BEST OF VIETNAM 12 DAYS

Day 1 – Arrival – Hanoi- Overnight in Ha Noi

Our driver will meet you in Hanoi and transfer you to your hotel in the old quarter of Hanoi.

After check in you will have free time to take a rest or start exploring the area around the hotel and take a walk around the famous Hoan Kiem Lake.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2 – Hanoi City Tour – Overnight Train to Sapa (B/L)- Overnight on Train

0800h – Guide will meet you at your hotel & you will depart to visit; Ho Chi Minh Complex: Completed in 1975 the complex contains Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, his former stilt house residence, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh museum.

Next stop is a visit to the Temple of Literature

1200h – A delicious set menu lunch will be provided for you in a local restaurant.

1300h – Your tour recommences with a visit to the Museum of Ethnology which is widely acknowledged as the best in Vietnam and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples.

Then it is on to the Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake

The Old Quarter, also known as the 36 streets, is a bustling area of narrow streets home to literally thousands of small businesses and street vendors, selling a wide variety of goods. Originally each of the 36 streets names’ were related to the products being sold there. Hence you can walk from Fish Street to Tin Street to Bamboo Street and you will enjoy exploring the area while riding in a traditional cyclo.

1730h – Back to your hotel where you will have free time to prepare for checkout.

2030h – After checking out of the hotel, our driver will pick up from the hotel and transfer you to Hanoi train station.

2100h – Train departure and sleep the night in a shared soft sleeper 4 berth compartment on board the train. Travel time approx 9 hrs.

Please follow your driver and he will collect your train tickets for you.

Day 3 – Sapa – Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van (B/L/D)- Overnight Ta Van

0600h – Arrive at Lao Cai railway station where you will be met and transferred by shuttle bus to the township of Sapa which takes approx one hour.

0800h – After breakfast, a morning shower and leaving your main luggage at the hotel, we will walk from Sapa towards Muong Hoa valley. Here you will discover the wonderful scenery of the Hoang Lien mountain range and meet people of the Black H’mong tribes before Trekking through terraced rice paddies and minority villages along the Muong Hoa River.

We then cross the suspension bridge towards the Zay village, arriving at Ta Van, where we have dinner cooked on a wood fire and enjoy the hospitality of a local Zay family.

Trekking level: 7/10 – Distance 10 – 12Km.

Overnight at homestay in Ta Van

Day 4 – Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai – Su Pan – Sapa – Road Transfer to Hanoi (B)- Overnight in Ha Noi

0800h – Breakfast will be served at the Home stay.

0930h – Your new day of trekking will be approximately 8 km and you will visit 2 villages, one of the red Dzao and of the H’mong (Giang Ta Chai & Su Pan). Visit a beautiful waterfall and cross a rattan bridge and enjoy the scenery through a bamboo forest on the way to the main road to meet the jeep for the return trip to Sapa.

1500h – You will then travel back to Sapa where our driver will take you to collect your luggage ready for your road transfer back to Ha Noi.

Trekking level: 5/10 – Distance 8 Km.

Overnight in Ha Noi

Day 5 —  Lao Cai – Ha Noi – Ha Long Bay (B/L/D)- Overnight on Cruise

0800h to 0830h – After once again checking out of your hotel, you will be picked up and start your scenic 3.5 hr drive through the Red River Delta and passing by many small villages on the way to Ha Long Bay.

You will stop for a short comfort break at the Humanity center situated approximately half way on to the bay. There you can purchase souvenirs from a vast selection items, enjoy a drink or simply stretch your legs.

1230h – On arrival to Ha Long, your guide will complete all the required paperwork for you and show you to the shuttle boat for your short trip to the cruise boat.

1300h – After checking in and short cruise briefing, you will be served a delicious lunch in the dining room while you enjoy the passing scenery of the bay.

After lunch you will arrive to Vung Vieng floating fishing village. You can then choose to explore the village area in a bamboo rowboat where your guides do the work or make your own way in a sea kayak.

Return to the main boat and continue your cruise to the iconic Trong Grotto or also known as Drum Cave. Entering the grotto, visitors will see spectacular scenery of stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Inside the grotto, the wind blowing through makes a sound like a drum.

It is also the perfect place to enjoy swimming alongside the ship or sunbathing on deck.

Weather permitting, you will dine on deck, beneath the magical night sky of Ha Long Bay and enjoy a spread of fresh grilled seafood and traditional Vietnamese dishes.

Overnight on the Junk

Day 6 -Ha Long Bay – Flight to Da Nang – Hoi An (B/L)- Overnight in Hoi An

0630h – If you put your name down the night before, you can join the early morning Tai Chi class on the sun deck or simply take advantage of the amazing photo opportunities presented by watching the sun rise.

