Essence of Vietnam 16 Days

Day 1: Arrive Hanoi (D)

Warmly welcome on arrival Hanoi airport. Transfer to hotel. At leisure. Afternoon private walking city tour to visit local market. Evening enjoy water puppet show. Welcome dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi City Tour - Lao Cai (B/L)

Full Day City Tour in Hanoi - Vietnam 's artistic and intellectual capital. Explore the fascinating Old Quarter and its hundreds of specialty shops selling silk clothing, lacquerware, embroidered linens, furniture, bamboo, cooking utensils, ceremonial objects and more.

Enjoy people watching at stylish cafes. Shop for impressive modern art in the city's many galleries. Also visit Hanoi 's main cultural attractions, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, his House on Stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Fine Arts Museum and the Temple of Literature. Your adventure trip to Sapa begins with an overnight train from Vietnam 's capital city to the border town of Lao Cai. Overnight on train.

Day 3: Arrive Lao Cai - Sapa (B/L)

Early arrives at Lao Cai station at approximately 6:00 am. There will be a vehicle waiting to transfer us to Sapa. The drive to Sapa is only 33 km but it takes around 1.5 hours.

Once at Sapa, we will check-in hotel (Early check-in subject to availability). Have breakfast at the hotel restaurant then enjoy a free time to explore around town. Ride through suburb of Sapa before heading downhill to Ta Phin Village. In Ta Phin, you will witness the daily life among the villages and communities of the Red Dao and Black Hmong minorities. You will also have time to take a short walk around the village. Later get on the car for the journey back to Sapa town.

Day 4: Sapa (B/L)

Following breakfast at we explore the Sapa daily market and then set out on our 3-4 hour trek that will take us along buffalo paths and trails and through several hilltribe villages of Lao Chai and Tavan, home to H'mong, and Dzay people. This is an absolutely spectacular walk through stunning scenery inhabited by some of the friendliest people you can meet. Picnic lunch on the way at a family in Ta Van village. Overnight in Sapa.

Day 5. Sapa - Lao Cai -Train back to Hanoi (B/L)

Following breakfast, we drive to explore the Bac Ha Sunday market - the most interesting hill tribe market in Asia. Visit some villages of H'Mong people before we transfer back to Lao Cai for the train journey back to Hanoi. Overnight on train.

Day 6: Lao Cai - Hanoi - Cooking Class (B/D)

Early arrive Hanoi . Pick up and transfer to hotel. Free. At leisure. In the afternoon taking part in a cooking class and enjoy dinner prepared by you. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 7: Halong Bay Excursion (B/L)

In the morning you will drive to Halong Bay City, approximately 3 hours away. Once at Halong Bay City you are welcome on board for a four-hour cruise on the the stunning bay, stopping along the way to visit one of the limestone caves in the area. As you are cruising, the boat crew will serve you a sumptuous local seafood lunch. After 4 hour navigation you sail back to harbor and rejoin car back to your hotel in Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 8: Hanoi - Danang - Hoi An (B)

Free until transfer to airport for flight to Danang. Pick up and Hoi An. Afternoon tour of Marble Mountains and Cham Museum or ruins in My Son. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 9: Hoi An (B)

Enjoy a free day at leisure in Hoian. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 10: Hoi An (B)

At leisure or optional tour to the former Imperial Capital Hue. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 11: Hoi An - Nha Trang (B)

Transfer and flight to Nha Trang for three-night stay. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 12: Nha trang (B)

Free at leisure. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 13: Nha trang: (B)

Free at leisure. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 14: Nha trang - HCMC (B)

Transfer and flight to HCMC for two-night stay. Afternoon private city touring by cyclo. Overnight in HCMC.

Day 15: Optional trip (B/L)

Option 1: Mekong Delta on Cai Be Princess

Our one day cruise excursion starts at 8:00 from the lobby of your hotel in Saigon with a drive to Cai Be - Phu An where we will board the Cai Be Princess at around 11.00 am. The tour will start with the visit of Cai Be colorful floating market. We will proceed by the visit of some local home factories such as rice paste making, rice pop corn, coco candies, and longans drying processing.

