VNM15: Việt Nam Insight(21D20N)

Upon arrival Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, you will be greeted by your local guide and accompanied to the hotel for check in. Your time is free at leisurely.

Overnight in Hồ Chí Minh City.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Your guide will pick you up at hotel and spend your delightful morning to discover city highlights. Your visits will include, in no specific order:

Independence Palace (*) was rebuilt after an unsuccessful coup by bombing in 1962 that destroyed almost the entire old building, which had been built by the French colonial government in 1871. During the Việt Nam War (1955 – 1975), this was also well known as The Presidential Palace, the most powerful symbol of South Việt Nam until April 30, 1975.

War Remnants Museum (*), a must-see attraction for most visitors, was founded on September 4, 1975. It was first named “Exhibition House for U.S. and Puppet Crimes”. In 1990, the name was changed to “Exhibition House for Crimes of War and Aggression”. In 1995, a week before an announcement by the U.S. President, Bill Clinton, for the normalization of diplomatic relations, the name was changed to War Remnants Museum, as we all know it now.

Central Post Office, built between 1886 and 1891, is one of the best examples of classical French colonial architecture mixing with Eastern decoration style. There are two painted maps that were created just after the Post Office was built; one map is titled “Telegraphic lines of Southern Việt Nam and Cambodia 1892”, and the other is titled “Sài Gòn and its surroundings 1892”.

Notre Dame Cathedral of Sài Gòn, constructed between 1863 and 1880, has two bell towers, reaching a height of 58 meters (190 feet). Most of the original building materials were imported from France. After nearly 140 years in use, the building has been in renovations since July 2017, which will continue until the end of 2023. During this time, we are not able to go inside, but a beautiful view from outside is also worth paying a visit.

Jade Emperor Pagoda, built in 1909 in honor of the supreme Taoist God, is one of the most spectacularly atmospheric temples in Sài Gòn. There are many ancient works of art for worship, such as paintings, statues, panels, exquisite carvings… made from wood, pottery and pasteboard.

Lunch is served at a local restaurant before driving about 1,5 hours through the pleasant countryside to Củ Chi. We may stop along the way for refreshments and toilet.

Upon arrival, you’ll watch a brief of propaganda video, which explains how the tunnels were used to successfully defeat American military forces in combat. The tour continues and the guide explains some traps that were placed in the jungles of Việt Nam to either maim American soldiers or create panic amongst the ranks.

From here, you can enter one of the tunnel entrances and crawl through the tunnels, a real experience to imagine how people could live there for an extended period!

There is a shooting range where you can try to fire an automatic or semi-automatic weapon for a fee (this fee is not included). Take some rest at the end for a taste of Củ Chi boiled tapioca and thinking what humans are capable of when having to defend their home.

After that, we complete the tour excursion by taking you back to your hotel. Your evening is free at leisure.

Overnight in Hồ Chí Minh City.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Your guide will pick you up at hotel, and drive 2,5 hours to Cái Bè Village. We will stop along the way for refreshments and toilet.

Upon arrival, we will visit a flea market before cruising along a vast network of canals and channels to enjoy wonderful views of the Mekong River. Stop by a house-boat at the floating market to have fresh fruits, and see how locals do their business on the water.

In your visits to some local cottage industries you can see a coconut candy workshop, try some snake wine, and learn how to make pop-rice, or witness the process of making rice paper.

Cross to the other side of the Mekong River to a famous island named Tân Phong. Here Visit a local family’s home, where we are welcomed by local musicians who will play and sing for us as we enjoy tea and fruits while chatting with other guests. Enjoy what local people offer by hand-rowing a sampan along the shady, breezy canal.

Lunch will be served at a local house. Your host will show you a cooking demonstration, and you can challenge yourself by cooking a traditional Vietnamese dish — and then enjoy your wonderful lunch afterwards.

