Charming Viet Nam (21D)

TOUR ITINERARY

Ho Chi Minh – Mekong Delta - Cu Chi – Nha Trang – Da nang – Hoi An – Hue – Quang Binh – Ha Noi – Ha Long – Sapa – Ninh Binh.

This tour allows you to fully enjoy all the contrasts of modern cities and natural landscapes, rivers and bays, citadels, and temples that can be found throughout Vietnam. Stay overnight on Halong Bay and inland at Hoa Lu in the north, as well as in Can Tho, the capital of the fertile Mekong Delta in the South. In between discover the imperial city of Hue and the ancient port town of Hoi An in the center.

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh ( HCM) ( …./…./….)

 Meet at the airport and transfer to your hotel.

Rest and relax for the rest of the day.

Overnight at HCM

Day 2: HCM - Cu Chi Tunnel (B/L/D)

 In the morning:

 Take a visit to the Independence Palace, also known as the Reunification Palace, which was built on the sight of the former Norodom Palace. Continue the sightseeing with the beautiful structures from the French Colonial times such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, and the historic Central Post Office. Followed by the remarkable site of the War Remnants Museum the museum has a vast display of both the Indochina wars. Break time for lunch at a local restaurant

In the afternoon:

Trip to Cu Chi tunnels - a popular spot for both Vietnamese & foreign tourists. The network of over 200km of tunnels became legendary when they played a vital role in the War. Afterwards back to Saigon. Dinner is on the guest’s account. Stay overnight at Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 3: HCM – Cai Be – Can Tho  ( B/L/D).

 In the morning:

Pick up at your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. Depart for Cai Be by car/van via Trung Luong Expressway. On arrival in Cai Be, set off for the Cai Be floating market by motor boats and watch the locals trading fruit and many other commodities on their vessels. Visit a small family business to see how coconut candy and crispy rice popcorn are made. Then wander in small villages, and visit fruit plantations, accompanied by traditional southern Vietnamese folk music.

Afterward, paddling through a series of small canals to experience the charm of the Upper Mekong Delta, where you can enjoy yourself with nature. Lunchtime is a good chance to get closer to the locals and you will learn how to prepare special Vietnamese dishes. Food is cooked by yourself, and fresh river food is served in the heart of the garden.

In the afternoon:

Cycle in the village path through orchards. Meet the local islanders to learn more about the local daily life in the Mekong Delta. Transfer to Can Tho. Overnight at hotel/homestay in Can Tho.

Day 4: Can Tho – Cai Rang floating market – HCM ( B/L/D)

- In the morning:

  - Take a leisure boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong River (Bassac River) then visit Cai Rang floating market.

  - Walk through a fruit plantation and a local noodle factory.

  - Visit Binh Thuy communal house and Munir Ansay Pagoda - a Khmer pagoda widely known for its unique structure.

  - Have lunch, then return to Ho Chi Minh City, and spend the night in HCM City.

 Day 5: HCM – Nha Trang (B/---/---)

Check out of the hotel and then fly to Nha Trang in the morning.

Check-in at a hotel in Nha Trang and then spend time at the hotel relaxing, swimming or walking.

Day 6: Vin Wonder Nha Trang ( B/…/…)

• Spend a whole day experiencing one of the largest theme parks in Vietnam with many activities such as zipline, alpine Coaster, Adventure land, Sky wheel.
• Immerse yourself in a beautiful tropical paradise with Vietnam’s first and unique freshwater park on the sea, world's largest Splash Bay covering an area of 4,200m2, and a beautiful private beach.

Day 7: Nha Trang city Tour (B/L/D)

  - Spend a day visiting some nice places in Nha Trang:

  - Long Sơn Pagoda

  - Ponagar Cham temples

  - National Oceanographic Museum in Vietnam

  - Mud bath at one hu resort

Day 8: Nha Trang – Da Nang – Hoi An (B/L/D)

Pick up from the airport then go to Hoi An town. On the way, we stop to visit Cam Thanh Coconut Jungle visit eco-tourism destination with basket boat rowing and enjoy your time with basket boat dancing and fishing activities

Check-in at hotel in Hoi An

In the night - walk through an ancient town. The town center is pedestrian-friendly and conveniently accessible from your hotels.

Have dinner in a restaurant. Free activities at night.

Overnight in Hoi An

Day 9: Hoi An -  Ba Na Hills –Golden Bridge ( B/L/D) 

Check-out then move to Da Nang.

We will visit Marble mountains, Ba Na Hill - Golden Bridge

Visit Han market in Da Nang, and take a boat trip on the Han River to enjoy the landscape along the river and Da Nang city by night

Dinner at the restaurant.

Day 10: Da Nang – Hue  ( B/L/D)

In the morning: we will check out of the hotel and go to Hue City.

In the afternoon, we will visit:

Thien Mu Pagoda (Heaven Fairy Lady Pagoda) – the oldest pagoda in Hue City.

The Citadel – Imperial city is the home of Vietnam’s last royal dynasty – the Nguyen Dynasty.

Khai Dinh Tomb – which is a blend between Western and Eastern architecture

Have dinner – free to explore the city at night.

