Northern Vietnam Explorer

Arrival

All your senses will be ignited upon arrival at Hanoi International (Noi Bai) Airport (HAN) in Hanoi, Vietnam. After meeting the local guide and driver, it’s a 45-minute transfer (depending on traffic) from the airport to our accommodations in the buzzing historic district of the capital city, Hanoi. This ‘city of lakes’ is a foodie hub and is also known for its tube houses, French Colonial architecture, water puppetry and unreal stream of motorbike traffic. The world’s largest mosaic mural is found here too!

We have an orientation and welcome drink with our guide at our hotel at 5:30 p.m. followed by a set menu dinner together (around 6:30 p.m.). Over our first bites of traditional Vietnamese fare at A Ban, our guide will provide finer details about our upcoming days and what to expect, in the cool atmosphere of a woman-owned restaurant that celebrates a hyperlocal menu, the unity of textures found in wood, wool, trees and textiles.

Included Meals

Dinner

Accommodations

Apricot Hotel or similar

Travel

45 minutes (airport transfer)

An Edible Journey

We begin the day tastefully with an interactive Vietnamese cooking class at a riverside house. At 8:30 a.m. our guide and driver will meet us at the hotel for a transfer to Ngoc Thuy market outside the Old Quarter where we will meet our female chef. We learn about unfamiliar vegetables during a wander through the colorful stalls. After a cup of tea, we begin lunch prep under the supervision of our talented host who will share stories about the generational Vietnamese culinary culture. Lunch will be a true taste test of our efforts!

In the afternoon we have an hour-long tea tasting experience at an artfully designed tea house near the historical Temple of Literature. We deepen (and steepen!) our tea history knowledge courtesy of a female tea master who will explain the origins, field-to-cup process, customs and values of tea in Vietnam. We learn how to properly make, taste and distinguish three types of tea.

Afterwards, we visit the Vietnam Women’s Museum which opened in 1995. The exhibits focus on the role of women in family, history and fashion with displays that share stories about marriage and birth customs, traditional costumes and the evolution of Vietnamese women from wartime to modern day.

We then walk through the sleepy alleys and jammed streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. It’s a bombardment of sights, sounds, smells, vendors, revving motorbikes and the fluidity of life.

Tonight we share a meal of classic Hanoian dishes with a local family in their home while hearing stories about their customs and traditions. We may have the opportunity to meet the head of the family, a veteran in his mid-80s who loves to storytell and entertain with his đàn bầu (a musical instrument). 

We return to our hotel, satiated after a very filling day of flavors and local experiences.

Included Meals

Breakfast, lunch (cooking class) and dinner

Accommodations

Apricot Hotel or similar

THe Walk

1 – 1.5 hours (city tour)

Cruise Control

We journey toward Halong Bay and arrive by midday, stepping aboard our overnight cruise just in time for lunch on the water. After settling into your cabin, the ship glides into the quieter reaches of Bai Tu Long Bay—a lesser-known corner of northern Vietnam where emerald waters stretch endlessly and dramatic limestone karsts rise like sculptures from the sea. It’s peaceful, expansive, and breathtaking in a way that invites you to exhale and fully arrive.

As the afternoon unfolds, you’ll explore Thien Canh Son Cave, a hidden natural wonder tucked deep within the islands. Inside, ancient stalactites and cavernous chambers tell a story shaped over thousands of years and held by nature’s quiet power.

Back on the bay, you’ll kayak through calm channels and open water, weaving between limestone formations before returning to the ship. Later, unwind on deck or join a hands-on Vietnamese cooking class—an inviting introduction to local flavours and traditions.

As evening settles in, dinner is served on board, surrounded by still waters, silhouetted islands, and the soft glow of lights reflecting across the sea.

Note: Please be aware that the cruise itinerary can be subject to change due to prevailing weather conditions or changes in regulation by governing bodies. 

Included Meals

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Accommodations

Dragon Pearl cruise (for only Feb 6 – 15) and Dragon Legend Cruise  

*Please note that these boats are not 100% Wild Women exclusive and may include co-ed passengers and staff.

