14 days 13 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
A 14-day private overland tour from Yunnan to northern Vietnam: Kunming, Dali and Lijiang by fast train, a walk across the border from Hekou to Lao Cai, then Sapa, Hanoi and a night on Halong Bay, with private guides on both sides.
From US$1,960 per person for the whole tour, as an indicative price for a small private group in 4★ hotels. It changes with group size, hotel level and season, and is confirmed in your tailor-made quote.
| Day | Route and highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Kunming | Kunming |
| 2 | The Stone Forest | Kunming |
| 3 | Train to Dali and the old town | Dali |
| 4 | Erhai Lake and the village of Xizhou | Dali |
| 5 | Train to Lijiang and the old town | Lijiang |
| 6 | Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Baisha | Lijiang |
| 7 | Train back to Kunming | Kunming |
| 8 | Train to Hekou, cross into Vietnam and drive to Sapa | Sapa |
| 9 | Muong Hoa valley trek | Sapa |
| 10 | Cat Cat village and drive to Hanoi | Hanoi |
| 11 | Hanoi: temples, lakes and street food | Hanoi |
| 12 | Cruise on Halong Bay | Halong Bay |
| 13 | Halong Bay morning and return to Hanoi | Hanoi |
| 14 | Depart Hanoi | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 14 days / 13 nights · Kunming – Stone Forest – Dali – Lijiang – Hekou – Lao Cai – Sapa – Hanoi – Halong Bay
This China and Vietnam tour follows an old trade route between Yunnan and the Red River valley, crossing the border on foot rather than by plane. The first week is spent in Yunnan: the Stone Forest near Kunming, the Bai villages around Dali's Erhai Lake and the canals of Lijiang Old Town, with a cable car up Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Fast trains link each stop, and a private guide looks after you throughout.
From Kunming, a high-speed train runs south to Hekou on the Chinese side of the border. You walk across the bridge over the Red River to Lao Cai, where your Vietnamese guide is waiting, and an hour later you are in the mountain town of Sapa. Two days of easy walks lead you through the rice terraces and villages of the Hmong, Dao and Giay people of the Muong Hoa valley.
The trip ends with Hanoi's lakes, temples and street food, and a night on a cruise boat among the limestone islands of Halong Bay. It is a rich, varied route for couples and families with teens who enjoy culture, mountains and food.
Moderate. Days in Yunnan involve two to four hours of walking, and the Sapa trek covers about 10 to 12 kilometers on village paths with some ups and downs. The longest transfers are the train from Kunming to Hekou (about four hours) and the road from Sapa to Hanoi (about five to six hours). Suits families with children over 10 and active older travelers.
Thirteen nights at 4-star level: 4-star hotels in Kunming, Dali and Lijiang, a 4-star hotel or mountain resort in Sapa, a 4-star boutique hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter and a cabin with private bathroom on a 4-star cruise boat on Halong Bay. 5-star upgrades are available in most places.
March to May and September to November are the best months for the whole route, with clear mountain views in Yunnan and comfortable temperatures in Sapa and Hanoi. Sapa's rice terraces turn golden in September and early October. Summer is the rainy season in both regions. In winter, Lijiang and Sapa can be cold, sometimes near freezing at night, while Kunming stays mild.
Your guide and driver are yours alone for the whole trip, so the pace, the stops and the start time each morning follow you. The standard version has an English-speaking guide; guides who speak French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese or Vietnamese can be arranged on request.
More ideas: All multi-country private tours · Japan and Vietnam: Tokyo, Kyoto, Hanoi, Halong Bay and Hoi An in 13 Days · Korea and Vietnam: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan, Hoi An, Hanoi and Halong Bay in 12 Days
Photos: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; mattbuck (category), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Ngguls, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Ngguls, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Fong Chen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Yunnan to Northern Vietnam Overland: Kunming, Lijiang, Sapa and Halong Bay in 14 Days is a starting point. Our Hanoi travel designers adjust every day to your pace, interests and hotel style, then run the trip with your own guide and driver.
Your guide meets you at Kunming Changshui airport and takes you to your hotel. Kunming lies at almost 1,900 meters and is known as the City of Eternal Spring for its mild climate. In the late afternoon, walk around Green Lake Park, where local residents gather to dance and play music, and through the streets nearby. Your guide will go over the route ahead, including the train journeys and the border crossing into Vietnam.
Overnight: Kunming
Drive about 90 minutes to the Stone Forest at Shilin, a UNESCO-listed field of tall limestone pillars shaped by water over millions of years. Walk the paths that wind between the rocks to small lakes and viewpoints, and hear the legends of the local Sani people. After lunch, return to Kunming. In the evening, try the city's famous crossing-the-bridge noodles, a hot broth into which you add meat, vegetables and rice noodles at the table.
Overnight: Kunming · Meals: B, L
Take the high-speed train to Dali, about two hours. Your guide meets you at the station and takes you first to the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, standing in front of the Cangshan range. Then explore Dali Old Town on foot, with its stone gates, small craft shops and whitewashed Bai houses with painted eaves. The evening is free to wander the lanes or sit in a cafe watching the town go by.
