DAY 1: (25/7) HO CHI MINH ARRIVAL
Private driver picks up at the airport following your flight to get to HCMC hotel. Stay overnight in HCMC hotel.
Acc: HCMC Thien Tung Hotel 3* - Superior room.
DAY 2: (26/7) HO CHI MINH - MEKONG DELTA (L)
08:00 - 08:30, Pick up & start to Mekong delta tour.
9:30am - 10.00am, arrive in My Tho. Board a wooden motor boat (20 minutes) to Unicorn Island. On this boat along the river’s bank, you’ll be passing through natural creeks, interesting fisherman's port, stilt houses (half on land, half on water). From there, we’ll take you to a bee farm where you have a chance to taste a tasteful cup of authentic honey tea. Take small boat along the river. During this 15 minutes trip, you’ll witness all kind of interesting transportation modes that local people use to move around, while enjoying the fresh air along the canal and beautiful water coconut tree scenery. Away from the city, that is it all about! Next, let's get back to the large motor boat for something different. You'll cruise a canal whose 2 long sides are orchards. After that, we cruise to a village where the sweat smell coconut candies are in the air. Have a lunch at the restaurant in Mekong Delta. One of the boat’s stops during this trip is at a seasonable orchard that has many different types of tasty tropical fruits for your enjoyments. You can enjoy the fruits for free while checking out the folk music that is typical to only the people in Southern Vietnam. As your journey ends, you will return to My Tho by motorized boat and then travel to Can Tho. Overnight in Can Tho.
Acc: HCMC Anh Dao Mekong hotel or equivalent
DAY 3: (27/7) CAN THO - CAI RANG - HO CHI MINH - FLY TO DANANG (B,L)
After breakfast, around 7:15 am, we board a boat and travel for about 40 minutes to get to our first spectacular landscape ---- Cai Rang floating market… This is the largest of its type in the whole Mekong delta. During this visit, you'll have a chance to board a merchant boat that sells pineapples which come from Can Tho City. After that, we continue on our riverine route for 5-7 minutes and then on foot for about 5 minutes to reach a noodle and a rice paper factories. The next stop is a rice processing factory where you'll learn the many steps that transform "rice with a brown cover" to the delicious and beautiful rice grain that we consume daily. The time now should be around 12 noon. Time for lunch! Let's go back to Can Tho for that. We end our sightseeing trip at downtown Can Tho. On the way back to Ho Chi Minh by bus/private car, we'll have a stop at an interesting point to rest and also have photographs. Arrive in HCM City around 17:00. Private transfer to the airport for the flight to Danang. Upon arrival get picked up to the hotel in Hoian. Stay overnight in Hoian hotel.
ACC: Hoian Lantana Reverside Hoi An Boutique Hotel & Spa 4*. Deluxe room
DAY 4: (28/7) HOIAN FREE DAY (B)
ACC: Hoian Lantana Reverside Hoi An Boutique Hotel & Spa 4*. Deluxe room
DAY 5: (29/7) HOIAN COOKING CLASS (B; L Private tour
08.30 am: Pick up from hotel and move to Tra Que Village We will go to a local farm with the chef in Tra Que village. A short stroll will take you around the vegetable garden and then you can join the farmers in preparing the land and fertilizing it with water-weed and fern from the local lake. Learn to rake the ground, sow, water, pick vegetables and do gardening activities. Take a short rest and enjoy foot bath before getting to preparing lunch with a local family.
Our lunch today will be prepared by yourselves with many local delicacies including 'Tam Huu' spring roll, Banh Xeo or local pancake of people in Vietnam middle region. you can join the cooking with the chef and get to practice the cooking classes. After your morning excursions and your lunch, you will take a Vietnamese traditional post-prandial nap before learning how to harvest and wrap the vegetables.
2.00 pm: Bike back to Hoian. Walking tour around the town with our local guide to experience this old port town with the mixture of different constructions of old houses such as Japanese Bridge, Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, Sa Huynh Museum, Ong pagoda and local market…At the town, you also have chance to enjoy traditional music show at an old house. Hoi An is famous for shopping place and tailor-made shops with reasonable price and the speedy services after 1-2 hours. Free for your meals and activities in Hoian ancient town. End of services.
