Discover Vietnam's Timeless Charm North To South

Upon arriving at Noi Bai International Airport, our guide and driver will pick you up and drive you to your hotel.

There’s nothing better than taking a short break after your flight and discovering great local cuisine for dinner in downtown Hanoi. (First day’s schedule can be flexible to meet your arrival time)

Overnight in Hanoi.

After having breakfast, the first destination is the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam. It's not only the first university in Vietnam, but it is also a symbol of the traditional fondness for learning among the Vietnamese people. Quoc Tu Giam has also been chosen for organizing multiple complementary ceremonies and events on holidays, making it the icon of Ha Noi.

The second destination is the Ho Chi Minh complex, which was built to honor and express gratitude to Ho Chi Minh. The most important part of the complex is Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, where people all over the country and international visitors can pay homage to the leader. In front of the mausoleum is Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh declared the independence of Vietnam in 1945.

Depart to West Lake to visit Quan Thanh temple, one of the Thang Long four sacred temples. You will know more about the Taoism culture of Vietnam and enjoy the picturesque view of the biggest natural lake in Hanoi.

In the afternoon, you will visit the fascinating Ethnology Museum (closed on Monday), which is both a research centre and a public museum exhibiting the ethnic groups of Vietnam. Besides visiting indoor and outdoor objects demonstrating the Vietnamese culture of 54 ethnic groups, you can join many interesting activities, such as water puppetry.

The day ends beautifully with 1 hour on the cyclo to discover the lively Hanoi 36 streets in the Old Town.

puppetry

Overnight in Hanoi.

After breakfast, our driver and tour guide take you to Ninh Binh, a 120km drive south of Hanoi and a World Natural Heritage Site. Ninh Binh offers a great experience in the lush countryside.

Our first destination is Hoa Lu - the ancient capital of Vietnam, recognized by UNESCO as one of the four main areas of the Trang An World Heritage Site complex. Here we will spend about an hour visiting the temples of two Vietnamese dynasties, Dinh and Le, with unique architecture from the past.

We do a short transfer to Van Lam village, where you get on a bamboo boat rowed by the local villagers to explore the stunning scenery of Tam Coc. UNESCO recognized Tam Coc as a World Natural Heritage Site in 2014 and made this place a famous destination in the Vietnam tour packages.

Boating along the Ngo Dong River, you will be able to explore the "Indochine" film setting. The beauty of the area has attracted millions of international tourists since then. Continue cruising under the astonishing limestone cliffs, and you will get to Hang Ca - the first cave with the river going through. The cave is 132m long. Leaving the 2nd cave, your boat will head to Hang Ba - the final cave.

Then we will do a short transfer to visit Mua Cave, see the Panorama View from the Mua Cave, or the Dancing Cave in Vietnamese. Climb up 500 steps to the top to enjoy the amazing view of the Ngo Dong River and the Tam Coc panorama view. Then we go to your hotel to rest and enjoy the night.

Overnight in Ninh Binh.

After breakfast, you’ll take a 3-hour drive to Halong Bay, one of the great nature of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Upon arrival, the boat crew will transfer you to the deck for check-in and enjoy a cruise around Halong Bay with a delicious local seafood lunch served on board.

At the same time, you can behold thousands of limestone islands and grottoes rising from the clear, emerald water. After lunch, you’ll join various activities on the boat to discover the beauty of the bay, such as visiting caves, kayaking, or enjoying swimming in the sea, before getting back to the junk for relaxing and dining. In the evening, you can join night fishing with locals.

Overnight on board.

In the morning, your breakfast will be served while floating on the sea to explore the beauty of Halong Bay before disembarking. Joining some more activities on the boat and then checking out the cabin. The early lunch will be served before getting back to the main dock and transferring you back to Noi Bai Airport for the flight to Danang.

Upon arrival in Da Nang, our driver and tour guide will transfer you to Hoi An.

Overnight in Hoi An.

After breakfast, we will walk through town, seeing remarkably well-preserved traditional houses that have withstood 200 years of weather and war. Learn about the prosperous merchants who used to live in these homes, trading with buyers from all over the world.

The next destination is the Japanese Covered Bridge, one of two such bridges in Vietnam. This beautiful bridge was first constructed in the 1590s by linking it with the Chinese quarters. Following Tran Phu Street, we will reach The Assembly Halls. There are 4 Assembly Halls in Hoi An, which you can find when walking along Tran Phu Street. Each of those Halls belongs to a Chinese community who have their own beliefs, and different assembly halls worship different gods and goddesses.

