Tour route: Ha Noi –
Sapa - Halong Cruise – Hue – Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi Tunnels –
Mekong Delta
Can speak Vietnam deserved to be a top country to travel in
your lifetime which is famous for its peaceful country-sides, green rice paddy
fields, rugged mountain ranges, exotic ethnic minorities, amazing white sandy
beaches, spectacular bays, mysterious pagodas. Just skip all steps and send us
your travel inquiries, Your private travel consultant at Asia Charm Tours will get back shortly with
a perfect tour itinerary and quotation which are customized to suit your needs
and budget.
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival
Welcome up on arrival in Hanoi, then we will transfer to
hotel for check-in. If you have chance to stay in Hanoi at the weekend, it is
worth to join the interesting night market near Hoan Kiem Lake, featured with
walking streets, beautiful red lanterns, local street foods and Vietnamese
styled souvenirs.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi – Hoa Lu
& Tam Coc – Hanoi
8.00: Depart your hotel this morning for the 2-hour drive
through rural northern Vietnam to the site of Vietnam's first capital, Hoa Lu.
Visit to the temples dedicated to Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang and Emperor Le Dai
Hanh of the Le Dynasty. The ancient Hoa Lu Citadel once covered an area of
three square kilometers.
Continue to Tam Coc through stunning limestone karst valleys
surrounded by picturesque fields and villages, along the way stop where you
wish to take photographs. On arrival in Tam Coc have a Vietnamese lunch. After
lunch, board your private sampan for a leisurely 2.5-hour cruise. As the boat
gently slices through the water, notice the enormous limestone karsts jutting
out from the green rice fields. After the boat trip, take a leisure walk
through rice fields to visit picturesque Thai Vi temple or drive to Bich Dong
Pagoda on nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain, dating to 1428 and comprising three structures:
Ha, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas, in ascending order before returning to Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 3: Hanoi City Tour
– Night Train To Sapa
Known for a long background of history and culture. Besides
historical destinations, Hanoi is well-known for its beautiful lakes with the
image of local Tai Chi in the early morning, tree-line boulevards, funny street
vendors & special street food cuisine.
08:30 Pick up at your hotel and transfer to visit Ho Chi Minh
complex with first stop at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum – a large memorial to the
national hero - President Ho Chi Minh who led the country to independence and
reunification. The Mausoleum is located at Ba Dinh Square where Ho Chi Minh
President read the Declaration of Independence on 02nd Sep 1945 establishing
the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Then take a short walk to the Presidential
Palace & House on Stilt. Near from
Ho Chi Minh complex, One Pillar Pagoda – symbol of Vietnam with unique
architecture of lotus flower is a must-see destination for all Vietnam tours.
Our next stop will be the Temple of Literature which is the first university in
Vietnam. It was constructed in 1070, first to honor Confucius and nowadays to
celebrate the doctorates and high rank scholars of Vietnam.
12:00 Take a break at a local restaurant for having lunch.
Our tour guide will suggest you a best option based on your favorites.
13:30 Continue our Hanoi city tour to the Museum of Ethnology
offering an insight into the 54 different ethnic groups of Vietnam. End the day
with a short cyclo ride around the old streets observing daily life of Hanoian,
take exotic photos of Hanoi traffic and enjoy a fantastic water puppet show. In
the evening, see off at Hanoi railway station for night train to Sapa.
Overnight on train.
Day 4: Sapa - Trung
Chai - Ta Phin Homestay
Welcome up on arrival Lao Cai, then we will transfer to hotel
for you taking shower and having breakfast before start the trekking tour.
9:00 Our local tour guide and driver transfer you 12 km along
the road 4D to Trung Chai where you start your trekking tour today with several
stops along the way for enjoying spectacular landscapes.
Trekking uphill along large trail for nearly an hour, then
following a narrow trail winding its way on steep hill-sides along the western
bank of the upstream part of Ngoi Dum River for 2 hours to an isolated hamlet
of the Black H’mong people, explore these isolated hamlets of the Black H’mong,
then lunch break. Continue trekking along the same trail for nearly 1,5 hours
up and downhill towards Ta Phin Valley where you will meet Red Dzao and Black
Hmong minorities, two largest ethnic groups in Sapa area. Stop by a house to
talk with local people to know a bit more about their daily life, their customs
and tradition.Have dinner and overnight in the village.
