Pick up at hotel. As you head out of Hanoi, over the Red River on the Chuong Duong bridge, the suburbs quickly give way to the sprawling farm lands of the Red River Delta. Travel north along High way 3 to Thai Nguyen for a stop to enjoy a lunch of traditional Vietnamese food. Worth a visit here is the Museum of the Cultures of Vietnam Ethnic Groups. Leaving the delta behind, you'll start climbing into the mountainous area of Ba Be National Park. Take a short 30 minutes boat trip.

Ba Be National Park, surrounded by rugged limestone mountains, is Viet Nam's only natural mountain lake. This important eco-system is best known for its over 330 species of butterflies! Have breakfast with your Tay hosts. The lush forest clinging to the surrounding mountains is your backdrop as you explore the lake. Reach the end of the lake and stop for a trek to Dau Dang waterfall. Meet your Jeep, head north through the lush mountain passes to the city of Cao Bang. 

Jeep ride to Ban Gioc, visit the waterfall. On this day you'll take a scenic insightful day trip north of Cao Bang to the beautiful Ban Gioc waterfall near the Chinese border. This picturesque, cascading waterfall is 53 meters high and has an impressive span of 300 meters. The drive there offers unique landscapes, limestone karst formations soar from the verdant rice paddies of the surrounding farms of local ethnic minorities. Along the way, you'll see Tay, Hmong and Dzao ethnic minority groups. Heading back to Cao Bang, stop to explore the expansive 2, 144 meter Nguom Ngao Cavern to discover its brilliant stalactites.  

Free leisure time until transfer back to Hanoi