Arrive Hanoi

Upon arrival in Hanoi Airport, warm welcomed by our representative person then transfer to hotel for check in

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.

No Meals
Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Hanoi

Hanoi – Full Day City Tour

Start off with an hour Cyclo ride around the French Quarter in the heart of Hanoi, to immerse yourself in an old atmosphere of an area that perfectly captures the timelessness and nostalgia of Vietnam. Mainly formed and developed during the French colonial era in the 20th century, the structure of French Old Quarter is planned on chess board model, so it is difficult to be broken. Buildings and architectures are designed by French architects according to colonial style in accordance with Vietnam climate. This is a great introduction of the thousand-year-old city which helps you delve into a bygone time of Vietnam, from the grand structures dominate the tree-lined boulevard to the modest buildings hidden behind small alleys, from the newly renovated to those near collapse. Many decades after the French left, these architectures have been remained and become important heritages in the distinctly atmosphere and charm of the capital.

Afterward, pay your respect to the nation’s founder at the Ho Chi Minh Complex and Ba Dinh Square, an important point of pilgrimage for the Vietnamese. Explore the nearby simple cottage on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked during his humble beginnings as a revolutionary. Next, move to the Ho Chi Minh Museum featuring an extraordinary tribute to his life. Gain insight into the prewar history of the country at the Governor’s Residence, also known as the Presidential Palace, an excellent example of Hanoi’s classical French architectural heritage, and Ho Chi Minh refused to live in the opulent structure for symbolic reasons, opting to build a traditional Vietnamese stilt house on the grounds instead. Stop by the iconic One Pillar Pagoda - a unique Vietnamese architecture reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond and hear the legend of its construction. Then transfer back to your hotel for leisure. Afternoon, continue with the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius.

Afternoon, our guide & driver will pick you up then transfer to Chợ Hôm market, mainly known as a fabric market, where you can buy wholesale fabric by the meter to make your own dresses and other things. Chợ Hôm market is full of produce, meats, seafood, and traditional Vietnamese foods. Enjoy the market like a local and see how Hanoians buy foods in a local market.

After finishing the city tour, the group proceed to visit a unique café hidden away in a small alley at the heart of the Old Quarter. With about 95% furniture and decorations made from recycled materials, the café’s owner wants to contribute a part in protecting the environment, raising the community awareness, as well as spreading the message of nature protection to everyone, especially the young. Using the principle of “reduce – reuse – recycle”, all the scraps were cleaned, cut, grafted, and painted to make tables, chairs, decorative lights, and drinking cups.

This evening, you’ll experience one of Vietnam’s unique traditional arts at a Water Puppet show. This style of theatre (known as "Roi Nuoc" in Vietnamese) originates from rural festivals in Vietnam and features artists standing waist-deep in water to manipulate puppets, making them move, talk, laugh and even dance on water’s surface. The plays act out typical Vietnamese stories, depicting farmers working in the paddy fields, water buffalo bathing, courtship scenes and martial arts displays, all to the delight of the audience.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Hanoi

Hanoi – Mai Chau (Drive)

Morning you will have breakfast at hotel then transfer to Mai Chau. Along the way you can enjoy spectacular views as the road snakes through meandering valleys. It takes 4 hours by driving. Upon arrival, you will check in hotel and free at leisure.
In the afternoon is half day trekking tour

(Route: 10km | Level: Easy | Transfer: Up to 40 Minutes | Altitude: 200m Up/200m Down)
This easy trekking tour unveils the beautiful marriage of Mai Chau’s architecture and landscape at a relaxed pace. A short transfer brings us to a collection of fabulous Thai villages, one of which, Sam Pa, acts as the peaceful starting point of our hike across Pu Poc Mountain. The trail here is suitable for everyone and is peppered with views of rice terraces, traditional villages and shaded jungle along its side. Eventually, our hike leads us to local village, where we can talk with the locals to learn more about their history of cassava and corn farming.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Mai Chau

Mai Chau – Pu Luong (Drive)

Morning you will have breakfast at hotel there are two options for you

Option 1: If weekday from Monday to Saturday, you will take half day tour trekking along Mai Chau valley
Take half day nature trails in Mai Chau valley. The easiest way to enjoy great outdoors. There are a few nature trails designed for the discerning traveler to enjoy the scenery, the biodiversity, and experience the tropical rainforest eco-system Vietnam. You may encounter many life forms, both flora and fauna, in this expedition. They are all free for you to observe, but please take extra care not to harm or disturb them.

