The very best of VietNam

Xin Chao! Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam.

Upon arrival at Hanoi Airport, your private guide and driver will hold up a welcome signboard with your names on it and take you directly to your hotel in the Old Quarter.

Buổi chiều bạn tư do thư giãn, nghỉ ngơi, sau đó là bữa tối chào mừng tại nhà hàng KOTO…

Your private guide and driver will pick you up to explore the city’s top attractions, sample Hanoi’s signature dishes and visit the exciting food stalls.

Morning
Visit Ho Chi Minh Memorial, visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and Stilt House, visit the miniature One Pillar Pagoda from the 11th century, a Buddhist temple of historical and cultural significance

From HCM Complex, you will walk through small alleys towards Huu Tiep Lake. Explore the grounds of a 400-year-old temple, stroll through traditional local market streets to see the B52 crash site at the lake. This US bomber was shot down during the bombing of Hanoi in 1972.

The car takes you to the outskirts of Hanoi to visit the Museum of Ethnology, which is both a research center and a public museum displaying the 54 recognized ethnic groups of Vietnam.

You will have lunch at Pho, a Vietnamese noodle shop. At the restaurant, your guide will explain Vietnamese mealtime habits and also tell you what special ingredients are needed for you.

Afternoon
After lunch, you visit the Temple of Literature, which is both a university and a Confucian temple. Next, you will visit Hoa Lo (also known as the Hanoi Hilton), a prison used by the French colonialists in Vietnam to hold political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for American prisoners of war.

Take a cyclo (three-wheeled bicycle) to explore the beauty passing through the area with French colonial architecture known as the French Quarter, past French-style villas, the Vietnam History Museum, the heritage Metropole Legend Hotel and the Opera House,…

Enjoy a cup of egg coffee at Café Pho Co with a great view of Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple and surrounding areas.

Finish the day with a walking tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter (as opposed to the French Quarter) to explore Hanoi’s street food scene, with your guide introducing you to the different ingredients and herbs of each dish, while you sit on small plastic stools in an alley. Sample delicious dishes such as Nom Du Du (green papaya salad), Banh Mi Pho Te (a sandwich that reflects Vietnam’s culinary heritage) and the famous Hanoi dish Bun Cha (grilled pork and noodles).

Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: (B/L/D)

Morning
After breakfast, the car will pick you up at the hotel and take you to Sapa, a must-see destination in the Northwest, with mountain passes, villages, and terraced fields surrounding the mountains.

Afternoon
Arrive in Sapa, check in hotel, your guide and private driver will pick you up and take you (40 minutes drive) to Tram Ton Pass, 2,047 meters above sea level. Enjoy the beautiful scenery, you will walk 30 minutes through a tropical rainforest along a slope to Love Waterfall, a great place to relax in Sapa. Return to Tram Ton Pass and drive back to Sapa, and free to explore.

You can stroll around the town, visit the Old French Church, or climb the Dragon’s Jaw Mountain where you can enjoy the panoramic view of the Old town below.

Overnight in Sapa
Meals: (B/_/_)

Morning
After breakfast, your guide will take you on a 3km walking tour to Suoi Ho village.

Take a walk to visit Matra village, pass by the French Catholic church built in the early 20th century, explore the scenery and take beautiful pictures.

Visit Ta Phin Village, home to the Red Dao ethnic minority, with their beautiful traditional embroidered costumes and the custom of shaving hair and eyebrows as a sign of respect, to discover their unique culture.

Learn about the culture, sip tea and chat with the Red Dao, enjoy lunch in the village.

Afternoon
After lunch, you will walk around the village, take photos and shop, and have a traditional herbal bath performed by a local Dao expert, famous for its therapeutic properties.

Leaving Ta Phin, a private car will pick you up and take you back to Sapa town, where you are free to relax for the rest of the day. You can walk around town, visit the Stone Church and the night market to enjoy some delicious local food.

Overnight in Sapa
Meals: (B/L/_)

Morning
After breakfast and check out of the hotel, the car will pick you up to Bac Ha to join the Sunday Market where thousands of surrounding villages flock to the town to buy and sell at the market.

Upon arrival, you will explore the market with your guide, a colorful prism of colors, where locals are dressed in many traditional costumes. Stroll around, soaking up the vibrant atmosphere. The aroma of fresh herbs and strong tobacco wafts between the tented stalls…

Afternoon
After lunch at a local restaurant, you will drive downhill to Trung Do Village, home to the Tay ethnic group, where you will visit a traditional Tay house and then take a boat through the beautiful countryside to Bao Nhai Village. You will continue to Lao Cai station for the overnight train back to Hanoi. You will have the opportunity to leave your luggage at a local restaurant near the station, and have dinner before boarding the train. Accommodation on the train will be in a shared room in a four-berth soft sleeper compartment with air conditioning. The train departs at around 20:00 and arrives in Hanoi at 06:00 the following morning.

