8 Days China and Vietnam Overland Group Tour along Yunnan-Vietnam Railway
Due to the geographical location, Yunnan is the best gateway to travel Vietnam. Kunming, Jianshui, Yuanyang are always waiting you to discover their beauty. Besides, this tour will take you to explore the ethnic culture in Sapa and visit the highlights of Hanoi.
Highlights:
- Experience the history and culture of Jianshui county, Yunnan.
- Enjoy the spectacular views of Yuanyang Rice Terraces.
- Learn more about the ethnic culture of Hani, Black Mong, Giay and Red Dao.
- Visit the highlights of Hanoi: Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, the Temple of Literature…
Brief Itinerary
- Day 1: Kunming Arrival
- Day 2: Kunming – Jianshui
- Day 3: Jianshui – Yuanyang
- Day 4: Yuanyang – Sapa
- Day 5: Sapa
- Day 6: Sapa – Hanoi
- Day 7: Hanoi
- Day 8: Hanoi Departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Kunming Arrival
Sightseeing and Activities: Flowers and Birds Market, Green Lake
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals:
Upon your arrival, picked up by tour guide and transferred to your hotel for a short rest. If time allows, we will head to Flowers and Birds Market to enjoy the colorful and fragrant flowers. After that, stroll along the Green Lake, established in the 17th century on the west side of the Wuhua Mountain, which is sometimes described as a “Jade in Kunming”. During the winter months, black-headed gulls from Siberia migrate to Green Lake and entertain the crowds of visitors.
Day 2 Kunming – Jianshui
Sightseeing and Activities: Xingmeng Mongolian Village, Zhu Family Garden, Jianshui Confucius Temple, Jianshui Old Town
Accommodation: Linan Guesthouse or Hongmantian Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
At 08:30am, meet your tour guide & driver at the hotel. Then head to Jianshui and stop to visit Xingmeng Mongolian Village on the way, the.biggest Mongolian village in Yunnan.
Upon Jianshui arrival, pay a visit to Zhu Family Garden and Jianshui Confucius Temple. After that, check in the hotel and have a short break. Later, stroll around Jianshui Old Town.
Day 3 Jianshui – Yuanyang
Sightseeing and Activities: Double Dragon Bridge, Tuanshan Village and Zhang Family Garden, Azheke Village, Laohuzui Terrace Fields
Accommodation: Xianyun Shanju Hotel or Timeless Inn
Meals: Breakfast
Breakfast at hotel and then drive to visit Double Dragon Bridge, Tuanshan Village and Zhang Family Garden.
After that, continue the driving to Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces and check in the hotel upon arrival. Head to visit the mushroom-shaped house in Azheke Village. In the late afternoon, enjoy the sunset view of Laohuzui Terrace Fields in Panzhihua Town. Transfer back to the hotel.
Day 4 Yuanyang – Lao Cai – Sapa
Sightseeing and Activities: the sunrise of Duoyishu Rice Terraces, Shengcun Market, Honghe River, China-Vietnam Border
Accommodation: Sapa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Get up every early in the morning, you’ll drive 30KM to visit Duoyishu Village and enjoy the sunrise of Duoyishu Rice Terrace Fields when the sun appears above the eastern horizon. The terraced fields are ring upon ring and cascade one by one. They go along the hillside up to the sky. You will see the scenery of the terraced fields from the top of the mountains to the bottom. They are all farms under the sunshine and cloud and mist. The landscape is spectacular.
After that, head to experience the local Market – Shengcun Market where there are filled with local merchandise and customers for selling, exchanging or buying various kinds of fresh products, animals and trifles.
Later drive across China-Vietnam Border to Lao Cai Province and continue the trip to Sa Pa Town.
Day 5 Sapa – Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van – Sa Pa
Sightseeing and Activities: Y Linh Ho village, Lao Chai village, Ta Van village
Accommodation: Sa Pa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
At around 08:30 am, we will head to Y Linh Ho village, the home to the Black Mong people. Enjoy the scenery of beautiful valleys lying between mountains.
