Vietnam Grand Tour 28 Days 27 Nights

Today, we will travel to Ha Long Bay, one of the seven wonders of the world, and an UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a truly unforgettable experience

07.45 – 08.30: Our guide will pick you up at your hotel for the drive through the peaceful scenery of the Red River Delta to Ha Long Bay

Arrive at Tuan Chau Marina, board the cruise ship. Meet the crew and join us for a tour and safety briefing while sipping a refreshing welcome drink

Check into your cabin, freshen up, and get ready to relax and unwind

13.30: A delectable lunch is served on board while we set off on our cruise of spectacular Ha Long Bay

After lunch, we visit the most amazing and beautiful ‘Amazing Cave’, the largest and one of the widest grottoes in Ha Long Bay, filled with thousands of incredible stalactites and stalagmite formations

Next, we stop at visit Titop Island. In the summertime, choose to relax on the pristine beach, swimming or kayaking in the crystal-clear water, and climb to the summit for the most breathtaking panoramic view of Halong Bay

During the wintertime visit a floating Pearl Farm Village and learn how high-quality cultured pearls are grown and harvested

Cruise through the stunning seascape, past islands, remote islets, and the towering limestone karsts which are an iconic feature of Halong Bay

Join us for a fun Sunset Party on the sundeck with free wine and fresh fruit

A delicious seafood dinner is served onboard the cruise ship

Relax for the evening, making new friends, playing games, try fishing for squid or just laze around. Overnight on board

Includes: Cabin on the cruise; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner; all entrance fees including swimming and kayaking

Wake early and watch the sun slowly rise over Ha Long Bay

06.30: Prepare the days activities with a Tai Chi Session on the sundeck

07.00: Enjoy a delicious breakfast on board while the boat starts cruises to the Natural Preservation Zone

Spend time kayaking (30-45 mins) around the coves, passageways, and beaches

Return to the cruise ship. Pack and freshen up and relax before checking out. Bags can be left in the luggage store

Continue cruising through Ha Long Bay, passing Ba Hang Fishing Village, massive limestone karsts, secluded islands and dozens of islets including Stone Dog Islet, and many others

Join our cooking class, to learn how to make our specialty Vietnamese spring rolls before an early lunch is served.

Disembark at the harbor in Tuan Chau Island. Transfer by minibus or private car to return to Hanoi

Arrive at your hotel and relax. 

20.30: Our guide will pick you up at your hotel and go to the railway station to take an overnight train to Sapa

Includes: Soft sleeping bed in a cabin on the overnight train; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees

06.00: Arrive at Lao Cai Train Station. Our tour guide will meet you and transfer by shuttle bus to Sapa Town

Enjoy a refreshing breakfast in a local restaurant

09.00: We begin our tour with a short drive to Y Linh Ho. We then trek through the rice terraces and Muong Hoa Stream to the Black Hmong Village Of Lao Chai nestled in the spectacular landscape of Hoang Lien Son Mountain. We head to Ta Van Village and the Dzay Ethnic villagers who live there, arriving late (Trekking distance is about 9 km and takes around 3.5 hours)

Check-in at the homestay

Take time to get to know the family of Dzay local people. Relax and enjoy the mountain life and the gorgeous sunset

Experience eating dinner with a local family and watch as they prepare local dishes

In the evening, you can join the nearby local bar, listen to music, and mix with locals and other tourists.

Overnight at homestay in Ta Van Village

Staying at a local homestay is a great way to get close to and understand the local customs and culture in a cozy, homely atmosphere. 

Includes: Homestay; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner; all entrance fees.

09.00: After a simple breakfast with the local family, we say goodbye and thank them for their hospitality

Trek Southwest of Sapa along the Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range, passing fascinating terraced rice paddy fields and some small hamlets of the H'mong, to Giang Ta Chai Village and its Red Dzao minority inhabitants (around 4 km). Take a short break at Rattan Bridge, the oldest rattan bridge in Sapa. Stroll around the village and visit some of the local houses. Then we continue trekking to Su Pan Village, where you can watch traditional clothing being made, hemp being dyed and women weaving and learn more about their way of life. 

Relax at the stunning waterfall and the remains of the old hydroelectric power station built during colonial times by the French. 

Have lunch in the village

Transfer back to Sapa Town by minivan, check-in the hotel and enjoy the rest of the evening at your leisure. 

