21 Days Vietnam Discovery Tour

Hanoi is well known for its history, architecture, charm, tranquility, and cuisine. Our first visit was to the most respected sites, the Ho Chi Minh Complex and Ba Dinh Square, which are essential pilgrimage points for many Vietnamese. The area surrounding the complex is a traffic-free zone filled with botanical gardens, monuments, memorials, and pagodas, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh Museum, and the One Pillar Pagoda.

Then, we will visit the 11th-century Temple of Literature, Hanoi’s first university. From here, we will continue to Bun Cha Huong Lien, the famous local spot where President Barack Obama dined with Anthony Bourdain.

We will drive approximately 25 minutes to the Ethnology Museum in the afternoon. The museum provides an insightful glimpse into the country’s lengthy history, featuring over 15,000 photos and 10,000 objects and artifacts depicting the lives, activities, customs, and habits of the 54 recognized ethnic groups of Vietnam.

End your day with a walk through the Hanoi Old Quarter. The streets of this district are bustling with scooters, bicycles, cyclos, and cars zipping around pedestrians. The best way to enjoy the charming colonial architecture is to wander with your guide at a leisurely pace. Be sure to stop for a cup of Vietnamese coffee or a local snack from one of the many tantalizing street vendors.

At 13:30 PM, our tour guide will welcome you to the hotel and head to Bat Trang Ceramic Village, located 13 km from Hanoi center. Bat Trang, a small village in northern Vietnam, is about 13 kilometers southeast of Hanoi center, on the other side of Chuong Duong bridge. Its name is popular among tourists due to its famous ceramic and pottery products of high quality. If you know about Vietnam, you may not be surprised that Bat Trang’s vases, bowls, dishes, and many other ceramic products have been exported worldwide.

Should you wish to observe workers making ceramic products by hand, just come here! You can also try it yourself! Take 1-2 hours to discover the village before traveling back the same way.

We will return to central Hanoi for some leisure time before our exciting overnight train journey to Lao Cai.

We arrive in Lao Cai around 5 AM and are met by our transport for a spectacular hour’s journey up the impressive mountains to Sapa.

Seeing is believing! The imagination cannot visualize nor appreciate the beauty of the stunning vistas and breathtaking mountainous rice terraces until you observe them in proper form.

Upon arrival in Sapa, we check the hotel for some rest before exploring the afternoon.

We will commence our exciting trek downhill in the early afternoon from Sapa town to Cat Cat Village. Our 2-hour walk will take us through rice paddies, passing by different ethnic minority villages hard at work and flower and vegetable gardens until we reach a magnificent waterfall within the lush mountains.

We will rest and continue to Cat Cat villages of the Black Hmong tribe, enjoying the waterfall in Cat Cat and the beautiful scenery along the way.

After a warm welcome and some rest, we will stroll around the village, learning about the Black Hmong's traditional way of life. We will observe a fascinating demonstration of conventional fiber processing, including weaving, dying hemp cloth, peeling bark from the dried hemp stalks, and tying stripped bark ribbons to form bundles. The locals will strongly encourage us to try perfecting their art, resulting in many laughs!

We will say goodbye to the village and drive back to Sapa.

After breakfast, you will check out and leave your luggage at the hotel, getting ready for the trip. We will be picked up by our vehicle and transferred to Lao Chai. We will trek down to visit the Tay and Day tribes and then continue along the bottom of the Sapa valley to Ta Van village, which is considered the most beautiful one in the area.

The interaction and closeness we experience with the local minority groups will be an absolutely incredible experience.

We will return to Sapa for some free time before our transfer to Lao Cai for our overnight train to Hanoi.

Your Vietnam Beach vacation begins with a trip to Halong Bay, a collection of almost 2000 islands and jungle-clad limestone pillars in the Tonkin Gulf. Known as the “Bay of Descending Dragons” in Vietnamese, this archipelago is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a world-famous travel destination.

We will leave the hotel and head to Halong, passing through wonderful scenery, including tranquil villages and buffalo in the fields.

