The Essentials of Vietnam

Hanoi arrival - Walks (D)

Arrival at Hanoi airport. Welcome and reception by our guide and driver, then transfer and check-in at the hotel in downtown Hanoi.

Your tour begins with the city of Hanoi - Capital of unified Vietnam. Hanoi has retained the old-world charm of the French colonial era. Its appearance has not changed much for decades. It is undoubtedly the most charming city in Vietnam in all its authenticity, with its wide tree-lined avenues, numerous lakes, and well-maintained gardens.

Welcome dinner at a local restaurant and overnight in Hanoi.

Hanoi / City tours - Lao Cai (B,L)

A day of guided tours:

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, which dominates Ba Dinh Square, and his stilt house to better understand the very modest life of a great man.

Then visit the One Pillar Pagoda, famous for its original construction as much as for its 11th-century legend. Lunch at a local restaurant.

Visit the Temple of Literature, dedicated to Confucius and his disciples. This first University of Vietnam (founded in the 11th century) trained scholars and literati until 1915...

Visit the Museum of Ethnography, the largest and most comprehensive museum of Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups. A one-hour cyclo ride through the old quarter and its small shopping streets will allow us a colorful immersion in the Vietnamese capital.

At the end of the day, we will visit the Temple of the Jade Mountain in the middle of the Lake of the Restored Sword; the giant turtle in this temple tells us the legend of the lake, which dates from the 15th century. In the evening, a water puppet show - a typical Vietnamese folk art.

After a free dinner, transfer to Hanoi train station to take the night train, heading to Lao Cai.

Overnight on the sleeper train | in a 4-berth cabin, tourist comfort.

Lao Cai early arrival - Sapa / Visits & Discoveries (B,L)

Early morning arrival at Lao Cai station, then transfer by road to Sapa, we will admire the terraced rice fields hidden behind the morning clouds.

Located at an altitude of 1,650 meters, enjoying a temperate climate, Sapa was an old climatic station created by the French in the region of Mount Fan Si Pan (3143m), considered the roof of Indochina. This city interests us with its mosaic of minorities: H'mong, Red Yao, Tay, Dzay, Safo…. For hundreds of years they have coexisted there and lead their ancestral life despite modernity.

Rest at the hotel and lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, a walk to the villages of the Black H'mong in Lao Chai and the Dzay in Ta Van where we will take the opportunity to discover the specific cultures of each ethnic group.

Return to Sapa at the end of the day. Overnight in Sapa.

Sapa / Walks - Lao Cai - Hanoi (B,L)

In the morning, we visit Sapa's daily market where ethnic groups come to exchange their agricultural products or sell their traditional costumes meticulously handmade by women. It is also a favorite place for young couples.

Then, a walk to Cat Cat village to take beautiful photos and meet the local ethnic groups. Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, ascend Ham Rong mountain (Dragon's Jaw) where we cannot miss the opportunity to take superb photos of the region. An interesting detour will lead us to attend a dance show of the five ethnic groups of Sapa.

On the way to Lao Cai, and a stop at the Sino-Vietnamese border where we can see the confluence of the Red River belonging to Vietnam and the Nam Thi River which belongs to China.

Free dinner at a local restaurant in front of the station while waiting for the train.

Overnight on the sleeper train / in a 4-berth cabin, tourist comfort.

Hanoi early arrival – Ha Long Bay / Cruise & Visits (B,L,D)

The train arrives at Hanoi station around 05:00.

Welcome by the driver then the guide, we then set off for Ha Long Bay, with a stop for breakfast. We cross the traditional Vietnamese countryside, with its villages, markets, rice fields, all animated by the daily life of the peasants.

Arrival in Ha Long around noon, embarkation for a 24-hour cruise in Ha Long Bay.

Seafood lunch on board the boat. An extraordinary landscape, "one of the wonders of the world", nearly three thousand islets and limestone peaks with fantastic shapes: turtles, sampan sails, etc... scattered in the emerald water over an area of 1,500 km².

Stop at the "Surprise Cave", where we are projected into a mysterious atmosphere, with thousands of stalagmites and stalactites, then ascend to the summit of Titov islet or head to the beach, for a swim if time permits.

You can admire the sunset from the upper deck of the junk.

Dinner and overnight on board in Ha Long Bay.

Ha Long Bay / Cruise - Ninh Binh (B,L)

In the morning, Tai Chi on the upper deck for those who wish.

After breakfast, we continue the cruise, crossing more beautiful sites in the bay on the way back, and before disembarking, we will have Brunch on board.

We will drive to Ninh Binh, crossing the Red River Delta with stops for photos in the villages we pass through. Arrival in Ninh Binh at the end of the day. Dinner in a local restaurant and overnight in Ninh Binh.

Ninh Binh / Walks & Visits - Hanoi - Hue (B,L)

After breakfast, we will discover this beautiful region called "Ha Long Bay on land" with a lovely bike ride through the authentic and preserved villages of Thung Nang, Bich Dong.

Then we will take a pleasant sampan ride on the Thung Nham site to visit the caves carved by erosion, the longest cave under the limestone mountain of "Ha Long Bay on land".

We will continue by sampan into the magnificent Thien Ha cave (Paradise) filled with stalactites and stalagmites.

