DAY 1 Hanoi Arrival. Meals: -
Arrive at Noi Bai International Airport, meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and English speaking guide. The driving distance is approximately 45 minutes.
Your visa should be pre-arranged, or be sure that 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.
Hanoi or “River-bound City” as its name literally means is Vietnam’s capital with a thousand-year-old history dating back to 1010. The city’s fascinating beauty which is characterized by unique cultural relics, ancient streets of antique houses, elegant French colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards and romantic lakes has made it one of the most charming cities of Asia.
DAY 2 Hanoi – Bus To Sapa. 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. Lunch at local restaurant
Afternoon transfer by bus to Sapa. Enjoy 4.5hour driving on the longest highway of Vietnam with mountain landscape. Check in & overnight in Sapa.
DAY 3 Sapa – Lao Chai – Ta Van Villages. Meals: B
Breakfast at hotel then we transfer to visit Cat Cat village, home of Hmong ethnic minority people. The traditional trades of brocade making and silver and bronze smith are still practiced nowadays by villagers after numerous generations of their ancestors. You can see the Hmong women by their looms weaving fabrics. We reach Y Linh Ho village, another Hmong settlement characterized by simple houses built of bamboo and clay. Trek down Muong Hoa valley, one of the most scenic valleys in Northwestern Vietnam stretching over 30 km between two mountain ranges an housing the largest colony of terraced paddy fields in the region. From your entry point to the valley, Lao Chai village of the Black Hmong minority people, cross to its other side of the valley. Arrive in Ta Van village where you will have a chance to observe its inhabitants, the Giay people belonging to a very small minority group only found in Northern highlands of Vietnam. Transfer back to Sapa
DAY 4 Sapa – Silver Water Fall – Heaven Gate And Ham Rong – Bus To Hanoi. Meals: B
Morning, we drive to the Silver Waterfall where a French-built hydropower station has been in service since 1920 (best in the rainy season from May to November). Take a short walk to the waterfall where a great view is offered of the surrounding mountains and the lush forests of Hoang Lien National Park. Along the way, your guide will explain about this special part of Sa Pa, where many tree species are grown such as plum and peach trees. Continue by car up to Heaven's Gate where you can see Fansipan Mountain, ‘the roof of Indochina’ at the height of 3143 meters above sea level. Transfer Sapa - Lao Cai – Hanoi – picturesque village over Red River. Bus transfer to Hanoi on the same highway (estimated time: 15:00 Sapa - 20:00 Hanoi).
DAY 5: Hanoi – Halong – Overnight In Halong City. Meals:B
Morning, transfer to Ha Long Bay which is about 160 km or 3.5 hour drive away. Moving through the countryside on the way will bring you a clear perspective of a country’s whose 80% of population live on farming. Have a quick rest stop en route before reaching Ha Long City. Arrival to the dock, board a cruise boat to explore the legendary Ha Long Bay. Ha Long means Descending Dragon in Vietnamese as legend has it that a holly dragon landed down here 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. The boat will stop at Dau Go Island for you to visit Thien Cung Cave (Heaven Palace) and Dau Go Cave (Wooden Stakes). Dau Go Cave in 13th Century was a depot to store pointed wooden stakes, which later were used by Vietnamese great military commander Tran Hung Dao to trap and puncture Mongolian naval boats in famous battles of Bach Dang. Continue cruising while fresh seafood lunch is served on board. Disembark and check in hotel for overnight in Ha Long City.
Notes: Since 2015, there’s no fishing village with human living in Ha Long Bay. Under a decision of UNESCO, all fishing villagers have to reside in Ha Long city, not allowed to live and work in the bay. This is to decrease negative effects from human to Ha Long bay environment.
DAY 6 Halong – Ninh Binh – Tam Coc . Meals: B,L
Morning, after breakfast at hotel, transfer in a private coach about 100 km South of Hanoi (2.5 hour drive) to Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh Province. Discover the first capital of Vietnam, which was founded in the 10th Century by the Dinh Dynasty as a stronghold against the Northern invaders and shortly later was inherited by the Le Dynasty. Visit the two old temples one dedicated to Dinh Tien Hoang, the only king of the Dinh Dynasty and also Vietnam’s first emperor and the other to the succeeding kings of the Le Dynasty. Enjoy an-hour cycling tour on quiet roads through the picturesque landscape of villages, paddy fields, rivers and rocky outcrops to Tam Coc about 12 km away. Check in a hotel
Cruise along the meandering river through paddy fields and past the karst formations before entering the half-submerged entrances of three caves for a visit. These are major representatives of a host of natural caves and grottoes present in local mountains. Stop for a short break near a small shrine before returning to the dock and proceed to Ninh Binh town for hotel check-in. Evening at leisure and night stay in town.
