Day 1: Arrival - Hanoi
Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, our guide and driver will pick you up and transfer to hotel for check in. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour (B, L)
You are met at 08:30 am in the hotel lobby. There is a morning and afternoon schedule, as well as an organised lunch.
Morning:
• Ho Chi Minh Complex including his former stilt–house residence, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh Museum
• The Temple of Literature – Vietnam’s first university dating back to 1070
• A local Vietnamese lunch
Afternoon:
• Hanoi Hilton museum (Hoa Lo prison)
• Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake – the Ngoc Son Temple is set on a tiny island on Hoan Kiem Lake, its history dating back to the 13th century
• A one–hour cyclo tour through the narrow, chaotic streets of the Old Quarter – a must for any visitor to Hanoi!
• A traditional performance of the famous Vietnamese water puppets
Relax and overnight in Hanoi.
Day 3: Hanoi - Halong Bay (B, L, D)
07.30 – 07.45 Pick up from your hotel in Hanoi by shuttle bus of cruise company. Drive to Halong Bay. Enjoy the peaceful scenery as we travel through the countryside, farmlands and Red River delta.
11.30 Upon arrival at Vinashin Tourist Harbor, You are welcomed at our waiting room before enjoying the cruise.
12.15-12.30 Embark on Huong Hai Sealife. Enjoy welcome drink as Cruise Manager gives you a brief overview of the itinerary and important safety guideline. Check in your cabin.
13.00 Start cruisingamong famous Islets (Indochina studio, Am Islet…) ofBai Tu Long Bay, the wildest beauty with the panoramic natural views.
Admire the grace of the bay while enjoying the delicious lunch in the restaurant at the first deck.
14.30 Explore the well-hidden Co Cave (known as Thien Canh Son Cave). Relax on white sandy beach or walk along the beach at Hon Co Island (no swimming).
15.45 Return to Huong Hai Sealife and enjoy Happy hour. You will have 30% discount off from the special drinks list; including of cocktail, mocktail and mixed drinks (from 16.30 pm to 19.00 pm.).
Treasure the wonderful beauty of Bai Tu Long Bay at sunset, admire the striking islands and islets, savor the fresh and peaceful atmosphere which could hardly be found in landwhile cruising to Cong Do sleeping area.
16.30 Enjoy kayaking at Cong Do or relaxing on the cruise.
18.00 Onboard the vessel, surrounded by a stunning, setting in motion, attend our chef’s cooking demonstration and try your skills in the art of traditional Vietnamese cooking (spring roll)on the sundeck.
19.15 Dinner is served in the restaurant at the first desk. You can enjoy the charm of Bai Tu Long Bay at night.
21.00 Evening activities: relax at leisure; enjoy our Movie Night, Board Games or our Massage & Spa services(massage and spa fee is not included in the price), squid fishing. Overnight on Bai Tu Long Bay
Day 4: Halong Bay - Hanoi (B, L)
06.30-7.45 Before enjoying the breakfast with cookies and tea, café at the restaurant of the cruise, tourists can try the taichi session on the sundeck at the break of dawn on Bai Tu Long Bay
7.45-8.45 Explore the area of Hon Co Island and Co Cave (Grass Cave, also known as Thien Canh Son). You can revel in the breathtaking view of Bai Tu Long bay from above, as well as the glorious long white sand of Hon Co Island.
Tourists can relax on the white sand beach of Co Island, enjoy swimming on the area of Co Island. With the long white sand beaches and the crystal-like green water, definitely, tourists would have the fantastic moments after exploring the cave.
8.45 Tourists come back to the cruise by tender.
9.15 Tourists arrange the luggage and check out.
9.30-10.30 Tourists can enjoy the light lunch (brunch) in Sealife Cruise while the cruise departs from Hon Co Island back to Vinashin dock.
11.15 Arrive back at Vinashin dock, Halong city for disembarkation where your driver waits to take you back to your Hanoi
16.30 Arrive in Hanoi. Relax and overnight in Hanoi.
Day 5: Hanoi - Hoa Lu - Tam Coc - Lao Cai (B, L) - by night train
08:00 Our guide will pick you up at hotel and leave Hanoi Capital for Ninh Binh, enjoy the beautiful sceneries of the rural areas on the way. About 10:00 arrive Hoa Lu, visit the the two temples of King Dinh and King Le in the 10th century, finding out the heroic histories of this two Kings in Chinese Wars. After that, we go to Tam Coc (10 km far from Hoa Lu). King Dinh Tien Hoang chose this mountain location as the water systems fed from the mountains were perfect for both agriculture and defense. Enjoy the sight of palaces, pagodas, tombs and pavilions built by different dynasties and visit the Dinh and Le Temples, the two remaining architectures of Hoa Lu. Have lunch at local restaurant.
After lunch you will get on bamboo boat – rowed by the local people – in Hoang Long river to visit Tam Coc (three caves) on the way, you also have chance to see the paddy field if you visit Tam Coc in April or September.
Then visit Bich Dong Pagoda comprising three pagodas located at different levels on a green mountain and the setting of the French film ‘Indochina’
16:30 Back to the Harbour for the transfer to Hanoi.
20:45 Transfer to Station with our guide to catch the night train to Lao Cai (soft sleeper with airconditioning) at 21:50pm, arrive 5:30 or 6:00am. Overnight on train.
