Begin the journey by unraveling Vietnamese culture, history, and religion in the capital of Vietnam:

• Soak in the history of the first president and Great father of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, who dedicated his life to save his country from invaders by visiting Ho Chi Minh Complex.
• Dedicated to Confucius (Khong Tu) in 1070 and the site of Vietnam’s University (1076), the Temple of Literature is worth the visit to understand how the Vietnamese elite has been educated.
• Visit the Ethnology Museum, a fabulous collection relating to the Vietnamese ethnic minorities and understand the original culture of the country.
• Grab a Vietnamese coffee while waiting for the train to pass by at the Train Street. Here the trains hurl through the narrow street just feet away from people’s everyday life and children’s playground on the track.
• Enjoy Water Puppet Show – a traditional and ancient art form that is unique to Vietnam

Overnight in Hanoi
Breakfast included

2.5-hour drive

In the morning, depart through the Vietnamese countryside, passing by images of rice fields where women in conical hats work and fishermen cast their nets. The peaceful and serene landscape is dotted with cultivated lands, small sun-drenched forgotten pagodas, and disordered cemeteries.

• Visit the Dinh and Le dynastic temples before arriving at the Tam Coc site, which boasts exceptional surroundings

The scenery is made up of stunning rock formations covered in vegetation, rising up from the tranquil green rice paddies.

• Board a small rowboat paddled by a woman
• Savor the specialty of Ninh Binh (goat meat and puffed rice gratin) for lunch at a local and family-run establishment
• In the afternoon, cycle towards the Bich Dong pagoda. If time permits and you are up for it, climb the steps carved into the rock to reach the pagoda and enjoy an exceptional view of the entire site

Return to Hanoi in the afternoon and around 8:30 PM, transfer to the Hanoi train station to take the overnight sleeper train to Lao Cai with your guide.

Overnight on the train.

Highlight experience: Take a boat through the mountain

Early morning arrival at Lao Cai station.

Enjoy breakfast at a brasserie with your private guide and driver.

Transfer by private vehicle to Sapa for a day of hiking around Sapa, meeting ethnic minorities in the heart of the rice fields.

• Y Linh Ho village, in the Muong Hoa valley, is the starting point for the hikes
• Hike 6 kilometers through the terraced rice fields to the village of Lao Chai
• This small village is inhabited by the Black Hmong ethnic minority. Along the way, meet women from the village dressed in ethnic costumes. You will be touched by their kindness in walking a part of the way with you.
• After lunch, take a short 2-kilometer walk to the village of Ta Van, inhabited by the Giay ethnic group
• The people of Ta Van specialize in stone and wood carving. The women work with hemp, weave on looms, and prepare indigo blue dyes after harvesting the plant.

Overnight in homestay

Highlight experience: Ta Van village

Sapa to Bac Ha: 3-hour drive

• Hike on a mountainous road with terraced rice fields on either side. Sapa is a former high-altitude station founded by the French in the early 20th century. Sapa is home to over 30 ethnic minorities and boasts. Vietnam’s highest peak, Mount Fansipan, which stands at 3143 meters above sea level
• Visit the Ma Tra village of the Black Hmong ethnic minority and the Ta Phin village where the Red Dao people live
• To end the day, we offer you our ZEN MOMENTS with the Red Dao people. In an authentic establishment in the north and part of our trusted network, you will relax with the benefits of a medicinal herb bath

Transfer by private car to Bac Ha, where the Flower Hmong reside.

• Visit the village of Bac Ha, meet the locals, explore their homes, and their way of life

Dinner and overnight stay with a homestay family or other accommodation

Highlight experience: Hiking through terraced rice fields

Other markets on different days (please contact us for more information)

• Visit the grand Bac Ha market that takes place on Sundays
  It is the most colorful market in northern Vietnam. Although very touristy, it is also very authentic. The minority ethnic groups such as the Flower Hmong, Tay, and Phu La gather here for commercial and social exchanges. The market is full of excitement and vibrant colors.
• The Hmong women wear outfits made up of large, elaborately embroidered skirts and black tops with shoulders and collars adorned with flashy embroidery. They are also adorned with beautiful silver jewelry.
• Visit the baroque palace of the H’Mong leader, Hoang A Tuong, built in 1920 and well-restored
• Visit another village – Ban Pho village. Meet with the colorful Hmong and Tay ethnic groups

In the afternoon, your guide will take you to the express bus station in Lao Cai, which will bring you back to Hanoi in 5 hours.

Dinner will be available at the stations, where different stands offer hot dishes and various food products.

Upon arrival in Hanoi around 9 pm, our driver will be there to take you to your hotel.

Overnight in Hanoi

Highlight experience: Visit village of ethnic minorities

Transfer to the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage site, Halong Bay:

• Navigate to Bai Tu Long Bay, a well-selected route away from the main tourist circuit
• Experience the bay’s treasures and enjoy your time away from the crowd on a traditional wooden boat
• Adventure within the fantastically formed Thien Canh Son Cave and be fascinated by the formations of the bay
• Participate in kayaking, swimming or relax on the white sand beach of Hon Co Island
• Taste skillfully prepared local seafood and settle into your cabin while the boat anchors for the night

Authentic Experience: Escape the crowd and relax in the Bai Tu Long Bay

For the final day in the bay, you will have adventure activities that will stick to your memory:

• Start the morning with a delightful breakfast with an astonishing view under the morning sun.
• Sail in a rustic rowboat that the locals are using to Vung Vieng fishing and pearl farm.

