North to South Adventure in Vietnam

Highlights:

Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi, free time
Day 2: Cruise Halong Bay, enjoy seafood, and discover Lan Ha Bay
Day 3: Halong Bay- Hanoi, Night train to Sapa
Day 4: Explore Sapa Town, Sapa trekking villages
Day 5: Sapa – Ta Phin Bus to Hanoi
Day 6: Hanoi city tour – Fly to Danang
Day 7: My Son Holly land
Day 8: Hoi An ancient town, Transfer to Hue
Day 9: Hue City, Fly to Ho Chi Minh
Day 10: Mekong delta life, Islands and canals visiting, Rowing boat, Horse-drawn cart, Traditional music performance
Day 11: Cu Chi underground tunnels
Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City departure

Day 1: Hanoi arrival, Free time, welcome dinner.

Our driver will pick you up at Noi Bai Airport and transfer you to your hotel in the city center. Hanoi, a city situated between rivers and built on lowland, boasts numerous scenic lakes and is sometimes referred to as the ‘city of lakes.’ Among these lakes, the most well-known are Hoan Kiem Lake and West Lake. Having served as the capital of Vietnam for nearly a millennia, Hanoi is widely recognized as the cultural heart of Vietnam, with each dynasty leaving behind its mark. Even though some relics have not survived through wars and time, the city still boasts a wealth of fascinating cultural and historical landmarks for visitors and residents to explore.

Day 2: Hanoi city – Halong Bay (B, L D)

Day 3: Halong Bay- Hanoi, Night train to Sapa (B, L)

6:30 AM: Enjoy Tai Chi instruction on the sundeck for about 30 minutes.

6:45 AM: Coffee, tea, and breakfast pastries are served in the dining room.

7:00 AM: Arrive at the Surprise Cave.

8:00 AM: Transfer by tender to the Surprise Cave. Walk up the 100 steps to the cave entrance and tour on foot for approximately 45 minutes.

9:00 AM: Upon return to the boat, take time to freshen up and please check out of cabins. Leave heavy luggage outside of the cabins (staff will transfer to the pier). Depart for Bai Chay/Halong pier.

9:30 AM: Enjoy Breakfast Set Menu or Buffet served in the dining room. Settle bills in the dining room after breakfast.

10:00 AM: Relax on the sundeck or in the dining room and enjoy the bay scenery as we approach the pier.

10:45 AM: Arrive at Bai Chay/Halong pier.

11:00 AM: Transfer by tender to the pier, and relax inside the pier building while waiting for return transportation.

Arrive in Hanoi city at around 3:30 PM. Drop off at your hotel. The rest of the time is free for leisure.

Day-use at a hotel in Hanoi until 8:00 PM.

20:00: Our guide comes to your hotel and transfers you to Hanoi train station for your night train to Laocai.

Soft sleeper, wooden 4-berth sharing cabin on tourist carriage train.

Day 4: Sapa – Laochai – Tavan(B, L ,D)

Arrive at Lao Cai train station early in the morning and transfer to Sapa. Have breakfast at a local restaurant and relax before starting the Sapa tour. Sapa is a charming old French hill station situated at 1600 meters in the mountainous region of northwest Vietnam, close to the Chinese border. The region is inhabited by various ethnic minority groups, each adorned in their traditional and colorful attire.

Hike down to Lao Chai village to visit the Tay and Day tribes, then continue along the bottom of the Sapa valley to reach Ta Van village, known as one of the most beautiful in the area. The hike will take around 4 hours but can be adjusted based on your preferences. At the very least, visiting one village is a must in this region! Return to Sapa by car.

Stay overnight at a hotel in Sapa.

Day 5: Sapa – Ta Phin, Bus to Hanoi (B, L)

After breakfast, check out and get ready for the trip. Drive towards Ta Phin village (about 40 minutes) home to the Red Dao people. Here,  having the opportunity to share cultural experiences with the families of Black Hmong and Red Dao who live in the area. This will be about a 2-hour hiking experience. The trip also offers you the opportunity to visit the local houses as well as local caves. Then back to Sapa town for lunch.

