Vietnam North to South & Beach 21 Days

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Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (GP)

Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you’ll be met and driven to your hotel.

Day 2: Hanoi city tour on the back of a motorbike (B, L, G)

You’ll have the whole day to explore Vietnam’s capital city on the back of a motorbike(s). Your guide will take you to the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam dating back to the 11th century and the nearby Fine Art Museum with many interesting exhibits. After that, you’ll call in at the serene Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest in Hanoi, on the banks of Hanoi’s Ho Tay (West) Lake,

Returning to the Old Quarter, the day will include a ‘Street Life’ experience, also on the back of a motorbike. You’ll spend a couple of hours wandering around the back streets in and nearby the Old Quarter. A street food brunch is included – take your pick from traditional Hanoi Pho (beef noodle soup), Nom (green papaya salad with seasoned beef), Banh Goi (pillow-shaped rice pastry with minced pork and mushroom), to Banh Cuon (hot rice paper with pork and fried onion) or Bun Cha (fresh noodle with grilled pork). If you’re hungry, try two or three varieties until you feel full.

Your last stop will be Long Bien Bridge, a magnificent structure built over a hundred years ago which spans the Red River and connects the Hoan Kiem and Long Bien districts and provides shelter to locals living on boats underneath.

You’ll then have tickets for a performance of traditional Water Puppetry (an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and a good, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture). You will spend the night in Hanoi.

Alternative for Day 2: Hanoi Orientation by car (B, L, G)

In case you don’t want to take the tour by motorbike, we will arrange the private car for you.

 

Day 3: Hanoi/ Hoa Lu/ Tam Coc/Hanoi (B, L, G)

After breakfast, you’ll be picked up to travel to Ninh Binh with approx. 2 hrs drive, 01 stop on the way for rest.

On arrival, you’ll visit two temples, one dedicated to Emperor Dinh and the other in memory of Emperor Le, followed by a brief visit to the remains of the Old Palace.

Next, you’ll be driven to Tam Coc, rowing along a gentle river between paddy fields and through the caves in Tam Coc, get a break before preparing your bicycle for a bike ride to Hang Mua and the Mua Caves. Then, you’ll climb 486 steps at Hang Mua for panoramic views and photo opportunities before coming back Hanoi.

You will spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 4: Hanoi/ Ha Long by shuttle bus/Lan Ha Bay/Overnight on Orchid Trendy Cruise (L, D, G on board)

09.00am	After breakfast, your private car and driver will welcome and take you to Ha Long Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the world’s largest marine limestone ‘karst’ landscape.
11:30	Arriving at Lot 32 – Tuan Chau Marina – have check-in procedures at the waiting lounge.
12:15	Transfer to Orchid Cruises by a tender boat. Welcome aboard, we’ll have some welcome drinks and gather at the restaurant for a cruise briefing and some safety instructions.
13:00	Passengers will be taking lunch while we cruise and visit Ha Long Bay – Lan Ha Bay – one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature
15:00	We progress to Trung Trang cave by bus on Cat Ba Island which is located in the middle of Cat Ba National Park. Trung Trang Valley is the largest valley on Cat Ba Island. The valley covers an area of approximately 300 hectares, has a depth of 10m to 30m and is around 15km in the middle of Cat Ba National Park. Trung Trang Cave measures 300m lengthwise through the mountains. The cave was carved by nature for more than 2000 years. The cave has many stalactites that take on various shapes that will awe and inspire visitors to use their imagination.
17:30	Orchid Cruises enters a less populated area at Tra Bau – Lan Ha Bay. Enjoy a nice swim in the green, emerald water.
18:00	Onboard you may join a cooking demonstration and enjoy the Happy Hour (buy 1 get 1) at the bar while watching the view of the bay at sunset. Optional: Massage service available. Please book with the Cruise Manager directly.
19:15	Savor a fusion dinner made with the freshest ingredients in a sophisticated space with elegant French neoclassical style and traditional oriental touches.
21:00	It’s time to admire the beauty of the night on the bay, our bar on the sundeck and in the restaurant welcomes you. You may want to try your luck with squid fishing, we also have chess and cards for you. You will spend the night on board. For your Ha Long excursion, you’ll board the Orchid Trendy cruise. The boat has totally 20 stunning cabins organised and crafted according to contemporary design trends. Almost cabins have personal balconies offering your own private outside space in Halong Bay. All cabins are air-conditioned and have windows overlooking the bay. The cabins are furnished with two twin beds or a double queen/king size bed. All meals, usually based on fresh seafood, will be provided on board

