14 Day Vietnam Discovery Holiday

Breakfast at the hotel and then today you will enjoy a comprehensive orientation city tour of Hanoi. Hanoi is the country’s cultural heart, bearing traces of centuries of changing dynasties. You will visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace and the historic complex including Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house, One Pillar Pagoda. Also visit the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” prison, where American prisoners of war were once confined; the Temple of Literature and the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts or History Museum at your choice. Break time for lunch at a local restaurant and then later, you will be accompanied by a chef to visit a traditional market to try regional specialities and learn a little about how the delicious dishes are made. Cooking demonstration and have dinner with a Hanoian host. Return to hotel after dinner. Overnight in Hanoi city

Breakfast at the hotel and today we will drive you to Mai Chau (3 hours). Check-in the Mai Chau Ecolodge and relax for the rest of the morning. At 14:00, 14:30you and the tour guide will explore surrounding area where you will see beautiul villages. Stopping over at Nhot Village, dropping in on a Thai family – Mr. Diep’s house, be welcomed by the friendly local people, talk with them and discover their traditional culture and stilt house. Enjoying local fruit and tea, try weaving, embroidering, pounding rice, watch Kenglong performance and how to make wine. Afterwards you can stroll around the hamlets, before returning back to Mai Chau Ecolodge.

Enjoy your breakfast then the morning is spent with activities such as village cycling where you can admire this idyllic setting without leaving any negative impact. It is fantastic to cycle on tiny, tranquil paths winding across a sea of green rice. If season permits, you and kids will participate in doing and sharing the daily work with local farmers brings a lot of fun if you find yourself in an “active discovery”. The activity of course depends on the season and if not in right time, you can do gardening work instead. Back to the resort for lunch then relax for a while before our driver and guide will transfer you back to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi city.

Early breakfast at the tresort and we will drive you to Halong Bay. We will arrive in Halong city at around 12:00 am. Embark at Hon Gai International harbor. Check-in, enjoy welcome drink & cruise briefing. Have lunch while cruising to magnificent Bai Tu Long bay; admire the fascinating formations on the way. Explore the well- hidden Thien Canh Son cave. Enjoy relaxing on a white sandy beach at Hon Co island, swimming or kayaking. Back to junk for refreshing before having dinner on board. Relax, enjoy fresh air & overnight on board.

For early risers complimentary tea, coffee and pastries are served in the restaurant followed by-if you so desire – a Tai Chi Class on the Sundeck (07:00 am). A great morning activity to feel one with this natural wonder. By tender boat we bring the guests to a natural white sandy stretch. Sporty ones can also climb up to a hill top to have a last view from above over Halong Bay before we return to the boat and cruise slowly back to Halong City, passing picturesque areas like the Tam Cung Cave and Poem Mountain. During our trundle breakfast is served before we arrive at the shore at around 11:00 am. The crew will bid you farewell and you disembark with our tender boat to the jetty. Drive to Yen Duc village in Dong Trieu province for a short break in this typical Vietnamese agricultural village which is rich in culture and traditions. In the afternoon, you will visit an ancient local house to understand more Vietnamese culture and family tradition. Following by some farming works (making rice, fishing,..) which makes you become a true local, lasts till the end of the daylight. Dinner in a local house and enjoy making floating rice cake (Banh Troi) with house staffs. Staying overnight in luxury Vietnamese accommodation, Viet House.

The day begins with some morning exercise in the pure living space of countryside. After having breakfast, our tour guide takes you on bike to discover a local market and holy pagoda. It is a great time to talk with local people and get more cultural exchange. The morning continues to visit a local family home and learn about their handicraft work. Lunch is served and dedicated to most favorite Vietnamese dishes. A very fantastic Water Puppet show performs at 14.00 in the village theater. Our private vehicle will transfer you back to the airport where you will catch a flight to Hue city. Meet by a local tour guide nd you will be taken to hotel in Hue city. Checking in to your accommodation and you will stay in Hue.

