Hightlights in the North and the South Of Vietnam

Arrive in Hanoi - Noi Bai International Airport. You will be met at the airport by your English speaking guide and transfer to your hotel in downtown Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi.

08:00 am.  Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is a beautiful city of lakes, shaded boulevards and verdant public parks.  In the morning we will visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & Museum, the One Pillar Pagoda and the historical Temple of Literature, the first university of Vietnam, built in 1070 in honor of Confucius.

In the afternoon we will visit Hoan Kiem Lake (The Restored Sword Lake) and the Ngoc Son Temple, which is on an island in the northern part of the lake, and then enjoy a Cyclo tour along the narrow streets of the ancient part of Hanoi. We then continue with a walking tour of the Old Quarter of Hanoi. The Old Quarter includes 36 old streets with each name representative of the type of merchandise sold in it.

In the evening we will attend a traditional Water Puppet show. This art originates from rural festivals in Vietnam. The artists – men and women – stand waist deep in the water to manipulate the puppets, making them move about, talk, laugh and even dance on the surface of the water. The audience is meant to experience the atmosphere of a village festival.

Overnight in Hanoi.

08:00 am.  After breakfast, drive to Halong Bay (3 hours), a UNESCO World Heritage site. Whoever comes to Vietnam should not miss the chance to visit Halong Bay, a picturesque blend of harmonious transition between the mountains and the sea.

Halong Bay is in the Bac Bo (Tonkin) gulf and stretches over an area of 1,500 km2 with three thousand green islands that look like jewels.

We will take a cruise on the bay (5 hours) on a traditional junk enjoying a seafood lunch on the boat while experiencing the majestic beauty of Halong Bay. The junk is a wooden sailboat designed in a traditional Vietnamese style while offering a full range of modern amenities. Visit the fascinating Dau Go Cave called “The Cave of Marvels” and Thien Cung Cave, the “Cave of Cauliflower” surrounded by spectacular stalactites and stalagmites. In late afternoon, return to the pier & disembark.

Free time to relax at hotel and explore the area. Overnight in Halong City.

After breakfast, take a short ferry ride across the bay from Bai Chay to a typical seafood market on Hon Gai Island where most local people purchase their fish. The best time to visit is between sunrise and 10:00 a.m when fishermen sell their catch after a hard working night.

13h00: Return Hanoi . Dinner in the local restaurant (on your own) in Hanoi before taking the night train. 19h30: Transfer to the Hanoi Railway Station for the overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai.

Overnight on the train (each compartment contains 4 beds).

Distance       Hanoi Central –Lao Cai: transfer350 km => about 8.5hour on train

05:30 am.  Early morning arrival at Lao Cai Railway Station. Enjoy a breakfast at local restaurant.

Private transfer from Lao Cai to Sapa (45 minute).

Then our guide will take you to discover Sapa Town with its lovely small church and colorful market. Then, continue to Ham Rong Mountain, located 1,5 km from Sapa, at 1750 meters high. From here, you can see the whole panorama of Sapa Town. Ideal for walking and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Discover the artificial orchid garden and enjoy the art of the ethnic minority groups in Sapa.

Return to Sapa for time to explore the town and purchase souvenirs. Sapa is noted for its handmade items from the ethnic minorities.

Overnight in Sapa.

Distance       Lao Cai – Sapa: 60 km => about 1hour30minute

08:00 am.  Morning sightseeing to market in Lao Cai such as Bac Ha hold on Sunday, Can Cau on Saturday…. This is a very pleasant trip that takes you past impressive landscapes including terraced rice paddies. Visit the ethnic minorities such as the Nung, H’Mong, and Dao, and enjoy their market wares.

Transfer from Sapa to Lao Cai Railway Station in time to enjoy dinner (on your own) before taking the train back to Hanoi.

Overnight in the train (each compartment contains 4 beds).

06:00 am.  Early morning arrival in Hanoi. After breakfast transfer to Hanoi Noi Bai - Domestic airport.

Flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) (2 hours) flight time about 11h00am.

On arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport, you will be welcomed to Saigon by your local guide and transferred from the airport to your hotel for check-in.

In the afternoon, We then enjoy a city tour to see Reunification Palace and Ben Thanh Market. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral (1877-1883) right on the square and the beautiful French-style Post Office (1886-1891), with its glass canopy and iron structure designed by Gustave Eiffel. Then, visit the famous War Remnant Museum, with armored vehicles, artillery pieces, bombs and infantry weapons displayed both outside and inside. Then, continue to Cholon, the Chinese quarter, and Discover the Thien Hau Pagoda, build by the Cantonese congregation in the 19th century.  Free time to explore on your own, or for shopping.

Overnight in Saigon.

Distance: Hanoi Central-Noi Bai Airport: 30 km => 50 minute transfer

Tan Son Nhat airport – Ho Chi Minh City centre: 10 km => 30 minute transfer

08:00 am.  Enjoy a morning drive through typical Southern Vietnamese countryside to Tay Ninh, a small town located 96km West of Saigon. Tay Ninh is the headquarters of one of Vietnam’s most interesting indigenous religions, Caodaism, with architecture that could have come straight from a Walt Disney fantasy and where all the major faiths of the world blend together in a unique religious cocktail. The Cao Dai Great Temple at the sect’s Holy See is one of the most striking structures in all of Asia. Built between 1933 and 1955, the temple is a rococo extravaganza combining the perhaps conflicting architectures of a French church, a Chinese pagoda, Hong Kong’s Tiger Balm Gardens and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. Prayers are conducted four times daily in the Great Temple. Attend the noon ceremony in the Cao Dai Great Temple.

Enjoy a typical lunch at a Tay Ninh restaurant (paid by yourselves).

After lunch continue to the small town of Cu Chi, located 35 km from Saigon (1h30). Visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnel Network which became legendary during the 1960s for its role in facilitating Viet Cong control of a large rural area. At its height, the tunnel system stretched from the South Vietnamese capital to the Cambodian border; in the district of Cu Chi alone, there were over 250 km of tunnels. The network, parts of which were several stories deep, included innumerable trapdoors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens. The tunnels of Cu Chi were built over a period of 25 years beginning in the late 1940s. In the afternoon, return to Saigon.

Overnight in Saigon.

Distance       Ho Chi Minh Central – Cu Chi: 50 km => 1hour 20 minute transfer

08:00 am.  After breakfast depart by road to the Mekong Delta and  Vinh Long, located 130 km South of Saigon (3 hours).  At Cai Be Harbor we transfer to a small long boat that is similar to a canoe with a roof to visit a fish harbor and a workshop producing sweets, popcorn, and pottery. We continue along the Tien Giang River, a branch of the Mekong River, to the next village where we visit an ancient house and see the different ways of rural life.

Lunch (paid by yourself) is in a restaurant of the Mekong Delta. Then, continue by boat to Vinh Long City where your vehicle will await you there.

Depart by road from Vinh Long to Can Tho (40 km/1 hour).  Overnight in Can Tho.

05:00 am.  Early wake-up to visit the floating market of Cai Rang (45 minute cruise). Discover the fascinating market of Cai Rang. Continue by boat into the narrow channels where you will see the amazing atmosphere of the Mekong Delta and the busy life of the local people.

Depart by road from Can Tho to Chau Doc (150 km / 3 hours), located at the border of Vietnam &Cambodia on the banks of the Bassac River.  Arrive at Chau Doc in the afternoon.  Free time to enjoy the cultural diversity of Chau Doc, with its mixture of mosques, temples and churches or relax along the peaceful waterfront. Overnight in Chau Doc.

Have a breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to Boat station for departure to Phnom Penh.

END OF SERVICE