TIMELESS VIETNAM TOUR – 21 DAYS FROM HANOI

Vietnam is deserved to be a top country to travel in your lifetime which is famous for its peaceful country-sides, green rice paddy fields, rugged mountain ranges, exotic ethnic minorities, amazing white sandy beaches, spectacular bays, mysterious pagodas and significant historical sites. Travel to Vietnam with Vivutravel is a perfect idea and your Vietnam holiday packages will be memorable.

You will be welcomed upon your arrival at Noi Bai airport (Hanoi) by our experienced English speaking tour guide and driver before transferring to your hotel for check-in. Overnight in Hanoi.

If you have a chance to stay in Hanoi at the weekend, it is worth joining the interesting night market near Hoan Kiem Lake, featured with walking streets, beautiful red lanterns, local street foods and Vietnamese styled souvenirs.

Ranked among the world’s best destinations, Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam with more than 1000 years of history and culture. Hanoi is also well-known for its beautiful lakes with the image of local Tai Chi in the early morning, tree-line boulevards, flowers on bicycles and delicious dishes.

05:30 Wake up early and be ready for an amazing morning trip around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter – the symbols of Hanoi city and Hanoian. You will be surprised by seeing local Hanoians doing morning exercises around Hoan Kiem Lake as they are so natural practicing such strange Tai Chi in their own ways. Let’s see the way they do and join with them! From Hoan Kiem Lake, take a look at the Old Quarter as it is the only time in day you can enjoy quiet atmosphere.

07:00 Have breakfast with Pho – the most famous and popular dish in Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular.

08:00: Visit Ho Chi Minh complex with first stop at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum –a large memorial pays homage to the national hero – President Ho Chi Minh who led the country to independence and reunification. The Mausoleum is located at Ba Dinh Square where Ho Chi Minh President read the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945 establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Then take a short walk to the Presidential Palace and house on stilts.

Next to Ho Chi Minh complex, One Pillar Pagoda (special with unique architecture of lotus flower) is a must-see place for tourists to Hanoi.

Continue to the Temple of Literature which is the first university in Vietnam. It was constructed in 1070, first to honor Confucius and nowadays to celebrate the doctorates and ranked scholars of Vietnam.

After lunch, visit the Museum of Ethnology – an insight into the 54 different ethnic groups living in Vietnam.It is here you will learn about the cultural diversity of different ethnic groups from religious events to the symbolic rituals as well as display of a variety of Vietnamese homes as full-scale replicas outside.

End the day with a short cyclo ride around the old streets observing daily life of Hanoian, take exotic photos of Hanoi traffic and enjoy a fantastic water puppet show.

Overnight in Hanoi.

08:00    Pick up at your hotel and transfer to visit one of the most beautiful place in the North – Mau Chau Valley which takes around 160Km (4 hours).

On the way, we make a first stop at Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant which was built from 1979 to 1994. It is not only an important industrial construction but also an attractive sightseeing for visitors. Many valuable items such as: Ho Chi Minh statue on Tuong hill with 18 meters height, the traditional area keeping letters, memorial Vietnamese and Soviet experts sacrifice to built hydropower projects.

Our next stop will be Giang Mo ethnic village which is set in a valley at the foot of Mo Mountain in Cao Phong District, 85km northwest of Ha Noi and 10km from Hoa Binh City. Visit to Giang Mo Village, you have chance to see houses on stilts rested under the shadow of big trees and surrounded by paddy fields, discover the daily life of local Muong Minority and interact with them.

From there, we take a short driver to reach to one of the most beautiful roads in Vietnam which is steep mountains in one side and amazing Hoa Binh Lake in the other side and called Halong bay on land with thousands of islands dotted on the lake. If you are lucky, you can see the fishermen working on the lake to catch fish, shrimp… Especially, we will stop at a stilt-house located on the bank of the lake for having a picnic lunch which will be prepared by our tour guide. Then take a short boat trip (1 hours) on the beautiful lake and immerge yourself in the pure nature of fresh.