Travel

2.5 hours (private transfer)

Peaches and Beaches

You’ll wake to the quiet beauty of the bay as soft light spills across aquamarine waters and limestone cliffs emerge from the mist. With tea or coffee in hand, there’s time to linger on deck and take it all in before breakfast is served on board—an unhurried start in one of Vietnam’s most iconic landscapes.

Later, you’ll step into a traditional bamboo boat and glide toward Vung Vieng fishing village, where daily life unfolds gently on the water. Floating homes, working boats, and time-honoured rhythms offer a rare glimpse into a community deeply connected to the bay. It’s a calm, intimate way to experience this living landscape from the inside out.

Back on the main ship, the rest of the journey invites you to slow down once more. As the cruise winds through limestone islands for a final pass, you’ll have space to relax, capture photos, or simply sit with the stillness and beauty around you.

Lunch is enjoyed on board as the ship returns through the bay, before disembarking at Ha Long International Port. From here, you’ll travel onward to Ninh Binh, arriving later in the day. The remainder of the day is yours—perfect for settling in, resting, or exploring at your own pace as the next chapter of the journey begins.

Included Meals

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Accommodations

Tam Coc Emeralda Resort

Exploring the Ancient Capital

You’ll begin the day aboard a traditional sampan, drifting quietly along the waterways of Tam Coc, often referred to as the “three lagoons.” From the river, dramatic limestone cliffs rise on either side, mirrored in the water below as you pass through natural caves and open stretches framed by rice fields and rugged stone formations. It’s a slow, immersive way to experience one of northern Vietnam’s most breathtaking landscapes.

Next, you’ll visit Bich Dong Pagoda, known as the “Jade Cave,” a centuries-old sanctuary built directly into the mountainside. A short stone staircase—carved nearly 200 years ago—leads upward through layered temples and quiet alcoves. At the top, sweeping views open across valleys, waterways, and karst peaks, creating a peaceful moment where history, spirituality, and nature come together.

Lunch is enjoyed at a local restaurant, followed by a relaxed afternoon with options to match your energy and curiosity.

For those feeling adventurous, an optional visit to Hang Mua Viewpoint offers one of the most iconic panoramas in the Trang An Landscape Complex. The climb rewards you with sweeping views of winding rivers, emerald rice fields, and limestone mountains stretching to the horizon—a powerful reminder of the land that has shaped life here for generations. (Please note: the steps can be steep and slippery, especially during or after rain.)

If a gentler pace calls to you, you can explore the countryside by bicycle. Often described as “Halong Bay on land,” Ninh Binh reveals itself slowly—quiet villages, flooded rice paddies, hidden temples, and everyday rural life unfolding along the road. It’s an intimate, eco-friendly way to connect with the rhythm of the region.

In the evening, you’ll gather for dinner at a local restaurant, reflecting on a day shaped by water, stone, and movement through one of Vietnam’s most striking and soulful landscapes.

Included Meals

Breakfast, brunch and dinner

Accommodations

Tam Coc Emeralda Resort

Stalactites and Serenity

You’ll set out for Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam, whose history dates back to the 10th century. Here, you’ll visit the temples of King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh, two important figures in Vietnam’s early dynastic history. Today, Hoa Lu is a significant cultural and historical site within the UNESCO-listed Trang An Landscape Complex, offering insight into the foundations of the nation amid a dramatic natural setting.

From here, you’ll continue to a local home for lunch—an experience that offers a meaningful glimpse into daily life in rural Vietnam. Set in a small village in the Ninh Binh region and surrounded by limestone peaks, rice fields, and a peaceful lake, you’ll be welcomed by a local family into their courtyard home. Your hosts will prepare a generous spread of traditional dishes, lovingly made with local ingredients. Sharing a meal together creates a rare opportunity to connect, exchange stories, and gain insight into Vietnamese family life and everyday traditions.

Later, you’ll travel onward to Mai Chau, a lush valley that has been home to the White Thai community for centuries. Upon arrival at Avana Retreat, the rest of the day is yours to unwind and settle into the peaceful atmosphere. Take time to enjoy the surroundings, relax, and soak in the calm of this beautiful mountain retreat as the journey continues.