  

Day 5: Lan Ha Bay/Hanoi by shuttle bus (Brunch, Gon board)/Overnight train to Lao Cai

06:30	It is a perfect time to refresh and indulge yourself in the peaceful beauty of the bay with a tai chi session on the sundeck. If you want to hunt for dawn, get up from 5:30 to 6:00 depending on the season, and consult our sailors.
07:00	We will have breakfast at the restaurant while continuing the cruise.
07:30	Kayaking activities in the Ao Ech area are held to discover the hidden charm of Ha Long – Lan Ha Bay
08:30	Orchid Cruises welcomes you back on board and it is time for checking out.
10:00	Enjoy a delightful brunch at our restaurant while cruising back.
11:30	Disembark Orchid Cruises at Tuan Chau Marina, say best wishes, and end your cruise.

Followed by lunch just before docking around noon and leaving for Hanoi.

In the late afternoon, you’ll return to Hanoi to freshen-up in a mini hotel nearby the railway station before boarding the 21.10 overnight train to Lao Cai.

Day 6: Lao Cai/Lao Chai/Ta Van/Thanh Phu (B, L, D, G)

you’ll hike down a scenic valley calling in at the H’mong and Dzay ethnic minority villages on the way. You’ll have lunch in a local family. Later in the afternoon, you’ll be picked up by car to travel 12km ahead. You’ll enjoy picturesque scenery e-route and diverse ethnic minorities. You’ll then continue your hiking to Thanh Phu village where you’ll have dinner and spend the night in a Tay ethnic minority group stilt-house. (Local homestay)

Day 7: Thanh Phu/Nam Toong/Ban Ho/Sapa (B, L, D, G)

After breakfast, you’ll trek to the village of Xa Pho tribe, the smallest ethnic group in Sapa who have very little contact with modern Vietnam and they can speak very little Vietnamese. The route will continue taking you through the rice fields to the Red Dao village of Nam Toong where your guide will prepare your lunch in a local house.

After lunch you will ascend back to Ban Ho where your driver is waiting for you to take you back to Sapa for the overnight.

Day 8: Sapa/ Fanxipan Peak by Cable/ Hanoi by shuttle bus (B, L, G)

This morning, from 8.00 A.M you will have combo tickets (inclusive of mountain train and cable car) to visit Fansipan Peak (the guide will help to buy tickets and you will visit the Fansipan Peak by yourself).

Firstly, you will enjoy a total length of approximately 2 km on train from Sapa town to the cable car station. This is the longest mountain railway in Vietnam up to the present time. The train goes through several mysterious tunnels, crosses the viaduct and offers passengers a view to looking down the majestic natural beauty of Muong Hoa valley and peaceful villages.

You then continue with 15 minutes on cable car to admire the beautiful natural landscape at an altitude of thousands of meters. It is the primitive forest Hoang Lien Son, poetic Muong Hoa, the magnificent Hoang Lien Son mountain range…

Reach the altitute of 2800 meters, you have a good time to see the view and take photos, visit pagoda the spiritual destinations and trek up to 600 steps (or take another short tram) you will reach the peak of Fansipan – the Roof of Indochina.

Retuning back to your hotel to get luggage and our guide will drop off you at the bus station for the returning Hanoi by Limousine car. You will spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 9: Free day in Hanoi (GP, B)

You’ll arrive in Hanoi early in the morning and taken to your hotel with a free day in prospect if you need to recover from your exertions. You’ll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 10: Hanoi/Hue Citadel (B, DP in Hanoi, L, D in Hanoi, G in Hue)

In the morning, you’ll have free time for shopping in the bustling Old Quarter of Hanoi or at your leisure before pick up to the airport for a noon flight to Hue. After pick up and check-in, visit to the Imperial Citadel of Hue and Dong Ba market.

