Journey highlights:
• Squeeze through the famous Vietnam War-era tunnels at Cu Chi
• Witness the solemn ceremony of the unique religion - Caodaism at Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh
• A day being the ultimate fish farmers on Thu Bon River
• Visit once the Nguyen emperor’s home and picturesque resident surrounding in Hue
• Blend in the scrambling alleyways of Hanoi’s timeworn Old Quarter
• Trek through the colourful mountainous hill tribes villages in Sapa
• Explore Halong Bay’s spectacular scatter of islands on a traditional junk boat
Day 1 - Ho Chi Minh City arrival
Arriving in Tan Son Nhat airport, you will be welcomed by our local expert and transferred to your hotel in city centre for check in. The rest of day is then free at your leisure after your long flight or your can set out for a stroll by yourself to get acquainted to the hustle traffic culture in Vietnam.
Meal: None
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
Day 2 - Back to history: Cu Chi tunnels and Cao Dai temple (B,L)
Having breakfast at the hotel then the trip will be continued to Cu Chi Tunnel system that was created to assist the Vietnamese Revolutionists against the French in 1948. It was an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, etc. Especially, you will have the opportunity to take part in the unique experience of guerillas living underground during the war, with a crawl through 20/30/50 meters of the tunnel system.
We then drive 30km toward Tay Ninh, and visit The Great Temple of Caodaism (a famous local religion). It was built on 9 levels that represent 9 steps to heaven at which you will see a prayer session at noon with beautiful music prayer with Vietnamese folk instrument in a very spiritual environment.
We then come back to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
Day 3 - Ho Chi Minh City - Into the Mekong Delta (B,L)
The program starts with the visit to Cai Be a colorful floating market, cruising among local barges full of fruits and vegetables. Then, an optional stop can be made at local workshops where you can see how rice paste, coconut candy, pop-rice, and popcorn are made. It is so interesting to visit the handicraft village where you can see how they make some special products like making rice-net for spring-rolls, or sewing coconut-leaves… A delicious lunch will be served under the shade of local orchards on An Binh Island.
After lunch, the rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals to enjoy the peaceful time. Here, you will be able to see traditional houses made of wood and palm tree leaves and to see some local activities. You will have an opportunity to get on with the local people and see how they catch fish or pick up fruits by ancestral ways in Mekong Delta.
One more stop can be made at the nursery garden where you can learn how to have some high quality fruit trees. This offers you a choice to know the real famous farmers – Mr. Tiger & his son who are very successful in Vietnam agriculture. We will enjoy some kinds of fruit from their garden as well as home made rice wine when listening to the traditional music. The boat will take you to visit the floating village to see how people farm catfish under their houses.
The cruise ends at around 3:30 pm in Vinh Long where your driver will be waiting for your transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City. The rest of day is then free at your leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
Day 4 - Saigon - Danang - The ancient town of Hoi An (B,L)
After breakfast, you are transferred to the airport for your internal flight to Danang. Your guide and driver will meet you at the airport and take you on the short drive to the sleepy riverside town, Hoi An. Originally known as Faifo, Hoi An used to be a major international port in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the foreign influences are discernible to this day. Check in at the hotel in town center then spend the balance of day free at your leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An
Day 5 - Fisherman’s farming life in Hoi An (B,L)
After breakfast, we depart your hotel for a discovery around Hoi An. On arrival at Cua Dai pier, embark for a boat ride to the mouth of Thu Bon River to enjoy the daily activities of fishers such as throwing fishing net and trading their products. Your boat then continues cruising for about half an hour to a fishing village. Changing to smaller bamboo boat (a coracle) to discover a distinctive mangrove forest and try your hand on fishing crabs. Under the blurry sunlight inside the forest, you might feel a mysterious atmosphere covering this whole area. This excursion also gives you a chance to admire skillful fishermen who are working in the forest. Enjoy a delicious BBQ seafood meal at a lovely local house.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An
Day 6 - Optimistic leisure day in Hoi An (B)
Free day in Hoi An to do your own discovery, pick up your made to measure clothes, or relax on the beautiful Cua Dai beach. You can also take advantage of joining in a cooking class to learn about the arts of Vietnam culinary; visiting local market, choosing ingredients and preparing and cooking Hoi An special cuisine dishes. It promises to bring you interesting moments!