Upon arrival, enjoy a welcome drink and a delicious freshly caught seafood lunch while sailing out of the bay, passing amazing-shaped mountains. Enjoy the seascape from the sundeck or even from your private cabin through the glass window. You can swim, kayak, and visit caves on the island for a more enriching experience. In the late afternoon, we will participate in a Vietnamese cooking demonstration from the onboard chefs and enjoy a seafood feast for dinner as stars emerge from behind those jungle-clad limestone pillars.

Spend the night on board in an elegant cabin with handicraft wooden interiors and air conditioning. Alternatively, you can go night fishing before your overnight stay aboard.

Rise early to catch the sunrise over Sung Sot Cave while taking part in a Tai Chi class with the boat’s Tai Chi guru.

Enjoy a light breakfast, and sit on the upper deck to relax while taking in the breathtaking beauty of the rocky islands rising from the emerald water of the bay. Then, explore Sung Sot Cave, swim, and relax. We will cruise back to the jetty while brunch is served as we observe more fascinating rock formations.

We will return to Hanoi with time to relax or grab a last-minute bargain before our late afternoon flight to Hue. Upon arrival in Hue, you will transfer to the hotel for check-in.

Today, we will visit Hue's oldest 19th-century Pagoda, Thien Mu (Heavenly Lady) Pagoda, which is famous for its Buddhist Center teachings.

Boarding our dragon boat from the base of the pagoda, we will cruise down the Perfume River, watching local fishermen while passing through the banks of Hue’s town.

We will continue our visit to the Hue Citadel, Vietnam’s former imperial capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, you will discover the history of Vietnam during this period, as well as the daily life of the royal family and the typical architecture of this imperial construction.

Being the former royal capital, Hue's surrounding countryside contains several tombs of the former Nguyen Emperors, where we will visit the Minh Mang Tomb.

Before returning to your hotel, we will stop at the Dong Ba Market for some shopping.

After a relaxing morning, we will set out on our spectacular drive to Hoi An.

We will pass through Lang Co fishing village, set within beautiful blue lagoons, before heading up and over the spectacular Hai Van Pass, where we will stop at the highest point to immerse ourselves in the stunning scenery at 980 meters above sea level.

Upon arrival in Hoi An, the historic and quaint nature of this UNESCO World Heritage Site is perfect for exploring.

The rest of the afternoon will be free for you to enjoy the peaceful ambience of this quaint ancient town or spend some time with the skillful tailors, treating yourself to tailor-made clothes, for which Hoi An is renowned.

Today, you will have free time to explore Hoi An Ancient Town further.

You may want to visit Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Halls, the 200-year-old Tam Ky ancestral house, and the Japanese Bridge, followed by relaxing at a local pub, shopping, or visiting the local tailors who make quality clothes in a flash. Alternatively, you can take a boat trip to Cu Lao Cham, visit its fishing villages, and go snorkeling before enjoying a Vietnamese seafood lunch at a Cham jungle restaurant.

Today, we have the great privilege of spending time at a local family home in a small farming village just outside of Hoi An town.

Biking from the hotel to Tra Que village. Upon arrival, we are welcomed by the family and enjoy a traditional herbal drink before setting out on our guided walk through the local farmland. We learn about the village's history, observe the processes of harvesting, and discover the many traditional uses of the herbs and vegetables grown in both cooking and Vietnamese medicines.

For those who have a ‘green finger,’ you have the opportunity to join the farmers in preparing the land, seeding, watering, and picking the crops.

After trying your hand at harvesting a crop, what better way than to take a rest, freshen up, and soak your feet in a traditional lemongrass and rose petal foot bath before sitting down for a delicious lunch of local delicacies using the fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden.

The family also loves showing off their skills in whipping up your lunch and giving you a creative cooking demonstration.

We bid farewell to the family in the early afternoon and head back to town.

This morning, we took a short flight to Nha Trang.

