Vietnam South to North in 17 days

13/02/2022

03/09/2019

VIETNAM TOUR – 17 DAYS (South to North)

DETAILED ITINEARY:

Day 1/ Ho Chi Minh arrival Day (no guide)
Upon arrival at the airport, meet up driver (no guide) then transfer to hotel. Check in and free at leisure.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 2/ Ho Chi Minh city - Cu Chi (Group tour) (B, L)
Take the morning trip to visit Independence Palace, also known at the Reunification palace, was built on the sight of the former Norodom palace. The Independence palace is a widely known landmark of Ho Chi Minh City and was designed by the architect Ngo Viet Thu. Continue seeing the beautiful structures from the French Colonial times such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic Central Post Office. Followed by the remarkable site of the War Remnants Museum the museum has a vast display of the both the Indochina wars.
Have lunch at local restaurant.
Depart for Cu Chi tunnel; the trip will take approximately one and a half hours bus driving. Upon arrival, before exploring the tunnels, you will have some short introduction followed by introductory video about how the tunnels were constructed and how the people survived in the harsh conditions of the war time. Then, spend your time to explore the remaining area and tunnel systems which included the special constructed living areas with kitchens, bedrooms side by side with other martial facilities like storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, and command centers helping whoever lives inside the tunnels meet their basic needs. Besides, there are also many hidden trap doors and dangerous traps within the maze-like tunnels for security purpose during the war. Afterward, special tea and cassava (guerilla’s food during the war) will be served.
Break time for relax or time for those who want to try the real shooting gun.
Return to Saigon.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 3/ Ho Chi Minh – Vinh Long – Can Tho (Group tour) (B, L, D)
Depart for the 2.5 hours drive to Cai Be, deep in the Mekong Delta. The Journey begins with a wooden boat trip; proceed to evergreen islands among the Mekong River through a large network of meandering tributaries, crisscrossed with countless arroyos. Enjoy lunch, then cruise to Vinh Long to discover beautiful landscapes along the river and observe the typical Mekong Delta rural life. At the end of the afternoon, move to Can Tho. Free for night discovery in Can Tho.
Overnight at homestay.

Day 4/ Can Tho – Ho Chi Minh (Group tour) (B, L)
After Breakfast at hotel, take a motor boat to visit Cai Rang – the most fascinating floating market where we can see all trading activities on Mekong River. A short stop to visit rice husking mill and cycling around the village to observe the beautiful scenery and daily activities of the locals. Disembark at Ninh Kieu and transfer back to HCMC. On the way, visit Vinh Trang Pagoda which is one of Vietnamese popular destinations. Finish tour at your hotel.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 5/ Ho Chi Minh – Fly to Da Nang – Hoi An (Private transfer, no guide) (B)
This morning we will transfer to the airport to take a flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival in Da Nang, meet up driver then transfer to hotel. Check in and free at leisure.
Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 6/ Hoi An city (Private tour) (B, L)
At 8:30, with the tour guide picks up, we will start walking tour around the ancient town to visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Pottery Museum, Tan Ky old house, the Cantonese congregation, the silk street of Hoi An, the temples and pagodas of Chinese appearance.
In the afternoon, we will take 3 hour boat trip to Thanh Ha Pottery village, where we can see old men who produce jars, bowls, vases… Back to down town for coffee and relax.
Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 7/ Hoi An – My Son – Hoi An (Private tour) (B, L)
My Son, located 69 km southwest of Danang, was an imperial city during the Cham dynasty, and 75km far from Hoian. My Son is the former capital of the ancient Cham civilization that ruled Central Vietnam from the second to the thirteenth century. Their religion was primarily derived from Indian Hinduism. My Son is considered to be one of the best-preserved Cham structures in Vietnam. The complex is comprised of seventy Hindu-like towers and temples dating from the second century. My Son Sanctuary is a large complex of religious relics that comprises more than 70 architectural works. They include temples and towers that connect to each other with complicated red brick designs. The main component of the Cham architectural design is the tower, built to reflect the divinity of the king. Our day starts at 08:00 at hotel and come back hotel at around 13:00.
Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 8/ Hoi An – Fly to Hanoi (Private transfer, no guide) (B)
Have breakfast at hotel till transfer to the airport (no guide) for flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival in Hanoi, meet up driver (no guide) and transfer to hotel. Check in and free at leisure in the rest of day.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 9/ Hanoi (Group tour) (B, L)
8.00: We’ll pick you up from your hotel take you to visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum – the final resting place of the beloved national hero, Uncle Ho – and President Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house where he lived off and on from 1958 to 1969.
9.30: You’ll visit the One Pillar Pagoda, which is actually a group of structures that collectively make up a pagoda built over the water in the middle of a square lake.
After that, you’ll have a chance to explore the Tran Quoc Pagoda on the shore of West Lake.
From there, it’s onto the Temple of literature, which was Viet nam’s first university and is dedicated to Confucius.
12.30: You have lunch at the restaurant in the Old Quarter. Afterwards, you’ll visit Hoan Kiem Lake - the heart and soul of Hanoi.
OPTION 1: TUE, THU, SAT, SUNDAY
You’ ll stop in at MUSEUM OF ETHNOLOGY. This superb museum showcases the depth of Vietnamese cultural diversity with an astounding collection of 15,000 artifacts gathered from throughout Vietnam. Maps, displays and dioramas are labelled in Vietnamese, French and English. Displays portrays a typical village market, the making of comical hats and a Tay shamanic ceremony; videos show the real thing. You can also check out a traditional Black Thai house reconstructed in the museum. There's also a centre for research and conservation where scientists from all over the world study traditional Vietnamese cultures.
OPTION 2: MONDAY, WED, FRI
Depart for Bat Trang ceramic village which is about 20 km away from Ha Noi, this is pottery village with a half- millenary historic development.
15.30 - 16.00: Take the car comes back your hotel.
Add some options: Enjoy Water Puppet Show from 15.30 to 16.15 or Electric Car or Cyclo around Hanoi's Old Quarter.
Come back your hotel at 17.00
Note: On Monday and Friday morning, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ethnic museums are closed
Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 10/ Hanoi - Ninh Binh – Hanoi (Group tour) (B, L)
Our one day tour starts at your hotel in Hanoi at 8am. After 2, 5 hours driving southward, we arrival Tam Coc wharf, get on the boat row while this area is still not busy, we will enjoy nice and quiet riding long river through 3 tunnel cave, consisting of the Hang Ca, Hang Hai and Hang Ba grottoes. These caves are adorned with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites of different shapes and colors that sparkle like gemstones. After 2 hours boat ride we get back on the shore, have lunch in local restaurant close by, afterwards we will go to visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital with 2 temples of the Kings Dinh and Le before heading back to Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 11/ Hanoi – Bus to Sapa (Private tour) (B, L)
12:30: Arrival Sapa, enjoy lunch at local restaurant then we embark on a lovely walking tour to the hill tribe village of Cat Cat, home of the H'Mong hill tribe minority people. As we walk to the villages nestled in the valley below Sapa we will meet some of the local minority people on their way to and from Sapa. Here we have the opportunity to share cultural experiences with families that live in the area.
Overnight in Sapa.

