Can Cau and Bac Ha Markets 2 days

Duration: 2 days/ 3 nights
Departure: Every Friday evening from Hanoi     
Pick up: At your hotel in Hanoi     

Description     
Can Cau Market on Saturday and Bac Ha Market on Sunday have formed a kind of week end festival of local ethnic peoples in Bac Ha District. There are peoples from some other tribal groups such as Black Zao, Tay, Zay to attend, but the colorful traditional costume of the Flower H’mong dominates these two markets. Combining the market activities with visiting to some tribal villages set amongst beautiful nature for new culture discovery the trip is really memorable and yields good chance for photo hunters.     

ITINERARY     

Night 1 : (Friday 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 : (Saturday) Lao Cai – Can Cau Market     

Meet your local guide and driver at Lao Cai Station upon your arrival at about 06.00, freshen up and enjoy Breakfast in a local restaurant before taking a drive up hill to Can Cau Market Place. The journey takes about 2.5 hours through the lush farmland of Lao Cai plateau and later spectacular mountain scenery of Bac Ha District. Arriving right at its most crowded time, the market is filled with cheerful faces and you will be absorbed into the market by festive atmosphere, colorful traditional dresses, exotic smell of corn wine and herb… until noon when it gets over to realize the beautiful surrounding. Driving back to Bac Ha town, you will check in hotel and enjoy lunch.

After along break for your recovery, the afternoon excursion will take you to visit Ban Pho Commune of the Flower H’mong and Tay people which is included some small hamlets scattering on hilly land in a perfect nature setting. Walking around the village you will encounter the hospitable ethnic people, living in wooden houses with earthen wall surrounding by lush plump garden… There is a chance to see how corn wine made and if lucky you will enjoy a H’mong dance with the Khen.     

• Breakfast and Lunch included, Dinner on your own     
• Accommodation: Hotel in Bac Ha Town     

Day 2 : (Sunday) Bac Ha Market – Trung Do Village – Overnight train to Hanoi     

Every day always begins very early in Vietnam. Especially on Sunday in Bac Ha. You will be waken up early by the sound of the peoples on the way to Bac Ha market. While having Breakfast you will see lot of Flower H’mong with their horses loading with selling’s passing by the hotel. So today morning is for joining in Bac Ha Market for the most important week end activities of the local ethnic peoples. You’d better with your camera walk an hour away from the market place for the active scenery while all the paths towards the market are full of peoples, children and horses…

Back to the market at about 09.30 you will enjoy the market at its best. Lunch will be served in the hotel restaurant with set menu before checking out hotel and leaving Bac Ha. The journey down hill is very different from the way up and you will enjoy some photo stops before paying visit to Trung Do, a Tay Village impressively nested by the side of the Chay River with hundred of spacious wooden houses which are well organized in the harmony with surrounding nature. Also from here you will enjoy a boat trip along the Chay River for magnificent landscapes of this untouched region.
Getting to Lao Cai Station in late afternoon, you will enjoy dinner on your own in local restaurant before boarding the night train for Hanoi which arrives early next morning at about 6:00 am on Monday and the trip ends.     

• Breakfast and Lunch included, Dinner on your own     
• Overnight on the train in first class 4 beds cabin with air-conditioning     

Day 3: Arrival Hanoi
5h00 am, arrival Hanoi train station, our staff will pick up and transfer you to your hotel. Trip finish !

Tour price includes     

• Accommodation: 1 night in Sao Mai hotel in Bac Ha Town.
• Return overnight train deluxe class in 4 berth cabin with air-conditioning.
• Transfer with private car as indicated in day by day itinerary.
• All meals as listed in day by day itinerary.
• Visiting fee, tax and service chage.
• Local English speaking tour guide.

Tour price excludes     

• Meals not indicated in day by day itinerary.
• Drinks and personal expenses.