We check into our hotel, and you will have a day of leisure to explore the town and enjoy the picturesque turquoise waters of the South China Sea. The town has many restaurants and cafés dotted along the white sandy beach, sheltered by coconut trees.

In these days, you will have free time at leisure in Nha Trang to explore the town and enjoy the picturesque turquoise waters of the South China Sea, with its many restaurants and cafés dotted along the white sandy beach, sheltered by coconut trees or relaxing and unwinding at the resort overlooking beautiful Bay. Snorkel or dive among the coral reefs in crystal blue waters, hike nature trails, cool off in your private plunge pool, indulge in spa treatments, or just relax on the white sand beach and admire the unspoiled mountain and sea views.

After a relaxing morning, we take a flight to Saigon.

Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport, you will be met by the tour guide and driver and transferred to the hotel for check-in.

Tonight is free at leisure to explore this bustling city of Saigon.

This morning, we set out to explore Saigon City, from Central Saigon to Chinatown, providing a general overview of this fascinating city with its history and culture.

We explore the historical sights of the Reunification Palace, the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, The War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral (built in 1877), and the city’s Post Office.

In the afternoon, you will explore colorful outdoor markets and Dong Khoi Street, the city's main shopping boulevard with shops selling clothes and accessories by new Vietnamese designers, hill tribe crafts, high-quality linens, and housewares.

We set out this morning for our 100km spectacular drive to Tay Ninh, the Great Temple of Caodaism (a famous local religion).

The temple was built on nine levels that represent nine steps to heaven, at which you will see a prayer session at noon with beautiful music and prayer with Vietnamese folk instruments in a very spiritual environment.

We have some lunch in this great little local town before our 30 km journey, heading back towards Ho Chi Minh City, to visit Cu Chi Tunnels.

The famous Cu Chi Tunnel system was created to assist the Vietnamese revolutionists against the French in 1948. It was an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers, etc., and in certain areas housed up to 10,000 people, who virtually lived underground for years.

After a video introduction and a guided tour through the grounds, you will have the opportunity to take part in the unique experience of guerillas living underground during the war, with a crawl through 20/30/50 meters of the tunnel system.

We return to Ho Chi Minh City late afternoon.

Today, we head to Cai Be floating market to explore the typical Vietnamese life of the Mekong Delta.

Upon arrival at the Cai Be land market, we visit the rice factories in An Cu Village and Dong Hoa Hiep to visit the ancient house. Afterward, you will go to the Cai Be floating market and handicraft workshop by boat. After leaving these places, you will go to Tan Phong Island to take the rowing boats along the tiny canals. Passing through Mekong Ecolodge to take a short break, you will then take the bicycles to start exploring and engaging in some activities with the island's locals.

You will go to the local family to learn how to make jack-leaf cakes, known as this island's specialty. You will join hands to make cakes and enjoy them. You will be free to lie on the hammocks under the shades of a 200-year-old milk fruit tree to enjoy the atmosphere. You will also experience going over the Monkey Bridge, which is popular in the Southwest of Vietnam. Indeed, you will have unforgettable memories here.

After saying goodbye to the local people, you will continue to learn how to knit water hyacinths. With their guidance, you can use water hyacinth to knit a beautiful hat. Have lunch at the local restaurant.

In the late afternoon, participate in a cooking class and dinner with what you’ve cooked.

In the late afternoon, the family would love to show off their skills in whipping up your dinner, giving you a creative cooking demonstration. Enjoy the dinner you have just cooked.

After breakfast, we take a cycling tour through traditional villages with many ancient traditional houses set amongst a peaceful atmosphere, fruit trees, and bonsai gardens. We witness the unusual yet fascinating process of making coconut candy, the bang conical hat, and rice paper. This is the typical cultural lifestyle of the South-Western region.

Cycle back to the Mekong Ecolodge for check-out and freshen up before our return journey back to Saigon.

We return to Saigon by mid-afternoon and enjoy your free time.

All good things must come to an end; you have free time until transfer to the airport for a departure flight with a bid farewell (late checkout is exclusive and subject to availability).