18 days from Ho Chi Minh to The North of Vietnam

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh arrival
Arrive at Tan Son Nhat Airport, welcome by our private Viet Sapa Travel tour guide and driver, transfer to your hotel for check in. You are free at leisure and overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day2: Ho Chi Minh – Tay Ninh – Cu Chi Tunnel – Ho Chi Minh (B,L)
After breakfast, enjoy morning drive through typical southern Vietnamese countryside to Tay Ninh Province in the west Vietnam. At Tay Ninh, we visit incredible Cao Dai Great Temple, with architecture that could have come straight from a Walt Disney fantasy and where all the major faiths of the world blend together in a unique religious cocktail. In the afternoon, visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnel, an underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese residence fighters during the long struggle for independence where you will understand more about Vietnam War or American War. We return to Ho Chi Minh city in the late afternoon for overnight in this city.

Day 3: Ho Chi Minh – Mekong Delta – Ho Chi Minh (B,L)
Today, we start our tour with the interesting visit to Cai Be Floating Market. We begin our tour at 6:00 AM, stop over at Tan An town for photos, and overview looking the picturesque flat rice paddies. On arrival in Cai Be, set off by motor boat to visit Cai Be floating market and watch the local trading fruits and many other products on board their vessels. Then wander into the small villages to visit the orchard and fruit plantation. Keep cruising to Vinh Long through series of canals to experience the charms of Upper Mekong Delta. Visit small family business to see how coconut candy and crispy rice popcorn are made. Arrive in Binh Hoa Phuoc village, the green pearls of Vinh Long town, where you can immerse yourself in nature. Enjoy our lunch of fresh river food served in the heart of garden accompanied by traditional southern Vietnam folk music. We arrive in Ho Chi Minh around 5:00 P.M.
South Vietnam & Cambodia Extension

Day 4: Ho Chi Minh – fly to Nha Trang (B)
After breakfast, we take a short flight to Nha Trang, a city on the beach with Vietnam Airlines. Check in the hotel and rush to beach for swimming and many more activities.

Day 5 : Nha Trang – Island and snorkeling tour (B,L)
After breakfast at the hotel, we start to visit Cau Da Port where we take a boat to visit Tri Nguyen Aquarium on Mieu Island. Here we have chance to see small ocean world with many kinds of sea species of Nha TRang. Mun Island is the best island for snorkeling where we can see lots of lives colorful corals and fishes. Staying on the boat we can see the sea swallow,s nest on many caves. To Mot Island or Trach Island or on a small island called “mini” beach, we relax, swim and doing water sports or other activities. Fresh lunch at the where island and then stop at fishing village before we go to the shore. You stay overnight at the hotel in Nha Trang.

Day 6: Nha Trang – Fly to Danang – Hoi an (B,L)
After breakfast, we are transferred to airport for morning flight with Vietnam airline to Da Nang Aiport, then transfer to Hoi An about 35 km away. Free at leisure

Day 7: Hoi An city tour (B,L)
In the morning, we enjoy a cycling ride to the ancient town and then walk to visit the local temples and traditional houses which are charming and wonderful preserved, combining Chinese, Japanese, European influences. This is followed by a boat trip on the Thu Bon River to see how the local people fishing by using the simple equipments and then we keep moving forward to the sea gate to enjoy the amazing view. On the way back to Hoi An ancient town, we will go to see some floating villages to have experience of the local life. You stay overnight in Hoi An town of one more night.

Day 8: Hoi An – My Son – Hoi An (B,L)
Today, we will go to visit an interesting My son Holy land, once spiritual capital of Champa Kingdom that dominated South East Asia for nearly one thousand years and occupied most of central parts of Vietnam from 2nd century to 16th century with very rich in history and culture. Contemplate its remarkable red bricks towers and sanctuaries dating from between the 7th and 13th century.
Drive back to Hoi An, end of our day tour with visit the former merchants, home, the 400 year old Japanese Covered Bridge, Phuc Kien Pagoda and the colorful riverside market. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 9: Hoi An – Da Nang – Hue (B,L)
After breakfast, we leave Hoi an for Hue, the last imperial capital of Vietnam, well known for magnificent architecture, pagodas and royal tombs laid in small villages and surrounding hills and one of the most popular cities in Vietnam. En route have a look at the famous Da Nang beach and visit Cham museum which contain the finest collection of Cham sculpture in the world. You stay overnight in Hue.

Day10: Hue City tour (B,L)
After breakfast, we enjoy the boat trip along the Perfume River. En route we go to visit the Pagoda of Thien Mu, one of the best-known Buddist sites in the city, Tomb of Minh Mang and Tu Duc. And then we return to the hotel for lunch before cycling to visit Forbidden Citadel and around Hue city. We stay overnight in Hue for another night.

