DAY 1 HANOI ARRIVAL
Meal: Not any | Accommodation: hotel in Hanoi
Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you’ll be picked up by our guide. Check in hotel and relax
DAY 2 HANOI city tour full day
Meal: Breakfast, lunch | Accommodation: hotel in Hanoi
You will have the whole day to explore Vietnam’s capital city.
In the morning, you will visit the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam dating back to the 11th century. You will walk through the gardens and symbolic monument to the Temples dedicated to Confucius and his scholars as well as famous Vietnamese teachers throughout the country's history.
Later, after a short transfer, you will walk through the bustling Ngoc Ha market before visit Huu Tiep Lake, better known as ‘B-52 lake’, where US B-52 bomber wreckage can be seen. The walk from the main road through the narrow alleys of Ngoc Ha village is a great chance to see Hanoi's life behind the scene.
As you return to the Old Quarter, we would like to invite you to get off the tourist trail and explore Hanoi's hidden lanes for a street food experience. Take your pick from a wide range of street food menu to taste the authenticity of Hanoi. After lunch, sit down on one of many of Hanoi's charming cafes'; where you will be able to try some of Hanoi’s tastiest coffee: Cà phê sữa đá (Iced coffee) and if you feel more adventurous, you can also try the ‘Egg coffee'.
In the afternoon, we will visit some of the famous sites in the city center including Ba Da pagoda and St. Joseph’s Cathedral – a European neo-Gothic church. We will later process to Dong Xuan market, a large crowded local market but very Vietnamese, and start a walk through hidden lanes and busy streets of the old quarter. The walk ends at Hoan Kiem lake where you will enjoy a performance of traditional Water Puppetry, an art form unique to northern Vietnam (a good, light-hearted introduction to our rural culture). The service ends at around 17.00.
Alternative option:
If you would like to see Hanoi's infamous site: Ho Chi Minh's complex, we would be happy to alternate the tour a little bit. Instead of the 'behind the scene' walk to Huu Tiep lake, you will visit Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, and his simple stilt house where he lived and worked. After that, we will visit One Pillar pagoda, a small charming pagoda that was first built in the XI century with a lotus shape representing Buddhism.
DAY 3 HANOI- NINH BINH OFF THE CHAIN
Meals: Breakfast, lunch | Accommodation: hotel in Hanoi
7h30: You will be picked up in our hotel in Hanoi by our guide and driver and head to Green Ninh Binh (the drive should take us less than 2 hours on the highway). Upon arrival, you will visit Hoa Lu, the ancient imperial capital of Vietnam back in the 10th century. Your guide will take you through the history of Vietnam a thousand years back by visiting some temples dedicating to the Kings. After that, you will drive through the scenic landscape and countryside villages to the Dragon peak of Hang Mua for an adventurous 500 steps to a spectacular view. One up there, you will get an excellent view of the landscape around. As we descend the mountain, you will enter Tam Coc village and enjoy a home-made lunch at one of the village’s houses.
In the afternoon, you will hop on your bicycles for an easy-paced ride to a local pier to board a rowing sampan for about one hour, sailing through the less-traveled canals of the region, whose beauty has nothing to envy the busiest ones. We will be sailing through caves and along the Thung Nham wetland, a part of the spectacular natural site of Trang An landscape complex. After the boat trip, you will continue our cycling route through the scenic rural landscapes in Tam Coc, having a chance to get a closer look at the villages’ rural life.
Later in the afternoon, you will say goodbye to Ninh Binh to travel back to Hanoi by car. The trip ends at about 5h00 to 5h30.
DAY 4 HANOI– SAILING HALONG & BAI TU LONG BAYS
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner | Accommodation: onboard the Treasure Junk
This morning at 7:45 the limo bus will pick you up and drive for a 3.5-hour drive to Halong City. Upon arrival, we will board the Tuan Chau marina and get on board and start to cruise towards the boundaries of Halong bay while a delicious lunch with fresh seafood is served (vegetarian and kid’s menus available).
Make yourself at ease and just relax after lunch. Hundreds of emerging limestone rock formations will parade all around us for about 2 hours before our first stop. We will reach then the perfect spot, where the waters of Halong and Bai Tu Long hit and wave together. Let's get ready for a closer look at the water and explore the bay in depth paddling on our own kayak.
