The Best of Vietnam Holiday

Arriving at Hanoi Airport, welcome you to Hanoi! We will transfer you to your hotel for check in. The room is at your disposal from 14.00 onwards. In the afternoon, we will enjoy a walking tour around Hanoi.

 

Then we will stroll around the city and visit Hoan Kiem Lake, a famous natural fresh lake in the heart of Hanoi. Relax with the breeze flow through your hair, surely you will find a little peace in your time here. Enjoying the cool weather and contemplating the beauty of trees looking themselves in the water and also visiting Ngoc Son Temple are interesting experience you should not bypass. 

 

Dinner at a nice restaurant then transfer back to hotel. Overnight at the hotel. 

 

Transfer: Private car

Included meal: Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

After your breakfast at your hotel, at 8.00am, our local guide will come and we start our full day city tour in Hanoi. We stroll down to a fresh and wet market where a huge variety of fresh products are bought and sold every day- a fundamental part of Vietnamese culture.

After that we visit Ho Chi Minh complex which includes Ho Chi Minh mausoleum (closed on Monday and Fridays - we will visit outside on this day only), his former house on stilt and the Presidential Palace. The One Pillar Pagoda will be the highlight of this complex with special architecture.

Continue to the Temple of Literature back to the center. It was constructed in 1070 under Ly Thanh Tong’s dynasty, first to honor Confucius and now to celebrate the doctorates and high ranking scholars of Vietnam. 

In the afternoon, take a walk on the historic Long Bien bridge while our guide explains why it is considered with such pride by Hanoians and is a symbol of our courageous capital after the many years of war. Then it is time for “café sua da”, iced coffee with condensed milk, and to take a street food tasting tour. Exploring some more markets to get an overview of Vietnamese food, talk with food artisans, street vendors and eat tasty local food and drink. This tour is a great way to see the parts of Hanoi that most tourists don’t.

Back to your hotel in the late afternoon and overnight in Hanoi.

Transfer: Private car

Included meal: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

After breakfast, we will leave Hanoi for a 180-km journey to Halong Bay, one of UNESCO World Heritage site with its 3000 islands located in a background of limestone in Gulf of Tonkin. Coming to Halong, visitors will be impressed with the beauty of natural achievement and many wonderful types of scenery. 

 

You will enjoy an overnight cruise on a wonderful boat floating on Halong Bay and savouring special menu of fresh seafood will absolutely bring you the best moment you have ever had.

 

You will be served with lunch and dinner on boat. Overnight onboard.

 

You are recommended to wake up early in the morning on this day because that is the most wonderful time for you to contemplate aquamarine water of the bay at its best. Once satisfied with the tea break, you will continue the onboard excursion through impressive limestone surrounding the bay. 

 

Returning to the Harbour, we will transfer back to Hanoi city and to train station for a night train to Sapa. Meals on your own. Overnight on the train. 

The morning comes with the departure for Sapa market through a very beautiful road. The colorful textiles that the women wear and vend are diverse, unique, and elegant, fitting with their particular cultures which are often unseen by outsiders.

 

Flower H’Mong almost glow with the pinks, greens, yellows, and blues of their wardrobes, including the intricate shawls wrapped around their shoulders and the angled headscarves worn over their hair. Roots and brushes are displayed in the expansive and jovial market beside woven bags and paintings.

 

After lunch you will come to Sapa, a sleepy hillside town that stands just above the morning mist creating a distinctive picturesque quality along the mountainside. 

 

Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

 

Transfer: Private car

We will visit Sapa village, built in early 1920s as a French hill station. Reaching here, visitors will know that this village used to rest in peace at the end of World War II and have opened for foreign tourists for few years ago. The French used call Sapa “Tonkinese Alps” and its beauty still looks like a fantastic draw. The district is home for 8 different ethnic groups originated in China and some other nations surrounding Vietnam. Almost are farmers living with crop. Continue to trek through the beauty landscape of rice terrrace to visit the H’mong and Black Daos villages.

 

Continue to Ban Ho village, home of Tay tribe, where you will be welcomed with grace and curiosity. The village is located at the foot of a mountain and full of friendliness. You can see a scenery of women in their skirts and blouses often embroidered with intricate geometric shapes.

 

Tonight, you will have a chance to stay in a local house and experience this special kind of accommodation.

