This trip is designed for the first time visitor to Vietnam to discover the very best of Vietnam in comfort and style. Discover the charming city of Ha Noi on a cyclo tour around the fascinating Old Quarter and enjoy the water puppet show. Take a sampan ride through a karst landscape to visit Tam Coc “Halong bay on land”. Relax amongst the 3000 stunning limestone islets onboard a luxurious traditional cruise boat in Halong Bay. Fly to Hue, the former Imperial capital to visit the Royal Citadel and the Forbidden Citadel; cruise along the Perfume River to discover the royal tombs and enjoy a royal meal. Take a step back in time as you walk through the narrow streets of Hoi An, wander among historic homes and temples and enjoy one of Vietnam’s best cooking classes. Fly to the hectic city of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Crawl through the fighting tunnels at Cu Chi and take time to absorb the river lifestyle of the Mekong Delta, visiting 2 famous floating markets.

Brief Itinerary

Day 01: Ha Noi Arrival

Day 02: Ha Noi City.

Day 03: Ha Noi - Hoa Lu (Tam Coc) – Ninh Binh – Hanoi

Day 04: Ha Noi - Ha Long Bay.

Day 05: Halong Bay – Hue (by air).

Day 06: Hue.

Day 07: Hue - Danang - Hoi An ancient town.

Day 08: Hoi An - Cooking Class.

Day 09: Hoi An - Da Nang - Ho Chi Minh City (by air).

Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City- Cu Chi Tunnels.

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City – Cai Be floating market - Can Tho.

Day 12: Can Tho - Cai Rang floating market - Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City Departure.

Trip Grade:
Moderate - Suitable for travellers with an average level of fitness and mobility. However, some walking and hiking is required.
 

Weather:
Undoubtedly, weather is one of the determining factors for your traveling decisions. If you are heading to Vietnam, then, take it easy to make up your mind. Vietnam’s climate is not just steamy hot as what you are frequently exposed to on movies. All year round here, there is always a perfect place where it is pleasant to stay. Basically, the whole country falls into the tropic and subtropics but its stretching length and diverse topography allow it to span several different climate zones. The weather thus, tends to vary considerably from season to season and also from region to region.

Northern Part
The North of Vietnam is generally cooler than other South East Asian regions in the same longitude. It experiences two main distinct seasons. In winter months, the weather gets colder and colder fromNovember to March and considerably warmer in April (a leap into summer). This is also time to observe much cloud and frequent drizzle. The average winter temperature is 17.2°C (62.9°F). Particularly, the mountainous areas (Northwest) are often much colder, temperature may keep below 10°C (50°F) for long period. Ice and snow even cover Hoang Lien Son Mountains and nearby Sapa town for some times with the lowest record of -3°C (26.6°F) in Feb 2008.

In the summer (from May to October), the whole region is quite hot. Temperature may rise to 37°C (98.6 °F) in the peaks of June and July. Hanoi and coastal provinces around the Red River Delta generally enjoy equitable weather with high average humidity (80%) all year round though they may occasionally be subjected to typhoons and heavy rain in late summers (September to November). Vietnamese people even identify four seasons in the Northern provinces (from Hai Van Pass toward the north) with their distinct features: pleasant spring (typically March-April) and autumn (October-December), a chilly winter (December- February) and a hot summer (June – July).

Central Part
The Central Vietnam with two sub-regions, coastal lowlands and central highlands, can be seen as an in-between climatic area of the North and the South. The coastal strip is usually dry and hotter than the rest in the summer, as the Truong Son Mountains do not allow it to enjoy most rainfall of south-western monsoon (from April to October). Unprotected coasts in their turn, however, make it wet and colder than the rest in winter-monsoon season (from November to March). Also, storms and typhoons strike this area more frequently than the northern coasts in summer months (from July to November). The Central Highlands in particular enjoys nearly double the average rainfall of the country. Two biggest towns in this plateau, Dalat and Pleiku, are ideally cool throughout the year. Near-the-south coastal cities, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang and Phan Thiet, on the contrary, experiences steamy hot weather (21°C-32°C / 70°F-90°F) all year round.