After that, we can choose to take a rest at the house or take a cycling tour about 30 minutes around the village; this will give you a fantastic way to experience local life. Get back to the house, say goodbye to your hosts, and drive back to Châu Đốc, the border town with Cambodia. Arrive in Châu Đốc late afternoon, check-in to your hotel and free evening at leisurely.

Overnight in Châu Đốc.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Your guide will pick you up and drive to Sam Mountain where you can climb up to visit Bà Chúa Xứ Temple and enjoy the fantastic views into Cambodia.

After that, we take a boat trip to visit the floating fish farms along the Hậu River. It’s also well-known as a kingdom of catfish.

We leave Châu Đốc town for Trà Sư Cajuput Forest. Located just around 10km from the Việt Nam – Cambodia border, Trà Sư is a national reserve and home to numerous types of fauna and flora. The forest has 106 colonies of water birds, bats, and various rare and endangered animals and reptiles, several of which have been listed in the Red Book, and over 140 flora species.

Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

We continue our drive to Cần Thơ – the capital city of the Mekong Delta. Upon arrival, check-in to your hotel and free time at leisure.

Overnight in Cần Thơ City.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Your guide will pick you up early at hotel, and take a motor-boat to Cái Răng floating market, the largest of its kind, where colorful boats carrying juicy fruits and vegetables gather for daily exchanging.

We continue the cruise and walk on a quiet country road to take in the magnificent scenery and get close to the residents as they go about their daily routines. Visit a flea market, a noodle factory, and tropical fruit gardens like papaya, mango, pineapple…

After that, we transfer to Cần Thơ Airport for taking an afternoon flight to Đà Nẵng. Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by a local guide and transfer to your hotel in Hội An for checking-in and free time at leisure.

Overnight in Hội An.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Your morning start with a drive through the countryside to Mỹ Sơn Holy Land, a World Heritage Site recognized by UNESCO in 1999, which located about 50km southwest of Hội An in a lush valley, Mỹ Sơn was a capital and religious center of Chăm people, now remaining with red brick towers and sanctuaries. Mỹ Sơn is considered to be in the same league as some of Southeast Asia’s greatest archaeological sites, including Angkor in Cambodia, Bagan in Myanmar, Ayutthaya in Thailand and Borobudur in Indonesia. These towers and sanctuaries were built from the 7th to 13th centuries.

Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

Your afternoon start with a walking excursion around tiny town of Hội An for your visits to a 400 years old Japanese Bridge, a 300 years old Chinese temple, a 200 years old Vietnamese former merchants’ house and etc.

We can drop you back to your hotel at the end of the tour excursion, or you can continue to explore the town by your own.

Overnight in Hội An.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Having a full free day in Hội An is an absolute must for most visitors. Here are a few suggestions that we think you may need.

Tailor some clothes, bags or shoes: Hội An is home to more than 400 tailoring shops and thousands of tailors who are not only talented at making clothes but are skilled in making shoes and handbags as well. Average turnaround time for full suits is a day and around 4 hours for handbags or shoes. Don’t miss one of them if you are interested in getting some custom made items with small budgets.

Cooking Class: Many restaurants in Hội An offers private cooking classes of group sizes small (2-10 persons) with professional chefs. During the class you will enjoy the challenge of producing Vietnamese foods and they will also supply you with a recipe containing all the information you need to reproduce an authentic taste back home.

Explore around by cycling: Most of hotels offer free bicycles for their guests because cycling is one of the best ways for visitors to get in touch with local people. You can easy go everywhere in the ancient town, through the rice fields or along beaches of Hội An with your bike.

Enjoy the famous culture shows: Hội An is host to a plethora of cultural activities: from Hội An’s Bài Chòi Show in a small yard near Japanese Bridge, to unique Vietnamese culture performances in Lune Bamboo Theater, or the famous outdoor Hội An Memories Show on Cẩm Nam Island, and etc. The range of these shows set them at various price points. This is because each offers up a very different experience from the other. Hidden provides you with a brief overview of each performance, so you’ll know what to expect. Then it’s over to you to figure out which unique show suits you best.

