Embark on this 15-day "True Vietnam" journey to explore the must-see highlights of Vietnam, from north to south. This thoughtfully curated itinerary showcases the best of Vietnam: the lively energy of Hanoi and Saigon, encounters with ethnic minorities and the stunning landscapes of Mai Chau and Pu Luong, iconic heritage sites like Halong Bay, Hue’s imperial capital, and the historic town of Hoi An. Along the way, enjoy engaging activities such as biking, boating, cooking, and walking. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime adventure filled with rich culture, breathtaking natural beauty, and unforgettable experiences!
Landing at the Noi Bai airport, you are welcomed by professional tour guide and driver at the pickup lobby. Enjoy 45-minute driving to the city center (Hanoi Old Quarter) with city's briefing information about the most visited spots, culture, traffic and cuisine....Arrive in your hotel, check in and have a rest.
Note: Hotel check in time at 14.00
Start with a small pagoda named Ba Da quietly located in a small alley - only few steps from the Hanoi Great Cathedral, built by French colonialism since the 19th century. Your tour guide also takes you to typical streets of Hanoi such as Lan Ong Street selling traditional medicine, Lo Ren Street where metal items are produced ... Stop to visit the Dong Xuan central market - the largest in Hanoi. Continue walking to the famous area for night activities and street food - Ta Hien street, where you can see the vibrant streets with a lot of the amazing local foods and drinks. Trying to taste some for an unforgettable experience.
9:00 AM: the Temple of Literature which was built under the Ly dynasty in 11th century for worshipping Confucius and teaching Royal children. Enjoy a walk in the garden to the city’s symbol Khue Van Cac. You will then visit the World Heritage "stone steles” which shows the name of outstanding students. Continue to explore the Quoc Tu Giam which is considered as the first national university of Vietnam.
the Ethnology Museum (closed every Monday) which offers a deep insight into Vietnamese culture through traditional costumes, tools, musical instruments and traditional houses of many ethnic groups. To fully explore this interesting museum, it takes you around two hours.
the French Quarter – it is a “little Paris” in Hanoi with tree-lined boulevards, government head offices and a big square. Visit (outside) Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum before having a leisurely walk in the botanical gardens to visit the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts where he used to live and work. Towards the unique One – pillar pagoda which is one of the city’s symbols. It takes us from 1 to 2 hours to explore this complex, depending on the number of traveler.
enjoying the water puppet shows that is the unique performances, first appeared in the 11th century. In these shows, the daily life, culture and belief of Vietnamese people are described by puppets on water. The show usually integrates a traditional music performance as well.
8:00 Am: Meet tour guide and driver then depart to Mai Chau. On the way, visit a Muong village. Continue to Thung Khe pass where you can view magnificent panoramic views of the valley before arriving in Mai Chau town. Mai Chau is a beautiful valley located 145 km away from Hanoi. It is great place with harmonious landscapes, green mountain ranges, rice terraces and White Thai ethnic villages.
explore Mai Hich by bike(optional) or walk along the trails and concrete roads. You will be seduced by the gorgeous landscapes as the villages, rice fields, mountains and streams are in perfect harmony with one another. Do not miss the opportunity to communicate with the friendly local people who are always willing to welcome you into their house to enjoy a cup of tea. Return to your accommodation in the late afternoon.
Depart from Mai Hich directly to Eo Ken, 30km away, where the Muong ethnics live. Walk down the slope and enjoy the spectacular view of Pu Luong Nature reserve, rice field terraces and mountains. Visit a Muong ethnic family in Eo Kenvillage and discover their authentic life. Continue walking through this beautiful landscape and cross a stream to reach HangVillage.
transfer to Chieng Lau, a beautiful rice field area with bamboo water wheels. Walk through the field to the village and encounter the locals to discover their life, culture and customs.
