Your adventure begins in the bustling, historic streets of Hanoi before heading into the countryside to trek through the emerald rice terraces of Mai Chau. From there, journey south to travel through imperial history in Hue and cycle the timeless, lantern-lit alleyways of Hoi An. Finally, conclude your epic cross-country traversal in the buzzing, high-octane metropolis of Saigon. Step off the standard tourist trail and step into a dynamic 12-day multi-sport odyssey through the beating heart of Vietnam.
DAY 1: WELCOME TO HANOI- VIETNAM
Arrive at the airport, rendezvous with our guide and transfer to hotel. After check in, freshen up and relax after a long flight. In the evening, there will be a pre-departure briefing before we enjoy a delectable welcome dinner at Seasons of Hanoi, one of the city’s best Vietnamese restaurants. Tonight we sleep in Hanoi.
DAY 2: VISIT HANOI
Hanoi is an elegant city with tree-lined boulevards, graceful French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and oriental temples. Early risers can watch or even join in the Tai Chi. This is a very popular exercise that local people believe helps to reduce stress and prepare for the day’s work. After breakfast at the hotel, we take a sightseeing tour of the city, which will include Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, the ‘Temple of Literature’ (established in 1076) and the fascinating, and informative Ethnology Museum and the highly acclaimed Museum of Ethnology. Also visit the infamous Hoa Lo Prison, nicknamed Hanoi Hilton, Camp One, Camp Unity, Heartbreak, Little Vegas, New Guy Village, and West Court among others, completed by the French in 1901. Interesting fact: Hoa Lo Street is the only street in Hanoi with only one address on it…the prison. Enjoy lunch at Koto Restaurant, which is a not-for-profit restaurant and vocational training program that is changing the lives of street and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam.
In the afternoon, enjoy a guided walking tour through the bustling Old Quarter and sprawling Dong Xuan Market. The Old Quarter, home to more than 1000 traditional houses, dates from 1010, when King Ly Thai To moved his capital from Hoa Lu in northern Ninh Binh Province to Hanoi. The Old Quarter became the trading centre of the metropolis and its 36 streets are named after the merchants’ crafts and trades. For example Hang Gai Street is full of silk shops, Hang Giay overflowing with shoes and Hang Bac with small silversmiths. It is fascinating to walk around the labyrinthine streets. Alternatively, taking a cyclo (motorcycle rickshaw) is a great way to get a sense of the city.
In the evening, we’re off to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre for a performance that captures the traditional life of Vietnam in a medium inspired by the abundance of water and rice paddy. We dine at Wild Lotus Restaurant. Tonight we spend another night in Hanoi.
Day 3: Hanoi- Mai Chau. Walking to Mai Chau Valley
We depart Hanoi in the morning and the drive will take us through spectacular limestone mountains dotted with verdant rice paddies. The first stop is Cun Mountain, which offers a unique photo opportunity to capture the superb panorama of Mai Chau, with its lush valleys and stilt house villages.
We arrive in Mai Chau around lunch time, after checking into Mai Chau Lodge. Following lunch, our guide will make a presentation about the region and specific expedition before we enjoy our warm up hire to explore Mai Chau valley, home to Black Thai people. Admiring the stunning the stunning scenery as we hike passing through many villages and across rice paddies.
We stop at a Thai family to interact with locales to get the insight of their unique culture and daily lives. Thai people are renowned for their handmade textile. You can see beautiful Thai women weaving their dresses and scarves.
We return to Mai Chau Lodge in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Mai Chau Lodge
Day 4: Mai Chau- Van Mai- Bao La- Buoc- Mai Chau
Today, we will enjoy a full day hiking to explore the beautiful Thai villages. After a hearty breakfast, our shuttle will bring us to Van Mai (15 minutes transfer). From here, our adventure begins. The hike today is relatively easy as the terrain is majority flat with some gentle hills. We will hike on single tracks and dirt roads traversing thought local villages of Thai people, rice paddies which nested on mountain backdrops. After your exhilarating hike, it’s time for some well deserved rest and relaxation at a Thai traditional house on stilt as we will have few hours hike await in the afternoon. In the afternoon, we continue hiking on single trails to Buoc village, then hop on bus and transfer to Mai Chau Lodge. Dinner and overnight at Mai Chau Lodge.