 

After breakfast, enjoy the peaceful atmostphere, stroll around a local market which is always astonishing every day. A vivid landscape will appear in your sight with numerous goods being showed for selling. A scarf or a hat you buy will be a pretty present from your trip. 

 

Afterwards, we will transfer back to Hanoi by a night train. Meals on your own. Overnight on the train.

 

Arrive Hanoi station in the early morning, you will be transferred to a small restaurant for breakfast with “Pho”, the traditional and famous dish in Hanoi. An early check in your hotel will let you have time for relaxing after few trekking days in Sapa.

The rest of the day will be at your leisure to explore Hanoi city on your own.

There are many interesting activities which you can do by yourself or you can ask suggestions from our local guide:

+ 1 hour cyclo around Hanoi Old Quarter

+ A tour on Electric car

+ 1 hour water puppet show to learn about the culture of Red River Delta

+ Or you can visit some famous museums in Hanoi such as Ho Lo Prison, Museum of Ethnology, Fine Art Museum of Historical Museum.

Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

A cup of Vietnamese coffee will be an ideal start for your new day with your breakfast. Then we will transfer to the airport for flight to Hue. Welcome on arrival and transfer to hotel for check in. The guide will lead you to a pier for a boat-trip. 

 

Riding along Perfume River, we will drop off and visit a typical garden house built following the precise rules of geomancy. Continue the journey; we will visit the Thien Mu Pagoda, the most beautiful ancient pagoda of Hue. Built in 1601, the pagoda has been improved many times under the reign of Kings during Nguyen Dynasty. 

 

This is good chance for you to rescue your mind from the daily pressure and breathe the fresh air as well as find a peaceful feeling for your spirit. The pagoda is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the former imperial captial and often the subject of folk rhymes about Hue.

 

Continue visiting Minh Mang Mausoleum, an ancient tomb standing for long generations. The tomb was completed in 1843 after 3 years constructed and it is the rest place of the second King of Nguyen Dynasty. In front of the tomb, there are 3 gates and the one at the middle is the Big Red Gate. Inside the Honor Courtyard, there are many stone statues of Mandarins, elephants and horses which are guarding.

 

Transfer back to hotel. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

 

The route will lead us to the Purple City known as Forbidden City in the heart of the Imperial Citadel. Having built in 1804 under the reign of King Gia Long III, the citadel continued to be built more until it was renamed in 1822 under the reign of King Minh Mang III. Inside the citadel, there are over 50 architectural monuments with different functions.

 

Being the accommodation of the King with family, Forbidden Citadel was strictly protected from not only the civilians but also unauthorized officials. Thus, the life inside the citadel has been a secret. The wall architecture is decorated with nature patterns that makes it once the grand center of the ancient capital.

 

At the end of the day, our local guide will introduce you Dong Ba market – a very local market in Hue. From here, you can see the daily activities of local people and explore the culture of people in Hue. Try some local snacks which are made by traditional ingredients in Hue will be a memorable experience.

Transfer back to hotel. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

 

Leaving Hue, we will depart via Hai Van Pass, here gives you a unique time to contemplate one in many fantastic picturesque sceneries of Vietnam as you look out over the central coastline. Arriving Danang, we will visit Cham Museum which was officially built in 1915. It is home of the largest collection of sculptures and relics from the Cham civilization once known as the Khmer civilization with around 2000 multi-sizes objects dated from 12th to 15th century.

 

After relaxing, we will continue the departure to Hoian and arrival at the evening. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

We will start a walking trip with our tour-guide around the attractive Hoian port town. In 16th century, Hoian used to be the national trading center for East-West commercial itinerary. It seems to be the assembly point for diversity of ancient streets and homes. Particularly, the quaint cobblestone streets with more than two-century-old Chinese houses are indispensable subjects to visit and explore. You will see the ancient houses built following the Chinese, Japanese, French and European architectures along the narrow lanes. The 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge built by Japanese merchants in 16th century, the Phuc Kien Assembly Halls, and the local fish market are some indispensable places that you should visit in Hoian. Let’s stop off at a tailor-made shop to get yourself a favourite clothes/suits/dresses done in just few hours.

 

We will head to My Son, a concentration of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD by the kings of Champa. In this period, the valley at My Son was a site of religious ceremony for kings of the ruling dynasties of Champa, as well as a burial place for Cham royalty and national heroes.