Day 11: Hue – DMZ  – Phong Nha  (B/L/D)

In the morning:

On the way from Hue to Phong Nha, after driving for about 2 hours and a half, the car will stop for you to visit the DMZ area which is located in Quang Tri province. Quang Tri was a battlefield, one of the most intensively bombed areas in military history. In the DMZ area, tourists have a chance to visit some famous historical sites, take photos, and learn more about the Vietnam War.

Stop at Hien Luong Bridge and enjoy the beautiful view over the Ben Hai River. This was the exact location that divided the North from the South Vietnam during the war. You will notice old bunkers and bomb craters from the war.

Visit the famous Vinh Moc tunnels. In this 2 km long tunnel system, 60 families lived and 17 children were born. Even though it was one of the heaviest bombed areas during the war, every single person in Vinh Moc survived the war at 25 meters under the ground. Walk through the tunnels and get a unique insight in the life of the Vietnamese during these hard times.

We will drive to Son Trach village near Phong Nha cave to stay overnight here.

Day 12: Phong Nha cave & Dark Cave(B/ L/ D)

In the morning:

You will explore the most impressive Phong Nha caves. After 25 minutes on a boat, visitors will arrive at Phong Nha cave, take a couple of hours to see the cave. This cave is called water cave, it is famous for its rock formation which has been given names such as the “Lion”, the “Fairy Caves”, the “Royal Court”, and the “Buddha”.

In the afternoon:

Visit Dark cave, Dark cave is really amazing where you can experience many adventure activities. The cave is called the dark cave because it is made of mostly basalt in addition to limestone. The basalt is a black hard rock, giving it its dark name. Basalt and limestone surrounding you, you squished through the passage using only your headlamps.

By the time we got through the passage, you are covered in mud and ready for another swim. This time you can go further into the cave, where the width was probably 100 m and the depth is deeper than anyone could touch. As you swim, you have to duck under huge stalagmites and balance between limestone columns to get to the next big opening.

On the way back, everyone can turn off their flashlights during the long swim stretch and you can swim in darkness. It is surreal. Probably the coolest thing you’ll ever do.

Overnight at Dong Hoi City

Day 13: Quang Binh – Ha Noi (B/…./….)

In the morning:

We are going to leave Dong Hoi at 10 a.m. to fly to Hanoi – the Capital of Vietnam.

In the afternoon:

We will check in the hotel then you take a walk to explore this city.

Day 14: Hanoi – Ninh Binh ((B/ L/ D)

We have breakfast in Hanoi at 7:00am before getting picked up by our friendly guide then departing for Ninh Binh province. On the way, you will have a short break for 15 – 20 minutes to relax. 

We will reach Ninh Binh 2 hours after. You will visit Hoa Lư, ancient capital of Vietnam between the year of 968 and 1010. You have a chance to learn about Vietnamese history in the feudal system under Dinh, Le, and Ly Dynasty. 

Then, you will have lunch in the restaurant with a lot of local foods such as goat meat, fish, chicken, fried rice…. Vegetarian foods are always available in the buffet lunch.

After lunch, you will visit Tam Coc by a bamboo boat. You will be surprised by the charming beauty here with paddy fields, river, water, cloud, sky, and a stunning cave system during the boat trip. All these places make a masterpiece that the Vietnamese people called “Ha Long Bay on land”. Continue the tour by cycling for 45 mins around the village to discover the life of the local people.Get back to the bus then leave for Mua Cave (Dancing Cave). Walk up almost 500 steps, you can reach the top of Lying Dragon Mountain & have an amazing panoramic view of Tam Coc from here. 

You are free to roam around Ninh Binh and spend the night at the hotel.

Day 15: Ninh Binh - Ha Long – 5 star cruise (B/ L/ D)

At 7.00 am, we will go from Ninh Binh to Ha Long. Moving through the expressway and shortly arrive at Tuan Chau Marina.

In Lan Ha Bay, you will transfer by Tender to ASPIRA CRUISE. You will be served a welcome drink and provided with a cold/warm towel. This will be followed by a cruise briefing where you will also be given safety instructions before checking in to your cabin. We will set sail and you will have lunch in our luxury restaurant while enjoying the beauty of the canals on our way to the Bay.

In the afternoon:

You can do kayaking or bamboo boat rowed by local people. Then return to Aspira Cruise and go swimming near the ship. Then we will have dinner here. After finishing dinner, you can enjoy the landscape of the bay at night up on the top deck, relax with romantic ballad music, enjoy drinks from the bar, go squid fishing, watch a movie, enjoy Spa treatment, relax in your room.

 Day 16: Ba Trai Dao beach – Viet Hai Village – Cat Ba Island (B/ L/ D)

In the morning: Wake up early to watch the sunrise on the top deck or you can choose the Gym as a great place to get an unspoiled view of a sunrise. We will have breakfast in the restaurant. Tender boat to Cat ba island: Transferring guests to Tender boat and disembark to Viet Hai Village which is located in the valley of Cat Ba National Park with a lot of mountains, then spending time discovering Viet Hai village.

