13-Day Explore the Beauty of Vietnam

Book our 13-Day Explore the Beauty of Vietnam to enjoy Hanoi street food, explore Cat Cat Village, and cruise along the waters of Halong Bay.

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Highlights

Escape to the Vietnamese countryside with Ba Vi Eco Tour and Mekong Delta cruise.
Enjoy the street food in Hanoi.
Trek through the rice terraces in Sapa.
Cruise to the spectacular Halong Bay.
Discover the mystery of Phong Nha cave.
Go fishing in Hoi An.

Attractions included in this trip:

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Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome To Vietnam – Hanoi Arrival

The trip starts with your arrival in Vietnam. At the airport, your private driver will meet and greet you. You’ll be escorted by private transport to the hotel. Check-in and get over the jet lag at your hotel.

You’ll be able to mooch around the city streets. This region is splashed with historical charm, architectural marvels, and a variety of products.

Back to the hotel for a nice sleep after spending the first day.

In Hanoi overnight

Day 2: Escape To Vietnam Countryside (B/L)

08:00 Start your journey to the village of Ri in Ba Vi. You’ll arrive at Mr. Duoc’s house with a welcome drink after a 1.5-hour drive.

10:00-Visit Ri Village’s 30-year-old tea plantation. This is a green and peaceful place, and the village has a beautiful landscape. In providing tea products for the entire north of Vietnam, this tea plantation plays an important role. You will have the opportunity to help harvest tea leaves for the local family. You’ll know how to pick the best part of the tea tree to make the most beautiful drink—traditional tea from Vietnam.

Mr. Duoc is a Vietnam War veteran and the owner of a big tea farm. He is also a specialist in the management of raw tea leaves. He’ll show you how to make a nice green tea before selling it.

You’ll have a great time listening to the host’s tales of his Vietnam War life and enjoying the green lentil or lotus seed tea that his family made.

11:15-Drive to visit another host family for about 10 minutes to give you a cooking class that Mrs. Chin does. She’s going to show you how to make Vietnamese food, and you’re going to have a great time with your lunch and the food that you’ve made.

12:30: Have lunch with the family of the host and have a brief break after lunch. You’ll then head back to Hanoi and have free time to explore the area.

In Hanoi overnight.

Day 3: Immerse Yourself In Hanoi Street Food – Comfort Sleep On The Train To Sapa (B/L)

Your local English-speaking expert guide will give you an insight into Vietnamese food culture’s intricacies and customs, including information on ingredients and historical histories of famous northern dishes. As we go, we eat, try seasonal fruits and taste a delicious French-inspired snack from a street cart.

We tempt our taste buds with the popular Hanoi dish, such as Bun Cha Hanoi, Banh Cuon at a local eatery, to walk through the labyrinth of busy streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Wait in awe as the professional chefs show how this delicious meal is put together for you.

We stroll past street stalls and quiet residential streets, continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, where you can experience local life that has changed little since Hanoi was formed over 1000 years ago.

Our next two snack stops are at barbecue stalls outdoors. We sit down with the locals of Hanoi and taste different specialties of meat, vegetables and bread that are flame-grilled for extra flavor over hot coals. When we go down a small alley to join the local custom of feasting on fresh fruit served in a cup and smothered with crushed iced and condensed milk, it is then time for dessert-this specialty is not to be missed!

Your local guide will then take you to Banh My Hanoi, Vietnamese Rice Wine, and the popular Egg Coffee, one of Hanoi’s best kept secrets, a hidden street food restaurant to try the top ten street foods in Hanoi. One of the few left in the narrow street inside the Hanoi Old Quarter is this hard-to-find café.

Or if your style isn’t coffee, a cold beer awaits you! You are free to continue to explore the area at the end of the trip or your guide can help you with directions or take a taxi to return to your hotel.

20:30 – 21:00 At the hotel pick-up. Transfer to the railway station for the Sapa night train (schedule 21:50 – 06:30).

On the train overnight.

Day 4: Trekking Through The Colourful Cat Cat Village (B/L/D)

6:30 AM: Arrive at Cai’s Lao. At Lao Cai Station, pick-up, then move to Sapa. You’re going to have breakfast and have some time to relax.

09:00 – 09:30 Trek to Cat Cat Black H’Mong Tribe Villages. Enjoy the Cat Cat waterfall and the lovely scenery along the way. Check-in at the hotel then (check-in after 12:00 pm). Enjoy a local restaurant lunch.

Afternoon: Free time to explore and discover the Stone Church & Sapa Market. Go back to your hotel for dinner and enjoy your night in the town of Sapa.

App.3-hour trek – 4 kilometers

In Sapa overnight.

Day 5: Wonderful Muong Hoa Valley – Night Train Back To Ha Noi (B/L)

You will check out after breakfast and leave your luggage at the hotel to get ready for the journey. To visit the Tay and Day tribes, trek down to Lao Chai village, then proceed along the bottom of the Sapa valley to get to Ta Van village, which is supposed to be the most beautiful village in the area. On the way, have your picnic lunch. By motorbike/jeep, you go back to Sapa. Take our car back to Lao Cai Station, then have dinner on your account.

App- 5-hour trek- 13 kilometres

Overnight in Hanoi’s soft A/C sleeper cabin (schedule: 21:15 to 05:30)

On the train overnight.

Day 6: Cruise To The Spectacular Halong Bay (B/L/D)

Check out the hotel in the morning and get a cruise pick-up. Take the most scenic route to Halong Bay, with emerald green rice paddies reaching as far as your eyes can see across the Red River Delta. You get to enjoy a cruise on the Bay upon arrival at Halong to better explore the limestone rocks and the karst grottoes.