Overnight in Sapa

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees

7.30: Breakfast at the hotel and spend some free time exploring and wandering around Sapa Town

11.30: Check out and clear your bill. Our shuttle bus will take you to Lao Cai Bus Station, to take the coach for the 5-6 hour trip to Ha Giang City in Ha Giang Province, regarded as the most beautiful mountain area in Vietnam.

Arrive at Ha Giang, check-in at the hotel and enjoy the rest of the evening at your leisure

Includes: Hotel; Bus tickets Lao Cai - Ha Giang; meals: breakfast

7.30: After breakfast, with our guide we set out, stopping for a photo opportunity of Bac Sum Slope and then to the highest point of Quan Ba,"‘Quan Ba Heaven Gate" for extraordinary panoramic views of the entire Tam Son Valley below and the Twin Mountains (Or Fairy Mountains).

Stop for lunch in Yen Minh Town and then head to explore the awe-inspiring, majestic scenery of Dong Van Stone Plateau, a vast limestone karst geopark

Visit Sung La Valley, called an ‘oasis’ or ‘rose valley’ because of the carpet of rose fields that cover the area and used as the backdrop for famous Vietnamese film Pao's Story.

In October and November, the annual Circuit Triangle Flower Festival is held.

Next stop at Pho Cao Village, a commune of Dong Van District, a small village with houses made from straw mixed with mud surrounded by stone fences. The local Mong Villagers still wear brightly colored traditional costumes.

The last stop is the 100-year-old, H’Mong Vuong King's Palace, an impressive 1,120 sqm structure, with its unique Chinese influenced architectural style.  

Arrive Dong Van Ancient Town, check-in, and relax.

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees

After breakfast at the hotel, then climb to the top of Doi Cao Slope, just behind Old Quarter, for the amazing views of Dong Van Town and the surrounding green fields

Next, we drive to the Lung Cu Flag Tower, the northernmost point in Vietnam, just a few kilometers from the Chinese border. Climb the 300 stairs to reach the flag pole for the panoramic views of Dong Van and the "Happiness Road" below.

From Lung Cu, we follow the road through the astonishing 20km long Ma Pi Leng Pass, one of Vietnam's "Four Great Peak Passes", looking down on the Nho Que River running through one of the deepest canyons in Vietnam.

Take a boat trip Nho Que River and explore remote ethic villages near the Chinese border

We continue our journey and arrive in Meo Vac and stop for lunch,

After lunch, take the car to visit Lo Lo Chai village, ‘where time stands still’ to meet the local Lo Lo People and learn about their culture and way of life.

Return to the bus and head back Ha Giang City, check-in. 

Overnight in Ha Giang

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees

Following the "Road Of Happiness", our guide takes you to Nam Dam Village, approximately 45km from Ha Giang and surrounded by soft terraced rice paddy fields. Wander along the village roads, visit old houses and chat with the local Dzao People and watch local artisans making clothes and silver jewelry

Visit the walled houses with the unique architecture of indigenous people, enjoy the scenery at other famous places such as Mountain Lake, Thac Nai, and the Nam Dam Suspension Bridge.

Return to Ha Giang City and enjoy a relaxing lunch in a local restaurant

After lunch, we take a soft comfortable sleeper bus back to Hanoi. 

Arrive in Hanoi around 22.00. Check-in. Overnight in Hanoi

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees

07.30 - 08.00: Our guide and the shuttle bus will pick up in the Hanoi Old Quarter, for the approximately 4-hour, 140km journey to Mai Chau, home to the ethnic White Thai Minority Group. Stop for a short break at Hoa Binh.

Take the opportunity for photos of the idyllic Mai Chau Valley and enjoy a traditional lunch of Thai style delicacies with the local villagers. 

With only one street, occupied by a small market, Mai Chau is a "small" village., but offers one of the best opportunities to learn the ancient traditions and customs and unique culture of Vietnam's remote ethnic people.

13.00: Hop onto a bicycle for a 2-hour ride, with a local tour guide, to explore the peaceful villages with traditional stilt houses, farmers working in the fields, and locals weaving scarves. Visit Thai Villages including Poom Com Village, Lac Village, Van Village.  

Spend time before dinner, cycling, walking, shopping around the village, or just chilling

18.00: Enjoy dinner with special local dishes, more Thai style than Vietnamese. 

Watch a traditional Thai Dance Performance and sample local rice wine, "ruou can" along with the local people.

Overnight at the homestay in Mai Chau.

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner; all entrance fees.