Day 6: Lao Cai - Coc Ly Market - Sapa (B, L)
After having breakfast, you will travel by car from Lao Cai Railway Station. The ride is relatively flat from Lao Cai. It will take you through rural area. The road is rougher for the last 30km. You arrive in Coc Ly by the time where the market is the most crowded. Coc Ly market locates by the Chay River, which flows from China. Every Tuesday morning, minorities from surrounding villages such as Flower Hmong, Black Zao and Tay, gather to sell and buy their products. After visiting the market, you travel by boat downstream. Along the ride, you can enjoy magnificent sight of the beautiful caves and life on the riverbank. You will have lunch on a beach or later in a village. The trip will also offers you a visit to Trung Do village of Tay minority, where you can stop by a traditional Tay house for a cup of tea. You will go further downstream until you arrive to Bao Nhai Bridge. Here you get on the car for the journey back to Sapa. Overnight in Sapa.
Day 7: Sapa - Lao Chai - Ta Van (B, L)
Have breakfast at hotel and then start trekking. The first part is on the road but we soon turn to the right and walk on a small path down the valley to the Muong Hoa River and from here to the Black H’mong village Lao Chai. Black H’mong is one of the biggest minority groups in the Sapa area. They are proud of their culture and keep their traditions and way of living. They have their own language and wear traditional indigio blue clothing. After this you continue to Ta Van village (1.200 m) to visit Zay people. Zay is a fairly small minority group of about 38.000 people who live mainly in the mountains in Northwest Vietnam. The development has meant that some of their old customs have been lost but many women still wear traditional shirts with a purple, blue or green color. The Zay houses are build of wood and bamboo with a clay floor. Overnight in Sapa.
Day 8: Sapa - Lao Cai - Hanoi (B, L) - by night train
We continue along small paths in the rice fields, cross the Muong Hoa River and trek up to Su pan and transfer to the station in Lao Cai for the night train back to Hanoi at 20:15, arrive around 05:00 in the next day. Overnight on train.
Day 9: Hanoi - Da Nang - Hoi An - by flight
Our driver will pick you up at the station and transfer to the airport for the flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival, pick up and transfer to Hoi An. Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 10: Hoi An - Tra Que Village - Hoi An (B, L)
08:00: Our guide will see you at hotel with your bicycle. You will cycle to a local farm in Tra Que village.
A short stroll will take you around the vegetable garden and then you can join the farmers in preparing the land and fertilizing it with seaweed from thelocal lake. following steps are raking the ground, sowing, watering, picking vegetables and many other gardening activities. after all these activities, you will take a short rest and enjoy foot bath before getting to preparing lunch with a local family. Your lunch will consist of many local delicacies including ‘tam huu’ spring roll, Banh xeo or local pancake of people in vietnam middle region. you can join the cooking with the chef on these meals. After your morning excurtions and your lunch, you will take a vietnamese traditional post-prandial nap before learning how to harvest and wrap the vegetables.
Around 14.00: bid farewell to your host family before riding back to Hoi An, on the way back we will stop at Japanese tomb. Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 11: Hoi An - Ho Chi Minh City (B) - by flight
Transfer to the airport in Da Nang for flight to Ho Chi Minh city. Upon arriving at the airport, our driver will transfer you to the hotel. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.
Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho (B, L)
08:00 Our guide will pick you up at the hotel and depart to Cai Be. On the way you can see green rice paddy fields stretching towards the horizon. After arrival in Cai Be, a boat takes you to the floating market with sellers and buyers bargaining and exchanging their goods from their boats. This market nowadays is not as busy as before because after the two huge bridges named My Thuan & Can Tho finished, so almost of things are transferred by road. Then, an optional stop can be made at local workshops where you can see how rice paste, coconut candy and pop-rice, popcorn is made. It is so interesting to visit the handicraft village, where you can see how they make some special products as: Making rice-net for spring rolls, fish sauce & Soya sauce, sewing coconut-leaves for cottage proof...
A delicious lunch will be served at Mr. Kiet an ancient house over 170 years old or under the shade of local orchards on the An Binh Island. After lunch, the rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside to enjoy the peaceful time on smaller canals. It is so interesting to see traditional houses made of wood and palm tree leaves and see some activities of the local farmers with an opportunity to make contacts with them and see how they catch fish or pick up fruits by ancestral ways in Mekong Delta. Proceed to Can Tho. Free time to visit bustling Can Tho market. Overnight in Can Tho.
Day 13: Can Tho - Ho Chi Minh City (B, L)
Take a leisurely boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong river ( Bassac River), then proceed to Cai Rang floating markets, which are the liveliest in the whole religion.
Have you ever tasted Vietnamese vermicelli soup? Well, now go and see how it is made. Then wander around the village and meet the friendly local people and experience how to cross a "Monkey bridge" which is built by only o¬ne stem of bamboo. Have lunch. Then drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 14: Ho Chi Minh City Tour - Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L)
08:00 Pick you up at hotel. Transfer to the Cu Chi Tunnels (75 km from downtown). Visit Cu Chi tunnels with watching documentary film, witness hand-made weapon gallery (gun, land mine, bamboo traps…), crawl into the real tunnels. Back to Ho Chi Minh city. Have lunch. In the afternoon, we will visit the Former Presidential Palace, the War Crime Museum, the central complex of architecture: the Notre Dame Cathedral, the City Hall, the Municipal Theater. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.
Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City - Departure (B)
Free and easy for a walking in the city until transferred to the airport for your flight. End of services.