Vietnam Authentic Tour 3 weeks

Experience the diverse culture, wonderful cuisine, natural beauty and friendly people of Vietnam from the North to the Center and to the South with our special Vietnam Authentic Tour 3 weeks. Enjoy the peace of Hanoi, the stunning beauty of Halong Bay during your first days in Vietnam, before visiting and discovering the majestic mountains of Northwest with its hidden beauty. Next, visit the ancient Hue for a glimpse of the country's historical side, then take a short trip to visit Danang – one of the most vibrant cities in Vietnam and Hoian ancient town. Straight to the Southern Vietnam, the metropolitan pulse of Ho Chi Minh City will be your first experience before dipping into the rural life of the Mekong Delta by visiting the floating markets of Cai Be. Moreover, enjoy the sea environment by staying overnight on a junk in Ha Long Bay and participate in night Squid fishing which is the most interesting activity and wonderful pleasure of the night journey.

Day 1: Hanoi arrival (D)
Day 2: Hanoi discovery (B, L)
Day 3: Hanoi – Hoa Lu (B, L, D)
Day 4: Hoa Lu – Mai Chau (B, L, D)
Day 5: Mai Chau – Son La (B, L, D)
Day 6: Son La – Than Uyen – Sapa (B, L, D)
Day 7: Sapa – Lao Chai – Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai – Sapa (B, L)
Day 8: Sapa – Can Cau typical market – Bac Ha (B, L)
Day 9: Bac Ha – Vu Linh Village – Yen Bai (B, L, D)
Day 10: Yen Bai – Hiking – Hanoi (B, L)
Day 11: Hanoi – Halong – Overnight on junk (B, L, D)
Day 12: Halong – Cruise – Hanoi – Hue (B, L)
Day 13: Hue – The Imperial City discovery (B, L)
Day 14: Hue – Danang – Hoian (B, L)
Day 15: Hoian – My Son Sanctuary – Hoian (B, L)
Day 16: Hoian – Old Town discovery (B, L)
Day 17: Hoian – Danang – Saigon (B, L)
Day 18: Saigon – My Tho – Vinh Long (B, L, D)
Day 19: Vinh Long – Cai Be floating market – Can Tho (B, L)
Day 20: Can Tho – Cai Rang floating market – Saigon (B, L)
Day 21: Saigon – Departure (B)
 

Day 1: Hanoi arrival (D)
Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, you will be welcomed and met by our local guide before being transferred to hotel for relaxing or having a personal discovery of Hanoi. Have welcome dinner at local restaurant and stay overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi discovery (B, L)
Have breakfast at the hotel. You will visit the centre Hanoi including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts, the Presidential Palace, the One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature... before having lunch at a local restaurant. Then, visit the Museum of Ethnography, Quan Thanh Temple and Tran Quoc Temple. Later, enjoy a rickshaw to discover the colonial side through Hanoi's old quarters and 36 beautiful streets. In the evening, enjoy a special puppet water performance show – a typical Vietnamese art. Have your own dinner and stay overnight at the hotel.

Day 3: Hanoi – Hoa Lu (B, L, D)
Enjoy breakfast. Start your next day with a discovery at one of the ancient capitals of Vietnam – Hoa Lu, which is considered as "Halong Bay on land" with rocks in the shape of a sugar loaf arising in the rice fields, beautiful rivers and impressive limestone peaks. Visit the two temples of Kings Dinh dated from 10th century. After lunch, cruise on a sampan through the caves of Tam Coc or Trang An Grotto to meet the local people, then cycle through the villages around Tam Coc to visit many karsts and rice paddies. Have dinner at local restaurant and stay overnight at Hoa Lu

Day 4: Hoa Lu – Mai Chau (B, L, D)
Have breakfast at the hotel, then take a morning departure from Hoa Lu to Mai Chau through charming roads. As you pass over the landscapes, you may take a few stops at your leisure to take photos or visit the villages at both roadsides. Upon arrival at Mai Chau, enjoy a welcome tea party in the large traditional Thai house on stilts before having lunch with the locals. Later, hike through the village to discover the daily life and crafts of White Thai ethnic people. Have dinner and stay overnight in the house on stilts.