8:00 Am: Start your day by hiking down into the beautiful valley from your accommodation, passing through spectacular rice fields and follow small paths to slowly reach Chom Uoi and Chom Lan villages. Your camera will help you capture these unforgettable moments. During the hike, you will witness the changing landscapes of rice terraces intermingled with villages, fields, ponds, streams and mountains. Continue walking to Pho Doan to have lunch at a local restaurant.
8:00 Am: take a 15km bike ride (optional) or walk through the villages. A journey along the dyke will offer you gorgeous landscapes of rice fields, a river and limestone mountains. There are several stops for you to take beautiful photos or encounter the locals then walk to discover Thung La temple, dating back to the 11th century.
take a sampan boat trip along the stream and among the limestone mountains to discover the beauty of Van Long nature reserve. If lucky, you might get to see white monkeys and egrets on the cliffs. After the boat trip, visit an embroidery village and take part in an embroidery course under the instruction of local craftswoman, Mrs Lam. She will proudly explain the techniques of her traditional craft. This will be a good opportunity for you to practice on fabric like a real craftsman.
End of the day, transfer from Ninh Binh to Hanoi. Enjoy the journey passing Red River delta with a lot of chance taking pictures of rice fields, peaceful countryside.
Pick up at your hotel (in the Hanoi Old Quarter). Enjoy 3-hour drive from Hanoi to Halong Bay. Your journey will pass the series of villages and rice fields in Red River Delta. Have a stop for drink and restroom. Continue your driving, arrive at the harbor around noon, get warmly welcomed at reception.
07:30 – 8:30: Our driver will pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter (for private transfer) or at our Shuttle Bus stop (for shared transfer). We will head to Halong city.
12:15: Arrival at Sunworld Harbor, where you'll have a short time to relax before boarding the Garden Bay Legend Cruise.
12:30: Transfer to Garden Bay Legend Cruise Boat by tender (5-10 minutes). Warmest welcome drinks, listen to safety briefing, then check into your cabin.
13:00: Enjoy a delicious Vietnamese Set Menu while our boat cruises leisurely to the heart of Bai Tu Long Bay, Cap La area.
15:30: Embark on a kayaking adventure to discover the breathtaking natural scenery of limestone islands and islets. You can also indulge in swimming, sunbathing, and relaxing.
17:30: Join the Sunset Party on the Sundeck while the boat cruises to the Cong Do area to anchor for the night (Happy Hour offer from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm).
18:30: Participate in a cooking class where you can learn how to cook traditional Vietnamese cuisine.
19:30: Indulge in a sumptuous BBQ dinner on the Sundeck (not available until October).
21:00: Free time to relax on the Sundeck or try your luck with squid fishing. Board games are also available.
06:30: Wake up early in the morning for Tai Chi exercise.
07:00: Have a light breakfast with Western styles while the Garden Bay Legend cruises toward the most beautiful fishing village in Ha Long Bay - Vung Vieng fishing village. Transfer to Vung Vieng Fishing Village by tender.
08:00: Ride on the rowing boat (rowed by the local fisherman) to explore the Vung Vieng fishing village and learn about the life of local fishermen.
09:00: Return to the main boat for the cruise back to the harbor by a different route.
09:30: Check out.
10:00: Have brunch onboard (Fusion style).
11:00: Disembark at Sunworld Harbor. Our driver will pick you up at the port, and bring you back to Hanoi. Expected arrival time in Hanoi at about 3:00 PM.
Welcome by driver at the harbor then enjoy travel back to Hanoi. Have a rest at the middle of the way. Drop off at your hotel (in the Hanoi Old Quarter).
Private driver will pick you up at the hotel lobby (Hanoi Old Quarter) for about 45 minutes to Noi Bai airport (international or domestic hall according to your request). Thanks for the visit to our city.
Note: International flights require you to be at the airport 3 hours and domestic is 2 hours before departure time.
Landing at Da Nang airport you are welcomed by professional tour guide and driver at the pickup lobby.
On the about 30 - 45 minute driving from the airport to your accommodation, your tour guide will introduce you about the city’s highlights and share the experiences of eating and drinking, traffic, culture....
