Arriving at Hanoi airport, welcome to Vietnam! Your private vehicle and guide transfer you to hotel for check in. The driving distance is approximately 45 minutes.

 

Hanoi or “River-bound City” as its name literally means is Vietnam’s capital with a thousand-year-old history dating back to 1010. The city’s fascinating beauty, which is characterized by unique cultural relics, ancient streets of antique houses, elegant French colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards and romantic lakes has made it one of the most charming cities of Asia

 

Meal: None

Overnight at hotel in Hanoi

The city tour begins with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh, the nation’s founder. At the complex, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the nation’s founder’s body is preserved (closed on Monday, Friday and through October – November), the colonial Presidential Palace, originally the French Governor Office and a fine example of French architecture in Hanoi, and the rural style Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th Century in dedication to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara or Buddha of Compassion and reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond. Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam, built in 1070 by the Ly Dynasty to honor Confucius, sages and outstanding Vietnamese scholars.

 

Afternoon, continue the tour to one of the following museums of choice namely the Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Vietnamese History, the Museum of Revolution, the Museum of Military History, or the Museum of Ethnology. Next, head for Hoan Kiem Lake, the center point of Hanoi whose name “The Return Sword Lake” originated from a legend of a sacred sword and home to a rare endangered giant turtle species and visit Ngoc Son Temple on the lake. Take a one-hour cyclo tour of the Old Quarter of Hanoi with its ancient streets representing traditional trades from the past. Finish the tour at the Thang Long Opera Theatre with a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Hanoi

Morning, meet your guide at hotel and transfer to Ninh Binh Province about 100 km South of Hanoi. Arrival, take a boat cruise along the Hoang Long River through the scenic landscape of Tam Coc – Bich Dong, a 350-ha area of karst mountain scattered over the lush wetland with paddy fields. This area is referred to as “an inland Ha Long bay” for its strikingly similar water-and-rock terrain features. Depending on the time of visit, you may see local farmers harvesting rice or transplanting seedlings for the new crop.

 

Afternoon, head for Hoa Lu to see the few vestiges of the first capital of Vietnam. Built in the 10th Century by the Dinh Dynasty not only for a capital but also as a stronghold against the Northern invaders, Hoa Lu shortly later it was inherited by the Le Dynasty. You’ll also visit the two old temples one dedicated to Dinh Tien Hoang, the only king of the Dinh Dynasty and also Vietnam’s first emperor and the other to the succeeding kings of the Le Dynasty.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Hanoi

Morning pickup at 8:00 AM from your hotel for transfer to Ha Long Bay, which is about 160 km or 3.5-hour drive away.  Arrive in Ha Long City at noon and check in aboard the cruise right after the welcome drink is served. Start cruising while having lunch on board and enjoy the mighty bay view. Ha Long Bay means Descending Dragon Bay in Vietnamese as legend has it that it was where a holy dragon landed down from sky. The bay, famous as one of the world’s wonders and heritage sites whose formation dates back 500 million years, consists of around 2,000 karst islands and islets scattered over an area of 1,553 km2.

 

After lunch, take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with golden sails, go swimming on a quiet beach or sunbath on the sundeck. Later in the afternoon, you will visit an interesting fishing village with an opportunity to interact with local people who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. An optional kayaking trip is available weather permitting. Back onboard enjoy a lavish dinner and enjoy the bay view at sunset. Spend a night on board.

 

Meal: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Overnight on cruises in Ha Long Bay 

In the morning, refresh your body and mind with a Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck at the break of dawn. Have tea and coffee onboard and continue exploring Ha Long Bay sailing across its 2000 islets and visiting some of its major highlights. Have a buffet brunch while cruising back to shore. Disembark at noon then transfer to Hanoi airport for flight to Da Dang.

 

When you arrive at Da Nang airport, you are transferred to Hoi An town by private car & guide. The transfer is approximately 40 minutes.

 

Meal: Brunch

Overnight at hotel in Hoi An

Colorful lanterns are an integral part of Hoi An’s visual identity, with the craft of lantern making having been passed down through generations to the current residents. You will spend half a day observing and learning how to make lanterns at a local family’s workshop. Under the guidance of friendly and skilled hosts, you will practice all production steps, including whittling bamboo into splints and shaping them into a frame, cutting fabric to size, and gluing it to the frame to complete the lantern. As a meaningful souvenir, you will take home the lanterns you made with your own hands.