In the morning, cycle to explore Mai Chau beautiful ethnic villages including Na Thia, Pom Coong, Lac and Chieng Chau villages. Be welcomed by the friendly local people, talk with them and discover their traditional culture. You will experience the spectacular scenery of Mai Chau and the relaxed rhythm of local life.

Time at leisure in the afternoon to relax and overnight in Mai Chau.

Today, we continue your Uniquely Vietnam Tour to Hoa Lu & Tam Coc. On arrivals, we spend one hour visiting the Dinh and Le sanctuaries. These are the two remaining temples of the ancient citadel of Hoa Lu. The first is dedicated to Dinh Tien Hoang (also known as Dinh Bo Linh), an Emperor from the Dinh Dynasty. The second commemorates the rulers of the Le Dynasty. Dinh Bo Linh successfully conquered Vietnam’s first independent rulers, the Ngo Dynasty. On his death in 980, General Le Hoan wisely married Dinh’s widow and established the Le Dynasty and enlarged the citadel.

We then move on to Tam Coc – Poetically penned ‘Halong Bay on the rice paddies’, the area around Tam Coc boasts stunning scenery. While Halong Bay has rugged rock formations jutting out of the sea, here they soar skywards from a sea of green. After a three hour boat trip along the Boi River, we will take a leisure walk to visit Thai Vy Temmple that located among picturesque mountains and rice fields or do beautiful bicycle trip to Bich Dong pagoda for visit to a very nice pagoda and cave.

Tonight, we stay overnight in Tam Coc.

We start at 8.00 A.M for the 3.5 hour drive (170 km) through the Red River Delta, which offers plenty of chances for taking photos of Vietnamese farmers tilling the vast green paddy fields. At half way, we’ll have a visit to a handicraft workshop with fine clothes, embroidered paintings, stone statuettes and all kinds of gems mined in Vietnam such as star rubies or sapphires… Our destination is Halong bay – the most famous World Heritage Site in Vietnam, famous for its beautiful seascape, thousands of spectacular islands and islets jutting out from the sea, amazing caves with marvelous stalagmites and stalactites in different sizes and shapes.

11:30 – 12:00 Upon arrival, you’ll be welcomed on board our luxury junk and treated with wine and fresh local seafood. As our junk gliding further into the tranquility of Ha Long Bay amid the towering mountain cliffs and on the emerald green water, you’ll have relaxing time combining the fine tastes of the wine and the freshness of Ha Long Bay. During the cruise, we’ll stop some times for visiting the amazing Sung Sot cave and the Ti Top white sand beach before anchoring for the night.

Overnight on board the junk in the wild of Halong Bay.

It is said that your Vietnam Tour will not be complete without taking a tour to Halong Bay and spending one night on romantic Halong Cruise. People describe Halong Bay as majestic and mysterious, inspiring and imperious and words alone cannot do justice to the natural wonder that is Halong Bay, a priceless collection of unfinished sculptures hewn from the hand of nature.

After breakfast, we’ll take a little sampan to visit a secret lagoon of Ha Long Bay while the surrounding mountains are just waking up. After that our cruise takes us further into the Bay of Bai Tu Long traveling past the Human Head Island, the Turtle Island, and the Duck Islet… to the studio site where the famous Indochine film was shot. Around noon, our junk travels back to the harbor, pick up and drive back to Noi Bai airport for flight to Hue. If we have time, stop on the way to visit But Thap Pagoda – the most beautiful and ancient pagoda in the North of Vietnam.

Upon your arrival at Hue airport, pick up and transfer to your hotel for check-in. Overnight in Hue.

A full day trip to visit the old capital city of Vietnam under the Nguyen Dynasty ruled from 1802 to 1945, with first stop at the Imperial Citadel giving you a better understanding of the beauty of Vietnamese Royal architecture and culture.