Included Meals

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Accommodations

Avana Retreat

Travel

4 hours (Ninh Binh to Avana Retreat)

Beauty and Batik

To continue on with our gentle rise and shine theme, there is an optional one-hour private yoga class scheduled for our group. There are also complimentary Hatha or Yin yoga sessions, singing bowl meditation, breathwork and Vietnamese language classes provided by the resort on a rotating daily schedule as well.

After breakfast, we travel to Pa Co village where the Hmong or “Blue Hmong” reside. This name stems from the indigo-dyed batiked head cloth, fabric and knee-length skirts women wear. A local woman will introduce us to the village before we participate in a batik workshop and learn how patterns are created using melted beeswax and coloured thread. We also visit the tea plantation where we are invited to pick some leaves for tea. On our walk we may see hemp crops which the locals harvest and use to make fabric. In the village, we can visit a few houses to see the indigo dyeing process and batik beeswax drawings that are part of this unique wax resist technique.

Lunch will be in another nearby village in a house owned by a Thai minority woman. We then transfer to Mai Hich to walk around the rice paddy fields and through the different villages of the White Thai ethnic people. With an imposing mountain backdrop, we pass by corn, sugarcane, cassava and peanut plantations before a gentle uphill climb to reach the Buoc village. Here, we will relax before dinner at a local home with a traditional musical performance. It’s a quick 15 minute drive back to Avana Retreat.

Included Meals

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Accommodations

Avana Retreat

The Walk

3.7 miles (6 km) or approximately 2–2.5 hours depending on the group’s pace with a 492 feet (150 m) elevation gain.

Laze a Little Longer

This morning we will immerse ourselves in nature, following a route from the resort through the countryside. Peace emanates from the depths of the forest, deserted country roads and omnipresent rice paddy fields. Local life unfolds in daily rhythms as we pass through ethnic villages along the way. We should arrive back at Avana by noon.

We have the afternoon to spend as we wish. It’s easy to while away the day at Avana—there are on-site complimentary activities to choose from or enjoy a rejuvenating swim in the Cloud pool. This heated three-tier pool was inspired by the surrounding terraced rice fields of Mai Chau. At the Orchid Spa, choose from a menu of services (additional fee) including Vietnamese energy work, mountain stone massage, As the retreat suggests, “laze a little longer.”

There are koi-filled ponds, a bamboo forest, a hidden springs lagoon and a terrace to linger with your fellow Wild Women over a signature Fingers of the Dragon cocktail (a blend of vodka, apricot brandy, and marinated artichoke blossom).

In the evening we reunite for dinner together by the ribbons of the cascading waterfall.

Included Meals

Breakfast and dinner

Accommodations

Avana Retreat

The Walk

3.7 miles (6 km) or approximately 3 hours with a 328–984 foot (100–300m) elevation gain (walk is optional)

Kayaking Escape

After breakfast, we check-out of the spoils of the Avana Retreat with a sigh. It’s a two hour drive to Hoa Binh Reservoir where we will have our tandem kayaking experience on one of the largest manmade lakes in Vietnam located on the Da River. Known as “Ha Long Bay on the mountain” the construction of a hydroelectric dam swallowed the former hills and mountains which now appear as islands. This is an optional activity–you may opt to stay on the boat instead.

We paddle the calm waters of the lake for two hours, absorbing the enveloping surroundings of forested mountains and clusters of islands and islets. 

Lunch will be at a local home where we can reflect on our serene paddle before returning to the congestion and buzz of Hanoi.

At 4 p.m. we check into our city hotel and have time to refresh and reset before gathering for our farewell dinner at the hotel.

Included Meals

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Accommodations

Apricot Hotel or similar

Kayaking

2 hours (approximately 6 miles/ 10km), Intermediate level

Travel

4 hours (from Avana to Ba Lake: 2 hours; Ba Lake to Hanoi: 2 hours)

Hanoi Hugs

After breakfast, there will be one group transfer to the Noi Bai airport. Sigh. With Vietnam’s vibrancy firmly etched on our hearts, we have to determine where to travel together next. Hug your fellow Wild Women goodbye, for now, at least. What a soul-enriching time it’s been. 

Looking to travel more in the same area of the world? Consider our Northern Cambodia Explorer!

Included Meals

Breakfast