Day 1: Hanoi arrival (-/-/-)

Hanoi - Airport: 30km, ~40min drive

Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, meet our guide and driver who then escort you to the city centre. After making sure of your successful hotel check-in (check in time: 14.00), they will be pleased to leave you free time for your own lunch and leisure to recover after the long flight.

Meals Included: None
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Day 2: Hanoi City (B/-/-)

After breakfast at the hotel, we start our day with a visit to one of the local markets. Hanoi is not influenced by western supermarkets and many still choose to shop at the local markets.  Purchasing items at the market is a huge part of Vietnamese culture and based on your preferences, we will take you to a market that suits you. Following this you wil then take 45-minutes- cyclo tour to discover the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake where you can see streets with century-aged trees and French Colonial buildings. Finishing the cyclo tour, we will drop by for a visit to Ngoc Son Temple built on Jade Islet dedicated to Confucian and Taoist Spirits and our national hero, Tran Hung Dao. After the cyclo tour, we will visit the Temple of Literature constructed in 1070 to worship Confucius, otherwise known as Vietnam’s first university. The temple honours eighty-two Vietnamese doctorates who passed a number of rigid exams in the feudal ages. Their names, birthdays and birthplaces are engraved in the headstones perched on stone tortoises. It is widely believed that touching the heads of these tortoises will bring luck. Its peaceful green compound with its neatly maintained lawns, gardens and lotus ponds make it a tranquil hideaway from the city’s bustle and heat.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Day 3: Hanoi - Halong Bay (B/L/D)

Hanoi - Halong: 170km, ~3h30min drive 

You will be experiencing your Indochina Junk experience with a company that shares their earnings with the local community and is committed to protecting the environment. They are the founders of “For a Green Halong Bay” program and they facilitate projects such as garbage collection in the village of Vung Vieng, fishing village of Cong Dang and are drastically trying to increase the mangrove forest. By choosing this trip, you are supporting the local community.

After breakfast, we depart to Ha Long. Sit back and enjoy the peaceful countryside symbolic of the Red River Delta. We will arrive at Halong Bay’s wharf around noon and embark an elegant wooden junk for a cruise through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Halong Bay. Here we enjoy the striking scenery of this World Heritage Site.

While being on board, you will be served with a sumptuous fresh, local seafood lunch. During lunch, we cruise to magnificent Bai Tu Long Bay and admire the fascinating formations on the way. You will have chance to explore the well-hidden Thien Canh Son Cave and enjoy relaxing on a white sandy beach at Hon Co Island, swimming or kayaking while watching the sunset. Finally, you return to the boat to cool off before taking a seafood dinner on board. In the evening, time is spent to relax and enjoy the fresh air before spending a night on board.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Overnight on boat

Day 4: Halong Bay - Hanoi (B/L/-)

After waking up surrounded by the tranquil beauty of the bay, we have time for an early morning dip. Then it’s time for breakfast whilst you watch the sun rise over Ha Long bay. The cruise continues with a visit to Vung Vieng fishing village by a rustic row-boat. Back on board, it’s time for final packing and freshening up before enjoying an a la carte lunch.

After lunch, you may relax in the dining room and lounge or on the deck enjoying the last Bay views before disembarking and transferring to our awaiting vehicle for a drive to Yen Duc Village. In this beautiful village full of heritage you will experience local life in a rural area. We will enjoy a puppet show by local artists and then we will visit a local house for a warm welcome from the host. You will be able to try many activities such as harvesting, planting, rice pounding, fishing and many other traditional activities. We drive back to Hanoi late in the afternoon and the night is yours.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Day 5: Hanoi - Ngoc Son Ngo Luong (B/L/D)

Hanoi - Ngoc Son Ngo Luong: 150km, ~4h drive

After breakfast at the hotel, we drive south-west to Ngoc Son Ngo Luong Reserve. Situated between Cuc Phuong National Park and Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Ngoc Son Ngo Luong contains a variety of wonderful landscapes and ecosystems and is also home to the traditional villages of the Muong, an ethnic minority in Vietnam. Upon arrival, we stop at the headquarters of the reserve to meet some rangers and have a brief explanation about the global nature conservation and livelihood improvement project. After lunch at a local restaurant in Chieng village, we head down in the valley to reach Mu village. We then take our time to stroll around the village and have a break nearby the Mu waterfalls. We keep walking across the terraced rice fields to Sat village and settle down in a homestay there. You can expect a warm welcome and time for relaxing by the stream nearby the house.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Home-stay in Sat Village

Day 6: Ngoc Son Ngo Luong - Hanoi - Overnight train to Hue (B/L/-)

Hanoi - Hue : 770km, 1h flight

After an early breakfast at your homestay, we walk back to Mu village by another trail and head to Khay and Mon villages, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful parts of the reserve. While walking, we’ll journey the wild natural areas creating unusually dynamic villages alive with vivid sounds and scenes of life. This is your chance to really breathe in an atmosphere quite different from the one we usually know at home. We promise your guide will provide opportunities for numerous encounters with locals and you will come to learn that these people are poor only in regards to technology. They have an immense wealth of human knowledge about how to live happily.  We will share lunch with a family in Mon village before some motorbike taxis bring us back to Chieng Village for refreshments in a local restaurant.

