TOPAS ECOLODGE HIKING & BIKING PACKAGE

3 days & 2 nights at Topas Ecolodge

Topas Ecolodge is located 18 km from Sapa, deep in the Hoang Lien Mountains. Our 50 bungalows overlook the entire valley with the ethnic minority villages of Ban Ho and Thanh Phu, 400 altitude meters below. Your journey from Hanoi to Sapa is by Topas Mountain Express. A 10-seat limousine with luxurious interior design, spacious and soft chairs, and a nice 5-hour direct transfer.

This package is a great active combination of hiking, cycling and culture exploring.

Reference: SEA3 | Activity: Mountain Biking | Grade: Moderate
Duration: 3 days 2 nights, contact us if you want to extend with one or more nights.

Please enquire

SUMMARY

Day 1: Take Topas Mountain Express to Topas Ecolodge. Ride to the Red Dao village of Lech.

Day 2: Great hiking to the remote areas of Sapa.

Day 3: Transfer by Topas Mountain Express to Hanoi.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

Day 1: Comfortable drive to Topas Ecolodge. Take a biking tour to neighboring villages

From 6:45 – 7:30 AM, you will commence from your Hanoi hotel with Topas Mountain Express for 5 hours transfer to Topas Ecolodge. After checking in your bungalow, you will enjoy the beautiful and peaceful view of the surrounding mountains and valleys from your private balcony.

2 PM, you will start the cycling trip by following the main road for three kilometres to Lech village of the Red Dao minority, observing the magnificent valley view on the way. Here you will leave your bikes and take a short walk to visit a traditional Red Dao family. You will get close to the culture of the minority villagers who are living peacefully in the same way as their ancestors. Back at the parking place, you will take a further ride to the Ban Moi village where you will take a longer break to learn about the women and their embroidery, which the Red Dao people are very famous for. From the village, you head back to the lodge.

Grade: easy/ 1.5 hours biking/ 30 minutes walking/ elevation up 220m / elevation down 170m

Day 2: Hiking to the remote area of Sapa

Enjoy a great breakfast and prepare for today´s walk. At 8:30 AM, you will commence the tour with a transfer deeper into Hoang Lien National Park to the trek starting point near Sin Chai village. You are now “off the beaten track”. Enjoy beautiful views of high mountains, and the deep valleys. The trails will soon lead you to the Red Dao village of Nam Nhiu, here you will meet the villagers, visit their home, and learn about their daily life as mostly farmers. Leaving the village behind, you will turn into a small dirt trail and soon note the marvelous views of the valley dotted with bamboo huts, which are used by local farmers as overnight lodge during harvest season. After passing the rice terraces and a river you will walk on a quiet road for a while before arriving at the charming Nam Cang village.

Nam Cang village locates at the far end of Sapa valley and the Red Dao women wear some of the most colorful and diverse costumes of all Vietnam’s ethnic groups. They are also famous for herbal bath, local medicine and embroidery. Accompanied by your guide, you will explore the village and learn how the local villagers make writing paper, silver jewelry and colorful embroidery. Your lunch is served at local house. You then transfer back to Topas Ecolodge. Here you may want to book a traditional Red Dao herbal bath at the lodge’s spa.

Approx: 8.6km / Grade: moderate/ 3-3.5 hours walking / 2 hours driving / 1 hour for lunch

Day 3: Leaving the mountain and back to the city life of Hanoi

The morning is at your leisure at Topas Ecolodge. You can either relax or borrow high-quality mountain bikes from the lodge for an exploration of the surrounding areas. Topas Mountain Express departs at 1:30 PM and returns you to your hotel in Hanoi. Drop off at around 6:45 PM – 7:00 PM.

This package includes:

English speaking guide during shared excursions (*)
2 nights at Topas Ecolodge (twin shared Premium Executive bungalow)
2 breakfasts + 1 lunch
Transfer by Topas Mountain Express: Hanoi – Topas Ecolodge – Hanoi (SIC)
Mountain bike with disk brakes, helmets, gloves and water
Mineral water and snack during excursions
All other indicated transportation (sharing)
All entrance fees to the indicated places

What to wear and bring:

It is recommended to wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, trekking shoes, and to bring insect repellent, sunglasses, sun hat, and sunscreen.

Attention:

(*) The excursions are designed for shared experiences in groups of up to 10 travelers.
Please note that during the tour, you may be followed by ethnic women who are eager to sell their handcrafted items. They may follow you throughout your journey. If you are not interested in purchasing, just decline nicely. We are very sorry for this inconvenience.
As described on the program, you will visit a local house, and interact with local people. However, during the seasonal days, they all may not be at home but work in the fields, this experience may be lacking.
Visiting a local school is also subject to availability of school calendar.
The course’s difficulty is assessed on average across the program, meaning that even an “easy” rating could include sections of moderate or hard difficulty due to the uneven, mountainous terrain with varying elevations.
Lunches are intended to be provided at local restaurants; however, should unexpected situations arise, a picnic lunch will serve as the fallback option.

Note for biking:

No supported car during the biking time.
When joining a tour, one of the most important parts is selecting the right bike. Topas Travel provides mountain bikes that are suitable for people from 155cm only. Client’s height is requested at the booking time or at least 24 hours in advance for smooth services.
Biking tours offer up and downhill segments. For safety, these tours are advisable for adults or children from 13-year-old up, who are familiar with mountain road biking. For smaller children, contact us.

Note for Topas Mountain Express (Seat in Coach):

Only pick up and return passengers at hotels/residences in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and Tay Ho Area.
Pick-up time is around 6:45 AM – 7:30 AM, but guests need to be ready at 6:45 AM. for smooth services. Kindly share the client’s phone number or WhatsApp that is functional in Vietnam, allowing us to reconfirm the day 1 pick-up time and reach them if there are any emergencies.
Due to limited space, guests are requested to bring only 1 cabin bag/ suitcase 115cm (56cm x 36cm x 23cm) per person.