Coc Ly Market and Sapa Highlights Tour code: SP-23 Duration: 3 days/ 4 nights Departure: Every Monday evening from Hanoi

Coc Ly Market and Sapa Highlights

Tour code: SP-23  

Duration: 3 days/ 4 nights

Departure: Every Monday evening from Hanoi

Pick up: At your hotel in Hanoi

Grade: Easy    

Description    

Joining the Flower H’mong and Zao at Coc Ly, a very rural tribal market, walking in Sapa’s most stunning valleys, paying visit to ethnic minority villages and homes for witnessing unique way of life,… this 3 day trip brings all aspects of local life and wanders to your holidays and will be unforgettable.      

Itinerary

Night 1 (Monday Night) Take the overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai
Please, be ready at your hotel lobby at 20.00 for a short transfer to Hanoi railways station for taking the overnight train (first class 4 beds cabin with air-condition) which arrive in Lao Cai city, near the Chinese border next morning.  

Day 1 (Tuesday) Lao Cai // Coc Ly Market // Sapa

Coc Ly market is a rural market on every Tuesday. About 50 km east from Lao Cai town, the market place lies on the bank of the Chay River, surrounded by steep mountains covered with fabulous forest. Going to the market, minority people such as H’mong, Zao, Tay, Nung… from remote villages have to wake up very early and walk up and down hills for hours.
The train arrives early in Lao Cai, meet your guide and driver, freshen up and enjoy breakfast in a local restaurant nearby. Then you will travel along national road 4D about an hour via rich farmland with lush fruit gardens and tea farms, turn left to a tough road for 18 km, passing some canyons, mountain passes and villages to Coc Ly. With your camera in hands you will spend few hours joining the locals at the market for your own experience until noon. After simple Lunch, you will board a sampan and follow the Chay River downstream for a discovery of wild nature and minority life style in this “off the beaten” track region. Late afternoon, we meet our car again near Trung Do village of the Tay and transfer for about 2.5 hour to Sapa.   • Breakfast & Picnic Lunch included. Dinner on your own

• Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa    

Day 2 (Wednesday) Sapa tribal village walk to Ma Tra & Ta Phin      

Lying on the south of Sapa town, this vast valley composes of 3 chambers surrounded by high mountains with thick forest at the top and terraced rice paddies from lower slopes stretching to the bottom. It is home to the Black H’mong and the Red Zao ethnic minority who live in wooden houses scattering here and there.
Starting from Sapa with your guide, you will follow a trail running through fruit and orchard gardens, lush pine forests to a Black Hmong ethnic minority village named Matra, isolated away from the civilization. Chickens, water buffalos, pot – belly pigs and piggy everywhere, some locals will be happy to invite us to their home which offers chances to see their dwellings, weavings on belly looms to makes traditional costumes out of hemp fiber…Our path weaves itself up and down hills, through valleys with terraced rice fields which create spectacular landscapes. After picnic Lunch, we get to Ta Phin Commune where the Black H’mong and the Red Zao live together. It is very interesting to realize culture assimilation: Which can be mixed, which can not! At the end of the footpath, our Jeep is waiting for us for the return journey to Sapa.        

• Breakfast and picnic Lunch included. Dinner on your own    

• Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa    

Day 3 (Thursday) Visit Lao Chai & Ta Van village // Overnight train to Hanoi     Today morning, you will explore the spectacular Muong Hoa. A Jeep will take us out of the town, following the only road built on the side of a mountain range, looking down the valley, over viewing magnificent landscapes composed of high mountains, deep valleys, and stream of water winding, waterfalls and terraced rice paddies…walking trail can be seen clearly from the road winding up and down hills on the other side of Muong Hoa River to connect village to villages…
Our suggested walk starts from Lao Chai village of the H’mong along the river to Ta Van, the Zay village. Our Jeep will pick us up at Ta Van Bridge and drive back to Sapa at noon.
Afternoon is at your leisure for wandering Sa Pa town and market until late afternoon when transfer down hill to Lao Cai station for taking the overnight train back. Trip ends when arrives in Hanoi early next morning on Friday at about 6:00 am.        

• Breakfast included. Lunch & Dinner on your own      

• Overnight on the train in first class 4 beds cabin with air-conditioning        

Tour Price per person in US Dollars        

Group size	2 persons	3-6 persons	7-10 persons	Single Surcharge
Standard hotel	252	225	199	45
Superior hotel	277	250	224	65
Upgrade 2 beds cabin	70	70	70
Chidren Policy	Under 6 free, from 7 to 11 charge 75 %, 12 years and above pay for adult price

            Tour price includes      

• Transfer with private car as indicated in day by day itinerary.
• Return overnight train deluxe class in 4 berth cabin with air-conditioning.
• Accommodation: 2 nights hotel in Sapa.
• All meals as listed in day by day itinerary.
• Visiting fee, tax and service charge.
• Local English speaking tour guide.
        Tour price excludes      

• Meals not indicated in above itinerary.
• Drinks and personal expenses.