EXPLORE VIETNAM IN 12 DAYS

Day 1 –Arrival – Hanoi

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)

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 have dinner and a short rest.

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)

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 in Sapa.

Day 4 – Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai – Su Pan – Sapa (B/L/D)

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 you can take shower in the hotel and have dinner before transferring to Lao Cai train station for the night train back to Ha Noi.

Overnight is in a shared, 4 Berth soft sleeper compartment on the train. Train departs 2115h.

Trekking level: 5/10 – Distance 8 Km.

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

0500h – Arrive at Hanoi train station and transfer to the hotel where you can have a shower and enjoy breakfast.

0800h to 0830h – You will be picked from your hotel 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 Hue (B/L)

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 Hue

Arrive Hue and transfer to your hotel.

Overnight in Hue

Day 7 – Hue City Tour – Transfer to Hoi An (B/L)

0800h – Your day of discovering the wonders of Hue will begin when your English speaking meets you at the Hotel.

As part of your Hue city tour you will visit the impressive complex of the Imperial Citadel. Built in the 19th Century and surrounded by high stone walls and moat, the Citadel was once the exclusive home of the Nguyen Imperial Family. It is similar to the famous Forbidden City in Beijing and is not to be missed.

1200h – A delicious set menu lunch will be served at a local restaurant and after lunch you will take a cruise on the famous Perfume River and visit Tu Duc and Minh Mang  tombs.

Tu Duc Tomb is one of the most beautifully designed tombs of the Nguyen dynasty. Embedded in a lush pine forest, the tomb is the final resting place of Emperor Tu Duc (1848-83) who had the longest reign of all emperors of the Nguyen dynasty.

1500h – Return to your hotel

1530h – Your driver will meet you at the hotel and travel with you in an air conditioned private vehicle from Hue to Hoi An driving over Hai Van pass.

1830h – Arrive to Hoi An and check into your hotel.

Overnight in Hoi An

Day 8 – Hoi An Ancient Town- My Son (B/L)

0800h: Start from your hotel and travel 50km from Hoi An to My Son holyland . My Son was a major religious site for the people of the ancient Champa Kingdom which flourished between the 4th and 13th centuries The Champa people ruled Central Vietnam until it was finally annexed by the Vietnamese in the 19th Century.

The Champa King lived in the political capital of Tra Kieu (whose commercial capital was the port of Hoi An) and so the My Son complex became the most important temples of the Champa Kingdom. Bricks were used to build the temples without the aid of mortar and sculptures of gods, priests, animals, and scenes of mythical battles adorned the walls. The temples were places of worship to the Hindu God Vishnu.

My Son was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

Back to Hoi An your guide will  take you on a two hour walking tour of Hoi An Old Town. Famous for its quant mixture of Chinese, Japanese and European architecture, the old town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. You will visit, the Japanese bridge built in the 16th century and famous for being the only covered bridge known to incorporate a Buddhist pagoda, the 200 year old Tan Ky house, museum of trade ceramics and several other historical sites.

Overnight in Hoi An

 Day 9 – Hoi An- Da Nang – Flight to Ho Chi Minh (B)

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

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

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Day 10 – Cu Chi Tunnels – HCM City Tour (B/L)

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 11 – HCMC – Mekong Day Tour (B/L)

0630 – 0700h Early start, your driver will meet you at the hotel and you will begin your drive to Cai Be.

On arriving at Cai Be you will board a private boat for a cruise through the busy Cai Be floating market. You will also visit a local house boat & chat with the family to learn a little of their daily life.

Next you will visit some local cottage industries such as the coconut candy workshop, learn how to make pop-rice and watch the process of how rice paper is made.

Back on the boat you will continue your cruise through the maze of canals to An Binh Island, where you will leave the boat visit an ancient house. There you will have the opportunity to taste fresh locally grown tropical fruits and enjoy lunch with local cuisines.

After lunch, take a short trip on a local sampan rowed by locals before getting back on board the motor boat to the Nursery Garden of Mr Tam Ho and a little further to visit the Brick & pottery kiln before arriving in Vinh Long town.

Drive back from Vinh Long town to HCMC.

Overnight in HCMC

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 the end