DAY 2: HANOI CITY TOUR – TAKE OVERNIGHT TRAIN TO SAPA

Breakfast at hotel

8.00 – 8.30: Get pick up at your hotel (at area of Hanoi Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake) to start for Hanoi city tour.

08:45 – visit Tran Quoc Pagoda – Tran Quoc pagoda is located on the east of the West Lake, built from the reign of King Ly Nam De.

09:30 – visit Ho Chi Minh Complex which features the life of Ho Chi Minh and the nation’s founder and resume visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the colonial Presidential Palace, originally the French Governor Office, the rural style Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts and Presidential Palace where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Stop by one of Hanoi’s icons, the One Pillar Pagoda, built in the 11th Century.

11:15 – visit Vietnam Museum of Ethnology – The museum has become an attractive destination for domestic and foreign visitors due to the simple exhibits which displays both the aspects of tangible and intangible culture, lifestyle and creativity of Vietnamese ethnic groups.

(Vietnamese Woman Museum will be the alternative on Monday hence Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is closed)

12:30 –  Have lunch at our restaurant

13:45 – visit Temple of Literature is the first university in Vietnam, built in 1070. Today, Temple of literature has become a popular destination of Travel Hanoi, the place of awarding merit to students who have excellent study achievement.

15:30 visit Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton) – French colonists built the prison in 1896 to detain those who fought against the French colonial regime, which was called the Maison Centrale.

16:30 – drop off at your hotel

Optional with extra charge: Attending a Water puppet show, The puppet performs on the water and is controlled by artisans behind the curtain. The stories in the water puppet show clearly the life and culture of the Vietnamese.

Free time

Dinner on your own

21:00 – get pick up at hotel for short transfer to Hanoi Train Station

22.00 – take the overnight train to Lao Cai which will reach Lao Cai at 6.00 next morning

Overnight on train in a shared 4-berths cabin = 4 passengers per cabin – End of Day 2 – Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days

(Private cabin(s) can be arranged with extra cost, please advise)

DAY 3: LAO CAI – CAT CAT VILLAGE – FANSIPAN  MOUNTAIN  – NIGHT AT SAPA

06:00 – get pick up at Lao Cai station for 45-minutes drive uphills to Sapa.

Have breakfast on arrival at a local restaurant

Check in hotel (early check in subject to availability)

08:30 – get picked up at hotel for short drive to the gate of Cat Cat Village which is home to Black H’mong ethnic people and is located near the bottom of a deep valley at the foot of Fansipan Peak.

Visit the village for its distinctive traditions and practices that have been lost in virtually cultural villages. It’s the closest and easiest hill tribe village in Sapa. The footpath to the village is amazing view. Just passing some sloop you will have chance to discover full this stunning village.

(3 km hilly walking is required at Cat Cat village)

Drive back to Sapa for lunch at a local restaurant

After lunch, we take a short drive to Hoang Lien Cable Car Station at 1,650m above sea level – where you will start the journey to conquer Fansipan Peak – The Roof of Indochina – at 3,143m above sea level.

After 20 minutes, the cable car will bring you to Fansipan Station, from here you will need to climb 600 steps up to the peak or buy extra ticket for pull-train at spot (70,000 VND / pax / way).

Thanks to the Sun world Fansipan Legend Cable Car system, it only takes 20-30 minutes to get the roof of Indochina instead of trekking from 2-3 days like before, making Fansipan reachable by everyone yet saving time to explore interesting things around.

Back to hotel around 05:00 pm

Dinner on your own

Overnight at hotel in Sapa – End of Day 3 – Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days

DAY 4: SILVER WATERFALL – HEAVEN GATE – HAM RONG PARK  – NIGHT AT SAPA

Breakfast at hotel

08:30 am – guide and car pick up at hotel for 30 minutes drive uphills toward O Quy Ho Pass – named as one of the four greatest mountain passes in Vietnam, it will provide you with a relief from your hectic schedule because it is a place of serenity and tranquility.

