For registration after June 22, 2027, please contact us. Prices and availability are subject to change without notice. The group is limited to 13 participants.

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Welcome! You will find here everything you need to register or support a participant of the Trek through the Northern Valleys of Vietnam, in collaboration with Fondation santé Portneuf.

Trek through the northern valleys - Vietnam

Vietnam is a splendid country whose geographical silhouette is shaped like a dragon, a symbol of strength and goodness in the Far East. Here, everything is sun-drenched rice paddies, bamboo hedges and conical hats, images of an eternal Asia, miraculously preserved, vibrant and authentic. The north of Vietnam is certainly the most spectacular of the three regions that make up the country, with its mountains, karst landforms and rice paddies, as well as the ethnic minorities who live there with their flamboyant costumes and legendary hospitality.

Itinerary

• Day 1: MONTREAL - HANOI : Participants meet at Montréal-Trudeau airport and take off for Hanoi with connecting flight. Meals and overnight stay on the plane.
• Day 2: ARRIVAL IN HANOI : Arrival at Hanoi airport where you are welcomed by the guide and driver. Transfer to the city, check-in at your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day and evening free. Meals not included.
• Day 3: HANOI : Day of discovery of Hanoi on foot. In the morning, depart for a visit to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, founded in the 11th century (in 1070). It is a major historical and cultural landmark in Hanoi and the country. This beautiful Confucian temple is considered one of the finest examples of traditional Vietnamese architecture. Next, visit Ngoc Ha village, a typical neighborhood with narrow lanes. You’ll step into a lively atmosphere filled with shops, goods, a primary school, a small market, and a charming temple. It is a great opportunity to connect with locals and take memorable photos. Return to the city with a stop along the way to discover Train Street—one of Hanoi’s most unique and not-to-miss experiences. Only 4 to 5 meters wide and lined with tightly packed houses, this narrow street is crossed by a railway track. Locals live right alongside the tracks, setting up their kitchens, café terraces, and letting children play freely. The setting and lifestyle evoke a sense of the 1980s. Lunch at an excellent Bun Cha restaurant, a well-known Hanoi specialty. In the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour through the colonial quarter, featuring French architecture such as the Opera House, the Metropole Hotel (former residence of the Governors of Indochina), the State Bank (formerly the Bank of Indochina), and the French School of the Far East. You will also visit Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Returned Sword), a symbol of Hanoi, and nearby Ngoc Son Temple (Jade Mountain), located on the largest islet in the lake. In the evening, enjoy a food tour through Hanoi’s Old Quarter with your French-speaking guide. As you walk through the narrow streets, you’ll have the opportunity to sample local specialties, including some of Vietnam’s best street food: green papaya salad with beef, “nem chua,” Vietnamese-style barbecue, fresh spring rolls, and fresh draft beer (Bia Hoi). Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
• Day 4: HANOI – QUANG BINH – RIA VILLAGE : Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to Quang Binh (270 km – 5.5 hour drive) to the northern mountains. As soon as you leave Hanoi, the scenery changes dramatically. You drive along karst peaks covered with lush vegetation. You pass rice paddies, orange groves, dragon fruit plantations, sugar cane plantations, tea plantations... You will dine in a local restaurant, then continue your journey towards the Lo River mountain range. You will arrive at the village of Ban Ria, in Quang Binh district in Ha Giang province, the starting point of your trek. You’ll meet your local team: guide, porters, cook, and more - and then set off on your 8-day trek. During the afternoon, you'll walk for around 2 hours in Tay ethnic territory through plantations of cinnamon, fan palms and cassava (yuca). A steep descent through rice paddies takes you to the village of Thon Thuy, where you will stay with a Tay family. Dinner and overnight stay with a Tay family. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 5 km / Approx. walking time: 2 hrs / Elevation: +400m/-50m
• Day 5: RIA - TAN TUONG - NAM DAT : After breakfast with your host family, you will continue your journey through the Tay ethnic region, passing through cinnamon, fan palm, and cassava plantations. From time to time, you will walk along the narrow dikes of terraced rice fields. You will then descend through the rice paddies toward Tan Binh village, where you will stop for lunch. After lunch, your hike continues with a gentle ascent through palm groves and cornfields to the summit of Tien Nguyen. Finally, along a slightly rugged trail through bamboo forests and open meadows, you will reach the upper part of Na Dat village, home to the Flower Hmong people. Dinner and overnight stay with a Tay host family. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 16 km / Approximate walking time: 6 hrs / Elevation: +800m/-1000m
