Post card of Vietnam 14 Days

Depart from your hotel in the early morning to take a walk through Hang Be market – one of the most famous markets in Hanoi thanks to its diverse array of goods and eye catching displays. 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. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.      

Free time at leisure for your further exploration in the capital city of Vietnam until at good time in this evening, you will be transferred to the Hanoi Railway station for an overnight train to Lao Cai. Your room is at your disposal until noon time only. Meals on your own. Overnight on the train in an air-conditioned cabin with soft sleeper berths (4 people per cabin).  

You will arrive at Lao Cai at around 6.00 am and enjoy breakfast in a local restaurant. Afterwards you will take the beautiful and winding mountain road to Bac Ha (3 hours driving). Here you will visit Bac Ha Market. This wonderful market is a great place for photos and shopping. You will have chance to meet different groups of ethnic people at the market. After visiting the market take a walk on small paths through the surrounding nearby villages and then drive to Sapa for overnight. Meals on your own. Overnight at hotel. Remark: Bac Ha Market is held only on Sundays.  

After your breakfast at hotel,  start your amazing trekking day to the most impressive areas of Sapa. Drive up to Y Linh Ho Village of the Black Hmong people from here you will hike along small paths down the valley to the Muong Hoa River to visit the Black H’mong village in Lao Chai, one of the biggest minority groups in Sapa area. They are proud of their culture and keep their own traditions and lifestyle. Continue to Ta Van village (1.2 km) to visit Zay hill tribe people, a fairly small minority group of about 38.000 people who live mainly in the mountains in Northwest Vietnam. Zay women still wear traditional shirts with a purple, blue or green color. The Zay houses are built of wood and bamboo with a clay floor. Return to Sapa and then free at your leisure. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

Free at your leisure to explore Sapa Town on your own until transfer to Lao Cai Railway Station for overnight train back to Hanoi. Room is at your own disposal until noon time only. Meals on your own. Overnight on train (4 persons/ cabin).    

Arrive back in Hanoi in the early morning, you will be taken to a hotel for a short relaxation and breakfast before leaving for Halong Bay, a stunning UNESCO World Heritage site with its 3,000 islands of towering limestone dotting the bay and Gulf of Tonkin (180km – 3.5 - 4 hour driving). 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.

You are advised to set your alarm clock to enjoy a spectacular dawn over the bay. After a morning bathe and breakfast on board you will continue your cruise to explore the bay. Enjoy this more isolated bay’s spectacular and unique islands of the bay. Enjoying the brunch during returning back to harbor around noontime. We’ll head back to Hanoi by shuttle bus, passing a vast expanse of rice fields of the Red River Delta. You will see scenes of farmers working in the fields, children going to school, and even little pigs being brought into town on motorbikes. Arrive back in Hanoi, you will be transferred by private car to the airport for a short flight to Danang. Flight VN175 HAN-DAD @ 19.00-20.30. Upon arrival, you will be picked up by local driver and taken to the hotel in Hoi An. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.          

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 sighseeing spots of Hoi An such as Chinese temples, traditional houses, the famous Japanese bridge and daily life activities of the local people. Wake up in the early morning for a guided tour which will allow you to further appreciate the true value of this legacy of over 800 historical monuments. The city itself has been listed UNESCO World Heritage.   The tour ends with a cup of coffee or tea at Reaching Out – a special teashop where all the waiters and waitresses are hearing impaired staff who are given a chance to have a self–reliant life and integrate into the community with training to enable them to work there confidently and professionally. A peaceful time for you to enjoy the silence and taste of coffee. Then take a short biking tour to the beautiful and peaceful villages in the countryside surrounding Hoi An. Free time in the afternoon for shopping and exploring Hoi An at your own pace. Meals on your own. Overnight at hotel.

Free days at leisure. Enjoy the beach & explore the place on your own way. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.     

Free time at leisure until good time for transfer (without guide) to the airport in Danang to fly to Saigon. Flight: VN113 DAD-SGN @ 12.05-13.35. Upon arrival, you will be picked up by local driver and transferred to the hotel for check-in. Balance of the day is free for your own discovery of the capital of the South.

Nowhere  is  Vietnam’s  rush  to  modernize  more  visible. 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 (your expense). Balance of the day is free at leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.  

In the morning, 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, transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City by road. Check in hotel at the end of the afternoon. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.        

Free time at leisure until good time for being picked up at the hotel and transferred by local driver to the airport for your departure flight back home. Meals on your own. Room is at your own disposal until noon time only.