Vietnam Infinite Beauty Exploration – 15 Days

On arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, welcomed upon arrival by a local tour guide and driver then we transferred to the hotel to check in and relax. After check-in, we will be free to wander around the hustle and bustle city before enjoying a welcome dinner at a fine local restaurant in town.

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly named Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city of Vietnam. One day tour around today covers almost the major attractions. Understanding more about history in the War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace, admire French-colonial architecture at the General Post Office, Opera House and Notre Dame Cathedral, and explore the longest tunnels made of Vietnamese people during the war…. Depends on the weather and season, we can visit Cu Chi tunnel in the morning or afternoon.

Morning, we head to the Cu Chi tunnels, otherwise known as the “Iron Triangle” or “Iron Land”. Before entering the tunnels, we will see a short introductory video showing how they were constructed, followed by an exploration of the maze of tunnels, some of which have been widened to allow tourist access. Also on display are various mantraps and the remains of an American tank as well as numerous bomb craters made by 500lb bombs dropped by B52 bombers. After that we transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City for lunch.

After lunch, we visit the Reunification Palace, the former Presidential Palace for the president of the South of Vietnam. After that, we will visit War Remnant Museum, where we can see countless artifacts, photographs and pictures documenting about the second Indochina war. We also stop at Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post office to get good shots for our memory of the big, modern city of Vietnam. In the rest of the day, we will visit: Ben Thanh market, and then we will be back to hotel

We pick you up at the hotel after breakfast and transfer you to Cai Be. The program will start with a visit to Tan Phong Island for biking/walking on village paths to see the local daily life: orchard, school, church, pagoda, traditional houses… On the way, we can have some stops to see how they wave the dried water hyacinth to make many products: baskets, bags, hats, wallets, and shoes…

Then, the rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals to enjoy a peaceful time. Next, we back to our boat to go across one of the longest rivers in the world, the Mekong River, to come to An Bình Island. While we travel on a handmade canal to homestay, we can walk around this orchard & enjoy some cups of tea while listening to the traditional music in the ancient house.

After that, we walk into the local village to visit the local workshop to see how to make rice paper, coconut candy, pop-rice and enjoy some sweets with a cup of hot tea. It’ll give you an unforgettable experience. One more thing to do on this trip is visit the brick kilns where you can see how the local people create beautiful potteries from clay. The cruise transfers us back to Vinh Long city where we take our own vehicle to Can Tho and spend our night here.

Early morning today, we will take the boat trip to visit the famous Cai Rang Floating Market with the busy sense right time. This is the biggest floating market in Mekong Delta where we can see the daily life and local people selling their products on boats. If time permits, we can visit Binh Thuy Ancient House here.

After that, you will be back to the hotel and have free time until check out. At noon, we will head back to Ho Chi Minh City and have lunch en route. Arrive at our hotel in the afternoon and have free time at leisure. We will spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

My Son, located 69 km southwest of Danang, was an imperial city during the Cham dynasty, and 75km far from Hoi An. 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.

Time will be free until our car arrives at the hotel to take us to the airport in good time to board our flight to Danang.

On arrival in Danang, we will have a brief visit at Marble Mountain – the five elements of the Universe (water, wood, air, fire and earth). Then we continue our drive to the ancient Cham ruins of My Son. Once there, we visit the Tra Kieu capital which was the former administration center of the Champa Kingdom. Discover the majestic ancient ruins at My Son including ancient towers which were built in the fourth century. In the afternoon, we will return to our hotel for overnight accommodation.

This morning, we start the cooking class tour by a welcome drink at Hai Café. Then, we visit Hoi An’s colorful main market, and experience its amazing sights, sounds and aromas. We will have an opportunity to interact with the local sellers, to see and taste the wonderful variety of foods on display.

After that, we arrive at Cooking School and have a chance to freshen up before beginning our class. Working together with our Chef we learn the traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food from scratch. On arrival, we explore the cooking school’s herb and vegetable garden, before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s best-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – each dish is first demonstrated by our chef, before we prepare the same dish ourselves. The class will include a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration). After the lesson, we sit down and eat exactly what we have cooked. We will finish at approximately 12.30pm – transfer back to central Hoi An arriving approximately 1.00pm

Recipes (our food contains no MSG):

*Vegetarians are provided with replacement ingredients.