Option 2: If Sunday, you will visit Pa Co Market
Tour Duration: 3.5 – 4 Hours | Available: Sunday Morning | Hiking Distance: 3km (45 minutes) | Transfer: 1.5 hours
In the northern highlands of Mai Chau, there thrives several communities of the H’mong ethnic group, a minority with strong ties to the mountains. This tour will bring you to their premier weekly market, Pa Co, where H’mong communities will travel from far and wide to share their handicrafts, food and livestock. The fabulous wares of this market are matched by its fabulous atmosphere, stemming from joyous drinking and long-anticipated reunions. We explore the market thoroughly before engaging in some easy hiking around Pa Co village, where H’mong families live in humble houses amongst vibrant plum gardens.
In the afternoon, transfer to Pu Luong. It takes 1 hour plus by driving. Upon arrival you will check in hotel and free at leisure

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Pu Luong

Pu Luong – Hanoi (Drive)

Morning you will have breakfast at resort, for your final day it’s time for another 3 hours of trekking, or around 5 to 7 kilo meter. Starting with a nice easy stretch, giving you a chance to relax and connect with your surroundings, as well as warming you up for the challenges ahead.

After a short rest in Ban Hieu Village, you’ll conquer some steep climbs and even more thrilling river crossings, before the valley opens up into fantastic views from your elevated position. Once you’ve spent enough time to enjoy these sights, we’ll move on to Pho Doan Village. Here we’ll take some more time to rest, before heading to the main road where your driver will be waiting to take you back to Hanoi. We’ll stop for lunch along the way, and you’ll arrive at your hotel in Hanoi in the late afternoon.

Meal: Breakfast
Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Hanoi

Hanoi – Halong Overnight on Boat

In the morning you will depart Hanoi at 08:30 for a 3.5 hour drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long Bay City. On the way, you will stop for refreshments. Upon arriving in Halong City, you will take a tender transfer to your junk and set sail through the bay while lunch is served. As you cruise the magical bay, you will notice thousands of sculpted limestone islands rising from the waves like dragons’ teeth.

Later in the afternoon, you’ll visit a fishing village with the opportunity to interact with fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. Back on board, you’ll enjoy cocktails or a cooking class while watching the sunset and later unwind at a restaurant for a lavish dinner. Enjoy some evening activities such as movie night, board games, or a beauty treatment before an overnight stay on the junk.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included
Overnight on Cruise

Halong – Hanoi (Drive) & Hanoi – Danang (By Flight) & Danang – Hoi An (Drive)

After rising to the sound of the ocean coming to life, you’ll enjoy breakfast, take a Tai Chi class and watch the sunrise over the bay (if you choose to get up that early) You will visit a beautiful limestone grotto, then head back to the junk for a final glimpse of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock. Disembarking at the Cruise Café Lounge, you’ll rejoin your private car for transfer back to the Hanoi Airport to board flight for Da Nang. Upon arrival at Da Nang Airport, our guide will pick up at the airport then transfer 45 minutes to Hoi An town . You will check in hotel and free at leisure.

Brunch Included
Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Hoi An

Hoi An – Half day city tour & Cooking Class

Morning, you will have breakfast at hotel then take half day cooking class tour and half day Hoi An town tour

Half day cooking classic tour (joining with other ones)
Our guide & driver pick up the group at the hotel lobby to transfer to Hai Café for a welcome drink.

Visit Hoi An’s colorful market, and experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy market. We will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about all the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later.

We board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. This is a chance to view local river life, so make sure your camera is handy.

On arrival, we explore the cooking school’s herb garden, before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – the Red Bridge chefs first demonstrate each dish before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration). After the lesson, we sit down and eat what we have cooked.

Bring your swimsuit and after the cooking tour has finished relax and enjoy free use of our 20 metres swimming pool - towels and showers provided.