Overnight on the air-conditioned train
Meals: (B/L/_)

Morning
Upon arrival at Hanoi Railway Station, your guide will pick you up and take you to a nearby hotel where you can shower and rest.

After breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up and take you through the fertile fields of the Red River Delta to Ha Long Bay, where you will board a Sailboat and relax for the evening.

Upon arrival, you will be welcomed aboard Stylish Junk boats, each with its own itinerary to begin your cruise around the thousands of limestone islands and caves in the bay.

Afternoon
After lunch on board, you will spend time sunbathing on the deck and enjoying the peaceful tranquility of the bay.

You visit the “Grotte des Surprises” Cave, a hidden gem of mother nature, the boat glides past stunning limestone formations containing thousands of stalactites and stalagmites.

Continuing to sail through the islands, you will come across deserted bays, white sand beaches and floating villages.

Enjoy activities on board and take in the views of the Bay. Relax at the spa on board or swim in the clear blue waters.

At the end of the day, you will sail to the overnight anchorage where you will have the opportunity to attend a chef’s cooking demonstration or enjoy a mesmerizing sunset on deck before a sumptuous dinner.

In the evening you can watch a movie or join the crew in squid fishing before returning to your room to rest.

Note: If your time permits, we would highly recommend an additional night on board which gives you a lot more time to relax and take in the amazing landscape. You’ll get to cruise deeper into the Bay where it’s more beautiful and less crowded.

Overnight on board in Halong Bay
Meals: (B/L/D)

Morning
Tai Chi practice and experience local customs. Join a morning class, and take in the views across Hja Long Bay, kayak through Dark and Bright Caves, admiring the sparkling rock walls.

Back to the Junk boat. Check out of the cabin and then enjoy a full brunch buffet as you cruise back to port. Disembark around midday for your return drive to Hanoi.

Afternoon
From Hanoi, you will go to the airport to catch a flight to Da Nang, Central Vietnam.

Upon arrival at Da Nang airport, you will be met by your guide and private driver and taken to your hotel in Hoi An, a UNESCO heritage town. Hoi An has two beaches just 5 km (3 miles) away with many beautiful beach resorts.

Overnight in Hoi An
Meals: (Brunch/_)

Morning
After breakfast, pick you up at the hotel to visit the fishing village by cycling to Thu Bon River. For those who are not comfortable cycling, we can arrange a private car.

Ride along country roads at a leisurely pace, watching local life and stopping to experience the lives of the people. Cycle through palm groves, over bridges, past water buffalo fields…

Stay with a local family in Cam Thanh Village before enjoying a 1.5 hour trip on a traditional Basket Boat (round boat) in the Nipa Palm Forest. Learn how to row a Basket Boat and spend time catching fish and “purple crabs” in the Canal.

Continuing cycling to Tra Que Organic Vegetable Village, you will be introduced to environmentally sustainable farming methods that are still widely used today.

Visit the local life, and enjoy a traditional herbal foot bath and foot massage. Afterwards, return to the hotel for a rest. Prepare for an afternoon of walking and food tours.

Afternoon
Your tour guide will pick you up and take you to the Ancient Quarter of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you will embark on a walking tour visiting the major attractions such as Chua Ong Pagoda, Tan Ky Ancient House, Fujian Assembly Hall, and the Japanese Covered Bridge.

Visit the Museum, which houses the permanent exhibition of the Réhahn Heritage Collection, a vivid representation of the culture.

Visit Reaching Out Tea House, a small oasis of calm in the bustling Old Quarter, owned and run by deaf and mute people. You will be treated to delicious cakes and wonderful oriental tea.

Explore Hoi An street food. With your guide, you will weave through the small alleys, enjoying meals with the locals at the stalls. At 4pm every day, Hoi An streets are filled with countless street food carts, stalls and vendors for you to enjoy and admire the scenery.

Overnight in Hoi An
Meals: (B/_/D)

Spend a day exploring Hoi An, you can rent costumes and capture beautiful moments or enjoy famous dishes.

Overnight in Hoi An
Meals: (B/_/_)

Morning
After breakfast, your car and tour guide will pick you up (about 4 hours) to Hue Imperial City, passing Hai Van Pass on the way, you will stop to visit Marble Mountains, My Khe Beach, which was once home to American soldiers during the war, and Lang Co Beach with its fishing village.

Arrive in Hue after midday and check into your hotel.

Afternoon
The tour guide and driver will pick you up and take you to the pier to take a boat trip on the Perfume River, you will stop to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, a symbol of Hue.