1. Making fresh Rice paper
2. Fresh Rice Paper Rolls of Shrimp
3. Crispy Hoi An Pancakes with Shrimp, Herbs & a Peanut Sauce
4. Seafood Salad with Tra Que Herbs
5. Mi Quang Chicken Noodles
6. Food Decoration – Tomato Rose & Vietnamese Cucumber Hand Fan

* Lunch includes the above meals as well as:

1. BBQ Lemongrass Beef (not included in the demonstration)

After the cooking class, we transfer back to Hoi An and spend time for a walking tour. We will 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. After that, we will be free until depart the boat to Con Hen for the Impression Show in here. Around 9pm, after the show ends, we transfer back to hotel and spend the rest of day to relax.

We have an early start this morning as we head off to our Farming & Fishing Life Eco Tour. Starting at Tra Que Village, we will get a personal insight into the local farming communities. We set about joining the farmers in preparing their land for sowing, helping to fertilize the garden using seaweed from the local river and watering it in using huge tin cans strapped to our backs. Following this, we will begin our leisurely cycling tour through the countryside witnessing local Vietnamese rural life firsthand. Late morning we will board our Hoi An Eco-tour boat for a river cruise. Here we will meet and witness local fishermen working their craft, before enjoying a hands-on experience of traditional net fishing. We then transfer to a Vietnamese bamboo basket boat for a quick race and ride down a coconut palm lined waterway. Lunch today, is on board our boat, which is prepared using vegetables picked earlier at Tra Que Village.

After lunch, we have some free time to wander around Hoi An town centre before heading back to the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, we travel by vehicle to Hue along scenic highway 1A. Along the way we will stop to contemplate north to Danang city and the stunning views North, to Lang Co Beach. On your arrival, we will visit Conical Hat Village, an incense stick-making village. It has been a well-known trademark in Vietnam and around the world. When it comes to Hue’s traditional villages, conical hat village is one of the most well-known brands. It is dedicated to preserving Hue’s distinctive cultural attractiveness.

After lunch in the local restaurant, we will then visit the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945, after exploring the ruins of this wonderful monument. We will then depart to the Hue Royal Fine Art Museum, which is housed within the former Dien Long An Royal Palace. We will finish our day with the local Dong Ba Market to see the daily life of local people.

Pick up at the hotel at 9:30 AM, we will board the Dragon Boat on the romantic Perfume River heading out for the countryside. Being the ancient capital, Hue is surrounded with ancient tombs of emperors past, and a visit to the most beautiful tombs will be on the itinerary for today. The charming Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda) will be the first stop of the day. We will enjoy a great view on the Perfume River and surrounding area. Thien Mu Pagoda is considered the symbol of Hue, and of Buddhism in Vietnam. From here, we rejoin our van and go visit King Khai Dinh’s Tomb.

Lunch will be served in Dong Thuyen Village with the nun. Then, we will visit Thuy Xuan Incense Village is one of the famous Hue tourist attractions that almost every tourist stops to visit. The address of Thuy Xuan incense village is on Huyen Tran Cong Chua Street, near Vong Canh hill, Royal Tomb of Tu Duc, 7km southwest of Hue city center. According to the oldest artisans in Thuy Xuan incense village, incense making appeared here about 700 years ago under the Nguyen Dynasty. In the past, the village was the place to provide incense sticks and frankincense for the court, mandarins, and high-level people in Thuan Hoa and Phu Xuan areas.

This morning, we will take a short flight from Hue to Hanoi. Welcome up on arrival by local tour guide and driver then we transfer to hotel to check-in.  On the way, we will visit the Museum of Ethnology. Then, we will drive to the Ho Chi Minh complex where we will spend time at Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum (outside), his former stilt-house, the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh Museum and One Pillar Pagoda. Followings we visit the Temple of Literature, which originally built as a temple to Confucius.

Then, we enjoy a 1-hour cyclo tour of the French inspired “old quarter”. We will be free for shopping in the old quarter ranges from markets through to designer boutique stores to amazing contemporary art galleries. We will then sit down to enjoy a performance of the city’s famous Water Puppets. Lunch will be served in the local restaurant with pure vegetarian.