The trip continues along the Mekong canals to Dong Hoa Hiep Island located between Vinh Long and Cai Be. During this 40 minutes cruise you will discover beautiful landscapes along the river and observe the typical Mekong delta rural life. Stops on the way can be made upon request for particular visits or photos making. These evergreen islands among the Mekong River still remain unknown to many people.

Lunch awaits you at Le Longanier restaurant at La Residence de Phu An resort, a superb Indochine style resort. After a short walk along a narrow canal, the excursion will end at around 3.30pm where the vehicle will await you for your transfer back to Saigon .

Option 2: Cao Dai Temple & Cu Chi Underground tunnels

This morning we drive to Cao Dai Temples in Tay Ninh. Cao Dai Holysee Temple is the cathedral of the Cao Daism religion with the Divine Eye - official symbol of Caodaism. Cao Dai followers worship Jesus Christ, Confucius, Taoism, and Buddha. Time to observe the midday service. Following lunch we will drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels - Cu Chi Tunnels consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels. The network included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and a feel of what underground life during the U.S.-Vietnam War. Afternoon free at leisure. Overnight in HCMC.

Day 16: Departure (B)

There is no activity planned for today. Enjoy your free time for souvernir shopping until transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

Services Included

• Fifteen nights of accommodation and overnight travel services.
• Premium 4-star or luxury 5-star hotels according to the selected package.
• Double or twin sharing, with one single room allowed for the fifth traveller.
• Two overnight air-conditioned soft-sleeper train journeys.
• One overnight Ha Long Bay cruise in a twin or double cabin.
• Three scheduled domestic economy-class flights.
• Standard checked baggage on the included domestic flights.
• Daily breakfast at hotels, resorts and aboard the cruise.
• Lunches, brunches and dinners stated in the confirmed itinerary.
• Private airport and railway-station transfers.
• Private air-conditioned transportation during scheduled touring.
• Professional drivers, fuel, tolls, parking fees and driver expenses.
• Experienced English-speaking guides during scheduled sightseeing.
• Scheduled Ha Long Bay cruise activities.
• One Hanoi cooking class and market experience.
• Water puppet performance in Hanoi.
• Hoi An farming, fishing and basket-boat experience.
• Private Nha Trang heritage sightseeing.
• Private Mekong Delta excursion with boat service.
• Scheduled sightseeing entrance fees.
• Bottled drinking water and tissues during private transfers.
• Local taxes and service charges for included arrangements.
• Twenty-four-hour local assistance during the journey.

Services Not Included

• International flights to Hanoi and from Ho Chi Minh City.
• Vietnam visa or electronic visa fees.
• Travel, medical, cancellation and emergency-evacuation insurance.
• Domestic business-class flight upgrades.
• Excess baggage and special baggage charges.
• Meals not clearly stated in the confirmed itinerary.
• Alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and minibar consumption.
• Optional Hue day trip from Hoi An.
• Optional Nha Trang island tours, diving and water sports.
• Tay Ninh and Cu Chi unless selected instead of the Mekong Delta.
• Private train-cabin upgrade unless confirmed.
• Single-room supplement beyond the confirmed room arrangement.
• Early hotel check-in beyond the included arrival arrangement.
• Late hotel check-out.
• Room, suite, villa and premium-view upgrades.
• Laundry, spa treatments, telephone calls and personal expenses.
• Tips for guides, drivers, cruise crews and hotel staff.
• Peak-season, weekend-cruise and public-holiday supplements.
• Christmas, New Year and Lunar New Year supplements.
• Compulsory hotel, resort or cruise gala dinners.
• Additional costs caused by weather or transport disruption.
• Any service not clearly listed under “Services Included”.