General Information
Tour Route: Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Sapa – Halong Bay – Hoi An – Nha Trang – Mekong Delta – Ho Chi Minh City
Duration: 15 Days/ 14 Nights
Date: No fixed departure dates. You may go whenever you wish
Starts/ Ends: Hanoi/ Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Tour Customizable: Absolutely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)
Tour Highlights
- Discover the ancient capital of Hoa Lu and take a sampan ride through the stunning Tam Coc caves.
- Visit the Bat Trang Pottery Village, and enjoy a water puppet show.
- Trek through picturesque Sapa and embrace the stunning scenery.
- Explore Hoi An’s historic streets and join a cooking class to learn Vietnamese culinary secrets.
- Visit Cai Be Floating Market, and experience local life along the Mekong Delta.
Brief Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival – Walking Tour Around Old Quarter (D)
Day 2: Ninh Binh – Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Hang Mua (B, L)
Day 3: Hanoi City Tour – Bat Trang Pottery Village – Night Train to Lao Cai, Sapa (B, L, D)
Day 4: Sapa – Sin Chai – Cat Cat – Y Linh Ho – Sapa (B, L)
Day 5: Sapa – Lao Chai – Tavan – Giang Ta Chai – Sapa (B, L)
Day 6: Sapa – Fansipan Peak – Transfer back to Hanoi by Limousine Bus (B)
Day 7: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Overnight in cruise (B, L, D)
Day 8: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Fly to Danang – Hoi An (B, Light B)
Day 9: Hoi An Cooking Class Group Tour & Walking Private Tour (B, L)
Day 10: Hoi An Farming & Fishing Group Tour & Lantern Making (B, L)
Day 11: Hoi An – My Son Sanctuary – Fly to Nha Trang – Cyclo & Street Food Tour (B)
Day 12: Nha Trang – Snorkeling Tour in Tam Island – Mud Bath (B, L)
Day 13: Nha Trang – Fly to Ho Chi Minh City – ½ City Tour (B)
Day 14: Mekong Delta Tour (B, L)
Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City Departure (B)
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival – Walking Tour Around Old Quarter (D)
On your arrival, our guide and car will wait you in the arrival lobby before we transfer to hotel for check-in. After a short rest, we will start walking around the Old Quarter along different streets, try to taste many kinds of local food such as beef/chicken noodle soup, oil-fried pastry, tofu, rice pancake, pillow cake, sweet soup, stuff pancake with pork, draught beer… and one of our best surprised is a stop at Dong Xuan whole sales market where we know many kinds of ingredients being sold.
Last but not least is our happy ending at a hidden coffee in the Old Quarters enjoy its famous ‘egg coffee’ in a pleasant surrounding overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake. Fortunately, as it’s Friday so there’s night market and walking street around Hoan Kiem Lake. It would be a great chance to immerse in the local life of the local at weekend here. After the tour, we return back to hotel in old quarter Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: Dinner with Street Foods
Day 2: Ninh Binh – Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Hang Mua (B, L)
Pick up at your hotel at 8 AM, we will drive Southward of Hanoi to Ninh Binh province. On arrival, we will visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital dated back from 10th and 11th centuries. The area is one of rice fields broken by picturesque limestone mountains. It features several dozen monuments, including King Dinh and King Le Temple & Tombs….We then stop at a local restaurant for lunch.
After lunch, we take sampan along the Ngo Dong River to visit three caves Hang Ca, Hang Hai and Hang Ba (Tam Coc) in the Ngo Dong River and Hang Mua. Dancing Cave is where you can get the impressive panoramic view of Tam Coc and NinhBinh city when you reach the top point of Ngoa Long mountain (about 500 stone steps). Our pleasant boat rowing starts from the embroidery village of Van Lam then proceed through a scenic landscape dominated by rice fields and karst limestone to three natural caves, of which, the largest is 125m long with its ceiling about 2m high above the water. The boats are typically rowed by one or two local women who also sell embroidered goods. In the afternoon, we will be driven back to Hanoi for overnight accommodation.
Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3: Hanoi City Tour – Bat Trang Pottery Village – Night Train to Lao Cai, Sapa (B, L, D)
Today, our tour will start at 8:30 am by a cup of egg coffee at Lam/Giang Coffee House. Coffee is one of the famous drink in Hanoi every morning. After that, we will take a 15-Km drive to the outskirt of Hanoi in the East to visit Bat Trang Ceramic Village, which is located on the left bank of Hong River. This ceramic village was dated back from 15th century and soon became one of the most famous ceramic and pottery villages in the North of Vietnam. On arrival at the village, we will visit Bat Trang Communal House, which was built under Le Du Tong King’s period, from 1719 to 1720. We then visit the ancient house and ceramic workshops of artist Tran Van Do, To Thanh Son and Vu Duc Thang. If you wish, you can try your hands in making your own ceramic products, something for the beginners such as cup, bowl or flower vases. We finish our trip with a visit to the French ancient building since 1920s.
Return back to central of Hanoi for lunch in Koto Restaurant, then we visit the Temple of Literature, which originally built as a temple to Confucius. After that, 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 and One Pillar Pagoda. 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. The tour will be ended-up with a dinner with Vietnamese Bread before moving to train station for night train to Lao Cai – Sapa.
*This day, we will rent a hotel in around 2 – 3 hours for you and your family to take a shower and arrange luggage before overnight train.
*Kindly note this day, we will start around 9:30am and embark the train at 9:30pm so please prepare your health for long day.
*My advice for today is to separate your luggage into 2 parts. Part of you will leave the hotel because we will return to the hotel on the 5th. The rest, we will take away with enough supplies for 3 days in Sapa.
*A typical cabin of a ship is 4 beds. That’s the one we’re using but if you want to upgrade to a 2-bed one-cabin type, please make a note so I can provide surcharge information for it.
Overnight on train
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with Vietnamese Bread
Day 4: Sapa – Sin Chai – Cat Cat – Y Linh Ho – Sapa (B, L)
After arrival, our guide will pick you up at Lao Cai Station and we will transfer to Sapa in around 1-hour. When you arrive Sapa, we will eat breakfast in here before starting our trip to Sin Chai village. This is a beautiful village, located right at the foot of Hoang Lien mountain range and inhabited by Black Hmong minority. There we start our trekking journey uphill. Once we reach to the top, you will take a small trail descending to Cat Cat village. Your lunch will be provided near a waterfall.
In the afternoon, we will take another trail sneaking through mountain. The scenery is also spectacular. Take a short break upon arriving Y Linh Ho village before climbing up to the main road where our vehicle will be waiting for us for the journey back to Sapa.
Overnight in Sapa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 5: Sapa – Lao Chai – Tavan – Giang Ta Chai – Sapa (B, L)
The day is devoted to a beautiful hike through the breathtaking scenery of Sapa Valley. Start by road that descends in the wake of the street Cau May (6 km) En route, admire the rice terraces hidden behind mist of the morning, a truly awe-inspiring sight.
Follow a small track and cross Muong Hoa River and pass well tended rice terraces on your way to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai. Continuing through the colorful rice terraces you will reach the village of Ta Van Giay. As you continue your trek along the Muong Hoa River you will cross a small suspension bridge, roughly 2km from the settlement. Here you can discover a fascinating collection of rock carvings. These engravings depict some beautiful images of man, stilt houses and some beautiful decorative patterns. We lunch in a home in the village. After lunch, the walk continues through a bamboo forest to Giang Ta Chai, a Red Dao ethnic minority village. After taking a rest nearby a waterfall to refresh, you start climbing uphill to a road where the car is ready for your journey back to Sapa.
Overnight in Sapa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6: Sapa – Fansipan Peak – Transfer back to Hanoi by Limousine Bus (B, L)
After breakfast at the hotel, we take a short drive to Fansipan Legend where we start the cable car ride to Fansipan Summit – the ‘Roof of Indochina’ with 3,143-meter height. Normally, it takes at least two or three days to reach the Peak of Fansipan Mountain on foot. However, with the newly three-rope cable car system we can see the peak and spectacular surrounding from the peak within half a day. The cable car ride will take around 20 minutes then we challenge ourselves with the rest 636 high steps to reach to the top. After visiting Fansipan Peak, we will be back to the town centre and have lunch. After lunch, we will be free until our limousine car pick you up at 3pm and transfer back to Hanoi in 6 hours.
Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 7: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Overnight in cruise (B, L, D)
12:00 – 12:15 Arrival in Tuan Chau Island and check-in at Paradise Suites Hotel. Transfer to Paradise Elegance cruise by Electric cart.
12:30 – 13:00 You will be given a short briefing about your cruise itinerary and safety regulations while sipping your welcome drink aboard the Paradise Elegance.
13:00 – 14:30 Time to enjoy your lunch at Le Marin Restaurant while Paradise Elegance passes by beautiful islets of Halong Bay.
14:30 – 15:30 Visit Tung Sau pearl farm. You will have the chance to explore the process of pearl cultivation or experience kayaking*.
15:45 – 16:45 Visit Titop island – the island is named after the Russian cosmonaut Gherman Stepanovich Titov. You can either choose to hike the mountain to get an overview of Halong Bay or swim at the beach on the island.
17:15 – 19:00 At sunset, Paradise Elegance will anchor overnight. It is the perfect time to enjoy Happy Hour (buy 1 get 1 free) and a cooking class on the notable Vietnamese dish while being serenaded by a live music performance by Philippines band** at L’Odyssée Sundeck or Piano Lounge.
19:00 – 22:00 Savor your Western set Dinner, which is prepared by our talented chef, at Le Marin Restaurant.
20:30 – 23:00 After dinner, indulge in drinks* at Piano Lounge, join the squid fishing at the back of the boat or enjoy fantastic movies in your cabin.
Overnight on board
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Fly to Danang – Hoi An (B, Light B)
06:30 Boost the energy for the new day with a Tai Chi session at L’Odyssée Sundeck.
07:00 Enjoy a light breakfast with some freshly baked pastries, coffee, and tea at Le Marin Restaurant.
07:45 – 08:45 Visit Sung Sot cave – The most beautiful and largest cave in Halong Bay. Let your imagination run wide with stalactites and stalagmites at various shapes and sizes. At the end of the way out, you can have an amazing panoramic view from the viewpoint.
08:50 – 09:50 Breakfast will be served at Le Marin Restaurant while the cruise passes by Thien Cung and Dau Go Cave and the Fighting Cock Islet.
09:40 – 10:15 After breakfast, you may settle your bills and return the room keys at the reception area. Then you may enjoy your remaining moments at Piano Lounge or on the sundeck looking at the astonishing view of Halong Bay.
10:15 – 10:30 Paradise Elegance returns to Tuan Chau Marina. You will disembark and finish your journey here.
Notes:
*Due to cruising conditions, itineraries may change without prior notice. Wi-Fi is available in the restaurant/bar area, but internet connectivity is limited due to the geography of the bay. Thank you for your understanding.
*Additional charges
**Live music is performed for 45 minutes each slot and is not available on Mondays
*The cruise services is not included kayak
After return back to Hanoi with shuttle bus/D-car of the cruise ship, our guide and car will wait for you at hotel and we then transfer to airport for fly to Danang. On arrival in Danang, our guide and car will wait in Danang International airport to transfer you to Hoi An Ancient Town for accommodation.
Overnight in Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast, Light Breakfast
Day 9: Hoi An Walking Tour & Cooking Class (B, L)
Hoi An Ancient town has been recognized as the World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO since 1999 thanks to its value. This place is complex of the acculturation. The architecture of the town reflects the influence of Chinese, Japanese, Potuguese, French and British traders. It used to be a trading port in 17th & 18th centuries where the trading cruise ships from Japan, China & the west met and exchanged goods. Hoi An nowaday is one the most attractive places in Vietnam and with a half day walking around, visitors will immediately feel the hospitality and friendship the locals extend to them. And they can see that what is so special about Hoi An is that this little port town is in an incredible state of preservation…Welcome to Hoi An!
This morning, we start the cooking class tour by a welcome drink at Hai Café. Then, we visit Hoi An’s colourful 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.