Morning
08:15 Starting from Hanoi to Ky Son.
09:30 Upon arrival at the Moon Garden Homestay in Ky Son village, you’ll be welcomed with some fresh local green tea. Free time for discovering Moon Garden Homestay and Ky Son village by yourself.
11:00 Cooking class

Afternoon
12:30 Lunch
13:30 Hand Spa- Enjoy having your fingers dipped in a fragrant lime bowl and the traditional herbal hand massage. Then, free time for relaxing or further conversation with the host family about local snacks, sharing cultures, and learning about traditional customs.
15:00 You can choose a short ride of 6 km or a long ride of 12 km round trip:

Short ride: Take a bicycle ride to discover the Ky Son, Tam Son, Van Minh, and Cham farming communities, visiting some local families for a cup of tea and chatting with local people about their daily life and farming. Or walking in the village, (if required) you can help with plowing or transplanting seedlings, harvesting rice (or cassava, corn, sweet potatoes, cucumber…) depending on the harvest season..
Long ride: Take a bicycle ride with local guide to discover the Ky Son, Tam Son, Van Minh, and Cham farming communities, Duong Lam ancient village and visit Mia Pagoda, Mong Phu Communal House… On the way back, you can ride along the ritual paths of Thang thac village to discover the Ngo Quyen tomb and temple.

Evening
18:00 Return to the Moon Garden for relaxing. You will be offered some local tisane or taste some of the local products such as traditional dessert, maize, sweet potato, cassava, peanuts, etc, depending on the season.
18:30 Traditional, refreshing steam bath with fragrant herbs (Lemon grass, pomelo leaves, holy basil leaves).
19:30 Dinner. Then, enjoy your foot bath with ginger, salt and mugwort medicinal herbs soaking in warm water before bedtime, which will deepen your sleep.

This morning, we join in with some traditional exercises to work up an appetite before breakfast. We then hop back on our bikes to visit other local villages before returning to Ky Son village for lunch. This afternoon spend some time relaxing in the village before departing for Hanoi for relax.

Around 5:30 pm, we will be picked up at hotel in Hanoi and transfer to Chua Thay (Thay Pagoda) to enjoy the Quintessence of Tonkin Show is one of the most interesting show in Hanoi at this stage. The Show lasts from 7.30 PM to 8.30 PM and draws inspiration from the spiritual history of the nearby Thay Pagoda telling the story of the pagoda’s founding by venerable monk Tu Dao Hanh, and explains the ancient union between religion and the monarchy. Years in the making and with hundreds of performers, an interactive stage, state-of-the-art technology, and a stunning setting, this live spectacle is an unmissable highlight of any trip to Hanoi. Buffet dinner is included before the show.

At around 8.30 – 8.45 am, we pick you up at the hotel in Hanoi to go to Tuan Chau Harbor. On arrival at around noon, we will transfer to the main boat by tender and warmly welcome to Calypso Cruise! While we enjoy a welcome drink, our crew team will deliver a cruise briefing and safety introduction. After that, you will check – in your cabin. Then lunch will be served onboard while the cruise takes you from Ha Long Bay to Lan Ha Bay – an extension of Ha Long Wonder which is much quieter and has fewer tourists.

In the afternoon, we will explore hidden parts of the bay, the area of Dark and Bright Cave. It’s the famous cave for the pristine natural beauty and poetic, attractive seascape of Lan Ha Bay. You can share a sampan with other tourists with a local rower OR take a kayak on your own. After that, we will come back to Calypso Cruises for changing swimming suits then join swimming time in the sea or at the swimming pool on sundeck.

In the late of afternoon, we will take part in a cooking demonstration and food décor with our Chef. After that, we will enjoy dinner at Calypso Cruises restaurant, a special memorable dining experience in an intimate and romantic setting. The rest of day will be for relaxation after a day on sundeck, you can leisure in room for watching films, sing karaoke in restaurant, enjoy evening views of the bay or try your luck with squid fishing.

In the early morning, we greet the new day on the sundeck with a Tai Chi session and enjoy the fresh air on the bay while you unwind with a cup of tea or coffee. Following, we will have a quick breakfast on board and get your day going with plenty of energy before going to discover Trung Trang Cave – one iconic and historic cave on Cat Ba Island. Over millions of years of geological tectonics, this cave possesses thousands of natural stalactites shaped to create a unique, imagination for visitors. It is known locally as “gold treasure” with many unique things.

After that, we get back to the main boat for relaxing and check out at the reception, please put all your luggage outside of your cabin, crew members will help to bring the luggage on land. Then an early lunch will be served in the restaurant while the boat heads back to the harbor. At around 11.30 am, we disembark from the cruise as our crew says farewell, back to Tuan Chau Marina by our speed boat. Then we get in the car to go back to Hanoi.

After breakfast, we will be free until your driver arrives to take you to Noi Bai Airport for your departure flight. Tour ends. Thanks for traveling with Vietnam local tour operator!