Vietnam, First Glimpses from Halong Bay to the Mekong Delta

Hanoi arrival / light walks and visits (-) Arrival flight

Arrival at Hanoi airport according to your flight and arrival time, welcome and transfer to the city center to join the group. Rooms available from 2 PM.

The face of Hanoi has not changed much for decades. It is undoubtedly the most charming city in Vietnam with all its authenticity, large shaded avenues, numerous lakes, and well-maintained gardens. Transfer and check-in at the hotel.

Meals at leisure. Overnight in Hanoi.

Hanoi / visits and walks, Train Street (B,L)

After breakfast,
Meet at 08:30 AM with the team for a day of visits and walks in Hanoi:

We will begin the guided tours of the capital with the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, which dominates Ba Dinh Square, and his stilt house to better understand the life of a great man whose life was very modest. The One Pillar Pagoda is famous for its original construction born from a legend dating back to the 11th century.

And then visit the Temple of Literature dedicated to Confucius and his disciples. This complex was the first Vietnamese University. Lunch at a restaurant in Hanoi city.

In the afternoon, we will visit Tran Quoc Pagoda (Buddhism) and Quan Thanh Temple (Taoism).

At the end of the day, a walk towards Long Bien Bridge (or called Paul Doumer Bridge during the French era) and a relaxing admiration in the "Train Street" area before returning to the hotel for rest. Overnight in Hanoi.

Hanoi - Ha Long Bay / cruise and walks (B,L,D) Overnight on board

After breakfast,
Meet with the team for Ha Long Bay, made famous by the film "Indochine". Its landscape is marked by 1969 karst islands that earned the site a place on the World Heritage list. In Vietnam, it is a must-see.

If Hanoi was Thang Long, "Ascending Dragon", Ha Long Bay is "Descending Dragon", and its unreal chaos of rocky peaks, the fruit of the frolics of this beast, mistress of the waters. The peaks cutting the horizon into bluish teeth or the submerged mountains from which only the summits emerge, the caves and caverns where the waters disappear, the play of mists and clouds, the inland seas create a mysterious and ghostly atmosphere. The most singular thing is that these strangely shaped hills seem to float on the surface of the water, so much their base is eroded and everywhere reigns the silence of this calm sea, sometimes broken by the cry of a seabird.

You embark on a boat for a cruise in this magnificent setting of the natural bay - a wonder of the World. Several stops and visits, including one by sampan (traditional boat), will punctuate your itinerary. Boarding a traditional junk/boat. Settle into your cabins.
Navigation in Ha Long Bay, which extends over more than 1,500 km² and has nearly 3000 islands and islets. It is undoubtedly one of the most sumptuous landscapes in Asia. Lunch on board.
Here you will pass through landscapes where the film "Indochine" with Catherine Deneuve was shot. There are superb islets: the Teapot, the Demon's Face...

Visit one of the most beautiful natural caves in Ha Long Bay.

Return on board. Superb panorama of the bay at sunset.
Dinner and overnight on board a Human Style Junk in the wonder bay.

Ha Long Bay / cruise – Ninh Binh (or Tam Coc or Terrestrial Ha Long) (B,L)

Breakfast on board the Junk.
Sunrise over Ha Long Bay, as the silhouette of the limestone peaks dotting the waters is revealed.
Morning Tai Chi class on the boat deck (optional and depending on your cruise program). Continuation of the bay visit. Brunch on board.

After lunch, disembarkation and departure towards Ninh Binh (Tam Coc) with photo stops and visits.

Then, you will take the road to Hoa Lu, the first capital of the country from 968 to 1009, under the reign of the Dinh dynasty. Sheltered by numerous rocky peaks, the site was ideal for protecting the capital from Chinese invaders.

En route, visit Pho Minh Pagoda and a local market.

Pho Minh Pagoda is located in Tuc Mac village, 4 km north of Nam Dinh city and 94 km south of Hanoi. The pagoda was built when the Ly dynasty was still in power in Vietnam, but was expanded in 1262 and later by the Tran kings. Dinner at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.

Tam Coc / visits and walks – Overnight train to Hue (B,L) Sleeper train 9:00 PM

After breakfast,
Departure for a walk to the Tuye Tinh Coc site, a lake enclosed by limestone peaks.

A beautiful sampan ride on the preserved site of Thung Nham, passing through caves under the limestone mountain, visit to the Galaxy cave. Lunch at a local restaurant with specialties.
A beautiful bike ride (or with the help of a vehicle for those who do not want or cannot bike) towards the Taoist temple of Thai Vi and Bich Dong Pagoda and towards Thung Nham village.
Free time and then transfer to the station for the overnight train to Hue.

Sleeper train | Shared cabin with 4 beds (02 lower beds and 02 upper beds on each side of the cabin) | Tourist comfort, well-equipped: pillows, blanket, air conditioning.

