16 Days Vietnam Essential Tour

16 Days Vietnam Essential Tour

Day 1: Ha Noi Arrival

On arrival Ha Noi capital, we will see at the airport have private transfer to center for check in hotel. You have free time for leisure for 1st day of 16 Days Vietnam Essential Tour.

Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 2: Ha Noi – Night train to Sapa

Have breakfast at hotel.

8.00 – 8.30: Get picked up by our friendly guide and start to explore Hanoi City.

08.45: Arrive at Tran Quoc Pagoda located on Golden Fish Island in West Lake. It is the oldest pagoda in Ha Noi built in the 6th century.

09.30: Visit Ho Chi Minh complex, you have a chance to see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh then walk around the garden to see 2 houses where he lived & worked from 1954 to 1969. Then visit One Pillar Pagoda where worships the Godess of Mercy – It is the most unique padoga in the world.

Note:

Should dress modestly by covering from shoulders to knees when visiting Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, temples, pagodas…

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed on Mondays and Fridays.

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is closed at least 2 months (15thJune -15thAugust) for the annual maintaining but still can take picture Mausoleum and visit around that area.

11.15: Visit Vietnam Ethnology Museum to learn about the culture of 54 ethnic groups living in the whole country of Vietnam.

Special Note: We will visit Women Museum instead of Ethnology Museum closed on Mondays

12.45: Have lunch at our restaurant. You have an opportunity to enjoy Vietnamese cuisine with delicious dishes.

14.00 – 14.15: Continue to visit Temple of Literature – the first university of Vietnam, established in the 11th century.

15.15: Leave for Hoa Lo Prison Museum which originally used by the French colonists in Indochina for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. During this later period, it was known to American POWs as the “Hanoi Hilton”.

16.15 – 16.30: Tour finishes. Back to hotel.

20:20: Transfer to Hanoi station for overnight train to Lao Cai.

Day 3: Sapa Trekking

05:30 – 06:00: Pick up from Lao Cai station to Sapa for breakfast.

8:30 – 9:00: A short walk to the gate of Cat Cat village, which is the home of Black H’mong ethnic people and is located near the bottom of a deep valley at the foot of Fansipan Peak. Our local guide will show you the daily life activities of the locals, trek down to the valley bottom to the waterfall where the French built a Hydraulic Power Station; stop for photos with the bridge and waterfall; then you will walk up hill for the bus to pick you up to get back to Sapa in the afternoon.

The trekking distance is about 2.5km and it lasts for 2 hours.

12.30: Enjoy the lunch at the local restaurant.

14:30: Check in hotel and relax or discover the Sapa Town by yourself.

Recommend to take cable car to visit Fansipan Peak.

Overnight at hotel in Sapa.

Day 4: Sapa Trekking – Night train to Hanoi

7.00 – 8.30: Have breakfast at the hotel, check out the room, and prepare a light pack for trekking. (Large luggage is kept in the hotel.)

8.30: Start hiking through Y Linh Ho, then trek through the rice terraces and along Muong Hoa Stream to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai to see the spectacular landscape of Hoang Lien Son Mountain. After that, head to Ta Van village – home of the Dzay ethnic people.

The trekking distance is about 9km and it lasts for 3.5 hours

12.30 – 13.30: Have lunch at local restaurant.

13.30: The bus arrives at Ta Van Bridge and transports you to Sapa.

Free time to leisure.

Transfer to Lao Cai station in late afternoon for overnight train to Hanoi.

Day 5: Hanoi – Ninh Binh

05:30 – 06:00: Pick up from train station to hotel for breakfast.

07h30 – 8h00: Get picked up by our friendly guide then depart for Ninh Binh province.

09h15: Have a short break for 15 – 20 minutes to relax.

10h30: Visit Hoa Lư ancient capital of Vietnam between 968 and 1010. You have a chance to learn about Vietnamese history in the feudal system under Dinh, Le, and Ly Dynasty.

11h45: Have a buffet lunch in the restaurant with a lot of local foods such as goat meat, fish, chicken, fried rice…. Vegetarian foods are always available in the buffet lunch.

13h00: Visit Trang An which was recognized by UNESCO as A World Heritage Site in 2014. Trang An has a wonderful tunnel cave system so Kong’s Movie Group chose this place for the New Version of Kong in 2016 – “Skull Island”. With 2 hours for the boat trip, you will be persuaded by the beauty here.

15h00: Continue the tour for 45 mins – cycling around the village to discover the life of the local people.

15h45: Get back to Limousine Bus then leave for Mua Cave (Dancing Cave). Walk up almost 500 steps, you can reach the top of Lying Dragon Mountain & have an amazing panoramic view of Tam Coc from here.

17h00: Get on the bus to return to Hanoi.

19h00: Get dropped off at Hotel in Hanoi.

Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 6: Hanoi – Halong Bay

8h30: Tour guide will pick you up at your hotel for Halong Bay trip. 

10h15: Have a short break on half way for 20 minutes to relax. 

12h00: Arrive at Halong Harbor. 

