Overview
Our trip starts in busy and bustling Saigon. We have a half day visit to its key historic sites including Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum and the fascinating Notre Dame Cathedral. We enjoy a river boat cruise through densely connected network of rivers and canals in the Mekong Delta, passing through colorful floating markets and orchards. We then try to explore the stronghold of Cu Chi tunnel, crawling through tiny path to experience a guerrilla life. Heading to Hoi An, we visit the ancient town of streets, communal houses and traditional lifestyles. In Hue, we spend some time to enrich our knowledge of the former capital of Vietnam, and enjoy a visit to a poor coastal school where primary students learn lessons and carry out climate change adaptation activities. The capital city of Hanoi will enrich our experiences with its historic sites, busy shopping streets and cultural places. We take a cruise boat in the spectacular Halong Bay, where the Limestone Mountains and caves combine to make up one of the world’s most stunning landscapes. Finally we explore tribal life in Sapa, one of the key attractions in the remote North Vietnam, experience the hard life of minority ethnic groups in rocky and harsh climatic terraced rice fields.
Highlights
- Appreciating the bustling city of Saigon and seeing Saigon War Remnants Museum
- Crawling like guerrillas in Cu Chi Tunnels, Vietnam’s longest underground networks
- Trying to live on floating communities on the Mekong River
- Feeling the past through ancient town of Hoi An: its unique architecture, art, silks
- Embracing local ways of life in Hue city and exploring Emperors’ tombs
- Getting to know Hanoi’s rich cultural and historical values: its past and presence
- Boat Cruise through the limestone karsts of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Halong Bay
- Enjoying the magnificent Sapa landscape and colourful tribal villages
Itinerary
Day 0: Arrival in Saigon
This is a free day in Saigon. We pick you up from the Tan Son Nhat airport which is some kms away from the central business districts. Transfer to the hotel, have a shower and a rest. Explore the city on your own in the evening.
Day 1: Saigon city tour (Dinner)
Have a pleasant morning at your own to recover from the jetlag. At 13PM, start having a half day tour to explore this vibrant city, visitting its key historic sites including Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum and the fascinating Notre Dame Cathedral. At the end of the day, have a dinner before we take you back to the hotel or the CBD for a short walk. Overnight in Au Lac 2 hotel.
Day 2: Mekong Delta day trip (Breakfast, Lunch)
7AM: Today we will transfer in a private car to the town of Cai Be town (80 kms away) in the Mekong Delta to take a private river boat trip. This journey cruises through floating markets, rice fields, fruit plantations and so on along a densely connected network of rivers and canals. An absolutely amazing view of a totally flat, low-lying delta that seems to have no boundary will bring you an immense feeling of this region. Get back to the city in the afternoon. Overnight in Au Lac 2 hotel.
Day 3: Cu Chi Tunnels -Hoi An (Breakfast, Lunch)
7AM: check out and start the tour. In the morning we will explore an incredible network of underground tunnel designed and constructed to withstand fierce crack down of the external forces, the Cu Chi tunnel. No word could describe it better than experience it yourself. Come and see how Vietnam won the war. You will have to appreciate the talent of the country. Have lunch and take a rest among the scenic rural settings. Get back to the city airport for a flight to Da Nang (VN1320 taking off at 15.55). Get transferred to Hoi An. Free to explore this historical town at night. Overnight in Hoi An Glory and Spa.
Day 4: Hoi An (Breakfast, Lunch)
8AM: The ancient and historic town of Hoi An was for three centuries one of the most important ports in Central Vietnam, visited by sailing ships from all over the world seeking trade in silk, ceramics, spice etc. We have a half day bicycle tour to visit rural villages that once provided services and goods to merchants in town. Get relaxed along the ever green, small lanes full of vegetables, flowers, water buffalos. In the afternoon we visit Japanese covered bridge, Tan Ky Old hose, Phuc Kien Pagoda, Cham Museum and Chinese Assembly Hall. Then get back for a great swim in Cua Dai beach. The beach is clean, shallow and often calm. Enjoy seafood and local delicacies by the beach or in a restaurant. In the evening you explore this ancient city on foot on your own. Overnight in Hoi An Glory and Spa (One Deluxe room).
Day 5: Hoi An –Hue by car (Breakfast, Lunch)
8AM: After breakfast, we check out and take a three hour drive to another World Heritage site, Hue city. Along the way our car passes by stunning coastal scenery and Lang Co beach. Check in hotel and have lunch. In the afternoon, we start discovering key highlights of Hue: the Imperial City where the last 13 Vietnamese emperors lived and reined the country: Ngo Mon gate, the Forbidden Purple Palace, The Mieu Temple. Then we pass by rice field and beautiful green hills to reach the tomb of Khai Dinh emperor. A magnificent place that buried the king is seen as a symbol of glory luxury lifestyle. Overnight in Camellia Hotel.
