Northeast Heritage Journey: "Land of Tea" Heritage Train – Thai Nguyen – Thai Hai Village – Ba Be – Ban Gioc Waterfall – Thai Nguyen International Tea Festival 2026

Tour Itinerary

DAY 1: HA NOI - HERITAGE TRAIN "JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF TEA" - THAI NGUYEN - INTERNATIONAL TEA FESTIVAL 2026 (Lunch, dinner)

Main activities: Board a heritage train – where tea aromas, Then singing and Hmong flutes rise together – to the Land of Tea during the Thai Nguyen International Tea Festival 2026.

05:45 Depart for Ha Noi Station and board the train. As the city recedes and the midland countryside unfolds, the journey begins:

• Heritage train "Journey to the Land of Tea": raise a cup of fragrant Thai Nguyen tea, listen to Then singing and the tinh lute, watch the bowl dance and hear the Hmong flute soar through the carriage. Each sound is a slice of Northern mountain culture – a truly unique start to the trip.
• Tan Cuong Tea Cultural Space (pick-up at Luu Xa Station): walk among the tea-growing area and learn about the processing and art of tea enjoyment that made Thai Nguyen's tea famous as the "finest in the land".
• Thai Hai Eco-village – UNWTO Best Tourism Village 2022: stroll among Tay stilt houses under green trees, enjoy a warm local meal with dishes such as local pork, lap suon sausage, khau nhuc braised pork, tram sticky rice… then free time for a herbal foot soak to ease your fatigue (at own expense).
• Check in at the hotel and enjoy "tea-country cuisine" with dishes made from tea, such as Thai-village chicken roll with green-tea sauce, fish braised with tea buds, local pork rolled in green tea, fruit spring rolls with tea sauce…
• Evening – Thai Nguyen International Tea Festival 2026: join the festivities at Vo Nguyen Giap Square – sip tea, hear the stories of tea brands, browse OCOP stalls and food, and choose gifts with the flavour of tea country (subject to the event schedule).

Note: The 2026 International Tea Festival runs from 30 October to 7 November with the theme "Thai Nguyen – the Finest Tea", expected to open on the evening of 30 October at Vo Nguyen Giap Square (Phan Dinh Phung ward), marking the 195th anniversary of the province (4/11/1831 – 4/11/2026).

• Overnight in Thai Nguyen.

DAY 2: THAI NGUYEN - MUSEUM OF CULTURES OF VIETNAM'S ETHNIC GROUPS - BA BE LAKE - THEN SINGING IN THE GREAT FOREST (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Main activities: Slowing down by an emerald lake as Then songs drift over the water and mountain breeze.

Breakfast, then depart to visit:

• Vietnam Museum of Ethnology: a journey through 54 ethnic groups – costumes, homes and customs – to understand the roots of the songs you will hear today.
• Ba Be – 2 hours by boat on the lake: glide across clear green water amid endless forested mountains, stopping at Fairy Pond, An Ma Temple and Widow Island with their lake legends.
• Then singing – the tinh lute on the lake: the most memorable moment of the day, as the Tay people's tinh lute blends with the vast forest, so you not only see the scenery but truly touch the soul of the mountains.
• Evening: enjoy lake specialties and rest in the peaceful setting of Ba Be.

Overnight in Ba Be.

DAY 3: BA BE - CAO BANG - PAC BO - KIM DONG RELIC SITE - ME FARMSTAY (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Main activities: Back to the roots at Pac Bo, then home to "Me's house" – a garden-fresh meal and a warm night amid Cao Bang culture.

Breakfast and depart for Cao Bang:

• Pac Bo Special National Relic Site: stroll beside the blue Lenin Stream and gaze at majestic Karl Marx Mountain, where President Ho Chi Minh returned to the homeland and lived through hard years of revolutionary work.
• Kim Dong Relic Site: honouring the first leader of the Children's National Salvation Team, a young yet fearless boy of the Viet Bac mountains.
• Check in at Me Farmstay: spend the afternoon at "Me's house" (Mother's house), resting amid local culture and savouring Cao Bang's slow pace of life.
• Dinner in Me's special setting: dishes made from Me's own garden – vegetables, roots and fruit with rustic flavours and highland warmth – a meal every guest will remember.

Overnight at Me Farmstay – Cao Bang.

DAY 4: ME FARMSTAY - BAN GIOC WATERFALL - NGUOM NGAO CAVE - KHUOI KY STONE VILLAGE (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Main activities: White waterfalls on the frontier and century-old stone houses in the mountains – the wonders of Non Nuoc Cao Bang.

Breakfast at Me Farmstay, then depart for Ban Gioc Waterfall:

• Ban Gioc Waterfall: tiers of white water cascading through the border forests, one of the world's most beautiful natural border waterfalls – only standing before it can you feel the full vitality of Cao Bang.
• Nguom Ngao Cave: walk among spectacular stalactites formed over millions of years, each shape a work of nature.
• Ban Gioc Truc Lam Zen Monastery: find a moment of peace and take in a panoramic view of the falls from above.
• Khuoi Ky Stone Village: stroll among the Tay people's centuries-old stone stilt houses, a rustic heritage still bearing the marks of time.
• Evening: Cao Bang specialties of rich pork knuckle braised with chestnuts and refreshing black grass jelly. If day 5 falls on a Sunday, guests can stroll Kim Dong Walking Street and soak up the city's night life and food.

Overnight in Cao Bang.

DAY 5: CAO BANG - LANG SON - HA NOI (Breakfast, lunch, light dinner)

Main activities: Ending the journey with Lang Son roast duck and the heroic stories of Chi Lang Pass.

Breakfast and depart for Lang Son:

• Dong Dang Mother Goddess Temple, a spiritual site woven into the beliefs of the Lang Son people; stop at Huu Nghi International Border Gate, an important trade point on the border.
• Lang Son roast duck: golden skin and rich, distinctive flavour – a farewell full of the Northeast's tastes.
• Commentary on Chi Lang Pass: a land marked by heroic victories in the nation's history of defence.
• Return to the original pick-up point.

*Notes

• The order of attractions may change depending on actual conditions, while all attractions in the program are still visited.
• Heritage-train times, flight times and festival activities depend on operating and event schedules.
• Outdoor activities and the Ba Be boat trip are easily affected by force-majeure weather.
• Kim Dong Walking Street operates on Sundays only.
• This is a package tour; Vietravel is not responsible for refunding the difference if guests skip any service of their own accord.