Day 1: Hanoi arrival

Day 2: Hanoi

Day 3: Hanoi – Lao Cai

Day 4: Lao Cai - Sapa

Day 5: Sapa – Lao Cai - Hanoi

Day 6: Hanoi – Halong Bay

Day 7: Halong Bay – Danang – Hoi An

Day 8: Hoi An – My Son – Hoi An

Day 9: Hoi An - Hue

Day 10: Hue

Day 11: Hue - HCMC

Day 12: HCMC- Cai Be - HCMC

Day 13: HCMC departure

Day 01: ARRIVAL HANOI                    (-/-/-)

Upon arrival at Hanoi airport, our tour guide will pick you up and transfer to hotel in city center. Rest of the day at leisure or join our optional excursions around (if time permit).

OPTIONAL TOUR: WATER PUPET SHOW IN THE EVENING (D) (surcharge at US$ 55.00 per person)

Enjoy the evening with a performance of the famous water puppet show. The Vietnamese traditional art of water puppetry has roots that date back to the 10th century when it originated in the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. The farmers in the region celebrated festivals and harvests by performing this unique art form. The puppets are made of wood and usually stand sixteen inches high, but can be as tall as three feet. Puppets are attached to a long bamboo pole and dipped in and out of the water by a person behind a rattan curtain. Learning to manipulate the puppets is usually a tradition that is passed on as a family secret. It takes a great deal of skill and because the puppeteer’s hands are underwater it is easy for them to hide their methods. The fascinating part is that the central stage is below the water line, and the puppeteers stand in the waist-deep water. A rattan curtain hides them, but they can see the stage and the audience through the bamboo slats.

Accommodation in hotel in Hanoi

Meals included: None

Day 02: HANOI FULL DAY CITY TOUR         (B/-/-)

Leave your hotel for Hanoi’s Old Quarter also known as the ‘36 streets’. Take a walking tour through charming Hang Be Market and around Hoan Kiem Lake. Stop at Ngoc Son temple. This bustling area of narrow streets and alleys is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. It's a great place to explore with plenty of photo opportunities all around you.Continue to the Temple of Literature. In 1076 Quoc Tu Giam - Vietnam's first university also referred to as Van Mieu, was established within a temple to educate Vietnam's royalty, mandarins and members of the elite. The university functioned for an incredible 700 years and its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a fascinating glimpse into Vietnam’s past.Finish by a visit to the nearby mausoleum of the historic figure and father of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh (viewed from outside), and visit the former president’s house on stilts where he lived from 1958 to 1969. His former home illustrates the modesty of this Vietnamese revolutionary. Visit the small but iconic One Pillar pagoda before heading to a local restaurant to enjoy a delicious Vietnamese lunch.This afternoon, you will visit one of the water puppet masters in Hanoi to unveil the secrets behind this traditional performance. Take a short drive to Mr. Liem’s house, where guests will be warmly welcomed.  Here, guests will have the chance to explore his workshop. The shelves are lined with wooden puppet parts such as angel wings, buffalo tails and puppets of all shapes and sizes. He has built a smaller scale water puppet theater where guests can watch a 30-minute performance telling both ancient and modern stories of traditions and daily life. After the show, guests can roll up their sleeves and try to make the dragon puppet chase its tail and spit water. Finally, enjoy a 30-minute experience of puppet painting, using a range of different bright and shiny colors. This tour is a great opportunity to gain deep insight into a local craft and rural traditions while having an unforgettable unique, behind-the-scenes experience.This evening is your free time at leisure.

Accommodation in hotel in Hanoi

Meals included: Breakfast at hotel

Day 03 HANOI – BIKING TO RURAL HANOI – NIGHT TRAIN TO LAO CAI          (B/-/-)

This morning, leave behind the hustle and bustle of Hanoi and start your biking tour to the rural villages located in the other bank of the Red River. Ride through small back alleys of Bac Bien village to the Duong river’s bank and take a local ferry to cross the river. Then, hop back on your bike and ride along the river, through the quaint villages. It is the opportunity to discover traditional local houses, ancient pagodas and temples, lively markets, green rice paddy fields and gardens. On the way, stop at a local family’s who will offer you a cup of Vietnamese tea. Take time to learn about their daily life. Enjoy relaxing under an old tree standing along the river. Before your transfer back to your hotel in Hanoi to freshen up, visit a local temple where you may be lucky to see a unique ceremony of Vietnamese people –“Len Dong” or “Going into a trance”.

Transfer to the train station for the night train to Lao Cai.