0730h – Enjoy a nice breakfast in the dining room while you watch the scenery of the bay slide past the windows as you cruise toward towards Bo Hon Island

0830h – You will visit the truly amazing Sung Sot Cave which is also known as Surprise Cave. Discovered by the French in 1901, the cave is reached by climbing approximately 100 stone steps and the journey up allows some excellent views of the bay below.

0930h – Return to your cruise boat and time to freshen up before checking out of your cabin.

As you continue your cruise, you will be able to reflect and absorb the memories of the past two days as you enjoy a farewell buffet brunch and slowly cruise back to the Marina.

Disembark and drive through the beautiful countryside once again as you travel back to Hanoi.

1630h -1700h – Arrive to your hotel in Hanoi.

Free time until the driver  will pick you up and transfer you to the airport for your flight to Da Nang

Arrive Da Nang , the driver will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel in Hoi An.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 7 – Hoi An – Cooking Class (B/L)- Overnight in Hoi An

0800h – 0815h – You will be met at your hotel and taken into the exciting morning markets in Hoi An to purchase the fresh ingredients needed for your cooking class. The sights and sounds of the food market in the morning are quite interesting and a great start to your experience.

Next is a relaxing 45 minute boat trip where you can enjoy the passing scenery before arriving at a local fishing village. For the more adventurous you can transfer into a small row boat for a short trip through the coconut water to visit a rustic village house.

Please note: for those who do not wish to ride in the row boat you can go directly to the cooking school.

1330h – You will then be taken back to Hoi An Old Town area where you can continue to enjoy your day.

Overnight in Hoi An

Day 8- Hoi An- Da Nang – Flight to Ho Chi Minh (B)- Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Free time until the driver will pick you up from the hotel and transfer you to the Da Nang airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh .

Arrival to Ho Chi Minh airport our driver will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Day 9 – Cu Chi Tunnels – HCM City Tour (B/L)- Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

0800h – Pick up at your hotel and depart for Cu Chi and the famous system of tunnels. Hidden deep underground, the 3 floors of tunnels is a intricate labyrinth of winding ways with a total length of approximately 250 kms.

On arrival you will watch a presentation video and get to see the tunnels. It is very interesting to discover how the tunnels were constructed and how the people survived.

For the adventurous, you can have the opportunity to try firing an AK-47 assault rifle which was the weapon of choice for the North Vietnamese Army during the American war. (fees not included)

On arriving back in HCMC, your city tour takes you to the major attraction sites including the Re-Unification Palace, Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the War Remnants Museum.

1700h – Return to your hotel.

Overnight in HCMC

Day 10 – HCMC – Mekong (B/L)- Overnight in Can Tho

0800h – 0830h – Check out of your hotel and your guide will meet you at your hotel and together you will leave Ho Chi Minh city and start your scenic journey along the National Highway toward My Tho.

On arrival at My Tho, you will visit Vinh Trang Pagoda. Built in 1849, the Vinh Trang Pagoda is located in a large garden in My Tho City. The pagoda is a wonderful blend of Asian and European styles of architecture which together create the beautiful but simple features of the pagoda.

Next you will take a leisurely boat ride on the river and view stilt houses, fruit plantations and fishing villages situated on the river bank. Continue on to Tortoise islet where lunch will be served in an orchard garden.

After your delicious set menu lunch, you will take a boat ride to An Khanh and enjoy relaxing on a hand-rowed sampan on the shaded waters while you travel along the natural canals. You will also have the opportunity to enjoy seasonal fruit & honey tea while listening to “Southern Vietnamese folk music” performed by locals.

Visit a small family business and taste their delicious coconut candy which is a specialty of the region & observe the local life style as you roam through fruit plantations and the surrounding area.

Continue on to Can Tho and check into the hotel and enjoy some free time to visit the bustling Can Tho market.

Overnight in Can Tho

Day 11 – Can Tho – Cai Rang Floating Market – Ho Chi Minh (B/L)- Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

0530h – 0600h – Your guide and driver will meet you at the hotel and transfer you to the wharf where you will board a motor boat for a leisurely trip through the tributaries of the lower Mekong to visit Cai Rang floating market.

Cai Rang is one of the 3 biggest floating markets in the delta region and you will see hundreds of boats packed with local mangoes, bananas, papaya and pineapple as well as many other items for sale.

Then take a ride in the motorboat along small leafy creeks to a village where you can walk around and meet with the friendly locals. For the brave visitors, you can learn how to cross a Monkey bridge which is built by using bamboo and ropes.

1200h – Visit an orchard garden where you will stop for lunch.

1730h- Back to Ho Chi Minh and overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Day 12 – HCMC – Departure (B)

Our driver will meet you at your hotel and transfer you to the HCMC airport where you will board your flight home.

Tour end