Overnight: Dali · Meals: B
Drive along Erhai Lake to Xizhou, an old Bai trading village of courtyard houses and a lively morning market. Visit a family compound with carved wooden screens and try a warm baba, the local flatbread. In nearby Zhoucheng, see how blue-and-white tie-dye cloth is made in a village workshop. In the afternoon, cycle a quiet stretch of the lakeshore path with views of the mountains, then return to Dali.
Overnight: Dali · Meals: B, L
Ride the train north to Lijiang, about 90 minutes. After check-in, walk to Black Dragon Pool, where on clear days Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is reflected in the water. Then explore Lijiang Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site of canals, stone bridges and Naxi wooden houses. Climb Lion Hill for a view over the tiled rooftops, and stay out to see the lanes lit by lanterns in the evening.
Overnight: Lijiang · Meals: B
Drive to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and take a cable car to one of its high meadows, chosen on the day for weather and comfort with altitude, for close views of the peaks. Below, walk around Blue Moon Valley, where turquoise pools step down between the pines. In the afternoon, visit Baisha, a quiet Naxi village with Ming-era murals, and the old town of Shuhe, less busy than Lijiang and lovely in the late light.
Overnight: Lijiang · Meals: B, L
Enjoy a slow morning in Lijiang, perhaps revisiting the old town before the day visitors arrive. Around midday, take the high-speed train back to Kunming, about three and a half hours, and check in to your hotel near the south station for an easy start tomorrow. In the evening, your guide can take you to a local market or restaurant for a last taste of Yunnan's mushrooms, cured ham and rice noodles.
Overnight: Kunming · Meals: B
Take the morning high-speed train from Kunming to Hekou on the border, about four hours through the hills of southern Yunnan. Your guide accompanies you to the border post, where you complete Chinese exit formalities and walk across the bridge over the Red River into Lao Cai. Your Vietnamese guide and driver meet you after immigration, and the road climbs about an hour into the mountains to Sapa. Check in and enjoy the cool evening air.
Overnight: Sapa · Meals: B
Set off on foot from Sapa into the Muong Hoa valley, following paths along the rice terraces to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai and the Giay village of Ta Van. The walk of about 10 to 12 kilometers takes most of the day, with plenty of stops to meet local families, watch farm work and learn about indigo dyeing. Lunch is in a village home. Your driver collects you at the end and brings you back to Sapa.
Overnight: Sapa · Meals: B, L
In the morning, walk down to Cat Cat, a Hmong village with a small waterfall and craft workshops just below Sapa town. Then begin the drive to Hanoi on the expressway, about five to six hours with rest stops along the Red River valley. Check in to your hotel in the Old Quarter. In the evening, walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and take your first look at the lively streets of the Vietnamese capital.
Overnight: Hanoi · Meals: B
Visit the area around Ba Dinh Square, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (from outside), the stilt house where he lived and the One Pillar Pagoda. Continue to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, founded in 1070. After lunch, explore the Old Quarter on foot or by cyclo, its streets once each devoted to a single trade. In the evening, join your guide for a street food walk and, if you like, a water puppet show.
Overnight: Hanoi · Meals: B, L
Drive about two and a half hours to Halong Bay and board your cruise boat around midday. As lunch is served, the boat sails out among the limestone islands that rise from the green water. In the afternoon, visit one of the bay's caves or kayak through quiet lagoons, and swim from a small beach in warm weather. Watch the sunset from the deck, then enjoy dinner on board as the boat anchors for the night.
Overnight: Halong Bay · Meals: B, L, D
Wake early for a tai chi session on deck and the soft morning light on the islands. After breakfast, the boat visits one more cave or floating village area before returning to the harbor in time for brunch on board. Your driver takes you back to Hanoi in the early afternoon. Spend a free evening in the city, perhaps with a farewell dinner or a final walk around the lake.
Overnight: Hanoi · Meals: B, L
Enjoy breakfast and some free time for last-minute shopping in the Old Quarter. Your driver takes you to Noi Bai International Airport, about 45 minutes, for your flight home. If you would like more time in Vietnam, Hoi An and Hue are a short flight away, and we can add a few relaxed days on the central coast to finish your journey.
Meals: B
Your Chinese guide takes you to the border post at Hekou, you clear exit formalities and walk across the bridge into Lao Cai, then clear Vietnamese immigration. Your Vietnamese guide and driver meet you on the other side. Allow about one to two hours in total.
You need permission to enter China, either a visa or visa-free entry if your passport qualifies, and a Vietnam e-visa that is valid for the Lao Cai land border. We will check the current rules for your passport when you book.
Yes. Starting in Hanoi and finishing in Kunming works equally well. We will adjust the order and train times to suit your flights.
Yes. This is a private tour with your own English-speaking guide. We also arrange private guides who speak French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese or Vietnamese: tell us when you enquire and we confirm your guide in the quote. Book early for the busiest seasons, such as spring and autumn.
Nothing is payable until you approve your written quote. We then ask for a 30% deposit to confirm, and the balance 45 days before arrival, by bank transfer or card. Bank details come with your booking confirmation; always confirm them with us by phone or WhatsApp (+84 812 247 572) before any transfer.
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