 

Afternoon, discover the charm of Hoi An, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is now a peaceful town of exceptionally well-preserved architecture, lifestyles and traditions. The town exemplifies a fascinating fusion of cultures between Vietnam and the outside world including China, Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines. Your sightseeing will include the iconic 400-year-old Covered Bridge with a small temple attached to one side as a prominent example of Japanese architecture, the Museum of Trade Ceramics which is an elegant Vietnamese style wooden house built in 1858 showcasing antique ceramic artifacts, the 200-year-old Tan Ky House typifying an ancient Chinese merchant residence, the Ong Temple built in 1653 by Chinese settlers to worship Guan Yu, an ancient Chinese general whose character stands for loyalty, bravery and justice and the local market vibrant with colors and activities. Return to your hotel for overnight.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Hoi An

Your guide will meet you at the hotel, and then you’ll cycle to Tra Que Vegetable Village, a charming little village on the outskirts of Hoi An. After a warm welcome, you will be guided through the process of hoeing the land, tilling, cultivating, planting vegetables, sowing seeds, and collecting seaweed to use as fertilizer. You will also help gather the harvested vegetables alongside the local farmers. Afterward, you’ll prepare special meals using fresh Tra Que vegetables and then relax and read on bamboo beds or hammocks in the village’s peaceful atmosphere.

 

In the afternoon, go fishing or bike to Cua Dai beach or relax.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Hoi An

Free at leisure until transfer to Da Nang airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, meet your driver for an airport transfer with a private vehicle and guide. The transfer distance is approximately 30 minutes.

 

After that, take a city tour to visit the War Remnants Museum which features a comprehensive collection of the machinery, weapons, photos, and documentation of the Vietnam War with both the French and Americans and the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until the end of April 1975. Last, stop for shopping at the French-built Ben Thanh Market which dates back to 1870 and whose main entrance clock tower has become a city’s symbol.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh

Vietnamese cuisine is gaining worldwide recognition, so today, let us take you on a quick adventure into the world of Vietnamese culinary delights. Begin the morning with a delightful wander around Ben Thanh Market, guided by an experienced local chef. Next, transfer to the cooking center, bags filled with fresh vegetables, tropical fruits, meat, and exotic herbs and seasonings. Under the chef’s guidance, you will then start cooking some traditional Vietnamese dishes. You might be surprised by how much you can achieve, preparing typical main dishes, drinks, and desserts. Once finished, sit back, relax, and enjoy the lunch you’ve cooked, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

 

Afternoon, take a city tour to visit the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, a neo-Roman cathedral built over 130 years ago by the colonial French with materials entirely imported from Marseilles and stained-glass windows from Chartres. Next, visit Saigon Post Office, a fine colonial building which was designed and built in the early 20th Century by the famous French architect Gustave Eiffel. Last, move to Cho Lon area or the city’s ChinaTown and the Jade Emperor Temple (Phuoc Hai), a rare Taoist structure in Vietnam built by the Cantonese community in the area in 1909.

 

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh

Meet your guide and driver at the hotel, then transfer approximately 136 km to Vinh Long, a riverside town in the vast Mekong Delta, the world’s largest delta. Embark on a boat cruise to a lively floating market, where sellers and buyers bargain and exchange goods directly from their boats. Continue through a fascinating maze of shady canals to Binh Hoa Phuoc Island. The beautiful landscape of zigzagging canals, lush vegetation, peaceful villages, and the activities of rural life will be a delightful sight. On the island, visit local farmers’ homes, interact with the warm-hearted hosts, and learn about their trades, including bonsai gardening, tile and ceramic production, and rice paper and coconut candy making. Afterward, transfer to Can Tho for overnight.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Can Tho

Morning, depart from Ninh Kieu Wharf by shuttle boat, where you can observe the bustling activities along the Can Tho riverbanks. You will explore Cai Rang Floating Market, where locals use a traditional “offering pole” to hang fruits and vegetables for sale. To gain a deeper understanding of the local lifestyle, continue along the small creeks known as Rach Nho, offering a clear view of the Southern countryside. Afterward, cruise back to Ninh Kieu Wharf. Transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City for overnight.

 

Meal: Breakfast

Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh

Free at leisure until meet your guide & driver at hotel then transfer to Ho Chi Minh airport for departure flight.

 

Meal: Breakfast