Drive along the beautiful coastline to your hotel, check in and relax.
8:00 AM:Cam Pho - one of the oldest communal houses in Hoi An. It was built in the shape of Chinese character means the country for worshipping and trading business and cultural exchange between locality and Chinese, Japanese traders.
the Hoi An city’s symbol - the Chua Cau or the Japanese Covered Bridge, built in the 17th century to allow the Japanese quarter to be accessible from the Chinese neighborhoods. The bridge’s original style has been carefully preserved for the last 400 years.
Quan Thang ancient house - one of the most authentic old houses in Hoi An with the lively and fine architecture and sculptures were made by craftsmen of famous Kim Bong carpentry village in the oriental style. The house offers a good look of Hoi An family's daily life.
Kim Bong village. On the boat, you will immerse yourselves into the comfortable fresh air and enjoy the idyllic landscapes on both sides of the river.
This village has long been known for its wood carving. At first, the artisans inherited the techniques from the northern Vietnamese. Later, from business exchange, they could successfully adopt the know-how of Chinese and Japanese sculptures and cultivate their own style. Bike around the village to understand their daily life and visit a carpenter's workshop to admire their talent. It is possible to buy some wood products as souvenirs.
to Tra Nhieu village. Immerse into the countryside in the center of Vietnam. The trip will allow some unprecedented meetings for instance, Ms Duoc with the mat weaving, Mr Kha with the bamboo sampan basket making and Mr Huynh Ri with his craftsman shipyard. A countryside landscape of palm and rice fields, buffaloes and farmers in the fields will surround you along the way.
to Cam Thanh village. Along the way the landscapes of fishing farms and water palmtrees will accompany you.
Arrive in Cam Thanh, take a little rest in the house of fisherman (Mr. Phong) enjoy green tea and foot massage with medicinal herbs that planted in the family garden. Then prepare vegetables and herbs from Tra Que village, small practice of cooking the dishes: crispy pancake (meat, shrimp, beansprouts…), spring rolls of Hoi An, Tam Huu, grilled fish in banana leaf… Enjoy the dishes that you made.
In the afternoon, embark a small round bamboo sampan basket boat to the water palm trees forest. This is a relaxing moment after hours of biking.
8:00 AM: travel to Hue by passing Da Nang along the sea road. Once you arrive in Da Nang, stop to visit the Cham Museum which preserves the most important Cham culture collections in the world. Then, walk to My Khe beach where you can enjoy the view of giant Goodness of Mercy statues in the Linh Ung Pagoda. Take photos of fishermen by the beach then continue driving along the coastline to Hue ancient capital. Make a stop at top of the Hai Van pass to enjoy the breathtaking view of the ocean.
visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas in Hue, dating back to 1601. This is the spiritual highlight of the city and well known for its majestic octagon tower and beautiful view of the Perfume River.
visit the most important sites in city - Hue Citadel, the only vestige symbol for what was once the imperial city of Vietnam. It is inspired by the fortification of Vauban. The city is composed of three parts: Kinh Thanh (the Capital city), Hoang Thanh (the Imperial city) and Cam Thanh (the Forbidden City). The most beautiful sites in Hue are concentrated in this area including the flag tower, the South gate, the palace of supreme Harmony, the Dynasty temple area and the settlement area.
8:00 AM: Transfer to the Huong River (or Perfume River) to embark a Royal boat trip to the villages in the East of the city. This is an opportunity to discover the local life on the both sides of this poetic river. Upon arrival in Tien Non village, disembark for a bike ride in the countryside through three villages: Tien Non, Thanh Tien and Sinh village. During the trip, you will be immersed into the daily rhythm of life in the villages.
In Tien Non village, meet the villagers working on the fields and vegetable gardens. Then, visit a family worship house in the village. Next, reach Thanh Tien village, an artificial paper flower village dating back 400 years. Besides the rural works, they make paper flowers for the New Year festival to offer their ancestors the best wishes. Visit Mr. Hieu’s family, one of the well-known artisans in the village to learn how to make paper flowers under his instruction. Keep going to Sinh village, a cradle of 400 year folklore prints in Hue. Meet Mr. Phuoc who will explain the techniques of traditional prints. You will find beautiful souvenirs on this trip. Later, take the boat back to the city.