ACC: Hoian Lantana Reverside Hoi An Boutique Hotel & Spa 4*. Deluxe room
DAY 6: (30/7) HOIAN - BACH MA NATIONAL PARK - HUE (B; L) Private tour
8.00 Am: Our guide and driver welcome you at hotel in Hoian City and travel to Bach Ma National Park. En route, you have chance to conquer the fanciful view of Hai Van Pass – the highest one of Vietnam. After that, you continue the journey to reach Bach Ma NationalPark where you are transferred to the summit and conquer the majestic scenery from Hai Vong Dai - The observation post at 1.430 meters higher than sea level. Here you catch the panorama and take wonderful pictures of Lang Co Beach, Cau Hai Lagoon with cloudy surround mountain’s peaks. Next, you will trek to Five Lakes and explore the romantic pools and fairy streams with fresh and pure water. You can have swimming on cool or even feel a little cold atmosphere at the pools. Have picnic lunch in the forest.
Pm: Within the trekking time to Do Quyen Waterfall you can see the diversity of Bach Ma Mountain by different plants and animals on trekking route. Arrival Do Quyen Waterfall you must trek up and down 700 steps on foot to admire the whole view of the fall as the long hair of the girl. Here there are different Do Quyen flowers blooms on spring time that make this fall more attractive than. After that, you will trek down to the path and the driver picks up and transfers you to leave Bach Ma National Park for returning Hue City. You will arrive in Hue late afternoon. Check in Hue hotel and stay overnight in the hotel in Hue.
Acc: Hue Romance hotel 4* - Deluxe City View room
DAY 7: (31/7) HUE PRIVATE CITY TOUR (B; L) Private tour
8.30 AM: Driver and guide pick up from your hotel in Hue City to start the tour to visit the main tourist attractions in Hue! Our first visiting site will be the UNESCO world heritage site: Hue ancient citadel - the place during Nguyen Dynasty known as the Royal Citadel - Forbidden City. Visit Hue Royal Museum and the seven – storey Thien Mu Pagoda on the riverbank. Have lunch in a local restaurant in Hue city.
After lunch, we will choose to visit one of the 03 famous King's tombs in Hue of: King Khai Dinh, King Minh Mang or King Tu Duc. On the way back to visit the Conical and Incense making village.
16.30: Finish the tour at the hotel in Hue. Stay overnight in Hue City.
Acc: Hue Romance hotel 4* - Deluxe City View room
DAY 8: (01/8) HUE - VINH MOC TUNNEL - CHAY LAP FARM STAY (B; L; D) Private tour
7.00 AM: Private driver & guide pick up at your hotel in Hue City center. Start the drive to Dong Hoi province. En-route, visit La Vang Holly land and pass DMZ of Quang Trị , the McNamara electronic line, 17th parallel, Ben Hai river, Hien Luong bridge. Visit Vinh Moc war tunnel. Lunch in the local restaurant.
After lunch, drive to Chay Lap homestay to check in
14:30: Kayaking on beautiful Chay river to discovery Dark cave (Hang Toi), getting a special sport activity by passing the river hanging on a wire. Enjoy the mud bath. Observing monkeys on the way back (Hatinh langurs). Dinner in the Farm Stay.
ACC: Chay Lap Farm-Stay Superior Double room.
DAY 9: (02/8) CHAY LAP FARM-STAY TOUR - DONG HOI - TRAIN TO HANOI (B; L; D) Private tour
08:00 After having local breakfast at Chay Lap, you will have an opportunity to do farm works with local people.
12:00: Have lunch before visit Paradise cave (Hang Thien Duong) in the afternoon. It is the longest dry cave in Asia, founded by British Caving Research Association in 2005, which is located in Phong Nha – Ke bang National Park’s core zone.
17:00: Check out and drive from the Farm Stay to Dong Hoi city. Dinner in a local restaurant before getting on the train SE4 (19h52) to go to Hanoi. Stay overnight on the train.
ACC: SE4 train 4 soft berth cabin.
DAY 10 (03/8) HANOI ARRIVAL - HANOI HALF DAY TOUR (B) Private tour
5.30 AM: Pick up at the train station to the hotel in Hanoi. Check in the room (kept from the previous night). Have breakfast at the hotel in Hanoi.
1.00 PM: Start the tour to visit Hanoi city in half day. Today, the first destination we are going to visit Ho Chi Minh historical Complex; visit to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (Outside) and his residence relics 50 years ago to understand why Vietnamese people worship him and the human beings respect him: the nationalist! The journey would bring you to the One Pillar pagoda - the unique 1000 years old pagoda in the area.