12h30: Welcome to Cruise and Enjoy welcome to drink and get a brief introduction about cruise and safety guidelines. Check-in your room with Air-Conditioning. 

13h00: Enjoy a special lunch with Vietnamese traditional dishes, while cruising in the magnificent Halong Bay, admiring the fascinating rock formations in the bay. 

Afternoon Itinerary: 

15h00: Visiting Sung Sot Cave (Surprising cave). 

16h00: Our cruise will take you to the Titop/Soi Sim Island. It is noted for having a viewpoint at its peak which affords splendid views all around Halong Bay or you can enjoy your swimming on romance sandy beach. 

17h30: Come back to Cruise then take a shower, relax on sundeck, sunset watching in comfortable lounge chairs while drinking a cocktail or reading a book in the most magical moment. 

18h00: Enjoy welcome Sunset Party and Cooking Class. How to make fresh noodle roll, you can enjoy product which you make it.

Evening Relaxing:

19h00: Enjoy your dinner when sitting by overlooking sea view window in the night romantic Bay.

20h30: Playing some sports games like: Squid Fishing, singing karaoke, or relax on sundeck

* Overnight on boat: clean air – conditioning room.

Day 7: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Fly to Da Nang

6h00: Wake up in the early morning to see sunrise on sundeck.

7h00: Morning view of bay with a cup of tea of coffee. Have Breakfast! 

7h40: Start visiting Halong Bay Pearl farm. The pearls in Halong are the most renowned in Vietnam. The process of farming and retrieving pearls takes years. 

8h30: Do kayaking in Halong Bay, exploring Halong Bay in your own. 

10h00: Check-out and enjoy a fantastic cruise on the bay.

10h45: Enjoy the lunch while cruising back to Halong Harbor. 

12h00: Return Halong Bay harbor, say goodbye to sailors and finish the cruise. 

12h30: Get on the Bus to return Hanoi. 

14h30: Stop on half way for short break. 

15h30: Drop off at your hotel. Free time.

17:00: Transfer to airport for flight to Da Nang.

Pick up from Da Nang airport and transfer to hotel.

Overnight at hotel in Da Nang.

Day 8: Ba Na Hills

Have breakfast at hotel.

07:30 am – 08:00 am

– Our Minivan and a tour guide pick you up at the hotel lobby. Reach Ba Na Hills via Cable Car

– Spend your time on the most modern Cable Car in Southeast Asia, visit Dream Stream Cable car Station and see the panorama of Quang Nam – Danang City on high.

– After finishing the first cable car, you will visit The Golden Bridge – which has the most exotic structure and also the world’s most prominent pedestrian bridges highlighted by the British Guard newspaper, France wine cellar, Le Jardin D’amourn (consists of 9 gardens), Linh Ung pagoda.

– Continue the 2nd Cable Car to visit the French Village – enjoy Street Music, watch Art’s statue, Campanile, Nine Floor Goddess Shrine, Tombstone Temple, Watch Carnival Performance Show, Square Du Dome …Challenge the most popular adventure ride – Slide of Tube Car, Roller Coaster …

– Lunch at Restaurant (Buffet).

– Take the Lava Train from Sun Kingdom to many new attractions for check-in such as Helios waterfall, Time Gate, and The Moon Kingdom …Join in Fantasy Park by Walking in Fairy Forest, discovering Dinosaur Park, playing 5D wild west, enjoying 4D death race ride, watch 3D mega 360 degrees, ride on Journey into the underground, enter Jurassic Park, challenge Freefall Tower and participate in an adventure in Horror House and over 90 free games.

15:00: Return to the Cable Car for leaving Ba Na Hills

16:45 – 17:45: Our Minivan brings you back to your hotel. Tour ends.

Overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

Day 9: Hue City Explore Full Day Tour

07h00 – 7h30 am: Our car and tour guide will pick you up at your hotel reception in Hoi An and collect guests in Da Nang from 08:00 – 08:30

Begin your journey to Hue by crossing one of the best coastal roads in the world, the Hai Van Pass or Hai Van Tunnel road. You will have a 30-minute stop at the peak and 5 – 10 minutes to take photos at Lap An lagoon which is a highlight of the beautiful Lang Co sea picture

11:00: Visit the Khai Dinh Tomb.

12:30: Enjoy a delicious lunch at a Local Specialty Restaurant serving Hue style dishes.

In the afternoon

13:30: Continue to Hue’s main attraction, The Imperial Citadel.

15:00: Explore Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue’s largest pagoda.

16:00: Begin your return to Da Nang/Hoi An

Finish your Hue Imperial Tour, arriving in Da Nang at approximately 18:00/Hoi An at 19:00

Overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

Day 10: Cam Thanh Eco Tour – My Son Holyland

Have breakfast at hotel.

09:00 – The local guide picks you up at your hotel lobby and transfers you to Cam Thanh fishing village.

09:30 – Transfer to Cam Thanh village by car or boat on the way, meet local fishermen and experience the daily life

10:00 – Take a bamboo basket boat on the Cam Thanh water coconut forest and have a brief introduction to the history there.