In the Viet Hai wharf, you get bicycles or electric cars and go sightseeing to Viet Hai Village (about 4km). A small village in the valley, surrounded by mountains, beautiful scenery with rice fields, buffalos ... You stroll around the village, meet with local people, visit the school of the local children, or discover the village by walking around.

12:00 – 13:00: Back to the tender boat for lunch

Embark and enjoy lunch on board. Then relax, sunbathe. Boats will take you away on Lan Ha Bay, directly overlooking the Ba Trai Dao beach area.

In the afternoon: You go kayaking and explore the area of the Ba Trai Dao. Guests can sunbathe and swim on the private beach. Day boat will take visitors back to the cruise, back to the spot where you can spend the night on the bay.

Relaxing on the sundeck and enjoying the bay after a long day. Join the mini cooking class, Happy Hour and enjoy drinks while soaking in the jacuzzi.

In the evening: A great dining experience awaits you. After finishing dinner, you can enjoy the landscape of the bay at night up on the top deck, relax with romantic ballad music, enjoy drinks from the bar, go squid fishing, watch a movie, enjoy Spa treatment, relax in your room. Guests also can enjoy our special Tea Ceremony on the third floor after dinner.

Overnight on board.

Day 17: Ha Long – Ha Noi (B/L/D)

In the morning: Have breakfast in the restaurant. Then, exploring Lan Ha Bay, the most beautiful natural bay in Vietnam, Having leisure time by doing kayaking around Lan Ha Bay.

9:30: Return to the boat and check out the cabin.

9:30 – 9:45: Have brunch in a restaurant while the boat sails back to the pier. We settle the bill at the end of the trip.

10:30 – 10:45: Guests move to the tender boat and return to the port.

11:30: Guests disembark, arrive at Lot 36B Tuần Châu Marina

Then we will return to Hanoi and Rest at the hotel for 1 night.

Day 18: Ha Noi – Sapa – homestay (B/ L/ D)

In the morning: We will go from Ha Noi to Sapa by bus.

In the Afternoon: We will check in at a homestay and have lunch in a restaurant.

Then, We will visit "Cat Cat Village" - a place which is considered "The most beautiful ancient village in the Northwest". Here, we will learn about the daily life of the H'Mong people.

Admire the poetic and majestic Tien Sa waterfall with many great check-in points.

In the evening, you are free to explore Sa Pa at night. Or join the "Love Market" session of the H'Mong people - a unique cultural feature of the highland ethnic people.

Day 19: Sapa – Fansipan -  Ha Noi (B/ L/ D)

In the morning: After breakfast, the car takes us to Fansipan Cable Car Station to conquer the roof of Indochina. Then, We have lunch in a restaurant.

In the Afternoon: Free time for shopping at Sa Pa market.

At 11.00 pm, we wil arrive at Hanoi.

Day 20: Ha Noi city (B/ L/ D)

8.00- 8.30 am: Get picked up by our friendly guide and start to explore Hanoi City

08.45: Arrive at Tran Quoc Pagoda, located on Golden Fish Island in West Lake

It is the oldest pagoda in Ha Noi built in the 6th century.

09.30: Visit Ho Chi Minh complex, you have a chance to see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh then walk around the garden to see the two houses where he lived & worked from 1954 to 1969. Then visit One Pillar Pagoda – It is the most unique pagoda in the world

Should dress modestly by covering from shoulders to knees when visiting Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, temples, pagodas…

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed on Mondays and Fridays.

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed at least 2 months (15thJune -15thAugust) for annual maintenance but you still can take pictures of the Mausoleum and visit around that area.

Visit Vietnam Ethnology Museum to learn about 54 ethnic groups living in the whole country of Vietnam

Have lunch at our restaurant. You have an opportunity to enjoy Vietnamese cuisine with 8 delicious dishes.

14.00-14.15 : Continue to visit Temple of Literature – the first university of Vietnam, established in the 11 century

15.15: Leave for Hoa Lo Prison Museum which was originally used by the French colonists in Indochina for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. prisoners during the Vietnam War. During this later period, it was known to American POWs as the “Hanoi Hilton".

16.15 -16.30: Back to hotel.

In the evening:

For one night in Ha Noi, you can opt for:

Hidden back streets and alleyways 

The highest rooftop bar in the old quarter, to enjoy the sunset

The famous Flaming Pho cocktail

Craft beer tasting, one of the best craft beer pubs in town 

 Day 21: Transfer to airport

 GOODBYE – SEE YOU AGAIN

TOUR SUMARY

Our prices include:

• Accommodation at selected hotels.
• Transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle ( 16 seats)
• English speaking guides for tours.
• Entry fees for sightseeing.
• Private cabin on sharing Junk in Halong bay
• Travel insurance
• Private boat for trips in Hue and Mekong Delta
• Meals as mentioned: (B) for breakfast, (L) for lunch, (D) for dinner.

Our prices do not include:

• Visa for Vietnam.
• Flights HCM – Nha trang – Da Nang – Quang Binh – Ha Noi.
• International flights and airport taxes.
• Drinks, tips, personal expenses and all services not note specifically mentioned in the program.