We stop at the magnificent Silver Waterfall and start walk up along the beautiful waterfall and enjoy the spectacular scenery surround. You can also spend time visiting the fish farm nearby.

Continue the road trip for some km further to Heaven Gate at 2047m above sea level, the Heaven Gate   is the top of the highest mountain pass in Vietnam. From here enjoy walking around for half an hour for beautiful scenery of both two side of Hoang Lien Son mountain range.

Drive back to Sapa for lunch

After lunch take a walking tour to Ham Rong Mountain Park (which is right in the town center). Ham Rong Mountain Park was built on an area of nearly 150 hectares, in 1996 to exploit the unspoiled natural-cultural values of the area. The more you go up the opportunity to explore the beautiful scenery such as Orchid Garden, Sky Gate,…. Especially for tourists who have the interest of sightseeing and photography, perhaps this is a tourist that you can save yourself a lot of pictures to life.

(about 600 steps up and down is required for visit to Ham Rong Mountain)

If time permits we can visit Sapa Lake, Sapa market

Dinner on your own

Overnight at hotel in Sapa – End of Day 4 – Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days

DAY 5: SAPA – MUONG HOA VALLEY –  BUS BACK TO HANOI – NIGHT AT HANOI

Breakfast at hotel – check out your hotel

08.30 am – car and guide pick up at hotel for short drive along the side of Muong Hoa Valley which is home to hill tribe villages such as Y Linh Ho and Lao Chai village of Hmong peole, Ta Van of Dzay people, the villages surrounded by stunning rice terraces.

You will take a short walking down to Lao Chai village from main road, through terraced rice fields to Ta Van village of the Dzay minority people. Visit local families which offer you a worth chance to learn about the local house architecture which is full of their daily life styles and exclusive custom. Enjoy the landscapes…on the way.

(about 6 km easy walking in 3 hours is required for this tour)

Drive back to Sapa for lunch

14.00 get pick up for 6 hours drive back to Hanoi via the highway Hanoi – Lao Cai, the journey will offer you stunning landscape of Northern Vietnam mountains and hills, villages and rice fields along the way.

Our driver will make 2 quick stops on the way where you can stretch your legs, try some local foods and go to restroom as well.

20:00 – get drop off at hotel – Check in hotel

Dinner on your own

Overnight at hotel in Hanoi – End of Day 5 – Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days

DAY 6: NINH BINH – HOA LU – TRANG AN – MUA CAVE – NIGHT AT HANOI

Breakfast at hotel

07h30 – 8h00: Get picked up by our friendly guide then depart for Ninh Binh province.

09h15: Have a short break for 15 – 20 minutes to relax.

10h30: Visit Hoa Lư Ancient Capital of Vietnam between 968 and 1010. You have a chance to learn about Vietnamese history in the feudal system under Dinh, Le, and Ly Dynasty

Here, we go for 30-45 minutes easy cycling around the village for sightseeing & discovering the life of the local people

12h30: Have a lunch at a local restaurant

13h30: Visit Trang An which was recognized by UNESCO as A World Heritage Site in 2014.

The scenery in Trang An Grottoes is very similar to Ha Long Bay such as high mountains are surrounded by vegetation areas and mantles of water. It makes thousands of tourists surprised because every river section, mountain, cave has their own beauty.

Take 2 hours for the hand-rowing sampan boat trip by local farmers, you will be persuaded by the beauty here (shared 4 people per boat).

15h45: Get back to the bus then leave for Mua Cave (Dancing Cave). Walk up almost 500 steps, you can reach the top of Lying Dragon Mountain & have an amazing panoramic view of Tam Coc from here.