Accommodation on train in a soft sleeper compartment (shared cabin)

Meals included: Breakfast at hotel

Day 04: LAO CAI - SAPA                    (B/L/-)

This morning, you will arrive in Lao Cai Station where your driver and local guide will welcome you. Have breakfast before driving to visit a local market (Ban Cam on Tuesday/ Cao Son on Wednesday/ Lung Khau Nhin on Thursday / Can Cau on Saturday/ Bac Ha on Sunday. Note: The market visit may be on your arrival day depending on the market day). Here you’ll see mostly Flower Hmong, however Phu La, Black Dao, Tay, and Nung hill tribe groups also gather here. The market offers a variety of local products not found in other areas such as an interesting animal market where pot-bellied pigs, cows and buffalos can be seen.

Take a walking tour of Sapa for a visit to the busy market where Red Dao, Black H’Mong, Tay and other ethnic minority people converge from the surrounding countryside to sell their silverware and handicrafts, and to buy provisions. Following take a light trek to discover Sapa's quaint hill tribe villages set against the stunning Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range and Indochina's highest peak, Mt. Fansipan. 

A picnic lunch will be had en-route. Rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure. Appropriate footwear must be worn on treks in Sapa. Note that if conditions are wet, programs may be diverted.

Accommodation in hotel in Sapa

Meals included: Breakfast at hotel, Picnic lunch in the village

Day 05: SAPA – LAO CAI – HANOI               (B/L/-)

This morning after breakfast, you will leave Sapa for a 30-minute road transfer to Ban Khoang Valley. Enjoy the breathtaking view of Hoag Lien Mountain Range along the way, also known as The Tonkinese Alps.

Your first stop is at Lu Khau Village in Ban Khoang Valley, Lu Khau Village is home to Blue Hmong and Red Zao minorities. Explore the village on foot, meet the friendly local people and learn about their colorful culture and lifestyle in the countryside. Depart from Ban Khoang Valley for a 8-km road transfer to Ta Giang Phinh Valley and enjoy a local lunch there.

This afternoon, take a leisurely walk through the charming Ta Giang Phinh Valley. Walk on the village path which winds down the impressive valley, home to Blue Hmong ethnic minority people. Visit some local houses to see some handicrafts workshops, observe villagers working in the fields tending their crops with buffalos. 

In the late afternoon take the bus back to Hanoi.

Arrive in Hanoi late in the evening; the rest of the day is your free time at leisure.

Accommodation in hotel in Hanoi

Meals included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at local village

Day 06: HANOI - HALONG                    (B/L/D)

Following early breakfast leave Hanoi for a 4-hour drive to Halong Bay including a 20-minutes stop on the way. Arrive at your jetty in Halong City towards noon and proceed with check-in formalities. After your welcome onboard, a lunch will be served while cruising towards the bay itself. In the afternoon, enjoy some visits and/or activities (depending on each boat’s itinerary) or just spend some time relaxing on board. Towards the end of the day the boat sets anchor for the night among the karst formations. Dinner is served on board.

Following early breakfast leave Hanoi for a 4-hour drive to Halong Bay including a 20-minutes stop on the way. Arrive at your jetty in Halong City towards noon and proceed with check-in formalities. After your welcome onboard, a lunch will be served while cruising towards the bay itself. In the afternoon, enjoy some visits and/or activities (depending on each boat’s itinerary) or just spend some time relaxing on board. Towards the end of the day the boat sets anchor for the night among the karst formations. Dinner is served on board.

Accommodation on board on Ha Long Bay

Meals included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch and dinner on board

Day 07: HALONG – HANOI AIRPORT – DA NANG - HOIAN                    (Brunch/-)

Enjoy your fresh morning in the middle of the bay, the sun rises on Halong in the morning and breakfast is served (brunch on some boats) while the vessels cruises slowly through the magnificent rock formations and back towards port. Upon disembarkation your driver will meet you for the transfer to Noi Bai Airport for the flight to Danang.

On arrival in Danang transfer to Hoi An, a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries whose architecture and relaxed lifestyle has changed little over the years.  

Overnight in Hoi An.        

Note: This tour may be subject to change depending on weather conditions.

Accommodation in hotel in Hoian

Meals included: Brunch on board

Day 08: HOIAN – MY SON - HOIAN                  (B/-/-)

Today, spend half a day visiting the capital and religious centre of the former Champa Kingdom, My Son. Here, 40km southwest of Hoi An, in a lush green valley, are dozens of red brick towers and sanctuaries dating from between the 7th and 13th centuries. On the way back to Hoi An, stop to visit Tra Kieu, formerly known as Simhapura or the Lion Citadel and the capital of Champa between the 4th and 8th centuries. Some of the finest sculptures in Danang’s Cham Museum originated from here.

This afternoon return to Hoi An, a charming destination with two faces – the old-world trading port of narrow streets and traditional houses, and the beach with its new resorts and long stretches of clean white sand. In keeping with Hoi An’s heritage as a trading port, the town’s tiny shop houses now host a range of craft shops and artisans including some of Asia’s best tailors. Despite the passing of 200 years and the ravages of weather and war, the centre of Hoi An remains much the same as it was in its heyday. Take a walking tour of the ancient town centre to visit former merchants’ houses, the 400 year-old Japanese Bridge, a Chinese communal hall and the colorful market.

