Miraculous Vietnam 17 Days

Depart from your hotel in the early morning to local morning market. Take this chance to observe the daily life of the locals and capture some memorable pictures. Then, start to explore the diversified architecture of Hanoi and its famous 36 streets of the Old Quarter by a walking tour.  The purpose of today’s walking tour is to discover Hanoi’s architecture, which reflects the atmosphere and soul of Hanoi. The rich diversity reaches from Vietnamese, Chinese and French colonial to Communist architecture. You will find Hanoi a real architectural treasure as you explore a traditional tube house. And you will see how attractive a small pagoda in the center of Hanoi can be. Just before your lunch, visit Hanoi’s first university - the Temple of Literature - dating back to 1070. This historical centre of learning is now dedicated to Confucian worship. In the afternoon, continue your visit to the Ethnology Museum to have a glimpse into the richness and diversity of Vietnam 54 ethnic groups. The balance day is free to relax. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.    

This morning we head northwest of Hanoi for Mai Chau (170 km – 4 hours driving) on a picturesque road through the valley. Located in a beautiful valley, Mai Chau has been an area of minority White Thai for several centuries. Arrive in Mai Chau and have lunch at local restaurant. After your short break, you will enjoy a bike ride. Depending on your wishes and your physical condition, several itineraries will be offered to you: an easy and flat route through this huge “green stadium” or, for the more courageous, the road spreading over 16km. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the lodge.

You will spend half day trekking in Bao La village with guide. You will eventually reach the peaceful scene; meet with ethnic minorities’ people living in their traditional stilt houses. From there, you will be able to escape for walks on paths winding through the rice fields of this magnificent “green stadium”. Join local house lunch with traditional dishes. Then return to your lodge and free in the afternoon. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

In the morning, take a walk around to say good bye this little charming village. At around noon, drive out of town back to Hanoi. The balance of the day is free at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

In the morning, leave Hanoi by private vehicle for Halong Bay, a stunning UNESCO World Heritage site with its 3,000 islands of towering limestone dotting the bay and Gulf of Tonkin. After arriving at noon, you will board a beautiful boat for an overnight cruise on Halong Bay with an excellent menu of fresh seafood. Lunch and dinner are served on boat. Overnight on board in the open air of Halong Bay. 

Wake up early in the morning to enjoy aquamarine water of the bay at its best. After tea break, the boat continues to cruise quietly through spectacular limestone formations of Halong Bay. Enjoy this more isolated bay’s spectacular and unique islands of the bay.  Eventually, back at the pier you will disembark at around 11.00 am. Transfer back to Hanoi, directly to the airport where you will take a brief flight to Danang.

Be welcomed by your local guide on arrival and transfer to your hotel in Hoi An Town (30 km – 45 minute driving) for check in. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.      

This half-day will be devoted to experience the Vietnamese cuisine with the local chef from Tra Que village. Firstly, you are picked up privately at your hotel to the market where you can be in the thick of the actions and get explanations for local ingredients, as well as witness daily local life. After buying some necessary ingredients for your today cooking class, you will be transferred to Tra Que village which is famous for its vegetable production. Leisure short biking tour to Tra Que Village is strongly recommended! Don’t be scared to get on a bike to reach the village of Tra Que. It is a very easy 30-minute ride, and the view is splendid. You will ride across plains of flooded rice fields and you will have the opportunity to observe picturesque scenes of the local's daily life with a background of verdant countryside. Tra Que village offers unique herb, spice and vegetable gardens that you can already see from afar the odor. The chef will teach you to cook some traditional dishes and some combinations of tastes that you can use on your return home. With the balance between fresh herbs and meats and a selective use of spices to reach a fine taste, the cooking class will teach you not only how to make delicious dishes but also how to create the harmony. Lunch will be the opportunity to taste the dishes prepared by you in a peaceful place overlooking to the vegetable garden.   After lunch, you will be transferred back to Hoian. The small streets of Hoi An are ideal to wander along to explore the shops, houses and temples on foot or by bicycle. Cars and motorbikes are forbidden in the entire area, which allows you to peacefully enjoy some of most important sightseeing spots of Hoi An such as Chinese temples, traditional houses, the famous Japanese bridge and daily life activities of the local people. This guided tour allows you to further appreciate the true value of this legacy of over 800 historical monuments. The city itself has been listed UNESCO World Heritage. Free time in the afternoon for shopping and exploring Hoi An at your own pace. Meals on your own. Overnight at hotel.    

Free days to enjoy the beach or at disposal for your further exploration. Let yourself be seduced by the old charm and the serenity of Hoi An. Besides its historical interests and the charm of its small streets, the city is also renowned for its culinary specialties, its large white sandy beach and the opportunity to shop in its numerous boutiques (tailoring, ancient ceramics, lanterns and other decorative artifacts). Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.       

Free time at leisure until good time for transfer by local driver to the airport in Danang to fly to Saigon. Upon arrival, you will be picked up by local driver and transferred to the hotel in city center. Balance of the day is free for your own discovery of the capital of the South. Despite  its  rush  to  modernity,  Saigon,  as  it  is  still  known,  is  a  friendly  and  welcoming  place  with  many  reminders  of  its  turbulent past  and  a  palpable  momentum  towards  the  future. In the evening, you could visit Ben Thanh Night Market to see how lively this city by night is. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.   

This morning we will leave the city by private vehicle to visit the amazing tunnel network of Cu Chi. This incredible system, covering almost 250km in length was shelter to over 16,000 Vietcong guerrillas during the wars. Initially started in 1948 to provide shelter against the French air and ground sweeps, the network went on to serve as communication routes, storage facilities, hospitals and living quarters for Vietnamese fighters throughout the American war.  If you are interested (and game) you can even descend into the tunnels to learn more about the harsh conditions faced by Vietcong guerrillas who lived there. Return to the city centre for lunch (at your own account).   The balance of the day is free at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to the picturesque Ben Tre Province, known as the land of coconut trees. Then, begin biking along village-paths and take in the many sights of the villagers performing their everyday activities and the peaceful landscapes of the Ben Tre countryside. Continue biking through the village to the boat pier and take a rowing-boat along the palm canal. On the way you can see the homes and activities of the people that live by the waterside. Stop to visit a local house‘s coconut gardens where you can enjoy tropical fruits. Keep up the cycling along a village road with the vast gardens of coconuts on either side. After such an engaging morning of biking and paddling you should be ready to enjoy a specially prepared lunch featuring traditional dishes of the Mekong River region in a small beautiful local restaurant.   Your afternoon starts with a walk to the departure point for your motorboat journey. The trip will take you along Ba Lai Legend River which is beautifully fringed with palm trees. As you head along the river you will stop to visit the coconut coir manufacturing facility to see the interesting processes first hand. Take in the feeling of the peaceful, simple life that the inhabitants of the riverside enjoy. You will also discover some of the coconut processing workshops which are located along the banks. At the end of the boat tour you will be picked up by your bus. Then, travel back to Ho Chi Minh City.  Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

Free at your leisure until transfer to Saigon Airport for flight to Phu Quoc on

Upon arrival in Phu Quoc Airport, joining transfer to your hotel for check-in. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.  

  Free at your leisure.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred without guide to the airport for flight to Saigon where you continue taking onward flight back home or next destinations. Room is at your disposal until noon time only. Meals on your own. Services end.