Spectacular Vietnam - 2 Weeks

This morning you will spend time to explore some main interesting sights of the city including:

Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex dedicated to the father of modern Vietnam consisting of his Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, Uncle Ho’s house on stilts; One Pillar Pagoda – an iconic symbol of the city that dated back from 1049; the ruin of the ancient Imperial Citadel of Thang Long; Temple of Literature, the first University of the country that built from 1076, where huge stone steles on turtle backs bear names of the country’s men who received Doctor Laureate through royal examinations.

In the afternoon, explore the Hoan Kiem Lake with Ngoc Son Temple where a legendary turtle is reserved.
Later, take a leisurely walking tour for sightseeing of the Hanoi Old Quarter, a maze of streets with thousands of photo opportunities around you. Along the way, you will have chance to sightsee local street life, traditional guilds, food market, shopping areas, food venues, ancient houses and temples.

Enjoy tasting some Hanoi specialties and finish your tour with a stop at a traditional coffee shop for a cup of Hanoi special egg coffee in a hundred years old family shop.

This evening you will get transferred to the train station for an overnight train ride to Lao Cai, gateway to Sapa mountain retreat.

Overnight on the train.

Summary of inclusions

Arrival in Lao Cai in the early morning (5.30-6.00AM) and embark on one-hour drive uphill to Sa Pa town that located on the middle height of the Hoang Lien Mountain Range. This former French hill station is famous for its stunning natural sceneries, terrace landscapes and typical hill tribe culture.

After breakfast and a short break, take a walk down hillside to visit Cat Cat village in a nearby valley. Here you will have chance to visit local homes, see the Cat Cat waterfalls, enjoy traditional music performance by local boys and girls and wander around for sightseeing of the village. Continue to Sin Chai village, another Hmong village, at the bottom of Fansipan Mountain.
Get back Sapa town and check in hotel. Remainder of the day is at your leisure to explore the little lovely Sapa.

Note: Optional activity of taking cable car ride to visit the Fansipan Mountain is available at your disposal.

Summary of inclusions

After breakfast, get a short transfer to the Sapa trekking point for your wonderful day treking through the Muong Hoa River valley, visiting Lao Chai village and Y Linh Ho village of Hmong, Ta Van village of Dzay people.
Along the way you will also drop in to visit local homes, local schools and enjoy interaction with local people. (You can choose to take light or hard trek depending on your fitness level)
Prepare your camera for fascinating photos along the way. 
Lunch at a local home in the Dzay village of Ta Van.

Enjoy some time to wander around or take a swim in the Muong Hoa stream. 
Get pick up by bus back to Sapa town and enjoy your time free to wander around exploring the town.
Later, get a transfer down to Lao Cai city for overnight train ride back Hanoi.
Overnight on board the train in AC soft sleeper cabin.

Optional visit to Sapa botanical garden or just pamper yourselves with a foot massage.

Summary of inclusions

Arrive in Hanoi early in the morning about 5.30AM.
Check in hotel day room for fresh up and have breakfast.

08.30AM – 09.00AM: Get picked up from hotel and leave Hanoi for a drive to Hon Gai pier where you board the boat for cruise on spectacular Halong Bay & Bai Tu Long Bay. 

Said to be one of the most beautiful nature wonders in the World, Halong Bay consists of thousands of limestone islands soaring up from the emerald water of the bay. The different shape of islands here is the result of the work of wind and water through millions of year. With dotted pristine beaches, floating villages, amazing natural caves and fascinating scenes, Halong and its surroundings is the must-see for travelers to Vietnam.

Check in on board upon arrival at noon time. Have lunch while leisurely cruising to the core of the bay amongst thousands of dramatic lime stone islands.
In the afternoon you will enjoy Halong Bay kayaking through the karsts and breathtaking nature or swimming on one of the beaches
Enjoy sunset party while your cruise is sailing to the overnight anchorage.
Dinner and overnight on board amongst islands and under star live sky.

Note: The cruise itinerary can be different depending on tide condition, boat and route assigned.

Summary of inclusions

Wake up early in the morning if you wish to catch the sunrise over the Bay’s spectacular landscape with a cup of tea or coffee.

After breakfast, take a rowing boat tour around to visit to explore a natural tunnel and floating village in Halong Bay.  Later, you will cruise to visit another part of the Bai Tu Long Bay and Halong Bay.
Lunch is served on your way cruising back to the harbor.
Disembark the boat at early noon (11.00 – 11.30 depending on boat and tide). Drive back to the airport for late afternoon flight to Da Nang, gate way to Hoi An.
Pick up from the airport and transfer to hotel for check in. Evening is at your leisure. 

Summary of inclusions

Nested by the bank of the Thu Bon River, Hoi An ancient town once was the largest sea port the Centre Vietnam from 15th to 19th century and was the hub for merchant boats from both East and West. The town is characterized by medieval streets with yellow painted ancient houses, communal halls, temples all are designated as part of the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1999. The exceptionally well preserved architecture, traditions and life style along with benficial tourist services making Hoi An today one of the top destinations in the World.

Today you have a free day to enjoy your walk around Hoi An and exploring featured sights of the town such as central market, former merchants’ houses, the 400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, Chinese communal halland  Hoi An museum and so on…

As Hoi An is a paradise for shopping lovers, it is the chance for you to indulge yourself with some fantastic shopping of tailor made clothes and souvenirs.
Along the walk you will also have chance try some best food in Hoian: Cao Lau, Quang noodle, white rose, VAC cake, fried wonton, chicken rice and so on.

Overnight in hotel in Hoi An.

