Northern Tours  

The North Central, with its fertile Red River plain, is the historical cradle of Vietnam, whose kings ruled from Hoa Lu and Hanoi. It is a beautiful area characterized by limestone geology. The highlights of the North East are its beautiful scenery that includes Halong Bay and its 3000 islets, and Ba Be Lake. Like the Central north, the region is characterized by limestone geology, so it has a countless number of sugarloaves, karstic peaks, and caves. The entire region is very rural, and except for Halong Bay, it is visited by very few tourists.  The North West is a very remote and underdeveloped region that offers the country's finest mountain scenery. It is populated by a number of ethnic minorities whose traditions have been the least affected by the modern way of life.

Hanoi, located in the Red River plain,  is the cultural, political and tourist center of Vietnam with a population of 3,000,000 people. Hanoi is famous for its French colonial architecture, its tree-lined boulevards and the maze of small streets in the Old Quarter. There are also many pagodas and lakes. Popular sights include Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and house, the One-Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature and museums such as the Museum of Ethnology, the Museum of Fine Arts.

Ha Long Bay is listed as a World Natural Heritage by UNESCO and is located 160 km north east of Hanoi, Ha Long bay lies in the north of Vietnam’s East sea. The bay area covers 1.500 square kilometers. You will find many nice beaches and the emerald waters are perfect for swimming or kayaking. The thousands islands are inhabited by a wide variety of birds, monkeys and iguanas. Legend says that Halong Bay was formed after a huge dragon smashed its tail against the earth, which made thousands of limestone islands from the water; after which, the dragon descended into the sea.  Ha Long literally means “descending dragon”.

Sapa is 380 km north west of Hanoi and close to the Chinese border. It lies 1500 meters above sea level and overlooks the highest peak of Indochina, the mount Fansipan (3.143 m).  Sapa is set amidst terrace rice paddies and lush nature, home to diverse ethnic minorities and famous for its colorful local weekend market where all these minorities gather to sell their goods. The climate in Sapa is very mild all year round and temperatures are moderate.

Dien Bien Phu is also located in the nort west of Hanoi, surrounded by mountains and famous for its battle that symbolizes the bravery and struggle of the Vietnamese troops against the French in 1954. The battle lasted 56 days. You can visit a museum that relates all the story of the battle, bunkers, battlefields and a cemetery.

View Northern Tour Options Below: 

Hanoi Highlights
4 days & 3 nights; A city tour of Hanoi with a visit to the famous Halong Bay.

Day Excursion - Hanoi
You have a choice from  a full day city tour, half day tour of Halong Bay, a full day tour to Lu & Tam Coc towns, a half-day cooking class, or a full day tour to the Perfume Pagoda.

Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu
3 days & 2 nights tour to Dien Bien Phu.  Includes an overnight stay at Dien Bien Phu.

Hanoi - Sapa
3 days & 2 nights tour to Sapa. Pick-up is at Hanoi then transfer to the railway station. Overnight trip to Lao Cai and continue on to Sapa. Visit bordering villages and return to Hanoi for departure.

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TAF International, Inc. (TAF) specializes in travel to Vietnam and can arrange all your tours, transportation and accommodations while you are in Vietnam.  General information on Vietnam and descriptions of places of interest are listed on this website.  Any of the tours listed can be customized to fit your needs.  Please contact us at any of the numbers below for more information.

TAF International, Inc. ♦ 3615 Harding Avenue, Suite 409 ♦ Honolulu, HI 96816
 Phone: (808) 735-0238 ♦ Fax: (808) 734-2315 ♦ Email: taf@tafinternational.com