5-day 4-night Northwest Tour from Ho Chi Minh City: Journey to touch the cultural identity of the highlands

With a cool climate all year round, majestic mountain scenery and diverse cultural identity, the Northwest is always an attractive destination in the hearts of Vietnamese tourists. Joining the 5-day 4-night Northwest tour from Ho Chi Minh City, you will fully explore the journey through famous places such as Moc Chau, Son La, Dien Bien and Sapa. This is an ideal choice for those who love nature, want to experience highland life and enjoy a meaningful vacation amidst the peaceful scenery of the mountains and forests. Let's explore the destinations in the 5-day 4-night Northwest tour from Ho Chi Minh City.

Việt Nam•07/10/2025

1. Continuous Version

Ban Lien - A majestic and rich natural picture (Photo source: Collected)

Ban Lien, a highland commune in Bac Ha district (Lao Cai), is nestled between the mountains and forests and near the border with Ha Giang . Many tourists on the 5-day, 4-night Northwest tour from Ho Chi Minh City often choose to stop here to fully experience the pristine beauty of Northwest nature. Ban Lien stands out with its softly curving terraced fields, moss-covered stilt houses hidden on the mountainside and a strangely fresh atmosphere.
During the rice harvest season (around September), the whole village seems to be covered in a golden coat, becoming a vivid natural picture that captivates anyone who loves photography or wants to find a peaceful place in the middle of the forest.
Traveling to the Northwest and visiting Ban Lien, you can:

Stop at the Tay village - where stilt houses are nestled under the tree canopy, among terraced fields winding like embroidery into the mountainside.
Experience grinding cassava with rattan branches - a primitive but creative tool; try making cassava patties with a strong local flavor.
Visit the Tay stilt house to listen to stories about "tea and life" from the locals, enjoy tea in the middle of pristine nature.
Stroll through green paths, through lush terraced fields, where each rice season is a beautiful painting of mountains and forests (the ripe rice season in Ban Lien begins around September every year).

2. Bac Ha Market

Bac Ha Market - The pristine beauty of the Northwest highlands (Photo source: Collected)

If you are looking for a colorful cultural experience in the 5-day, 4-night Northwest tour from HCM, Bac Ha market ( Lao Cai ) is definitely an indispensable destination. This is not only the most famous market in the highlands but also known as the "soul of the white plateau". Every Sunday, people of ethnic groups such as Mong, Dao, Nung, Tay... in colorful costumes gather here to exchange goods, exchange and have fun, creating a lively, colorful scene of the mountainous region.

Coming to Bac Ha market, visitors can not only admire the unique ethnic cultural picture but also buy unique local products such as wild honey, brocade, corn wine or typical local spices. This is also an opportunity for you to learn more about the customs and lifestyle of the people in the Northern mountainous region - something that few places have in the 5-day, 4-night Northwest tour.

>>> Refer to the Northwest tour to see the ripe rice season <<<
1. Discover the Northwest: Hoa Binh - Moc Chau - Dien Bien - Lai Chau - Sapa - Fansipan - Yen Bai - Hanoi
2. North-Central route: Hanoi - Sapa - Fansipan - Ha Long - Ninh Binh - Da Nang - Son Tra - Ba Na tourist area - Golden Bridge - Hoi An - La Vang - Hue - Phong Nha Cave

3. Hoang A Tuong Palace

Hoang A Tuong Palace – an architectural gem in the heart of the white plateau of Bac Ha (Photo source: Collected)

Located in the center of Bac Ha town (Lao Cai), Hoang A Tuong Palace is an ancient building bearing the historical mark of the Northwest highlands. This was once the place where father and son Hoang Yen Tchao and Hoang A Tuong lived and worked, who were known as the "King of the Meo" of Bac Ha during the French colonial period.
During the 5-day, 4-night Northwest tour from HCM, tourists often visit the mansion to admire the architecture that blends the East and the West - a rare beauty in the mountains and forests of Lao Cai.

Construction of the mansion began in 1914 and took nearly 7 years to complete. The building has a French-Chinese architectural style, with a closed rectangular layout, characteristic yellow walls, yin-yang tiled roof and many elaborate carvings.
The interior space is harmoniously designed, both bearing the majesty of feudal times and exuding a classical romantic feel. This is a prominent check-in location in the 5-day, 4-night Northwest tour, where every angle evokes a sense of nostalgia and luxury.

4. Cat Cat Village

Cat Cat Village: Poetic and peaceful beauty in the mountains and forests of Sa Pa (Photo source: Collected)

Nestled in the high mountains of the Northwest, Cat Cat Village is a must-see stop on the 5-day, 4-night Northwest tour from Ho Chi Minh City. This place is cool all year round, each season has its own unique beauty - spring is brilliant with the pink color of peach blossoms, the pure white of plum blossoms; summer is highlighted by the golden color of mustard flowers; autumn is the time when the rice fields are golden yellow; and winter, the white snow covers the landscape like a fairy tale.

