Day 1: Saigon Arriaval
Arrive in Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon), transfer to hotel and check in. Then you will take a one-hour cyclo tour of Chinese quarter through Rice Market and Cho Lon market where you can see the daily life of Saigon people. Have dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Saigon.(D)
Day 2: Saigon – Cu Chi Tunnels
Take a full day excursion to Tay Ninh to visit the Cao Dai Great Temple, a unique religion worshiping Jesus, Confucius and Buddha. Enjoy lunch at restaurant in Tay Ninh. In the afternoon, continue to drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels. On the way to Cu Chi Tunnels, visit a rice paper making village. Descend into the Cu Chi Tunnels where the guerilla fighters constructed an amazing underground base. Finally, to end our trip, we will be taken to the private home of Mr. Nam where we will have dinner with him and his family. Return to Saigon after dinner. Overnight in Saigon. (B,L,D)
Day 3: Saigon – Mekong Delta – Biking
Enjoy breakfast in your hotel and then leave Saigon for Cai Be with a stop at a bonsai garden for tea. Have a delicious lunch in a garden restaurant including dessert of an astonishing variety of fruit. After lunch, cycling through local villages, paddy fields and seeing Vietnam at local pace from the saddle! Return to Siagon. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Saigon. (B,L)
Day 4: Saigon – DaNang – HoiAn
Transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for flight to Danang. Transfer to Danang town, city tour to Cham Museum, Marble Mountain, China Beach. Lunch at restaurant. Afternoon drive to HoiAn. Check in hotel. Visit HoiAn ancient town. Dinner on your own. Overnight in HoiAn (B,L)
Day 5: HoiAn – My Son
Your guide will meet you at your hotel and take you to My Son, walk through the beautiful park where a stream flows through the center and various temples dot the landscape. Your guide will explain many of the temples and point out interesting features. And then you will return to your van and head to a local families home for lunch. Here you will enjoy traditional HoiAn delicacies made by the family. Your guide is happy to act as a translator if you have any questions. Take a walk around the village and see how the Vietnamese live today. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner on your own. Overnight in HoiAn (B,L)
Day 6: HoiAn – DaNang – Hue
Transfer to Hue, pass through the Mountain Clouds Hai Van Pass. Check in hotel. Lunch at traditional restaurant in Hue. Afternoon tour to Imperial Citadel (Southwest Gate, Thai Hoa Palace, Left House and Right House), National Museum and Quoc Hoc High School. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Hue. (B,L)
Day7: Hue – City tour all day
AM: Cruise the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda on boat. Lunch at a local restaurant. PM: Visit the Royal Tombs: Tu Duc, Khai Dinh. Time at leisure. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Hue. (B,L)
Day 8: Hanoi arrival
Time at leisure in the morning and then you will be met and transferred to hotel. After checking in to hotel, you will take a one-hour cyclo tour of this charming capital city through the scenic Colonial Quarter, the Restored Sword Lake and the Old Quarter of “36 streets of 36 wares”. Have dinner at a local restaurant. And then, you will attend a Water Puppet Show to experience a truly traditional Vietnamese evening. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Hanoi. (B,L)
Day 9: Hanoi – Halong
Our guide will meet and take you to Halong Bay by private car. Arrive in Halong.
12.30 AM: Board Huong Hai Junk, check-in registration. Have lunch on board at 13.00 PM.
In the afternoon, a fantastic cruise in Halong Bay, Visit Dinh Huong, Ga Choi islands, Dog and Sail islands. Visit Sung Sot cave and swim at Titov beach. Enjoy dinner on board while watching sunset. Fishing, drinking Vietnamese wine. Overnight on Deluxe Junk/ air-conditional cabin (L,D)
Day 10: Halong – Hanoi
Have breakfast at 7.00 AM. Start a morning cruise to visit Man’s head island, Tortoise Island and visit Luon cave by small bamboo boat, Bai Tu Long Bay, Toad island, Bai Tho Mountain.
11.00 AM: Return to Halong city and enjoy lunch on board
12.00 AM: Arrive Halong wharf. Return to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi. (B,L)
Day 11: Hanoi – Handicraft villages
AM: Enjoy the pleasant trip to Van Phuc – a silk village is a great place to silk cloth being produced on the loom which appeared over one thousand years was found by La Thi Nga Princess. Main products were flowered silks. Vanphuc traditional village has been developing. With 1250 workers and 800 textile machines to produce one million meters of silk every year. Vanphuc village is attractive destination for tourists.
PM: Leave Van Phuc for Chuong village – a conical hat-making village. Visit Chuong market, Bell, Floating bridge and a family making conical hat. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Hanoi. (B,L)
Day 12: Hanoi – Hoa Lu Temple – Bich Dong Pagoda – Tam Coc Caves
AM: Drive through the rural Northern Vietnam to the site of Vietnam’s first capital-HoaLu. Situated on the edge of the Red River Delta in a narrow valley surrounded by limestone mountains. After visiting the two remain sanctuaries of the ancient citadel, drive to Bich Dong Pagoda – one of the famous pagoda in Ninh Binh province.
PM: After lunch, take enjoyments from a relaxing ride on small sampans on the river as we can row through winding rivers cutting through the rice paddies to the grottoes of the sacred TamCoc Caves. Return to Hanoi for dinner on your own. Overnight in Hanoi. (B,L)
Day 13: Hanoi – Hoa Binh – Mai Chau
Morning drive 80km from Hanoi to Hoa Binh town for visiting Muong village. Lunch at restaurant in HoaBinh. Afternoon, continue to MaiChau. Dinner and overnight in Thai stilt-houses. (B,L,D)
Day 14: Hoa Binh – Mai Chau
Breakfast, 8:00 AM, morning drive pass verdant landscape to Mai Chau, home to the White Thai hill tribe people. Situated in a scenic mountain valley, Mai Chau is pleasant for light hiking and visiting villages where people still live long-houses and weave textiles on ancient looms. Lunch at restaurant. PM. Continue to visit H’Mong village in XaLinh. Dinner and overnight in Thai stilt-houses. Experience, the traditional weaving and dancing in the home-stay. (B, L,D)
Day 15: Mai Chau – Hanoi
Gentle trekking around the beautiful valley of Maichau visit waterfall and small hamlets with subsistence lifestyles. Afternoon, return to Hanoi. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Hanoi. (B,L)
Day 16: Departure
Time at leisure until your flight.