Breakfast at a local restaurant

Then, we check out & set out on the 3-hour drive by bus, from Mai Chau to Ninh Binh, a small city on the Red River Delta in Northern Vietnam and the capital of Ninh Binh Province

Arrive in Ninh Binh, check-in hotel. 

Free time to explore Ninh Binh at your leisure

Includes: Hotel; Bus tickets (English speaking assistant on the bus); meals: breakfast.

Relax with breakfast at a local restaurant.

Then you are free to explore Ninh Binh and its surroundings by yourself. Taking in Hoa Lu, once the capital of Vietnam, going off-road to Tam Coc and its famous grottoes, the caves of Trang An, Bich Dong Pagoda, Thai Vi Temple, and Bai Dinh Pagoda. 

You also can take a boat trip, bike tour, cow ride or motorcycle around the peaceful villages

12.00: Return to the hotel to check-out.

Enjoy the afternoon exploring and sampling local food.

18.30 – 19.00: In the evening, our staff will transfer you to the train station for the overnight train to Quang Binh Province.

Includes: Soft sleeping cabin on the overnight train; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast; all entrance fees

08.00: Our car and tour guide will pick you up from the train station

Located in the spectacular Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Paradise Cave is a must-see destination in Vietnam.

Home to 360-million-years-old rock formations, the 31km long Paradise Cave (Thien Duong Cave) is the longest and the most beautiful in Phong Nha, the central province of Quang Binh.

An electric cart takes you the 2km drive to the cave entrance. Considered to be the most beautiful cave in Phong Nha, it’s home to spectacular stalactites suspended from the ceiling like intricate chandeliers and stalagmites rising from the floor. The cave is beautifully lit up and the 1km wooden walkway built above the cave floor allows you to view the rock pillars from up close

12.00: Lunch at a local restaurant in Phong Nha Village. 

13.30: Enjoy a relaxing 25min Dragon Boat ride along the Son River to explore Phong Nha Cave, the world’s longest river cave, and is famous for its rock formations which have been given names such as "Lion", the "Fairy Caves", the "Royal Court" and the "Buddha"

16.00: Return to the hotel in Dong Hoi, and enjoy free time for the evening

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: lunch; all entrance fees.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then free leisure time

Our guide will pick you up to transfer to the bus station for the 168km drive along the coastal road to Hue City, one of the ancient capital cities of Vietnam, on the banks of the Perfume River.

Arrive at Hue City, Check-in at your hotel. 

Enjoy the rest of the evening relaxing, exploring, and eating out. 

Overnight in Hue

Includes: Hotel; Bus tickets (English speaking assistant on the bus); meals: breakfast.

08.00 – 08.30: Our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel in the city center to start the tour

Visit Thanh Toan Bridge, a rare tiled roof bridge in Vietnam. This wooden arched bridge was originally built for the local villagers to connect the local market and the village houses

Next, we visit Minh Mang Tomb, considered the most majestic of all of the Royal Tombs covering 18 hectares. The impressive architecture, landscaped gardens, terraces, lakes, and bridges contribute to the site’s elegance and beauty.

Visit Khai Dinh Tomb, the smallest but the most elaborate tomb of all. Designed with a blend of Western and Eastern architecture every corner of the 1.3-acre site intricately detailed.

12.00: Lunch at a local restaurant with Vietnamese cuisine

Explore the Hue Imperial Citadel, home of the Nguyen emperor, Vietnam's last royal dynasty. This is the highlight of the tour. 

Visit Heaven Fairy Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda), the oldest pagoda in Hue City

Take an exhilarating dragon boat to cruise along the Perfume River (Huong River) and back to the city

Return to your hotel in Hue city and enjoy the rest of the evening at your leisure

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees.

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and take the bus to Hoi An Ancient Town. 

Arrival in Hoi An around noontime, check-in at the hotel and relax or explore the ancient streets

13.30: Pick up at your hotel and begin a walking tour around the city. Along the way, we visit the Kwan Temple, Phuc Kien Chinese Assembly Hall, Tan Ky Ancient House, Japanese Cover Bridge, and the Historic & Cultural Museum in Hoi An Town. 

Listen to a traditional music performance & visit a Hoi An handicraft workshop before returning to the hotel. 

Tour ends at your hotel in Hoi An at around 17.30 or 18.00. 

Enjoy the rest of the evening at your leisure.

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and dinner; all entrance fees.

08.00: Minibus will pick you up at your hotel and drive into the countryside for an exhilarating bicycle tour (options available if you can’t ride a bicycle for an extra fee). 