Hue arrival - Visits and walks (B,L)

Arrival in Hue, welcome and transfer to the hotel for a late breakfast or picnic breakfast
A day of local visits:
You will visit the Imperial City which was built starting in 1804 under the orders of the first emperor Gia Long. The site was selected based on geomantic parameters. The citadel was inspired by Vauban's fortifications. It is composed of three parts: the capital city (Kinh Thanh), the imperial city (Hoang Thanh) and the forbidden city (Cam Thanh). It was largely destroyed in 1968 during the Vietnam War. Today, numerous donations serve to restore and revive this invaluable heritage.

This discovery will be followed by a detour to the Thien Mu Pagoda with a seven-story octagonal tower. Built in 1601, the pagoda consists of an ancient sanctuary and an octagonal tower 21m high built in 1844, each of its 7 floors symbolizing the reincarnation of Buddha.

Lunch Bun Bo Hue, a dish originating from the ancient imperial city, which translates to "Hue noodles with beef". The broth is succulent. It has cooked for a very long time, all night, with bones, spices such as cinnamon, star anise, turmeric...

Departure for Thanh Toan village, a typical, authentic village surrounded by generous nature, famous for its superb tiled covered bridge. The place is charming with its crops and flowering orchards. You will discover everyday Vietnamese rural life.
Free time and free dinner and overnight at the hotel.

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

After breakfast,
Meet with the team for departure to Hoi An, passing through the very famous Hai Van Pass for panoramic views of the South China Sea and the city of Da Nang - Vietnam's 4th largest city.

Stop for a visit to the fishing village of Lang Co to see fishing activities

Photos from the summit of Hai Van Pass

Arrival in Danang, lunch at a local restaurant
Arrival in Hoi An, visit the ancient city of Hoi An with some particular monuments of Hoi An: 
Visit the ancient town of Hoi An which is one of the wonders of Vietnam, 30 km south of Danang with over 800 buildings of historical interest.
During the visit to Hoi An, note the perfect state of preservation of many houses, the most famous of which on Nguyen Street is Tan Ky House at No. 101.
Another point of interest in Hoi An: the Chinese sanctuaries and in the heart of the city, a Japanese covered bridge (under restoration until 2024), dating from 1593, spans the river.
A beautiful boat trip on the Hoai River – the charming heart of the city.

Free dinner and overnight in Hoi An.

Hoi An / walks and beach (B,L)

Breakfast. 
Departure from the hotel, by bicycle to Tra Que village, where famous aromatic herbs are cultivated, you will appreciate them during your lunch with a local where you will taste 6 specialties of central Vietnam including Tam Huu, an assortment of shrimp, pork and, of course, aromatic herbs!

Lunch with locals to discover local life in the suburbs of Hoi An

In the afternoon, free time for rest, or beach, or shopping, or personal discoveries.

Free dinner and overnight in Hoi An

Hoi An - Danang and flight to Saigon/ visits and walks (B,L) Flight 08:00

After early breakfast.
Early transfer to Danang airport for the flight to Saigon

 Arrival in Saigon, welcome by the team and direct transfer to the city center for visits and discovery of the modern city: 

A panoramic city tour that will allow you to take a photo in front of the former Presidential Palace (Reunification Palace), Dong Khoi Street (formerly Catinat Street), the cathedral, the post office built by Gustave Eiffel (1891) and Ben Thanh Market, a covered market occupying 11,000 m² and offering visitors an incredible assortment of products.

Lunch at the restaurant.

In the afternoon, visit the Chinese quarter with the Binh Tay wholesale market and the Thien Hau Pagoda,

A visit to the Lacquer factory if you are interested.

Transfer to the hotel for check-in. Dinner and overnight in Saigon.

Saigon / Mekong (My Tho – Ben Tre)/ walks and Visits – Saigon (B,L)

Breakfast
Meet at 08:30 for departure by road to My Tho – Ben Tre, a vast network of thousands of canals characterizes life in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's largest rice bowl.

The Mekong splits into 9 major rivers in the very south of Vietnam, forming a delta over 100 kilometers wide. The lands, wet and flooded every year, produce lush and varied vegetation... The delta is vast and can be discovered by visiting several sites... by walking on the rivers, canals, visiting the islands, discovering local life and especially... by passing through the floating markets.

We are amidst the greenery of the Delta's fields and orchards, immense rice paddies dotted with lotus ponds.

Embark for a cruise on the Mekong towards Thoi Son islet or Unicorn Island: a large tropical garden of 11km². 
Tasting of exotic & tropical fruits and fresh honey from the beehives in the orchards.

Lunch on the island of specialties including the famous elephant ear fish.

In the afternoon, a sampan ride on the small arroyos, where lush vegetation grows on both banks.
On the way back to Saigon via the highway.
Arrival in Saigon, transfer to the hotel for rest and free time. Free dinner and overnight at the hotel in Saigon

Saigon / free time – Departure (B) Departure flight

Breakfast included
Free day and check-out from rooms around noon.

Meeting for transfer to the airport for the return flight.

The idea of this free day for those who want to extend their trip:

• Either for beaches like Mui Ne or on the island of Phu Quoc
• Or for other Indochinese countries like Cambodia and Laos or Thailand and others.