After breakfast, our guide and vehicle will take us to start a nice tour in Hanoi. Being a one-thousand-year city (since 1010), Hanoi is a vibrant cultural hub, from where we can go to explore the northern mountains, as well as plain paddy fields of the Red River delta, or go straight to the coastal area to refresh. We will save today to get as close as possible to the daily life of Vietnamese people. First, our car will take us to pass by the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, where he is resting, from here we will go to visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest Mahayana Buddhism temple of Hanoi, which was originally built in the 6th century, before crossing the street to a special memorial site of Hanoi: the monument of Mr. John McCain, a Vietnam War pilot veteran who later became a friend of Vietnam and a key person during the Vietnam - USA relation normalization in 1990s. From the West Lake, we will drive back to the St. Joseph Cathedral, a beloved attraction of young Hanoi people. The place is also known for good street foods, cakes and local snacks. 

Lunch at Cai Mam restaurant with delicious local dishes. 

From Cai Mam, later we will walk up to O Quan Chuong, the only remaining ancient gate of Hanoi. From here, some cyclos will meet us and the cycloboys will pedal us for about an hour round the Old Quarter and the Old French Quarter of Hanoi. This trip will be a wonderful time to watch the daily life of Hanoi and take fun pictures of exciting scenes, as well as pass by the city’s landmarks. At the end of the tour, the cyclo will take us to the “Hilton Hanoi Museum’’ that maintains the memories of the two Vietnam Wars, a remarkable place to help us understand the price of peace! 

Back to the hotel by our car afterwards.

Free at leisure in the evening. Overnight in Hanoi. 

After breakfast at the hotel, a guide and vehicle of our Halong Cruise pick us up to go to Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site (about 2h30 driving). Upon arrival, we will be warmly welcomed onboard and take a nice trip on the Bay, with exciting activities, including kayaking, cave visiting and swimming. Being a bay with nearly 2,000 islands and islets, some with craters, Halong has been recognized twice by UNESCO as a World Heritage to emphasize its value and the need to be protected. After about 5-6 hours onboard, the cruise will take us back to the pier. Our vehicle will greet us again and return to Hanoi.
Lunch onboard on the cruise. Dinner at your own arrangement. Overnight in Hanoi.

Please Note: The specific program or activities will be diverse and advised depending on the itinerary of each cruise.

After breakfast at hotel, our private guide and vehicle will meet us again. Head to Ninh Binh. Being an ancient capital city a millennium ago before Hanoi took over this role, Ninh Binh now is known for its poetic landscape and ancient relics. We will visit Bai Dinh Buddhist Pagoda, a massive temple with delicated carves and sculptures, a pride of modern Vietnamese architecture, before taking a leisure boat trip in Ngo Dong River to go thru Tam Coc. Every year, in summer time, Tam Coc (three caves) attract the visitors with a marvelous flow in between green paddy fields, and after the harvest, the flow becomes as clear as crystal and a wonderful place to refresh, relax and chat with the local rowing people about their daily routines.   

Lunch in Tam Coc with goat meat and other famous local specialities. Afternoon, we will visit some craft or embroidery shops in Ninh Binh before our vehicle takes us back to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi. 

After breakfast, our guide and vehicle will take us to the airport for the flight to Hue city.

Welcome in Hue by the guide and car in Central Vietnam. After transfer to hotel for check in, we will have delicious lunch with Hue specialties. 

Afternoon we’ll visit Hue Citadel, with the Royal Palace of the 13 kings of Nguyen, the last feudal dynasty of Vietnam, and Ngo Mon, Thai Hoa Palace, Forbidden City, Cuu Dinh and Kien Trung palaces. 

We can have some coffee at Tu Phuong pavilion near Kien Trung palace before going on to visit the Tomb of Khai Dinh King, one of the massive mausoleums built over 11 years with unique architecture and structure, with local and foreign materials. 

Dinner at your own arrangement. At leisure in the evening. Overnight in Hue.

After breakfast, our vehicle will take us to the Entrance of Bach Ma National Park, passing the poetic scenery of Hue suburban area. 