Day 12/ Sapa – Lao Chai – Ta Van (Group tour) (B, L)
We embark on a lovely trek that will take us along buffalo paths and trails and through several hills tribe villages Lao Chai & Ta Van, home to Black H'mong, and Dzay people. This is an absolutely spectacular walk through stunning scenery inhabited by some of the friendliest people you can meet. Once on the valley floor you can really appreciate the wonderful scenery that surrounds you. The walls of the valley are covered with multi-layered rice terraced fields and scattered villages. After visiting Ta Van the car will return you to Sapa.
Overnight in Sapa.

Day 13/ Sapa - Bac Ha market – Overnight train to Hanoi (Group tour) (B, L)
We have breakfast there and go to the Bac Ha market for two hours by a van. This is the largest market in the region, a place where many ethnic groups gather to buy and sell, eat and drink together. There are 10 minority groups in the Bac Ha region. We can buy homemade handicrafts and clothes. In the afternoon we will have a 2 hour trek to Ban Pho village (Flower H’Mong people) where we can have look in their houses and understand little more about their lifestyle and traditional customs. Especially, we can try homemade wine from corn. And then we drive back to Lao Cai, you will take a night train to Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 14/ Hanoi – Ha Long by shuttle bus (Group tour) (B, L, D)
Arrive Hanoi in the early morning. We arrange one room at a mini hotel close train station for you to relax, take shower and have breakfast and we will pick you up around 08:00 am for a transfer to Halong Bay, listed as a World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. “Dragon descending to the sea“ as it is known in Vietnamese, picturesque Halong Bay has more than 1.000 limestone islets rising from the sea, many of them containing beautiful grottoes
Upon arrival at Halong Bay we embark on a boat trip to cruise discovering this magnificent UNESCO World Wonder. This is a great journey among surreal islands rising from a tranquil emerald sea.
In the late afternoon, we anchor for the night on the bay and enjoy a delicious seafood dinner on board.
Overnight on a junk boat in Halong Bay.

Day 15/ Ha Long – Hanoi (Group tour) (B, L)
Early morning coffee and tea will be served on the sundeck followed by a Tai Chi class. After breakfast we take a Sampan boat to explore Luon Cave. We may have a chance to see the wild monkeys that gather around waiting for food from the tourists. After that we continue to cruise around the bay. Lunch is served on the boat on our way back to the docks then we return to Hanoi. Arrive Hanoi around 16.30.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 16/ Hanoi free time – optional Hanoi market tour + cooking with local family tour (B)
This day is free at leisure to explore Hanoi or you can chose option tour below:
Optional tour: Hanoi market tour + cooking with local family tour
This morning, you leave Hanoi center and drive about 35 minutes to the west of city. It is about 17 km from old quarter to Xuan Phuong vegetable village. Upon arrival, you will meet the host at meeting point and she will show you a local market since Le King Dynasty. It is the most famous market in the region where many traditional items for sales. If on market days (two or three times per week, other days market is not too crowded), people from all the surrounding villages would come to trade. People bring dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, ducks, and bamboo baskets to sell. Everyone is excited to meet each other on that day. You will be surprised about bustling and colorful market which is working under the canopy of old tree. You will see the old women chew betel and areca nut and blacksmiths work hard with his bright brazier. Right next to the market place is nice vegetable farms. We take a tour around vegetable fields growing a variety of produce including: bitter melon, corn, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, green peas, snake peas and corn, as well as fruit gardens with oranges, pomelos, papaya and more (depend on the season to grow different crops)., You will learn more about background of vegetable and you may have chance to help a farmer working on his field. Afterwards, we go to her house for cooking delicious dishes. She will teach you how to cook some Vietnamese dishes by simple and traditional recipes. Enjoy local fresh vegetable, fruit, make traditional cake and talk about Vietnamese family’s custom together. After that we return to Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 17/ Hanoi departure (B) (no guide)
Have breakfast at hotel. Free at leisure till transfer to the airport (no guide) for your departure flight.