You will be picked up from your hotel to the boat station. Take a boat and then begin the tour to the traditional villages. The first destination is the Kim Bong carpentry village, established in the 15th century. From the 16th century, Kim Bong was famous for home appliances and shipbuilding products. The village made a significant contribution to the development of Hoi An trading port. Nowadays, skillful craftsmen turn to making handicraft products. Although the product is simpler, it still shows the skill and talent of the craftsman.

Then we go to Thanh Ha Pottery village, established in the late 15th century, which was once listed as "National native product". Thanh Ha village used to produce bowls, jars, roof tiles, and lining bricks to distribute to Hoi An and other nearby areas. There's a time when the village was nearly forgotten. However, with efforts from the heart of the craftsman, the village gradually recovered. You will have a chance to hear the story of the craftsman, watch the process of making a pottery product, and try to make a product of your own.

Get the special bamboo basket boat on Cua Dai river, exploring the seven-hectare water palm forest, learn how to catch purple crabs…

Back to the hotel. Overnight in Hoi An.

After having a delicious breakfast at your hotel, our driver and guide will take you to Ba Na Hill. We will hop on one of the cable cars, which achieves two Guinness World Records for the longest non-stop single-track cable car (5,042m) and the highest difference in elevation between the top and bottom station (1,292m). The ride offers us a spectacular view of the endless tree line, lush jungle, and Fairy Waterfalls along the way.

Once we get to the first stop, feel free to visit Le Jardin Garden, Debay wine cellar, French village, and Linh Ung Pagoda. We can’t miss the famous Golden Bridge, which has been rewarded tremendously for its impressive design. This bridge was built at a height of 1.400m above sea level and features a harmonious blend of groundbreaking architecture and spectacular nature.

Get on the second cable car to the top of the mountain, where we will have our lunch and a leisure walk or challenge our limits with the Peak of Chua Mountain at a height of 1,487m. Visit the trail of Dreaming Stream,c the Rainbow Waterfall.

In the afternoon, take a cable car down and get on the car back to the hotel in Hoi An.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Start your day on the right foot with a delicious breakfast to get you going. Then, your driver will take you to Danang Airport, where you will take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, our driver and tour guide will transfer you to your hotel in the city center. Check in and get some rest.

We begin the street food tour around 6 p.m. to discover the interesting cuisine of Northern Vietnam. First of all, we will go to Ho Thi Ky Flower market, walking all around and enjoying street food (BBQ, skewers, mixed rice paper, fruits…) inside the market.

Then we will go straight to Chinatown, where we will stop at a Vietnamese Chinese Herbal tea shop and visit Cha Tam Church (a 300-year-old Catholic Church). From here you can choose so many local food stalls: Dumpling, Pho, Broken rice, Banh Xeo, Pancake with egg…

Then we will be back on Nguyen Hue walking street. You might get tired already, so we will have a beer/juice or smoothies in Bui Vien walking street, or you can join a sky bar in De Tham. Back to your hotel and finish your day.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

After having breakfast, our driver and tour guide pick you up at your hotel, then make our way to the War Remnants Museum, where we can learn about the US invasion of Vietnam. Its absorbing exhibits give visitors an invaluable insight into a defining chapter in the Vietnam War’s history.

Departure to Reunification Palace, which was built for the South Vietnamese Government during the Vietnam-American War. After that, we will visit the famous French architecture, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and the General Post Office.

Departing to Cu Chi tunnel is one of the best things to do while we are in the South, not only for its location but also for its extraordinary history. Allow half an hour for the introduction to the history of Cu Chi, then enjoy a guided walk in the jungle, crawl into the tunnels, and visit some permitted areas of the systems, including living areas and martial facilities, before heading back to the city.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

After having breakfast, we travel to Hung Vuong Pier in Ben Tre. Take a boat at Ben Tre River for sightseeing and lively activities along the river, such as fishing and water transfer. We will stop at popular places for handicraft workshops including a craft brickyard where the locals still use centuries-old traditional methods to handmade bricks, process coconut into many different forms, and weave mats with the aid of dried reeds and a huge loom. A local Xe Loi (motorized rickshaw) will take us into a tropical garden where we can taste the exotic tropical fruit and enjoy our homemade lunch. Spend the rest of the afternoon lounging on a sampan boat rowing through Ben Tre’s iconic backwaters with water palms and coconut trees. We go back to Ho Chi Minh at the end of the day.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

We enjoy one last hearty breakfast with our travel companions before getting transferred to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, where your journey with us ends.