Summary of inclusions

Breakfast is at the hotel then start your exciting day with Hoi An country tour by bicycle. Cycle your way along little hidden alleys thru rustic villages and green farm lands. You will have a chance to observe locals working on their farms and water. Visit a local homes, talk with local hosts to learn about local file and enjoy tea with them.

Later, enjoy a round bamboo boat rowing trip thru the water coconut forest which was the lair of Viet Cong during the war. Then, continue to visit Tra Que village that famous for growing special herbs and vegetable on the hot sand with traditional techniques and bio fertilizer, join with locals on their daily farm work.
Enjoy a cooking class to cook and learn about some of local specialties.
Afternoon is free for you to explore the town at your own pace to wander around the town for shopping or swimming on Hoi An beach.

Summary of inclusions

After breakfast, leave Hoi An for scenic drive through green lands, pristine beaches, spectacular lagoons and verdant mountains to Hue Royal City with stops for a great panorama view form the top of Hai Van Pass.
Check in hotel upon arrival and this afternoon you will take a bicycle tour visit to the traditional bronze casting village where you see locals make beautiful stuffs with traditional tools and methods.
From here you ride crossing the Da Vien Bridge to the southern bank of the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu, the oldest pagoda in Hue and is iconic symbol of the city.
Continue your ride along the paved road to the Old Quarter to visit the Imperial Citadel and Forbidden City, the living area of the Royal family of the Nguyen Dynasty.
Back to hotel and remainder of the day is at your leisure for relax and enjoy hotel facilities.

Notes: You can take the tour by car/van if you wish.

Summary of inclusions

After breakfast, enjoy your exciting day tour by motorbike ride to discover Hue countryside, royal monuments and fascinating nature. (You can also choose to take car/van drive instead)
Visit a local market which located in beautiful and very poetic scenery of Hue’s country, the centuries-old covered bridge of Thanh Toan and a farming exhibition house then continue your ride along hidden alley, off the beaten track, visiting traditional villages with traditional handicraft such as conical hat and incense making.
Following, visit the ancient Tu Hieu Pagoda then to one of Mausoleums of Emperor, special royal architecture in Hue, built for eternal resting of Emperor and in line with the Royal citadel.
Enjoy a special vegetarian lunch at a pagoda, prepared by Buddhist nuns.
In the afternoon, enjoy more ride and spend time to explore the relic of ancient Tiger – Elephant Arena and from here you ride further to visit a traditonal handicraft village that is famous with making paper flowers. 
Back to the hotel in the late afternoon and evening is at your leisure.

Summary of inclusions

Take a transfer to the airport for short morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City. 

Being the largest metropolis in Vietnam, Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City is a very dynamic city that contains a big blend of old and new, East and West. This place is characterized by busy traffic, fast moving daily life, skyscrapers, exciting nightlife and is home of some best street foods. 

This afternoon you will have an interesting tour to explore Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) with visits to some highlights such as the War Remnant Museum that houses a huge display of documents and artifacts of and about recent wars in Vietnam, the century-old Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, the Independence Palace (former Presidential Palace of the South of Vietnam).
End your day with a visit to Ben Thanh Market, the central market of Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City that is full of local produces, sounds and smells and beautiful souvenirs.

Evening is free to enjoy Saigon nightlife at your own pace.

Summary of inclusions

After an early breakfast, drive out of Saigon center for a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels, one of the most famous war relics in Vietnam and the World.

This underground city consists of more than 200km of narrow underground tunnels that connecting half or total covered hideouts, shelters, fighting bunkers, hospital, school, living rooms and so on with air filters, airtight covers, booby traps and sentries were all part of the system. This system was dug and used as a stronghold of Viet Minh and Viet Cong during the First and Second Indochina Wars from 1948 to 1975.

Watch a documentary film introducing the war time then walk along sinuous paths run under tropical foliage to explore the tunnel system. Discover secret entrance, booby traps, visiting workshops, clinics and so on... It is the chance for you to creep into a tunnel to experience how the Vietcong lived and fought during that time and learn more about Vietnam War as well as how strong people’s determination can be. 
Driver back to the city and remainder of the day is at your leisure.

Summary of inclusions

After breakfast, leave Saigon for a 2 hour scenic drive through scenic country land to the Mekong Delta with stops to visit a Cao Dai church of Caodaism whose architecture that could have come straight from a Walt Disney fantasy and where all the major faiths of the world blend together in a unique religious cocktail, and the Vinh Trang Pagoda - a special Buddhism architecture in Mekong with more than hundred year history.

In the Mekong, you will take boat cruise on a branch of the Mekong River, exploring lively activities along river such as fishing, water transferring etc, visiting to local cottage industries such as coconut candy processing, sleeping mat weaving, salt making, pottery making and so on.
Also, you will have an exciting ride on motor cart (or bicycle) along shady paths, pass by coconut forest, green rice fields and vegetable plains to be able to touch on real life and find out about this fascinating tropical land and take little sampan rowing along meandering canal to explore the local way of life.  
Disembark the boat and drive further down to Can Tho.

Check in accommodation and the rest of the day is to wander around to explore the area.

Summary of inclusions

Breakfast at the hotel then take a boat trip along the small and picturesque tributaries for sightseeing of the Cai Rang floating market, the largest and most famous one in the Mekong Delta.

Here, hundreds of boats gather for selling and buying local products of different kinds and colors making it a very hustle atmosphere on the river.
Disembark the boat and take a tour of Can tho city with visit to ancient house of Binh Thuy that was the important background for the famous movie of Director J. Annaud – L’amant and visiting to Binh Thuy Temple.
Get transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City. Remainder of the day is at your leisure.

Summary of inclusions

Breakfast is at the hotel.

Free at your leisure until check out time (12.00) and get pick up from the hotel and transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Safe travel and see you again!

Summary of inclusions