On the way back to Hanoi, we will visit Bat Trang Ceramic Village, a typical village of Northern Vietnam lying some 13km south-east of Hanoi, on the left bank of the Red River. Most of the craftsmen here are specialised for producing many famous ceramic and pottery products of high quality. Bat Trang’s vases, bowls, dishes, and many other kinds of ceramic products have been exported worldwide. In the evening, our driver will take you to Hanoi Railway Station for your overnight train to Hue.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Overnight on train (Sharing 4-berth cabin)

Day 7: Hue (B/-/-)

Upon your arrival in Hue, your guide will meet you at the station before taking you for breakfast at a popular restaurant. We then start our city tour with Hue Imperial City, the last royal city of Vietnam. You will visit various beautiful structures including the Flag Tower, Ngo Mon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons and much more. Built in the 19th century by the Nguyen dynasty, the Imperial City was home to the former Emperors of Vietnam from 1802 until 1945. Our next destination is An Hien Garden House - the most beautiful garden house in Hue where you will feel very peaceful and comfortable in a world surrounded by nature. With traditional architecture, the house helps to soak up the atmosphere of this ancient place.

In the afternoon, we visit the headquarters of Bretagne Vietnam Association that takes care of underprivileged children by building schools, promoting the integration of uneducated young people and offering credits to disadvantaged families. You will share a small part of the association’s daily life and discuss with young adults about their lives through your guide who will serve as a translator.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Hue

Day 8: Hue - Danang - Hoi An (B/L/-)

Hue - Hoi An: 140km 2,5h drive

Breakfast at hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, we bid Hue farewell and continue our southbound journey to the old trading town of Hoi An via Danang. Along the way, we will stop at Lang Co beach for coffee and refreshments. From here we head up to the Hai Van pass, stopping at the top to take in the stunning views towards Da Nang city. Continuing on our way down we will stop at the Xuan Association - a home for about thirty disadvantaged children from 4 to 18 years old. We will give these children small gifts such as pens, books and clothing which will be prepared by Tonkin Voyage Travel. Without a doubt, this will be a moment of happiness for you and them. After having meals with the kids, we continue our trip to Hoi An - a World Heritage Site recognised by UNESCO. The evening is free to enjoy the small town of Hoi An or just sit at the beach.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An

Day 9: Hoi An - Tra Nhieu - Cam Thanh Village (B/L/-)

After breakfast at the hotel, we walk to Thu Bon wharf on Bach Dang street and sail along Thu Bon River to Tra Nhieu village - 3km towards the south-east. Upon arrival, our guide will give you a brief introduction to the history and traditional handicraft of the village such as farming, fishing, poultry, livestock breeding, mattress making, etc. We then embark a boat with local fisherman to learn how to cast a net, catch fish, etc.

We bid adieu to the fishermen and we continue with a bike ride to visit Cam Thanh village to meet some more fisherman and learn about fishing techniques. Lunch will be served at the village with special dishes including the traditional pancake, Banh Xeo. Then you can relax with a herbal foot massage - a traditional therapeutic practice. We return to Hoi An in the middle of the afternoon where the rest of the day is yours.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An

Day 10: Hoi An - Danang - Flight to Saigon (B/-/-)

Danang - Saigon: ~850km, 2h flight

After breakfast at the hotel, we head to Danang International Airport for your flight to Saigon. Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, meet our guide and driver who then escort you to a centrally located hotel for a breezy check-in. You will then have time for your own lunch and relaxation.

In the late afternoon, we will visit the main sights of the city including the Old Saigon Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral. The Central Post Office finished in 1891 is another fine example of French architecture and is Vietnam's largest post office. Notre Dame Cathedral was built between 1877 and 1883. The stones used to create it were exported directly from France. Apart from the religious meaning, the most captivating part of this Cathedral is its special neo-Romanesque style of architecture.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon

Day 11: Saigon - Ben Tre – Vung Liem – Local home-stay (B/L/D)

Saigon - Ben Tre: 60 km, ~1h20min drive

After 2 hours driving from HCM city, you will arrive AN HÓA bridge, Ben Tre province. Walk to the workshop to see how the local people peeling-spliting-paring coconut by traditional ways. Then take the boat to visit a local factory to see many kilns to make activated charcal from coconut hard-shell.

Crossing Mekong River, called Cửa Đại & Cửa Tiểu, 30km far from the Eastern Sea, we arrive Tam Hiêp Island. Next, the rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals to enjoy the peaceful time. Come to the local family to enjoy some kinds of fruits, honey-tea. You will have a choice of walking or biking on small village paths through huge orchards to arrive special farm where they are planting the creepers (called LÁ SÂM). We pick up some leaves for making & tasting this special herbal jelly.

Around noon, it is time for lunch at Ut Trinh’s home. After lunch, we back to our boat to come to visit Long Thạnh Communial House (the national architectural heritage) before coming back our bus and we head to Vung Liem for overnight.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Local House in Vung Liem

Day 12: Vung Liem – Drive to Can Tho (B/-/-)

In the morning, we will visit the orchards while learning about the area’s history and customs. After lunch, we start our biking trip for an interesting exploration on the island through the narrow lanes but should be lots of fun waiting. Visit the neighbor families who are busy on sedge fields, study about their mat production from this special grass, from cutting, drying to slicing and weaving. There are many fascinating stops for photo shoots around this non-touristy landscape. Afterward visit the local school, market, community house and tomb of the land’s ancestor before driving to Can Tho for overnight.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Can Tho

Day 13: Cai Rang Floating Market – Drive back Saigon (B/-/-)

Rising early to the sounds of the Delta coming to life for another day, we have breakfast and start our day with a boat cruise along the seemingly endless waterway of Mighty Mekong River. We arrive to Cai Rang Floating Market, the biggest and most famous floating market in the Mekong Delta. You will have a view of boats which are packed with mango, bananas, papaya and pineapple, all for selling, buying and exchanging.
Then we head back Sai Gon for overnight.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon

Day 14: Saigon - Departure (B/-/-)

Saigon - Airport: 30km, ~40min drive

After breakfast at the hotel, time is free until you meet our driver and they transfer you to Tan Son Nhat airport for your flight to your next destination. Thanks for choosing to travel with Tonkin Voyage Travel!

Meals Included: Breakfast