If you think those suggestions are not enough; so, let think of having a sunbath at your hotel swimming pool, enjoying your lazy time on one of the white sand beaches, visiting to local markets, learning about making lanterns, relaxing at some spas, exploring vegetable plantations, taking a boat trip along Thu Bồn River, or tasting all Hội An street foods… We leave it up to you, and remember to share with us how you like them.

Overnight in Hội An.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. We say goodbye to Hội An and set our drive to Bà Nà Hills. Upon arrival, We’ll take a cable car up to Sun World Amusement Park. Travelers to Sun World Ba Na Hills are indulged in a number of sites and unique destinations here and there of the complex. One of the best loved destinations in Ba Na Hills is the French Village, which reenacts an old fashioned and tranquil France lined with recognizable classical landmarks such as the square, church, town, old village and inns.

In addition, the Golden Bridge, which was officially inaugurated in June 2018 in Bà Nà, was also voted by TIME magazine as one of the “Top 10 best destinations of the world 2018” and admired by The Guardian as “The world’s most impressive pedestrians’ bridge”.

Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

After that, we’ll take a cable car down to the bottom and drive to Huế. On the way, you can make some stops along the way such as: Hải Vân Pass, Lăng Cô Bay…

Arrive in Huế late afternoon, check-in to hotel and your time is free leisurely.

Overnight in Huế.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Today, you’ll learn about the former imperial capital of Việt Nam. We start the tour excursion by taking a boat trip on the romantically named Perfume River visits Huế’s best-known religious sites, Thiên Mụ Pagoda. Then continue to discover Imperial Citadel from where the Nguyễn’s Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945 including Flag Tower, Noon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and Forbidden Purple City.

Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

The afternoon continues with a visit to the elaborate tombs of emperors Tự Đức & Khải Định. This guided tour gives you a deep understanding about King’s philosophy of geomancy and how this affected royal life.

Overnight in Huế.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Your guide will pick you up at hotel, head north on Highway One toward Đông Hà, stop at sites along the way, such as Highway of Horror, Quảng Trị Citadel, the Ái Tử Airfield. Continue to Đông Hà, the former headquarters of the elements of the U.S Marines, head west on Route 9. The first stop is the Rockpile, a look-out of the U.S Marine Corps, visit Vân Kiều ethnic minorities people in the Central of Việt Nam. Continue to Khe Sanh village, visit Khe Sanh Combat Base.

Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

After lunch, head north to visit the Hiền Lương Bridge over the Bến Hải River at the middle of the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), the river that was the only true physical demarcation between North and South Việt Nam. Continue to Vịnh Mốc tunnels, the refuge of some 400 North Vietnamese inhabitants during the bombing operation “Rolling Thunder”.

Later we drive to Phong Nha – Kẻ Bàng National Park for the night.

Overnight in Phong Nha.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. We take a boat trip to the famed caves at Phong Nha. The park has some beautiful limestone formations, grottoes and caves and forest. The park also contains the largest primeval forest in Việt Nam and the biggest limestone mountain range on the planet. The most impressive cave – Phong Nha cave is probably the most beautiful with many fascinating rock formations with imaginative names such as The Lion, Fairy Caves, Royal Court and Buddha. Phong Nha also boasts underground rivers, large caverns and passageways and broad pristine sandbanks.

Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

After lunch, we transfer to Đồng Hới airport for taking a flight to Hà Nội. Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by a local guide and transfer to your hotel for checking-in and free time at leisure.

Overnight in Hà Nội.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Your guide will pick you up at hotel and spend your delightful day to discover city highlights. Your visits will include, in no specific order:

Hồ Chí Minh Complex: Completed in 1975, the complex includes Hồ Chí Minh’s Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, House-on-Stilts, and the Hồ Chí Minh Museum.

