitute elements of any tour itinerary without notice, when local conditions require such changes. All itineraries depending on domestic flight confirmations are subject to changes.
Any increase in taxes or fuel surcharges imposed by the authorities will be advised as soon as we are informed of them, and they will be added to the invoice.
Flight and train details mentioned in our itineraries are for indicative purposes only.
CONFIDENTIALITY
This agreement, its contents and all related documentation sent over to the customer/tour operator are strictly confidential and must not be disclosed to any third parties.
COMPLAINTS AND IRREGULARITIES
We consider complaints as valuable feedback to improve service delivery levels. We request that service delivery failures or customer concerns, be reported during the customer’s stay, to one of our representatives. It is the aim of the company to solve any irregularity on the spot. The company reserves the right to refuse to take action on perceived irregularities submitted to the company 14 days after the customer returns back home.
FORCE MAJEURE
During the term of this agreement, neither party shall be in default of its obligations to the extent that its performance is delayed or prevented by causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to, acts of God, natural disasters, bankruptcy of a vendor, strikes and other labor disturbances, acts of war, or civil disturbances, or other equivalent or comparable events.
INDEMNITY
The client agrees to indemnify and to save A Trails – Daocheng from harm and against all damage or injury (including death) to property or person(s) resulting from intentional or negligent acts or omissions from their respective officers, employees, agents, contractor or subcontractor in connection with the performance of this agreement.
LEGAL NOTE
This agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of China (and/or applicable in relation to the country it is legally represented) for the time being in force and the parties agree to submit any dispute arising between the parties under this agreement to arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the respectable Arbitration Institute, Office of the Judiciary applicable at the time of submission of the dispute to arbitration and the conduct of the arbitration thereof shall be under the auspices of the specific Arbitration Institute accordingly.
IMAGES
Images displayed on the website have a promotional intent only and are not necessarily reflecting the actual destinations and service conditions. These may belong to ATrails staff, customers, photographers we are collaborating with or retrieved from websites such as Pexel, Pixabay, Unsplash or Originoo. While trying to be the most accurate as possible, is agreed that those images do not necessarily depict the actual services promoted.
LIABILITY
We act as an intermediary between the concerned airlines, hotels, all transport operators and local tourist offices providing the services. The Company is therefore not responsible for any loss, injury or damage sustained by the tourists, including those occurring outside the touring programs. Additional expenses incurred due to delay, accidents, natural and disaster, political actions and unrest must be borne by the tourists. Programs and prices, services and conditions are based on those valid at the time of printing and are therefore subject to change without advance notice before or during the tour. Acknowledgment and confirmation of the above-mentioned conditions is active, once clients participate in one of the provided services via us. The itinerary of the excursion, package and/or tour cannot be altered or changed without prior permission from us. We cannot be held liable if you amend the excursion and its content in your brochures or give wrong descriptions to clients that are travelling.
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING AUTONOMOUS REGIONS IN CHINA
The Company is not responsible for any last-minute closure of specific regions or tourism sites caused by decisions taken by local or national authorities to restrict access hereto. We will provide alternative itineraries where necessary and reduce cancellation fees to a minimum, however, such imposed closures are beyond our control and constitute a case of force majeure.
The areas concerned include but are not restricted to : The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Tibet Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, minority regions in Qinghai and Gansu provinces.
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
Travel breaks down borders and brings people together: The nearly 900 million people who travel every year make the sector one of the biggest in the world, a major employer and a key element in the global economy. But this has its downside, too: increasing pollutant emissions from the tourist traffic, loss of coastlines and other landscapes through excessive building development and sexual exploitation of children are just some of the negative consequences of the growth in global tourist travel. In order to minimize the negative impacts and enhance the positive ones, our Corporate Responsibility Strategy focuses on four prime issues:
- We increase efforts to ensure that children and adolescents in tourist areas are protected against sexual exploitation, one of the worst forms of abuse of young people today.
- We promote fair working conditions and sensibly service provider partners to social and environmental concerns.
- The supply and saving of clean water is a further key issue.
- We develop our own projects to meet the growing threat posed by climate change. Indeed, helping counter the adverse effects of global warming is one of the biggest challenges faced by the world tourist.