Day 5: Ta Phin - Ma Tra
– Sapa
After breakfast we leave Ta Phin at 09.00 and take a walk
through the Ta Phin for 2 hours through several hamlets of the H’mong
scattering on hill-sides. Continue gradually uphill 1 hour to Ma Tra, another
village of the H’mong and then trek through the Ma Tra Valley. After lunch, the trail gets larger and
gradually uphill through the Suoi Ho Valley featured with narrow terraced
paddies and later pine plantation, fruit, vegetable & artichoke gardens.
Picked up and short transfer back to Sapa.
Day 6: Sapa Maret –
Hanoi
The markets in the Northern Vietnam are always the colorful
meeting places for the hill tribes, spotlight for any Sapa Tours and of course,
your unique. Minority people come down from the mountains to sell their
products, or just for catching up on the latest news, gossip, drinking away
troubles or seeking for lover. In the morning, drive to visit one of the areas
weekly markets.
Market days:
Can Cau Market - Saturdays
Bac Ha Market or Muong Hum Market or Muong Khuong Market -
Sundays
Cao Son Market - Wednesdays
Lung Khau Nhin Market - Thursdays
Coc Ly Market - Tuesdays
In the late afternoon, your tour guide and driver transfer
you back to Lao Cai to catch the night train back to Hanoi. Overnight on the train.
Day 7: Hanoi - Halong
Bay
Arrive at Hanoi railway station in the early morning, pick up
and transfer to a mini-hotel for taking a short rest and having breakfast. We
start at 8.00 A.M for the 3.5 hour drive (170 km) through the Red River Delta,
which offers plenty of chances for taking photos of Vietnamese farmers tilling
the vast green paddy fields. At half way, we'll have a visit to a handicraft
workshop with fine clothes, embroidered paintings, stone statuettes and all
kinds of gems mined in Vietnam such as star rubies or sapphires... Our
destination is Halong bay – the most famous World Heritage Site in Vietnam,
famous for its beautiful seascape, thousands of spectacular islands and islets
jutting out from the sea, amazing caves with marvelous stalagmites and
stalactites in different sizes and shapes.
11:30 – 12:00 Upon arrival, you'll be welcomed on board our
luxury junk and treated with wine and fresh local seafood. As our junk gliding
further into the tranquility of Ha Long Bay amid the towering mountain cliffs
and on the emerald green water, you'll have relaxing time combining the fine
tastes of the wine and the freshness of Ha Long Bay. During the cruise, we'll
stop some times for visiting the amazing Sung Sot cave and the Ti Top white
sand beach before anchoring for the night.
Overnight on board the junk in the wild of Halong Bay.
Day 8: Halong Bay –
Hanoi – Street Food Tour (Optional)
It is said that your Vietnam Tours will not be complete
without a tour to Halong Bay on Halong Cruise. People describe Halong Bay as
majestic and mysterious, inspiring and imperious and words alone cannot do
justice to the natural wonder that is Halong Bay, a priceless collection of
unfinished sculptures hewn from the hand of nature.
After breakfast, we'll take a little sampan to visit a secret
lagoon of Ha Long Bay while the surrounding mountains are just waking up. After
that our cruise takes us further into the Bay of Bai Tu Long traveling past the
Human Head Island, the Turtle Island, and the Duck Islet... to the studio site
where the famous Indochine film was shot. Around noon, our junk travels back to
the harbor, pick up and drive back to Hanoi for overnight.
Optional tour – Book Hanoi street food tour: We first try Pho
– Nice Noodle as its name has been known all over the world. Sit down, enjoy
the taste of Pho, taste of life and get to know about the history of Vietnamese
culture and cuisine... Next, we walk to explore everyday life of Hanoian and
try some more different dishes.
Day 9: Hanoi – Flight
to Hue – Royal Dinner
Free at leisure until we pick you up and transfer to Noi Bai
airport for flight to Hue – the ancient capital of Vietnam under the Nguyen
Dynasty.