Day 5: Mai Chau – Son La (B, L, D)
After having breakfast, take an early departure from Mai Chau to Son La, during which you may enjoy its beautiful roadside sceneries. Before Son La, visit Moc Chau for lunch at a local restaurant and arrive in Son La at eventide for checking in at the hotel. You will have one or two hours to discover the town on feet, then visit the black Thai ethnic people. Have dinner and stay overnight at the hotel.

Day 6: Son La – Than Uyen – Sapa (B, L, D)
Have breakfast at hotel, then depart for Sapa via Than Uyen and Binh Lu which are some of the most beautiful provinces in Vietnam. During transition, you may have a few stops on the way to see terraced rice fields, green hills of tea and many ethnic minorities: the Tay, the red Hmong, the Daos, the Lu… at your leisure. Have lunch while transferring before continuing the trip to Sapa via Fanxipan Mountain – the current highest mountain peak in Vietnam, and Tram Ton pass – the highest pass in the Northern Vietnam as well. Upon arrival at Sapa as the sunsets, check in a local hotel and have a short walk through small and charming streets of Sapa colonial town before dinner at local restaurant. Stay overnight at hotel in Sapa.

Day 7: Sapa – Lao Chai – Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai – Sapa (B, L)
In the morning, depart in a private car to Lao Chai village after having breakfast, where you will start your next day by hiking through suspension bridges, ethnic villages and rice terraces, then have lunch in a local restaurant with traditional music. In the afternoon, visit Giang Ta Chai village and continue the trip through many wonderful landscapes: bamboo forest, rice terraces, waterfalls, ethnic villages… while meeting friendly and hospitable local people. After that, return to Sapa in the afternoon for dinner. Stay overnight at the hotel.

Day 8: Sapa – Can Cau typical market – Bac Ha (B, L)
Enjoy breakfast, then depart for Sapa earlier to explore the typical Can Cau market at its best. Upon arrival, visit the market at the border between Vietnam and China, as you meet many people from both countries coming to the market for trading. After that, have lunch at a local restaurant, then hike along the villages around Bac Ha to discover the daily life and crafts of the H’mong, Tay, or Phu La ethnic people… Have dinner and stay overnight in Bac Ha.

Day 9: Bac Ha – Vu Linh Village – Yen Bai (B, L, D)
Have breakfast at the hotel, then depart for Vu Linh village via the rudimentary road with magnificent sceneries at both roadsides. You may have a few stops during transition to take pictures or meet and greet with local ethnic poeple along the way. Upon arrival at Yen Bai – Vu Linh Village, enjoy a welcome tea party in the large traditional house before you have lunch with the local in the big room. In the afternoon, take a nice boat ride on the Thac Ba Lake to discover the lively fishing activities of people around the lake. Have dinner and stay overnight at the village.

Day 10: Yen Bai – Hiking – Hanoi (B, L, D)
After breakfast with the local people, start your next day by hiking around Da Trang, Cao Lan, Trai Man – the original regions of Tay ethnic people, and Tam Vong and Vu Linh – the Dao white ethnic’s regions to discover their daily lives. Later, have lunch with the local before returning to Hanoi in the afternoon through many fabulous sceneries: rice terraced fields, green tea hills and ethnic villages. As you arrive in Hanoi at eventide, check in at local hotel, then have dinner and stay overnight in Hanoi.

Day 11: Hanoi – Halong – Overnight on the junk (B, L, D)
Have breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Halong through the beautiful road with the rich farmlands of the Red River on the roadside. You may stop at your leisure during the journey to take pictures of farmers in the rice fields with conical hat. Upon arrival at Ha Long, you will have 2 day of cruising along the Bay and one night a beautiful junk to discover one of the most luxurious hotels in the world. Have lunch, then you visit Sung Sot Cave and Trong cave. Dinner is served on the junk with an excellent fresh seafood menu. Stay overnight on the junk.

Day 12: Ha Long – Cruise – Hanoi – Hue (by flight) (B, L)
You are recommended to wake up in the early morning to enjoy Halong Bay. After a morning swim, have breakfast on the junk, then discover the most beautiful cave that is hidden inside Halong Bay. Have lunch on board before transferring to Noi Bai Domestic Airport for a flight to Hue. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by our driver and transfer to the city. Have dinner and stay overnight in Hue.

