Vietnam Highlights: Trip & Cruise 20 Days - Private 20 Days 19 Nights

09.00: After enjoying a simple breakfast with a family who live locally, we will bid farewell to the minority owner. Then we will take a short walk down the South - West Of Sapa (around 4 km) to visit Giang Ta Chai Village (Red Dzao People). We will have a short t break at rattan bridge – the oldest rattan bridge in Sapa and visit some houses before continuing on to Su Pan Village, where  you can learn about their way of life there and see traditional clothing being made, hemp being dyed and women weaving. You can relax at the spectacular waterfall and the vestige of a hydroelectric power station that was constructed by the French during colonial times in Vietnam. Have lunch at the village

After lunch, our minivan will take you back to Sapa Town, where you will have free time to relax, visit or interact with locals by yourself

15.30: We transfer you to the train station for the sleeping bus back to Hanoi. Arrival in Hanoi at around 22.00, and tour guide transfer to the hotel for check in. Overnight in Hanoi

Includes: Hotel; transport including sleeping bus to Hanoi; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees

08.00 - 08.30: After breakfasting at the hotel, our tour guide will collect you up there for the journey to Ha Long Bay. The journey will last around 4 hours, inclusive of a short stop halfway through the journey

12.00: Arrive in Tuan Chau International Passenger Port.

Embark on your cruise. Enjoy welcome drinks while our cruise manager is briefing about the itinerary and safety instructions.

Let the vacation begin with a buffet lunch while the boat cruises towards the southwest of Halong Bay

Continue to discover the entrancing Tien Ong Cave which is not only a beauty spot but also an archaeological site. Covering an area of 1,000 m2 with dazzling stalactites and stalagmites, the cave is one of the most splendid caves in Ha Long Bay

17.00: The bar will be open for "Happy Hour" - (buy 1 get 1 free) and you will have the opportunity the to get more appetizing drinks and snacks

Join the exciting “Master-Chef Competition” and Demonstartion Of Fruit Carving, where you can try your hand with authentic Vietnamese food. The winner or the Master-Chef of our cruise will be awarded with some surprising gifts. It will also be a chance to appreciate the sunset over ravishing Ha Long Bay while the boat anchors for the overnight stay.

19.00: Enjoy the set-menu dinner while your cruise manager briefs you foe the next day's itinerary.

After dinner, retire to your cabin or join our staff for squid fishing. Overnight on board

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

06.15: A chance to participate in a Tai Chi Lesson on the sundeck with complimentary hot drinks.

Light breakfast is served onboard. The boat will cast off and sail to Cua Van Floating Fishing Village

Take your time to visit the village which has been voted as one of the 11 crazily beautiful small towns around the world by huffingtonpost.com. You can choose either a kayak or a traditional rowing boat to go around discovering local life on the waters

09.00: Return to your boat and preapare for check-out. Enjoy brunch in the restaurant

10.45: Disembark at Tuan Chau International Passenger Port. and get in car to transfer to Ninh Binh

15.30: Arrive in Ninh Binh, check in and free leisure time. Overnight in Ninh Binh 

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

Enjoy a breakfast at the hotel in Ninh Binh

08.30: We start a biking trip from the the  hotel to visit the stunning lanscapes of Ninh Binh, including Tam Coc or Trang An Boat Trip, Bai Dinh Pagoda, Bich Dong or Thai Vi Temple…

Have lunch in a local restaurant.

In the evening, we will transfer to the train station to get the overnight train to Dong Hoi - Quang Binh

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

08.00: Our driver and tour guide will collect you up from the train station and take you for breakfast

09.30: Arrive in Paradise Cave Area, you will be taken by electrical car from the parking to the cave entrance (2km). You will then venture into the jungle, to see many different kinds of trees and hear the sounds of different animals. You will explore the monumental Paradise Cave of about 1km in length on the wooded floor and see many stalactites of varying  shapes.

Paradise Cave – the longest dry cave in Asia (located in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park’s Core Zone, 25km to Phong Nha Cave, 75 km to Dong Hoi and 1hr20 minutes driving). The cave was discovered by scientists of the British Caving Research Association in 2005, and at 31km in lenght is  the longest dry cave in Asia.

With it's naturally primitive features, Paradise Cave looks like a landscape painting, making it very arresting to visitors. There are a series of white crystal stalactites bearing a remarkable similarity to glass pillars and many other dazzling formations.

12.00: Lunch at a restaurant with local specialties.Then, continue the journey to visit Chay River & Dark Cave

After lunch, we start exploring the Dark Cave by zip lining, one of the longest zip lines in Viet Nam. Inside the cave, there are many ancient fossils to be found, whic are are over a million years old. There is a natural mud bath at the end of one of the narrow passages which is very good for the skin

After visiting the cave, we will comeback to Chay River by kayaking and have the chance to join in some exciting games in Chay River such as: adventure bridge, basketball, handball, flying swing……

16.00: Finish our cave exploration and transfer back to your hotel for relaxing

After 1 hour driving, drop you at your hotel for relaxing and overnight in Dong Hoi Town or Phong Nha Town - Quang Binh Province 

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

08.00: Breakfast at your hotel,

Then, check out and start transfering to Hue City. On the way, we will have an opportunity to stop at Vietnam’s war vestige Hien Luong Bridge & Ben Hai River which became a principal landmark during the partition of the country into a northern and a southern zone along the 17th parallel named DMZ, then, stop for sightseeing at the La Vang Holyland - The Basilica Of Our Lady of La Vang – a catholic church that was built in the forest near Quang Tri up from the old DMZ. Later, several buildings of La Vang were rebuilt and destroyed during the war.