We’ll get back on the Treasure before sunset when we will be able to enjoy a cocktail on board while we will sail till the anchorage area where we will spend the night offshore. The dinner will be served either inside or outside on the deck, depending on weather conditions. Overnight on board in our cozy air-conditioned cabin with en-suite bathroom.
Note: On our way to Halong, we will stop at a place with food, beverages, and souvenirs for sale. Please bear in mind that we are not trying to incite you to buy any product. This is just the only place on the way with proper facilities that our travelers, guide, and driver can use without being forced to buy anything. Thanks for your understanding.
DAY 5 HA LONG- HANOI- Ha noi TO HUE
Meal: Brunch | Accommodation: Night train
Wake up smoothly while witnessing the silence of the beautifully misty bay. From 6:30 am, coffee, tea and cakes will be served. We will be free to join a 30-minute Tai Chi session at the first light of dawn, organized by our Tai Chi master on board, so we will have the chance to energize our body, mind, and soul, although if we prefer, we can simply enjoy a sunbath with a cup of coffee.
We will hop later on a bamboo boat to visit a secluded floating village surrounded by mountains. We will trace our way among numerous floating houses and small rowing boats that are used in everyday life as a vehicle, itinerant shops, fishing utility, and even sometimes as an overnight shelter.
We will be back on the Treasure before 9:00 am to start cruising back to the pier. From 9.30, a brunch will be served. Take a last glance at the emerging rocks, standing still as the eternal guardians of a kingdom, we are about to reach the pier.
Once in Terra Firma, we will be transferred from Halong to Hanoi, where our arrival is expected around 4:00 - 4:30 pm.
Transfer to the railway station to fly to Da Nang. Overnight in Da nang
DAY 6 Da nang - HUE'S HERITAGE, PEOPLE AND NATURE
Meal: breakfast, lunch | Accommodation: hotel in Da Nang
Upon arrival in Danang, you’ll be picked up from airport and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Da Nang.
Morning: Transfer to Hue. Around 9:30 AM – we start with a visit to the citadel for an introduction to Vietnam History, its emperors, mandarins, and feudal system. A past heritage that is reinvented by the person we visit next. This artist took the tradition of using bamboo for paper production to a whole new level with his innovative techniques. Our morning ends with an easy-paced visit of the Thien Mu pagoda, one of the prettiest religious buildings in Vietnam that were built in the early 1600s.
We cross the Perfume River on a local boat and reach Thuy Bieu village to have lunch at a local house. The village is a real maze of narrow alleys giving access to ancient garden houses all more beautiful than another. But the real treasures of this village are the people, descendants of the Mandarins. We have a gentle walk around and will stop by some house to meet villagers and taste some of their fruits.
On the way back to the city center, we visit emperor Tu Duc’s tomb and climb up a little hill to have a scenic view of the Perfume River. Overnight in Hue
DAY 7 HUE TO HOIAN VIA CLOUD PASS- WALKING TOUR OF THE OLD TOWN
Meal: Breakfast, lunch | Accommodation: hotel in Hoi An
In the morning, your car will drive you to Danang. On the way, you'll cross the Hai Van mountain pass. The views from the top are excellent – you should be able to see Lang Co beach and village, and the lagoon far below, with Danang, spread out before you to the south.
We spend the afternoon on a walking tour around this enchanting port town. Follow the narrow lanes lined with centuries-old houses influenced by Chinese, Japanese, French, and European architectures and visit its numerous places of interest: the 400-year old Japanese Covered Bridge, the Phuc Kien Assembly Halls, the local fish market. Around the town, we can see numerous art galleries and tailor shops, get some made-to-order clothes if you like.
Overnight in Hoian
DAY 8 EXPLORE HOIAN COUNTRYSIDE IN STYLE
Meal: Breakfast | Accommodation: hotel in Hoi An
In the morning, you will be pick up by our stylish American army jeep for an exploration of the Hoian countryside. We'll start with a ride around the town toward Cua Dai bridge to cross Thu Bon river and get to Cam Kim island. The ride through the breathtaking scenery of rice paddies and farmland and enjoy the cooling breeze. Meeting local families is a must-do to see the real way of life in Vietnam. On this trip, we stop at a few friendly local families and learn how they make fish sauce, mat weaving, farming, boat making. We will also stop by a local drop-coffee and learn the art of coffee roasting.
