The Essential from North to South of Vietnam

Arrive in Hanoi - Noi Bai International Airport.

You will be met at the airport by your English-speaking guide and transferred to your hotel in downtown Hanoi. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is a beautiful city of lakes, shaded boulevards, and verdant public parks. 

14h: Go to the hotel for check-in. 

In the afternoon, we will visit:

- The historical Temple of Literature, the first university of Vietnam, was built in 1070 in honor of Confucius.
- Visit Quan Thanh temple and Tran Quoc pagoda.

- Then 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. 

We will enjoy a Cyclo tour along the narrow streets of the Old Quarter of Hanoi. End of the day to attend a traditional Water Puppet show.

This morning explore Vietnam’s historic capital by Cyclo, an iconic vehicle on the city’s streets. Your guide will take you to the popular attractions of Ho Chi Minh’s House and his Mausoleum nearby.

We explore Tong Duy Tan, Hanoi’s famous ‘food street’ to sample a few dishes, starting with traditional ‘ga tan’ (chicken simmered with herbs), then stopping for ‘banh cuon’ (rice pancakes) and ‘com binh dan’ (cheap rice) stalls.  Cam Chi Street offers a different experience for those wishing to taste distinctive local wines. Be warned! They might be a little strong so xoi’, a sticky rice dish may help.
In the evening spend a couple of hours wandering back streets in and around the Old Quarter.  Streets tend to specialize by product category. Family-owned shops spill onto the road and sell everything from shoes and silk to belts and buckets.  A street food brunch is included so take your pick from traditional Hanoi Pho (beef noodle soup), Nom (green papaya salad with seasoned beef), Banh Goi (pillow-shaped rice pastry with minced pork and mushroom), or Bun Cha (fresh noodle with grilled pork).  Still hungry!  Try two or three other varieties – they’re snacks rather than a meal.  

Watch locals sit and chat by beautiful Hoan Kiem Lake, magical at night, and meander through narrow streets in the Old Quarter to Hanoi Beer Corner.  Here you can sample a cup of Bia Hoi, a local fresh beer.  Then led by our tourist guide, hop on the back of a motorbike to experience the hectic nightlife.  Our last stop is Dong Xuan Market and a night street food market too for a hotpot if anyone is still hungry! 
Return to your hotel.

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.

The program will be changed depending on which cruise choosing.

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. Upon arrival at the harbor, we will embark on a junk. We will enjoy a fresh 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 “Heavenly Palace Cave” surrounded by spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.

After dinner, enjoy fishing with local fishermen. The reflection of the limestone outcrops, the sight of fishing boats lit up in the darkness; enjoy these precious moments in one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world.

Overnight on board the junk.

06.30-07.00: Welcome a new day with an amazing dawn on Bai Tu Long Bay. Refresh your body and soul with a Tai-chi session on the sundeck.

07.00-07.30: Catch the morning view of the seascape while enjoying breakfast with cookies and tea, at the café in the restaurant.

07.30-08.30: Visit Vung Vieng fishing village - the famous fishing farm by bamboo boat and discover the life of local people living on the surface of Halong Bay. (No swimming).

08.30-09.30: Pack up the luggage and check out of the cabin.

09.30-10.40: Enjoy brunch in the restaurant while cruising back to the tourist harbor.

11.00: Disembark from boat.

12.00: Your driver takes you back to Hanoi.

Guide and car pick up to NoiBai Airport for the departure flight to Hue at about 01 hour

Arrive in Hue - Phu Bai Airport. You will be met at the airport by your English-speaking guide and transferred to your hotel in downtown Hue.

Thuy Bieu village where you can rent a bicycle or visit the village on foot.
Vietnamese cookery course.
After lunch, relax with a foot massage with herbs. The afternoon is dedicated to visiting the tomb of the King of Tu Duc.

After the visit, transfer to Hoian from Hue via the Hai Van pass which offers a splendid view of the center.

08:00 Depart from your hotel

Spend a leisurely day cycling through the scenic and peaceful countryside of Vietnam, far away from the noise of the city. After passing through the town, you will cycle amongst villages of rice fields on quiet roads, ending up in Van Lang fisherman village and Bay Mau water coconut forest - 7 hectares of mangrove forest, canals, and houses covered in water coconut leaf. This place played refuge to people and local soldiers during the Vietnam War, but nowadays it is famous for its abundance of seafood.

09:30 On our journey to the village we will stop at Ba Le market, rice fields, cemeteries, and schools...

10:00 In the village you will be warmly welcomed with a green tea by Mr.Han and his family, the third generation of his family to live there. There you will have free time to stroll through the village, before rowing a basket boat with the locals, learning their traditional fishing techniques in the water coconut forest.

11:00 After returning to Mr.Han and his family, you will enjoy a traditional therapeutic foot bath with medicinal herbs, before preparing lunch with a local family. Lunch will feature many local dishes, such as Tam Huu spring rolls, Banh Xeo local pancakes, and grilled fish in banana leaf, among many other Vietnamese delicacies.

13:30 After lunch you will have free time to take a short rest and enjoy the calm of this relaxing region. Then we return to your hotel at 14h00.

08:00am: We travel about 50km from Hoi An to My Son sanctuary. It comprises many Champa temples, in a valley roughly two kilometers wide, surrounded by two mountain ranges. It was the site of religious ceremonies of kings of the Champa dynasty and was also a burial place for Champa royals and national heroes. The My Son temple complex is one of the foremost temple complexes of Hinduism in South East Asia and is the foremost heritage site of this nature in Vietnam. Though the complex has been destroyed over time, we still see many majestic ancient ruins of temples in the area.

8:00 am: After breakfast, we depart to Cai Be. Upon arrival at Cai Be, embark on a private boat to cruise around Cai Be Floating Market to see local people selling, buying, and exchanging goods from their boats. Visit a local garden and house to see orchards, rice crisped producing process, etc... After lunch cruise along the river to see the peaceful tranquil life of villagers, and admire the marvelous natural setting of the Mekong Delta region.

At about 3 pm, the boat will arrive at Vinh Long Market; walk around to explore Vinh Long Market before returning to Saigon

End tour in Saigon