Of the 365 days in a year, on 355 of them Vietnam's mountain people are working; anytime in any weather and regardless of weekends. During the Vietnamese New Year - Tet (or Tet Nguyen Dan) - they take a consecutive ten days holiday. By making ends meet for the rest of the year, what has been saved is usually spent on Tet with the hope for a better New Year. On this occasion, they hold festivals to pray for a high yielding crop the following year. They try to behave well to each other with the wish for a happy and prosperous year.

Tet is the time one visits relatives and friends.
Tet is the time for most of the important festivals to take place.
Tet is the best time to be out in the countryside learning about Vietnamese culture.

During Tet, all offices, agencies and organizations are closed in Vietnam; the only exception is Green Trail Tours Vietnam. Green Trail Tours Vietnam has organized Tet tours with families in the countryside for a number of years now even though it's one of the most difficult times to do so because the whole country stops what they are doing and celebrates. We here at Green Trail Tours Vietnam will ensure all our services are met while on tour.

Vietnam's Tet is very special. The more people you are, the happier you will be, as the local saying goes. Most of Green Trail Tours Vietnam staff will go on tour during Tet. As they know it's one of the best periods to visit the country, everybody is in a festive mood. Each big group will consist of no more than 15 people and 3 guides. These big groups are divided into 3 separate groups on the road and will meet up during overnight stops for playing, eating, drinking and recounting the tales of that days adventure.

Tet programs normally last 8 days.

Vietnamese people believe that if a foreign visitor comes to their house on Tet, they will have a very happy, lucky and prosperous New Year. Do you want to bring them good fortune prosperity and happiness? Contact us for more details regarding Tet tours. As this is one of the busiest times of year, please get in touch no later than by the end of January (about 3 weeks before Vietnam's Tet).

Detail Itinerary

ITINERARY 1 (GTTTET001): 3 days / 2 nights (from February in 2008)
 

Day 1 : Ha Noi - Phu Yen
Ride along the Red River bank and Road 32 for 180 km in about 5 hours on a wild, dusty road. Stop at some villages of Viet and Thai people, where you will help a family to prepare for the Tet holiday.

Overnight with a White Thai family in Phu Yen.

Day 2 : Phu Yen - Phu Tho
Ride through many mountain passes covered by green tea plantations, visit Viet and Tay people along the road. Ride through a beautiful landscape of mountains, rice fields and villages along the Red River valley. Celebrate Tet in traditional style with a Viet family and discover our rich culture.

Day 3 : Phu Tho - Hanoi
Accompany your hosts to visit their families and enjoy the morning party. Then ride on the Red River bank to Hanoi, stopping along the roadside to share the Tet celebration with local people. 

ITINERARY 2 (GTTTET002): 5 days / 4 nights (from February in 2008)

 

Day 1 : Ha Noi - Mai Chau
Visit some flower villages in Hanoi then follow the beginning of Ho Chi Minh Highway, bathing in Kim Boi hot spring. See the beautiful landscapes of Limestone Mountain in Muong Khen and the Thung Khe and Thung Nhuoi passes before ending the ride at the home of a family of Thai people in Mai Chau.

Day 2 : Mai Chau - Phu Tho
Visit a village of Thai people in Mai Chau, ride pass the Hoa Binh Hydro Electric Plant dam with the beautiful scenery of the Black River Reservoir. Continue to Phu Tho passing many rice fields and villages of Muong and Viet people on the small dusty road. Have luch and visit some families along the road to see how they prepare for Tet.

Overnight with a family of Viet people on the Red River bank.

Day 3 : Phu Tho - Thac Ba
Cross the Red River by ferry, then follow a dirt road to Yen Bai city, chatting with many Vietnamese people along the road. Put our bikes on a boat for another 2-hour boat trip on Thac Ba Lake to a village of White Trouser Dao. Then we join the villagers to prepare the Eve Fiesta. Drink, sing, and dance around the fire to warm up the night.

Day 4 : Thac Ba

The first day of Tet. Try to wake up as early as you can to be the first ones who bring good luck to the neighbours when visiting them. No motorbiking today but lots of drinks and visits to villages to enjoy the celebrations.

Day 5 : Thac Ba - Ha Noi
The second day of the New Year. Try to leave early as possible and be ready for many more parties and festival along the Lo River on the way back to Hanoi.

 

ITINERARY 3 (GTTTET003): 7 days / 6 nights (from February in 2008)
 

Day 1 : Ha Noi - Phu Yen
In the morning we will visit some flower markets and drive though some villages to see how the local people in Hanoi prepare to celebrate Tet for the coming Year of the Pig. Then we continue along the Red River where we will see people pounding "Gio", wrapping "Banh Chung" or even killing the pig for their Tet fiesta!

Ride along the Red River bank and Road 32 for 180 km in about 5 hours on a wild, dusty road. Visit some villages of Viet and Thai people, where we help a family prepare for Tet.

Overnight with a White Thai family in Phu Yen.

Day 2 : Phu Yen - Tuan Giao
Ride up and down on wild mountain passes to Son La, passing through sugarcane fields. Lunch in Son La before a great ride over the Pha Din Pass.

