Essence of Vietnam: A 7-Day Journey Through North & South

DAY 1: HANOI ARRIVAL

Upon reaching Hanoi, complete the immigration and visa on arrival process at the airport. Meet our driver at the airport and board your transfers to reach the pre-booked hotel.

 

Complete the check-in procedure at the hotel and get ready to explore this capital city of Vietnam.

 

Free time for leisure to enjoy Old Quarter to enjoy the bustling local life.This bustling area of narrow streets and alleys is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers.

 

It's a great place to explore with plenty of photo opportunities all around you. Return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

 

DAY 2: HANOI – NINH BINH DAY TRIP

Have a hearty breakfast at the hotel and get ready to start your day. (Pickup: 8 am).

 

Board your transfers to Ninh Binh province which is blessed with rich natural landscapes.

 

Around 10:30 am you will reach Hoa Lu, an Ancient Capital of the Dinh dynasty (968 - 1009); after which 29 years later King Ly Thai of the Le Dynasty moved the capital to Thang Long - present-day Hanoi.

 

Visit the age-old temples that have been built on the grounds of the old royal palace to know more about the feudal dynasties and the historical periods in Vietnamese history.

 

In the afternoon walk to the boat station and start a 2-hour boat trip to Tam Coc, popularly known as “Halong Bay on land”.

 

This boat ride on the Ngo Dong river will take you through the peaceful scenery of the Limestone Mountains, rice paddies, and magnificent temples.

 

On the way pass through a series of 3 caves which are named Hang Ca (first cave), Hang Hai (second cave), and Hang Ba (third cave).

 

Upon completing the boat ride, continue to ride to Mua Cave (Lying Dragon Peak) to enjoy the spectacular view from the top (500 steps). Enjoy your sunset and begin your journey back to Hanoi.

 

Return back to the hotel in Hanoi for an overnight stay.

 

DAY 3: HANOI – HALONG BAY

Have a hearty breakfast at the hotel and begin your journey to Halong Bay.

 

This journey will take you through the Red River Delta where you can see the everyday life of the Vietnamese Villagers.

 

Upon arriving at Halong, board a traditional sailing junk and get greeted by the crew members.

 

Discover some of the treasures disseminated across the Bay of the Descending Dragon during the afternoon: fascinating caves, pristine beaches, picturesque floating villages, and fantastic rock formations rising up out of emerald water.

 

After having a delicious lunch on board, spend the rest of the time at leisure, wherein you can choose to attend our chef's cooking demonstration and try your skills in the art of traditional Vietnamese cooking.

 

Spend the rest of the evening on the sundeck of your cruise and admire the colors of the sunset painting the sky.

 

Later, have your dinner accompanied by a wide selection of wines and beverages (additional cost for drinks) along with various entertainment options like - movie night, squid fishing, etc.

 

You can also choose to enjoy your drink by sitting relaxedly surrounded by limestone rocks majestically springing out from silent waters in the night.

 

Overnight stay on the cruise at Halong Bay.

 

DAY 4: HALONG BAY – HANOI – HO CHI MINH CITY

Start your day early with sunrise and join a Tai Chi lesson on Sundeck.

 

Start the day enjoying some delights with a light breakfast followed by a colorful brunch.

 

Continue exploring Halong Bay by sailing across its 2000+ islets and visiting some of its major highlights.

 

Spend the rest of the time at leisure until you reach back on the coast of Hanoi.

 

Upon arrival at the coast, board the transfer that will take you to our office in Hanoi then transfer to the airport.

 

Board your flight to Ho Chi Minh city, the cultural and financial capital of Vietnam located in the Southern part of the country.

 

Reach Ho Chi Minh city and board your transfer to the hotel.

 

Complete the check-in formalities at the hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

 

Overnight stay in the hotel at Ho Chi Minh city.

 

DAY 5: CU CHI TUNNEL

Wake up and have a delicious breakfast at the hotel.

 

Get ready to visit one of the most interesting places related to the Vietnam War period - the Cu Chi Tunnels.

 

Located 60 km from Ho Chi Minh, Cu Chi is a network of over 200km of tunnels that were functioning as underground cities including numerous trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers & kitchens.

 

Watch a short introductory video on how the tunnels were constructed before heading the explore these tunnels.

 

There is plenty of evidence of the fierce battle that took place here during the 1960s when Cu Chi was a “Free Target Zone”.

 

After exploring the tunnels for an hour, head back to Ho Chi Minh city.

 

Free time fore exploration in the afternoon.

 

Return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

 

DAY 6: MEKONG DELTA

Have a hearty breakfast at the hotel and get ready by around 8 to 8:30 am to begin an interesting day of this tour.

 

Board your transfer to My Tho city, after which you will be starting the one-and-a-half-hour bus ride that will take you through the lush green landscapes of the rice paddies.

 

Later, embark on a boat ride along the Mekong River as it is the only means of transportation to explore this region.

 

Watch the fisherman fishing using the fish cages from their unique floating houses on the river.

 

The boat will further take you through a small canal to one of the two islands in the region famous for producing the local specialties like coconut candy, coconut handicrafts, etc.

 

You can also visit the bee farms to try the freshly made honey and taste the honey wine.

 

Stop by and listen to Vietnamese traditional music as performed by the villagers (Đàn Ca Tài Tử – A folk art form from Southern Vietnam accredited by UNESCO in 2013 as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity).

 

Click some postcard-perfect pictures of the surrounding vistas before heading to a local restaurant for lunch.

 

Re-energize yourself by having a special Vietnamese lunch prepared by the locals in a natural setting under the shade of the trees.

 

During this tour, you will also visit the Vinh Trang pagoda, the biggest pagoda in the Mekong delta.

 

The rest of the time is at leisure for you to relax and take walk around.

 

Later, start your journey back to the city and where you can spend the rest of the evening at leisure.

 

Return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

 

DAY 7: DEPARTURE

After having a hearty breakfast, check out from the hotel and board your transfer to the airport.

 

Your amazing Vietnam Tour ends as you get dropped at the airport.