Then we will take a beautiful dragon boat trip along Perfume River and visit to Thien Mu Pagoda – one of the most popular attractions in Hue. It is located on the banks of poetic Perfume River with typical traditional architecture of Hue pagodas and famous for the event that buddhist monk from this temple, Thich Quang Duc, burn himself to death for anti-government protest in 1963.

The next stops will be King Ming Mang and King Khai Dinh tombs which are the most beautiful works of royal architecture of the Nguyen dynasty.

Overnight in Hue

After breakfast, drive to Hoi An – an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site. This scenic drive passes through the fishing village of Lang Co before climbing over the Pass of Ocean Clouds. On the way, stop in Danang to visit the Cham Museum, which contains the finest collection of Cham sculptures in the world and Marble Mountain – a well-known pilgrimage site with peaks, caves, tunnels and temples.

Upon arrival in Hoi An, free to take walking tour of the Hoi An ancient town centre. Overnight in a Hoi An hotel

Our Farming & Fishing Life Tour provides you with a close-up and intimate exposure to both the local farming and fishing communities. Accompanied by your tour guide, you commence the day leisurely cycling along country roads witnessing local Vietnamese rural life first hand, discovering all manner of photo opportunities – coming and visiting a beautiful organic vegetable village, watering and planting vegetable, hoeing a soil with local farmer, riding a water buffalo in a rice paddy field; seeing ducks swimming along the rice farm or farmers tending their crops. The photo opportunities are endless.

Tour guide meets you at your hotel and cycle to a local farming village traveling along picturesque country roads.

Share in the daily work life of local farmers – hoeing and a soil, watering veggie at an organic herb garden, riding water buffalo in the field and enjoy the freshest air of the countryside beauty.

Board  and cruise to the mouth of the river where it meets the Cua Dai Sea. Learn and try your hand at local traditional fishing techniques using round and cast nets. Learn to paddle the strange and unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boats.

Explore the now tranquil coconut-palm flanked waterways of a past war and hear of the extreme conditions endured by soldiers on both sides

Back on-board our Hoi An boat, enjoy lunch and cold beer or soft drink.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Hoi An Ancient Town -the highlight of any tour to Vietnam that no Vietnam Tours maker would skip, is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site.

Day free to cycle through rice paddies in the countryside of Hoi An ancient town, shop for souvenirs among the antique shops and art galleries, or just sit at sidewalk cafes and soak up the atmosphere of this quaint town. Or relax on the white sandy beach of the famous Cua Dai Beach. Overnight in a Hoi An hotel.

Time at leisure until we pick you up and transfer to Danang airport for flight to Nha Trang.

Pick up and transfer to Nha Trang hotel for relax and overnight in Nha Trang.

AM: Unforgettable boat tour with glass-bottom boat ! Start at 8.00 am from your hotel to Cau Da port. Before embarking on boat, you are invited to visit Oceanographic Institute, where you can see the whole selection of sea creatures in Nhatrang bay. Then you will take boat cruise on the site of the institute or at Cau Da peer & be transferred to Mun island, where glass bottom boat standby takes you around this island. You can see the beauty of the live coral reefs, sea plants & creatures of Nhatrang bay by looking through the glass bottom of the boat whilst cruising around Mun island. The glass-bottom boat then will transfer you back to the boat after touring around Mun Island.

PM: Lunch time on boat or on a island restaurant. There seafood lunch will be ready for your hungry belly. Relaxing or doing water sports after lunch such as Jet Ski, parasailing, snorkeling, kayaking, and swimming…. on Con se Tre Islands or Tranh Beach is available for your choice. The boat then transfers you back for a short visit to Tri Nguyen Aquarium around 2.00 pm before being back to the shore. Tour ends at 3.00 pm.

Nha Trang is Vietnam’s best-known Vietnam beach destination, a perfect break during or your Vietnam Tours with miles of white sandy beaches, swaying coconut palms and wonderful fresh seafood restaurants. Time at leisure, water sports abound including parasailing, jet skiing, water skiing and relaxing boat trips to the outlying islands. If you prefer to keep your feet dry then hop into a taxi or take a cyclo for an exploratory trip around Nha Trang.

