Vietnam Tour Packages6-Day Ha Long, Ninh Binh and Sapa North Vietnam Tour
This north vietnam tour packs the three headline stops of the north into six days: a Ha Long Bay day trip, a Ninh Binh day trip and two days in Sapa, all from a Hanoi base. Oriana Travel sells it on Viator at $279 per person, rated 5.0 from 27 reviews, with shared day tours of up to 35 people. There are no domestic flights, and the itinerary shows a Ha Long Bay day trip even though the description mentions a 2-day cruise. The listing is short on detail in places, so this page lays out the itinerary hour by hour, flags the gaps and points you to better-documented alternatives where it matters. Compare it with the other Vietnam vacation packages.
About This Tour
Oriana Travel runs this 6-day, 5-night northern loop out of Hanoi at $279 per person. The group days are shared: the Ha Long, Ninh Binh and Sapa legs run with groups of up to 35, and the listing states no private guide. Transport is a big bus to Sapa and back with two rest stops each way, vehicles for the day trips, a boat in Ha Long Bay and a sampan at Trang An.
The shape is simple. Three nights in Hanoi hotels, a night in Sapa town and a final Hanoi night. Lunch is listed on four days and dinner on one. No breakfasts, no domestic flights and no airport pickup at the start are stated, so what you get for the price rests on a thin inclusions list that this page unpacks below.
$279 per person, listed on Viator by Oriana Travel
6 days, 5 nights
Hotel pickup included in the option name, the pickup window is not stated. Days 2 and 3 pick up in the Hanoi Old Quarter
Shared groups of up to 35 on the Ha Long, Ninh Binh and Sapa days, English-language listing, guide language beyond that not stated
Hanoi hotels on days 1 to 3 and 5, not itemised by name or class, and 1 night in Sapa town, listed as a homestay with a local in one place and a hotel check-in in another
No domestic flights. Lunch on days 2, 3, 4 and 5, dinner on day 4, no breakfasts listed
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund
The exclusion list names an air-conditioned vehicle, which is a red flag to resolve, and entrance fees are not stated as included
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times are not printed on the listing, so check live dates and pickup times for your travel days. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The short version
This 6-day north vietnam tour costs $279 per person and covers Hanoi, a Ha Long Bay day trip, a Ninh Binh day trip and 2 days in Sapa with groups of up to 35. It is rated 5.0 from 27 reviews and cancels free up to 24 hours before departure. The catch is thin documentation: the itinerary shows no night on the boat, hotels are not itemised and entrance fees are not stated.
Key takeaways
- The itinerary lists day 2 as a day trip while the description mentions a cruise, so confirm whether there is a night on board. If you want a sure night on board, compare the 3-Day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay Cruise at $261.
- For a tighter, better-documented Sapa leg, the 3-Day Sapa Trekking and Homestay Tour lists its hotels, meals and tickets at $98.
- Read What the Price Actually Covers before paying, then confirm the vehicle, hotels and entrance fees with the operator.
- See how this listing sits against the full range of Vietnam tour packages before you commit.
What the Price Actually Covers
The inclusions list on this listing is two lines long, which is unusually thin for a 6-day package. Here is exactly what is stated, what is not, and what you should confirm in writing before you pay.
What Is Stated
The inclusions are lunch and all meals mentioned in the program. That works out to lunch on days 2, 3, 4 and 5 and dinner on day 4. Hotel pickup appears in the option name, and the itinerary confirms Old Quarter pickups on the day trips and the Sapa departure.
The listing also states wheelchair accessibility for the transport and all areas and surfaces, service animals allowed, prams allowed and infant seats available. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ha Long Bay day trip with boat, Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave, Titop Island | Yes, per itinerary | The itinerary shows a day trip while the description mentions a 2-day cruise, confirm which applies |
| Ninh Binh day trip with Hoa Lu, Trang An sampan, Mua Cave | Yes, per itinerary | The description instead mentions Bai Dinh Pagoda, confirm which sites you get |
| Sapa bus both ways, Cat Cat Village, 9 km trek | Yes, per itinerary | Fansipan appears in the description only, the itinerary never includes it |
| Lunches and one dinner | Yes | Lunch days 2 to 5, dinner day 4, no breakfasts listed |
| Hotels in Hanoi | Stated as accommodation | Names and star class not itemised, confirm before booking |
| Entrance fees | Not stated | Ask the operator, Trang An alone lists at 250,000 VND on the official price list |
| Air-conditioned vehicle | Listed under exclusions | A contradiction, since the itinerary depends on buses. Confirm transport is actually provided |
| Drinks, tips, single rooms | Not included | Not mentioned anywhere in the listing |
| Airport pickup on day 1 | Not stated | Only the day 6 airport drop is mentioned |
The Cruise Contradiction
The marketing description promises a 2-day cruise in Ha Long Bay with kayaking, floating villages and time on board at sunset. The itinerary says something different: day 2 leaves Hanoi at 8:10 to 8:50, cruises, and drops you back at your hotel at 20:30 to 20:45. Unless the operator confirms a night on board in writing, plan on a day trip.
