Day 1: HANOI ARRIVAL
Hanoi's history dates back almost a thousand years. It has witnessed numerous incursions from China, seen a host of Vietnamese emperors come and go and at one time it even lost its status as the nation's capital. The city's temples, pagodas, and religious practices reflect a strong Chinese influence. With the coming of the French at the end of the 19th century the city gained a new lease of life. The European influence can still be seen in the elegant colonial buildings that line the broad tree-lined boulevards of much of the city.
Pick up at arrival in Noi Bai airport by our guide, transfer hotel, you will see the Long Bien Bridge on the way. Check in hotel in Hanoi. Our Customer Care Executive will meet you at the hotel at 18 00 pm for a trip briefing, answering your questions, as well as giving you some travelling tips in Vietnam.
O/N in Hanoi (D)
Day 2: HANOI - HALONG
08.00 – 08.30: Pick up at your address in Hanoi by private car.
12.00 – 12.30: Embark Red Dragon junk. Check- in, enjoy welcome drink & cruise briefing.
13.00 – 14.30: Lunch with traditional Vietnamese seafood while cruising to Ha Long bay.
Passing Indochina film studio, Teapot islet, Blockhouse islet, Goat Head islet…
15.30 – 16.00: Admire Cong Do tranquility & different formation limestone islets.
16.30 – 18.00: Kayaking & swimming at quiet Cong Dam area, then back to the junk for relaxing.
19.00 – 21.00: Night fishing is available upon request. Have dinner,
O/N on boat (B/L/D)
Day 3: HALONG - HANOI - LAO CAI
07.30 – 08.00: Morning view of Bay’s landscape with a cup of tea or coffee. Have breakfast in the fresh air.
08.50 – 09.40: Visit Vong Vieng fishing village by a rustic row-boat. Meet the locals, visit floating school & fish farms. More time to swim in the middle of the bay.
10.15 – 11.30: Boat starts cruising towards the harbor while A la carte lunch is served.
Continue cruising through the bay, along the way seeing more of the fascinating formations
11.45 – 12.00: Check- out for the drive back to Hanoi.
15.45 – 16.00: Arrive in Hanoi, drop at our restaurant and have free time wander around Hanoi
Note: The above itinerary is subject to change without prior notice
Get picked up and transferred to Hanoi Railway station for your overnight train journey from Vietnam's capital city to the border town of Lao Cai. The train departs at 21:30 pm
O/N on train (B/L/D)
Day 4: LAO CAI - SAPA
Arrive early in Lao cai at 05 30 - 06 00 am, we get picked up by our private vehicle and start our drive up the spectacular Sapa pass, which is 1300 m high, 33 km long. The ride uphill takes a little over an hour giving you a glimpse of the stunning vistas and impressive rice terraces. Arrive Sapa in the morning; we have some free time to wander around, exploring this beautiful multi-ethnic town.
In the afternoon, we take a walk to Cat Cat Waterfall to visit Black H’Mong minority people. Return to Sa Pa for a shower and a rest before heading out for dinner.
Optional activity: visit Ham Rong Mt. for some good panoramic views of Sapa town and the surrounding valleys.
O/N in Sapa (B/L/D)
Day 5: SAPA - LAO CAI - HANOI
In the morning, start trekking down the valley along trails and across rice paddies to visit Black HMong village of Laochai and Dzay village of Tavan. We have a picnic lunch along the way.
We get picked up by Jeep back to Sa Pa. Later in the after noon, we take our ride down Sapa pass to Laocai train station.
O/N on train (B/L/D)
Day 6: HANOI CITY TOUR - HUE
Arrive Hanoi around 05 30 am, get picked up and transfer to your hotel.
At 800AM we start our city tour in Hanoi.
Ho Chi Minh Complex: Completed in 1975, the complex includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (close in the afternoon, and on Monday & Friday), the Presidential Palace, Houseon-Stilts, and the Ho Chi Minh Museum.
The Temple of Literature: Originally built as a temple to Confucius, this is the site of Vietnam’s first University dating back to 1070. Inside are the stone steles mounted on the backs of turtles, inscribed with names of Vietnam best scholars. The temple highlights the importance that Vietnamese society place then and now on education.
One hour Cyclo Tour through the Old Quarter: Also known as the 36 streets, this bustling area of narrow streets is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. Originally each of the 36 streets names’ was related to the products being sold there.
Transfer to airport for your flight to Hue. Pick up at arrival, transfre to hotel
O/N in Hue (B/L)
Day 7: HUE CITY TOUR
Hue was once the Imperial capital and now listed as a World heritage site. Sitting on the banks of the delightful Perfume River you will find amazing citadels, fabulous palaces and royal tombs. Many of the sites can be reached by river and this makes an excellent way to see the city. Pick up from hotel in Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. A boat trip on the romantically named Perfume River visits Hue’s best-known religious sites, Thien Mu Pagoda. Then continue to discover Imperial Citadel from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945 including Flag Tower, Noon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and Forbidden Purple City.