Day 13: Hue – The Imperial City discovery (B, L)
In the morning, enjoy your breakfast at hotel before visiting Hue – the Imperial City, with locations such as the Tu Duc Tomb (built by three thousands people from 1864 to 1867) and colonial market Dong Ba (the largest market in the region). After that, have lunch at a local restaurant, then take a sampan ride on the Huong River for a visit to Thien Mu pagoda, which located atop the hill that possesses an overview of Huong River, along with the tomb of Emperor Minh Mang. At eventide, have your own dinner and stay overnight at the hotel.

Day 14: Hue – Danang – Hoian (B, L)
After breakfast at hotel, depart for Hoi An through the famous and stunning 1A Highway. You may take a few stops during transition at the top of Hai Van Pass for a panoramic view over Danang and its surrounding areas; or take some pictures at Lang Co beach. Have lunch at local restaurant, then visit the Cham Museum before continuing the trip to Hoian. Upon arrival, check in at local hotel and take your free time to discover the town on your own before dinner time. Stay overnight in Hoi An.

Day 15: Hoian – My Son sanctuary – Return to Hoian (B, L)
Have an early breakfast before your morning departure to My Son sanctuary – the largest site of Cham ruins in Vietnam, as the place was the intellectual and religious center of old Champa Kingdom. The main archaeological site of the region was from the fourth to the thirteenth century and also served as the burial place for Cham monarchs. My Son is considered to be Champa’s counterpart to the grand city of South-East Asia’s other Indian-influence civilisation: Angkor (Cambodia), Bagan (Myanmar), Ayuthaya (Thailand) and Borobudur (Java). After visiting, have lunch and then return to Hoian, where you may have free time for swimming and relaxation in the most beautiful beach in Central Vietnam. Have dinner and stay overnight in Hoian.

Day 16: Hoian – Old Town discovery (B, L)
Have breakfast at the hotel, then discover the charming old town of Hoi An by walking. Through the narrow streets of the city, you will discover more than old traditional Chinese houses with more than two centuries of age, along with the iconic Japanese Bridge, Chinese temple, the house of Phung Hung, etc... then have lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, take a private boat cruise on Thu Bon River to Cua Dai estuary. Have dinner and stay overnight in Hoian.

Day 17: Hoian – Danang – Saigon (by flight) (B, L)
In the morning, you may discover Hoian or swimming at your leisure after breakfast. Later, transfer to Danang Domestic Airport for a flight to Saigon. Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat Domestic Airport; you will be transferred to hotel by our driver for checking in. After that, visit some of the city's popular historical sites, such as Saigon Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, Chinatown, Ben Thanh Market,... Have dinner and stay overnight at the hotel.

Day 18: Saigon – My Tho – Vinh Long (B, L, D)
Have breakfast at the hotel, then depart for My Tho City at Mekong Delta for your next trip. Upon arrival, embark a private boat for a riverside trip along the flows of Mekong Rivers. As you pass across Phoenix, Turtles, Dragon and Lion island, you will encounter many floating fishermen’s houses in the form of a boat or ship. Have lunch at a local restaurant on Phoenix island with many specialties of the region being served. After that, continue to visit hand-crafting workshops that produce coconut milk candy, glutinous rice,… which will be followed by a carriage ride around the village to discover its daily life. Travel to Vinh Long through the rivers, then check in for your homestay. Have dinner and stay overnight in Vinh Long.

Day 19: Vinh Long – Cai Be floating market – Can Tho (B, L)
After having breafast at your homestay. take a boat trip to visit Cai Rang floating market – one of the most unique markets in Vietnam, where you will have the chance to interact with local people trading continuously. After that, visit some more local gardens and taste its organic local products, before travelling to Binh Thuy ancient house and Ong pagoda. Then visit some local villages to visit rice noodles and rice papers workshops. Have lunch at local restaurant. In the afternoon, continue the boat trip back to Vinh Long for the next bus to Can Tho. Have dinner and stay overnight in Can Tho.

Day 20: Can Tho – Cai Rang floating market – Saigon (B, L)
Have breakfast at the hotel. You will take a boat trip on one of the branches of the Mekong Rivers which will take you to the middle of Cai Rang floating market, fulfilled with lots of boats containing tropical fruits, daily goods and souvenirs, etc... Continue the trip through the arroyos, then travel ashore to go back to Saigon before the end of the day. Upon arrival, check in hotel for a short relax before dinner. Stay the night in Saigon.

Day 21: Saigon – Departure (B)
Have breakfast at the hotel. You may discover or visit at your leisure before transferring to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for departure flight. Tour ends,