Recipes:

• Rice paper (making)
• Fresh Rice Paper Rolls of Shrimp
• Crispy Hoi An Pancakes with Shrimp, Herbs, Bean Sprouts & a Peanut Sauce
• Seafood Salad with mixed Vietnamese Herbs served in Half a Pineapple
• Quang Nam Style Fresh Noodles with Chicken
• Food Decoration - Pineapple Boat, 3 Colored Flowers & Vietnamese Hand Fan

Half day Hoi An walking tour
Take walking tour around Hoi An town to visit Hoi An town. Once a bustling maritime commercial port of Asia between 15th and 19th centuries, Hoi An, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, 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. Your sightseeing will include the 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. You will also visit the 200-year-old Tan Ky House typifying an ancient Chinese merchant residence, 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.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Hoi An

Hoi An – Hue (Drive)

Morning you will have breakfast at hotel then transfer to Hue, on the way you will stop to visit French Bunker. Aconcrete bunker sits at the Hai Van Pass near Da Nang, Vietnam. The French military built the structure during their losing struggle against Viet Minh guerrillas from 1945 to 1954, and U.S. troops occupied the same position and others nearby during the Vietnam War a decade later.

Early afternoon, you will arrive Hue then check in hotel. Late afternoon, take a dragon boat cruise along the Perfume River to enjoy the open view of the river and beautiful landscape along the banks. On the way, drop a visit to Thien Mu pagoda, an active Buddhist monastery overlooking the river from a vantage point with its origin dating back to 1601. Then transfer by car to Minh Mang Tomb, where the 2nd Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty was buried. Last, stop for shopping at Dong Ba market, which is the city's traditional commercial center

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Hue

Hue – Half day Local Village & Half Day Citadel Tour

You will take a half 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.

Next, move on 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

Balance your day with the afternoon tour which is spent discovering the vicinity of Hue. Start with a 40 minute drive out of the city centre and into the scenic countryside where Phuoc Tich Village is found. This commune is famous for pottery and now attracting the visitors with 27 ‘Nha Ruong’ - Hue’s traditional houses - and unique gardens. To delve deeply into the local community, you’ll take a walk through the peaceful streets, admiring the historical sites nestled within the scenery, and pay a visit to one of the traditional homes, portery factory and the special Cay Thi temple which is about 700 years old. The temple retains harmonizing aspects of Vietnamese and Cham architecture, with Linga and Yoni relics.

Continue winding through the countryside towards to Pha Tam Giang, watching the daily life of the local people and the peaceful atmosphere of the ancient villages. On your way, stop at Quang Cong Village, known locally as the ‘City of Ghosts’, and behold the increasingly lavish and elaborate tombs that the villagers build for their ancestors. Once you arrive in Tam Giang Lagoon, take a boat trip on the lagoon. Float past local families living on the riverbank, stopping to meet some of them on your way. Finally, transfer back to your hotel in the late afternoon and spend the evening at leisure

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Hue

Hue – Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) (By Flight) Ho Chi Minh – Mekong Delta – UT Trinh Home Stay

Morning, you will have breakfast at hotel then take flight to Ho Chin Minh, upon arrival our guide will pick up then transfer to Mekong Delta and check in homestay Ut Trinh

Upon arrival you have a fresh shower before cooking some special dishes with the members of local family. We’ll enjoy dinner & overnight at homestay.

Optional activity: Biking on village paths to see the local daily life: orchard, school, church, pagoda, traditional houses and maybe the ancestral ways to pick up fruits in Mekong Delta...

Meal: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight Stay at the Home Stay Ut Trinh

Ut Trinh – Ho Chi Minh (Drive)

The program will start with a visit of Cai Be floating market, ... On the way, we can make some stops to see how they make rice-net for spring-rolls, sewing coconut-leaves for cottage roof and specially see how they wave the dried water-hyacynth to make many products: baskets, bags, hats, wallets, shoes...

Then, the rowboat will take you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals to enjoy the peaceful time. Lunch can be served at Ba Kiet / Muoi Huong. Then arrive the local workshop to see how to make rice paper, coconut candy, pop-rice... Enjoy some sweets with a cup of hot tea. Boat trip to visit the brick kilns where you can see how the local people create beautiful potteries from clay. Our boat will go along the floating village. We will see how to farm catfish on Mekong river.

Also, we can visit Vinhlong market in the town. This is the best choice for you to take pictures of fish, shrimps, prawns, crabs, snakes, rice-field rats, tropical fruits, vegetables... The cruise will end at Vinh Long city around 10:00 AM. In the later afternoon , transfer to Ho Chi Minh then check in hotel and free at leisure.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh – Cu Chi Tunnel

Morning, you will have breakfast at hotel then take half day Cu Chi tunnel.

