General Information
Tour Highlights
• Cooking class at Ngoc Thuy
• An off-beaten-path trek in Sapa
• Halong Bay Cruise & discover the natural beauty
• Immerse in the peaceful & tranquil ambiance in Hoi An
• Experience wildlife in Nam Cat Tien National Park
• Get an insight into the former Saigon
Tour Details
Duration: 18 Days/ 17 Nights
Start/ End: Hanoi/ Ho Chi Minh
Tour Route: Hanoi – Sapa – Halong Bay – Hoi An – Hue – Ho Chi Minh – Nam Cat Tien National Park – Mekong Delta – Ho Chi Minh
Tour Type: Tailor-made tour
Tour Customizable: Definitely! Tell us your interest
Vehicle: private air-conditioned vehicle and licensed driver
Guide Service: private English-speaking guide
Tour Departure: No fixed departure. Anytime you wish!
Brief Itinerary
Day 01: Hanoi Arrival
Day 02: Cooking Class in Hanoi – Half Day Tour – Night Train to Sapa
Day 03: Sapa Villages Explorer
Day 04: Sapa – Cable Car to Fanxipan Peak – Back to Hanoi
Day 05: Hanoi – Halong Bay
Day 06: Cruise on Halong Bay
Day 07: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Hoi An
Day 08: Farming – Fishing – Walking Tour in Hoi An
Day 09: Free Day in Hoi An
Day 10: Hoi An – Hue
Day 11: Hue Explorer
Day 12: Hue – Ho Chi Minh City
Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City – Nam Cat Tien National Park
Day 14: Nam Cat Tien National Park Day Tour
Day 15: Nam Cat Tien National Park – Ho Chi Minh City
Day 16: Ho Chi Minh City Day Tour
Day 17: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta
Day 18: Ho Chi Minh Departure
Full Itinerary
Day 01: Hanoi Arrival (D)
Upon arrival, our representative will warmly greet you and escort you to the hotel. Once you’ve settled in the hotel, relax at leisure. If you reach Hanoi in the middle of the day, enjoy “Pho” in a local restaurant (without any charge).
Later in the evening, dinner at Ngon Village Restaurant.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 02: Cooking Class in Hanoi – Half Day Tour – Night Train to Sapa (B – L)
Breakfast at hotel and head to Ngoc Thuy to get into a cooking class, just 15 minutes away from the hotel. It will be an interaction of culture, not an ordinary cooking class because:
• Cooking class with local housewives
• Authentic dishes of Hanoi and seasonal dishes
• Experience Ngoc Thuy market
• Bump into farmers living and working in their field next to Red riverbank.
• The cooking class will be organized in a wooden antique house with unique architecture
After participating in cooking class, we head back to Hanoi to visit several attractions there: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh Museum, One Pillar Pagoda. Then, head to the Temple of Literature which is the first university in Vietnam originally built as a temple of Confucius. We also go to the Museum of Ethnology widely recognized as the best in the country. It has an extensive display dedicated to 54 Ethnic minority peoples in Vietnam.
In the evening, dinner at a local restaurant. You then move to the station to take a train to Sapa.
Overnight on the train.
Day 03: Sapa Villages Explorer (B – L)
Your guide will meet you and escort you to the Sapa town. Breakfast and relax and then, enjoy a hike through the breathtaking view of Sapa Valley. Begin the journey by road descending in the wake of the street Cau May (6 km). Along the way, marvel at the rice terraces hidden behind mist of the morning at the high altitude. It is an exactly awe-inspiring sight.
We follow a small track and pass through Muong Hoa River and cross well-tended rice terraces to reach the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai. Keep going on through the vibrant rice terraces and then, you will reach Ta Van Giay village. The trek continues to the Muong Hoa River and we reach a small suspension bridge where you will discover a collection of rock carvings.
After lunch, trek through the bamboo forest to Giang Ta Chai – a Red Dao ethnic minority village. Take a short rest at a waterfall and we start climbing uphill to a road where a driver will be waiting to escort you to Sapa.
