Vietnam Grand 19 days 18 nights
Day 1: Hanoi arrival
Upon your arrival at international airport, you will be picked up by your English speaking and then transferred to city centre with a brief introduction before arrival to hotel for check in. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B,L)
After breakfast, we will start to explore Hanoi city with the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed on every Monday and Friday), an imposing monument made of generous amount of marble and granite. This is where the preserved body of “Uncle Ho” can be viewed. Continue visiting the lotus-shaped One-Pillar Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot), whose origins date back to the foundation of city, the Fine Arts museum for the best displays of Vietnamese arts over the centuries, and the Temple of Literature – the center of the Confucian education and the first university of Vietnam. Enjoy lunch at local restaurant.
In the afternoon, continue with Quan Thanh and Tran Quoc pagoda, then route the wonderful Ethnology Museum to understand about Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups. End the day with one hour ride through the Old Quarter with 36 streets and 36 wares and be dropped off to enjoy the Water Puppet Show, the unique art of Northern Vietnam.
Day 3: Hanoi – Halong Bay (B,L,D)
After breakfast, pick up at the lobby of your hotel, depart for Halong Bay. En route we have a short stop at the Sao Dao center run for and by handicapped children for short break. Upon arrival at Bai Chay Whalf, we will be met by captain and board your traditional wooden junk. and start cruising out to the mystic bay while a seafood lunch is served on board.
In the afternoon, we cruise to the inside of magical landscape and admire the Dinh Huong island, Ga Choi Island, Dog Island, Binh Phong mountain. And stop to visit the Surprise cave (Sung Sot cave), visit Luon cave for swimming or mountain climbing to Titop peak for panoramic view of the bay. Have dinner on board. Late tonight, join with the junk crew for squid fishing on board if interested. Overnight on junk.
Day 4: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Night train to Lao Cai (B,L)
Rise to the sound of the ocean coming to life for another lovely day. Before breakfast, you may have an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay. After breakfast, we cruise to the Bai Tho Mountain in the other beautiful Bai Tu Long Bay and we cruise back to the Halong dock. Lunch/ Brunch buffet breakfast is served on boat before checkout. Boat arrive at harbor then transfer back to Hanoi. Free time for your shopping. Dinner on your own before driving to Hanoi station for night train to Lao Cai. Overnight on train.
Day 5: Lao cai – Sapa (B,L)
Upon your arrival to Lao Cai station, pick up and transfer to Sapa for relaxing and having breakfast at hotel. Then start to explore Sapa Town. Lunch at local restaurant.
In the afternoon, take a 2km trek to Cat Cat Village, home of H’mong Ethnics. Meet & talk with locals to learn more about their daily life. Then continue the ride to Tafin village (12km from Sapa) home to the Red Dzao minority. Visit Tafin Cave, Tafin handicraft shops and explore the daily life of Red Dzao. Here you have good choice to buy woven and textile brocades, which are hand made by ethnic people. Visit a small hamlet of Black H’mong people here too. Back to hotel. Dinner is your own. Overnight at hotel.
Day 6: Sapa – Bac Ha market (Sunday only!) – Lao Cai – Night train to Hanoi (B,L)
After breakfast at hotel then depart to Bacha Market with 2,5 hour drive. Upon arrival you will visit the market filled with many different hill-tribe peoples such as Flower Hmong ,Dzay ,Tay ..people .At the market, you have chance to enjoy Bac Ha people’s simple but unique kinds of food with special wines made from rice, cassavas, corn and different sorts of fruits such as plumps, apples, peaches… talking to the minorities through the guide’s interpretation. After lunch at local restaurant, leave the market for Bao Nhai Bridge. In Bao Nhai, take a 1-hour boat ride up the stunning Chay River Valley for a picnic at the Fairy Cave, then back down (1hr) to Trung Do.
Afterwards, transfer back to Lao Cai station for your own dinner before taking the night train back to Hanoi. Overnight on train.