In the evening, you’ll sit down for dinner in the pleasant surroundings and a comfortable atmosphere of another of the garden houses.

You will spend the night in Hue.

 

The garden houses are a unique feature of Hue. The houses are traditional, privately owned, and set in attractive formal gardens. Some have connections with the old Royal Imperial Court. Hue traditional architecture has long had close associations with the natural environment. The garden houses reflect this association. Each is highly individual – house and garden, people and scenery, plants, clouds and water co-exist and blend with each other in a harmonious context. The narrow streets and abundant flora give the garden house area a country village feeling.

Day 11: Hue Royal Tombs (B, L, G)

Your morning will be taken up by a cruise along the Perfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda, and then by road to the Royal Tombs of Emperor Minh Mang and, in the afternoon, Emperor Khai Dinh. The two mausoleums span the long reign of the Nguyen King’s imperial dynasty – the contrast is stark.

From there, you’ll return to Hue to visit one of city’s ‘garden houses’ and then return to your hotel to freshen-up. You’ll spend the night in Hue.

Each Royal mausoleum reflects the personality of the Emperor it commemorates. The most majestic is that of Emperor Minh Mang, a staunch follower of Confucianism with many wives, concubines and a small army of children. Planned by the Emperor and built shortly after his death in formal Chinese style, it’s opulent and exotic, and a good example of classic Sino-Vietnamese architecture.

In complete contrast to Emperor Ming Mang’s flamboyant creation, the tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh is an unprepossessing concrete construction on the side of a wide valley. Its interest lies in the uneasy combination of Vietnamese and European features, the use of fragments of ceramics and glass for decoration, and the striking views from the courtyard in front of the mausoleum.

The garden houses are a unique feature of Hue. The houses are traditional, privately owned, and set in attractive formal gardens. Some have connections with the old Royal Imperial Court. Hue traditional architecture has long had close associations with the natural environment. The garden houses reflect this association. Each is highly individual – house and garden, people and scenery, plants, clouds and water co-exist and blend with each other in a harmonious context. The narrow streets and abundant flora give the garden house area a country village feeling.

Minh Mang Tomb	Khai Dinh Tomb	Thien Mu Pagoda

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Day 12: Hue/Danang/Hoi An (B, L, G)

In the morning, your car will arrive to drive you to Danang. On the way, you’ll cross the high mountain pass of Hai Van. The views from top are excellent – you should be able to see Lang Co beach, village and the lagoon far below, and Danang spread out before you to the south. Upon arriving in Danang, you’ll have a brief look at the remarkable Hindu statuary in the Cham Museum before leaving for Hoi An. In the afternoon, you’ll have a guided visit to the Ancient Town of Hoi An. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

Hoi An Ancient Town is a UNESCO World Heritage area. An ancient trading port, once the largest in Indochina, Hoi An was a meeting point for many cultures that left their mark in the different architectural features of its wooden buildings. The original traditional street pattern still exists, as does the quay that once welcomed ships from all over East Asia and beyond. Many remained there for months at a time, waiting for favourable trade winds to carry them home.

There are plenty of good restaurants offering a variety of cuisines and price levels. The town is also a good place for shopping for silk. You can have your clothes tailor-made within a day or two at reasonable cost.

Hoi An town is three kilometres from Cua Dai Beach – part of what was known as China Beach and used for rest and recreation by American GIs during the Vietnam War. The beach is composed of white sand, is fringed with palm trees and overlooks the South China Sea.

Day 13: Hoi An/ Cooking Class with a visit to Tra Que vegetable village (B, L, DP, G at the restaurant)

After breakfast, you tuk tuk driver will arrives at you hotel to pick you up to Otta Cuisine. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by your guide then take a bike ride to Tra Que Vegetable Farm, enjoying the beauty of rice paddies and gardens as well as to taking in the lives of the local farmers.