Lunch will be served in a local restaurant on the way

Arrival in Hue. Check in & free leisure time. Overnight in Hue

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

08.00: In the morning, we will visit the Imperial Citadel with has the Flag Tower, Ngo Mon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, Forbidden Purple City (Tu Cam Thanh)  and drive to visit the tomb of Nguyen Emperors – Minh Mang Tomb, in a serene setting of gardens and lakes and see the Tomb Of Khai Dinh, a mix of both  Western and Eastern architecture. We will have lunch at a typical garden house restaurant.

In the afternonn, we will visit the Tomb Of Emperor Tu Duc, the final resting place of Vietnam's longest reigning emperor, nestled among forested hills and lakes and Heaven Fairy Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu pagoda) - the oldest pagoda in Hue City.Then, we will get on a dragon boat to cruise the beautiful Perfume River back to the Hue Town. Along the way we will witness bewitching views and enchanting sunsets on the Perfume River. Our boat willstop  at Toa Kham Boat Wharf.

16.00: Take a cyclo tour around the Dong Ba Market, to witness the local daily exchange... You will later have dinner by yourself.

In the evening, we will see a traditional Fork Song Peformance on a Dragon Boat. Here, you will have chance to enjoy one of most fascinating performances of the Hue people from the Imperial period

We will drop you off at your hotel in Hue City after the show. Overnight in Hue

Includes: Hotel; transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast and lunch; all entrance fees, dragon boat trip, cyclo tour, ticket show 

In the morning: One we have finished breakfast we will journey to Hoi An Ancient Town. On the way, we can stop to take photos in Lang Co Beach and fisherman villge, then take a short visit to Marble Mountain and Non Nuoc Village.

Arrival in Hoi An at noon time, check in & free leisure time

In the afternoon: take a visit to My Son Sanctuary which was once an imperial city during the Champa dynasty, between the 4th and the 12th centuries. It encompasses many Champa Temples, in a valley roughly two kilometers wide and surrounded by two mountain ranges. It was the site of religious ceremonies of the kings of the Champa dynasty, and was also a burial place of Champa royals and other national heroes. Spend around 1.5 hours here to see a large complex of religious relics that involves more than 65 architectural works. In 1999, UNESCO designated the Cham architecture in My Son as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Overnight in Hoi An

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

08.00: We will enjoy a brief visit to Hoi An Ancient Town

You will be picked up at  your hotel, and taken on a tour around the town: Walk to the ancient city, visit the Kwan Temple, Phuc Kien Chinese Assembly Hall, Tan Ky Old House, Japanese Cover Bridge and Historic & Cultural Museum in Hoi An. Then you will enjoy a traditional music performance & visit Hoi An’s Handicraft Workshop before going back to the hotel

Keep going to transfer to Kon Tum (288km). On the way, we will stop several times for short breaks and the chance to take some  photos, a light lunch or to  enjoy more natural and historical tourist attractions such as: the major Dakto Battlefield during the American war, Charlie Hill, small waterfall, rice fields or Cham Tower. After having lunch, you will keep going to Kon Tum and arriving around 18.00 at your hotel in Kon Tum

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

Breakfast at hotel

08.30: We will venture out to visit Gia Rai Villages. The Gia Rai hill tribe group believes in the existence of demons and spirits and practices ceremonies associatd with this belief. The group is a matriarchal society, in which the women are free to choose who they marry. The husband lives with the wife’s family and the inheritance is passed on to the daughters. Each village has a communal house called a rong, a central stilt house with a tall, steeply pitched thatched roof. No nails are used in the bamboo construction.

In the afternoon, we will take a transfer with about 1 hour driving to visit the Sodra People in Kon Ray and Kon Bil Villages. Their homes are long stilt houses built out of bamboo and straw, secured with rattan. Keep driving to a Jo Long Hill Tribe Village called Kon Du, catching glimpses of hand weaving on giant looms or the eerie wooden statues in the cemeteries

After checking in at the hotel,we will  drive 30-minutes to the Bhanar Village Of Kon Ko Tu. On arrival, start a 4-km trek from Kon Ko Tu Village along the Dak Bla Riverbank, where local villagers are hard at work tending buffaloes, preparing crops for harvest, and transporting their produce to the village market. Return by a pirogue to Kon Ko Tu Village.

Tonight’s dinner is a local treat, including a Gong Show and Xoang Dancing and the chance to sample some local rice wine. Overnight in a homestay

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

We will check- out of the hotel and and travel 30-minutes to Kon Tum tand explore the old wooden church in the town, an interesting blend of hill tribe and European architecture, Bishop’s House, Orphanage, Bana Village – one among the first minority groups in Central Highlands admiring the picturesque Rong House, Iron Suspension Bridge, and Kontum Prison.