Later, we'll get on a boat and make our way to the coast to Thu Bon river mouth and visit Cam Thanh village, home to the large water coconut palm mangrove. We finish the morning with a unique river trip on the local „Coracle boat“ through the canals and coconut palm mangrove.
DAY 9 HOI AN- DA NANG- HO CHI MINH CITY
Meal: Breakfast | Accommodation: hotel in Ho Chi Minh city
Time will be on your own until our driver arrives and takes you to Danang airport for boarding a flight to Ho Chi Minh city.
Upon your arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll be met and driven to your hotel in the city center. After checking in, you’ll be free for a preliminary wander around District Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
DAY 10 CU CHI TUNNELS AND SAIGON CITY TOUR
Meal: Breakfast | Accommodation: hotel in Ho Chi Minh city
8:00 AM - We depart from your hotel to visit Cu Chi - a byzantine maze of underground passages, chambers, rooms and booby traps used during the war. You'll be able to get an idea of what it would have been like to live, sleep and eat in the underground passages and bunkers during the fierce battles above and below the surface.
In the afternoon, get your bearings as we view the Jade Emperor Pagoda and colonial General Post Office (1886), City Hall (now the HQ of the People’s Committee), and Notre Dame Cathedral (closed by the Communist regime after the 1975 takeover, but now flourishing again, with services each day at dawn). We then visit the Reunification Palace, once known as the Presidential Palace. It was toward this building that the first Communist tanks rolled into Saigon on the morning of 30 April 1975. After crashing through the gate, a soldier ran into the building and unfurled a VC flag from the fourth-floor balcony. The rest, as they say, is history.
You can choose one of the following for the rest of your day (Optional but included in the tour):
• On to the War Remnants Museum, which offers a different perspective on the “American War” Military equipment and evidence support allegations of war atrocities committed by the enemies of Communism in the 1960s and 1970; OR
• Visit Ben Thanh market and stroll around the busy stores of this market once the city's landmark. (If you would like to see both places it's possible, please talk to our tour guide).
DAY 11 HO CHI MINH CITY- CAI BE- CAN THO
Meal: Breakfast, lunch | Accommodation: hotel in Can Tho
8:00 – 8:15 AM – pick up from your hotel by shuttle bus for an approximate 2.5 hour drive to our exploration area. We let the touristy spots behind and travel beyond, where very few other visitors have the chance to go.
We arrive at Cai Thia pier at about 10h30. Boat hits the waterways brings you to the village of Hoa Loc. We will cycle through the villages on the winding countryside to visit local houses en-route, with opportunities to learn about their local handicraft and/or be invited for a cup of tea with some local snack.
We later meet our boat again and ride further to a less busy area of the Mekong, where you’ll find a bamboo sampan (rowing boat) is waiting to take us deeper into the countryside of the Delta through its networks of small canals.
In the afternoon, we cruise toward Vinh Long with more stops at local workshops. 16:00 – a quick transfer from Vinh Long pier to Can Tho, where you check-in your hotel and enjoy the night in this “megacity” of the Mekong Delta.
DAY 12 CAN THO- HO CHI MINH CITY DEPARTURE
Meal: Breakfast, lunch | Accommodation: not included
7:30 AM – An early start is necessary as you’d like to see the Cai Rang floating market at fullest. While our boat glides slowly through the market mayhem, please feel free to take photographs, talk or bargain with local vendors. There are fantastic photo opportunities amidst the variety of agricultural bounty on sale here.
A quick transfer by boat takes us to our cycling playground – the rustic area of Can Tho city. We’ll make our way to visit a fruit orchard on a small island and many green spotlights.
We’ll back to the hotel and then check-out at around 11:30. After lunch, saying goodbye to the hospitable Mekong Delta's capital for a drive back to Ho Chi Minh city airport, at a good time for boarding your departure flight.
End of our services.
*** Option for a cycling tour of the village is available without extra charge. Please confirm at booking if you want to do a cycling tour (1 hour)
