DAY 1: Vien Tiane Arrival - Half Day City Tour (Meals: B)
Arrival Vientiane airport, Arrival airport, please go to custom desk as your first point of entry to get visa-on-arrival into the country and pay stamping fees directly by cash to custom office there then guide will pick you up outside and transfer to the city for check in.
On the same day in the afternoon, explore Vientiane including some main temples such as Vat Ho Prakeo used to be the house of the Emerald Buddha and Wat Sisaket crossing the street and where more than ten thousand of Buddha images are being placed. We continue to Pratuxai, it was Arc the Triumph of France. Afterwards, climb up to the top to get a great view of the city. End the tour with the visit to Golden Stupa, well known as That Luang Stupa and believed to contain a relic of Lord Buddha. Return to hotel.
DAY 2: Vientiane Full Day Phou Khao Khuay - Luang Prabang (Meals:B)
Morning, transfer from Vientiane to Ban Hatkhai in Phou Khao Khouay National Protected Area, where we start cycling to Tad Xay Waterfall. During the ride, enjoy some great views over Nam Mang and Mekong Rivers on the way. After a picnic lunch at Tad Xai, swimming is possible at the falls or a trek under an evergreen canopy be suggested. You continue to walk until you meet Nam Mang River more upstream where we start kayaking to Ban Hatkhai. Take a soft rest then we transfer back to the city center of Vientiane.
Afternoon, you’re transferred to airport for flight to Luang Prabang. Flight time is approximately 50 munities.
Meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and guide. Check in hotel
DAY 3: Luang Prabang Full Day Pak Ou Cave & Xiengmene (Meals: B)
Today, take a traditional wooden boat upstream to visit the famous cave of Pak Ou. The cave locates just right on the cliff; it’s a very impressive and stunning sight. Inside the cave, there are more than one hundred Buddha images which have been brought by local people since the early 14th century when the cave was found. On the way, stop shortly at Ban Muang Kham, which specializes in river weed making. Next, a stop will also be made at Ban Xanghai where you can enjoy the taste of the local rice wine. Lunch will be served on the terrace facing the Nam Ou River (lunch not included)
After lunch, drive to Kuang Si Falls, located 30 kilometers south of Luang Prabang. The many tiered waterfalls have scooped out small basins of turquoise color. You can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools and hike around the falls if wanted. Return to Luang Prabang and on the way back a stop will be made at one of the local villages.
DAY 4: Luang Prabang - Full Day Elephant Riding & City Tour (Meals:B)
In the morning, your guide and driver will take you to Elephant Village. On arrival, the Camp Manager will welcome and greet you and brief shortly about the village. After, enjoy the impressive experience of approx. 1 hour elephant ride on the Howdah – the name of Elephant seat, you will then take boat trip to the Tad Sae Waterfall and spend some time in the clear water. Your lunch will be provided at the Elephant Village Restaurant
In the afternoon, continue to explore Luang Prabang including the former royal temples, Wat Visun where one can see the Biggest statue, Wat Xieng Thong the most beautiful temple in Luang Prabang with its mosaic decoration and the former royal carriage. Its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. Next, visit the Museum (former king’s palace). A visit to Luang Prabang would be incomplete without ascending the 329 steps to the top of Phousi Hill for a beautiful sunset view of the city and its glowing reflection on the Mekong River. A visit will be made at the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely collection of handmade textiles made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Back to your hotel
DAY 5: Luang Prabang - Hanoi (Meals)
You are free at leisure until transfer to the airport for flight from Luang Prabang to Hanoi – Vietnam. Flight time is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes
Welcome to Vietnam! Please be sure your visa should be pre-arranged, or your visa-on-arrival letter is in your carry-on luggage. Please go to custom desk as your first point of entry into the country and present these documents for visa upon arrival.
Your private vehicle and guide transfer you to hotel for check in. The driving distance is approximately 45 minutes.
DAY 6: Hanoi Full Day City Tour (Meals: B)
The city tour begins with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh, the nation’s founder. At the complex, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the nation’s founder’s body is preserved (closed on Monday, Friday and through October - November), the colonial Presidential Palace, originally the French Governor Office and a fine example of French architecture in Hanoi, and the rural style Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th Century in dedication to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara or Buddha of Compassion and reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond. Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars.