After the boat trip, you will explore Dong Ba Market which runs along the north bank of the Perfume River. At the market, you will have the opportunity to explore a Noddle shop that was a favorite of Anthony Bourdain – the world-famous Chef and TV Producer. Here, you will taste the best “Hue Noddle soup”.

Return to the hotel in the late afternoon. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure.

Overnight in Hue
Meals: (B/_/_)

Morning
You will start with a short visit to Thanh Toan Village where you can see the bustling morning market. Nearby is the 300-year-old Thanh Toan Bridge and the Cultural Museum where you can visit and chat with the locals.

Continue on to the Hue Roal Complex, former home to the Nguyen Dynasty, the last Monarchy of Vietnam from 1802 – 1945. You will explore the ancient and atmospheric walled Citadel which contains the former Imperial Palace and the Forbidden Purple City.

Wind your way to visit Cat Tuong Quan Zen House. It’s a perfect combination of architecture, culture, and people. Here you will have a chance to learn about Hue culture, experience Qigong and do meditation.

You will enjoy a vegetarian lunch at a local Buddhist Monastery, prepared and served by nuns.

Afternoon
You will visit Tu Duc Tomb, then go to Vong Canh Hill to watch the sunset on the Perfume River. On the way back to town, you will visit an incense workshop, learn how to make incense and traditional conical hats.

Overnight in Hue
Meals: (B/L/_)

Morning
After breakfast, you will be picked up and driven to Hue Airport for a short flight heading south to Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by the locals. It is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong Delta.

Upon arrival, a private car and English speaking guide will pick you up and take you to your hotel in the city center for check-in.

Afternoon
Visit some of the main highlights of Ho Chi Minh City, which will fit your time, visit Notre Dame Cathedral, City Hall (Hotel De Ville), the old Opera House, the historic Rex Hotel, the Central Post Office, famous for its own architecture, and Ben Thanh Market, where vendors display a variety of attractive goods and crafts,

Stop by the Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum for a poignant but somber look at Vietnam’s military history and tumultuous past.

Continue to Ngoc Hoang Pagoda with fresh air, enjoy the sunset party on top of Bitexco Tower, the tallest building in Vietnam.

Overnight in HCM City
Meals: (B/_/_)

Morning
After breakfast, your guide and driver will transfer you to Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh Province.

Explore the sacred temple and learn more about the fascinating Cao Dai religion – Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam and Taoism, attend midday mass, admire monks in colorful costumes and listen to enchanting hymns.

Afternoon
Sau khi thưởng thức bữa trưa tại một nhà hàng địa phương, xe đưa bạn đến Củ Chi, nằm ở phía tây bắc Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh tham quan khu di tích lịch sử…

Upon arrival, you’ll be treated to a short video introduction to the pre-exploration phase of the tunnels, which stretch for “hundreds of miles” in total length, with living quarters, storage rooms, makeshift hospitals and kitchens…etc.

Note: these tunnels are very hot and can be claustrophobic, so you may want to opt for the view from above ground.

Try some of the local food, like sour tea. After experiencing the Cu Chi Tunnels, return to Ho Chi Minh City and explore on your own.

Overnight in HCM City
Meals: (B/_/_)

Morning
After breakfast, your private guide and driver will take you from Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Tre Town in the Mekong Delta, famous for its sprawling rice fields and stunning views. Known as the ‘rice bowl’ of Vietnam, this area produces most of Vietnam’s fruits, rice, sugarcane and coconuts.

After two hours of driving, you will arrive in Ben Tre, take a motorboat through narrow winding canals through coconut forests, watch locals make bricks and weave mats by hand. Learn about traditional crafts.

Take a relaxing stroll along the village streets, visit the houses to taste fresh fruit, enjoy honey tea and enjoy traditional musical performances. Visit the workshop where the local specialty coconut candy and a variety of products from coconut shells and coconut fibers are skillfully handcrafted.

Next, take a boat ride through palm-lined canals, gliding gently along hidden waterways surrounded by a myriad of tropical plants. The tranquil countryside setting is a relaxing retreat.

Ride a rickshaw through villages, rice fields, coconut groves and lush orchards and meet locals to learn about the culture.

Afternoon
Sau khi kết thúc chuyến tham quan, người hướng dẫn sẽ đưa bạn đến một nhà hàng ven sông để dùng bữa trưa với các món đặc sản địa phương, sau đó quay lại bến tàu và lái xe trở về Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh.

In the evening, you will be free to visit the night market to explore the local cuisine. Or simply enjoy a cocktail at the rooftop bar of the historic Rex Hotel.

Overnight in HCM City
Meals: (B/L/_)

A private shuttle will pick you up at your hotel after breakfast and take you to Ho Chi Minh International Airport, where you can board your flight home or continue your adventure.

Meals: (B/_/_)