• Day 6: NAM DAT – TAN NAM - NAM QUA : After breakfast, you will leave your host family and set off for another beautiful day of varied walking through woods, villages and rice fields. You will descend into the valley toward the hamlet of Tan Nam, where several ethnic minorities live together in harmony. You will then reach the pier and enjoy a boat trip on the Chung River Lake. Afterwards, you will resume your hike to Nam Qua. Dinner and overnight stay with a local family in Long Chun village, home to the Red Dao ethnic group. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 16 km / Approx. walking time: 5 hrs / Elevation: +900m/-600m
• Day 7: NAM QUA – NAM CAI – HONG SON : This morning you’ll hike through a primary forest, observing the beautiful nature of this mountainous region. You'll be walking in a completely different atmosphere from your first few days. After a picnic lunch, you will walk along a stream for a few moments, then continue through a beautiful mixed forest of chestnut, bamboo and banana trees. You'll also come across cardamom crops, an important source of income for the locals. In the afternoon, you will continue walking through a variety of landscapes: villages, rice terraces, bamboo forests and streams. Finally, a steep descent through bamboo groves takes you to the village of Nam Cai, where you will dine with a Man Ta Pan family. Dinner and overnight stay in the Hong Son village of the long-tunic Dao ethnic group. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 16 km / Approx. walking time: 6 hrs / Elevation: +900m/-600m
• Day 8: HONG SON - SON THANH - NUNG CU : You continue your walk through the narrow rice terraces that reproduce the natural curves of the mountain. You pass around the Nam Khoa pass, then descend to the village of Nùng Cu, inhabited by the Nung minority. The women of this ethnic group are certainly the most coquettish, wearing silver jewelry, dressed in sampot and wearing a turban fastened with a silver brooch on the bun. The indigo color that dominates their traditional garments is extracted from a locally-grown plant of the same name. Dinner and overnight stay with Nung locals in their typical traditional house. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 15 km / Approx. walking time: 5 hrs / Elevation: +800m/-500m
• Day 9: NUNG CU – KHOA TRUNG – NAM AI : Today, you’ll enjoy a beautiful day's walk through rice paddies, tea fields and villages clinging to the mountainside. Leaving your host family, you continue downhill to the village of Nam Khòa, where you cross a stream to the other side of the valley. From Nung territory, you move on to the Red Dao. You pass through Khoa Trung, a beautiful village inhabited by the Dao Rouge ethnic group. In the afternoon, you will walk through landscapes of rice terraces, bamboo forests and tea fields. Dinner and overnight stay at the Nam Ai village of the long-tunic Dao ethnic group. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 13 km / Approx. walking time: 6 hrs / Elevation: +650m/-780m
• Day 10: NAM AI – K38 – TAO HO PIEN : In the morning, you'll follow small paths up and down the mountain, following the mountain curves. You will reach the Tay village for lunch. In the afternoon, you climb to the village of Phin Ho, famous for its tea. You will continue up to the Phin Há pass (1068m altitude), then descend through magnificent rice fields to the village of Ta Ho Pien. Dinner and overnight stay with H'mong locals in their typical traditional house. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 15 km / Approx. walking time: 6 hrs / Elevation: +750m/-850m
• Day 11: TAO HO PIEN – YEN SON – NAM HONG : After breakfast, you will discover the Suoi Giang valley, shaped by endless terraced rice fields stretching as far as the eye can see. The highlands of this valley are home to the Red Dao people, experts in green tea, which they harvest from centuries-old trees. Lunch will be in Yen Son with the Red Dao community. In the afternoon, you will arrive in the village of Nam Hong. Later in the day, enjoy some free time to relax or take advantage of the swimming pool. Dinner and overnight stay at Hoang Su Phi Bungalow (or similar accommodation). Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 12 km / Approximate walking time: 4 hrs / Elevation: +500m/-650m
• Day 12: NAM HONG - HANOI : After breakfast, you will leave Nam Hong and drive back to Hanoi (320km ~ 6.5-hour drive). Lunch and dinner will be taken at a local restaurant along the way. Arriving in Hanoi at the end of the day, you will visit Dong Xuan Market, a lively market filled with all kinds of goods. Overnight stay at the hotel in Hanoi. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
• Day 13: HANOI - MONTREAL : Breakfast at the hotel. Free time and transfer to the airport for your return flight to Montreal. Breakfast included.
• Day 14: ARRIVAL IN MONTREAL : Return to Montreal. Breakfast included.

The Challenge Against Cancer program is a series of fundraising travel campaigns to benefit cancer research. It offers its participants the chance to explore the world and surpass themselves through a variety of sporting activities. This unique adventure carries a deeply meaningful purpose, as the funds raised by participants help to make a significant difference to the advancement of cancer research.

Learn more about the Challenge Against Cancer Program