At 2:30 pm, get on a bus limousine back to Hanoi, arriving in Hanoi at 9 pm.

Check into a hotel in Hanoi.

Day 6: Hanoi City Tour – Fly to Danang (B)

Early morning: Arrive at Hanoi train station. Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Hanoi. Refresh and have breakfast at the hotel included. Check-in at the hotel.

8:30 am: Your local tour guide welcomes you to the hotel and enjoys a full-day city tour. Start with the Temple of Literature, which is well known as the first university of Vietnam and was built more than 1,000 years ago. Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, the living quarter of Ho Chi Minh, also known as Uncle Ho to Vietnamese people. Also, visit One Pillar pagoda. The next destination will be the beautiful West Lake and the History Museum with an excellent collection of artifacts illustrating Vietnamese history, also a highlight of our trip. The tour continues with a visit to the beautiful Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple. Directly transfer to the airport for the late afternoon flight to Danang. Pick up and transfer 35 km south to Hoi An town.

Day 7: My Son – Hoi An Charming Town (B)

8:00 am: Your tour guide in the Center of Vietnam welcomes you at the hotel, drive to visit My Son – one of the most stunning sights in the Hoi An area. My Son is Vietnam’s most important Cham site and, as of 2000, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the centuries when Tra Kieu (known as Simhapura) served as the political capital of Champa, My Son was the site of the most important Cham intellectual and religious center and also may have served as a burial place for Cham monarchs. My Son is considered to be Champa’s counterpart to the grand city of Southeast Asia’s other Indian-influenced civilizations: Angkor (Cambodia), Bagan (Myanmar), Ayuthaya (Thailand), and Borobudur (Java). Return to Hoi An and have free time to explore Hoi An charming town.

Day 9: Hue City – Fly to Ho Chi Minh (B)

In the morning, enjoy a scenic boat trip on the Perfume River to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda or Heavenly Lady Pagoda. It is one of the oldest architectural structures for religious worship in Hue and is an active Buddhist monastery with origins dating back to 1601. After the boat trip, visit the Imperial Citadel of Hue with the Purple Forbidden City. Also, visit the local Dong Ba market and continue to Tu Duc Royal Tomb, one of the most beautiful mausoleums built by a ruler of the Imperial City during his reign. Transfer to Hue airport for a flight to Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon. Upon arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel overnight.

Day 10: Ho Chi Minh – Mekong Delta – My Tho – Ben Tre (B, L)

At 08:00 hrs, you will be picked up at your hotel for a 2-hour drive southwest of Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta, known as the rice bowl of Vietnam. Upon arrival, take a boat cruise around islets and tropical orchards through the canal of Vam Xep to reach a small islet. This will be followed by a relaxing walk along shady and palm-fringed trails passing by local villages. During the visit, you can stop en route to visit a bee farm, sip tea with honey, sample fruits with a local family, and visit a small coconut workshop. Following this, a horse-drawn cart awaits to transfer you to a handicraft village and a coconut candy factory. Enjoy tropical fruit and traditional music, and then relax with a rowing boat ride through the narrow, palm tree-lined canals of the Mekong River before returning to My Tho by motorized boat. Return to Saigon, and the evening is free at leisure.

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh – Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L)

After breakfast, drive to Cu Chi district (75 km from HCMC) to visit the complex of underground tunnels at Cu Chi. Explore the amazing system of tunnels and learn about their historical significance. In the afternoon, visit landmarks such as the Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral, the old Post Office, the Reunification Palace, the China Town (Cho Lon), Jade Emperor Pagoda, and finish the tour at the famous Ben Thanh Market, where you can purchase souvenirs.

Day 12: Ho Chi Minh Departure (B)

Return to Ho Chi Minh departure. End trip!