When visiting, tourists mainly travel by foot to fully experience the peaceful beauty of the village, while limiting motorbikes to preserve the fresh space for visitors. One of the most interesting experiences of the 5-day, 4-night Northwest tour is to rent ethnic costumes to transform into H'Mong boys and girls in colorful dresses, embellished with delicate silver jewelry. In addition, you can choose to buy handmade handicraft products such as brocade bags, earrings, necklaces or robes - each item has a typical brocade pattern, reflecting the rich traditional culture of the highland people. This is not only a journey to explore the scenery but also an opportunity for visitors to understand more deeply about the life and soul of the Northwest people.

5. Sapa Stone Church

Sa Pa Stone Church - unique ancient architecture in the heart of the mountain town (Photo source: Collected)

Sapa ancient stone church is one of the typical symbols of the Northwest mountainous region, located right in the center of Sapa town, convenient for tourists to visit and travel to neighboring tourist attractions. Although it has been through hundreds of years, the building still retains its ancient Gothic architecture, bearing the mark of the French colonial period. When joining the 5-day, 4-night Northwest tour from HCM, visitors will have the opportunity to admire the sacred and ancient beauty of the church - a perfect combination of indigenous culture and Western architecture.

Not only a religious building, the Stone Church is also a center of cultural activities for the people of Sapa. Every weekend, the area around the square becomes bustling with love markets and the sound of Mong flutes echoing through the mountains and forests. This is also the place where many traditional events and festivals of the highland people take place, creating a vivid picture of the cultural life here.

6. Sapa Night Market

Sapa Night Market is a must-see stop on your journey to explore the mountainous region when joining the 5-day, 4-night Northwest tour from Ho Chi Minh City. The market is located in the premises of the Lao Cai Tourism Information and Promotion Center, on N1 Street - Group 3B, right in the center of Sapa town, just a few steps from the bus station. The market space is naturally expanded, from the steps in the small alley, stretching along the sidewalk to under the shady trees, bearing the typical characteristics of the Northwest highlands.

Coming to the 5-day, 4-night Northwest tour, visitors will admire the bustling scene of more than 80 traditional stalls traded by the local H'Mong and Dao people. The items here are extremely diverse, from fresh agricultural products, mountain specialties, typical food and drinks, to brocade costumes, handmade accessories and sophisticated souvenirs. Each product reflects the profound indigenous culture, making visitors feel like they are immersed in the atmosphere of an authentic highland market.
In the evening, the yellow lights from the small stalls create a sparkling, warm scene in the cold weather. This is also an opportunity for you to enjoy famous dishes such as Sapa grilled meat, thang co, Bac Ha corn wine... and keep colorful souvenir photos in the cultural space of the highlands.

7. Fansipan Mountain

Fansipan peak belongs to Hoang Lien Son range, is the highest mountain in the system of three countries Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia, so it is likened to "Roof of Indochina". According to the local people, Fansipan is also known as "Hua Xi Pan", which means a giant rock lying between the clouds and sky. With a height of 3,143 meters and an age of more than 250 million years, this mountain peak is a majestic symbol of the Northwest region, and is an indispensable destination in any 5-day, 4-night Northwest tour.

Visitors coming here can clearly feel the cool, pure atmosphere of the high mountains, where fog covers and the morning sun sparkles on every mountainside. Every step on the journey to Fansipan is not only a physical conquest but also a spiritual experience - where people blend with nature, temporarily forgetting the hurried pace of urban life.

8. Ta Van Village

Ta Van is among the most poetic mountain villages in Asia (Photo source: Collected)

Located about 12km from the center of Sa Pa town, Ta Van village is an ideal stop in the 5-day, 4-night Northwest tour itinerary from HCM. The journey here is loved by many tourists because of the winding road around the hills, with beautiful green terraced fields on both sides. Not just a destination, Ta Van is also a place that preserves the wild and peaceful features typical of the Northwest region.
As soon as you set foot in the village, you will be enchanted by the Ta Van terraced fields - the soft layers of rice fields like silk strips in the clouds of Sa Pa. In the ripe rice season, the whole space is brilliant with yellow, reflecting the sunlight like gold on each mountainside. If you are looking for travel experience on the 5-day, 4-night Northwest tour, don't forget to bring a camera to capture this rare moment - where nature and people blend into one in a charming landscape painting.

9. Muong Hoa Valley

Muong Hoa Valley is located about 8km southeast of Sapa town center, in Hau Thao commune. This is one of the impressive stops on the 5-day, 4-night Northwest tour from HCM, where visitors can fully experience the wild and poetic beauty of the Northern mountains. To reach the valley, you will cross the pass along the winding mountainside, where the steep roads are challenging but open up majestic mountain views, floating clouds and terraced fields stretching like golden silk strips.

A 5-day, 4-night tour to the Northwest from Ho Chi Minh City is not only a journey to explore the majestic mountain scenery but also an opportunity for you to find peace in the middle of nature. From Moc Chau, Sapa to Dien Bien - each stop leaves an unforgettable impression in the hearts of visitors. Do not hesitate, book a tour to the Northwest with Vietravel to start the journey to the heart of the highlands, where cultural experiences and majestic scenery await you!

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Source of article: Collected and compiled
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