Afternoon, continue the tour to one of the following museums of choice namely the Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Vietnamese History, the Museum of Revolution, the Museum of Military History or the Museum of Ethnology. Next, head for Hoan Kiem Lake, the center point of Hanoi whose name “The Return Sword Lake” originated from a legend of a sacred sword and home to a rare endangered giant turtle species and visit Ngoc Son Temple on the lake. Take a one-hour cycle tour of the Old Quarter of Hanoi with its ancient streets representing traditional trades from the past. Finish the tour at the Thang Long Opera Theatre with a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show.
DAY 7: Hanoi - Halong Bay Over Night On Boat (Meals: B,L,D)
Morning pickup at 8:00 AM from your hotel for transfer to Halong Bay, which is about 160 km or 3.5-hour drive away. The transfer is approximately 3 hours. You will see some rural areas of the Red River Delta with plenty of chances to take photos of Vietnamese farmers working in paddy fields and you may stop on the way to admire the local scenery.
Arrive in Halong City at 11:30 AM and check in aboard the booked junk right after the welcome drink is served. Start cruising while having lunch on board and enjoy the mighty bay view.
Arrive in Halong City at 11:30 AM and check in aboard the booked junk when your journey across Halong Bay starts. Halong Bay meaning Descending Dragon Bay in Vietnamese as legend has it that it was where a holly dragon landed down from sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back 500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2.
After lunch, take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with golden sails, go swimming on a quiet beach or sunbath on the sundeck. Later in the afternoon, you will visit an interesting fishing village with an opportunity to interact with local people who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. An optional kayaking trip is available weather permitting. Back onboard enjoy a lavish dinner and enjoy the bay view at sunset. Spend a night on board.
DAY 8: Halong - Hanoi - Hue Arrival (Meals: Brunch)
n the morning, refresh your body and mind with a Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck at the break of dawn. Have tea and coffee onboard and continue exploring Ha Long Bay sailing across its 2000 islets and visiting some of its major highlights. Normally, check out at 09:30, have a buffet brunch while cruising back to shore. Disembark at 11:00 AM to transfer to Hanoi capital.
Free at leisure until meet our guide then transfer to airport for flight to Hue. Flight time is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes
Arrival Hue airport, you are transferred to town by private car & guide. The transfer from airport to hotel is approximately 20 minutes. Check in & relax
DAY 9: Hue City Tour With River Cruise - Da Nang - Hoi An (Meals:B)
Morning, take full day tour of Hue City, the former Imperial Capital of Vietnam for the 1802-1945 period and the last refuge of Vietnamese feudalism. The city’s beauty is characterized by a natural scenic landscape and an extensive variety of historical relics. Begin with Hue Citadel, a well-known UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site which is a 520 ha fortress-like grand complex built in the early 1800s and featuring three enclosures separated by heavy ramparts namely Kinh Thanh Hue (Civic City) as the outer, Hoang Thanh (Royal City) as the middle and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden City) as the inner. Continue to Khai Dinh Tomb, the burial site of Vietnam’s second-to-last king, and the most elaborate compared to other kings’ tombs. The tomb shows a vivid European influence in architecture despite its Asian style. Next, visit Tu Duc Tomb, one of the Nguyen Dynasty’s finest architectural works nested in a pine forest where the 4th emperor of the Nguyen family was laid to rest.
We continue to take a boat cruise along the Perfume River to enjoy the open view of the river and its surroundings. Stop along the way and land on shore to visit two prominent historical landmarks namely the Minh Mang Tomb, where the 2nd Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty was buried, and Thien Mu Pagoda, an active Buddhist monastery overlooking the river from a vantage point with its origin dating back to 1601. Afterwards, transfer to Hoi An via the Hai Van Pass (Ocean Cloud Pass). Enjoy a stunning headland-and-bay panoramic view from the pass, which for miles hugs the mountainside along the shoreline and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Arrival Hoi An, check in hotel for overnight
DAY 10: Hoi An Full Day Ancient Town (Meals:B)
Morning, meet our guide at your hotel and transfer out for a full day city tour to discover the charm of Hoi An Today, transfer about 40 km West of Hoi An to visit My Son Sanctuary, another UNESCO-recognized world heritage which was once a religious center of Cham people where royal ceremonies and burials were performed. The site now is a colony of partially ruined Hindu temples from the total of 70 constructed by Cham Kings between the 4th and the 14th Centuries in dedication to god Shiva. It is regarded one of the foremost Hindu temple complexes in Southeast Asia and is often compared with other temple heritages of Southeast Asia such as Angkor in Cambodia, Ayuthaya in Thailand or Borobudur in Java.