The afternoon continues with a visit to the elaborate tombs of emperors Tu Duc & Khai Dinh. This guided tour gives you a deep understanding about King’s philosophy of geomancy and how this affected royal life.
O/N in Hue (B/L)
Day 8: HUE - DA NANG - HOI AN
Car p/u at your hotel and transfer to Danang. We will stop along the way to visit the Lang co beach which lies on the most beautiful curve of the “S” where you can be the first to see sunrise in Vietnam. Lang Co beach attracts visitors by its wild beauty with white sand and blue sea. After passing Lang Co beach, we drive 20km on Sea cloud pass (Hai Van Pass) - the highest pass in the country and one of the most scenic hillside roads in Vietnam. Sea cloud pass is the last spur of the Truong Son Range that reaches to the sea, sightseeing in Vietnam is at its best here with the sequel of valleys and lagoons as the road descends lower. The next stop is Cham museum where displayed the exhibitions of Cham people. The Cham museum in Danang has incomparably the best collection anywhere of Cham materials, mostly sculptures. We arrival in Hoian in the late afternoon
O/N in Hoian (B/L)
Day 9: MY SON HOI AN DAY TRIP
Hoi An is a small town in Central Vietnam famous for its wooden houses, family chapels, Assembly Halls and for its silk shops. In the morning, take a private car from Hoian to My Son Holy Land, a World Heritage, 30 km southwest of Danang. Located in a lush valley, My Son was a capital and religious center
of Cham people, now remaining with red brick towers and sanctuaries. My Son, considered to be in the same league as some of Southeast Asia's greatest archaeological sites, including Angkor in Cambodia, Bagan in Myanmar, Ayutthaya in Thailand and Borobudur in Indonesia. These towers and sanctuaries was built from the 7 to 13 centuries.
Back to Hoi An for lunch. After the relax, it is light excursion to go around tiny town of Hoi An for city tour: 400 years old Japanese Bridge, 300 years old Chinese temple, 200 years old Vietnamese former merchants' house. Tour end at about 16.30 pm.
O/N in Hoian (B/L)
Day 10: TRA QUE VEGETABLE VILLAGE
Itinerary for one-day tour: Depart at your hotel at 9:00 am, you will ride by bicycle to Tra Que Vegetable Village, experience a day of living and working with the local farmers in this village. A tour of the organic vegetable and herb gardens can include some time working in the field if you like, or merely observing and learning about the system and the fresh ingredients. Upon returning to the house, we were all treated to an herbal foot massage followed by a session of cooking various local dishes such as: Tam Huu Spring Roll, Banh Xeo or the local pancake of the people from the middle region. Biking back to your hotel, ends of tour.
Other recommendation: If you don’t want to go back the hotel. You can spend more time for relax at An Bang Beach that is not far from the village, about 2km to the east of Hoi An Town. The beach is over 3 km in length and up to 300m in width. The beach boasts fine white sand, clear and blue water, moderate slopes and small waves, which make it ideal for recreational activities like swimming and enjoy cheap sea food (your own taxi if you want to drop here).
O/N in Hoian (B/L)
Day 11: HOI AN FREE DAY
Full day at leisure in Hoi An. With Hoi An beach a close 5km from town it is a perfect place to spend the day. Or you can hire a bike and cycle along the paths and lanes to smaller villages near the town.
O/N in Hoian (B)
Day 12: HOI AN - DANANG - NHA TRANG
Pick up at 7:40AM, transfer to Danang airport for short flight to Nhatrang.
Pick up at arrival in Cam Ranh airport, transfer to hotel for your rest time.
O/N in Nhatrang (B)
Day 13: NHATRANG CRUISE
This tour is designed as an ecological & relaxing tour, suitable for dymamic & nature-loved your travellers. You will be met up at your hotel from 8.00 am to 08.30 am & transferred by car/van to Da Chong Whalf, about 18 km away from the city center for embarking on boat, cruising on Nha Phu bay. The boat will take you to some islands orderly Thi island, Orchid stream island & Lao island, where you can enjoy a number of outdoors activities there, ranging feeding wife animals such as Afrian Ostriches, Deers, Monkeys… to watching animal performances of Goats, Monkeys, elephants, bears & dogs. Then you can participate in rowing, swimming, riding horses around the islands for photos taking ( on own account ) and doing various kinds of water sport there. Lunch around noon time at local restaurant on the island included in tour with seafood specialities. Tour ends around 4.00 pm and car will pick up & transfer back to the hotel.