If sleeping on the water matters to you, the 3-Day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay Cruise puts a night in a private balcony cabin for $261 with all meals and entrance fees listed as included, plus a $35 per person VAT and a $12 per person peak season surcharge from 1 October to 30 April.
Fansipan and Other Ghosts
The description also mentions Fansipan, the highest peak in Vietnam, but the itinerary never goes there and the cable car is not mentioned. Treat it as not part of this price. Day 4 has a similar clash, with the day text saying hotel check-in and dinner at a hotel while the stay line says a homestay with a local in Sapa town.
Ask which one you get, because the two are not the same experience.
Sources: Wikipedia: Vietnam, UK FCDO: Vietnam
Bai Dinh Pagoda, Ninh Binh. Photo: VŨ HÙNG, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The itinerary is the most detailed part of the listing, with real clock times on the three touring days. Here is the run of it, day by day, from the operator's own program.
Day 1, Hanoi Arrival
No times or meals are stated. The listing promises a free walking tour with a local guide, street food exploration and possible cultural activities, though it notes the food and activities are at your own spend. The meeting point and the transfer from the airport are not stated, so plan your own way in from Noi Bai.
Day 2, Ha Long Bay Day Trip
Pickup runs 8:10 to 8:50 from hotels around the Old Quarter, then the bus runs the new highway to Tuan Chau Harbor, arriving 11:45 to 12:00. You board for a Vietnamese lunch with seafood while cruising past the rock formations. At 13:30 comes Sung Sot Cave, at 14:45 Luon Cave with kayaking or a bamboo boat, and at 15:45 Titop Island for swimming or the climb to the viewpoint.
A sunset party on board with red wine follows at 16:30, the boat returns to the harbor at 17:45 to 18:00 and the bus reaches Hanoi at 20:30 to 20:45 with a hotel drop-off.
Day 3, Ninh Binh Day Trip
Pickup runs 7:15 to 8:00, with a 20-minute rest stop at 9:15. From 10:00 to 10:30 you visit Hoa Lu, the 10th-century ancient capital, seeing the King Dinh and King Le temples, then take a countryside bike ride. Buffet lunch at 12:00 with vegetarian options.
From 13:30 the Trang An sampan ride runs about 2.5 hours through Sang, Toi and Nau Ruou caves and past the Kong: Skull Island film set. At 15:45 comes Mua Cave and the climb of nearly 500 steps up Lying Dragon Mountain. Departure 17:00 to 17:30, arrival back in Hanoi 19:00 to 19:30.
Day 4, Hanoi to Sapa
The earliest start of the trip, 6:00 to 6:20 pickup, then a long bus leg with rest stops at 9:30 and 11:00, arriving Sapa Town at 13:30. Lunch with local Vietnamese cuisine, a welcome drink and check-in. At 14:30 you visit Cat Cat Village, home of the Black H'mong people, on a 2.5 km trek of about 2 hours that takes in the old French hydraulic power station and a waterfall, then an uphill walk back to the bus.
Return to town at 17:00 for dinner and the night, listed as a hotel in one place and a homestay in another.
Day 5, Sapa Trek and the Road Back
Breakfast 7:00 to 8:30, check out and pack light, main luggage stays at the hotel. From 8:30 a trek of about 9 km, roughly 3.5 hours, through Y Linh Ho, along Muong Hoa Stream to Lao Chai village of the Black H'mong and on to Ta Van village of the Dzay people. Lunch 12:30 to 13:30, then a bus from Ta Van Bridge back to Sapa, a shower at the hotel's public bathroom from 14:00 to 14:45, and departure for Hanoi at 16:30 with two rest stops.