Begin by cycling to Cam Thanh Ecological Village, where we meet a local farmer and his family. They will demonstrate how to plant and grow rice in the paddy field.

Try your hand plowing and raking the fields along with a buffalo, learn how to plant rice, flood the paddy field, grind and pound the rice. Ride on the water buffalo and take a photo record.

Back to the minibus to visit a local fishing village. Climb into an iconic basket fishing boat and join the local fisherman from Phuoc Hai Fishing Village and learn how to cast the fishing net. 

Travel along the river in the basket boat, through water coconut palm jungle, and visit a local village and learn the art of origami, making grasshoppers, flowers, rings, caps, bracelets, and toys from water coconut leaves.

Have fun catching crabs around the water coconut palm forest and have lunch on the boat cooked by the locals. 

Enjoy a refreshing cold beer or soft drink before heading back to the hotel.

Relax for the rest of the evening, wander around the city and go out for dinner.

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees

Meet at the hotel and set off on a bicycle tour

Ride to the Hoi An colorful, central market, haggle with the local traders and pick up the ingredients to use later for our cooking lesson. Keep your camera handy.

Cycle to Tra Que Vegetable Village, relax, and rest with a refreshing welcome

Walk around the vegetable gardens where local farmers work on their fields, using only the traditional methods of hundreds of years ago, without electrical machinery. 

Head to the restaurant and get hands-on experience, cooking with the chef. Learn the traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food. Some of the recipes are Tra Que vegetable salad Tam Huu dish, Banh Xeo (Vietnamese Pancake), and Hoi An spring rolls.

After the lesson, enjoy the dishes you cooked.

In the afternoon, transfer to the train station for the sleeper train to Nha Trang, with soft comfortable berths

Arrive at Nha Trang, transfer to hotel for check-in.

Enjoy a relaxing evening, wandering around and checking out the local entertainment and dining scene.

Includes: Hotel; S.I.C cooking class tour: English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees, Train ticket Da Nang - Nha Trang.

8.30: Tour guide will pick you up at your hotel to take a tour of the city

First, we visit the Hon Chong Rock with its massive rocks that seem to have been arranged carefully by giant hands

Then, going to visit Po Nagar Cham Towers, built between the 7th and 12th centuries by the Cham, who once ruled the central Vietnamese plain. 

Next stop is Nha Trang Mountain Church, was built in the same style of western catholic churches. The bell tower has three bells by a famous bell brand, French Carillon Bourdon, and clocks on each side. In front of the church is a small cave with a statue of Mother Mary. 

And explore Long Son Pagoda, located at the foot of Trai Thuy Mountain, the largest pagoda in Nha Trang City. The pagoda features a number of unique statues, a bronze 1.6m tall Buddha statue in the main hall weighing 700kg, a 17m long reclining Buddha, and the main statue of the White Buddha standing 24 meters high and visible from everywhere in the city.

12.00: Lunch and rest at a local restaurant

After lunch, we visit Nha Trang Institute Of Oceanography regarded as the largest marine research institute in Southeast Asia, housing over 20,000 specimens of more than 4,000 marine species found in the South China Sea. 

Nha Trang Bao Dai Villa (Cau Da Villa) with its French colonial-style architecture was the local residence for the last Vietnamese Emperor, Bao Dai, and Queen Nam Phuong to holiday and entertain. 

Explore the delightful XQ Historical Village, built in the style of ancient Hue and is a wonderland of the art of embroidery. Visitors can enjoy unique original embroidered paintings, and observe the skillful artisans dressed in traditional Vietnamese "ao dai" and working on tambours.

Agarwood Tower (Tram Huong Tower), is the symbol of Nha Trang City and is located on the beachfront road. It is 3- story landmark with its orange color & unique, lotus-like shape.

17.00: End of the tour at the hotel and free time at leisure 

Enjoy an evening relaxing and eating out.

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees.

7.30 – 11.30: Breakfast at the hotel and relax exploring Nha Trang by yourself.

11.30: Check out and clear all the bills. Board the bus to take you on the 3-hour drive to Da Lat City, in Lam Dong Province.

Arrive at Da Lat, check-in the hotel. The rest of the evening is for you to enjoy at your leisure.

Includes: Hotel; Bus tickets Nha Trang - Da Lat; meals: breakfast.

08.00 - 8.30: After breakfast, our tour guide and bus will pick you up at the hotel. We will leave on a tour of Da Lat City Central and its surroundings.