Khai Dinh King's tomb, built in 11 years (1920 – 1931) on Chau Tru hill. Khai Dinh King's tomb is distinguished from other emperor's tombs by the mixture of oriental and western styles. A hundred-step climb will take you to the worship palace at the top. You will discover the amazing decoration with delightful porcelain fragments, a giant painting on the ceiling and a small royal objects museum next door. Finally, the descent offers a panoramic view to the tomb and surrounding area.
Landing at the Tan Son Nhat airport, you are welcomed by professional tour guide and driver at the pickup lobby. On the 30-minute driving from the airport to the city center, your tour guide will introduce you about the highlights of the city, and share the experiences of eating and drinking, traffic, culture....
On arrival, transfer to your hotel.
Note: Hotel check in time at 14.00
9:00 AM: the Independence Palace, once used as the home - office of the Presidents of South Vietnam. Our visit includes the North Vietnamese tank which effectively attacked the palace in 1975 to bring the controversial Vietnam War to an end and the five-story palace with its rooms have been preserved in their late 1960s, 1970s style and a bunker basement.
the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, originally built between 1863 and 1880, evidently reflects the French colonist influences. It’s a picturesque spot in the city.
The Saigon Central Post Office is a stunning building, designed by the famous architect Gustave Eiffel. It is an actually working post office with beautiful indoor decorations.
have a visit to Binh Tay Market, located in Saigon’s Chinatown area with hundreds of stalls, the biggest market in city actually contributes a hub for many of Saigon’s demands including clothing, souvenir and food items. There is also a food court where visitors can sample local delicacies and street food.
visit Quan Am Pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas in city and dedicated to Guan Yin, elements of Taoism, and the folk worship of the "Queen of Heaven".
visit the Traditional Medicine Museum (FITO) where the medicinal herb recipes, magic potions and special antique tools are preserved.
Meet our tour guide and driver for your transfer to Cai Be. Visit Cao Dai temple on route. On arrival, embark a small private boat for a cruise in a branch of the Mekong River. Experience the rhythm of life on the legendary Mekong River by visiting the canals lined with orchards.
Visiting craft workshops of rice popcorn, coconut caramel and rice cake…Go biking or walking on the village paths to discover the ancient and beautiful Phu Chau pagoda where the serenity reigns and meet the local people. Enjoy lunch in an open air restaurant where you can taste a famous local specialty, the elephant ear fish. Finally, enjoy tasting delicious fruits while rowing a small rowboat in the canals, shaded by the fruit trees.
Continue your boat trip to Vinh Long and meet the driver at the pier for a transfer to Can Tho. Arrive in Can Tho in the late afternoon. Check in your hotel and relax. Enjoy free time on your own to discover the city located on the Mekong River side.
Have breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the pier for a boat trip to visit Cai Rang floating market, the largest and most lively market in the Mekong Delta. There are so many colors and smells in the bubbling atmosphere where hundreds of sampans are filled with goods such as rice, fruits, and craft products. Everything is shown to sell from the early morning.
Leave the market and continue the boat trip through the canals and visit a fruit garden (Option - replace the garden with the nursery field by the river). Head back to An Binh Market which is full of fish, fruits and vegetables. Stop at Binh Thuy ancient house which contains the orchid garden where “The Lover” was filmed.
Transfer back to Saigon and arrive in the late afternoon.
Private driver will pick you up at the hotel lobby for about 30 minutes to Tan Son Nhat airport (international or domestic hall according to your request). Thanks for the visit to our city.
Note: International flights require you to be at the airport 3 hours and domestic is 2 hours before departure time.
In the rush hour (07:00 – 08:30 AM and 16:30 – 18:30 PM), it takes around 1 hour from city center to Tan Son Nhat airport.