Upon arrival, we will take a local guide, also a guard of the Park, and start to trek through the forest. With more than 22,000 ha consisting of 30 flora and fauna reserves, mild temperature (lowest 4, highest 26oCelsius), Bach Ma covers us with fresh air, the beauty of nature, and a refreshing feeling of detachment and restoration. This is also home of some endemic species like Sao La (a kind of bison found in late 20th century, only in Vietnam), long tailed pheasants, precious animals and birds. During the trek, we will visit Vong Hai Dai (the sea viewpoint), enjoying the panorama of the whole forest, pass several old villas, then head to Ngu Ho (the five-pond area), and follow the roads cutting through the forest to Thac Do Quyen (Rhododendron waterfalls). Depending on the season, we can enjoy rhododendrons or other flowers in blooming time on the way.

Lunch can be arranged at the restaurant in the forest, or picnic lunch at Ngu Ho.

If we can go for a full trek, we will be back to Hue around 5-5h30 PM. 

Dinner at your own arrangement. Overnight in Hue.

Have breakfast and check out the hotel; our guide and vehicle will take us to Ba Na Hills.

Sun World Ba Na Hills is Vietnam's most significant resort and recreational complex. At the height of 1,487 meters from sea level, we will find ourselves relaxing in the typical rotation of four seasons in a single day and numerous festivities, recreations, and diverse cuisine. We will visit the Golden Bridge, a prominent golden silk stripe that shines among the majestic mountains, along with a pair of giant stone hands that seemingly hold the Bridge - a true impressive masterpiece for all visitors. Buffet lunch at Ba Na Hills). After the trip, we will get off the cable car and drive to Hoi An. Check in hotel and refresh.

Dinner at your arrangement. Overnight at the hotel in Hoi An. 

We will have breakfast at the hotel; then our guide will pick you up at the hotel and depart for Tra Que Vegetable Village near Hoi An.

Tra Que is located in Cam Ha commune, where the vegetables have been famous for a long time for being seeded on fertile soil, and fertilized with the seaweed taken from Co Co river, so it has its special fresh flavor and make the village not only a famous for planting high-quality, clean vegetables but also an attractive destination. At Tra Que, we can enjoy walking round the village, watching and attending the farmers’ activities of gardening and caring their vegetable fields. We will have lunch here with Tra Que products. Afternoon, we’ll return to Hoi An and walk around to visit the peaceful ancient streets. Being an old seaport in Vietnam until the 17th century, Hoi An has a unique architecture mixed up between Vietnam, China and Japanese styles. Here, we can wander round Chua Cau Bridge, Hoi An Market, or go to the streets and market along Hoai River to enjoy the city’s tranquility.  

Overnight in Hoi An.

After breakfast at hotel, our guide will take us back to Da Nang airport to depart for Saigon. (Lunch at your own arrangement and cost for flexibility). Being less than 400 years old, Saigon, officially Ho Chi Minh City, is dynamic yet peaceful, a warm city with lower humidity and no cold season like Hanoi or towns up north. 

After being welcomed by our guide in Saigon, we will travel around District 1, passing by Tan Dinh Church and Ben Thanh Market, tasting local foods for dinner near Ben Thanh Market. Overnight in Saigon.

After breakfast at hotel, our guide will meet you on a motorbike. Let’s visit Saigon the Vietnamese way!!! Starting from a Cafe in central Saigon, we’ll ride the busy city streets, first, stopping at the unique Bird Club in the park before visiting the famous and thought-invoking Thich Quang Duc Memorial Statue. Our adventurous mix of historic landmarks and hidden treasures continues as we soak up the local culture at a fresh flower market and a bright and vibrant fabric market. We zoom through Saigon traffic on the back of our comfortable Vespas to the captivating District 5, visiting a traditional medicine shop, and an ancient Buddhist temple. Our final ride will take us into the heart of Saigon to see some classic city landmarks - the French architectural influences of Saigon Post Office and beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral, before we take an outside the large Independence Palace, evidence of the Vietnam War. Go on to District 5, the “China Town’’ of Saigon, to pay a visit to the Temple of God Thien Hau, a beautiful temple that appears in many fine pictures of Vietnam, and Binh Tay Market (the Big Market). The culture of Saigon is influenced by many strong characteristics of the Chinese community: concentration, resourcefulness, and District 5 depicts them well.

