Day 1: Arrival - Hanoi
Airport, our guide and driver will pick you up and transfer to hotel for check in. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour - Lao Cai (B, L) - by night train
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 the Mausoleum, 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
After finishing city tour, you will come back hotel (no check in). Have dinner by yourself.
Optional: Drop off at Larosa hotel – 2 star hotel, near Station, for 3 hours check in. Relax and have dinner by yourself.
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 3: Lao Cai - Sapa - Lao Chai - Ta Van (B, L)
After meeting a guide at the Lao Cai railway station, drive to Sapa. Breakfast at local restaurant.
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. Overnight in Sapa.
Day 4: Sapa - Bac Ha Market - Sapa (B, L)
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 transfer back to Sapa. Overnight in Sapa.
Day 5: Sapa - Giang Ta Chai - Lao Cai - Hanoi (B, L) - by night train
After the breakfast we continue to visit Red Dzao people at Giang Ta Chai where we also see a waterfall. The Red Dao women have very colourful red embroideryand coins on their clothing. On their head they wear a red scarf. Some of the women have shaved off their eyebrows because of a nice Red Zao Legend. We continue along small paths in the rice fields, cross the Muong Hoa River and trek up to Su pan. And then transfer to the station in Lao Cai for the night train back to Hanoi at 20:15, arrive around 05:00. Overnight on train.
Day 6: Hanoi - Halong Bay (B, L, D)
Train arrives Hanoi at 05:00, we go to Hoan Kiem lake to see hundreds of local people doing Taichi on its side. Walk around the old streets before coming back to the hotel for a shower to fresh up and buffet breakfast there.
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 7: Halong Bay - Hanoi - Da Nang - Hoi An (BR) - by flight
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.
Then transfer to the airport for the flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival, pick up and drive to hotel. Check in and Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 8: Hoi An - Tra Que Village - Hoi An (B, L) - Joining tour
08:00 am: 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.
Then 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 9: Hoi An (B)
Breakfast at hotel, free time for your activities to discover the city or relax on beach. Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 10: Hoi An - Da Nang - Nha Trang (B) - by flight
Breakfast at hotel. Then transfer to the airport for flight to Nha Trang. Pick up and drive to hotel for check in and relax. Overnight in Nha Trang.
Day 11: Nha Trang (B)
The day is at leisure to enjoy the paradise beach in Nha Trang or you can take an optional boat or cable car trip to the Hon Tam islands. Overnight in Nha Trang.
Day 12: Nha Trang - Ho Chi Minh City - Mui Ne (B) - by flight
An early morning transfer to the airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arriving at the airport, our driver will transfer you to Mui Ne. Overnight in Mui Ne.
Day 13: Mui Ne (B)
Breakfast at hotel, free time for your activities to discover the city or relax on beach. Overnight in Mui Ne.
Day 14: Mui Ne - Ho Chi Minh City (B)
After breakfast, you will be free until our driver will pick you up to Ho Chi Minh city. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.
Day 15: 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 16: 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 17: Ho Chi Minh City Tour - Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L)
08:00 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 18: Ho Chi Minh City - Departure (B)
Breakfast at hotel. Then transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for the your international flight at home. End of services.