| Day 5: Mai Chau- Hanoi- Halong
Today we say goodbye to highland and hello ocean. We leave Mai Chau around 7.30 a.m after breakfast, and enjoy a long journey drive to Halong bay via Hanoi. Halong bay is a natural wonder of the world and one of Vietnam’s five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, magnificent Halong Bay lies 160km to the east of Hanoi. Over three thousand jagged limestone islands emerge from the emerald green waters of Halong Bay. While some islands are no more than large rocks others are much more substantial and contain huge cathedral-like caves of stalactites and stalagmites. Most of the islands are clothed in thick green vegetation and ring with the sound of bird song in the early morning. Secluded sandy coves are everywhere and in the summer months the warm waters of the bay are ideal for swimming.
Upon arrival in Halong city, our tender will bring us to Ginger/Jasmine traditional deluxe junk for a cruise among the 3, 000 spectacular limestone islands that rise from the emerald green waters of Halong Bay. The boat is one of the more traditional varieties that sail through the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site. After lunch, take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with Halong Ginger/Jasmine golden sails, go swimming on a quite beach or sunbathing on the sundeck. Later afternoon, visit an interesting fishing village with opportunity to interact with fishmen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. At sunset time, kayak or simply take a bamboo row boat to discover a water tunnel with many coral reefs in a scenic lagoon. Back on board , enjoy cocktails while watching sunset and later unwind at restaurant. Sleep aboard.
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Day 6: Halong Cruise
After breakfast, transfer to your day – trip boat with private crew and cruise to the bay’s most untouched areas. Following the boat to cruise to Man’s Head Island and Tortoise Island. We can choose to take a small Optional paddling to explore Luon Cave ( Tunnel cave), a beautiful crater like lagoon encircled by towering cliff which is only accessed via half submerged 30m tunnel cave. We continue to sail to visit Cua Van fishing village, where lots of floating house appearing on the emerald water. Enjoy scrumptious lunch then cruise to unusual Ba Ham Lake, another crater like lagoon in two sections. The lake is a system comprising three wide and round pits, linked together by a narrow and meandering tunnel. Stalactites hang from the ceiling in a myriad of strange, colored forms. The silence is disturbed only by the sounds of the boat’s oars. On the island are many species of plants such as orchids, banyans and cycads, which blossom throughout the year. It is also the home of yellow-haired monkeys, birds, flying squirrels and bats. Under the deep blue surface of the water are the animated lives of shrimp and fish. During the cruise we can stop to visit Bat Cave. The afternoon will be spent at Three Peach Beach, a stunning swimming spot. Return to the mother junk for a dinner and overnight.
Note: Kayaking is optional only, for active clients, you can choose to take some paddling if you wish. Otherwise, we just enjoy the leisure cruise.
Day 7: Halong- Hanoi- Hue
Greet the day with a morning Tai Chi exercise with an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay. After breakfast, visit beautiful limestone grotto then back to the boat for a final glimpse of the Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock. We spend our time to visit Halong City with its bustling Hon Gai market. Lunch at Vietnam restaurant before we drive to Noi Bai airport and connect an evening flight to Hue.
Transfer to hotel for check in. Dinner at hotel.