Arrival is 21:30 to 21:45 and you make your own way to your hotel.
Day 6, Shopping and Airport
Free time for shopping, then the operator's driver takes you to the airport. The tour ends in Hanoi, no flight is included and the departure airport is not named on the listing.
How to Travel Northern Vietnam: Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh and Sapa
The three northern stops this tour links. Third-party video by Rhett and Claire. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
This listing suits travellers who want three northern highlights cheaply and do not mind shared transport and paperwork gaps. It rules out several kinds of traveller, and each has a cleaner alternative.
Anyone Who Wants a Night on the Water
The itinerary is a day trip, so unless the operator confirms otherwise there is no cabin, no waking up in the bay and no evening on deck after the day boats leave. Book the 3-Day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay Cruise instead, which puts you in a private balcony cabin with all meals included.
Travellers Who Need the Details in Writing
The Hanoi hotels are not itemised, entrance fees are not stated as included, an air-conditioned vehicle sits in the exclusion list and no breakfasts appear anywhere. If you cannot accept booking a 6-day trip on a two-line inclusions list, look at the 14-Day Vietnam Tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, which names 3-star hotels, lists all sightseeing tickets and details its meal plan, though note its sales are final with no refund.
People Who Struggle With Early Starts and Long Road Days
The Sapa legs demand a 6:00 to 6:20 pickup and a bus day of roughly 13:30 arrival going out, then a 16:30 to 21:30 return. Day 5 adds a 9 km trek of about 3.5 hours. The listing says the trip suits all fitness levels and is wheelchair accessible, but the Mua Cave climb alone is nearly 500 steps.
If long bus days are a problem, the 2-Day Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay Tour at $168 covers two of the same highlights without the Sapa road leg.
Travellers Who Want the Whole Country
Six days here never leave the north. If you want Hue, Hoi An and the south as well, the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North runs Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi with flights, a cruise night and all entrance fees listed, or compare all Vietnam travel packages side by side.
The crossing of Hang Bac and Hang Bo streets in the Hanoi Old Quarter. Photo: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There and What to Add
The tour starts and ends in Hanoi, with hotel pickup on the touring days and an airport drop on day 6. Here is how to arrive, and what to bolt on if you have spare days.
Flying Into Hanoi
Most international arrivals land at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, code HAN. The listing does not state an airport pickup, so arrange your own transfer into the Old Quarter, which is where the pickups on days 2, 3 and 4 happen. Ride-hailing apps such as Grab set the fare and destination upfront, though drivers may lack change for large notes.
A 30-day tourist SIM costs about 150,000 to 200,000 VND in a city carrier store, and Viettel has the best coverage in the mountains around Sapa.
What the Tour Skips
Six days leaves the north thin in places. Ha Giang and its loop of mountain passes never appear, and they sit in the same corner of the country as Sapa. The 4-Day Ha Giang Loop Tour covers Dong Van and Ma Pi Leng in groups of eight, and the shorter 3-Day Ha Giang Loop Small Group runs from $137 with a free pre-tour homestay night.
In Hanoi itself, the Temple of Literature charges 70,000 VND for adults on Vietnam Tourism's 2026 page (older sites list 30,000 VND), opens 8:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:30, and closes for several days around Tet. Children under 15 enter free.
Practical Notes Before You Go
Vietnam's e-visa allows single or multiple entry with stays up to 90 days and costs $25 for single entry or $50 for multiple. The currency is the dong and ATMs dispense only VND, so exchange leftover notes before leaving because the dong is non-convertible. Street food runs cheap: a banh mi is 12,000 to 25,000 dong and noodle soup 20,000 to 35,000 dong, which matters here since no breakfasts are included.
For timing, check the guide to the best time to visit Vietnam, and the Vietnam trip cost guide helps you budget the meals this listing leaves out.
Day by Day Itinerary
Clock times come straight from the operator's itinerary. Where the listing states nothing, the step is labelled by phase.
-
Start
Arrive in Hanoi
No stated time or meals. The listing promises a free walking tour and self-paid street food and cultural activities. Make your own way from the airport, no transfer is stated.