You will then return to Otta Cuisine to rest and pick up your conical hat and bag before walking to the Hoi An market. At the market, you can stroll around and meet the local merchants and buy ingredients for the cooking class.

After, you will head back to the restaurant to begin your lesson guided by our professional chefs. They will instruct you every step of the way and when you are done, you can enjoy the meal you have prepared.

You will be transferred back to your hotel after lunch and the remainder of your day will be free to troll in Hoi An ancient town. You will spend the night in Hoi An.

Tra Que Village

Local market

Cooking class

After breakfast, your guide will meet you at your hotel to take you to the World Heritage My Son Sanctuary, show you the remains of the remarkable brick towers, and explain their origins and purpose.

You’ll be free in the afternoon for strolling in the town, lazing on the beach, or whatever takes you fancy. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

Once, the My Son Sanctuary was the spiritual capital of the Cham Kingdom that dominated SE Asia for nearly a thousand years. Its remarkable brick towers were badly bombed, but are still impressive, as is its remote valley setting. It’s set in a quiet, richly forested area, bisected by a clear stream. However, the tree cover is not complete, and the valley acts as sun trap, so good sun protection is important.

Day 14: Hoi An/Danang/Ho Chi Minh City / Evening Foodie on a back of a scooter (join-in) (B, DP in Danang/ GP in Ho Chi Minh)

You’ll have a free morning until you’re picked up for an afternoon flight to Ho Chi Minh City. After transferring to your Ho Chi Minh City central hotel and checking-in, you’ll be free for a preliminary wander around District 1.

In the evening at 18.00, you’ll start exploring the Saigon on a back of a Scooter and enjoying the local food of Ho Chi Minh City. Accompanied with a local Vietnamese rider, your venture will take you to the narrows streets and alleys of Saigon which are in different districts and hidden corners of Saigon. You’ll ride to Chinatown, visit an evening local market before heading to Ho Thi Ky wholesale flower market. You will take a walk in the market and sit down to learn how to make Crispy banana cracker. Then, hop on the scooter and have a wonderful ride around 30 minutes through alleyways and see cloth shops on fashion streets, food vendors and walking park when locals do exercise at night.

After a great view from the scooter, you will stop at a local food place for Pho (Beef Noodle Soup) and Banh My (the most famous street food in Vietnam). After the meal, we will take you to Nguyen Thien Thuat area, one of the most famous street food areas in Saigon with the considerable diversity in the style of the cuisine and local culture. This place is the integrated one which has lots of the residents from many parts of Vietnam to come here and live for a long time, that’s the reason why its cuisine is really fascinating and diverse.

Last but not least, you will be taken to a local’s favourite drinking spot for some beer and soft drink. Sit on a small table and chair, have a great chat with our tour guide, get to know more ingredient of our cuisine and local life.

You’ll be back to your hotel around 22.00pm. You will spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

The tour will be through busy streets and alleys to see the night life of locals and enjoy street sea- food and cold drinks, places that foreigner won’t be found. After having enjoying as much street food as you can, you’ll enjoy the music and the Bars lik13.5e the way the Saigon’s people do. Vegetarian food can be arranged.

Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City/ Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L, G)

After breakfast, your guide will take you to visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels, a Byzantine maze of underground passages, chambers, rooms and booby traps used by both the Vietminh and the Viet Cong to suddenly materialise as if from nowhere, launch a lightning ambush, and vanish equally rapidly.

Later, you’ll return back Ho Chi Minh City for lunch before your guide show you around Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll visit the Reunification Hall – an early colonial masterpiece constructed to accommodate the Governor –general of Indochina, the French colonial like Old Saigon Post Office, the City Hall (outside). You’ll also call in at the Jade Emperor Temple. It’s one of the best Taoist temples in Vietnam, with superb effigies, remarkable carved panels of the descent to Hell and somewhat incongruous terrapin and tortoise sanctuaries before returning back to your hotel for refreshment. You’ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 16: Mekong Delta by speedboat – Join-in basis (B, L, G)

At 7.15am, you’ll be picked up at your hotel then transferred to the pier for your full day Mekong Delta by speedboat trip. At 8.15am, the boat departs, and you slip away from downtown Saigon via narrow canals to enter the waterways of the verdant green Mekong Delta. A light breakfast will be served on board.

