Beauty of Vietnam

Arrive at Noi Bai International Airport, welcome by our guide and transfer to your hotel. The driving time is approximately 40 munites.

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.

Morning, take a full day city tour beginning with 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 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. Go to 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. Next, 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.

Today included: Private transportation with English speaking guide, entrance fees, 02 bottles of mineral water per pax, Hotel accommodation.

Your private guide will pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi downtown and then 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.

Afternoon, start a boating tour of Tam Coc, which is also referred to as “an inland Ha Long” for its strikingly similar terrain of rugged rocky mountains rising up from the lush wetland and constituting a magnificent maze.  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 Ha Noi capital. 

05:25 AM. Reach to Lao Cai in very early morning, meet our guide & driver then transfer to beautiful town of Sapa.

A 6 km car ride from Sa Pa will take you through a scenic landscape to Lao Chai village, a settlement of the Black Hmong ethnic minority people. From a vantage point on the main road, you can catch a panoramic view of the village located right in the Muong Hoa valley at one of its ends and backed by mountains. Enjoy sighting fields, streams and interact with hospitable villagers. Continue by trekking about 4 km to Ta Van village which is clusters of rural houses embraced by the wavy curves of the terraced paddy fields. Villagers here are the Giay ethnic minority people, a small group only inhabiting Northern highlands of Vietnam.

After lunch, hike for 3 km over hills and through a bamboo forest. Stop at a waterfall to rest before entering Giang Ta Chai village, home to the Red Dao ethnic minority people. Explore the village and observe villagers in their daily life activities. You will be picked up and return to Sa Pa by car.

Today included: Private transportation with English speaking guide, entrance fee, 02 bottles of mineral water per pax, Hotel accommodation.

*** If the tour isn’t on Sunday, we will visit other market instead.

Leave Sa Pa early in the morning to travel by car about 2.5 hours through winding mountain roads to Bac Ha Market. Arrive to discover the big outdoor market known as the venue for largest fairs in the region. Watch the colorful market lively with minorities of various groups buying and selling assorted goods including handicraft, working tools and livestock.

Continue to travel by car about one hour to Trung Do village, a settlement of the Tay ethnic minority people. Take a leisure ride on a cart pulled by a water buffalo around the village and observe hospitable villagers with their peaceful lifestyle. From the village, board a boat to cruise down the Chay River and enjoy sighting the magnificent mountainous landscape along the way. Disembark and refresh with a cup of tea before transferring back by car to either to Sa Pa or Lao Cai railway station. 

Transfer from Sapa to the train staion in Lao Cai with a private vehicle and driver. The transfer is approximately 1 hour.  The train starts running at 8:35 PM. Overnight on train.

Today included: Private transportation with English speaking guide, entrance fees, boat fee, 02 bottles of mineral water per pax, train accommodation (4 berth cabin – sharing cabin). 

4:45 AM. Arrival Hanoi in very early morning, meet our guide & driver then transfer to the small hotel for refreshent. 

8:00 AM transfer from your hotel to Ha Long Bay, which is about 160 km or 3.5-hour drive away. On the way, 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. Stop half way to visit a handicraft workshop of fine clothes and embroidered paintings. Arrive in Ha Long 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.

Ha Long 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. The bay cruise will continue with up close sighting of Dinh Huong Island, Ga Choi Island, Dog Island, Sail Island, a visit to Sung Sot Cave and swimming stop at Titov Beach. Relax to enjoy the bay view at sunset, have dinner after, go fishing at 09:00 PM and spend a night on board.

Today included: Private transportation with English speaking guide, 02 bottles of mineral water per pax, Cruise accommodation.

Wake up at 06:30 AM and refresh your body and mind with a Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck. Tai Chi is an ancient internal martial art often practiced in soft and gracefully slow moves to enhance internal harmony and vitality. Have tea and coffee onboard before proceeding to Titov Islet or SoiSim Island to trek and swim. Check out at 09:30, have a buffet brunch while cruising back to shore. Disembark at 11:00 AM to transfer to Hanoi

airport for flight to Hue. Arrival Hue, meet our guide & driver then transfer to hotel for checking in.

