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, D)
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
18:30
- We start Hanoi street food tour. We will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes. We eat as we go, trying seasonal fruits and sampling a tasty French–inspired snack from a street cart.
- Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we tempt our tastebuds with the famed Hanoi dishes such as Bun Cha Ta, Banh Cuon at a local eatery. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how this tasty dish is put together. Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, we wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1000 years ago.
- Our guide will take you to one of Hanoi’s best kept secrets, a hidden street food restaurant to taste top ten street foods in Hanoi is Banh My Hanoi, Vietnamese Rice Wine and famous Egg Coffee. This hard–to–find café is one of the few left in the narrow street inside the old quarter of Hanoi. Or, if coffee is not your style, a cold beer awaits!
- Back to hotel. Overnight in Hanoi.
Please note: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed all day on Monday and Fridays, as well as from 1st October to 30th November (approx.) for annual conservation.
Day 3: Hanoi – Hoa Lu – Tam Coc (B, L)
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. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 4: Hanoi – Sapa – Cat Cat – Y Linh Ho (B, L)
Breakfast at hotel.
07:15 Our driver will pick you up at hotel and depart to Sapa, following Noi Bai - Lao Cai high-way. Along the way, you will have chance to contemplate the beauty of northwest mountains that terraced fields are sparkling in sunlight or dim in thick fog.
12.15: Arrive in Sapa. Check in hotel and have lunch.
In the afternoon, our guide in Sapa will pick up and start the trip in Sapa. You first sneak through the Sapa market and leave the busy town behind. After a couple of minutes, you follow a road going downhill to Cat Cat village. You will stop by a waterfall and a hydroelectric station for a while before continuing the trek on a dirt trail through rice paddy terraces. You also will enjoy spectacular scenery while walking along a narrow river. You eventually arrive in Y Linh Ho village of Black Hmong minority. Relax and overnight in Sapa.
Day 5: Sapa – Fansipan – Lao Chai – Ta Van (B, L)
After breakfast, we drive to Silver Waterfall. The Silver Waterfall is located about a half hour from Sapa town which offers stunning views over surrounding mountains and lush forests belonging to Hoang Lien National Park. You are advised to stop by a farm for a cup of tea and talk with people to understand their local life. Then we continue our drive uphill to the Heavens Gate, the highest stretch of road in Vietnam as well as the provincial border of Lao Cai and Lai Chau provinces. Enjoy fantastic view over the valley!
Optional: Then take a cable car to Fansipan mountain. Currently the highest point of Fansipan is at 3,143m high. As you know the cable car in Sapa is the world’s longest and highest cable car, running up from sleepy Sapa Town in Lao Cai Province to the peak of Fansipan Mountain, known as Indochina’s rooftop. Enjoy the view from the highest point of this incredible mountain. The lush green and subtropical vegetation makes this mountain really very beautiful. Take some pictures for unforgettable experience from the top. After taking scenery then get cable car back to Sapa. (It costs you 32 USD/ per person for the ticket).
Then we 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. Relax and overnight in Sapa.
Day 6: Sapa – Ma Tra – Ta Phin – Lao Cai – Hanoi (B, L)
After the breakfast, the trekking expedition starts. You will go off the main road, onto hilly mountainous trails. Your surrounding is filled with lush vegetation, pine forest and fresh air. You will experience the untouched beauty of the area. Matra is the newly added location in a series of villages in Sapa that visitors can go to. The village is about 5km from the town of Sapa. This has around 50 households, resided by only H’Mong people. Ma Tra village has restored the traditional flax weaving loom, forging tools and carved silver production as part of tourism. After 3h walks from Matra, you will then reach Taphin village where the red Dao and H’mong reside. With this mix of ethnicity, the culture is this village is rather exciting and colorful. Lunch will be served on the way in a local family.
You will also have a chance to visit the unique caves in the Taphin area. This cave system is small and meandering, leading to all different direction but will eventually lead you to one point. The village also has an old monastery built during the French colonial period. There is also an arts and crafts house displaying and selling authentic jewelries made by the locals. Then drive back to Hanoi following Noi Bai - Lao Cai high-way. Along the way, you will have chance to contemplate the beauty of northwest mountains that terraced fields are sparkling in sunlight or dim in thick fog.
Optional: Bac Ha market (only open on Sunday)
After the breakfast, we go to the Bac Ha market for two hours by a private car (AC). This is the largest market in the region, a place where many ethnic groups gather to buy and sell, eat and drink together. There are 10 minority groups in the Bac Ha region. You can buy homemade handicrafts and clothes. In the afternoon we will have a 2 hour trek to Ban Pho village (Flower H’Mong people).In the village we can have a look in their house and understand little more about their lifestyle and traditional customs. Especially, we can try homemade wine from corn. Then drive back to Hanoi by luxury bus following Noi Bai - Lao Cai high-way. Along the way, you will have chance to contemplate the beauty of northwest mountains that terraced fields are sparkling in sunlight or dim in thick fog.
Around 21:00 You wil arrive in Hanoi. Check in and relax. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 7: Hanoi – Halong bay (B, L, D)
- 7.30 – 08:00 Pick up and drive to Halong City through the paddy fields in the Red River Delta v12:00 Arrive at Hon Gai Harbour, enter our waiting lounge for short break before getting on boat
- 12:30 Enjoy a welcome drink on board
- 13:00 Cruising through Bai Tu Long Bay and having lunch with Set Menu
- 15:00 Exploring Vung Vieng Village: Guest choose to discover the daily life of the fisher communities with bamboo boat (one hour) or kayaking around Vung Vieng area (one hour)
- 16:30 Swimming, Sunbathing and Relaxing at Ban Chan Beach.