- Making fresh Rice paper
- Fresh Rice Paper Rolls of Shrimp
- Crispy Hoi An Pancakes with Shrimp, Herbs & a Peanut Sauce
- Seafood Salad with Tra Que Herbs
- Mi Quang Chicken Noodles
- Food Decoration – Tomato Rose & Vietnamese Cucumber Hand Fan
* Lunch includes the above meals as well as:
- BBQ Lemongrass Beef (not included in the demonstration)
*This is group tour
After returning from the cooking class, you will be free until 3:30pm, our guide will pick you up at hotel and we start to visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Pottery Museum, Tan Ky’s old house, the Cantonese congregation, the silk street of Hoi An, and the temples, and pagodas of Chinese appearance. Then we are back to our hotel and spend the rest of the day relaxing.
Overnight in Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 10: Hoi An Farming & Fishing Group Tour & Lantern Making (B, L)
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 first hand. 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 to the village to make lanterns in here. After 1 – 1,5 hour learning and practicing we are back to the town and spend the rest of day to relax.
Overnight in Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 11: Hoi An – My Son Sanctuary – Fly to Nha Trang – Cyclo & Street Food Tour (B)
We are picked up at the hotel at 8:30 am by a local tour guide and driver then depart for 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. Then, we transfer back to Danang airport for a short flight to Nha Trang. On arrival, we will be met and driven to our hotel, which is overlooking the Bay.
After that, we start the Cyclo & Street Food Tour. If you wish to see Nha Trang and eat as a local , join our unique tour. This tour offers you a chance to see Nha from corners and moments no other tourists can. Hotel pick up then start the tour with a photo shot at Beach square then ride around the city on a front seat of a cyclo ( what a surprise ! your driver occupy the back seat ! ) See Nha Trang cathedral, Ponagar temple and many others at the twilight moment of Nha Trang sunset. Eat local best street food including:
– “ banh can”: grilled round rice cake or “ bánh xèo” pan cake with shrimp and pork – “ nem nuong”: Fresh spring roll ( Nha Trang style )
– Grilled sea shells
– BBQ beef at famous Lac canh restaurant…
The tour ends with a sip local coffee or fruit juice on the sidewalk and the the world and time passing by. Then back to the hotel. Be happy and full!
Inclusion: Cyclo + rider, meals with drink and beer, tour guide, gift, mineral water + wet tissue, souvenir picture.
Overnight in Nha Trang
Meals: Breakfast
Day 12: Nha Trang – Snorkeling Tour in Tam Island – Mud Bath (B, L)
After breakfast at hotel, we will be picked up and transferred to the harbor. We first visit Vietnam Oceanographic Institute and see hundreds of special sea creatures. Get on our boat and have a short stop at Tri Nguyen Aquarium (outside photo shot only). Continue to Tam Island, we will have free time for snorkeling and enjoy local basket boat to explore the life of fisher-men at Mieu fishing village. We then come to a Bamboo Resort (or similar) for a special seafood lunch. Then we go to the resort hot spa which is an ideal place for health recovery. Indulge yourself by soaking in the warm spring water and mineral mud and then you surely feel so… fresh as a daisy
Time: 1 full day (6 – 8 hours).
Overnight in Nha Trang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 13: Nha Trang – Fly to Ho Chi Minh City – ½ City Tour (B)
This morning, we transfer to airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, welcome up on arrival by local tour guide and driver then we transfer to hotel. After check-in, we visit all the highlights in Ho Chi Minh city such as the Reunification Palace, a palace of old President in South of Vietnam during the American war; Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office, the two sites that we can’t ignore when we visit the city. We then head to the center to do shopping at famous Ben Thanh market, this bustling and well-organized market is very popular with tourists, primarily due to its central location. It has a wide selection of goods ranging from fake Nike shoes to beautiful silk Ao Dai. Our free evening activities should be: walking around at the night market in Ben Thanh market area; explore the highest building in Ho Chi Minh City, Bitexco….
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: Breakfast
Day 14: Mekong Delta Tour (B, L)
We pick you up at the hotel after breakfast and transfer you to Cai Be. The program will start with a quick visit to Cai Be Floating Market. After that, we’ll come 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 visiting 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 back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City Departure (B)
Time will be free until our car arrives at the hotel to take us to the airport in good time to board our flight. Trip ends. Thanks for choosing Vietnam family holidays with Vietnam Local Tour Company!