Lunch of local specialties in a stilt restaurant in the middle of the rice fields.

In the afternoon, visit the largest pagoda in Southeast Asia: Bai Dinh with its 525 Buddha statues aligned in two rows.

You will take the road to Hanoi and then there is a direct transfer for the flight to Hue.

Arrival in Hue, welcome by the guide and driver, transfer and check-in at the hotel, and free dinner in Hue.

Hue / Visits & Walks & Discoveries (B,L)

Hue / Visits - Hai Van Pass - Hoi An (B,L)

In the morning, we will visit the Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc: amidst frangipani trees and pines. This is not a simple tomb; it evokes more the idea of eternal life than that of death, followed by a visit to the traditional village for making incense sticks and conical hats.

Lunch at a restaurant in Hue then off to Da Nang, passing through the famous Hai Van Pass. We will enjoy a very beautiful view of dozens of kilometers of beaches on the Lang Co peninsula. In Da Nang, we will visit the Cham Museum (built in 1916) and its famous collection of pieces dating from the Champa kingdom civilization, then head towards the Marble Mountains on the edge of one of Vietnam's most beautiful beaches.

Continue to Hoi An, also known as Hai Fo or Fai Fo, which was among the most active commercial ports in all of Asia between the 17th and 18th centuries: Chinese, Portuguese, Japanese, Indonesians, then French and Dutch coexisted there. Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999, this charming city fascinates us not only by the authenticity of its architecture, the romantic landscapes of the river and the beach, but especially by the phantasmagorical light of the lanterns after sunset. Free dinner in town and overnight in Hoi An.

Hoi An - My Son / visits and walk - Hoi An (B,L)

Morning: drive to My Son, 70 kilometers from Hoi An, a site that was classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO at the same time as Hoi An.

The complex of temples and sanctuaries was not only the religious capital but also the final resting place of the emperors of the Cham kingdom from the 5th to the 13th centuries. They tell us about the most glorious era of this ruined kingdom, through the architecture and sculptures, but the way the bricks were made still remains a mystery to scientists. Return to Hoi An for lunch.    

Afternoon: discovery of the ancient city of Hoi An with its must-see sites: the traditional Vietnamese house of Tan Ky, the communal house of the Chinese congregation of Phu Kien, the Japanese Covered Bridge in the old quarter, and the fish market.

End the beautiful day with a sampan ride on the Thu Bon River to admire the sunset and see the fishing activities. Free dinner and overnight in Hoi An.

Hoi An - Da Nang - Saigon / visits (B,L) Morning flight

In the morning, transfer to Da Nang airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh.

Arrival in HCM-ville, greeted by our guide then transfer to the city.

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is the economic center of Vietnam. Located in the heart of Cochinchina in the Mekong Delta, it is also the largest city, with a population of over 8 million inhabitants. City tour: Notre Dame Cathedral (under restoration until 2020), a red brick building, in Neo-Romanesque style, which was consecrated in 1880.

The Post Office built by Gustave Eiffel, the Opera House and the City Hall with beautiful architecture, and then departure for a walk in the Cho Lon Chinese quarter.

A multitude of small family businesses thrive today in this "Chinatown" dedicated to trade and money. The richly decorated Chinese pagodas and temples are very different in style from Vietnamese sanctuaries.

Visit to Thien Hau Pagoda and Binh Tay Wholesale Market.

Dinner at leisure and overnight in Saigon.

Saigon - My Tho - Mekong / Cruises & Discoveries - Can Tho (B,L)

En route to My Tho, a vast network of thousands of canals characterizes life in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's largest rice granary. We are amidst the greenery of the Delta's fields and orchards, immense rice paddies dotted with lotus ponds.

Embark on a Mekong cruise through the arroyos and visit and taste tropical fruits and fresh honey from the beehives in the orchards.

Lunch on the island with specialties, tasting the famous elephant ear fish. In the afternoon, a sampan ride on the small arroyos, where lush vegetation grows on both banks.

We continue our journey to Can Tho, the region considered the most fertile of this delta. Lunch at a local restaurant. Dinner at leisure & overnight in Can Tho.

Mekong / Floating Market, Cruise & Visits - Can Tho - Saigon (B,L)

Saigon - Tay Ninh - Cu Chi Tunnels - Saigon (B,L)

We set off for Tay Ninh where there is the largest Caodaism temple, an astonishing, unique religion specific to Vietnam with over two million followers, mainly in the South.

We have the opportunity to attend the midday mass and find on the altar all the great men of the world: Cakyamauni, Confucius, Jesus Christ, LaosTseu, even Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo, Lenin etc... the divine eye symbolizes the philosophy "all religions lead to the same path".

After lunch, we will continue to the Cu Chi tunnels. Known as the "Iron Triangle", then the "Free-fire Zone", these tunnels allowed Viet-Cong controlled areas to communicate with each other when they were isolated in American or South Vietnamese areas. They also served as shelters for the population during air attacks. Vietcong soldiers lived there in extremely difficult conditions, they are also living witnesses to the patriotism of the Vietnamese. Then return to Ho Chi Minh City. Dinner at leisure & overnight at the hotel in Saigon.

Saigon - Departure (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Free time for your last purchases or rest at the hotel

At noon, you must check out of your rooms and then meet the driver for transfer to HCM-ville airport for your return flight.