Southern Part
The South of Vietnam, merely 8 degrees north of the Equator, is typical of humid tropical climate which is excellent for growing rice. The region’s temperatures experience little variations in a year (around 27-32°C/80-90°F). There are two main seasons: the rainy and the dry. During the rainy/monsoon season (from May to November), downpours are expected to happen nearly every afternoon, resulting in occasional street flooding in and around Saigon. In the dry season, it is hot from late February to April then slightly cooler when first downpours come. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) enjoys rather equitable tropical climate with high humidity all year round. December to March is said to be the most pleasant time to hit this region’s center.

Note: In all, Vietnam climate is so diverse that there is almost no definition of an average temperature for the whole country. Thanks to these regional variations in weather, generally, you can drop in Vietnam at any time of year. Commonly, based on the duration of your stay, you should plan to catch the good weather and places by either dropping in Saigon in February or March then following the coast to north or hitting Hanoi in October-November then tracing southward.

Day 01: Arriving Hanoi
You are welcomed by your local English guide and driver at Noi Bai international airport and transferred to your hotel for check in. Ha Noi, Vietnam's capital, originally named Thang Long or “City of the Ascending Dragon,” was the first the capital of Vietnam in A.D. 1010. The city’s quiet air gives it a gracious, almost regal flavor. Ha Noi is dotted with dozens of lakes around which you can usually find a cafe, a pagoda or two, shaded boulevards and attractive French style buildings.

Overnight at your hotel in Hanoi

Day 02: Ha Noi City Excursion
After breakfast at the hotel you'll set out on a full-day city tour starting with the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Closed on Monday and Friday mornings and the whole of September and October for annual repairs). You visit the One Pillar Pagoda, founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049. This structure has become an important symbol for the people of Ha Noi. Your next stop will be the Temple of Literature - Vietnam’s first university. Constructed in 1070. The temple is dedicated to one of the world’s most famous scholars, Confucius. Inside the temple grounds huge stone stele rest on the backs of even larger stone turtles (in Vietnamese culture the turtle represents longevity). 

Your lunch is recommendable (cost for lunch has not include) at Cha Ca street where we try “Cha Ca La Vong”, a favorite dish of the locals and listed in ‘1000 places to visit before you die’; we continue with a visit to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. The museum has successfully recreated the daily life together with the religious rituals and the symbolic festivals of each ethnic group in Vietnam. Visitors have the opportunity to admire costumes, embroidery as well as outside stilt houses and habitats from the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. We will take a short walk to visit the oldest bridge of Ha Noi, the “Long Bien Bridge” to take photos and see the local life of the Ha Noi people before enjoying a cyclo ride through Ha Noi’s Old Quarter, also known as “36 streets.” This bustling area of narrow streets and alleys is home to thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. It’s a great place to explore with plenty of photo opportunities all around you. We will travel around the famous Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) in the heart of Ha Noi.

You start your evening with a traditional water puppet performance (Roi Nuoc). The stage is actually a large container of water where the characters (carved wooden puppets} “act” out the story. Most of the stories are whimsical and fun, and the puppeteers stand in waist deep water behind a screen controlling the puppets with rods that are mostly under the water. Free time to explore the vibrant Ha Noi nightlife.

 Your dinner is recommendable (cost for dinner has not included) at the Wild Lotus Restaurant.

Overnight at your hotel in Ha Noi.
Breakfast inclided

Day 03: Ha Noi - Hoa Lu (Tam Coc) – Ninh Binh – Hanoi
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transfer to Ninh Binh (95 km) to visit Tam Coc, also known as ‘Halong Bay on the rice fields’, as it features the same limestone rocks as in Halong Bay but seen from a winding stream through paddy fields instead of the sea. On arrival, we take a sampan ride through a karst landscape to visit Tam Coc Grottos. The sampan rower will drive the boat through shallow rice paddies and three splendid long grottos. From here we will visit a small temple, built in 13th century.

Next stop is Hoa Lu, which was the capital of the Dinh and early Le dynasties in Vietnam in the 10th and 11th century. The sanctuaries were built in the 17th century. We will see the stone pedestal of a royal throne, bronze bells and statues of the Emperors. We recommend your delicious lunch at a local restaurant (cost for lunch has not include) and then we drive back to Ha Noi. Free time at your leisure.

Overnight at your hotel in Ha Noi.
Breakfast included

Day 04: Ha Noi - Ha Long Bay
After breakfast at the hotel you depart for Ha Long City (170 km), approximately three hours away to visit Halong Bay (a World Natural Heritage site and a New World’s Wonder). Halong Bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes with 1969 islets. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves, other support floating villages of fishermen. You also have chance to see the scenic Vietnamese countryside dominated by enormous lush rice fields.