Your first stop is at Tuong Van Pagoda, where your guide will explain the importance of Buddhism to many people of the delta. You’ll then visit a bustling, colourful riverside market full of local curiosities, tropical fruits and all manner of fish and shellfish. Great photo opportunities!

Around 10.30am, you will reach the vast watery expanse of the delta itself, known as the Delta of Nine Dragons for the 9 distributaries that splinter from the main Mekong River. You’ll make your way through the delta to reach the small, winding canals of the Thu Thua area, shaded by a dense canopy of foliage. Here, you may visit a riverside house where huge Burmese pythons are kept, a village and surrounding rice paddies, and a farmhouse to sample coconuts and Mekong whisky. Or you may stop by a local merchant and try a range of local produce, whisky and wine, walk along the river to a traditional home where 3 generations live, and explore a village where you can try coconuts fresh from the tree. It is all fascinating insight into life on the Mekong Delta (Your guide may combine parts from both routes.)

After lunch at a local pagoda, you will visit an orphanage run by Buddhist monks, then visit a colourful Cao Dai Temple before cruising back to Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 17: Ho Chi Minh City/Mui Ne (B)

In the morning, you’ll drive from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet, then to Mui Ne beach. You’ll have time to relax, swim or sunbathe as you wish. Your accommodation will be in a hotel on the beach.

Phan Thiet town is undistinguished apart from an international hotel and a good golf course. Not far away is Mui Ne Beach, one of the best beaches in Vietnam and famous for its huge rolling dunes. There is a good range of hotels on the beach, some offering accommodation in bamboo villas and bungalows. Many have very attractive, well-kept gardens. Large trees and palms screen the hotels from each other creating a sense of seclusion. There are also plenty of restaurants along the beach road – a mixture of Vietnamese and international. Apart from an 18 km beach and places to stroll in the cool of the evenings, there’s not much to do at Mui Ne apart from relaxing on the sand and swimming. Alternatively, you could choose to visit the golf course in Phan Thiet.

Day 18: to Day 20: Mui Ne (B)

Your time will be your own!

Day 21: Mui Ne/Ho Chi Minh City departure (B, DP)

Today, you’ll return to Ho Chi Minh City for your departure flight.

 

Visas: Visas for Vietnam

We offer a free visa service for clients travelling to Vietnam with Haivenu.

All you have to pay is the visa stamp, varied from US$25 to US$70 (check with your Embassy).

However, please note that this facility is only available to people who have booked an itinerary with Haivenu – we cannot process visas for casual visitors.

Choose one of the two options below:

Option 1: visa in advance

I send you a form requesting basic information (full name, passport details and so on). You fill in one for each person and send them to me. I will then apply for the visas at the Immigration Office in Hanoi. About five working days later, I’ll receive the approval paper and will fax it to the Vietnamese Embassy in your country. I’ll then notify you to send your passports to the Embassy by post with a cheque to pay the visa stamp. Alternatively, you can pick up your visas in person. Please ring the Embassy for their opening hours, cost of visa stamps and for other arrangements.

 

Option 2: visa on arrival

I will apply for visas upon arrival for you. For this, I will send the approval document direct to you by fax or by a scanned attached file. Upon your arrival at the airport, the approval document will be sufficient proof of your visa status. Please ensure that you pick up the visa form near the custom check points and fill in the details before you queue for immigration. You’ll need a colour passport photo and the fee for the visa stamp (about $45 at present).

Do it yourself

This option is only available to people living in a country with a Vietnamese Embassy. If you prefer to obtain a visa by yourself, feel free to do so. Please contact the Embassy for application information, their opening hours, cost of visa stamps and for other arrangements.