Upon your arrival at Phu Bai airport (Hue), pick up and
transfer to the center where we will take a beautiful dragon boat trip along
Perfume River and visit to Thien Mu Pagoda – one of the most popular
attractions in Hue. It is located on the banks of poetic Perfume River with
typical traditional architecture of Hue pagodas.
The next stops will be King Ming Mang and King Khai Dinh
tombs which are the most beautiful works of royal architecture of the Nguyen
dynasty. In the evening, enjoy a special Royal Dinner which is prepared with
live traditional music performances. Be a King & Queen in Royal Dinner with
Royal long Dresses
Overnight in Hue.
Day 10: Hue – Hoi An
After having breakfast, visit to the Imperial Citadel which
will give you a better understanding of the beauty of Vietnamese Royal
architecture and culture. Then continue drive to Hoi An - highlight of any tour
to Vietnam - is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian
trading port dating buildings and its
street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have
combined to produce this unique heritage site. This scenic drive passes through
the fishing village of Lang Co before climbing over the Pass of Ocean Clouds.
On the way, stop in Danang to visit the Cham Museum, which contains the finest
collection of Cham sculptures in the world and Marble Mountain - a well-known
pilgrimage site with peaks, caves, tunnels and temples. Upon arrival in Hoi An,
free to take walking tour of the Hoi An ancient town centre.
Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 11: Hoi An - Bicycle
tour
Spend a day leisurely cycling though the scenic countryside
of Vietnam, far from the traffic the motor scooters, and the noises the city.
You will cross the islands on the Song Thu river delta using local
transportation, including ferries and floating bridges...
This tour will take you on a visit to artisans making bricks
according to age-old. You will discover how wooden river boats are made and
learn the secret of weaving the colorful straw Hoi An sleeping mats. Try the
renowned Vietnamese basket boats. You will spend the day with first-hand
contact with one of the rural inhabitant of the region, far from the usual
tourist circuits. At lunchtime you will be invited into a local home for a
traditional Vietnamese meal, and learn their customs and traditions. After you
have relaxed for a while under the shade of a mango tree, you will begin your
return towards Hoi An, which will take about an hour.
Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 12: Hoi An Day
Hoi An Ancient Town -the highlight of any tour to Vietnam
that no Vietnam Tours maker would skip, Hoi An day to cycle through rice
paddies in the countryside of Hoi An ancient town, shop for souvenirs among the
antique shops and art galleries, or just sit at sidewalk cafes and soak up the
atmosphere of this quaint town. Or relax on the white sandy beach of the famous
Cua Dai Beach.
Overnight in a Hoi An hotel.
OPTIONAL TOURS:
1/Hoi An cooking class: Visit Hoi An’s colorful market, and
experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy market. We will
have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about all the
ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later. On arrival, we explore the
cooking school’s herb garden, before learning about some of Hoi An’s and
Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson
the Red Bridge chefs first demonstrate each dish before we prepare the
same dish ourselves.
2/ Hoi An – My Son – Hoi An: Visit to My Son Holy land in the
morning, once the spiritual capital of Champa Kingdom that dominated South East
Asia for nearly a thousand years and occupied most of the central parts of
Vietnam from 2nd century to 16th century with very rich in history and culture.
In the afternoon, drive back to Hoi An with visit the former merchants' homes,
the 400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, Phuc Kien Pagoda and the colourful
riverside market. Overnight in a Hoi An hotel.
3/Tra Que vegetable village tour: Take a beautiful bicycle
ride from your hotel to Tra Que vegetable village. Upon your arrival, enjoy
cold towels & welcome drink before starting your farming tour using
Vietnamese traditional hat and farmer’s clothes and taking part in farming
activities such as: picking up seaweed, digging, land boarding, making beds and
watering. After farming tour, soak foot, relax by some herb in Tra Que
vegetable garden and enjoy a light food. We will also visit to the rice paper
making village where you will be introduced and learnt how to wash the rice,
soak the rice and grind the rice by traditional methods. At the end of your
trip, join an interesting cooking class.