Day 6: Hue school –Hanoi by SE4 train (Breakfast, Lunch)
8AM: After breakfast, we start the tour to a less traveled corner of Hue province. Further to the east coast of Hue, the rural life remains unchanged for centuries. We have a half day visit to a primary school in the outskirt of Hue city to interact with primary school students. Hue is one of the most disaster prone provinces, and annually it is hit by several floods and typhoons. As climate change is affecting Hue severely, communities and students are learning new initiatives to adapt to new circumstances. We will have a half day discussion, chat, enjoy some games, or teach them some English. Have lunch in the commune, then visit the Thanh Toan tiled bridge. Get back to the hotel, have a shower. Enjoy the streets of Hue before we take the night train to Hanoi, leaving at 4.30 PM and arriving at 4.30 AM the next morning. Overnight on SE4 train.
Day 7: Hanoi (Breakfast, Lunch)
4.30AM, get picked up from train station, transferred to our hotel for an early check in. At 8.00AM, we drive to Ho Chi Minh complex, spend a couple of hours to visit Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh museum. We walk to the One Pillar Pagoda, the iconic Buddhist temple of Vietnam. We continue to the Temple of Literature originally built as a temple of Confucius. This is the site of the Vietnam first university dating back to 1070. The Temple highlights the importance of education. Have lunch in KOTO restaurant. In the afternoon, we visit the Museum of ethnology, the most interesting museum in Vietnam, showing the diverse cultures of 54 ethnic groups in the country. In the evening, you two enjoy the unguided water puppet show in the Old Quarter Area. Overnight in Hanoi Posh Hotel.
Day 8: Hanoi-Halong Bay on Paloma Cruise (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
7.30-7.45AM: the shuttle bus picks you up from the hotel where you will leave heavy luggage. Take a
four hour drive to Halong Bay before boarding on our cruise boat. We will cruise through remarkable limestone formations of Halong Bay. We have the opportunities to enjoy a swim, visits to stunningly beautiful grottos and do some kayaking. Overnight on the cruise boat will be a memorable experience for all group members. Overnight on Deluxe cabins of the Paloma Cruise boat.
Day 9: Halong Bay-Hanoi-Sapa by train (Breakfast, lunch)
In the morning, enjoy some guided Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck. We continue sightseeing and cruising around Halong Bay. Have lunch onboard before turning to the harbor and driving back to Hanoi. We arrive in Hanoi at about 4PM. Collect our heavy luggage from the hotel, have a shower and dinner before we transfer you to the Tran Quy Cap Train Station at around 7.30PM to catch a train to Sapa. The train leaves at 21.30PM. Overnight on Orient Express (Soft sleeper, 4 berth cabin).
Day 10 : Sapa Discovery (Breakfast).
5AMA: The train arrives in Lao Cai Train Station, which is some 30 kms from the Sapa Town. Transfer to the hotel for a breakfast and check in, have a great shower in this magnificent hotel by the beautiful valley. Have a half day free (explore the town then have lunch by yourself). Early in the afternoon, we start to have a half day private tour to see Cat Cat village, home to H’mong ethnic group. Enjoy the traditional lifestyles, scenery and landscape, and daily activities of the group. Overnight in Holiday Sapa Hotel.
Day 11: Sapa - Hanoi (Breakfast, Lunch).
8AM: Today we have a combined trekking and car-transferring visit to Ma Cha and Ta Phin village. In the beginning, our car will take us out of town to Ma Cha village of the Black H’mong, and spend few hours in the primary school very untouched by mainstream tourists. Get interactions with ethnic school children and teachers, share things and learn things from these resilient community members. Start the trek of 7-9km from Ma Cha to Ta Phin. In the afternoon, we get to Ta Phin, home to the Red Zao ethnic group who is very skilled at handicraft and herbal medicine. After sightseeing in Ta Phin village, in the afternoon around 3PM, we transfer you back to the Hotel for a shower and a rest. Have dinner at your own. In the evening, we transfer to Lao Cai City to catch the night train back to Hanoi at 9PM. Overnight on Orient Express (Soft sleeper, 4 berth cabin).
Day 12: Train station to Hanoi hotel
5AM: We pick you up from the train station and drop you off at the hotel. Spend the last day shopping and exploring the city unguided. Hanoi has lots to offer, and the Old Quarter streets are havens for beers, street food, silk, handicraft products. Or try to get to know the many fascinating museums, pagodas and temples. Overnight in Hanoi Posh hotel.