Transfer to Cu Chi, the northernmost suburban district of Ho Chi Minh City. Discover the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, which were once a major underground hideout and resistance base of Viet Cong forces during the two wars against the French and the Americans. The tunnels, entirely hand-dug, formed a highly intricate network of interlinked multilevel passageways at times stretched as far as the Cambodian border and totaling over 120 km in length. Its complexity was beyond imagination containing meeting rooms, kitchens, wells, clinics, schools, depots, trenches and emergency exits all aimed for guerrilla warfare. The tunnels were deep and strong enough to withstand destructive bombings and self-contained enough to outlast prolonged sieges.

Activities in Cu Chi Tunnels, where you will

• Watch a documentary film that takes you to the past with an introduction of the Cu Chi Tunnels.
• Crawl short distances through the tunnels that were used by the guerrilla fighters during the Vietnam War. You may see a kitchen, living quarters, and a meeting room on the way. The tunnels have been enlarged so visitors can crawl through them, imagine what it must have been like before!
• Learn about how different types of booby trap - the symbol of guerrilla warfare - were created and set up.
• Visit the weapons room and learn how the ingenious Viet Cong soldiers made them.
• Get adventurous and go to the shooting range to fire a real AK-47. The cost for the bullets are not included in this price.

In the afternoon, come back Ho Chi Minh check in hotel and free at leisure.

Meal: Breakfast
Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh

Morning, you will have breakfast at hotel then take half day city tour

Let’s forget classic routes to explore a different perspective of Saigon, an insight into all the endearingly ordinary Saigon moments that make you more connected to this chaotic city. Morning, our guide and car will pick you up at hotel for a 25-minute drive to a special market, just right at the heart of bustling city, less-known by traveler and only shown by the indigenous. For decades, the market on canal become the shelter/anchor for poor people, mostly gardeners, from Mekong Delta provinces, living on the water by selling seasonal fruits to the Saigonese. Many people have been living on makeshift boats for half of the life, sunny or rainy days. Walk along the wooden boat-line road, interact with fruit vendors to understand why they leave their hometown, or difficulties they face to earn the living.

Next up is the wholesale flower market. Make your way through zigzag narrow alleys and passages filled with flower stalls and learn more about the business of local people here. Every flower you can imagine spills out onto the street like roses, lilies, orchids, daisies, in every color. But wait, look up at the residential areas above, you will be surprised by a different life to the marketplace. Here, the line between commercial and residential is blurred. Old buildings with flower-filled balconies and a spider-web-like network of electric wire right up on your head. Somewhere in an apartment, the elderly relaxing in living rooms or taking care of their grandchildren. Back on the street, bouquets of flowers packed in the back of motorbikes steadily pouring out of the market.

Afterwards, step back in time at the oldest café in Saigon for a reminder of what Vietnamese coffee used to taste like. Before French filtered coffee made its way down the town, there was cà phê vợt. Nothing changes since the first owner created and began selling cà phê vợt at a tiny café hidden in an alley somehow more than eighty years ago, either the particular brewing method using a cloth filter, charcoal stove and traditional clay pot or its décor decked out in blue and white, paint peeling off the ceiling. Come and see how cà phê vợt is made, listen to old stories told by the owner over a cup of coffee.

The impact of the Vietnam War can be witnessed all over the country, and any war or history buff should make sure a visit to the War Remnants Museum is on their must-see list for Ho Chi Minh City. With your private driver and English speaking guide, delve into the images and sounds of Vietnam’s lengthy war history with the French and Americans. The museum features a comprehensive collection of the machinery, weapons and photos of the Vietnamese side of the war, and includes a moving tribute to the journalists, civilians and soldiers lost during the war, as well as a critical look at biological warfare, weaponry, and worldwide movements for peace. Continue to the Reunification Palace, also known as the Independence Palace, which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until the end of April 1975 during the Fall of Saigon. It was here that the Vietnam War ended when a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through its gates and led to the formal reunification of the two sides.

The afternoon continues with a drive passing by the former American Embassy and the site where the famous Buddhist Thich Quang Duc self- immolated in June11, 1963. After his funeral, where his remains were finally reduced to ashes, Quang Duc's heart, which had not burned, was retrieved, enshrined, and treated as a sacred relic. His self- immolation begins people’s up-rising movement largely, which lead to the fall of President Diem regime End with a visit to the iconic Ben Thanh Market, a centrally located covered market with ample opportunities to pick up souvenirs or relax with a cup of Vietnamese coffee.

Meal: Breakfast
Overnight Stay at the Hotel in Ho Chi Minh

Leave Ho Chi Minh

Breakfast in the Hotel and Check Out

Later you will be transferred to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) Airport to board flight back Home