Day 13: Hoi An – Danang
– Flight to Ho Chi Minh – Vespa tour
Free at leisure until we pick you up and transfer to Danang
airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh city, famous with modern office skyscrapers,
Oriental style pagodas and food stalls along the street. Upon your arrival at
Tan Son Nhat airport, pick up and transfer to your hotel for check-in.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.
Optional tour – Ho Chi Minh Vespa Tour: Experience as local
people with a Vespa and escorted by a driver, visiting the city landmarks that
give you a view of the city unlike anything on your Vietnam tour. Take a peek
at the history, the streets and the sights that most visitors never even hear
about or see. You will pass through the Chinese district of Saigon, stop to see
a sweet smelling flower market and visit a breathtaking yet hidden Buddhist
pagoda, Saigon Opera House & Post Office which were designed by Gustave
Eiffel.
Day 14: Ho Chi Minh –
Cao Dai temple & Cu Chi tunnels – Ho Chi Minh
After breakfast, enjoy a morning drive through typical
southern Vietnamese countryside to Tay Ninh Province in the west of Vietnam. At
Tay Ninh visit the incredible Cao Dai Great Temple, with architecture that
could have come straight from a Walt Disney fantasy and where all the major
faiths of the world blend together in a unique religious cocktail. In the
afternoon, visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground tunnel network
constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the long struggle for
independence where you will understand more about the Vietnam War or American
War, a must see Vietnam Tour for any tourists to learn about Vietnam past and
present days.
Overnight in a Ho Chi Minh hotel.
Day 15: Ho Chi Minh –
Mekong Delta Bassac Cruise – Overnight On Board
Boarding at Can Tho at Ninh Kieu pier. Welcome drink,
introduction to the ship and crew, check into the cabins. Departure downstream
of the Hau river. Lunch on board while en route.Tour near Tra On floating
market. Turning into Nicolai canal, towards the Mang Thit and Co Chien rivers.
Rest on the upper deck in a scenery of rice fields, sugar cane, woods on the
near banks. By mid-afternoon, the Bassac casts anchor for a visit on shore:
past the first tree line, quiet discovery of the peaceful life in the delta's
countryside, of rice fields, fruit trees and the welcoming inhabitants.Boarding
back, complimentary drink as a welcome back on board. Rest on the deck or
around the bar enjoying the sunset. The crew serves dinner while the Bassac is
cruising Mang Thit river towards her anchorage point for the night. The Bassac
sets anchor for the night on river Mang Thit.
Day 16: Mekong Delta -
Ho Chi Minh
06:30 Departure towards Cai Be. The passengers take their
breakfast while enjoying the scenery on the banks.
The Bassac crosses Co Chien river then branches into Cho Lach
canal for 30 minutes through the traffic of sand and rice barges, in a scenery
of fruit drying facilities and wooden ship building yards.
Arrival near Cai Be, check-out and transfer to a rowing boat
for a quiet visit through a small canal.
Rendez-vous with a local boat, which will take you to shore
for a visit of Cai Be's handicraft.
End of services by mid-morning on shore at Cái Bè.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh hotel.
Day 17: Ho Chi Minh
departure
Free time at leisure for you to wrap up your memorable
Vietnam Holiday until Vivutravel's private guide will see you off at the
airport with the sincere thanks for your travel to Vietnam and with Vivutravel.
We hope that you have enjoyed your Vietnam trip and look forward to welcoming
you back for your next Vietnam Tours, goodbye and see you again!!!
END OF BEAUTIFUL
VIETNAM TOUR!
SERVICE INCLUSIVE:
* 2 Economy Domestic flights: Hanoi – Hue, Danang – Ho Chi
Minh
* Hotel accommodation as specific or similar, base on twin
sharing
* Return train tickets Hanoi - Lao Cai - Hanoi
* Private car/mini van
* All entrance fees
* Boat Trip in Halong, Hue, Mekong Delta
* English speaking guides (Except for free days)
* Meals as per program
* Visa approval letter to Vietnam (Except for $45 usd per
person as stamping fee at the airport)
SERVICE EXCLUSIVE:
* International flight in/ out Vietnam
* Tips
* Drinks
* Personal Expenses
* Insurance