11:00 – Join local fishermen on the river and enjoy the hands-on experience of round net and cast net fishing.

+ Learn to paddle the unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boat and join in a basket boat race.

+ Explore the now peaceful coconut waterways of a past war.

+ Go catch the crabs 

+ Return fisherman’s house for a welcome drink.

+ Enjoy Lunch 

13:00 – Keep your moving to Hoi An city and depart to My Son Sanctuary – The World Cultural Heritage. 

14:30 – Arrive at My Son Sanctuary and we’ll have 2 hours to discover the site by walking throughout the landscape, learning histories with our local English-speaking guide, and enjoying the Champa’s traditional performances.

16:30 – Get back to minivan then transfer to the wharf for taking a boat trip to Hoi An with a nice and cool breeze on boarding, beautiful sunset river scenery on the biggest river in Vietnam Central named Thu Bon River. Get your camera ready for the amazing moment of local people’s activities along the river.

18:00 – Arrive at Hoi An, we will drop you at your hotel.

Overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

Day 11: Cham Island Sightseeing and Snorkeling Tour

Have breakfast at hotel.

07:30 – 08:30 – Pick up at hotel to Cua Dai harbour.

08:30 – Relaxing in fresh cool wind, you will enjoy the beautiful landscape on a speed boat to Cham Island.

09:00 – Arriving at Lang Beach. Visiting the Marine Protected Area, The Boat Shelter, Hai Tang pagoda, Traditional fishing Village.

10:00 – Swimming and snorkeling.

11:30 – Staying at Bai Ong ecological zone or Bai Chong beach, swimming, taking time to enjoy a sea food lunch.

14:00 – Packing luggage for return trip to Hoi An.

14:30 – Seeing you off at your hotel and finish your trip.

Overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

Day 12: Hoi An – Fly to Sai Gon

Have breakfast at hotel.

Free time to leisure.

Transfer to Da Nang airport for flight to Saigon.

Pick up from airport to hotel.

Free time and overnight at hotel in Saigon.

Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City & Cu Chi Tunnels Day Trip

Have breakfast at hotel.

07:30 – 08:00: Pick up from your hotel.

Take the morning trip to visit Independence Palace, also known at the Reunification palace, was built on the sight of the former Norodom palace. The Independence palace is a widely known landmark of Ho Chi Minh City and was designed by the architect Ngo Viet Thu. Continue seeing the beautiful structures from the French Colonial times such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic Central Post Office. Followed by the remarkable site of the War Remnants Museum the museum has a vast display of the both the Indochina wars. 

Have lunch at local restaurant.

Depart for Cu Chi tunnel, the trip will take approximately one and a half hours bus driving. Upon arrival, before exploring the tunnels, you will have some short introduction followed by introductory video about how the tunnels were constructed and how the people survived in the harsh conditions of the war time. Then, spend your time to explore the remaining area and tunnel systems which included the special constructed living areas with kitchens, bedrooms side by side with other martial facilities like storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, and command centers helping whoever lives inside the tunnels meet their basic needs. Besides, there are also many hidden trap doors and dangerous traps within the maze-like tunnels for security purpose during the war. Afterward, special tea and cassava (guerilla’s food during the war) will be served. 

Break time for relax or time for those who want to try the real shooting gun. 

Return to Saigon at around 19:00.

Overnight at hotel in Saigon.

Day 14: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta

Have breakfast at hotel.

07:30 – 08:00: Pick up at your hotel in Ho Chi Minh city and start the trip to My Tho. Upon arrival, visit Vinh Trang pagoda which sated back to the late 19th century. Then boarding the sampan and cruising down the river around the four beautiful islands known as Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands.

Stop over at Unicorn Island, go walking in the village paths to contemplate orchards, enjoy tropical fruits, and Vietnamese folk music performed by the local people. Visit the fruit plantation.

Be rowed in a small sampan through the Thoi Son canal and treat yourself to the beauty of the countryside, visit the family business & bee-keeping farm, enjoy honey tea and coconut candy workshop.

Have lunch at the local restaurant. Break time.

The afternoon is time for cycling around the Tan Thach village, meeting the local people to experience their daily life in the Mekong delta. Relaxing on hammocks to enjoy the cool breeze is for those do not want to join the cycling trip. Proceed to Can Tho City and overnight in Can Tho.

Day 15: Mekong Delta – Ho Chi Minh City

Have breakfast at hotel. You can take a leisurely boat ride to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong River (Bassac River), then visit Cai Rang Floating Market, the most vibrant floating market in the area.

Walking tour of the local noodle factory. Visit Munir Ansay Pagoda – Khmer temple, famous for its unique structure. Then move by boat to the Con Son tourist area, visit the fruit plantation and enjoy seasonal fruits.

Have lunch and return to Ho Chi Minh city.

17:00 – 17:30: Drop off at your hotel in Saigon.

Overnight at hotel in Saigon.

Day 16: Ho Chi Minh City Departure/See You Again

After having breakfast at hotel, you have relaxing time in Ho Chi Minh city until transfer to the airport for the flight back home. End your 16 Days Vietnam Essential Tour!