Timing: 8.00 am – 4.00 pm
O/N in Nhatrang (B/L)
Day 14: NHA TRANG - DALAT
In the morning, take a scenic drive uphill to Dalat (140km). On arrival, check in hotel. We will have a half day of sightseeing in and around Dalat. Take a cable car ride to Tuyen Lam Lake. Visit the summer residence of Bao Dai, Vietnam’s last emperor, the fascinating Crazy House, the cathedrals and convents that populate this former French retreat. Dalat’s temperate climate makes it ideal for vegetable and flower cultivation, and the tour includes a visit to the Dalat Market and the Dalat Flower Garden to see a variety of orchid species
O/N in Dalat (B/L)
Day 15: DALAT - SAIGON
In the morning, free to visit the colourful Dalat Market to see the variety of flowers, vegetables, and fruits available in Dalat’s temperate climate. Then drive to Ho Chi Minh City (310 km). En route, stop at rubber, tea and coffee plantations. Arrival in HCMC in the afternoon, check-in hotel and have free time.
O/N in Saigon (B/L)
Day 16: CU CHI TUNNEL - CAO DAI TEMPLE
Tay Ninh, near the Cambodian border, is home to the unique Cao Dai sect, whose patron saints include Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo and Winston Churchill to name a few. The religion is a hybrid of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity. The Cao Dai Temple at Tay Ninh has been described as a Walt Disney fantasia of the East. The temple's exterior is decorated with multi-colored dragons of all shapes and sizes competing for space with a number of swastikas. Above the main entrance is the all-seeing holy eye, the symbol of the Cao Dai sect. The interior is just as engaging as statues of Jesus Christ, Buddha and the Hindu god, Brahma, stand side by side.
The trip to Tay Ninh is combined with a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels. At its height the tunnel system stretched over 250km. from Saigon to the Cambodian border and was three levels deep. The network included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and a feel of what underground life in the American war must
have been like. The tunnels have been widened for our benefit (otherwise we would not be able to enter
them!) For those interested there's even the opportunity to fire off rounds from an AK47 or MK16 at the
nearby rifle range.
In the morning we drive to Cu Chi Tunnels then onto Tay Ninh to observe the midday service. Following
lunch, we visit, we will drive back to Ho Chi Minh City, arrive Ho Chi Minh late afternoon.
O/N in Saigon (B/L/D)
Day 17: SAIGON - VINH LONG
This morning we set off for our drive to the town of Vinh long. Here we will board our private boat for a cruise along the maze of waterways and canals of the Mekong. We will stop at a local restaurant for a sumptuous Delta lunch, including the popular dish of 'Elephant ear fish', before continuing our exploration of the tributaries and canals of the delta. After lunch, we visit some local cottage industries such as tile workshop, tofu makers, blacksmith, and coffin makers… Towards the end of the day we arrive at the home of a local farmer family. These people will be our hosts for this evening and will tell us more about life in the Delta.
O/n in Vinhlong.(B/L/D)
Day 18: VINH LONG - CAN THO
Early start with the sounds of the delta, we have short walk around the island to observe the daily activities of local farmers. Continue with our cruise, we arrive at Mr. Cai Cuong house, which was a former landlord house. Here, we can devour the fresh tropical fruits of the Delta, while having a brief South Vietnamese traditional music performed by local artists. We carry on with a visit to a Nursery garden, where you can see most of the Delta fruit tree seedlings. Last thing on our schedule is the famed Caibe floating market. Continue our journey to the city of Can Tho, which is considered to be the heart of the Mekong Delta.
O/n in Cantho (B/L/D)
Day 19: CAN THO - SAIGON
7.30AM: We leave the hotel, board a motor boat along the Mighty Mekong River to Cai Rang floating market, the largest of its kind, where a colorful display of boats carrying juicy fruits and vegetables gather for daily exchanging. Then we continue the cruise & have a short walk on a country road to take in the magnificent scenery and get close to the locals as they go about their daily routine.
Late morning, the boat takes us across Mekong River to Vinh Long on the other side. On arrival, visit the local village making incense stick before drive back to HCMC.
Stop for lunch en route.
O/N in Saigon (B/L)
Day 20: SAIGON CITY TOUR
Saigon as the city is still frequently referred to is Vietnam’s largest city. It is a fast-paced city full of contrasts as street vendors selling fruit and vegetables can be seen next to glitzy western-style bars and boutiques. Saigon’s history is only 300 years old. In 1859 the city was captured by the French and became the capital of Cochin china. From 1956 until its dramatic demise in April 1975 it was the capital of the US-backed Republic of Vietnam. Today Ho Chi Minh City is very much the heart of Vietnamese business and entrepreneurs. And yet the city still retains its connections to the past, particularly in Cholon, Saigon’s Chinatown. Here dozens of elegant temples and pagodas can be seen. The French also left their mark with some fine colonial-era buildings such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office.
AM: The Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office
At approximately 1pm we shall take lunch at the renowned Pho 2000 near the Ben Thanh Market.
PM: Giac Lam Pagoda, Cholon & Thien Hau Pagoda, Ben Thanh Market
The tour finishes at approximately 6pm when you will be transferred back to your hotel.
O/N in Saigon (B/L)
Day 21: SAIGON DEPARTURE
Free at your leisure 6:00AM for airport pick up and transfer. End of our services (B)