Breakfast at hotel and today you will explore Hue to capture the best of this city has to offer. This day tour reveals the fascinating history and spectacular beauty of this  town. From the art and architecture to the celebrated food and culture. You will have everything to remember. Begin the city tour with a short visit to the city’s largest colorful Dong Ba market, which will energize your senses with its sights, sounds, and smells. Afterward, you will head out into the streets and wander over to the ancient Citadel, get into the Noon Gate to visit old-aged Forbidden Purple City, which reflects the pomp and ceremony of the dynastic rulers. Next, your Hue tour continues with a short ride through the stunning surrounds, passing rice paddies and small towns, before arriving at a village that specializes in making incense. Learn all about this ancient art before continuing on to one of the impressive emperor’s tombs. You’ll then pay a visit to Thien Mu Pagoda, a sprawling temple complex that is perched on a hill overlooking the Perfume River. After a day taking in the many sights, end it with a relaxing afternoon cruise along the Perfume River. After touring Hue city’s landmarks, take a scenic 3-hour drive on a private comfortable vehicle to Hoi An. You’ll spend the day gazing at the stunning landscapes of Vietnam. Drive through Lang Co, a photogenic coastal fishing village and popular destination for Vietnamese tourists. Continue south through until you reach to the summit of Hai Van Pass “Pass of Ocean Clouds”, a thousand-meter-high mountain pass by the ocean it has been praised by BBC’s Top Gear as the most beautiful coastal mountain road in the world. Stop to drink in and photograph the beautiful view of the coastline. Continue through Danang to your beachfront accommodation or a nice resort in the heart of ancient town of Hoi An where you’ll spend the next three nights. Overnight in Hoi An

Breakfast at hotel and this comprehensive full day tour will give you the best of Hoi An has to offer. First, take a boat trip with other guests from “Ms Vy’s Market Restaurant” to the Hoi An market, guided tour of Hoi An’s colourful central food market followed by an interesting and informative tour of Ms Vy’s Market Restaurant’s street food counters, seeing live cooking demonstrations with actual hands on involvement and many food tastings. Three hour in-depth class with Ms Lulu, learning about Vietnamese culture, nutrition, philosophy, hands on preparation and cooking of four recipes, lunch, sweet treats, unlimited refreshing Vietnamese drinks including water and beer. Recipes, a mini Taste Vietnam booklet and a Vietnamese cooking utensil to take home (Private cooking class is on request). Be charmed by Hoi An, an ancient town, now a UNESCO World Heritage site is one of Vietnam’s most picturesque and atmospheric towns that you have ever seen. This afternoon is spent with a half-day walking city tour with a first stop to bustling and colorful market – a visually stunning place where you can see locals selling and buying staples for their daily meals. Get immersed in the area if you are interested in photo shooting, you will surely capture the ones that you love. Then we will come back to the town, walking along Thu Bon river to visit Japanese Covered Bridge – This symbolic icon of Hoi An was built by the Japanese almost 500 years ago. It is notable for its statues of monkeys and dogs, reflective of sacred Japanese emblems. Continue to a Chinese communal hall, a colourful mélange of bright gates, dragon statues and elaborate rooftops. Get an introduction to ancestor worship while visiting the family altar and watching local devotees making offerings. Next stop to visit Thanh Ha pottery village, a traditional village famed for pottery products. Watch how unique pieces are created. Spend your free time to go shopping at Hoi An’s famous handicraft shops, art galleries. Hoi An is a shopping paradise and the town is also famous for its large number of tailor shops, so if you want to have a new wardrobe made up, this is the time to do it. Return to hotel. Stay at hotel in Hoi An.

Breakfast at the hotel and balance of the days at your leisure to relax or indulge in a variety of activities on resort ground or make your own exploration to go shopping in the town. Overnight at hotel in Hoi An city.

Breakfast and today you will be free at leisure until you are taken to the airport to take one-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh city. Meet and greet by a local tour guide upon arrival. Enjoy a private transfer to the city where you will check into a hotel which is centrally located to explore the nearby sights and sounds of this vibrant city. Free at leisure by your own account. Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.

Good morning Saigon! After your breakfast you will enjoy a comprehensive city of Saigon. Discover a city full of contrasts; French colonial architecture competes with Chinese influences and traditional characters. You will visit Catholic Notre Dame Cathedral and Post Office which are both wonderful examples of French Colonial architecture nearby and then we will head to visit the Presidential Palace. There is a chance to take a closer look at the City Opera Hall. Back to the hotel for lunch break, At 14:00 pm, visit Thien Hau pagoda – this gorgeous 19th-century temple is dedicated to the goddess Thien Hau, and always attracts a mix of worshippers and visitors to visit daily. Come back to the city to visit Ben Thanh market to test your shopping skills. There are lots of photo opportunities about the local life during the visit.

At 06:00 pm, join in our interesting Saigon after dark foodie tour on scooter. You will have great chances to sample and savor the most amazing dishes that Vietnam has to offer. Our drivers and guides will take you to different parts of the city that locals offer different Vietnamese foodies from South up to North. Back to the hotel at around 10:00 pm. Overnight at Park Hyatt Saigon Hotel.

Brreakfast at the hotel and today is spent with an interesting tour to visit Cu Chi Tunnels. Drive for about two hours to Cu Chi Tunnels. Upon arrival, you will watch a short introductory video about the land and people of Cu Chi during the war. Visit various mantraps, the remains of an American tank and numerous bomb craters. Jump in the Jeep get back to the city. The trip ends at your hotel. Overnight in Saigon.