Return to Hanoi and settle to the flight to Hue in evening

Overnight in Hue

Highlight experience: Kayaking and Tai Chi initiation

Best known as the old capital, Hue has been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its ancient relics, historical monuments and fine examples of local culture. Many of these are surprisingly well preserved and intact and journeys to this historical city hold promise of great times and lasting memories.

As the nation’s capital from 1802 to 1945 there are many sites that reflect Hue’s rich history, and many others that allow relaxation while absorbing the area’s natural beauty.

Spend a full day discovering Hue, Vietnam’s former capital built by the Nguyen Dynasty,

Commence your day with a visit to the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945. Then visit the Mausoleum of Tu Duc which was first used as a palace retreat before its final usage as the emperor’s resting place

Take a boat ride on the gentle Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda on the bank of the River.
Visit An Hien Garden House – the most typical and oldest garden house with traditional architecture in Hue
Visit Thanh Tien village specializing in making paper flowers that has gone on for about four hundred years.

Overnight in Hue

We finish our day with a stroll through the Dong Ba market.

• Take the Mandarin Road and cross the Cloud Pass for a stunning view of the Lang Co peninsula before heading to Hoi An
• Make a stop in Danang to visit the Cham Sculpture Museum. The Chams are an ethnic group from India.
• Discover the Marble Mountains, also known as the “mountain of the five hills”

Hoi An is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

• Enjoy a lovely walk in the old town, which was once a bustling merchant port

In the narrow alleys, you will find a rich architectural heritage of beautiful old houses with colorful facades and wooden balconies, Chinese congregation houses, temples, pagodas, museums, and the Japanese Covered Bridge.

Overnight in Hoi An

Highlight experience: Walking through the old town.

Our driver will pick you up at the hotel for your “Saga Bamboo” day.

• Firstly, you will discover the charming “round basket boat” on which you will sway for a little ride! It’s called Thuyen Thung!
  It’s made of woven bamboo, made in just one day! Along with a skilled rower, you will glide for 30 minutes on the river. Your rower will show you what skilled hands can create with simple coconut leaves: rings, headdresses, baskets, etc.

The bamboo saga continues with a visit to a lantern workshop. Their frames are made of bamboo, and you can learn to create your own lantern by participating in a 2-hour workshop

• And, as the highlight to end this beautiful day in honor of Bamboo, an unprecedented and breathtaking show!
  Show Teh Dar: An acrobatic troupe that performs on giant bamboo poles, to the rhythm of live tribal music! A “never-seen-before” show, recognized as a cultural heritage by UNESCO.

Overnight in Hoi An

Highlight experience: Try “Thuyen Thung” and enjoy the bamboo show.

Private transfer to Da Nang airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by your Ho Chi Minh City guide to start the city tour.

Our full day tour of Ho Chi Minh City begins in the morning with a trip to Cholon district to admire the active Thien Hau Temple, built in the early 19th century by its Cantonese congregation.
Then onto Binh Tay Market to witness the biggest market in Cholon in full swing, and check out the many goods, including fresh produce, on offer in this busy place.
Visit the War Remnants Museum, housing a history of the local perspective of the Vietnam War.
Visit the old Presidential Palace, where victory was declared after years of fighting, and preserved as it was found, including vehicles in the garages.
Visit the Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Saigon Post Office, both magnificent displays of architecture of bygone days.

Overnight in HCM City

260 km – 4.5 hours by road

Depart for the lush landscapes of the Mekong Delta.

The Mekong Delta is an extremely fertile region, crisscrossed by water and land, canals and arroyos, dotted with green checkered rice fields whose rice is reputed to be the most fragrant in the country.

This generous land is home to abundant fruit gardens, fish farms, and shrimp farms, and all of this contributes to the fact that the Mekong Delta is known as the “rice bowl of Vietnam”.

• Crossing by ferry to Ben Tre and boarding for a boat ride on the natural canal of Xep through islets planted with tropical orchards where you will see durian, mangosteen, and orange plantations.
• Then, horse-drawn carriages will take you on a beautiful 20-minute ride through the villages.
• Visit an orchard to taste fruit and honey tea.
• Then, embark to Turtle Island. There, you will visit a coconut candy workshop.

During lunch, you will discover the region’s specialty by savoring “elephant ear fish” that is eaten with rice pancakes and a typical sauce.

Continue to Can Tho, the largest city in the Mekong Delta.

Overnight in Can Tho

Highlight experience: Visit an orchard to taste fruit and honey tea

You will enter this market on a sampan in order to weave and navigate through the canals and arroyos to discover all the life organized around water and commerce.

• Early morning: Cruise amidst the boats and canoes, to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Cai Rang floating market, the largest in the delta
• Visit the colonial house, and fruit garden where you can taste exotic fruits and see plantations of durians, mangosteens, and oranges
• Visit to the Binh Thuy centennial house

The cruise ends in Can Tho with an overview of the markets where you can mingle with the local population.

Overnight in HCM City

Highlight experience: Take a sampan to explore floating market

Free time for personal activities until transfer to the airport for your departure flight.