After your discovery of the bay is over, it is time to enjoy an absolutely delicious lunch of seafood. Then go to Ha Long Bay’s famous limestone cave, where you can spend some time kayaking or swimming, so you can get closer to the floating villages and shops. You will return to the boat in the evening for an early dinner, followed by a quick leisure break. You may choose to attend boat events or rest for the day.

On a cruise overnight.

Day 7: Wake Up With The Dragon In The Bay (B/L)

Get up early for a lesson in Tai Chi or just enjoy a hearty breakfast. The boat returns to the port and stops at the Limestone Cave, full of stalagmites and stalactites. It is clear from here to sail back to the main harbor and return to Hanoi around 17:00. Take the flight to Hue, then. Check in at your hotel and enjoy some quality time there.

In Hue overnight.

Day 8: Walk Into Another Universe (B/L)

About 7:30 a.m., pick you up at the hotel in Hue city and head to Phong Nha Ke Bung National Park. Enjoy the surrounding views of the Hien Luong Bridge, Dong Ha City, Ben Hai River, and Vinh Moc Tunnels on the way. Have a stop at the ruins of the church of La Vang, where the Virgin Mary was seen in 1798. Then you drive to the popular Ho Chi Minh Legendary Trails. Get a local restaurant lunch.

In the afternoon, take a scenic boat ride through the rustic village and the Limestone Mountains on the Son River. After that by rowing a boat, explore Phong Nha Cave and walk inside the cave to see the wonderful stalactites and stalagmites and other beautiful parts of nature.

Return at approximately 20:00 to Hue.

Day 9: Travel From Hue To Hoi An (B)

Tomorrow morning: Have tea. At Thuan An Island, Garden Home, or take some pictures, you can go sightseeing. At your hotel, our guide will meet you. We will go on a 3-hour drive to Hue by private car after checking out.

Afternoon: Check in at a hotel after arriving in Hoi An. First you have the right to go around town. You can ride a bicycle, for example, and see the scenery around it. Spend your night at Hoi An.

In Hoi An overnight.

Day 10: Being A Local In One Day Then Fly To Ho Chi Minh City (B/L)

Start of the tour – 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., finishing between 12.00 and 12.30 a.m.

Will you like the local fishermen to go fishing? Why don’t you have a nice experience with this funny basketball boat? You shouldn’t hesitate to put a big smile on your face that day. Fishing with a local fisherman here on the river is really fun as you catch your fish and we cook for you. You will enjoy a wide variety of experiences on the Fishermen & the Waterways of a Past War Tour – from studying traditional fishing techniques to paddling the strange and unusual Vietnamese bamboo basket boats while exploring the now quiet coconut-palm flanked waterways of a previous war.

We deliver an authentic social and cultural insight into the local Vietnamese way of life on this trip. You’ll also take part in some hands-on activities for people of all ages that are enjoyable, healthy, and interesting.

Then switch to Da Nang train station for a night train to Ho Chi Minh. Have some leisure time.

In Ho Chi Minh overnight.

Day 11: Discover The Pearl Of The Orient And Fascinating Cu Chi Tunnels (B/L)

Take the morning trip to visit the Palace of Freedom, also known as the Palace of Reunification, constructed on the sight of the ancient palace of Norodom.

The Independence Palace was designed by the architect Ngo Viet Thu and is a widely recognized landmark of Ho Chi Minh City. The magnificent buildings from the French Colonial era, such as Notre Dame Cathedral and the historic Central Post Office, continue to be seen.

The museum has an extensive display of both the Indochina Wars, followed by the impressive location of the War Remnants Museum. Get a local restaurant lunch.

Departure to the Cu Chi Tunnels after lunch.

The journey will take a one-and-a-half-hour drive or so. Upon arrival, you will have a brief introduction before exploring the tunnels, followed by a video about how the tunnels were built and how people lived in the difficult conditions of wartime.

Then, spend your time exploring the remaining area and tunnel systems that include the special designed living areas with kitchens, side-by-side bedrooms with other martial facilities such as storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, and command centers that help everyone living inside the tunnels meet their basic needs. In addition, in the maze-like tunnels, there are also several secret trap doors and deadly traps throughout the war for security purposes.

Unique tea and cassava (guerilla food during the war) will be served afterwards. For those who want to try shooting with a real gun, split time or time.

In Ho Chi Minh overnight.

Day 12: Explore The “Rice Bowl Of Vietnam” – Mekong Delta (B/L)

7:20 a.m.: Hotel pick-up.
Start your day with a hearty breakfast, followed by a trip to the Mekong Delta.

The town lies on the left side of the Mekong River, on the way to My Tho. Board the sampan and cruise around the four lovely islands known as the islands of Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, and Tortoise down the shore. Rest at Unicorn Island, stroll along the country road, see orchards, enjoy tropical fruits, and listen to local people’s folk music.

A visit to the fruit plantation, then. Visit the family workshops and honey-bee farm, and enjoy honey tea and coconut candies, ride a hand-rowed sampan through Thoi Son canal and enjoy the beauty of the countryside.

Get a local restaurant lunch.

Time at break. It’s time to cycle around the village of Tan Thach in the afternoon and visit local villagers to experience local life in the Mekong Delta.

For those who do not engage in the cycling ride, Hammock relaxes and enjoys the cool breeze. Back to Ho Chi Minh. In Ho Chi Minh overnight.

Day 13: Time To Say Goodbye – Ho Chi Minh Departure (B)

On the final day of your journey, enjoy a balanced breakfast. Complete the formalities of hotel check-outs. You should visit the local markets after that and buy souvenirs for your loved ones. Later, leave and board your flight back home.

The journey finishes.

Attractions on this trip