In the afternoon, discover the charm of Hoi An recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is now a peaceful town of exceptionally well-preserved architecture, lifestyles and traditions. The town exemplifies a fascinating fusion of cultures between Vietnam and the outside world including China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines. Your sightseeing will include the iconic 400-year-old Covered Bridge with a small temple attached to one side as a prominent example of Japanese architecture, the Museum of Trade Ceramics which is an elegant Vietnamese style wooden house built in 1858 showcasing antique ceramic artifacts, the 200-year-old Tan Ky House typifying an ancient Chinese merchant residence, the Ong Temple built in 1653 by Chinese settlers to worship Guan Yu, an ancient Chinese general whose character stands for loyalty, bravery and justice and the local market vibrant with colors and activities. Return to your hotel
DAY 11: Hoi An - Da Nang - Ho Chi Minh Half Day City Tour (Meals:B)
Morning, free at leisure until transfer to Da Nang airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City
Flight time is approximately 1.5 hours.
Meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and guide. The transfer distance is approximately 30 minutes
DAY 12: Full Day City Tour & Cu Chi Tunnels (Meals:B)
Morning, meet your guide and transfer about 75 km North-west of downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Discover the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, which were once a major underground hideout and resistance base of Viet Cong forces during the two wars against the French and the Americans. The tunnels, entirely hand-dug, formed a highly intricate network of interlinked multilevel passageways at times stretched as far as the Cambodian border and totaling over 120 km in length. Its complexity was beyond imagination containing meeting rooms, kitchens, wells, clinics, schools, depots, trenches and emergency exits all aimed for guerrilla warfare. The tunnels were deep and strong enough to withstand destructive bombings and self-contained enough to outlast prolonged sieges. Return to the city at noon time for a rest.
Afternoon, your guide continue to bring you to visit the War Remnants Museum which features a comprehensive collection of the machinery, weapons, photos, and documentation of Vietnam War with the both the French and Americans and the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975. Move to Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, a neo-Roman cathedral built over 130 years ago by the colonial French with materials entirely imported from Marseilles and stained-glass windows from Chartres. Next, visit Sai Gon Post Office, a fine colonial building which was designed and built in the early 20th Century by the famous French architect Gustave Eiffel. Last, stop for shopping at the French-built Ben Thanh Market which dates back to 1870 and whose main entrance clock tower has become a city’s symbol.
DAY 13: Ho Chi Minh - Full Day Mekong Delta (My Tho) (Meals:B)
Today, you will be picked up and travel past miles of flat rice fields, along a bustling road to the Mekong Delta, the world’s largest delta and Vietnam's largest rice bowl.
On arrival in My Tho City, board a motorboat and navigate through intricate canals while observing the local daily life up close as well as the landscape of waterways and lush islands. Land on Thoi Son Island where you can listen to Southern traditional music performed by native artists. Next, you will change to a paddle boat to cruise through the narrow canals and visit households with traditional occupations of home-based coconut candy and rice-wine making. Continue travel by motorized boat to another island to visit a bee farm and taste tea with fresh honey from the beehives and enjoy fresh fruits. On the return to My Tho, stop to visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda, a prominent local Buddhist structure built in 1850 with a unique architectural mixture of Vietnamese, Roman, Chinese and Cambodian styles characterized by a highly ornate façade. You might enjoy a lovely lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant. At the end of the tour, you will find the way back to Ho Chi Minh.
DAY 14: Ho Chi Minh – Departure (Meals: B)
You are free at leisure until transfer to the airport for flight departure