Today included: Private transportation with English speaking guide, 02 bottles of mineral water per pax, Hotel accommodation.

Morning, meet our guide at your hotel and take a 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

Afternoon, you will 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. Last destination is stop for shopping at Dong Ba market, which is the city’s traditional commercial center.

Today included: Private transportation with English speaking guide, entrance fees, boat fee, 02 bottles of mineral water per pax, Hotel accommodation.

Check out and you 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. On the way, you will stop to visit Museum of Cham Sculpture built in 1915 and housing the world’s most extensive collection of Cham ethnic sculpture artworks and the Marble Mountains, whose peaks represent the five basic elements of the universe.

 Arrive in hotel in Hoi An. Check in and free by your own. Overnight in Hoi An.

Today included: Private transportation with English speaking guide, entrance fee, 02 bottles of mineral water per pax, Hotel accommodation.

Morning, meet our guide at your hotel and transfer out for a full day city tour to discover the charm of Hoi An as a renowned World Heritage Site. Once a bustling maritime commercial port of Asia between 15th and 19th centuries, Hoi An 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. Highlights for sightseeing include the town’s 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. 

Afternoon, take a boat cruise on the Thu Bon River to enjoy the countryside landscapes. Land on Kim Bong village where carpentry has been practiced since the 16th Century as the village’s trademark to visit some old-fashioned boatyards using timber as the main material. Move on to Thanh Ha village to see its traditional ceramic production trade still alive and thriving despite the 500-year passage of time. 

Today included: Private transportation with English speaking guide, entrance fees, boat fee, 02 bottles of mineral water per pax, Hotel accommodation.

Free at leisure until transfer to Danang airport for flight to Sai Gon city. The flight time is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, welcome by our guide and transfer to your hotel. The transfer distance is approximately 30 minutes.

Afternoon, take a city tour 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 Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica a neo-Roman cathedral built by the colonial French with materials entirely imported from Marseilles, the Saigon Central Post Office, which was designed and constructed in the early 20th Century by the famous French architect Gustave Eiffel, Cho ​Lon area or the city’s China Town and the Jade Emperor Temple (Phuoc Hai), a rare Taoist structure in Vietnam built by the Cantonese community in the area in 1909.

Today included: Private transportation with English speaking guide, entrance fees, 02 bottles of mineral water per pax, Hotel accommodation.

Morning, pick up at your hotel and transfer about 136km to Vinh Long, a riverside town located in the Mekong Delta. Enjoy a boat cruise to the Caibe floating market with sellers and buyers bargaining and exchangeing goods from their boats, and then to Hoa Binh Phuoc islet where the maze o shady creeks will surely fascinate you. You will have a change to mighle with local peasants, learn the secrets of their bonsai gardening. Visit local homes where the famillies produce tiles and ceramics; drop into rice-paper kiln and coconut-candy kiln; and observe daily country life.

Afternoon, drive to Can Tho & check in and free at leisure.

Today included: Private transportation with English speaking guide, entrance fee, boat fee, 02 bottles of mineral water per pax, Hotel accommodation.

Morning, depart Ninh Kieu wharf by shuttle-boat, you can see bustling activities along Can Tho riverbanks. Particularly, you may know how local people go fishing with plenty of fish traps and how they transport passengers as well as products by the waterway. Approaching Cai Rang floating market, you can reappear the selling activities in the past using a traditional “offering pole” exchanging consumer goods hanging on the pole for Mekong fruit and vegetables with local sellers. To understand more about lifestyle over here, keep on  going into the small creeks called Rach Nho in which the Southern countryside can be seen clearly before cruising back to Ninh Kieu Wharf.

Then our guide & driver witll transfer back to Sai Gon city. Free in the rest of day.

Meet our guide & driver at the hotel lobby then transfer to Saigon airport for flight...

Today included: Private transportation with English speaking guide, 01 bottle of mineral water per pax.