-
8:10 - 8:50
Ha Long Bay Day Trip
Old Quarter pickup, highway to Tuan Chau Harbor by 11:45 to 12:00. Lunch on board, then Sung Sot Cave at 13:30, Luon Cave at 14:45, Titop Island at 15:45 and a sunset party at 16:30. Back in Hanoi 20:30 to 20:45. Lunch included.
-
7:15 - 8:00
Ninh Binh Day Trip
Hoa Lu temples and a bike ride from 10:00, buffet lunch at 12:00, Trang An sampan for about 2.5 hours from 13:30, Mua Cave and its nearly 500 steps at 15:45. Back in Hanoi 19:00 to 19:30. Lunch included.
-
6:00 - 6:20
Bus to Sapa and Cat Cat Village
Rest stops at 9:30 and 11:00, Sapa arrival at 13:30. Lunch, then a 2.5 km trek of about 2 hours through Cat Cat Village with the old French power station and waterfall. Dinner and the night in Sapa town.
-
8:30
Sapa Trek and Return
A 9 km trek, about 3.5 hours, through Y Linh Ho, Lao Chai and Ta Van. Lunch 12:30 to 13:30, bus back to Sapa, shower at 14:00, depart 16:30, reach Hanoi 21:30 to 21:45 and find your own way to your hotel.
-
Last half day
Shopping and Airport Drop
Free time for shopping, then the operator's driver takes you to the airport. No meals stated.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of a cheap, well-reviewed listing with real documentation gaps.
What we genuinely like
- The price is $279 per person for six days across three headline stops
- Rated 5.0 from 27 verified reviews, all of them five stars
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund
- The day trips carry detailed clock times, so you know exactly how each touring day runs
- Listed as wheelchair accessible including the transport and all areas and surfaces, with infant seats and service animals allowed
The honest downsides
- The description promises a 2-day Ha Long cruise while the itinerary has a day trip, so there is no night on board unless the operator confirms one in writing
- The exclusion list names an air-conditioned vehicle on a trip that depends on buses, a contradiction to resolve before paying
- Hanoi hotels are not itemised, entrance fees are not stated as included and no breakfasts are listed, so budget for all three unknowns
- Day 4 is a 6:00 pickup and a full day on a big bus, and day 5 ends with a 16:30 to 21:30 road leg and a self-transfer to your hotel
- Groups run to 35 people, so this is not a small-group or private experience
- Fansipan appears in the description but never in the itinerary
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers who want a documented cabin night in Ha Long Bay, small groups, itemised hotels or entrance fees in writing, and not for anyone who cannot face two long bus days and a 6:00 start.
Questions About This Tour
Is there a night on a cruise boat in Ha Long Bay?
The itinerary shows a day trip on day 2 that returns to Hanoi at 20:30 to 20:45, even though the description mentions a 2-day cruise, so confirm with the operator. Ask the operator to confirm in writing, or book the 3-Day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay Cruise for a cabin night, which adds a $35 per person VAT and a $12 per person peak season surcharge from 1 October to 30 April.
How big are the groups?
Up to 35 people, and the Ha Long, Ninh Binh and Sapa days are shared group tours rather than private departures. If a smaller group matters, the 3-Day Sapa Trekking and Homestay Tour runs a small-group Sapa leg at $98.
What meals are included?
Lunch on days 2, 3, 4 and 5 and dinner on day 4. No breakfasts are listed anywhere, so plan to buy them, and check the Vietnam trip cost guide for what street food and simple meals run.
Are entrance fees and the Fansipan cable car included?
The inclusions list only lunch and the meals in the program, so entrance fees are not stated and Fansipan never appears in the itinerary despite being in the description. For comparison, the 2-Day Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay Tour states all entrance fees as included at $168.
Can children and wheelchair users join?
The listing states wheelchair accessibility for the transportation and all areas and surfaces, allows prams and service animals, and provides infant seats. The age bands it prints are for pricing, not limits, so Viator's infant, child, youth and adult labels set the fare by age rather than barring anyone.
How does cancellation work?
Cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for a full refund, and the listing does not offer a reserve-now-pay-later option. If you want a longer window, the 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour gives free cancellation up to 6 days out.
How do I get to the start in Hanoi?
Fly into Noi Bai International Airport, code HAN, and make your own way to your Old Quarter hotel because no airport pickup is stated. Ride-hailing apps set the fare upfront, and the tour itself begins with pickup there on day 2. For the wider route context, see Vietnam tour packages and the route guide.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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