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An
Day 7 - Hoi An - Danang - The royal ancient Hue (B,L)
In the morning, enjoy breakfast at the hotel then checkout and drive over the 500m-high Hai Van pass to Hue. Enjoy a stop at the scenic Lang Co Beach for a short break where you can stretch your legs and immerse into the serenity of the amazing beach here before continuing on to Hue - a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Vietnam’s former capital. Set along the banks of Perfume River, Hue used to be the capital of Vietnam between 1802 and 1945 under the reign of the Nguyen Emperors, later on under French colonial domination. Arrive at the hotel in city centre for check in then spend the rest of day relaxing after your transfer journey.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hue
Day 8 - Explore the former capital of Vietnam (B,L)
Today you will travel by private vehicle to an icon of Vietnam and as potent a symbol of Hue as Thien Mu pagoda. It is famous for its seven storeys, and dedicated to a Manushi-Buddha. After your visit, board a local boat to the peaceful outskirts of Hue, where you will then start cycling on a leisurely tour to Thuy Bieu village. There are plenty of opportunities to admire the quiet and superb landscapes of Hue: rice fields, fruit tree orchards and vegetable gardens, communal houses, primary schools and a valley of cemeteries. Along the cycling route, visit a homemade incense-producing household and observe the daily life of the farmers as they perform their strenuous work with seemingly incredible joy and enthusiasm. Don’t be afraid to greet those you meet along the way. Then, you’ll head to Tu Duc Mausoleum, one of the most beautiful tombs of Hue. It was inspired by the concept of tranquility and is a model of Vietnamese traditional art. It is also an opportunity to learn about the history of the Nguyen Dynasty and the French colonial period before returning to the city centre.
In the afternoon, have a closer look at the home of the royal family with a visit to the impressive Citadel. Round off your day with a walk around Dong Ba Market for a glimpse of local life. Back to the hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day free at your leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hue
Day 9 - Hue - Fly to Hanoi the Capital (B,L)
At good time, meet up your driver and transfer to Phu Bai airport to catch your brief flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, get transferred to your hotel in the Old Quarter to check-in and spend the rest of the day free to relax in your room or stroll down the Walking Street to enjoy the ambience of the capital of Vietnam.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi
Day 10 - Charming Hanoi - Night train to Lao Cai (B,L)
After breakfast, set out for a full day tour of Vietnam’s capital city, including Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, his traditional stilt house and the revered One-Pillar Pagoda. After that, visit Vietnam’s first university, the thousand-year-old Temple of Literature. Have lunch with Pho bo Hanoi or Hanoi Noodle soup with beef and served with Hanoi flavorful spring roll.
In the afternoon, visit the Ethnology Museum where you can learn about the customs and culture of Vietnam’s 54 diverse ethnic groups.
Finish your day with a walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Your local guide will then take you to one of Hanoi’s best-reserved secrets, a hidden café with stunning views over the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake. This hard-to-find café is one of the few left in the city that still serves egg coffee, a scrumptious local delicacy that we will sample whilst admiring the hustle and bustle of the city centre below. Or, if coffee is not your style, a cold beer awaits!
Early this evening, ready to transfer to Hanoi Railway Station for your overnight train trip heading to Sapa.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Overnight train to Lao Cai
Day 11 - Sapa: Unseen hill tribe villages – Option: staying at a local homestay (B,L,D)
Upon arrival in Lao Cai station, you will meet private local guide and driver. They will bring you to a hotel nearby where you can freshen up in a day-use room and enjoy breakfast before trekking.
After breakfast, you will be collected by your private guide. Starting from Sapa, you will trek via Y Linh Ho through beautiful scenery to the Black H'mong Village of Lao Chai, located at the bottom of the valley, a few hundred meters lower than Sapa in terms of altitude.