The Temple of Literature: Originally built as a temple to Confucius, this is the site of Việt Nam’s first University dating back to 1070. Inside are the stone steles mounted on the backs of turtles, inscribed with names of Việt Nam best scholars.

Museum of Ethnology: This museum is widely acknowledged as the best in the country and has an extensive display dedicated to Việt Nam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples.

Ngọc Sơn Temple and Hoàn Kiếm Lake: The Ngọc Sơn temple is set on a tiny island on the Hoàn Kiếm Lake, its history dating back to the 13th century. The temple is reached by crossing the Thê Húc Bridge which literally means the ‘Place Touched by Morning Sunbeams’. The Hoàn Kiếm Lake is the local point of the city and the source of many legends.

Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

After that, you’ll have one hour Cyclo tour through the Old Quarter: Also known as the 36 streets, this bustling area of narrow streets is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers.

Your evening is free until we transfer to Hà Nội Train Station for the overnight train to Lào Cai, the gateway to Sa Pa and the exotic mountainous Northwest.

Overnight on the train in a soft sleeper compartment.

On arrival in the border town of Lào Cai, have breakfast before driving to visit a local market (Ban Cam on Tuesday/ Cao Son on Wednesday/ Lung Khau Nhin on Thursday / Can Cau on Saturday/ Bac Ha on Sunday. Note: These local markets are only held on the above mentioned days, so it is recommended that the arrival coincides with one of these market days. Here see mostly Flower Hmong, however, Phu La, Black Dao, Tay, Nung hill tribe groups also gather here. The market offers a variety of local products, which could not be found in others areas such as an interesting animal market where pot-bellied pigs, cows, and buffalos can be seen.)

Continue with a short walk to a hill-tribe village. Here have the opportunity to visit some local homes to understand more about the daily life of these tribes as well as their culture and traditions.

Afterwards transfer by road up through the mountains to the former hill station town of Sa Pa, a base for tourists visiting the mountainous northwest. In the terraced hills and mountains of this area, the monotony of the expansive green landscape is enlivened by the colors of its hill tribe population – flashes of shining silver jewelry from the necks and wrists of indigo-clad H’mong and the scarlet hues of the turbans worn by the Red Dao can be seen. Observe the ethnic tribes stained hands with color from fabric dye that come in various shades of blue, red and green and are intricately embroidered and stitched into jackets, waistcoats, pants, skirts, caps, purses and leggings.

Overnight in Sa Pa.

This morning after breakfast, leave Sa Pa for a 30-minute winding road transfer to Ban Khoang Valley. Enjoy the breathtaking view of Hoàng Liên Mountain Range along the way, also known as The Tonkinese Alps.

Getting closer to Ban Khoang village is the amazing view of the valley from above. Take some great pictures of this impressive and beautiful landscape. Then, stop for an easy walk to visit a village of Red Dao ethnic at Ban Khoang. The Red Dao women are very skilled in making their own embroidery as well as how beautiful their tradition costume. For hundreds of years living in the mountain the people here still maintain their culture of farming rice using buffalos and maintain a self-sufficient system.

Depart from Ban Khoang Valley for a 8-km road transfer to Ta Giang Phinh Valley and enjoy a local lunch there. This afternoon, take a leisurely walk through the charming Ta Giang Phinh Valley. Walk on the village path which winds down the impressive valley, home to Blue Hmong ethnic minority people. Visit some local houses to see some handicrafts workshops, observe villagers working in the fields tending their crops with buffalos.

Appropriate footwear must be worn on treks in Sa Pa. Note that if conditions are wet, programs may be changed. Mid-late afternoon transfer back to Sa Pa town and the remainder of the afternoon and evening is at leisure.

Overnight in Sa Pa.

After breakfast, travel to the cable car station and take the 20-minute cable car ride up Fansipan. Admire the spectacular scenery, visit the pagoda, and climb the 600 steps to the peak, known as the Roof of Indochina. Return to Sapa town for having lunch.