 

Arriving here, let’s try to keep calm in the presence of its impressive beauty and listen to many attractive stories about historical and cultural values of this Holy Land.

 

Transfer back to hotel. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

 

Transfer: Private car

Leaving the charm Hoian behind and we will fly to Nha Trang for check in at hotel. The white sandy beach, the cool weather, and the turquoise water surely will make you feel pleasant after days travelling. Moreover, fresh seafoods are always available for your appetite. 

 

Free time at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Free time at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

Transfer: N/A

Farewell the beautiful beach, we will transfer to the airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City, the largest centre of economy, politics and culture in the south of Vietnam and also an attractive tourist destination. Transfer to hotel for check in. Free time at your leisure to walk around. Transfer back to hotel. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

 

The day of tour leads you visit Notre Dame Cathedral and the Reunification Palace, two of many famous monuments in Ho Chi Minh City.

 

Notre Dame Cathedral known as the architectural masterpiece of Ho Chi Minh City. The monuments was designed following the inspiration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris by Bourad, a French architect and completed in 1880 after 3 years constructed. All its components was imported from France. Visitors will feel very peaceful in mind as you can hear the quietest of footsteps along the walkway from the door to the dais.

 

After that, you will visit the War Remnants Museum - well known as the Museum of American War crimes. This is a poignant display of the futility of war. If time permitted, our guide will introduce you the China town and we can walk around to explore.

 

Next is the Reunification Palace which is associated with many significant historical events. The monument is now an attractive touristic destination thanks to its display of dozens historic war vehicles such as transmitters, telephones, tanks and helicopter. The landscape at the Palace seems to reconstitute wartime in 1975.

 

Transfer back to hotel. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

 

Following your breakfast is departure to Cao Dai Temple founded in the 1920s. The temple was established to synthesize the faiths of Animism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Christianity. It is a vivid display of architecture with an interior containing a balcony that runs along the walls giving you a perfect view of the midday processions. If you look over the portico, you will see the Divine Eye, the symbol of Cao Dai sect. 

 

In the afternoon, we will pay a visit to Cu Chi Tunnel, the historic shelter of Vietnamese soldiers during the war. We will pay a visit to the traps, the mysterious way-in, the network of bunkers and the underground hermitage. Furthermore, there gives you a unique and wonderful chance to use real guns and bullets at riffle range as well as even creep into the Cu Chi Tunnels to understand the historic harsh life of Vietcong guerrillas. Covering almost 250km, the tunnels system helped over 16.000 communist guerillas alive during the war.

 

Relaxing with green tea and tapioca as Vietcong in wartime, you will understand more about their former life.

 

Transfer back to hotel. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

The morning comes with the departure to Cai Be. We will board a sampan to Cai Be floating market, the most astonishing market. The panorama of this region is full of colours thanks to the diverse fruits, vegetables, and skilful handcrafted regional products. Geting on local boats, you will have chance to exchange with merchants to understand more about their activity here. We might visit some local candy and cake producing factories or float on river through the green water scenery to observe some local houses, verdant orchards and ship-building yards.

 

The floating markets are the centre to trade numerous fruits and vegetables in Mekong Delta that explains why the number off trading boat are dependent on harvesting seasons and market demand. Additionally, modern wholesale markets are becoming more and more popular as well as an essential part of Vietnam. 

 

Disembarking the boat, we will visit Bonsai Gardens to comprehend about the art of simple trees. With their solid wood frames and sprawling but thin branches the bonsai is known for it ability to be shaped into wonderful sculptures and for having a calming effect.

 

Private transfer will pick you up and head to Can Tho for evening. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

 

Departure to Ninh Kieu Quay, you will get onto a boat for a cruise to the tumultuous and vivid floating markets in Cai Rang. 

 

We will run adrift along the river on boat, witness many other floating boats selling from well-known fruits such as mangos, bananas to the most exotic ones like mangos teens, star apples, or the sweetened longans and the very odorous durians. You will be satisfied with their flavours before entering the gaze of the channels and streams around Can Tho. Sitting on boat and have a direct look at locals’ activities, you will partly understand more about their daily life.

 

After that, check out your hotel around noon and then we drive back to your hotel In Ho Chi Minh City. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Transfer: Private car

Free time at your leisure until we transfer to Ho Chi Minh City airport for your departure flight. Meals on your own. 

 

End of the tour!

 

Transfer: Private car

Included meals: Breakfast

 

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