Flight: CZ8841 Beijing Daxing - Kunming 12.45 - 16.30

Meet & greet: Upon arrival at Kunming airport, you will be welcomed to China by your guide, and transferred to your hotel in a private chauffeur driven car.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the New Era Hotel Kunming (Standard Room)

Full day guided tour of Kunming: This morning you will be driven just outside the city to the Western Hills. This collection of forest-covered hills located in the western suburbs of Kunming is home to a number of beautiful temples and scenic walking trails. Take the cable car up to Dragon Gate and enjoy amazing panoramic views across Dianchi Lake and the city of Kunming.

In the afternoon, you will visit the historic Flower & Bird Market and take a stroll around scenic Green Lake Park, a favourite spot for locals to gather and practice their dance moves. On one edge of the park is the Yunnan Military Academy Museum, which is a fascinating visit for anyone interested in modern Chinese history.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the New Era Hotel Kunming (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Morning visit the Stone Forest: This morning you will check out of your hotel and drive 1.5 hours out of the city to the Stone Forest. Located in Shilin Yi Nationality Autonomous County, the forest is a special type of limestone formation known as karst. Some 270 million years ago the area was submerged in a lake and a thick layer of limestone deposited on the bottom. The movement of the earth's crust caused the sea bottom to thrust upward and become land, and through weathering and erosion over eons, the stone was formed into pillars. These bizarre stone formations reach up to 30 metres tall and cover a large area stretching into the distance. Spend some time exploring the site with your guide in the morning before continuing your journey to Jianshui.

Private transfer to Jianshui with sightseeing: After lunch you will leave the Stone Forest and drive to Jianshui, a further drive of around three hours. On arrival you will have some time for a leisurely stroll around Jianshui's picturesque Old Town.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Hanlinyuan Boutique Hotel (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Full day tour of Jianshui: Today you will be taken on a guided tour around some of Jianshui's main sights and sounds. In the morning, visit the Confucius Temple. This is the biggest temple in Yunnan Province, located near the North Gate of Jianshui, and one of the most important historical relics as it was built in 1285. Afterwards set out to visit the Zhu Family Garden which is an enormous residential complex built by Zhu Chaoying and his brother in the late Qing Dynasty.

In the afternoon you will be taken 3km outside of Jianshui to see the Shuanglong (Double Dragon) Bridge. Built during the Qing Dynasty, the 17-arch Shuanglong Bridge is an impressive example of ancient Chinese architecture. Continue to Tuanshan Village, an historical village located in the countryside outside Jianshui. The peaceful village has a number of ancient residences, gardens, and courtyards, all open to the public.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Hanlinyuan Boutique Hotel (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Road journey to Yuanyang: At the agreed time today, check out of your hotel and set off for Yuanyang and the famous rice terraces. This is a drive of around 2-3 hours, and on arrival you will check into your local guesthouse which enjoys fantastic views over the rice terraces.

Sunset over the rice terraces: Late afternoon your guide will take you to view the spectacular sunset over the rice terraces at the Tiger’s Mouth Viewpoint, which is one of the best places for sunset photography in Yuanyang. Afterwards, return to your hotel in time for dinner.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Jacky's Guesthouse (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Sunrise over the rice terraces: Wake up early this morning to catch the sunrise. Your hotel is located in Duoyishu, which is the one of the best places in Yuanyang for sunrise viewing and photography. You can enjoy the view from the terrace of the hotel itself, or take a short walk to the village viewpoint. Return to the hotel for breakfast.

Full day exploring the Yuanyang rice terraces: After breakfast, set out for a day’s exploration of the scenery and villages of the Yuanyang area. Start with a visit to the Hani minority village of Jingkou. Modern, industrialised China has yet to make an impact here; local houses are made of clay and topped with distinctive mushroom-shaped thatched roofs. Dense forests surround the villages and local energy remains supplied by fire and water power. Spend some time wandering the stone streets of Jingkou, interacting with locals and gazing out upon the stacked rice terraces below. Continue to Niujiaozhai Village, another local village which is still relatively unknown to many tourists. There is a fascinating local market here held a few times a week, which you can experience if your visit coincides with a market day. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon, taking dinner either here or in a local restaurant of your guide's recommendation.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Jacky's Guesthouse (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Private transfer to Hekou: After breakfast, you will set out on the drive to Hekou on the Vietnamese border. The drive will take around 3-4 hours.

Transfer over the border to Lao Cai: After saying goodbye to your Chinese guide, you will pass through Customs & Immigration and then walk across the bridge into Lao Cai on the Vietnamese side of the border. Please note you must have obtained your Vietnamese visa (if required) before arriving in Vietnam. As you arrive in Lao Cai you will be met by your Vietnamese guide and driver.

Road journey to Sapa: On arrival in Lao Cai, you will be met by your Vietnamese guide & driver, who will transfer you to your hotel in Sapa. This is a journey of around 35km and, depending on traffic and road conditions, the driving time should be around one hour.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Topas Eco Lodge (Deluxe Bungalow)

Meals: Breakfast

Guided tour of the region around Sapa: Your exploration of the area begins with a drive to Lao Chai village, and then a 2km walk through rice fields, passing by traditional Black Hmong houses. Continue on to Ta Van village (a further 2km) to visit a Giay minority community and then walk up to Giang Ta Chai village. This part of the trip is fascinating because of its beautiful scenery and vibrant minority cultures such as that of the Red Dao. On arrival in Giang Ta Chai your driver will be waiting, and will transfer you back to Sapa. En route you will stop to explore Cat Cat village, then have the rest of the afternoon at leisure to relax and explore Sapa town.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Topas Eco Lodge (Deluxe Bungalow)

Meals: Breakfast

Visit to local market: After an early breakfast, depart for the local ethnic markets where you will see members of different hill tribes, colourfully dressed, selling handicrafts and products. Depending on the day of the week, markets may be held in different locations. Following the market visit continue your short walk to a local village nearby and learn more about the daily life of the hill tribe communities as well as their living environment.

