North Vietnam Tours

Why visit North Vietnam

The north is where Vietnam's capital, its best-known bay and its highest mountains sit within easy reach of each other. You can eat street food in Hanoi one evening, sleep on a boat in Ha Long Bay the next, and be walking between rice terraces a few days later. The region is also home to many of Vietnam's ethnic minority groups.

Top things to do in North Vietnam

• Hanoi: the capital, with the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, the Temple of Literature and some of the country's best street food.
• Ha Long Bay: a UNESCO World Heritage Site of limestone islands, best seen on an overnight cruise.
• Ninh Binh: rowing boats glide through caves and rice fields at Trang An and Tam Coc, close enough to Hanoi for a day trip.
• Sapa and Ha Giang: high mountains, rice terraces and ethnic minority villages, with trekking in Sapa and the Ha Giang Loop by easy-rider motorbike.
• Pu Luong and Mai Chau: quiet valleys with stilt houses, rice fields and easy walks, popular for a slower two- or three-day stay.
• Cao Bang: Ban Gioc Waterfall, large caves and karst scenery in the far northeast.

Best time to visit

North Vietnam has four seasons, unlike the centre and south. September to November and March to May are the most comfortable months, with mild temperatures and less rain. Summer, from June to August, is hot and humid in Hanoi, often above 30°C, with heavy showers and the occasional storm that can disrupt Ha Long Bay cruises. Winter, from December to February, is cool and grey in Hanoi and cold in the mountains, where frost is possible.

Getting there

Most trips start at Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), about 45 minutes by car from Hanoi's Old Quarter. From Hanoi, Ha Long Bay is around 2.5 hours away, Ninh Binh about 2 hours, Mai Chau and Pu Luong 3 to 4 hours, and Sapa 5 to 6 hours by expressway or overnight train to Lao Cai. Ha Giang and Cao Bang are each 6 to 7 hours by road.