Overnight in Hue
| Day 8: Hue exploration
Hue is the most beautiful city in Vietnam. Hue served as Vietnam’s political capital from 1802 to 1945 under the rule of the 13 emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty. Traditionally, the city has been one of Vietnam’s cultural, religious and educational centres. Recently, Hue has been listed as a World Heritage Site. A morning boat trip on the romantically named Perfume River visits Hue’s best-known religious site, Thien Mu Pagoda, and the mausoleum of former emperor Minh Mang, Tu Duc and Imperial Citadel. Spend time to stroll around Dong Ba market with our guide in the afternoon. Dong Ba market is another of the must see sites in Hue. A visit to a food market is always very interesting when you go to a foreign country. This is especially true in Vietnam. Here you can see what people eat on a daily basis. In Vietnamese markets you will also find stalls that sell the local dishes. As you can see, conic hats are widely used by Vietnamese women. They use these typical hats to protect their faces from the sun. In the evening join Mr Phan Thuan An, a famous historian in Hue and meet him at his house for an evening talk and dinner. A dinner at the home of the well-known Hue historian, Mr. Phan Thuan An (formerly the home of the princess of the Emperor Dong Khanh of the Nguyen Dynasty) is served with royal Hue dishes including banh beo, bun bo, banh uot and banh loc (selected menu can be ordered in advance). His home is a traditional royal Hue house over 100 years old and Mr. An can host the client with a talk about the Hue history and anecdotes about the family of the Emperor Dong Khanh (Mr. An was married to the grand-grand daughter of the Emperor Dong Khanh). While the client enjoys their meal, his daughter will play traditional Hue music with traditional monocord and sing a few Hue folk songs. This visit with dinner takes approximately 2 ½ hours.
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Day 9: Hue- Danang- Hoi An
We say good bye to Hue after breakfast and depart by road for Danang via the scenic fishing village of Lang Co and the Pass of Ocean Clouds. Stop in Danang to visit the beautiful Non Nuoc Beach and the Cham Museum containing the finest collection of Cham sculpture in the world. On the road from Danang to Hoi An visit five sacred hills known as the Marble Mountains containing dozens of Buddhist shrines.
We will spend two nights in Hoi An, a living museum. Once known as Faifo, Hoi An was one of the orient’s major trading ports in the 16th and 17th centuries. After the Thu Bon River linking Hoi An to the sea silted up, ocean-going ships were no longer able to sail into town and trade moved 30km up the coast to Danang, then known as Tourane. Despite the passing of 200 years and the ravages of weather and war, the centre of Hoi An remains much the same as it was in its heyday. A walking tour is the best way to see the wooden-façade houses that once belonged to the town’s prosperous merchants, the Japanese covered bridge and the wonderful market. Dinner and overnight in Hoi An.
| Day 10: Hoian
Hoi An is known throughout Vietnam for its excellent seafood and it also boasts its own unique dishes, such as Cao Lau, a delicious combination of noodles, pork, bean sprouts, mint and croutons. This morning we can enjoy the cookery class at an ancient home of Hoi An, where you will learn how to prepare a tasty Vietnamese feast. The chef introduces you to the local ingredients, takes you through the preparation, and explains the Hoi An style of cooking. The demonstration takes about 1 hour – each person helps prepare the dishes and then sits down to enjoy the meal. The rest of day is at your leisure to do whatever you want. Hoi An is one of the best places in Vietnam to shop for souvenirs at bargain prices, including silk, handicrafts, antiques and paintings. Five kilometres from the centre of town is Cua Dai Beach, popular with both locals and visitors alike for its white sand, warm sea and seafood stalls. Overnight in Hoi An
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| Day 11: Hoi An- Danang- Saigon
Transfer to airport for a morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City. In the afternoon, we will sightsee the dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals, takes in the former Presidential Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Saigon Post Office, a lacquerware factory and Thien Hau Pagoda in the city’s bustling china town and the well known War Remnant museum. A stroll around the city biggest marker called Ben Thanh. This is a great chance to visit one of the key intersections in the city center, Ben Thanh is the city’s main market. Inside is a tightly organized grid of aisles, arranged according to product. Clothes, shoes and fabric dominate the front, before giving over to kitchenware, cooked food, fresh vegetables and a somewhat alarming display of seafood and meat (some of it still alive). There is plenty for the visitor to buy, but the main attraction is the way in which the bustling market is still very much part of the city’s life and economy. In the evening, enjoy our celebratory dinner at Temple Club Restaurant a Vietnamese restaurant housed in an old colonial-era building where American movie stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie dined in 2007. Overnight in Saigon
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Day 12: Departure
Well, our time together has too quickly and we hope that you enjoyed your time in the North of Vietnam and take home many precious photo and memories. Today, we will transfer to airport for your onward flight
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Travel starts daily. You will travel independently with your own personal tour guide. Joining a group is not possible.
