Vietnam the Essential from North to South

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

The guide and car pick you up at your address to depart for Ninh Binh province (98 km). Start tour Trang An – Bai Dinh Pagoda. Arrive at the Buddha Prayer location in the Bai Dinh Pagoda, the biggest pagoda in Vietnam with 500 La Han statues, the home of the biggest bronze Buddha statue in Vietnam over 10 meters in height and 100 tons in weight.

Depart to visit Trang An tourist attraction, take a boat trip to visit the cave complex: Sang Cave, Toi Cave, Ba Giot Cave, Nau Ruou in all their mystery and wildness, and see the breathtaking scenery of mountains and rivers. Trang An is considered the Ha Long on the land.

In the afternoon, return to Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi.

08:00A.M: We will visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & Museum, the One Pillar Pagoda, The French colonial Styled Presidential Palace, and the historical Temple of Literature, the first university of VietNam, built in 1070 in honor of Confucius

In the afternoon we will see the Museum of Ethnology and then 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 and laugh and even dance on the surface of the water. The audience is meant to experience the atmosphere of a village festival. 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. The Old Quarter includes 36 old streets with each name representative of the type of merchandise sold in it.

Overnight in Hanoi.

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.

Overnight in Hanoi.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Noi Bai airport for a short flight to Hue.

Arrive in Hue. You will be met at the airport by your English speaking guide and transfer to your hotel in downtown Hue.

Overnight in Hue.

After breakfast, you will visit the romantic city of Hue with a boat trip on the Perfume River. Disembark to visit Thien Mu pagoda. You will continue by boat to the 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 Hoi An from Hue via the Hai Van pass which offers a splendid view of the center.

Overnight in Hoi An.

08:00A.M: 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. 

Return to Hoi An and free afternoon for free discovery at your leisure or relaxation at Cua Dai beach.

Overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

08:00A.M: 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.

Overnight in Hoian.

Breakfast at hotel.

You will be transferred to Danang airport for a short flight to Saigon. 

Arrive in Saigon - Tan Son Nhat International Airport. You will be met at the airport by your English-speaking guide and transferred to your hotel in downtown Saigon.

Overnight Saigon.

08:00A.M: Heading out of town we travel by roads to the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's largest rice bowl.

On arrival in My Tho, we embark on a boat navigating around the intricate small canals in the delta region, which is a great way to observe the local lifestyle close-up. This thrilling excursion will pass the lush green vegetation before arriving on an island. Here we have opportunities to visit some fascinating local industries, stroll around an orchard and taste many delicious seasonal fruits. In the afternoon,  we return to Saigon., stopping off along the way to see the beautiful Vinh Trang Pagoda.

The trip ends after arrival back in Saigon.

Overnight in Saigon.  

Breakfast at hotel.

08:00A.M: We 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, 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.