Depart from Kon Tum to Buon Ma Thuot in 5hrs, passing countless coffee, rubber, and pepper plantations

Close to Buon Ma Thuot, stop to enjoy the scenery and panoramic views of the lowland country. The region is inhabited by Jarai hill tribe, the largest ethnic group in the Central Highlands with an estimated population of 330,000 people

After checking in at the hotel, visit the local market with a huge array of fresh food, if time permits. It is a must to have some coffee on this journey. Buonmethuot has lovely outdoor coffee shops to blend in with the locals and laze away the evenings. Overnight in Buon Ma Thuot

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

Next morning, we will travel from Buon Me Thuot to Lak Lake, where you will have opportunity to do some Elephant riding (extra pay) or walk around with many opportunities for taking pictures of the people farming and fishing. We will spend the morning viewing the sights in Lak Lake, after which you will visit one of the old Summer Palaces Of Emperor Bao Dai

At the other side of the Lak lake, you canwalk to visit The M’nong Ethnic Minority Village to see their daily activities at Jun Village and then transfer back to the restaurant for lunch

After lunch, we will transfer from Lak Lake to Da Lat. Along the way, you will be able to call on the fantastic Elephant Waterfall, Cricket Farm for enjoying fried cricket. You will also be able to drink wine in a Rice Wine Making Farm, try the coffee at Wesel coffee making, visit vegetable and flower farms, a silk factory, Linh An Pagoda with the huge, serene Buddha, as well as other Tea And Coffee Plantations

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

08.30: Pick up from hotel in Da Lat. Drive 12 km north of downtown center to Lang Biang Mountain. Upon entering the gate to Lang Bian – you’ll see the Disney-fonted “Langbiang” sign (which is the Vietnamese spelling) gracing the slope ahead, you can take a jeep up to Radar Top, where you can see a splendid panoramic view of Da Lat City. Outside the city, you can see thousands of hectares of coffee plantations along the road. You will have many opportunities to buy and try coffee as well.  Nestled  in a big coffee plantation, Lat Village is a wonderful place for you to learn about the local culture. You can learn about the local culture by talking with the Village Chief, who can speak both English and French. Walking through the village, you will see thousands of greenhouses and nice local farms.

In the afternoon, we will transfer to take a visit of Dalanta Waterfall, where you will also have a chance to join in many fun activities (extra pay) such as: slideway in Dalanta Waterfall, Zipline…. Coming back to city central in the afternoon, free at leisure. Overnight in Dalat

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

7.30 – 11.30: Have breakfast at hotel and some free time to discover Da Lat City by yourself.

11.30: Check out and clear all the bills. Then, our car will take you to the airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)

Arrival in HCMC, our tour guide will welcome you and transfer you to Cu Chi Tunnels. Once in Vietnam, this is a must visit spot. This is where guerilla warfare was honed and exemplified. You’ll learn about ingenious design of the tunnels and the tactical use of trap doors. Altough B-52 bombers dropped 30-ton loads of explosive, turning the jungle into a pockmarked moonscape, 30 thousand American troops failed to conquer the area! There will even be an opportunity for you to crawl around a section of the 121 km long, multiple-layered tunnel. You’ll learn how thousands of guerillas managed to stay underground many days at a time, also their ingenious technique of concealing smoke from their cooking. There’s lots more to enjoy, even a chance to fire real AK bullets…

Arriving Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City at 18.00 - 19.00. Stay at your hotel 

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

7.00 – 7.30: Tourists will get picked up Ho Chi Minh City and then travel to Can Tho City.

11.30:  Arrival at Ninh Kieu Dock, check-in and board the cruise vessel

Panorama cruise and lunch aboard the boat at about 13.00

Guided land outing – a walk through picturesque orchards and small villages

17.30:  Return to the boat for refreshment and a chance to witness the splendid sunset on deck

19.00:  Dinner on board. Overnight on cruise

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

6.30: Morning cruise with tea served

8.00: Check-out of cabin. Outing on a rowing sampan, and a chanceto explore the small canals of Tan Phong Islet, and meet a coconut candy producing family.

Then, a bicycle ride or a walk in a little village along the Mekong Canals

11.00: Disembark to Cai Be Dock and proceed to Ho Chi Minh City. Lunch en route

15.30: Arrive at Ho Chi Minh City - check in hotel and free at leisure 

In the evening, meet up again with our tour guide and driver to have a farewell dinner for us to say thank you again for joining our tour and we can share the experience we had together during the tour. 

Spend the last night at the hotel before your departure next day.

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

7.30 – 11.30: After breakfasting at the hotel there will be an opportunity to discover Saigon by yourself.

11.30: Check out and clear all the bills. Then, our driver and tour guide will come to pick you up at your hotel for the airport. Check in for your flight back home. We say goodbye and wish to see you again in Vietnam

Includes: Transport; English speaking guide; meals: breakfast