Day 0: Hanoi departure
At your own time schedule. We will take you to the Noi Bai International airport for the flight home. End of service.
Our trip starts in busy and bustling Saigon. We have a half day visit to its key historic sites including Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum and the fascinating Notre Dame Cathedral. We enjoy a river boat cruise through densely connected network of rivers and canals in the Mekong Delta, passing through colorful floating markets and orchards. We then try to explore the stronghold of Cu Chi tunnel, crawling through tiny path to experience a guerrilla life. Heading to Hoi An, we visit the ancient town of streets, communal houses and traditional lifestyles. In Hue, we spend some time to enrich our knowledge of the former capital of Vietnam, and enjoy a visit to a poor coastal school where primary students learn lessons and carry out climate change adaptation activities. The capital city of Hanoi will enrich our experiences with its historic sites, busy shopping streets and cultural places. We take a cruise boat in the spectacular Halong Bay, where the Limestone Mountains and caves combine to make up one of the world’s most stunning landscapes. Finally we explore tribal life in Sapa, one of the key attractions in the remote North Vietnam, experience the hard life of minority ethnic groups in rocky and harsh climatic terraced rice fields.
Highlights
- Appreciating the bustling city of Saigon and seeing Saigon War Remnants Museum
- Crawling like guerrillas in Cu Chi Tunnels, Vietnam’s longest underground networks
- Trying to live on floating communities on the Mekong River
- Feeling the past through ancient town of Hoi An: its unique architecture, art, silks
- Embracing local ways of life in Hue city and exploring Emperors’ tombs
- Getting to know Hanoi’s rich cultural and historical values: its past and presence
- Boat Cruise through the limestone karsts of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Halong Bay
- Enjoying the magnificent Sapa landscape and colourful tribal villages
Itinerary
Day 0: Arrival in Saigon
This is a free day in Saigon. We pick you up from the Tan Son Nhat airport which is some kms away from the central business districts. Transfer to the hotel, have a shower and a rest. Explore the city on your own in the evening.
Day 1: Saigon city tour (Dinner)
Have a pleasant morning at your own to recover from the jetlag. At 13PM, start having a half day tour to explore this vibrant city, visitting its key historic sites including Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum and the fascinating Notre Dame Cathedral. At the end of the day, have a dinner before we take you back to the hotel or the CBD for a short walk. Overnight in Au Lac 2 hotel.
Day 2: Mekong Delta day trip (Breakfast, Lunch)
7AM: Today we will transfer in a private car to the town of Cai Be town (80 kms away) in the Mekong Delta to take a private river boat trip. This journey cruises through floating markets, rice fields, fruit plantations and so on along a densely connected network of rivers and canals. An absolutely amazing view of a totally flat, low-lying delta that seems to have no boundary will bring you an immense feeling of this region. Get back to the city in the afternoon. Overnight in Au Lac 2 hotel.
7AM: check out and start the tour. In the morning we will explore an incredible network of underground tunnel designed and constructed to withstand fierce crack down of the external forces, the Cu Chi tunnel. No word could describe it better than experience it yourself. Come and see how Vietnam won the war. You will have to appreciate the talent of the country. Have lunch and take a rest among the scenic rural settings. Get back to the city airport for a flight to Da Nang (VN1320 taking off at 15.55). Get transferred to Hoi An. Free to explore this historical town at night. Overnight in Hoi An Glory and Spa.
Day 4: Hoi An (Breakfast, Lunch)
8AM: The ancient and historic town of Hoi An was for three centuries one of the most important ports in Central Vietnam, visited by sailing ships from all over the world seeking trade in silk, ceramics, spice etc. We have a half day bicycle tour to visit rural villages that once provided services and goods to merchants in town. Get relaxed along the ever green, small lanes full of vegetables, flowers, water buffalos. In the afternoon we visit Japanese covered bridge, Tan Ky Old hose, Phuc Kien Pagoda, Cham Museum and Chinese Assembly Hall. Then get back for a great swim in Cua Dai beach. The beach is clean, shallow and often calm. Enjoy seafood and local delicacies by the beach or in a restaurant. In the evening you explore this ancient city on foot on your own. Overnight in Hoi An Glory and Spa (One Deluxe room).