Overnight in a Nha Trang hotel.

After breakfast, our Vietnam tour guide and driver in Nha Trang will transfer you to the airport for the morning flight with Vietnam airline to Ho Chi Minh which famous with modern office skyscrapers, Oriental style pagodas and food stalls along the street.
Upon your arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport, pick up and transfer to your hotel for check-in.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Optional tour – Ho Chi Minh Vespa Tour: Experience as local people with a Vespa and escorted by a driver, visiting the city landmarks that give you a view of the city unlike anything on your Vietnam tour. Take a peek at the history, the streets and the sights that most visitors never even hear about or see. You will pass through the Chinese district of Saigon, stop to see a sweet smelling flower market and visit a breathtaking yet hidden Buddhist pagoda, Saigon Opera House & Post Office which were designed by Gustave Eiffel.

On this full-day program, you’ll depart Ho Chi Minh City at 08:00 for a pleasant drive through the countryside to Cu Chi.

Before entering the tunnels you’ll see a short introductory video about their construction. Spend the next hour exploring the tunnel maze. Also on display are various mantraps, the remains of an American tank, and numerous bomb craters created by 500-pound bombs dropped by B52 bombers.

Afterwards, you’ll head back to Ho Chi Minh City, arriving at around 13:00.

In the afternoon your Ho Chi Minh City tour begins with a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Post Office, fine examples of classical French colonial architecture.

See the Reunification Palace, one of the city’s most important buildings. Here on 30 April 1975 the American War officially ended when tank number 843 of the North Vietnamese Army crashed through the gates of what was at the time the residence of the President of the Republic of Vietnam.

Formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes, the War Remnants Museum features poignant displays of the futility of war. The courtyard outside contains the spoils of war, namely rusting jets, tanks, and cannons captured from the American military machine.

Visit the bustling Ben Thanh Market, which is very popular with tourists, primarily due to its central location. It has a wide selection of goods ranging from fake Nike shoes to beautiful silk ao dais, the traditional costume for women.

The tour ends at approximately 18:00 and you’ll be transferred back to your hotel. Note that you have the option of staying on at Ben Thanh Market and making your own way back to the hotel.

Around 08:00, our tour guide picks you up at your hotel lobby, then driving 90Km (2hrs) to Ben Tre. The boat will cruise along the Ham Luong river (a branch of the Mekong) and stop off at various local workplaces including a brick works, a coconut processing workshop and a mat weaving house. The boat will then stop at a quiet village where you can have a short walk to experience real Delta village life and take a bicycle ride through dense coconut plantations. Continue to Can Tho – the heart of Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

Check in on your arrival, time at leisure and overnight in a Can Tho hotel.

In the morning, we make the boat cruise to see the Cai Rang floating market (the nicest one with heaps of rowing boats), truly highlights of any Vietnam Tours where you will enjoy the beautiful scenery and see the daily activities of the locals who live along the Mekong canals and later we transfer back to the airport for flight to Phu Quoc island.

Upon your arrival at Phu Quoc airport, pick up and transfer to hotel for check-in. Overnight in Phu Quoc island

One of Vietnam’s star attractions, mountainous and forested Phu Quoc is a splendid tropical getaway set with soft secluded beaches, the water a thousand different shades of turquoise. Stunning sunsets, thunderclouds heaped on the horizon. Palm trees protruding perpendicular over the gentle waves. That’s Phu Quoc island and paradise for Vietnam beach lovers and great place to end your amazing Vietnam Holiday.

The day is spent at leisure. Overnight in Phu Quoc.

Time at leisure and overnight in Phu Quoc.

Time at leisure until we transfer you to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh and connect with your departure flight. We hope that you have enjoyed your time with us and look forward to welcoming your next Vietnam Tours. Vivutravel says goodbye and see you again!!!