Have lunch at a local restaurant before our car meet us and take us to Cu Chi tunnels.

A huge underground system not far from Saigon, Cu Chi is the evidence of the fierce Vietnam War. For many years before 1975, Cu Chi had covered troops of Vietnamese guerillas not only from attacks but also protected their daily lives; it became a strong base for the Vietnamese forces during the conflicts and is now a weird war remnant that can make anyone of us feel a stronger love to peace and everyday life upon each time visiting this place. 

Back to Saigon after our trip for overnight. (Dinner at your own arrangement). 

After breakfast, we will check-out and wait till our guide and vehicle will pick us up to transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for flight Saigon - Siem Reap (SGN – REP).

Hope to see you back to Vietnam in another trip very soon! 

Welcome to Cambodia!

Upon arrival at Siem Reap airport, we will be greeted by our Guide in Cambodia.
Transfer to the hotel to check-in. Lunch at your own arrangement for flexibility. 

After a short rest, we will visit the unique interior brick sculptures of Prasat Kravan, Srah Srang ("The Royal Baths" was once used for ritual bathing), Banteay Kdei (surrounded by 4 concentric walls), Ta Prohm, one of the area’s most beautiful temples. Ta Prohm has been relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery. Neak Pean, a fountain built in the middle of a pool (representing the paradisiacal Himalayan mountain-lake) and Preah Khan temple, Built by the King Jayavarman VII. Preah Khan is, like Ta Prohm, a place of towered enclosures and shoulder hugging corridors. Unlike Ta Prohm, however, the temple of Preah Khan is in a reasonable state of preservation and ongoing restoration efforts should maintain and even improve this situation. 

Dinner with spicy Khmer dishes. Our guide later will take us hang around to enjoy the nightlife in the walking area. Overnight in Siem Reap.

After having breakfast at hotel, we will journey out to visit the antique capital of Angkor Thom (dating back to 12th century): the South Gate with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk, the Bayon Temple, unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara, the Phimeanakas, the Royal Enclosure, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.

Lunch in Siem Reap. 

Afternoon we will visit the most famous of all the temples of the Angkor Complex: Angkor Wat. The temple covers 81 hectares. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Enjoy wonderful sunset from the top of Phnom Ba Kheng Temple.

Dinner at your own arrangement. Overnight in Siem Reap. 

Breakfast at hotel. Today we will drive up Kulen Mountains for the visit to a Grand Buddha Statue, the River of Thousand Lingas and the Great Waterfall. This is a very sacred site with multiple temples that are easily accessible. Two sites most noted are the Thousand Lingas at Kbal Spean, within the Kulen National Park site and Preah Ang Thom pagoda with its giant reclining Buddha. The area is a magnet to “kru khmer” (natural medicine doctors), and attracts people seeking blessings from its holy waters, particularly the potent life-giving waters at Kbal Spean, that are said to help couples conceive. 

Lunch at a local restaurant.  

On the way back, we will visit Banteay Srey, known as “the Citadel of Women” or a Pink Temple, the pride of the Angkor Complex with delicate carvings and bas relieves on pink sandstone, and the Banteay Samre Temple.

Dinner at your own arrangement. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Breakfast at hotel. 

In the morning, we will enjoy a boat ride on the Tonle Sap Lake at KAMPONG PHLUK VILLAGE. This is the largest permanent fresh-water lake in South East Asia and flows into Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. We will see a fishermen's "floating village" with floating schools, floating police station, etc. It is the same as a big village floating on the lake, and the "village" moves from place to place following water levels and current.

After the boat trip, we will be transferred to Siem Reap airport for our departure flight. Goodbye and hope to see you in another longer trip!