Accomodation in hotel in Hoi An

Meals included: Breakfast at hotel

Day 09: HOIAN - HUE                   (B/-/-)

Have this morning at leisure before leaving Hoi An for Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. Its mesmerizing tombs and mausoleums of the last emperors of Vietnam reveal fascinating insights into the lives of the imperial families and their subjects. The ancient Citadel reflects the pomp and ceremony of the dynastic rulers as well as the scars of many years of turmoil, both ancient and modern. The Royal Citadel was badly damaged in the latter stages of the war but retains a sense of grace and majesty even today. 

Drive through Danang and visit the Cham Museum, which contains the finest collection of Cham sculptures in the world before climbing over the Pass of Ocean Clouds and dropping down to the wonderfully photogenic fishing village of Lang Co.

Accommodation in hotel in Hue

Meals included: Breakfast at hotel

Day 10: HUE                     (B/-/-)

Start your day at the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. From here take a cyclo through dai noi ‘Old City’ to Tinh Tam Lake where the Emperors used to come to relax. It is full of lotus flowers in summer and there are many local style coffee shops around the lake where university students come to study. 

After exploring the ruins of this wonderful monument depart for Thien Mu (Celestial Lady) Pagoda overlooking the Perfume River Constructed in 1601, the 21-meter tower is the centerpiece of the pagoda and represents seven reincarnations of Buddha. On the pagoda grounds is the famous Austin car a resident monk drove to Saigon in 1963 to protest against the southern regime. The photo of his self-immortalization is one of the most well-known images of the war.

Continue to former emperor Minh Mang’s tomb located in a tranquil setting of gardens and ponds, inspired by the Chinese Confucianism, a harmonious design of balance and symmetry for the emperor’s resting place.

Journey on to Khai Dinh’s Tomb designed in traditional Vietnamese style with a European touch making it unique from the other tombs in Hue.

Before heading back to your hotel take time to stroll around Dong Ba Market with your guide.  The market is another of the must see sites in Hue, the stalls are teeming with color and a great place to catch a glimpse of everyday life.

Accommodation in hotel in Hue

Meals included: Breakfast at hotel

Day 11: HUE – HO CHI MINH CITY                   (B/-/-)

Breakfast at hotel, then transfer to Hue airport for the short flight to dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by the locals.

Meet with a local guide and set off on a half day tour in Ho Chi Minh City. Start with a visit to the city’s most iconic building: Reunification Hall. Formerly called the Presidential Palace, images of the building were seen around the world on 30 April 1975 when tanks stormed the gates as Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese. Hear the echoes of time while walking through this historic downtown site.

Then take a stroll to Ho Chi Minh City’s colonial quarter, walking past scenes of everyday life on the way. Admire the beautiful architecture of the Opera House, City Hall, the old Saigon Post Office, hear about the glory days of French Indochina and how that era continues to influence aspects of modern Vietnamese culture. Step inside the War Remnants Museum for an insightful, yet somber, look into Vietnam’s military history. See exhibitions displaying imagery from the French and American wars, learning more about the country’s struggle for independence and hearing tales of the resilience of the Vietnamese people.

Then step off the tourist trail for one last visit on this Ho Chi Minh City tour at a Vietnamese coffee shop, sit down and taste the coffee like locals. After this insightful visit, return to the hotel.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Accommodation in hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Meals included: None

Day 12: HO CHI MINH CITY – MEKONG DELTA – HO CHI MINH CITY   (B/-/-)

This tour begins at 08:00. Leave the busy streets of Ho Chi Minh City and drive deep into the Mekong Delta on this Cai Be day tour. Upon arriving in Cai Be, disembark the boat when reaching Tan Phong Island and start a very interesting cycling tour immersing yourself in nature through small villages and narrow roads. Ride along the pathways and take the opportunity to visit local families making traditional products such as handicraft items made from water hyacinth, roofs made from palm leaves, hammocks made from coconut ropes, and rice papers.

Enjoy lunch with specialties of the Mekong Delta in the ambience of an ancient house. After lunch,

walk through narrow lanes of a local market to enjoy the hustle and bustle before getting on board and continue cruising on the Mekong River, witness everyday life in the watery world passing by while sampling local fresh fruits. Leave the boat for a while to visit local businesses such as family-run rice wine making and rice mill factory and interact with the host learning about their daily lives.

At the end of the tour, drive back to Saigon.

Accommodation in hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Meals included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at local restaurant

Day 13: HO CHI MINH CITY DEPARTURE          (B/-/-)

Departure day. Time at leisure until transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for onward flight.

Meals included: Breakfast at hotel

 “WE WISH YOU AN ENJOYABLE JOURNEY”