17h00: Say goodbye to Ninh Binh we get on the bus to return to Hanoi

19h00-19h30: Get dropped off at Hotel in Hanoi

Dinner on your own

Overnight at hotel in Hanoi – End of Day 6 – Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days

DAY 7: HANOI – HALONG BAY CRUISE – OVERNIGHT ON BOAT

Have breakfast at the hotel – check out hotel

8.15 – 8.30 AM: You will be picked up at your hotel (around Hanoi Old Quarter) and transferred to the pier in Ha Long

12:00 – 12:30 PM: Arriving at Halong Bay, you’ll be welcomed to embark on the cruise. It’s time to learn about the cruise briefing and safety instructions while sipping a welcome drink.

1:00–2:00 PM: While cruising through the karst rock formations into the world of natural heritage, you will have lunch at the luxury restaurant on the cruise.

3:00–4:30 PM: In the afternoon, the itinerary will continue with the exploration of limestone caves. Depending on each cruise, tourists will have chances to visit different caves (Sung Sot Cave / Thien Canh Son Cave / Dark Light Cave).

6:30–7:00 PM: At twilight, almost all Halong Bay cruises offer a Cooking Class or Fruit And Vegetable Carving lesson. The head chef will show you how to make and decorate some traditional Vietnamese dishes.

7:00–11:30 PM: It’s time for a special dinner fraught with appetizing Western dishes and Vietnamese traditional food, depending on the set menu of each cruise.

Overnight on cruise – End of Day 7 – Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days

DAY 8: HALONG BAY CRUISE – HANOI – FLIGHT TO DA NANG – NIGHT AT DA NANG

6:30 – 7:00 AM: Enjoy coffee, tea, and breakfast served in the dining room. You can wake up earlier to catch the sunset moment from the cruise which gives more stunning views than on land.

After breakfast, join the Tai Chi lessons, the traditional Chinese material art, to refresh your second day on Halong Bay cruise trip. Upon completing breakfast continue the journey and head out to explore the bay.

7:45–9:00 AM: The next destination will be a fishing village where you can meet up with the hospitable and rustic people, as well as get a glimpse of the local life and traditional cultures of the native people. The best way to explore floating village is by bamboo boat or kayak tour.

Sliding through the water in a nifty kayak gives travelers more independence, and allows them to reach places that cannot be reached in cruise ships. But if you cannot take on a Halong Bay cruise kayak, do not worry as bamboo boat is here for you. You will be taken on a graceful glide to explore the beauty of this UNESCO Natural Heritage Site.

10:00 am: It’s time to return the boat for packing and check-out procedures. Simultaneously, the brunch is served whilst the boat cruises back to the pier.

12:00 am: Get pick up at the pier for 3-hours drive back to Hanoi

16:00: Drop off at Hanoi Airport – take 2 hours flight to Da Nang

Get pick up at Da Nang airport for 20 minutes drive to hotel – Check in hotel

Free at your leisure

Dinner on your own

Overnight at hotel in Da Nang – End of Day 8 – Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days

Recommended air firms for domestic flight from Hanoi to Da Nang

– Vietnam Airlines: https://www.vietnamairlines.com/vn/en/home

– Vietjet Airlines: https://www.vietjetair.com/en/

DAY 9: DA NANG – HAI VAN PASS – HUE CITY TOUR – NIGHT AT DA NANG

Breakfast at hotel

08:00 – Pick you up at Da Nang city and depart for Hue Imperial City Tour. On the way to Hue city, we will stop at Hai Van Quan on the top of Hai Van Pass –approximately 21 kilometer pass on Truong Son Mountain Range. Passing the pass, we will have time to sightseeing Lang Co beach –more than 10 kilometers of long white sand beach and blue sea water to take some beautiful photos and have some moment to take a rest.

11:00am – Arrive to Hue, visit the final resting place of Khai Dinh – the 12th King of Nguyen Dynasty – Khai Dinh Mausoleum. The tomb is a fusion of traditional Vietnamese style with other different architecture styles around the Worlds.

12:30pm – Have a lunch and rest at local restaurant.

1:30pm – we’ll visit Hue Imperial City – World Heritage Site. Hue Imperial City is the palace of the last Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam feudal system with the unique architecture such as Meridian Gate, Library Thai Hoa Palace, Nine Dynastic Urns.

