Vietnam’s more than 2,000 years of history is marred by occupation: the Chinese, French, and Americans left a brutal imprint on the Vietnamese story; the Vietnamese have maintained a strong sense of their own uniqueness while embracing new outside influences. There is the dazzling chaos of the cities, the tranquility of the countryside, the long, unspoilt beaches and misty hills. There are the locals working the fields with ox-drawn wagons and odd sights like pigs riding on the back of motorbikes. Early morning on the Mekong Delta brings the daily floating markets where fruit and vegetables are peddled.
The soaring mountains in the north of the country tower over tiny villages where life continues much as it has done for centuries, with traditional costumes still proudly worn. Old French hill stations survive throughout the country offering welcome respite from the heat of the plains below. And, in the South China Sea, the 3000 chalk islands in Ha Long Bay are not to be missed.
The ancient former imperial capital, Hue, takes you back to a time of concubines and eunuchs. In every town, young women wearing the simple but feminine national dress, the Ao Dai, weave their way through the traffic at the controls of a motorbike.

Day 1 Saigon arrival
On your arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport, welcome by our guide and transfer to your selected hotel.
The remainder of the day is free to relax and explore.
Overnight in Saigon.
Meals: Breakfast, Welcome dinner

Day 2 Saigon – Mekong Delta
Away from the big city you’ll discover the people have a very different lifestyle, living on the water of the Mekong Delta. By car and boat you’ll travel through an area of rivers, small streams and islands. You will visit floating markets and boats use to cultivate fish and small mills where rice is processed. The Mekong Delta will show you how the Vietnamese have managed to adopt themselves to the hard life on and near the water. For lunch we might sample local specialties, including “Elephant Ear Fish” Late afternoon we return to Saigon stopping in bustling Cho Lon District (China Town). Here we visit Binh Tay, the wholesale market before returning to the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3 Saigon - Cu Chi Tunnels
Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon) is Vietnam’s commercial heart and largest city. This morning we will take a walking tour of Saigon, visiting the many famous and historic landmarks of the city.  Visit the Presidential Palace, War Crimes Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office. In the afternoon we visit famous Vietcong tunnels at Cu Chi. This incredible system, covering nearly 250 km, was shelter to over 16,000 communist guerillas during the war. We return to Saigon in the late afternoon. Overnight in Saigon.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4 Saigon – Nha Trang – Ban Me Thuot
Today we fly to Nha Trang, the coastal city, and then begin our road journey towards Ban Me Thuot in the Central Highlands – the coffee growing centre of Vietnam. We will pass through many Bana ethnic minority villages and vast coffee, rubber, maize and pepper plantations. Visit the ruins of an old French prison, and head to countryside to visit the beautiful minority village of Buon Don on the banks of the Serepok River. Overnight in Ban Me Thuot.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 5 Ban Me Thuot – Pleiku
This morning we’ll explore waterfalls and beautiful surroundings of Cum Thac Falls. After lunch we travel to Pleiku, the road is spectacular, passing through many plantations, rolling hills and forests. Late afternoon we get to Pleiku to visit Bien Ho Lake. Stay overnight in Pleiku.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 6 Pleiku – Kontum
Today we visit the Jarai people of Plei Phun village to see the contrasting and unusual customs of the local minority people in the villages around Pleiku. Then we continue to Kontum, visit a very famous and interesting wooden church built by French almost 100 years ago. Get into a colorful local market meet the friendly people and take a walk to the village of Play To Nghia. Overnight in Kontum.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 7 Kontum – Hoi An
This morning we have the most beautiful drive, following the old Ho Chi Minh Trails and get further into the highlands. We pass through many cotton, cassava and rubber plantations, and some terrace rice fields. See the daily life of the minority people as Kotu and Coto along the way, and then descend to the coastal plains of central Vietnam, the merchant town of Hoi An. Overnight in Hoi An.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8 Hoi An
After breakfast we make a boat trip on the Thu Bon River to visit some ceramic and carpenter villages. The afternoon is free for exploration. Wander through the narrow streets of this magnificent ancient town or get some clothes tailor-made, relax at riverside restaurants or take a short journey to the nearby beach. Overnight Hoi An.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 9 Hoi An – Hue
Today we take a spectacular road trip over Hai Van pass to Hue, Vietnam’s former capital; the city divided by the beautiful Huong River, is also famous as the centre for Buddhism. Hue was Vietnam’s ‘imperial capital’, the former home to the Nguyen Dynasty that ruled over the country from 1802 until the last emperor abdicated in 1945. We will visit the Imperial Citadel, which was modeled on the Forbidden City in Beijing. The Citadel was the centre piece of the royal empire, a massive palace that was extensively damaged during the Vietnam War. This evening, partake in a cooking class focusing on select local dishes and cuisine designed for the Royal Courts of Hue.
Meals: Breakfast, Imperial Dinner