Day 11: Hue – fly to Hanoi (B,L)
After breakfast, you are transferred to Airport for the morning flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, our guide and drive will welcome you and transfer to hotel for check in. You can take rest for few hours before having an interesting puppet water show. You stay overnight in Hanoi
North Vietnam Family adventure

Day 12: Hanoi city tour – night train to Sapa (B,L)
Today, we enjoy a full day Hanoi city tour of this charming capital city including the mausoleum of the nation, s founder Ho Chi Minh (close on Monday &Friday), the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh,s house on stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, the impressive Ethnologic Museum, the beautiful West Lake, the Tran Vu Pagoda, the Hoan Kiem Lake. Lunch will be served at the local restaurant. In the afternoon, we take a cyclo tour for a short excursion through the bustling old quarter street. This evening we will transfer you to the train station to catch the night train to Sapa.

Day 13: Sapa – Suoi Ho – Ma Tra – Ta Phin. (B,L,D)
You are welcomed by guide and driver at Lao Cai train station and transported to Sapa, having breakfast at the hotel or local restaurant before walking about 12km along the mountain trails or main road to visit Suoi Ho, Matra and Taphin villages which are inhabited by Black Hmong and Red Dzao tribes. Along the way we can come in some schools as well as tribal houses to have experience of local Sapa life. Moreover, the landscape, culture, custom and tradition of Black Hmong tribe of Suoi Ho and Matra villages are preserved from tourists so you can study the raw things here. Picnic lunch will be served on the way. Arriving at Ta phin village of Red Dzao people in the late afternoon, checking in the home stay and then you can join into some activities to help villagers such as planting vegetable in the garden, growing or harvesting rice, teaching English for children. You have dinner and stay overnight at local houses.

Day 14: Ta Phin – Ban Khoang – Love Waterfall – Silver Waterfall – Sapa (B,L,D)
After having breakfast in Taphin village, we follow untouched trails through Red Dzao of Ban Khoan village which is about 10km from Taphin. You will have picnic lunch along the way. We will reach the road at noon where we meet the car for transfer for to Love Waterfall which locates in Hoan Lien National Park. We will have to walk about 2km along the National Park before reaching the waterfall where you can swim at natural swimming pool at the bottom, coming back the car for transfer to Silver waterfall, have a short walk around this waterfall before being transported to Sapa to have shower and dinner before going to Lao cai train station to catch the night train to Hanoi.

Day15: Sapa – Hill-tribe Market– Lao Cai (B,L)
The market in the Northern Vietnam are always the colorful meeting places for the hill-tribe, spotlight for any Sapa tours and of course, your unique Vietnam experience. Ethnic minority people come down from the mountains to exchange their products, or just for catching up on the latest news, gossip, drinking away troubles or seeking for lover. In the morning, drive to visit one of the areas weekly markets:
Market days:
Can Cau Market – Saturday
Bac Ha Market – Sunday
Simacai/ Muong Khuong/Muong Hum Market – Sunday
Cao Son Market – Wednesday
Lung khung Nhin Market – Thursday
Coc ly Market – Tuesday
In the late afternoon, we are transferred back to Lao Cai to catch the night train to Hanoi
Glimpse of Vietnam in 11days

Day 16: Hanoi – Halong Bay (B,L,D)
Picked up early at the train station, this morning, we will arrange a room at our hotel for you to have a shower and breakfast before drive to Ha Long Bay. Upon our arrival we embark on a junk trip amongst some of the spectacular limestone peaks – time to relax and and enjoy the beauty of the bay. If you feel energetic and wish to get closer view of the scenic rock formations, you should climb aboard a sea kayak for a leisurely exploration of the bay. We stay overnight on boat.

Day17: Ha Long Bay – Hanoi (B,L)
After our breakfast on the boat we continue boating to explore some of the truly awesome sceneries of the bay, vertical and unusual rocks and islets emerge from the sea. Moreover, you can swim in the clear water. Finally, our boat arrives in Ha Long city where we meet our driver and he takes us to Hanoi.

Day 18: Hanoi departure (B)
You will be free at leisure and then we see you off at the Noi Bai Airport.

Inclusions:
• Hotel in twin or double sharing room basis with daily breakfast.
• Transfer and transportation by private car.
• Sightseeing and entrance fee as per the mentioned itinerary.
• English- speaking guide.
• Boat trip
• Meals are indicated as in the program.
• Domestic airfares Ho Chi Minh – DAN – Ha Noi
• Two round train tickets Hanoi – Lao Cai – Hanoi

Exclusions:
• All other meals not mentioned in the program
• Travel insurance, visa fee for Viet Nam
• Drinks and beverages
• International airfares and airport taxes at all routes
• Personal expenses
• Early check-in and late check-out charge at hotel (check-in time is 02:00 PM and check-out time is 12:00 PM)