15:00 – continue to Thien Mu or Heavenly Lady Pagoda with valuable architectural structures and many valuable antiques of both historical and artistic value and importance.

Optional: Taking the Dragon Cruise riding along the picturesque Perfume river is available on request with extra cost.

16:30 – we drive back to Da Nang

18:30 – 19:00 – drop of at hotel

Dinner on your own

Overnight at hotel in Da Nang – End of Day 9 – Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days

DAY 10: DA NANG – BANA HILLS – GOLDEN BRIDGE – HOI AN – NIGHT AT HOI AN

Breakfast at hotel – Check out hotel

7:30 am–8:00 am Our tour guide come and pick you up at your hotel in Da Nang city center to depart for Ba Na Hills where is situated 1487 meters from the sea level.

9:15 am– Coming to Ba Na Hills station, you will start the journey to the top of Ba Na Hills by taking the cable car.

Arriving at Marseille station, our group will go sightseeing or choose to go on with funicular to climb up the hill to visit Bar Debay Wine Cellar –constructed by French colonialists that involved a deep tunnel through Ba Na Mountain 1923, Le Jardin Gardens with thousands of beautiful flower.

Especially, you will visit the amazing Golden Bridge crossing the Paradise Garden and enjoy the heavenly scenery from the height at 1,414 meters above the sea level. Then we come to visit the spiritual area of Ba Na Hills.

12:00 pm – Have buffet lunch with more than 70 dishes from both Eastern and Western cuisine.

1:00 pm – Free time to enjoy games at Fantasy Park with adventurous and thrilling games.

Discovering Wax Museum (excludes entrance fee) where displays more than 40 lifelike statues of singers, actors, etc.

Explore French Village at Sun World Ba Na Hills – a replica of classical and romantic France in our fantasy, through a string of peculiar architectural clusters: the square, cathedral, town, village and inns.

Enjoy the Dancing show of European and American artists.

3:30 pm – Return to cable car & depart for Hoi An

4:30 pm – 5:30 pm – We drop you off at your hotel.

Free on your own to visit Hoi An Ancient town

Dinner on your own

Overnight at hotel in Hoi An – End of Day 10 – Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days

DAY 11: HOI AN – MY SON SANCTUARY – HOI AN – NIGHT AT HOI AN

Breakfast at hotel

8:00 am Driver and Tour guide will pick you up from hotel and warmly welcome you to the My Son Sanctuary Tour (50km from Hoi An city).

On the journey, let’s enjoy the views of the countryside and the daily life of the local people. Tour guide will introduce with you about local culture and the beautiful of Vietnamese country before arriving at My Son Sanctuary.

9:30am   Electronic car will pick you up from My Son gate to My Son Sanctuary area. But, you take a stroll to walk 500m tropical jungle surroundings to get My Son area center. It’s a remarkable architectural ensemble that developed ten centuries ago.

Cham Pa Art of Architecture – influenced by Indian style still remain many big questions to the scientists. Bricks are main material for the construction of the Cham Towers. However, it has yet been unable to figure out the reasonable explanation for the linking material, brick baking method, and construction method at My Son Sanctuary. Even these days, this still remains as an attractive secret to tourists.

12:00pm Enjoy the lunch

2:30pm Return to your hotel .

Free time on your own to explore Hoi An Ancient Town

Dinner on your own

Overnight at hotel in Hoi An – End of Day 11 – Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days

DAY 12: HOI AN – COCONUT FOREST TOUR – MARBLE MT – FLIGHT TO HO CHI MINH

Breakfast at hotel – Check out hotel

08:00 pick up at hotel for 30 minutes drive to Cam Thanh Coconut Village which is located about 5km from the southeast of the Hoi An Old Town, Quang Nam, Viet Nam. You will go visiting the eco-system of the forest by basket boats, catching crabs, snails and making toys from coconut leaf.

On this tour we provide an authentic social and cultural insight into the local way of life in Vietnamese. Furthermore, you will take part in some hands-on activities that are fun, safe and interesting to people all of ages.

