Vietnam Explorer

A full day to discover Hanoi capital. First, visit Tran Quoc pagoda, a Buddhist relic and national heritage overlooking West lake. Then move onto the Ho Chi Minh complex, a site of historical and cultural importance. Here you will visit Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, President palace and Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house in which President Ho Chi Minh lived until his passing. Next, move to unique One Pillar pagoda, which lies in the campus of the complex.

After lunch, pay a visit to the Temple of Literature, known as the first Imperial university in Vietnam built in 1070. Back to Hoan Kiem lake to see Ngoc Son lemple, a symbol of Hanoi lying in the middle of the lake. Take a cyclo ride to enjoy city atmosphere before an early dinner.

Night train to Lao Cai.

Up on arrival at Lao Cai station, transfer to Sa Pa on the dramatic mountain road  of the Hoang Lien Son range. Check in to your hotel in Sapa and freshen up before breakfast. Then, start a walking tour to the hill tribe village of Cat Cat, home to the Hmong minority people. Discover Hmong villages nestled in the valley and meet locals  going about their daily lives. Learn about their traditional cultures and local lifestyles. The rest of time is on your own to discover Sapa.

After breakfast, embark on a lovely trek along the buffalo trails of the surrounding hills. Pass several tribal villages, including Lao Chai and Ta Van, home to the Black Hmong and Dzay minorities. Marvel at the spectacular scenery, inhabited by some of the friendliest people you have ever met. Once on the valley floor, appreciate the beauty of the landscape walled by the multi-layered rice terraces and scattered villages. Return to Sapa at the end of the day for an early dinner before a return train to Hanoi. 

5.30 – 6.00 AM: Arrive at the Hanoi railway station and have a breakfast.

Our driver will pick you up around 8 AM, departing 3.5 hours to Ha Long bay. Upon arrival, embark the cruise and enjoy welcome drink while having tour briefing. A sumptuous lunch will be served on board while the ship sailing further to the Bay, make your time to admire its dramatic limestone islands.

In the afternoon, chance for you to swim in the warm and calm water or do kayaking to explore the extraordinary beauty of Ha Long. After 1 hour exploring the bay, get back to the cruise  for relaxation before a cooking class in late afternoon.

Enjoy the superb dinner and stay overnight on board.

Continue your journey on Ha Long bay in early morning. A Tai Chi session on the sun deck is a must that you should not miss when on cruise. Sitting on the upper deck, you can relax, do sight-seeing or take photos of the magnificent beauty of the rocky islands rising from the emerald water of the bay.

After breakfast, explore one of the finest and widest grottoes of Ha Long bay. Next keep cruising and passing the bay with magnificent scene.

At 10.30 AM, enjoy the last moment in the bay before having a traditional Vietnamese lunch. Leave the boat at around 12 at noon. Back straight to Hanoi for a short flight to Da Nang.

Upon arrival, a private vehicle will be waiting for you for 1 hour drive to your hotel in Hoi An.

Depart from your hotel  for a 30 minute bicycle ride  to Tra Que village. Take a short stroll around the vegetable garden and listen to the history of the village. Chance for you to take the pictures of  coconut mangroves and take a traditional basket boat ride that includes some crab fishing. Finish the trip with free time to explore the Old Town’s thousands of tailor shops, art galleries and riverside market  or simply kick back on the beach.

After breakfast, travel by car for 45 km to My Son – a UNESCO World Heritage site. On arrival, take an on-site lecture about: “Hindu Influence in Cham Architecture”. Explore different sites in My Son holly land and visit different groups of Cham towers. Drive back to Hoi An and free in the afternoon.

After breakfast, it is your free time to walk around the Hoi An ancient town, go shopping, admire the ancient architecture or relax at the beach before a flight to Ho Chi Minh city.

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh city - one of the most modern cities in Vietnam which gives you a fascinating insight into rich culture and history . When arriving at the airport, you will be taken to your hotel to check-in. The rest of the day is free to discover the city.

 After breakfast, get on a 1.5-hour drive to Cu Chi tunnels where human knowledge has been enriched by experiencing a web-like tunnel system of more than 200km in length which used to be the shelters of guerrillas during the war against American troops.

After  lunch in the local restaurant, you will have a city tour including the Reunification hall, formerly known as the Presidential palace. It was towards this modern building that Communist tanks rolled on the morning of April 30, 1975, as Saigon fell. This fascinating building is filled with history still fresh in the minds of many. The tour also includes the War Remnants museum, Old Post Office, Chinatown and Ben Thanh market – the central market for the city and one of the liveliest areas.

After an early pick up at your hotel around 07:30 AM, transfer to My Tho. Chance to join activities of local people and enjoy nice scenery of lush paddy fields on the way. Visit Vinh Trang pagoda – the biggest pagoda in Mekong delta. On arrival in My Tho, take a boat trip along Mekong river. During the boating, you can see fish cages, floating houses which are symbols of local life here.

The boat then takes you through coconut tree canal which finally leads to a coconut island in Ben Tre. Disembark and have a short walk around the village. Stop at a local family to enjoy tropical fruit, taste honey tea, honey wine and listen to Vietnamese traditional music performed by the villagers.

Continue walking on the village’s road to coconut candy shops to have a try and see some handicraft made by coconut tree. After lunch head for Can Tho – the heart of Mekong river on a 2-hour drive.

After breakfast, take the boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of Mekong river. The boat trip later takes you Cai Rang floating market, which is the most original and bustling place of the region. Have you tried the Vietnamese vermicelli noodle? So, you will go and see how it is made.

After that, trek along the village to get in touch with the local people. Here, chance to see Monkey bridge which is built by only one bamboo. Leaving the village, back the riverside, time for lunch. After lunch, transfer to Chau Doc. On the way, stop at Long Xuyen to visit Crocodile farm if time permits.

After an early breakfast, visit a village of Cham ethnic people with Muslim mosque and towel weaving. Then continue to Chua Xu Lady temple at Sam mountain. The temple is one of the holiest places in Vietnam and every year Vietnamese people make their pilgrimage to her place. According to old tales, she has brought a lot of luck, health and happiness to those who pay respect at her temple.

Leave the temple to Tra Su cajuput forest which is renowned for not only its almost-untouched natural beauty but also its sanctuary of flora and fauna. Take a boat trip into the forest and harmonize with nature. The impressive pictures of cajuputs, the fragrance of flowers and the music-like noise of birds, insects and animals will definitely make you do not want to leave. From the observation post, the forest can be seen with an area of nearly 900 ha, home of many birds and animals, including some rare ones. Lunch at a nearby restaurant.

After lunch, say goodbye to Mekong delta and transfer back to Ho Chi Minh city.

This will be the final day on your incredible Vietnamese adventure. Be sure to fit in one last delicious Vietnamese breakfast before we deliver you to Ho Chi Minh airport for your return flight.