4-Day Mai Chau, Puluong & Ninh Binh Tour

Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Chau – Puluong.

07:00 – 07:30 Pick-up from your hotel or private address in Hanoi and departure to Mai Chau, Hoa Binh.

09:30 – 10:00 Arrive at Thung Khe Pass, the beautiful scenery Pass (One of the 10 most beautiful passes in Vietnam).

11:00 -11:30 Enjoy a special lunch with the local cuisine featuring the yin-yang balance of the Asian culture. After lunch, we will be continuing the journey of exploration in Mai Chau.

13:30 -14:00 Take a bike to explore the rice fields and limestone mountains with a unique route. See farmers working in fields, visit surrounding peaceful villages such as Pom Coong Village, Lac Village, Nhot Village, Na Phon Village.

15:30 Explore the daily life of the Thai minority and maintain their ancient traditions and customs. You will visit an ethnic minority family in Mai Chau. Mrs. Mang's family is a local artisan with ingenuity and meticulousness who has preserved and developed the traditional embroidery and weaving craft of the Thai ethnic group. The products made entirely by hand are very delicate, with the typical floral patterns and motifs of the mountainous ethnic minorities in Vietnam.

16:00 Depart for Pu Luong Nature Reserve, which will take an hour by special-use car along narrow roads through terraced rice fields.

17:00 Check-in and relaxing, dinner at a restaurant with Vietnamese cuisine, and overnight at Pu Luong.

Day 2: Explorer Puluong.

07:00 – 08:00 Have breakfast.

09:00 Following the small roads, we will visit remote, hidden villages such as Kho Muong Village to learn about the local people in Pu Luong. This is a common and easy walk around the most beautiful valley of rice terraces.

Explore Doi Cave (Bat cave), this is the largest cave in Pu Luong, the spot is created by thousands of great blocks of limestone having existed for 250 million years. There are thousands of stalactites in peculiar shapes showing how magic nature is. Taking steps beside these cliffs and descending deep into the heart of the cave, travellers will be rewarded with a feeling of excitement by the beautiful stones and the sound of water dripping down from the ceiling.

12:00 Enjoy lunch at local restaurant with local cuisine with foods provided by ethnic minorities.

14:30 Trek to Uoi and Lan Villages this is a common and easy walk around the most beautiful valley of rice terraces. Then you will walk through small paths shrouded in vegetation to slowly reveal a picturesque Uoi village sitting at the base of a towering mountain. Your camera will not be able to remain still when you see the panorama view of the village from above. Continue walking down the hill and visit Lan village. If time permits, we will visit a local family where we can learn about their traditional brocade weaving. After that you will take you back to your accommodation.

17:00 Arrive at bungalow/retreat, enjoy swimming in the infinity pool and relax after a long day trek.

18:30 – 19:00 Have dinner at the local restaurant and enjoy some local rice wine. Have a quiet night in the middle of the Reserve.

Day 3: Puluong – Ninh Binh.

07:00 Breakfast and check out.

08:00 The van will take you to the local market in Pho Doan "only on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday morning". Pho Don Fair is the place to exchange, buy, and sell products of the Kinh, Muong, and Thai people. They come from surrounding communes in Ba Thuoc District, Tan Lac, and Lac Son districts of Hoa Binh Province as well.

09:30 Take a bike and start riding. Follow the small road and trail through the terraced rice fields and jungle to reach Hieu Waterfall, which is known as one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Pu Luong because of its wild scenery.

12:00 - 12:30 You will enjoy lunch with local cuisine.

14:00 Leave Puluong going to Ninh Binh on the way you will stop at the stunning water wheels. Get up close to each wheel and discover how water is moved from river to handmade bamboo aqueducts via simple constructions of all sizes.

17:30 Arrive Tam Coc, Ninh Binh check-in and free time.

18:30 – 19:000 Have dinner and overnight at mini resort or 4-star hotel.

Day 4: Ninh Binh (Mua Cave – Tam Coc – Hoa Lu) - Ha Noi.

07:00 – 08:00 Time for breakfast

09:30 -10:00 Arrive at Hang Mua, "Mua Cave" one of the most alluring places to get the panorama view in Ninh Binh, hiking up to the peak of Ngoa Long Mountain to take in your amazing views of the Tam Coc, Ninh Binh area.

11:00 – 11:30 Take a bike and start riding around the village to explore the gorgeous rice fields surrounded by limestone mountains with a unique route and visit a local family in the Tam Coc area. They are a traditional Vietnamese family with three generations living together. Here you will get the chance to see the house’s architecture and their daily lives.

12:30 Enjoy a special lunch prepared with the traditional cuisine, featuring the yin-yang balance of the Asian culture.

14:00 After lunch break, continue your trip with a sampan rowed by a local for about 1.5 hours to explore Tam Coc "Halong Bay on the land". The boat trip is a nice journey along the river with the peaceful scenery of limestone mountains and caves stretching along Ngo Dong River rice paddy if travelling during harvest season.

• Trang An (Optional).

14:30 Arrive in Trang An and spend about 2 hours exploring Trang An, the core of a world natural heritage site, in a small boat rowed by local people. Visit many limestones, water caves, and temples along the Sao Khe River.

16:30 Arrive in Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam in the 10th century, and visit the temple of King Dinh. Under the introduction of our local guide, you will get to know more about Vietnamese history.

17.30 Leave Ninh Binh and drive straight back to Hanoi.

19:00 Arrive in Hanoi, and we will drop you off at your hotel or private address in the Hanoi Old Quarter. Trip ends.