Visit Thai and H'mong villages.

Day 3 : Tuan Giao - Sin Ho
Ride on route 6 to Lai Chau; the road is in poor condition for 100 km. Take a boat trip for 2 hours before the last 2 hours on a rocky and bumpy ride up hill to Sin Ho.

Overnight in hotel.

Day 4 : Sin Ho - Sa Pa
Visit Sin Ho Tet market, one of the most beautiful markets in the Northwest of Vietnam. Head down on road 12, passing through Tam Duong on road 4C to Sapa.

Day 5 : Sa Pa - Luc Yen
Take the most beautiful route in the Sapa region to Muong Hum. Ride on road 70 and then cross the Chay River to the land of Tay and Red Dao people.

Spend the Eve Celebration in a Red Dao village till early morning. Overnight with a host family.

Day 6 : Luc Yen - Lac Thac Ba
Ride on for 2 and half hours to another village of White Trouser Dao. Enjoy the Tet with about 30 families here in another unforgettable night.

Overnight with a host family.

Day 7 : Thac Ba - Ha Noi
5 hours along Lo River back to Hanoi with some stops to party with Viet families along the way.

ITINERARY 4 (GTTTET004): 11 days / 10 nights (from February in 2008)

Day 1 : Ha Noi - Mai Chau
Visit some flower villages in Hanoi then follow the beginning of Ho Chi Minh Highway, bathing in Kim Boi hot spring. See the beautiful landscapes of Limestone Mountain in Muong Khen and the Thung Khe and Thung Nhuoi passes before ending the ride at the home of a family of Thai people in Mai Chau.

Day 2 : Mai Chau - Hang Kia
Great fun for the ride today on a poor road, rocking and rolling to Hang Kia village. A great day also to discover the cultures of Thai, Kho Mu, Dao and H'mong people.

Overnight with a host family.

Day 3 : Hang Kia - Phu Yen
Ride for 2 hours on the narrow road to Moc Chau, visit Moc Chau Plateau which is famous for producing green tea, milk and beans. Take the ferry across the Black River and follow the edge of the mountains to Phu Yen.

Dinner in a village with friends, then overnighting in a hotel in town to wash out the mud of these three days.

Day 4 : Phu Yen - Lac Thac Ba
Visit some of our friends on the way to Thac Ba Lake to learn how they prepare for the Tet. Two hours boating on the lake to the other side where we will stay with our host family in a White Trouser Dao village.

Day 5 : Lac Thac Ba - Lac Ba Be
Refresh ourselves in the My Lam Hot Spring in Tuyen Quang, ride along Lo River to Chiem Hoa, then through the jungle for about an hour on a rocky road. Overnight with a Tay family on the lakeside in the National park.

Day 6 : Ba Be - Bao Lam
Two hours boat on Ba Be Lake with our bikes, followed by a great ride through the jungle on a trail along the Nang River, getting lost in the dust.

Overnight in a guesthouse.

Day 7 : Bao Lam - Quang Uyen
Visit Bao Lac Tet Market and see the colourful dresses of the ethnic hill tribes which you don't find anywhere else in Northern Vietnam, such as Ha Nhi and Lo Lo people. Visit Cao Bang township, which was a defence post along Route 4 during the French colonial period.

Overnight with a Tay - Nung family.

Day 8 : Quang Uyen
Full day exploring the magic land of the Tay and Nung people who live in traditional villages surrounded by karst mountains. Ride on small rocky trails, visit a village making incense and natural paper. Continue to our friends' village and help them prepare for Tet. Hike around the village and spend the New Year's Eve night around the villagers' fire, singing and dancing.

Day 9 : Quang Uyen
Full day to enjoy the Tet Fiesta with the traditional festival of Tay and Nung people in the area. Back to Quang Uyen in the late evening.

Day 10 : Quang Uyen - Bac Son
Ride along the Chinese border on a dusty trail with beautiful scenery and wild passes. Meet more friends along the road to share our happiness at New Year.

Overnight in a guesthouse.

Day 11 : Bac Son - Ha Noi
Follow the historical road to Dinh Ca, Thai Nguyen for about 4 hours to end our Tet Fiesta 2008 back in Hanoi.

PRICE

Green Trail Tours organizes only full package tours which are all inclusive. The only exception is at the request of the travellers when they want to upgrade their accommodation for something more luxurious.

* Including:
- Motorbike Minsk, all fuel;
- Tour guide / Translator;
- Motorbiking protective pants, jacket, gloves, helmet, rain gear, and other safety equipments;
- Sleeping bags, mosquito nets, sheets, pillows and accommodations;
- Third party motorbike insurance;
- All food;
- All entrance fees, permits, tickets, boat trips, ferries, bamboo rafts, etc...
- Green Trail Tours assistance throughout your trip;
- We also love to celebrate our guests' birthday...Well anything for a celebration on the open road.

* Personal expense (such as souvenirs), personal insurance, drinks, food and accommodation in Hanoi, and tips are not included in our fee.

* Note: All our tariff rates are net and in US Dollars based on twin-share or triple-share accommodation unless stated otherwise. For single occupancy, an extra charge will apply.