Overnight in Sapa.
Day 04: Sapa – Cable Car to Fanxipan Peak – Back to Hanoi (B – L)
Have breakfast and we take a 4-minute Mountain Train passes through valleys, tunnels, and viaducts providing stunning vistas of surrounding villages and nature. We get off the train and get into 20 minutes cable car ride up to the top of Fanxipan Peak. Then, we take 636 high steps up to the Fanxipan Summit – the Roof of Indochina. Indulge in the majestic of Mt Hoang Lien and lush & dense forest.
Later, head back to the town and lunch at a local restaurant.
Relax to the middle of the afternoon and then, take a drive to Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 05: Hanoi – Halong Bay (B – L – D)
Today, you will transfer to Halong Bay then to Cai Hai Port. Board on the boat and have a welcome drink. Lunch on the boat while cruising into the primitive Lan Ha Bay. Ready to experience kayaking through the poetically gorgeous Tra Bau region then get into swimming in the emerald water.
Then, visit a fish farm and socialize with the local fishermen to get to know about daily life there and how the locals work every day. Head back to the cruise and get into “Happy Hour” drink time while participating in the cooking demonstration.
Dinner on the top deck of the boat while floating in the center of the peaceful La Ha Bay.
Overnight on the boat.
Day 06: Cruise on Halong Bay (B – L – D)
Get up early and do Tai Chi and then, enjoy breakfast. We transfer to a day boat for taking a cruise to discover Lan Ha Bay. Enjoy a biking and trekking tour to Viet Hai village before heading back for lunch.
Enjoy kayaking and swimming in Ba Ham lake in the afternoon. Later, dinner on the top deck.
Overnight on the boat.
Day 07: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Hoi An (B – L)
Today, enjoy the bamboo boat, we discover the Bright Cave and tranquil round lake surrounded by lush forest and precipitous stone cliff before returning.
Buffet lunch will be served before heading back to the mainland and drive to Hanoi.
When reaching Hanoi, relax for a while until transferring to the airport for a flight to Hoi An.
Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 08: Farming – Fishing – Walking Tour in Hoi An (B – L)
Today, enjoy a biking trip to the local farming village to witness their daily life. Next, enjoy the Hoi An Eco-tour cruise to the mouth of the river where it meets Cua Dai Sea. Learn and strive to show off your fishing techniques using round and cast nets. We also learn how to paddle the Vietnamese bamboo basket boats. Discover the peaceful coconut-palm which flanked waterways of a past war. We enjoy a relaxed time with catching stunning purple crabs on bamboo basket boat.
After that, take a walk around the village and enjoy tea and snack with local talks…
Head back to our boat and have lunch with a cold beer or soft drink and then, go to the resort.
Enjoy a walking tour in the afternoon around the ancient town to visit the Japanese Bridge, Pottery Museum, Tan Ky Ancient House, Cantonese Congregation, Chinese temples and pagodas, and Silk Street.
Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 09: Free Day in Hoi An (B)
Today will be yours. Relax at leisure and do what you want to.
Overnight in Hoi An
Day 10: Hoi An – Hue (B – L)
This morning, we transfer to Sun World Ba Na Hills to enjoy a whole day of entertaining. Take a cable car up to the mountains, immerse in the spectacular view of Mt Truong Son and most importantly, the Golden Bridge – the new iconic symbol of Danang.
You will have some time to stroll around the Le Jardin Garden and then, enjoy buffet lunch.
In the afternoon, we head back to Hue and the rest of the day will be yours.
Overnight in Hue.
Day 11: Hue Explorer (B – L)
This day, we board on the Dragon Boat on the romantic Perfume River which heads out for the countries. We stop to visit the enchanting Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda) which is considered the iconic symbol of Hue as well as Buddhism in Vietnam. Back to our van and head to Emperor Khai Dinh’s Tomb and Emperor Tu Duc’s one.