Along the way you will have plenty of opportunities to take photos of this breathtaking scenery and chat with the locals. After a few hours trekking, we will reach the bottom of the valley where some stalls are available that serve tea and fruit; this is a perfect spot to rest and enjoy picnic lunch.
In the afternoon, continue your trek for 1,5 hours, through local villages, and arrive at the charming village of Ta Van, located in the valley of Muong Hoa. Here you will be greeted by the host family.
This evening you have dinner and enjoy talking with them, and of course spend the night in their home.
Notes:
* Trekking distance is 12km/5 hours and the grade is easy to moderate. This trek is adjustable, and can be shortened or lengthened, to your liking.
* For those who do not wish to experience a “homestay” we can go back to town and stay in a hotel with additional charge.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, and optional dinner at home stay
Accommodation: local house in the village or hotel in Sapa
Day 12 - Sapa for further discovery - Overnight by train to Hanoi (B,L)
For those who choose to stay at the local home:
Rising to the sounds of the Ta Van Village, enjoy breakfast that is prepared by the host family, after which you will bid a farewell. From Ta Van we trek along the edge of paddy fields, passing a bamboo forest and the hill to the Red Dao tribe in Giang Ta Chai village. Make a quick stop by a waterfall where you can relax for a while. Continue your trek to the main road, here you are picked up by your private vehicle again and driven back to Sapa town.
For those who choose to stay in hotel in town:
After breakfast your private guide and driver will collect you at the hotel and take you (40 minute drive) to Tram Ton Pass, a height of 2047 meters above sea level, the highest pass in Vietnam.
Enjoy amazing views of the surrounding mountains and lush forests of the Hoang Lien National Park. From there you will trek 30 minutes through a tropical rain forest enjoying the wonderful flora and fauna. Continue to trek along a stream arriving at the Love Waterfall, a wonderful place to relax in Sapa. Return to Tram Ton Pass and drive back to Sapa.
In the afternoon your guide will meet you again and commence a walking tour down to Cat Cat cultural village, just 3kms from Sapa (Sa Pa) town. A leisurely walk through the old village offers an overview of the traditional customs and practices of the ethnic Black H'mong minority. You will have the chance to visit a local home and see how they make their distinctive textiles and costumes.
Continue walking and stop by a stunning waterfall and the vestige of a hydroelectric power station, which was constructed by the French during the colonial era in Vietnam. Follow a dirt trail snaking through the mountain and enjoy the spectacular scenery while trekking along a narrow river bed until you reach the main road where your driver will be waiting to transport you back to Sapa.
The rest of your day is free until you are transferred by a private vehicle back to Lao Cai station to catch the overnight train back to Hanoi.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Night train back to Hanoi
Day 13 - Hanoi - Fascinating Halong Bay (B,L,D)
When arriving in Hanoi early in the morning, you will be picked up by your local tour guide and transferred to a day room in a hotel near the station to take a shower and relax after the rail journey.
After breakfast, depart Hanoi through the Red River Delta for Halong Bay (3.5 hours driving). Upon arrival, embark on the cruise then start cruising among the limestone islands. Keep cruising to the quiet area while enjoy breath-taking seascape along the way, until enjoy sunset party on sundeck and admire the best moments of the day when the sun starts to set. Dinner is served around 19.00 then it’s time for you to socialize with other guests, to take part in board games, fishing for squid or just to laze around.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Overnight cruise
Day 14 - Halong Bay - Hanoi (B)
Early this morning, start your day with Tai Chi exercises or a photo hunt. Then, breakfast will be served on board while you immerse into the peaceful morning of Halong Bay. After check out of your cabin, continue your cruise exploring the Bay. While heading back to the harbor, watch the fruit carving demonstration and participate in the cooking class before enjoying a traditional Vietnamese lunch. Disembark around 12.00 then your driver will wait for you to take you back to Hanoi.
Meals: Breakfast, Brunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi
Day 15 - Goodbye Hanoi (B)
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and you are free on your own until transfer to Noi Bai International airport for your departure flights onward home or other destinations.
Meals: Breakfast
Tour ends.
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