3.00 PM: Visit Temple of Literature, which is known the place worshiping Confucius and as the first university in our country 1000 years ago
4.00 PM: Visit Ngoc Son (Jade) temple & Restored Sword Lake; Visit Hanoi Old Quarter, take a rickshaw tour to see the Old Quarter. Finish the tour at your hotel in Hanoi.
ACC: Hanoi Golden Cyclo Hotel 4* Superior room
DAY 11: (04/8) HANOI- MAI CHAU (B; L; D) Group tour
7:30-8:00 : Pickup at your hotel in the Old Quarter in our comfortable van. Have a break halfway
11:30-12:00 :Scenic photo stop of Mai Chau valley/arrive in Mai Chau
12:15 : Traditional lunch in our home. After lunch, have a bicycle ride with your tour guide, see farmers working in fields, locals weaving scarves and visit surrounding peaceful villages.
16:30-18:00: Free time for cycling, walking, shopping
18:00 : Enjoy the outdoor BBQ party at Mai Chau BBQ garden and watch the Thai’s traditional dance and drink traditional wine “ruou can”. Overnight in the home-stay
ACC: Mai Chau Nature Palace Deluxe Garden View Bugalow.
DAY 12: (05/8) MAI CHAU - PU LUONG NATURE RESERVE (B; L; D) Group tour
8:30-10:30 – After breakfast at your hotel, Drive / ride motorbikes 35km to Pu Luong Nature Reserve (motorbike drivers available).
10:30 – 12:30 – Trekking in Pu Luong Nature Reserve to explore a stuning cave.
13:00 – 15:00 – Enjoy Lunch in the village and enjoy the riding back to Mai Chau by taking another road through the beautiful rural villages.
15:30 – Arrive in Mai Chau enjoy your free time with your motorbike to explore the Valley yourself.
18:00 – Dinner and over night in your home-stay
ACC: Mai Chau Nature Palace Deluxe Garden View Bugalow.
DAY 13: (06/8) PU LUONG - NINH BINH (B; L)
07:30 – Have breakfast at the home-stay
08:00 – Go with a local Thai tour guide to visit more remote rural villages: Na Meo, Na Mo and Xam Pa villages to understand more about their culture and customs. Lunch in the home-stay.
12:00 – Back to the home-stay for lunch and check-out. Private driver picks up to Ninh Binh province. Upon arrival in Ninh Binh, Visit Tam Coc - The most famous tourist destination in the area. Check in the hotel and stay overnight in the hotel in Ninh Binh.
Acc: Tam Coc Yen Nhi Hotel 3*
DAY 14: (07/8) NINH BINH - HALONG BAY (B; L; D)
07:00 – After breakfast at the hotel in Tam Coc, drive to Halong city. Check in Halong bay cruise and follow the cruise itinerary. Stay overnight in Halong bay cruise.
Acc: Halong Swan Cruise - 4* Deluxe room.
DAY 15: (08/8) HALONG BAY - HANOI FREE FOOD TOUR (B; L; D)
AM: Follow the cruise itinerary. Check out at noon. Shuttle to get back to Hanoi. Check in Hanoi hotel.
6.00 PM: Start to visit the city Old Quarter and a have the invited PRIVATE Hanoi FREE Food tour (Promotion in 2017)
The main stops are at the most Only-One-Dish-famous shops or restaurants owned by families who have been making certain famous traditional dishes in Hanoi for years. These famous dishes of Hanoi culinary experience will come one after the other during the walking tour in this Hanoi National Heritage area. The experience will not only bring you the real local Hanoi dishes but also the special way of enjoying it as a part of the daily culinary life in Hanoi! The journey will bring you down to the local market to learn about Vietnamese cooking and eating habits. This industrialized haste and busy life creates a lot of fast foods. Hanoians are lucky to be able to eat delicious home-cooked meals in a busy city at any time! The walking takes you down to some smaller walkways and alleys which you would not normally enter. It is time we find "A City Inside A City".
21.00PM: Finish the tour at your hotel in Hanoi.
ACC: Hanoi Golden Cyclo Hotel 4* Superior room
DAY 16: (09/8) HANOI - HO CHI MINH CITY(B)
Free for the day in Hanoi till the transfer to the airport in HCMC. Get picked up to the hotel in HCMC and Stay overnight in HCMC hotel.
Acc: HCMC Thien Tung Hotel 3* - Superior room.
DAY 17: (10/8) HCMC DEPARTURE (B)