Continue to visit Marble Mountains – is a natural masterpiece bestowed to the land of Da Nang. With the harmonious beauty of the ecological area and the spiritual and cultural life, this destination attracts a lot of visitors from all over the world.

Have lunch at a local restaurant

After lunch, we take 20 minutes drive to Da Nang airport for your departure flight to Ho Chi Minh

Get picked up at Tan Son Nhat airport (Ho Chi Minh) for 20 minutes drive to your hotel

Check in hotel

Free time on your own

Overnight at a hotel in Ho Chi Minh city – End of Day 12: Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days

Recommended air firms for domestic flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh

– Vietnam Airlines: https://www.vietnamairlines.com/vn/en/home

– Vietjet Airlines: https://www.vietjetair.com/en/

DAY 13: HCM CITY TOUR – CU CHI TUNNELS – NIGHT AT HO CHI MINH

Breakfast at hotel.

7.30 – 8.00: Pick up at your hotel.

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.

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.

Get back to hotel around 7.00 pm

Dinner on your own

Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh – End of Day 13: Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days

DAY 14: HO CHI MINH – ME KONG – CAN THO – NIGHT AT CAN THO

Breakfast at hotel – Check out hotel

07:30 – 8:00 AM – Pick up at your hotel in Ho Chi Minh city and start the trip to My Tho. Upon arrival, visit Vinh Trang pagoda which sated back to the late 19th century. Then  boarding the sampan and cruising down the river around the four beautiful islands known as Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands.

Stop over at Unicorn Island, go walking in the village paths to contemplate orchards, enjoy tropical fruits, and Vietnamese folk music performed by the local people.

Visit the fruit plantation.

Be rowed in a small sampan through the Thoi Son canal and treat yourself to the beauty of the countryside, visit the family business & bee-keeping farm, enjoy honey tea and coconut candy workshop.

Have lunch at the local restaurant. Break time.

The afternoon is time for cycling around the Tan Thach village, meeting the local people to experience their daily life in the Mekong delta.

Relaxing on hammocks to enjoy the cool breeze is for those do not want to join the cycling trip. Proceed to Can Tho City

Dinner at a local restaurant

Overnight at hotel in Can Tho – End of Day 14: Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days

DAY 15: CAN THO – FLOATING MARKET – HCM – NIGHT AT HCM

Breakfast at hotel

Morning: Take a leisure boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong River (Bassac River) then visit to Cai Rang floating market which is the liveliest one in the whole of region.

Together with Cai Be and Phung Hiep, Cai Rang Floating Market in Can Tho City, Vietnam is one of the three biggest floating markets in the Mekong Delta. The shops and stalls at the market are boats of different sizes.

Once visiting Cai Rang floating market located in Can Tho province, you will be amazed by how crowded and lively this market is. During the early morning market hours, larger sized boats anchor and create lanes that smaller boats weave in and out of.

Walking trip to visit the fruit plantation and local noodle factory. Visit Binh Thuy communal house and Munir Ansay Pagoda – a Khmer pagoda, renowned for its unique structure.

Have lunch at a local restaurant

After lunch we drive back to HCM

17:00 – drop off at hotel

Free time

Dinner on your own

Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh – End of Day 15: Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days

DAY 16: HO CHI MINH AIRPORT DROP OFF

Breakfast at hotel

Free at your leisure until get picked up for transfer to airport.

Our selected hotel is very centrally located so you can spend your time to explore the town on your own way, shopping at local market.

Unlike Ha Noi, the weather in Sai Gon is divided into two distinct seasons: Dry season and rainy season. But the sun of Sai Gon is not too hot, the rain does not last too long. Therefore, you can travel to Sai Gon at any time of the year as this is a busy, vibrant city all year round to experience the city’s life, to explore famous tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh.

Hanoi Tours Expert team will say goodbye to you at Tan Son Nhat Airport – End of Vietnam Travel Package 16 Days