Dien Bien is a province with 414,712km of border with Laos. With 2 pairs of international border gates Tay Trang and Huoi Puoc. Bordering the two provinces of Phongsali and Luang Prabang. The ancient city of Luang Prabang is less than 400km from Dien Bien Phu city, even closer than the distance from Dien Bien to Hanoi.
MTA organizes a program to explore northern Laos with a route starting and ending in Dien Bien Phu city. The program will take us through 5 provinces of northern Laos such as Phongsali, Oudom Xai, Luang Prabang, Xieng Khuang and Huaphan province. Discover the mysterious, ancient beauty of the ancient capital of Luang Prabang on the Mekong River along with the Plain of Jars, 2 intangible cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO as world cultural heritages. Discover the beauty, wildness of the mountains and forests as well as the cultural features of the Lao ethnic groups.
1. Dien Bien – Tay Trang – Nam Ou River – Nong Khieu – Luang Prabang, 100km + 5h boat + 120km
The car and tour guide will pick you up at the drop-off point of the Hanoi – Dien Bien bus company, around 5:30 – 6:30 am and depart early to Tay Trang international border gate to complete exit procedures to Laos.
Have breakfast with traditional Vietnamese Pho imported to Laos and prepared in a Lao style in Muang Mai, then travel for about 1 hour to a small town on the Nam Ou – Muang Khua river. Here, we will board a boat to explore the beautiful Nam Ou river with its charming natural scenery. On the way, we will stop to explore some ethnic minority villages on both sides of the river. Have lunch at a restaurant in the beautiful village of Muang Ngoi before boarding a boat to explore the magnificent beauty of the Nam Ou river on the way back to Nong Khiew.
15:00 The car is waiting at Nong Khiew to take us to the ancient capital of Luang Prabang.
18:00 Arrive at Luang Prabang, check in and rest
19:00 Free time to have dinner at the food market and go to the night market, explore Luang Prabang at night
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Sleep: Phousi Guesthouse 3***
2. Luang Prabang – Vientiane (speedboat experience)
5:00 If we can wake up early, we will walk around to see the monks in this ancient capital begging for alms, then climb to Phusi peak to watch the sunrise over the Mekong River and the ancient capital of Luang Prabang.
7:30 Have breakfast and explore the ancient capital of Luang Prabang with its palaces and ancient temples interspersed with French colonial architecture.
11:00 lunch before moving to Luang Prabang train station,
12:30 get on the bus to catch the high-speed train at Luang Prabang international station, the train departs at 13:45 and arrives in Vientiane at 15:45, take the bus to the city center, check in at the hotel, check in and freely visit Vientiane at night
Meals: breakfast, lunch (free dinner)
Sleep: Phousi Guesthouse 3***
3. Vientiane – Phonsavan, train + 180km
After breakfast, the group moves to the train station to catch the train departing at 9:10 in Vientiane, after 2 hours and 10 minutes the group will get off at Kasi station, the car is waiting to pick up the group at the station.
We continue to explore the land of a million elephants on the Trans-Asian Highway No. 13 and stop for lunch at a restaurant on the top of the Phou Khoun range before following Highway No. 7 towards the Plain of Jars: a place that suffered a lot of bombs during the war against the US but is worthy of being a world cultural heritage when hundreds of stone jars lie scattered and still contain many mysteries that today’s scientists have not been able to solve. Watch the sunrise on the Plain of Jars before returning to the hotel
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Sleep: Xieng Khuang Hotel 3***
4. Phonsavan – Muang Muey, 300km
7:00 have breakfast and visit Phonsavan market before setting off for a new day of discovery. Today the road heads to Hua Phan province, a land that since the Later Le Dynasty was called Tran Ninh from 1478, the land that King Le Thanh Tong occupied in the campaign to expand the territory (from the Bon Man kingdom) and was part of the territory of Dai Viet. It was not until 1893 when France ruled Indochina that this area was returned to Laos.
This is the most pristine and poorest land in Laos, but in return, it has a system of primary forests and biological reserves located at an altitude of 800-1,800m above sea level.
We will follow roads 7 and 1C through deserted, pristine roads… stopping to admire the scenery and visit ethnic minority villages along the way.
Have lunch at a restaurant along the Nam Neun River, then road 1C through primary forests, where it is said that there are still tigers with warning signs on the roadside.
In the evening, we stayed at a guesthouse in a small village
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Sleep: Wilai Guesthouse
5. Muang Muey – Dien Bien, 280km
After breakfast, the group continued on Highway 1C to Pak Mong to follow Highway 13 over the mountain peaks to Oudom Xay, then headed to Tay Trang border gate, completing immigration procedures to return to Vietnam.
Back to Dien Bien Phu city for dinner before the car picked you up to return to Hanoi
End of program
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
TOUR PRICE (minimum 8 guests): 9,999,000 VND/guest
Children under 5 years old are free, 5 to under 12 years old are charged 75% of the tour price, from 12 years old and up are charged adult price.
Every 2 adults are eligible for a maximum discount of 1 child.
TOUR PRICE INCLUDES:
New car
Temporary import/re-export permit, exit/entry and customs fees for vehicles at border gates,
Insurance for vehicles and passengers,
High-speed train tickets from Luang Prabang to Vientiane and from Vientiane to Phou Khoun station
After you board the train at Muong Khoa (Nam Ou River), the driver will have to drive an additional 220km from Muong Khoa to Nong Khieu to pick you up in time for the journey to Luang Prabang.
Mountainous route driver, familiar with the terrain, civilized, polite, enthusiastic,
Tour guide throughout the journey:
Meals according to the program: 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 1 dinner (dinner in Dien Bien before getting on the bus back to Hanoi,
Hotel according to the above program or equivalent for 2 people/room (odd number of people will be grouped into 3)
Discovery boat down the Nam Ou River for 4-5 hours with 2 stops and tuk tuk transfer through the hydroelectric dam
Travel insurance,
DRY TOUR PRICE
INCLUDED:
VAT,
Services such as: sightseeing tickets, (customers can choose flexibly if they want to visit or use the service, they will pay directly at the location)
Dinners, drinks, expenses not listed in section “2. Tour price includes”, incurred during the trip, airfare, bus tickets Hanoi – Dien Bien – Hanoi, personal expenses…tips for tour guides and drivers.
ATTENTION!
Passport with a minimum validity of 6 months before expiration (calculated until the end of the tour)
Children traveling with their parents from 14 years old and up need their own passport, children under 14 years old can apply for a passport with their parents’ passport.