- 17:30 Relax and enjoy the sunset cocktail while the boat is cruising to Cong Dong - Cong Do area. Docking for overnight.
- 19:30 Having BBQ dinner
- 21:00 Free evening or taking part in some activities of board games or squid fishing, karaoke (on request) Taste the variety of drink at our luxury sundeck bar (chargable) with wines, cocktails, brandy, juices...
- 23:00 End of program for Day One.
Notes: Itineraries may changed due to the weather condition and operation of authority management
Time for driving: around 3,5 hours
Day 8: Halong bay – Hanoi (BR)
- 06:30 Rise early for morning tai chi on the sundeck.
- 07:15 Enjoy a light breakfast while cruising to Hon Co area.
- 08:00 Exploring the Thien Canh Son Cave. Located at the centre of the World Heritage Area- Halong Bay, Thien Canh Son Cave treats tourists to the wild and mysterious beauty of nature.
- 09:30 Return to the boat for check out and relaxing on sundeck or watching fruits carving demonstration
- 10:30 Enjoy the last of the Ha Long Bay scenery over lunch as the boat cruises back to shore
- 11:45 Transfer by tender to the pier, relax inside our waiting lounge and waiting for return transportation.
Drive back to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
Time for driving: around 3,5 hours
Day 9: Hanoi - Da Nang - Hoi An (B) - by flight
Breakfast at hotel. Then transfer to the airport for flight to Da Nang in the morning. Pick up and transfer to Hoi An for check in and relax. Overnight in Hoi An.
Optional: My Son Tour + Boat trip (L)
08:00 Begin the day with an excursion to My Son, Vietnam’s most evocative Cham site recently named by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. The Cham people considered this area, in the shadow of Cat’s Tooth Peak, the domain of the Gods, and it served as the religious and intellectual center of the culture. Lunch at local restaurant in Hoi An. In the afternoon, take a boat trip on Thu Bon River - the poetic river that shaped the verdant nature and rich cultural heritage of Hoian. Stop en route to visit two handicraft villages nestled on the river banks: Thanh Ha pottery village and Kim Bong carpentry village well known for their nice handicraft products. Transfer back to the hotel afterward. Relax and overnight in Hoi An.
Day 10: Hoi An (B)
Free day for your activities or relax on beach.
Optional:Cooking class (L)
We start cooking class at 13:00
Visit Hoi An’s colourful market, and experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy market. We will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and purchase some of the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later.
We board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. This is a chance to view local river life, so make sure your camera is handy.
On arrival, we explore the cooking school’s herb and vegetable garden, before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – each dish is first demonstrated by the Red Bridge chef’s, before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration).
After the lesson, we sit down and eat exactly what we have cooked.
Recipes (our food contains no MSG):
- Making fresh Rice paper
- Fresh Rice Paper Rolls of Shrimp
- Crispy Hoi An Pancakes with Shrimp, Herbs & a Peanut Sauce
- Seafood Salad with mixed Vietnamese Herbs served in Half a Pineapple
- Vietnamese Eggplant in Clay Pot
- Food Decoration – Tomato Rose & Vietnamese Cucumber Hand Fan
*A vegetarian meal can be provided on request.
Finish at approximately 6.00pm – transfer back to central Hoi An.Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 11: Hoi An (B)
Free day for your activities or relax on beach.
Optional: Ba Na hill with Golden Bridge (L)
08.00 Pick up at your hotel and transfer to Ba Na hills and take Cable Car which gains 5 world scores to Ba Na hills station. Stop at By Night station to visit Vong Nguyet hills, Linh Ung pagoda, The Old Villas of French. Continue moving up by cable car to the Nui Chua Mountain – the top of Ba Na range, visiting Nginh Phong top, Le Nim Villas, Orchid Garden… Experience hill climbing train (first and unique funicular in Vietnam) and visit an old French cellar (Debay Ancient Wine Cellar), flower garden Le Jardin D’amour, Linh Ung Pagoda and special: The golden bridge or vietnam hand bridge.
Have lunch at restaurant.
Free for joining games in Fantasy Park – the third biggest indoor games zone in Vietnam with series of interesting games: 4 – 5D film, skiver, The death race, dinosaur park…
Day 12: Hoi An (B)
Breakfast at hotel, free for your time to discover the city by yourself or relax on beach. End of services.
Day 13: Hoi An – Da Nang – Ho Chi Minh City (B) – by flight
After breakfast, we will transfer to the airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City in the morning. Our guide will pick you up and 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 Saigon. 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, Ben Thanh market.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.
Day 14: Ho Chi Minh city – Mekong Delta (B, L)
08:00 Leave Ho Chi Minh city, enjoy the scenic journey along the National Highway bordered by green rice fields. On arrived at My Tho, visit Vinh Trang pagoda, take a leisurely boat ride along the river, view stilt houses, fruit plantations and fishing villages along the river bank. Proceed to Tortoise islet, have lunch in the orchard garden. Then a boat ride to An Khanh – a less touristy attraction in Ben Tre, enjoy cruising on a hand-rowed sampan under the shade of the water coconut trees along natural canals. Have a short cycling tour then enjoy seasonal fruit & honey tea to the sound of "Southern Vietnamese folk music", performed by the locals. Visit a family business which epitomizes the idyllic rural lifestyle, taste delicious coconut candy & observe the pastoral life as you roam through fruit plantations and villages. Then drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 15: Ho Chi Minh city – Departure (B)
Breakfast at hotel. Then transfer to the airport for your flight. End of services.
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