📍 Cao Son Commune, Da Bac District, Hoa Binh Province
🕒 Less than 3 hours from Hanoi

🌟Tour Highlights:

• Discover Sung Village – a remote yet culturally rich Dao Tien community that has preserved its traditional way of life for generations.

• Participate in hands-on cultural workshops: beeswax painting, indigo dyeing, Do paper-making, and Nom Dao calligraphy.

• Explore local life and nature: traditional Dao houses, Doi trees, palm gardens, Sung Cave, and herbal medicine practices.

• Experience the Dao Tien herbal bath with native medicinal herbs.

• A perfect 2-day getaway from Hanoi for nature lovers, families, and cultural explorers.

Day 1: Hanoi – Sung Village (L, D)

08:00 – The car and driver will pick you up from your home. After approximately 3 hours of driving through the picturesque countryside, you will arrive at Sung Village, located in Cao Son Commune, home to the Dao Tien ethnic minority. The village consists of around 78 households with about 400 residents, who make a living primarily through farming and forest plantation. Upon arrival, enjoy a leisurely walk through the peaceful surroundings of the village.

11:00 – Arrive at Sung Village. Check in at a traditional homestay. Rest and relax.

12:00 – Enjoy a home-cooked lunch at the homestay.

14:00 – Beeswax painting and indigo dyeing workshop
The workshop will last approximately 2 hours.
You will visit a traditional indigo workshop in Sung Village. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with the local community and gain insight into the cultural significance, patterns, and meticulous process involved in creating traditional Dao Tien attire. Local artisans will guide you through the fundamentals of beeswax painting and batik dyeing techniques.
You will then have the chance to practice and create your own piece of artwork.
The most memorable takeaway from this hands-on experience is not only the fun and creativity involved, but also the indigo product adorned with your own beeswax design.
You will also visit the local brocade group, learn how to apply beeswax patterns to fabric, and explore the traditional indigo dyeing process. You will even have the opportunity to make your own scarf under the instruction of skilled local craftswomen.

16:00 – Discover Sung Village on a 3 km walk.
During the walk, you will have a chance to explore the daily life of the villagers through their traditional stilt houses, observe unique natural features such as the Doi tree and the palm garden, and gain an understanding of how the community has maintained their strong cultural spirit throughout generations. Along the way, you’ll also come across various herbal plants used in traditional medicine and everyday life.
Continue the walk to Sung Cave, where you’ll hear about its local legends and the spiritual beliefs of the villagers.
Pass by a community house where local elders teach the traditional Dao language to young people – a rare and valuable effort to keep their linguistic heritage alive.
Return to the village center, where you’ll enjoy a short tea break at the community healthcare facility and learn more about herbal medicine and traditional healthcare practices in Sung Village.

17:30 – Prepare clean clothes to take part in the Dao Tien herbal bath experience at a local family’s home. This is the residence of a “traditional doctor” in the village.
Bathing in hot water infused with different kinds of herbal leaves will bring deep relaxation, help reduce fatigue, and promote healthy blood circulation. (Optional with extra charge)

18:30 – Dinner at the homestay.

20:00 – Nom Dao writing and traditional Do paper-making experience
You will visit a local household where you’ll receive a detailed introduction to the handmade Do paper-making process, an ancient Vietnamese tradition still practiced by the Dao Tien.
You will learn about each step of the process – from selecting the right tree, stripping the bark, sun drying, soaking, cooking, and fermenting, to pounding the fibers and shaping the paper.
You’ll also be invited to participate in some challenging and fun steps such as “sewing the paper”.
Finally, you’ll use the paper you’ve helped create to practice writing Nom Dao characters – a beautiful and rare written script passed down through generations.
The result is not only a memorable and engaging experience but also a Do paper product handcrafted by you to take home as a cultural keepsake.

21:30 – Overnight at the homestay.

Day 2: Sung – Hanoi (B, L)

07:30 – Breakfast at the homestay.

08:30 – Traditional handcrafted Do paper workshop (continued from Day 1)
You will revisit the local household to continue learning about the handmade Do paper-making process. This session will allow you to go deeper into the craft, engage in more advanced steps, and complete your own paper product to take home.
This hands-on workshop is a great opportunity to reflect on the cultural importance of the tradition and the connection between nature, craftsmanship, and heritage.

10:30 – Cooking with a local family
Join a Dao Tien family to prepare a home-style lunch using local ingredients.
While cooking together, you will have the chance to engage in warm conversations, learn more about their daily lives, and experience the welcoming hospitality of the village.
Enjoy the delicious meal you’ve helped prepare and share joyful moments with your host family.

12:00 – Lunch at the homestay.

13:30 – Say goodbye to your hosts and depart for Hanoi.

17:00 – Arrival in Hanoi. End of services.