DAY 1 | 2 h |300 km

Hanoi arrival

Welcome to Hanoi

Take the evening to relax and feel out your new surroundings

Overnight in Hanoi 

DAY 2

Hanoi city’s highlights

Wake up early, grab your cameras and head out to Hanoi’s biggest flower market in Quang Ba

On your way back to the old centre, visit the banks of Truc Bach Lake filled with locals practicing Tai Chi or plaing badminton as a daily routine

Continue to a local market to capture a lively buying and selling scene

Skip breakfast at the hotel this morning and join the locals in the streets for a bowl of Pho

Visit the Presidential Palace (formerly Palace of the Governor-General of French Indochina), Ho Chi Minh’s house-on-stilt and nearby One Pillar Pagoda.

Afternoon visit to the Temple of Literature – dedicated to Confucius, was built in the 11th century. It was the first university in Vietnam and students still come here to burn incense

Drive to Hanoi Center to explore the lively Old Quarter of Hanoi. This is a place you must see to experience Hanoi, where you will find shopping and cultural/historical sites all wrapped into one

Transfer to the Hanoi Railway Station for the overnight train to Lao Cai 

Overnight on train 
 

DAY 3

Lao Cai – Weekly ethnic market – Sa Pa

Arrive at Lao Cai Railway Station in the early morning.

Take a drive along the winding mountainous road to visit a weekly ethnic market where Flower H’mong, Dzao, Tay and other ethnic people come from surrounding regions in their colorful traditional costumes to sell their farming products and buy necessities.

Continue on to Sa Pa town to overnight 

DAY 4

Sa Pa

Drive to Muong Hoa Valley and take a full day walk between villages of H’mong and Dzay ethnic minorities. Capture the beautiful mountainous landscape, terrace rice fields and local life

Back to Sa Pa and climb up Ham Rong Mountain to have beautiful panoramic view of Sa Pa town

Overnight in Sa Pa

DAY 5

Sa Pa – Hanoi

Today we’ll take the drive and walk to village of Red Dzao ethnic minority for more photos.

After lunch take the drive back to Hanoi via Lao Cai Expressway.

Overnight in Hanoi.

DAY 6 | 2 h |2 km

Hanoi – Ha Long Bay

Head out in the morning to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Board a luxury Vietnamese sampan for an overnight boat cruise amongst the limestone islands rising majestically out of the turquoise bay. 

End the day with a BBQ dinner aboard the boat

Overnight on board

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DAY 7

Ha Long Bay – Da Nang – Hoi An

Start your day with calming Tai Chi, often accompanied by an amazing sunrise and the quiet breath-taking beauty of Bay’s landscape

Pass beautiful spots such as Trong, Trinh Nu and the Me Cung Caves, and get a chance to explore the Surprise Cave 

Transfer back to Hanoi and on to the Noi Bai Airport for a short flight to Da Nang, a busy seaport in Central Vietnam. 

Transfer to Hoi An, a World Heritage site designated by UNESCO in 1999

Overnight in Hoi An

DAY 8

Hoi An

Start the day with a tour of a local farm and fishing community

Jump on a bike to take in the local scenes 

Head back to town to epxplore ancient streets of Hoi An, lined with Chinese traders’ homes and wooden houses reincarnated as restaurants, cafés, and outlets for local artists, craftsmen and tailors. Hoi An's unique fusion of Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture is well displayed here, in what is arguably Vietnam's most tourist-friendly town

Experience the old town as its streets come alive at night

Overnight in Hoi An

DAY 9

Hoi An – Hue

Depart Hoi An for Hue in the morning

En-route, stop at Cham Museum – houses a collection of stone scultures from the Hindu-practing Cham Civilization

Capture beautiful shots of Lang Co Lagoon and view of Da Nang from the top of Hai Van Pass

Continue to Tu Duc Tomb. Tu Duc began planning his tomb long before his death in 1883. The major portions of the tomb complex were completed from 1864-67, along with future temple buildings that served as a palatial retreat for Tu Duc and his many wives during his lifetime

Overnight in Hue

DAY 10

Hue

Take a tour of the Hue Imperial Citadel, recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. Explore the Imperial Citadel, closely modeled along the lines of the Forbidden City in Beijing 

In the afternoon, head out to Thien Mu Pagoda, a nicely located pagoda overlooking the Perfume River and the beautiful landscape beyond. If you are lucky, you could observe the Pagoda’s praying ceremony and experience local religious life. Also, do not miss the stunning sunset on Perfume River

Overnight in Hue

DAY 11

Hue – Ho Chi Minh City

Take the morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon – the most dynamic city of Vietnam where modern high-rise buildings sit next to ancient temples

In the afternoon, follow in the footsteps of the novelists Graham Greene and see the sites in Saigon’s fabled District 1. 

Start at the Reunification Palace, the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The Notre Dame Cathedral, built between 1877 and 1883, most materials for Saigon's Notre Dame Cathedral were imported from France. Neo-Romanesque in form, it is a major centre of Catholicism in modern Vietnam, and one of the city’s major landmarks. Next to the cathedral stands the Saigon Post Office, a classic French colonial structure, is still a functioning post office today and features huge ceilings, a giant portrait of Uncle Ho, and many beautiful details. Continue along the former Rue Catinat to the Hotel Continental – famous from the ‘Quiet American’ novel and film – and on to the Caravelle Hotel, home to many foreign reporters and secret agents during the Vietnam War

Take in remarkable panoramic views of Ho Chi Minh City from its highest building. At 68 floors, the Bitexco Building was opened in 2011and rises 262 meters into the sky. The eye-opening view from the Skydeck gives you a sense of the vibrant city you will be exploring during your stay

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

DAY 12

Cu Chi Tunnels & Ho Chi Minh City

Depart Ho Chi Minh City and head out to Cu Chi Tunnels. After an introductory video, viewing various mantraps, the remains of an American tank and numerous bomb craters, you will spend the next hour exploring the maze of tunnels to see how the Viet Cong survived in this underground network

Back in Ho Chi Minh City, check out the Jade Emperor Temple. The Jade Emperor, heaven's gatekeeper, sits in the centre of this pagoda in an incense-filled room. Hidden chambers hold woodcarvings and altars depicting scenes from Taoist and Buddhist myths. The pagoda is a photographer's paradise, with ribbons of aromatic incense smoke, robed monks, artfully carved figures, Buddha sculptures and a turtle pond. 

Continue to the Chinatown of Cho Lon. Among the oldest and most interesting parts of Saigon, this is where the large Chinese community has been settled for centuries

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
 

DAY 13

Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta

Transfer to Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta. Set out on a boat trip on channels winding through coconut forest 

Walk on village path and visit a farmer’s house and ride bicycles through village roads past rice fields, coconut groves and local houses. 

Visit a tapioca cake workshop and a local Cao Dai temple, then cycle along riverside and back to your waiting vehicle for the drive to Can Tho.

Overnight in Can Tho

DAY 14

Mekong Delta – Ho Chi Minh City (B/L/D)

Step onboard a boat to visit Cai Rang floating market. Take in the daily activities of the locals who live along the Mekong canals

Visit the Binh Thuy Ancient House, a rare and well-preserved example in Can Tho City of a characteristic Mekong Delta house

Return to Ho Chi Minh City for a night out on the town and overnight stay

DAY 15

Ho Chi Minh City departure

Spend the morning capturing the photos of the city in the early light

End your trip here and on to your next adventure