Private transfer to Lao Cai railway station: This afternoon, you will be transferred back to Lao Cai in time to board the overnight train to Hanoi.

Overnight train journey from Lao Cai to Hanoi: This evening, you will be booked onto the Chapa Express in a private cabin. The train will depart from Lao Cai at around 9.10pm and will arrive in Hanoi at around 5.30am the following morning.

The Chapa Express is a comfortable train service linking Hanoi with Lao Cai, the closest train station to Sapa. The elegantly refurbished train has two sleeping carriages with 7 superior cabins of either 4- or 2-berths, each with air-conditioning, wood panelling, individual reading lights, baggage storage, a simple bathroom and oversized windows.

Meals: Breakfast

Road journey to Halong Bay: On arrival in Hanoi, you will be met at the train station and taken to a local restaurant for breakfast. Afterwards, you will be driven for approximately 3 hours through the Red River delta to the coast and the Gulf of Tonkin, where the waters of Halong Bay are found.

Halong Bay Cruise: Board the Bhaya Classic in time for lunch, settle into your private cabin and set sail across the bay. After lunch you will explore some of Halong Bay's famous islets, caves, and grottos. There will also be the opportunity for swimming, kayaking, or sunbathing on the sundeck. All activities arranged by the cruise are on a shared basis. Return to the boat in time for a pre-dinner drink as the sun is setting, followed by a sundeck cooking demonstration. After dinner you will be at leisure to watch a film in the restaurant, relax in the bar, or partake in some night-time squid fishing.

Accommodation: Stay tonight onboard the Bhaya Classic Junk (Deluxe Cabin)

Meals: Breakfast

Halong Bay Cruise: This morning, you have the option to rise early to view the beautiful sunrise over the bay. Breakfast is served before you sail to Three Tunnels Lake - a deep grotto with three inland lakes accessible only at low tide by kayak. After lunch back on board, visit Cua Van Fisherman Village, where you can see the way of life on the floating village and experience the local mode of transport on small rowing boats. Return to the boat in the evening to enjoy the sunset Happy Hour and dinner.

Accommodation: Stay tonight onboard the Bhaya Classic Junk (Deluxe Cabin)

Meals: Breakfast

Halong Bay Cruise: After some morning activities, including a visit to the impressive Sung Sot Cave, you will enjoy brunch on board. Return to Tuan Chau Marina late morning to disembark.

Road journey to Hanoi: Upon arrival at the quay, you will be met by your private guide and transferred back to Hanoi. En route you have the option of stopping off at the Phu Lang ‘ceramic village’ where the villagers have been practicing this traditional craft for generations. Continue to Hanoi, and check in to your hotel. This is a journey of around 170km and, depending on traffic and road conditions, the driving time should be around three hours.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the La Siesta Classic Ma May (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Guided tour of Hanoi: After breakfast, your guide will take you to see some sights in the capital. First you will head for the Soviet style Ba Dinh Square where Ho Chi Minh read out the declaration of the nation's independence in 1945, and which is now home to his mausoleum. After looking around the square you will be able to walk through the gardens of the Presidential Palace before seeing Ho Chi Minh's house, the modest dwelling he built based on a rural Vietnamese stilt house and where "Uncle Ho" lived for the last years of his life. You will also be shown the One Pillar Pagoda which is nearby, and Tran Quoc Pagoda. Finish the morning with a visit to the fascinating Museum of Women which will provide an insight into the role played by women throughout Vietnam’s history.

In the afternoon visit the Temple of Literature, which was built in the 11th century and was the first university established in Vietnam. Follow this with a walking tour through the old quarter of the city. Also known as the "36 Streets District", this was once the thriving commercial centre of the city. Each of the 36 short lanes used to specialise in a particular trade represented by one of the guilds. This is still reflected in the names of certain streets, like Silk Street, Gold Street and Fish Street. Among the ancient homes and attractive temples there are a multitude of tantalising souvenir shops. You can visit a local house and take your time talking with the hosts and learning about their family’s life and history. Continue to Ngoc Son Temple and enjoy a leisurely rickshaw ride around Hoan Kiem Lake. If time permits, pay a visit to a local coffee shop and enjoy Hanoi’s specialty, egg coffee, which is tastier than it sounds!

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the La Siesta Classic Ma May (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Morning at leisure in Hanoi: You have some time free at leisure to explore the Vietnamese capital independently. Stroll around the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake, take in a water puppet show, go shopping in the Old Quarter, or sample some of Hanoi’s many culinary delights.

Private transfer to the airport: At the appropriate time today, you will be collected from your hotel by your guide, and transferred to Hanoi Airport in time for your onward flight.

Flight: CX742 Hanoi - Hong Kong 19.45 - 22.30

Flight: BA28 Hong Kong - London Heathrow 23.45 - 04.55 (overnight)

Meals: Breakfast