On your arrival in Halong City you check in between 11:30 - 12:00 at the boat port where you enjoy a refreshing welcome cocktail on the sun deck. Enjoy your lunch as the vessel sails to Halong Bay passing the Fighting Cocks Islet, the Elephant Leg Islet, the Castle Islet and Soi Sim Island. On arrival at Surprise Grotto - one of the most famous grottos in the entire Halong complex, you will visit one of the caves on a small tender. After taking a lot of photos and admiring the beauty of the cave we will visit a fishing village by local rowing boat (1 hour) with the opportunity to interact with fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. Later you return to the boat where you can have some free time. You can swim in the clear emerald waters, soak up the sun over a cool beer on the top deck sun lounge or try your hand at some kayaking (at an additional cost) amongst the huge limestone outcrops that surround us. We retire to the junk and relax on the top deck and enjoy a refreshing drink from the bar. 

You will enjoy a Vietnamese cooking demonstration on the sundeck after which your delicious seafood dinner will be served at the restaurant. Stay overnight onboard for a more memorable experience.

Overnight onboard in the junk
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included

Note: The itinerary above may be changed depending on the cruise we choose and may be weather permitting.

Day 05: Halong Bay - Fly to Hue
Greet the day with morning Tai Chi exercises and an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay. Sitting on the upper deck we enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the rocky islands rising from the crystal-clear water of the bay. We can hear the birds singing, cicadas chirping ashore and the gentle lapping of the waves against our boat, the perfect soundtrack to accompany the fresh air and gentle breeze.

International brunch buffet served in the restaurant. Check out on board and disembark at the boat port, back in Halong city.

Your tour guide will pick you up and transfer to Noi Bai airport to take a short domestic flight to Hue City (1 hour). On arrival, you are welcomed and transferred to the hotel for check in. Free time at your leisure.

Overnight in Hue at hotel
Breakfast and lunch included

Day 06: Hue Imperial
After a hotel breakfast, you'll take a boat trip along the romantic Perfume River, carrying us through a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes, where Hue’s best-known religious sites are located. We will visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the oldest ancient architectural structures for religious worship in Hue. We include this in a half-day cruise on the Perfume River, which also gives us a taste of the scenic countryside and an enjoyable visit to the Mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang in a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes. This impressive landmark reflects the beautiful architecture, intricate decor and mysterious statues. Afterwards we take a short drive though the rolling hills to see the elaborate Royal Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc - One of the most beautifully designed complexes among the tombs of the Nguyen dynasty. Embedded in a lush pine forest, this tomb is the final resting place of Emperor Tu Duc (1848-83) who had the longest reign of all the emperors of the Nguyen dynasty. We recommend lunch (cost not included) at the Tropical Restaurant.

Continuing overland we visit the former Imperial Citadel, a World Cultural Heritage site located in the centre of the Citadel where we visit he ancient high offices of Vietnam's feudalism period, the inner sanctums honouring the cult of the decreased Emperors. The Royal Citadel consists of more than 100 beautifully constructions divided into many sectors. We will visit the Flag Tower, the Ngo Mon Gate, the Nine Dynastic Urns, the Nine Holy Cannons, the Thai Hoa Palace, and the Forbidden Purple City. The rest of afternoon is free for you to explore on your own.

Tonight you will have a chance to enjoy a “Royal Dinner“. Enjoy lots of great food while listening to melodic music and feeling like you are the King and Queen. Everyone wears traditional royal clothes and all the food is ‘Royal’ including dishes served with intricately carved vegetables in the shape of dragons, phoenix, or peacock.

Overnight in Hue at hotel
Breakfast and dinner

Day 07: Hue - Danang - Hoi An Ancient Town
After breakfast at your hotel, then you'll  transfer to An Bang, “The City of the Dead”. Around 20km from the popular beach Thuan An, you can find An Bang Cemetery that will amaze anyone visiting this region for the first time. An Bang cemetery is home to thousands of incredible graves of innumerable designs covering an area of over 10 hectares. It is a place that has to be seen to be believed. Such is the variety in styles no one can say what school of architecture these graves come from. One grave, for example, looks like a castle from Arabian Nights, while others would remind you of the royal tombs in Hue. 