We will stop on Robin Hill’s Peak to view the panoramic landscape below, then take a spectacular cable car ride over pine forests and vegetable farms up to Truc Lam Monastery which has panoramic views over the Da Lat landscape. Head down to see Tuyen Lam Lake.

We head back to the city center to visit Bao Dai’s Summer Palace and Hang Nga Crazy House, a brightly painted concrete house that winds itself around trees, mimicking their shapes. It functions as a guest house.

Next, we visit Linh Phuoc Pagoda and the old railway station which is well known in Indochina for its beautiful architecture.

Our final stop is to the Da Lat Flower Gardens and Da Lat University. The university campus sits on a hilly area of 40 hectares with a variety of buildings hidden in the pine trees.

Return to the hotel and enjoy the rest of the evening doing whatever you would like.

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees.

7.30: Breakfast at the hotel and then wander around Da Lat City.

11.30: Check out and clear all the bills. We will then take you to the airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Arrival in Tan Son Nhat Airport (HCMC), pick up at the airport and transfer to your hotel in the city.

Check-in at the hotel and enjoy the evening relaxing and eating out.

Includes: Hotel; Flight tickets Da Lat - Saigon; meals: breakfast.

08.30 - 09.00: Pick up at the hotel for a tour of the 3 most interesting places in Ho Chi Minh City.

The first stop is the War Crime Museum, well-known for the story of the war from the Vietnamese perspective. Featuring exhibits of photographs, machinery, and weapons that reflect the harsh realities of war. 

Our second stop it the Taoist temple of Chua Ba Thien Hau. This magnificently decorated temple is dedicated to Thien Hau, the Goddess of the Sea and patron of sailors. She is said to float over the oceans on a mat and ride the clouds to wherever she wants. If you visit the temple on Lunar New Year, you will witness the amazing multi-ethnic groups and spectacular lion dances.

Our last stop is to explore China Town, called ‘Cho Lon’ means "Big Market" which was built in the late 18th century, this intricate section of Ho Chi Minh City bustles with restaurants, temples, exotic stores, markets, and Binh Tay Market, the principal marketplace in China Town. Bargain with the local traders to purchase souvenirs.

Enjoy a delicious lunch in a local restaurant.

13.00: The highlight of the day is a tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels. Built during the Vietnamese War, the underground network was essentially a fully-functioning underground city, with everything from hospitals, command centers, kitchens to living quarters. The guerillas were able to stay underground for months at a time. See how the clever design withstood the American carpet bombing, crawl along a portion of the network of tunnels, and learn how they concealed the smoke from cooking.

There’re a lot more to enjoy, even an opportunity to fire real AK rifle.

Return to the hotel. Take the rest of the evening to explore Saigon’s entertainment and dining scene.

Overnight in the hotel.

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees.

7.30 - 8.00: Our guide will pick you up at your hotel, leaving Saigon on the 2-hour journey to Cai Be. 

Upon arrival, we board a boat to visit Cai Be Floating Market and absorb its bustling vibe and chaotic atmosphere of the market and its traders.

From the floating market, we pay a visit to a small family-run business to see how coconut candy and pop-rice are made.

Take a short rowing trip on a local sampan, enjoy fresh seasonal fruits and beautiful lunch in the heart of a beautiful garden.

Cruising to Vinh Long Pottery Village and visit a local pottery factory to see how they make bricks, vases, statues, and a myriad of other ceramics

Drive to Can Tho and dine out at a place of your choosing

Spend the night in Can Tho.

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees.

Check out early in the morning then we board a boat to cruise along the Mekong River to Cai Rang Floating Market, the largest floating market in the whole of the Mekong Delta.

Have an exciting ride on a bicycle, heading passed quiet canals along country paths through the vast green rice paddy fields. Clamber over monkey bridges and wander around the local villages and quaint houses to meet the local villagers, pausing for a cup of tea and a friendly chat.

Visit a Khmer Pagoda and then have traditional Vietnamese lunch.

Return to Hochiminh City (Saigon) in the afternoon 

Join us for a sumptuous farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees.

7.30 – 11.30: Breakfast at the hotel and then stroll around Hochiminh City.

11.30: Check out and clear all the bills. Then, our driver (no guide) will come to pick you up at your hotel and transfer to the airport for the flight home.

This is the end of your amazing and unforgettable Vietnam Grand Tour. We say goodbye and wish you a safe journey.

(P/S: You can enjoy the Grand Tour in reverse, i.e. from South to North). 

Includes:  Hotel; transport (no guide); meals: breakfast.