Day 7: Hanoi traditional villages (B,L)
You will arrive to Hanoi early this morning, picked up by guide then transfer to Hoan Kiem lake for doing Taichi, then transfer to hotel for early check in for relaxation and breakfast.
After breakfast at hotel, pick up at hotel lobby at around 09:30am, then drive to Bat Trang village, the famous and long-standing pottery village situated on the left bank of Hong river and about 10 km from Hanoi. Upon arrival, you have chance to watch the artisans forming, painting and glazing their products, which are then baked for several days in huge kilns, and buy the nicest pottery product in the village. Lunch at local restaurant.
In the afternoon, proceed to Dong Ky, the famous traditional wood carving village, upon arrival, we will watch carpenters forming, carving and polishing wood products, making decorated pictures by snail, oyster shells. If you wish, you can have handcrafted furniture custom-made here and exported directly to your address abroad. Drive back to hotel. Dinner on your own, and overnight in Hanoi.
Day 8: Hanoi – Flight to Hue via VN241 (B,L)
You will take early morning flight to Hue. Pick up and transfer to hotel upon arrival to airport. Then start to explore Hue city by enjoying the boat cruise on Perfum River, viewing the city and the tranquil villages on the riverbank. Then walk up to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda, a nicely located pagoda, overlooks the Perfume River and the beautiful scenery beyond, where you get to learn more about the Buddhism in Vietnam. Next, take a short ride to visit the Imperial Citadel from where the Nguyen emperors once ruled Vietnam. Lunch at local restaurant.
Afternoon, drive to visit the Tomb of King Tu Duc and Khai Dinh. Then, walk with your guide around Dong Ba Market to experience local commercial life activities and shopping opportunities. Transfer back to your hotel. Overnight in Hue.
Day 9: Hue biking (B,L)
After breakfast, start the biking trip to cycle to the countryside for a visit of Thanh Toan Bridge. On the road you can see green rice paddy fields. On arrival you can enjoy the old bridge with still keep until now with unique architecture. And see the small museum where display Vietnamese farmer’s instruments on field work, from here, you can learn more of daily life of countryside people, sights on the small river. Enjoy your picnic lunch before biking back to the hotel by another route meandering between paddy fields and family chapels.
This afternoon is free at leisure.
Day 10: Hue – Hoi An via Danang (B,L)
After breakfast, check out of hotel and drive to Hoi An via Hai Van (Ocean Clouds) Pass, where a spectacular panorama of the central coastline can be viewed from the summit. Upon arriving in Danang, have a stop to visit the Cham Museum and China Beach before heading to Hoi An. Lunch at local restaurant.
This afternoon, enjoy a walking tour of the ancient town centre. Follow the narrow lanes lined with centuries-old houses influenced by Chinese, Japanese, French and European architectures and visit its numerous places of interest: the 400-year old Japanese Covered Bridge, the Phuc Kien Assembly Halls, the local fish market… Around the town we can see a numerous art galleries and tailor shops, get some made-to-order clothes if you like. Dinner is your own. Overnight in Hue
Day 11: Hoi An (B,L)
After breakfast, ride a bicycle to a local farm in Tra Que village with an introduction to the history of the village, the cultivation of the vegetables as well as discovering about the use of vegetables in traditional Vietnamese medicine.
Upon arrival, you will take a trip around the vegetable garden and join the farmers in preparing the land and fertilizing it with seaweed from the local lake. Continuing doing some next steps such as: raking the ground, sowing, watering greens, picking greens and many more gardening activities. Then spend the rest of the morning working the land in the time honored way, before breaking to prepare lunch with a local family.
After your lunch and the exertions of the morning, take an even more traditional Vietnamese post-prandial nap before learning how to harvest and wrap the vegetables. Around 15.00, bid farewell to your host family before riding back to Hoi An, on the way back we will stop at Nhat tomb and Ba Le well. Drive back to hotel. Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 12: Hoi An – Danang – Flight to Nha Trang (B)
Today, you will take morning flight to Nha Trang. Upon arrival, pick up and transfer to hotel for check in. The balance of time is free & easy for your own exploration or just relaxation at hotel. Overnight in Nha Trang.