Day 5: Hoi An –Hue by car (Breakfast, Lunch)
8AM: After breakfast, we check out and take a three hour drive to another World Heritage site, Hue city. Along the way our car passes by stunning coastal scenery and Lang Co beach. Check in hotel and have lunch. In the afternoon, we start discovering key highlights of Hue: the Imperial City where the last 13 Vietnamese emperors lived and reined the country: Ngo Mon gate, the Forbidden Purple Palace, The Mieu Temple. Then we pass by rice field and beautiful green hills to reach the tomb of Khai Dinh emperor. A magnificent place that buried the king is seen as a symbol of glory luxury lifestyle. Overnight in Camellia Hotel.
Day 6: Hue school –Hanoi by SE4 train (Breakfast, Lunch)
8AM: After breakfast, we start the tour to a less traveled corner of Hue province. Further to the east coast of Hue, the rural life remains unchanged for centuries. We have a half day visit to a primary school in the outskirt of Hue city to interact with primary school students. Hue is one of the most disaster prone provinces, and annually it is hit by several floods and typhoons. As climate change is affecting Hue severely, communities and students are learning new initiatives to adapt to new circumstances. We will have a half day discussion, chat, enjoy some games, or teach them some English. Have lunch in the commune, then visit the Thanh Toan tiled bridge. Get back to the hotel, have a shower. Enjoy the streets of Hue before we take the night train to Hanoi, leaving at 4.30 PM and arriving at 4.30 AM the next morning. Overnight on SE4 train.
Day 7: Hanoi (Breakfast, Lunch)
4.30AM, get picked up from train station, transferred to our hotel for an early check in. At 8.00AM, we drive to Ho Chi Minh complex, spend a couple of hours to visit Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh museum. We walk to the One Pillar Pagoda, the iconic Buddhist temple of Vietnam. We continue to the Temple of Literature originally built as a temple of Confucius. This is the site of the Vietnam first university dating back to 1070. The Temple highlights the importance of education. Have lunch in KOTO restaurant. In the afternoon, we visit the Museum of ethnology, the most interesting museum in Vietnam, showing the diverse cultures of 54 ethnic groups in the country. In the evening, you two enjoy the unguided water puppet show in the Old Quarter Area. Overnight in Hanoi Posh Hotel.
Day 8: Hanoi-Halong Bay on Paloma Cruise (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
7.30-7.45AM: the shuttle bus picks you up from the hotel where you will leave heavy luggage. Take a
Day 9: Halong Bay-Hanoi-Sapa by train (Breakfast, lunch)
In the morning, enjoy some guided Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck. We continue sightseeing and cruising around Halong Bay. Have lunch onboard before turning to the harbor and driving back to Hanoi. We arrive in Hanoi at about 4PM. Collect our heavy luggage from the hotel, have a shower and dinner before we transfer you to the Tran Quy Cap Train Station at around 7.30PM to catch a train to Sapa. The train leaves at 21.30PM. Overnight on Orient Express (Soft sleeper, 4 berth cabin).
Day 10 : Sapa Discovery (Breakfast).
5AMA: The train arrives in Lao Cai Train Station, which is some 30 kms from the Sapa Town. Transfer to the hotel for a breakfast and check in, have a great shower in this magnificent hotel by the beautiful valley. Have a half day free (explore the town then have lunch by yourself). Early in the afternoon, we start to have a half day private tour to see Cat Cat village, home to H’mong ethnic group. Enjoy the traditional lifestyles, scenery and landscape, and daily activities of the group. Overnight in Holiday Sapa Hotel.
Day 11: Sapa - Hanoi (Breakfast, Lunch).
8AM: Today we have a combined trekking and car-transferring visit to Ma Cha and Ta Phin village. In the beginning, our car will take us out of town to Ma Cha village of the Black H’mong, and spend few hours in the primary school very untouched by mainstream tourists. Get interactions with ethnic school children and teachers, share things and learn things from these resilient community members. Start the trek of 7-9km from Ma Cha to Ta Phin. In the afternoon, we get to Ta Phin, home to the Red Zao ethnic group who is very skilled at handicraft and herbal medicine. After sightseeing in Ta Phin village, in the afternoon around 3PM, we transfer you back to the Hotel for a shower and a rest. Have dinner at your own. In the evening, we transfer to Lao Cai City to catch the night train back to Hanoi at 9PM. Overnight on Orient Express (Soft sleeper, 4 berth cabin).
Day 12: Train station to Hanoi hotel
5AM: We pick you up from the train station and drop you off at the hotel. Spend the last day shopping and exploring the city unguided. Hanoi has lots to offer, and the Old Quarter streets are havens for beers, street food, silk, handicraft products. Or try to get to know the many fascinating museums, pagodas and temples. Overnight in Hanoi Posh hotel.
Day 0: Hanoi departure
At your own time schedule. We will take you to the Noi Bai International airport for the flight home. End of service.