Day 10 Hue
A boat trip is an excellent way to discover the delights of Hue, along the lonely Huong River with a stop to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, considered by many as the unofficial symbol of Hue. It is an active Buddhist monastery with its origins dating back to 1601. One of its most poignant displays is a car belonging to a former monk, who in 1963, drove to Saigon and set himself alight to protest against the South Vietnamese regime and its cruel treatment of Buddhist. You continue to travel upstream to visit Emperor Minh Mang’s tomb, in a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes. Overnight in Hue.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 11 Hue – Phong Nha Cave – Vinh
Today we are heading to Phong Nha national park with its cave. We will drive to the Son River where we take a boat trip to the famed caves at Phong Nha. The park has some beautiful limestone formations, grottoes and caves and forest. The park also contains the largest primeval forest in Vietnam and the biggest limestone mountain range on the planet. After lunch we continue to Vinh, passing spectacular scenery along the way. Overnight in Vinh.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 12 Vinh – Tam Coc – Ninh Binh
Vinh is the capitol town of Nghe An province, where is birth place of Ho Chi Minh, a Vietnam’s national hero. We will visit his house where he was born and keep going to Tam Coc, known as “Ha Long Bay on rice fields”. Take an interesting boat trip visit Tam Coc, enjoy beautiful landscape with limestone karsts and caves before continuing to Hanoi. Overnight in Ninh Binh.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 13 Ninh Binh – Cuc Phuong – Hanoi
Today we explore the Cuc Phuong beautiful national park. It’s one of Vietnam’s most important nature reserves. The park’s 222 sq km of primary tropical forest remain home to an amazing variety of plants as a natural botanical garden, including 1667 species of insects from 30 order and 200 families, 137 species of reptiles. Visit the Endangered Primate’s Rescuer Center, have a picnic lunch before heading to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 14 Hanoi City Tour
This full day tour takes you to selected highlights that this beautiful, romantic city has to offer. You will go to the Ho Chi Minh Complex, Temple of Literature, Museum of Ethnology, Ngoc Son Temple and enjoy an hour cyclo tour around the old quarter. Hanoi’s history dates back almost a thousand years. The remainder of day is free for relax or exploration. Overnight in Hanoi.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 15 Hanoi – Ha Long Bay
This morning we head out for a 3 hour drive through the verdant Red River Delta to Ha Long Bay where we board on our boat for a cruise around the majestic Ha Long Bay, which gives us chance to take in the stunning scenery of this World Heritage Site. After lunch, take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with Ha Long junk’s sails, go swimming on a quite beach or sunbathing on the sundeck. At sunset time, kayak or simply take a bamboo sampan to discover a water tunnel with many coral reefs in a scenic lagoon. After dinner, free for relax or enjoy chatting at the bar. Overnight on board.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 16 Ha Long Bay – Hanoi
Rising early to the sound of the ocean is coming to life and another magnificent day. We have breakfast then continue an exploration of beaches and limestone caves in the beautiful Bai Tu Long area. We’ll enjoy a seafood lunch before disembarking for our drive back to Hanoi. In the evening we pick up at 8.00 pm for the night train to Sapa. The accommodation for tonight will be in soft sleeper berths on the express train (standard A/c cabin includes 4 berths).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 17 Lao Cai – Sapa
We arrive early in the morning at Lao Cai station and transfer to Sapa. Ascending the mountain there are some awe inspiring views, from the delta, with the terraced rice paddies thatch roofed bamboo houses to the jagged mountain tops. At an elevation of 1,500 meters Sapa was once a hill resort for French administrators when they needed to get away from the humidity of the delta. The remoteness and simple lifestyle of the ethnic minority people are a highlight of Sapa. The ethnic inhabitants of the regions were here thousands of years before Sapa was discovered by the French. After checking into your hotel and a late breakfast, there is time to enjoy the fresh atmosphere with a leisurely wander around Sapa town. In the evening you will here the local folk melodies played by young folk and sung to entice the young men to alter or something. (Commonly referred to as the Love market) Overnight in Sapa.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 18 Sapa – Hanoi
Today we visit the bustling Sapa market where the Red Dao, Black Hmong, Day, and Xapho ethnic minorities converge from the nearby mountainsides and valleys to trade their goods and buy provisions. We then get off the beaten track on a walk to explore this beautiful mountain region, where life is still lived in the traditional way. There are rustic villages along the way where you will see people going about their daily work. Logging, herding buffalo and tilling the fields. The blend of verdant mountain backdrop and colorful population, make for a remarkable sight. We then enjoy lunch in a local restaurant where you can try some of the local specialties. Late afternoon we transfer to Lao Cai for the night train back to Hanoi. Overnight on train.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 19 Hanoi
We arrive in Hanoi in the early morning. Transfer to your hotel for shower and breakfast. The morning is free to explore. In the afternoon we have a half day excursion to Bat Trang pottery village, on the bank of the Red River. You will have chance to discover that piece of ceramic that you (just must have) there is usually a very busy atmosphere in Bat Trang with more than a thousand ceramic kilns working.
Meals: Breakfast, Farewell dinner

Day 20 Hanoi Departure
You have free time for last minute shopping in the Hanoi’s Old Quarter until transfer to airport for your onward flight.
Meals: Breakfast

Price: Contact us for quotation

Includes:
- All transports in modern air-conditioned vehicle
- 16 nights hotel accommodation on twin share basic
- Breakfast daily, 04 lunches and 05 dinners
- Boat trip and overnight as specified
- Sightseeing or entrance tickets
- English speaking guide
- 01 domestic flights
- Soft sleeper train as itinerary

Excludes:
- International airfares and airport taxes
- Visa and visa arrangement
- Drinks, laundry and personal expenses
- Tips and gratuities
- Meals not indicated