Day 13: Nha Trang (B,L)
Breakfast at hotel then transfer to the Institute of Oceanography built at the beginning of 20th Century by French, where is exhibiting many oceanic creatures considered to be the most diversified & sufficient in Vietnam. Visit Bao Dai King’s Villa – the place for rest & recreation for Bao Dai King when he was alive. That villa was built on a top of hill surrounded by beautiful sceneries. Yersin museum, where you will understand more about the life & career & researches of Doctor Yersin. He is the most well-known doctor in the world, who ever lived & died in Nha Trang. At noon Have lunch & short break. Keep on visiting Long Son Pagoda, Ponagar Towers & shopping at Dam market. Drive back to hotel for your relaxation. Overnight in Nha Trang.
Day 14: Nha Trang (B)
Today is free at leisure to enjoy the sun, sea or hotel’s healthy facilities. Overnight in Nha Trang.
Day 15: Nha Trang – Dalat (B)
After breakfast, check out hotel and enjoy a scenic drive through the farms of grapes, tobacco and cotton, waterfalls, spectacular passes, tea and coffee plantations. You will arrive in Dalat in the mid day, check in hotel and enjoy your lunch at local restaurant.
This afternoon, start the city tour including visit Bao Dai palace, where the last Emperor of Vietnam – Bao Dai (1913-1997) stayed and ruled his Vietnam from 1949 to 1954, Mong Mo hill, Love valley – a beautiful and romantic landscape. continue to visit Truc Lam Monastery – the largest Zen Monastery of Vietnam, and enjoy Lat Ethnic band, the nicest Lake of Dalat. Drive back to hotel. Overnight in Dalat.
Day 16: Dalat – Flight to Sai Gon– Sai Gon city tour (B,L)
Morning flight of today to Sai Gon. On arrival, pick up and transfer to hotel. Then start to explore the city tour including the visit to the Re Unification Palace, the former palace of President Thieu and his predecessors. Today this building is a museum and venue for official receptions. Nearby is the Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral, built between 1877 and 1883 and one of the city’s major landmarks. Neo-Romanesque in form, Notre Dame is the major seat of the Catholic religion in modern Vietnam. Lunch is at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, visit the History Museum for a thorough understanding of the Vietnamese history and then visit the War Remnant museum to have an overall picture of the most recent wars in country. End the day with shopping opportunities at Ben Thanh market. Back to your hotel. Overnight in Sai Gon.
Day 17: Sai Gon – Cu Chi tunnels – Tay Ninh (B,L)
Morning, pick up at your hotel then drive to visit to Cu Chi Tunnels (70km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City), an amazing complex of underground tunnels used during the Vietnam war by Viet Cong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. Next, continue the route to Tay Ninh to see the ornate temple of Cao Dai and attend the fantastic mid-day service when the followers fill the hall wearing colored robes, a symbol of the extra combination of the Confucianism, Christianity, Taoism and Buddhism. Lunch is at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, drive back to city centre, the balance of time is free for your relaxation and more shopping opportunities.
Day 18: Sai Gon – Vinh Long – Sai Gon (B,L)
This morning, pick up at your hotel then depart for Cai Be floating market which is situated in the Mekong delta. Upon arrival, embark a private boat to cruise around Cai Be Floating Market to see local people being selling, buying, exchanging goods from their boats. Visit local garden and house to see orchard, rice crisped producing process, etc.. .
After lunch at local restaurant or local family, continue cruising along river to see peaceful tranquil life of villagers, admire marvelous natural setting of Mekong Delta region. The boat will arrival at Vinh Long Market, walking around to explore Vinh Long Market.
Then return back to Ho Chi Minh with stop at bonsai garden. Arrival at your hotel in the late evening. Overnight in Sai Gon.
Day 19: Sai Gon – Departure (B)
Today, you will be free until the time to transfer to airport for your departure flight. End of our services.
| Trip included | Trip excluded |
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