You’ll be transferred by shared bus back to Hà Nội. Upon arrival, check-in for your free time.

Overnight in Hà Nội.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. We drive to Kênh Gà, a floating village in Ninh Binh filled with untouched landscapes, limestone cliffs and caves. Travel peacefully through the village by motor-boat taking in scenes of fishermen, children going to school, and daily life along the riverfront. Stop for a short walk through green rice fields to visit Vân Trình cave.

Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

We then proceed to Hoa Lư, the ancient capital of Việt Nam. Visit temples dedicated to two Vietnamese kings.

Overnight in Ninh Bình.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. In the morning, we have a boat trip to visit Tam Cốc, which is well-known as Hạ Long Bay on land, then visit the enormous stone church at Phát Diệm and enjoy a stroll through Kim Sơn market, which is famous for its bamboo and rattan mats.

Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon drive to Hải Phòng. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to Cát Bà Island by hydrofoil. Check-in to your hotel and free evening at leisurely. Dinner is served at your hotel.

Overnight in Cát Bà Island.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. This morning, you will trek though the Kim Giao forest to the top of the mountain where you can see a breath taking view of valleys. Bird watching and if you are lucky, you will see some wild animals: Squirrels, snakes, frogs, thousands of butterflies…

Back to hotel for check-out before we transfer to the harbor. Board a cruise. After a welcome onboard, lunch will be served while cruising towards the bay itself.

In the afternoon, enjoy some visits and/or activities (depending on each boat’s itinerary) or just spend some time relaxing on board. Towards the end of the day the boat sets anchor for the night among the karsts formations. Dinner is served on board.

Overnight in a selected cruise on Lan Hạ Bay.

On returning to Hải Phòng City, enjoy a wholesome brunch as the boat cruises through uniquely-shaped limestone rock formations. Disembark and be greeted by the driver for a transfer back to Hà Nội.

We arrive at Hà Nội around 4:00p.m., check-in hotel; and you’ll have your free time to explore the city at leisure.

Overnight in Hà Nội.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Today is your last day of the trip; we understand that you might need some free time for shopping, enjoy some local massage or spas, wander around the city, visit some sites that were listed in the tour, or some of you might want to visit some friends or relatives who are living in Việt Nam. It’s your day!

Here are some suggestions that you can spend a free day in Hà Nội:

Bargain challenge: Bargain when buying something is normal in Việt Nam, especially in Vietnamese local markets. Don’t make it serious, let have fun! Here are a few budget places that you can easy bring everything home: Silk Street of Hàng Gai, Đồng Xuân Market, Tràng Tiền Plaza, Silver Street of Hàng Bạc, Hàng Da Market, Nhà Thờ Street…

Visit to some Museums: Hà Nội is home to Việt Nam’s most visited museums, you can easy to find your favorite one among the list: Hỏa Lò Prison Museum, Việt Nam National Fine Arts Museum, Vietnamese Women Museum, Việt Nam Museum of Ethnology, Việt Nam Military History Museum, Hồ Chí Minh Museum…

Enjoy the culture shows: Here are the top 5 culture shows that tourists cannot miss when they are in Hà Nội and want to experience the Vietnamese history and culture in an hour spectacle of sublime storytelling – The Quintessence of Tonkin, Ionah Show, My Village Show, Water Puppet Show, Four Palaces Show…

Beyond what we just mentioned, Hà Nội offers various activities and things to do for visitors. If you want to get in touch with the local life, let spend a few delightful hours for a motorbike tour which can give you an insight view of the city and its residents. Visiting to some theme parks are also a great choice for your kids; if you were a food lover, don’t miss a street food tour! You knew that you can always contact us for further assistance, or just let us know what you like most about Hà Nội.

Overnight in Hà Nội.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Your day is free until our driver picks you up at hotel and transfer to Nội Bài Airport for taking flight out. End of services.