We visit the Imperial Citadel in the afternoon as well as Hue Royal Fine Art Museum housed within the former Dien Long An Royal Palace. Finally, we go to Dong Ba market to witness the daily life of the locals there.
Overnight in Hue.
Day 12: Hue – Ho Chi Minh City (B)
Breakfast and morning at leisure until taking a drive to the airport for a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, our representative will warmly greet you and escort you to the hotel. Once you’ve settled in the hotel, relax at leisure.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City – Nam Cat Tien National Park (B – L – D)
Today, we will have a trip to Nam Cat Tien National Park in Dong Nai Province, 170 km away from Ho Chi Minh City. When we are off Highway One – before branching off to the Nam Cat Tien National Park, the roads will pass through large areas of rubber plantations. Once there, you can see an amazing diversity of mammals and birds living in the forest and wetland habitats of Cat Tien consisting of an estimated 230 bird species in which, endangered ones can be found such as Green Peafowl, Germains Peacock–Pheasant, and the very elusive Orange-necked Patridge. Mammals which are wild boar, the rare Black-shanked Duoc Langur, Sambar Deer, Yellow-cheeked as well as Crested Gibbon.
Overnight at the Guesthouse.
Day 14: Nam Cat Tien National Park Day Tour (B – L – D)
Today, we spend our full day birding along the road and trails of Cat Tien. If you want, we can hire a jeep to visit discover further afield like Bird Lake to visit waders or Crocodile Lake where Lesser Adjutant, Green Peafowl and Purple Heron may be seen. En route, we lookout for Blue-rumped Pitta, Bar-bellied, Red – Black – Banded Broadbill as well as Orange-breasted Trogon amongst others.
Overnight in Cat Tien.
Day 15: Nam Cat Tien National Park – Ho Chi Minh City (B – L – D)
Our last day of birding along the trails where Blue-eared, Green-eared, Lineated and, if you are lucky enough, you can see Red-vented Barbet.
Later, take a scenic drive to Dalat and transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City. The rest of the day will be yours.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 16: Ho Chi Minh City Day Tour (B – L)
This morning, we visit Cu Chi Tunnels aka “Iron Land”. We will see a short introductory video which shows how they were built, followed by an exploration of the maze of tunnels before entering. Later, we head back to Ho Chi Minh City for lunch.
In the afternoon, we head to the Reunification Palace, the former Presidential Palace. Next, go to the War Remnant Museum where you can witness countless artifacts, pictures, photographs documenting about the second Indochina war. We also visit the Notre Dame Cathedral as well as the Old Post Office. The rest of the day we will spend on Ben Thanh market and drive back to the hotel at 6:00 pm.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 17: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta (B – L)
Begin our last day in Vietnam with a trip to Cai Be floating market. Next, we head to Tan Phong island to enjoy biking – walking trip on village paths to see the daily life of the locals there. En route, we stop to get to know how they make rice-net for spring rolls, wave the dried water-hyacinth to make products, and sewing coconut-leaves for cottage roof.
We will boat deeper into the countryside on the smaller canals to get into the tranquil time. We then back to the boat and continue our trip across the Mekong river – one of the longest rivers in the world, to come to An Binh Island. We travel on a handmade canal to Ut Trinh home and get an optional lunch.
After enjoying lunch, stroll around this orchard and participate in some cups of tea while listening to traditional music in the old-aged house.
Also, wander around the village to meet the local workshop to get to know how rice paper, coconut candy, pop-rice… are made. Taste some sweets and hot tea. Also, visit brick kilns where you are able to see how the beautiful potteries are made from clay. Over cruise end at Vinh Long City.
Day 18: Ho Chi Minh Departure (B)
Time to say goodbye Vietnam. Breakfast and morning at leisure until getting transferred to the airport for a flight coming home. The trip ends. Hope you had a beautiful time and wish that we can serve you next time when it comes to other Asia travel package.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.