You continue your  trip to Da Nang (110 km) via Lang Co Beach and the Hai Van Pass; you’ll have a brief look at the remarkable Hindu statues in the Cham museum, one of the largest collections of Cham sculptures and artwork in the world. The museum is officially known as the Museum of Champa Sculpture. We continue to visit a nearby stone-cutting craft village before leaving for Hoi An ancient town (35km) - an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Hoi An has 1,068 ancient houses, 19 pagodas, 43 temples, 23 communal houses, 38 family temples, 5 assembly halls, 11 old wells, one bridge and 44 ancient tombs. In the old quarter, there are more than 1000 relic sites. We recommend dinner (cost not included) at the Nam Long Restaurant after which you can explore Hoi An at night at your leisure.

Overnight in Hoi An at hotel
Breakfast included 

Day 08: Hoi An Ancient Town - Cooking Class
After breakfast at your hotel will enjoy a walking tour around the historic town soaking up the atmosphere, exploring the many Chinese assembly halls and fascinating ancestral homes, some of which have been occupied by the same family for fifteen generations. One of the most spectacular Assembly Halls is the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, built in 1690. The pagoda inside contains intricate statues and artwork, in part dedicated to Thien Hau Than Mau, the Goddess of the Sea and protector of fishermen. Next is a walking tour of the ancient town center taking us to the sites of former merchants’ homes, the 400-year old Japanese Covered bridge - The symbol of Hoian. The Japanese Covered bridge was the first bridge in Hoi An and was constructed in 1593. It was built by the Japanese community of Hoi An to link them with the Chinese quarters across the stream. 

The town is also famous for its shops in particular it’s large number of tailors. If you wanted, you could have a whole new wardrobe made for you here. You can enjoy browsing and shopping in one of the most colorful local marketplaces in all of Southeast Asia. Free your time to relax or discover the hidden charm of Hoi An town.

Overnight in Hoi An at hotel
Breakfast included

Day 09: Hoi An - Da Nang - Fly to Ho Chi Minh City
After breakfast at your hotel you have a free morning in Hoi An to discover its hidden charms on your owned.

Your guide and driver will pick you up and transfer you to Da Nang airport for a short domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh City (1 hour). You are welcomed by your guide and driver at Tan Son Nhat airport and then transferred to the center of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon.

Tonight you enjoy a special dinner on a Bon Sai Cruise, cruising along Saigon river, you can enjoy your food while listening to traditional folk music, singing and dancing. You will have time to relax and catch the views of the city, and the people working at the port of Saigon. Along both sides of the river you will see mansions and take in the lifestyle of the locals. Later you have free time to explore the nightlife of Ho Chi Minh City.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City at hotel
Breakfast and dinner included

Day 10: Ho Chi Minh - Cu Chi Tunnels
After breakfast at your hotel you'll drive to the Cu Chi district, some 50 km to the northwest of Ho Chi Minh City. The incredible underground network in Cu Chi stretched over 200 kilometers and became legendary during the American war. The extensive tunnels have been specially constructed with living areas, storage facilities, weapon factories, field hospitals, command centres, plus accommodation. On arrival at the Cu Chi tunnels, we watch a short introductory video showing how they were constructed, then spend the next hour exploring the maze of tunnels; you will even have a chance to crawl through the tunnels. Also on display are various mantraps, the remains of an American tank and numerous bomb craters made by 500-pound bombs dropped by B52 bombers. Your lunch is recommendable (cost for not include) at Indochina Restaurant.

What follows is a tour of many of the major sights in Ho Chi Minh City. The first stop is Notre Dame catholic cathedral and a short visit to the nearby French-built Post Office and then we will visit the War Remnants Museum, which primarily contains exhibits relating to the American phase of the Vietnam War. We continue with a visit to the Reunification Palace. You will also discover the history and fascinating street life of Ho Chi Minh City on a walking tour along Dong Khoi Street, known as Rue Catinat in French-colonial times. Later you have some free time to explore Ho the Chi Minh City nightlife.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
Breakfast included

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh - Cai Be Floating Market - Can Tho
After breakfast at the hotel you’ll take a scenic early morning drive to Vinh Long (140 km), stopping for photos at Tan An town over the flat rice fields. The program will start with a visit to the colourful Cai Be floating market, cruising among local barges full of fruits and vegetables. Then, an optional stop can be made at local workshops where you can see how to make rice paper, coconut candy and popcorn. It is very interesting to visit the handicraft village where you can see how they make various products: making rice paper for spring-rolls, fish sauce and soya sauce, cooking salt, and sewing coconut leaves for house roofing.

A rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside on the smaller canals where you will enjoy the pure tranquility. It’s very interesting to see traditional houses made of wood and palm tree leaves and see some activities of the local farmers with an opportunity to make contact with them and see how they catch fish or harvest fruit using methods handed down over generations. A Mekong Delta lunch will be served (cost not included) under the shade of local orchards on An Binh Island including the famous dish “Fried Mekong Elephant Ear Fish”. After lunch, we can walk around and enjoy all kinds of freshly picked fruit while listening to the traditional music.

Additionally you can do some cycling; it’s very peaceful to cycle along the village paths to see the local farms, houses, real life and the traditional farming and harvesting methods. Meet the driver in Vinh Long and transfer to Can Tho. Check into hotel on arrival in Can Tho. Your dinner is  recommendable (cost not included) at Sao Hom Restaurant after which you have free time at your leisure.

Overnight in Can Tho at hotel
Breakfast included

Day 12: Can Tho - Cai Rang floating market - Ho Chi Minh City
After an early breakfast call at the hotel you start walking to Ninh Kieu Pier to board a sampan to Cai Rang floating market, one of the most interesting sights on the delta. Every boat has a long upright pole at its bow on which samples of the goods for sale are hung. During the early morning market hours, larger sized boats anchor and create lanes that smaller boats weave in and out of. The waterway becomes a maze of hundreds of boats packed with mango, bananas, papaya, pineapple, and even smuggled goods like cigarettes. Each boat is loaded with plenty of seasonal goods. Activities at the market are also an occasion for tourists to study the cultural aspects of the Southern Vietnamese. Stop at a Bun Tau noodle factory and take a short trek before arriving at a rice-husking mill. You can even try crossing one of the many fragile monkey bridges along the canals - a good photo opportunity. !

Enjoy your lunch at a local restaurant (cost not included) and later will drive back to Ho Chi Minh City where you have free time.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City at hotel
Breakfast included

Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City Departure
After breakfast at the hotel you have free your time to discover more of Ho Chi Minh City streets or do some souvenir shopping at Ben Thanh market, the symbol of Ho Chi Minh City until you are transferred to Tan Son Nhat airport for your departure flight.

Breakfast included

* Please note that checkout time is 12:00 noon.
End of Service with your smart travel to explore Vietnam from North to South.

This tour is private and can be tailor-made to suit your travel needs. As a result the price is quoted in US dollars and shown on a per-person basis. The 'Price From' quoted above is for parties of 2, 4 and 6 people and for accommodation in 3 star hotels. The final price will be privately quoted, based on the number in your party, your preferred time of travel, grade of hotel and any additional services requested. Please click on the BOOK NOW button and fill in the booking form, after which one of our travel consultants will customize the best value holiday for you.

• REMARKS:

We are aware that a good tour must have good hotels. In Indochina particularly, hotel price makes up most of the cost of your Cambodia cycling, Vietnam cycling, Laos cycling, Myanmar cycling or Thailand cycling. All of our prices are calculated on a twin-shared basis. As a guide, Travel Loops defines hotel grades as follows:

>>Superior Level (3 star hotels in good locations): > 40 USD/room/night
>>Deluxe Level (4 star hotels): > 80 USD/room/night
>>Luxury Level (5 star hotels): > 180 USD/room/night

Price based on twin shared accommodation.
Tour price is indicative only, please enquire for a detailed quotation.
More people means more discount. Please enquire for more details

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COST INCLUDED:

• Experienced English speaking guide
• Private transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
• Accommodation in double/twin sharing rooms with daily breakfast
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary
• Bottled drinking water for sightseeing
• All sightseeing entrance fee where required in the itinerary.

COST EXCLUDED:

• International/domestic airfares & tax
• Visa fees
• Travel Insurance. (We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance from home)
• Personal expenditure (telephone, laundry, shopping and so on…)
• Tips for guide, driver, porters and project cost
• Beverage and alcoholic drinks
• Any other services not clearly mentioned on itinerary and trip inclusive portion.