After lunch, hike into the Muong Hoa Valley and visit Lao Chai village where the black H’mong people are living. Enjoy the fresh air, see terrace fields and stream along the way. Interact with the hospitable local people, learn about their culture and customs.
Then walk to Ta Van village where many Vietnam ethnic minority groups gathering and living. Residents here are mainly the H’Mong ethnic, Giay, and Red Dao. Also we will visit a local Catholic Church.
After the tour, drive back to Sapa.
Day 6 Sapa – Ta Phin – Silver Waterfall – Heaven Gate – Hanoi
Sightseeing and Activities: Taphin village, Silver Waterfall, Heavens Gate
Accommodation: overnight train
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
At around 08:30 am, we will head to visit Ta Phin village, the nearest village of Red Dao’s ethnic group within the area of Sapa area. The ethnic people offers eye-catching distinctively hand-made brocades with numerous bright colors and patterns.
After lunch, continue the tour to Silver Waterfall. Being one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Vietnam, the water flows down as silver so that people here called it Silver Waterfall.
Move on to Heaven Gate and discover spectacular natural paintings with dense forest, also see the difference between Lao Cai and Lai Chau provinces.
After the tour, get back to the hotel for a rest and then be transferred to the station for the night train to Hanoi.
Day 7 Hanoi
Sightseeing and Activities: Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Hoan Kiem Lake, the old quarter
Accommodation: Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
We will arrive at Hanoi in the early morning. Upon arrival, transferred to the transit hotel near the station for taking a rest and then have breakfast.
Then start today’s Hanoi city tour. The first stop is Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, the final resting place of Vietnamese Revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, known to his people as Uncle Ho. Then visit the surrounding sites of One Pillar Pagoda and his ancient house.
Continue the trip to the Temple of Literature. Built in 1070, the temple hosts Vietnam’s first national university – the Imperial Academy and is dedicated to Confucius, sages and scholars.
After lunch, head to visit The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, which focuses on the 54 officially recognised ethnic groups in Vietnam.
Later transferred back to the old quarter and visit Hoan Kiem Lake. Ngoc Son Temple, a pagoda sitting in the centre on a small island, is in commemoration of the 13th century military leader – Tran Hung Dao. Then experience the local life around the old quarter on a Cyclo.
Day 8 Hanoi Departure
Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation:
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, explore this city at leisure until being transferred to the airport for your next destination. Service ends.
Service Included:
- Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
- Meals as listed in the itinerary;
- Accommodations: hotels based on twin occupancy as specified(Except day tours);
- Sharing English-speaking tour guide;
- Sharing vehicle for transfers & sightseeing with skilled driver;
- Service charge & government taxes;
- Luggage transfers between airports and hotels;
- Domestic train tickets of soft sleeper.
Service Excluded:
- Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
- Chinese visa fees;
- Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
- Single room supplement;
- Tips to guides and drivers;
- Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
- Personal travel accident insurance;
- All optional programs.
The Yunnan–Vietnam Railway (Chinese: 滇越铁路; pinyin: Dian–Yue tielu; Vietnamese: tuyến đường sắt Hải Phòng – Vân Nam/ 綫塘鐵海防-雲南; French: Chemins de Fer de L’Indo-Chine et du Yunnan, “Indo-China–Yunnan Railroad”) is an 855 km railway built by France during 1904–1910, connecting Haiphong, Vietnam with Kunming, Yunnan province, China. The section within China from Kunming to Hekou is known as the Kunming–Hekou Railway (Chinese: 昆河铁路; pinyin: Kun–He tielu), and is 466 km long. The section within Vietnam is 389 km long, and is considered a part of Hanoi–Lào Cai Railway (Vietnamese: Đường sắt Hà Nội – Lào Cai/ 塘鐵河内-老街). The railway used 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge due to the mountainous terrain along the route. Currently it is the only main line in China using metre gauge.