DAY 7 : Ninh Binh – Hoa Lu – Vinh. Meals: B
After breakfast, we check out and visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital with 2 temples of the Kings Dinh and Le. Transfer to Kim Son district to visit Phat Diem cathedral with its unique architecture blending Christanity and Buddhism. Transfer to Vinh city (200km).
Arrival and check in hotel
DAY 8 : Vinh – Dong Hoi. Meals: B
Today, you’ll have an early breakfast at hotel. 7:00am morning transfer to visit Phong Nha caves, upon arrival at Phong Nha cave site, we will take a boat cruise on the picturesque Son river to explore 600 meter stretch of the underground river and magnificent grottos of Bi Ki, Fairy and Royal Court named for what the shapes of stalagmites and stalagtites look like. The deeper we penetrate, the more magical are the natural aspects of the cave.
After lunch, we transfer to Dong Hoi. Check in, overnight in Dong Hoi.
Notes: Phong Nha is “wet” cave where tourists have to go boating on the hidden river through the caves. During Nov – March, due to heavy rain, the river water level rises and the cave vault is sometimes occupied, so we can’t visit. If this case happens, we will visit Thien Duong Paradise cave “dry” cave instead (walking 1km inside).
DAY 9: Dong Hoi – Hue. Meals: B
Breakfast at hotel then we transfer to Hue. A stop for a visit of DMZ Hien Luong Bridge will be made – Ben Hai River – the Former Demarcation Line between the North and the South and then Vinh Moc tunnels before heading to Hue in the afternoon.
Reach Hue, we take a dragon boat along the Perfume River. We will stop to visit Thien Mu pagoda, one of the best-loved architectural pagodas in Vietnam considered by many as the unofficial symbol of Hue City. Afterward, we visit Dong Ba - the local market in Hue on bank of river.
DAY 10: Hue – Da Nang – Hoi An. Meals: B
Morning, we visit 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. Move on to Khai Dinh Tomb, the burial site of Khai Dinh, 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 and then Khai Dinh Mausoleums.
Transfer to Da Nang via 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. Lunch at restaurant in Da Nang – Champa museum before driving to Hoi An
DAY 11: Hoi An – Free Day. Meals:B
Breakfast at hotel. You’re free time or take optional tours (My Son or bicycle tour on rice fields – see belows).
OPTION TOURS IN HOI AN
OPTION 1: MY SON SANCTUARY HALFDAY (8:00 – 12:00)
08.00 am: local guide pick up you at the hotel’s lobby and depart for the ancient Cham ruins of My Son. Once there, visit the Tra Kieu capital which was the former administration center of Champa Kingdom. Discover the majestic ancient ruins at My Son including ancient towers which were built from the fourth century. Back to Hoi An. End the services.
Price = US$ 36/ person applied from 5 pax
Inclusion: Transportation by air-conditioned vehicle, English speaking guide, entrance fee, 1 bottled water/person.
Exclusion: Lunch, tipping
OPTION 2: BICYCLE TOUR IN COUNTRYSIDE HALFDAY (9:00 – 13:00)
09:00 Our local guide will meet you at the hotel’s lobby and take you by bicycle through the tiny village lanes to the river where you can learn about the daily life of the local people. Keep cycling through the fields of corn, sweet potatoes, the forests of nipas, the lakes of shrimp and crab farm. On the way, we will visit houses for worshipping ancestors and houses of handicraft men such as: blacksmiths, carpenters and masons where you can learn many unusual things about life in Hoi An. End the services.
Price = US$ 33/ person applied from 5 pax
Inclusion: Private bikes, English speaking guide, Lunch, 1 bottled water/person
Exclusion: Lunch, tipping
DAY 12: Hoi An – Free Day Meals: B
Breakfast at hotel.
Fullday free at your leisure time to relax in Hoi An
Overnight at hotel in Hoi An
DAY 13: Hoi An – Da Nang – Flight To Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). Meals: B
You are then transfer to airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh. Flight time is approximately 1.5 hours.
Arrival Tan Son Nhat airport, warm welcomed by our guide & driver then transfer to the city.
The driving distance is approximately 45 minutes.
Afternoon, continue to visit 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. Next, 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. You’ll also 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. Move on to Cho Lon or the city’s China Town where you will visit the Jade Emperor Temple (Phuoc Hai), a rare Taoist structure in Vietnam built in 1909 in dedication to the Lord of Heaven. It’s filled with smoky incense and fantastic carved figurines and still buzzing with worshipers, many lounging in the front gardens.
DAY 14: Ho Chi Minh – Departure. Meals:B
Meet our guide & driver at the hotel lobby then transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for flight...
