Hospitable Vietnam & Laos

lunch

Today you will be the early bird in order to admire Mekong Delta Area. We first leave the chaotic city. Stop by My tho city to visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, the most historical one in the region.

Then you will be stunned by the tool in front of you. It's called sampan: a kind of boat that has been used in Vietnamese for generations. Now start the cruise with the sampan on the Mekong river. What to explore? The fish floating market and islands of Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle, Phoenix are waiting for you.

Drop by Unicorn island, stroll on the village road. A visit to an orchard of tropical fruits is pleasant. Then enjoy honey-tea in a bee-farm and visit a Mekong Delta style house. Taste fresh candies in coconut candy workshop. Southern Vietnam traditional music will also add a special flavor to your tour.

It's almost lunch time. Let’s try a homemade lunch in a local family. The family members will share their cooking time with you. You will be more than happy to practise a little with your own hands. After lunch, say bye-bye to the hospitable people and you will go back to the boat pier.

Mekong Delta

lunch

In the morning, you will be cruising along the Mekong River. You will experience the well-known Cai Rang Floating Market. Hundreds of boats gathering here from the dawn till before noon makes the area extraordinary animated and the water surface colorful with numerous tropical fruits. And you will have chance to discover production process of Vietnamese rice noodles at the Bun Tau Noodle Factory.

In the afternoon you will be transferred back to Ho Chi Minh City. Then drive to the airport for your next destination - Hue. Upon arrival, your guide will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel. Starting a little adventure on your own or just having a rest, either can be a good choice.

Cai Rang Floating Market

lunch

Today you will explore the ancient Citadel in Hue. The Citadel was constructed for the Imperial family more than 200 year ago. You will be greatly impressed by the architectural design and charming surroundings. All kinds of buildings needed for imperial life such as palaces, temples and monuments can be found in the Citadel. With a walk on the cobbled paths, you can easily discover the traces of time in those building and recall the past splendor of the imperial family.

Then you will pay a visit to the Royal Tombs in the nearby countryside, where the past emperors were buried. You can find that the Tombs have an extremely quiet and elegant scenery as background. And the Perfume River is the shining belt in the scenery. You will also discover the tallest and iconic Pagoda in Vietnam by an imperial dragon boat cruise on the River. Last but not least, you can feel the authentic life of local people in a market visit.

Imperial Citadel

lunch

In the morning, your guide will pick you up at hotel and transfer you to Hoi An. The ride takes about 3 hours. But don't worry, you will be along the beautiful shoreline and your eyes will enjoy a feast of wonderful landscape of sea view. You will have a stopover in Da Nang, a nice seaside city. It's time for you to walk out of the vehicle and have a good time on the fine sand at Da Nang's Beaches. You can also get some cultural inspirations from the Cham Museum. Founded in 1915, the museum hosts a valuable collection of stone sculptures and Hindu-practicing civilization.

You are free in the afternoon when arriving in Hoi An. And you may relax or explore at your own will.

Da Nang's Beaches

lunch

In the morning, you will be picked you up at hotel and start the discovery tour of Hoi An. Hoi An, the ancient city, is on the central coast of Vietnam. The Old Town of Hoi An is a must for every tourist. It’s an remarkably well-preserved South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. You will visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, also known as the Cau Chua Pagoda, one of the most visited landmarks in the city. The bridge was built in the 17th century, allowing the Japanese quarter of Hoi An to be accessible from the Chinese neighborhoods. The bridge is covered and resembles a Japanese pagoda, and its original style has been carefully preserved for the last 400 years. You will also discover that many of the historic buildings are built in a traditional Chinese style, in contrast with the Japanese Bridge.

The Old Town of Hoi An

Today you will be transferred to the airport in Da Nang and you will fly to your next destination- Hanoi. Upon arrival, your guide will pick you and assist you with your hotel check-in. The rest of the day will be at your own disposal.

lunch

Today, you will have a city tour of Hanoi. You will be surrounded by Hanoi's landscape and sound, covering all the elements.
In the morning, you will visit the fascinating Museum of Ethnology, which has a large number of life-size buildings dedicated to the 54 ethnic minorities of Vietnam. 

Then you will visit Ho Chi Minh's architectural complex, including the Ho Chi Mihn's Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh's Former Residence, Ho Lo Prison, One-pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature, which dates back to 1070 and is the first university in Vietnam.

In the afternoon, you can enjoy an hour's tricycle ride on hustle and bustle streets of the Old City Area-you just can't miss it! You can also make yourself fresh up with a strong local coffee while strolling along the old city. Last but not least, a traditional performance of the famous Vietnamese Water Puppet Show will be the happy ending of the day.

Old Quarter

lunch and dinner

In the morning, you will be picked you up at hotel and transfer to Halong Bay. Halong Bay is famous for the largest marine limestone 'karst' landscape in the world and the whole area is awarded as UNESCO World Heritage. The transfer will take about three and a half hours. You won't be bored as your eyes enjoy a feast of wonderful landscape of the Red River Delta countryside.

The crew are waiting and will assist you board the traditional Vietnamese sailboat. The amazing sail starts. You will have a relaxing lunch first while the boat takes you to discover the islands. On board all meals are included. You will drop by a fishing village where you can still see a rowing-boat. You can communicate with local residents and visit pearl farms and the school on water. Return to the ship in time to enjoy the nice sunset with a refreshing drink on hand. Later, taste fresh seafood for dinner.

Halong Bay

lunch

You'd better get up a little early in the morning if you don't want to miss the sunrise over the Halong bay. You will also be awarded with a Martial lesson for your early getting up on the deck if weather condition allows.

Next, a pleasant discovery tour of stalagmites and stalactites is waiting for you in a well-know ancient limestone cave. Don’t worry as you will be well guided. The sail will head back at about 10:30 am and it's time for a good brunch. Once on shore, your guide and driver will transfer you back to Hanoi (about 3 hrs).

You will take the flight to Luang Prabang in Laos with the assistance of your private guide. In Luang Prabang, your guide will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel. You can have a good rest in the hotel.

Halong Bay

lunch

Today you will have a leisurely cruise upstream on the Mekong River to visit Pak Ou Caves. Before you reach the caves, have a brief stop at Ban Xang Hai village and try some local whiskey made from white sticky rice. You will also have the opportunity to learn how laolao, the local rice wine, is made. The Pak Ou Caves are embedded in steep limestone cliffs. You will see countless fabulous gold lacquered Buddha statues in different shapes and sizes within the caves.

Then climb up Mount Phousi to enjoy the sunset from the top of it. It takes a lot of energy to climb the mountain but the 360 degree view of Luang Prabang from the summit makes it worthwhile.

Mount Phousi sunset

lunch

If you are interested, get up early in the morning and observe the alms giving ceremony at around 05:30. It is a good experience if you want to understand the local culture better. You will feel the local people's piety towards their religion.

After that, visit some of the splendid temples in Luang Prabang to experience their Buddhist culture. You will also visit the gorgeous Royal Palace Museum. Then head for Khouang Si Waterfalls, which are one of the top waterfalls in South East Asia.

Alms giving ceremony

You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to depart Luang Prabang .