Grand Tour of Vietnam – 19 days

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City and arrival

On arrival at Tan Son Nhat  International Airport. Welcome by the local guide and driver then transfer to the hotel. Take some time to relax by welcome dinner. Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City tour

Breakfast at the hotel. Start sightseeing tour at the Reunification Palace, which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until the end of the war in April 1975. Then visit some impressive French colonial structures including Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Central Post Office. After lunch at the local restaurant visit the Emperor Jade Pagoda and the War Remnants Museum. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at the hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 3: Ho Chi Minh City – Tay Ninh – Cu Chi tunnels

Breakfast at the hotel. Heading west to Tay Ninh, headquarters of Cao Dai region. On arrival, attend the fantastic mid-day temple service when followers fill the hall wearing colored robes, a symbol of the curious combination of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. On the way back, visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground network of tunnels constructed by Vietnamese troops during the civil war. The tunnels contained hospitals, accommodation, etc. and were used as a military base for the Vietcong during the American war. Drive back to HCMC. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at the hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 4: Ho Chi minh city – Cai Be – Vinh Long – Can Tho

Breakfast at the hotel depart to Cai Be. Breakfast at the hotel depart to Cai Be.  Arrive at Cai Be and go by motor boat to visit the Cai Be floating market and watch the vendors trading fruit and many other commodities on their vessels.  Then Visit some small family-run businesses to see how products such as coconut candy and crispy rice popcorn are made, walk through the small villages to visit the orchards and fruit plantations. After enjoying the traditional folk music, take the rowing boat to cruise through a series of small canals. Then boat to Tan Phong island for joining the cooking class to learn how to make the special Vietnamese food. Enjoy lunch with you have cooked. Continue the tour with cycling around the village. Boat back to Cai be, meet bus for the trip to Can Tho city. Transfer by motor boat to a small village in Cai Rang district. Time for a self-cooked dinner and enjoy it together with the local host. Overnight in your riverside cottage.

Day 5: Phong Dien – Cai Rang

After breakfast, take the morning boat trip to visit the Phong Dien floating market which is at its busiest at this time of day. Keep cruising through the small channels system and visit a rice noodle making village. Visit a second floating market (Cai Rang). Break for lunch. Return to Ho Chi Minh City.

. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at the hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 6: Ho Chi Minh City – Da Lat

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Da Lat city via National highway 20. Enjoy the smooth drive and the beautiful landscapes. Stop for photos at the La Nga lake and the floating village. Visit the Datanla waterfall. Lunch at a local restaurant. Proceed to Da Lat. At leisure in the late afternoon. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at hotel in Da Lat city. 

Day 7: Da Lat city tour

Breakfast at hotel. Depart to visit Truc Lam meditation Monastery in Vietnamese architecture, Tuyen Lam Lake, Cock Church – a Church with beautiful French architecture. Continue the trip to Valley of love, XQ Historical embroidery art Village- which creates delicate and refined embroidered pictures. Stop over at Dalat jam workshop where can buy some special food from Da Lat or visit the strawberry garden. After lunch, transfer to the Summer Palace, which used to be the retreat for our last emperor – Bao Dai during summers. Back to the hotel. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at hotel in Da Lat.

Day 8: Da Lat – Nha Trang

Breakfast at hotel and depart to Nha Trang. Lunch during the route. Stop for photos at the Polongiarai Cham tower, the Ngoan Muc pass and Canh Ranh bay on the way to Nha Trang. At leisure in the afternoon. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at hotel in Nha Trang.

Day 9: Nha Trang and its off shore island

Breakfast at the hotel. Taking the morning boat trip to visit the offshore islands including Hon Mun, Hon Mot island. Visit the Tri Nguyen Aquarium. Lunch on Hon Tam island. Free time for swimming. Returning to Nha Trang city. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at hotel in Nha Trang.

Day 10: Nha Trang – Da Nang – Hoi An

Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Cam Ranh airport for boarding flight to Da Nang. Driver pick up and transfer to Hoi An Ancient town. Free in the afternoon. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

Day 11: Hoi An – My Son – Hoi An

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart to My Son to visit the Cham Holy Land, a World Heritage site. Lunch at local restaurant and transfer to Hoi An. Afterwards stroll around the town, visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Pottery Museum, Tan Ky old house, the Cantonese congregation, the silk street of Hoi An and the Hoi Quan Phuc Kien Pagoda with style building of Chinese people. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

Day 12: Hoi An – Hue

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Hue via Da Nang, visit the Marble mountain, the Cham museum. Stop for photos at the Hai Van pass and Lang Co beach. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit Dong Ba market, the Imperial Citadel from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945, and the ruins of the Purple Forbidden City. Enjoy night boat trip accompanied by a performance of Hue folk songs. Overnight at hotel in Hue.

Day 13: Hue – Ha Noi

Breakfast at the hotel. Cruise on the Perfume River to visit the royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, Thien Mu pagoda and the mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang, in a setting of gardens and lakes. Lunch at a local restaurant. Transfer to Phu Bai Airport for boarding flight to Hanoi. Pick up at Noi Bai airport and transfer to hotel. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at hotel in Ha Noi.

Day 14: Ha Noi City Tour

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex, containing the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts and the One Pillar Pagoda. Continue to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit Hoan Kiem lake, Ngoc Son temple, Tran Quoc pagoda and Quan Thanh temple. Cyclo riding around the old quarter streets from Hang Dau to Hang Gai. Dinner on guest’s account. Pick up at hotel in Hanoi and transfer to Hanoi railway station for boarding the Express Train to Lao Cai. Overnight in an air-conditioned soft sleeper wooden cabin. (4 pax/cabin or 2 pax/cabin on request).

Day 15: Lao Cai – Catcat – SinChai ( 4 hours trekking, 12 km, 2 villages )

Arrive at Lao Cai train station in early morning. Welcome by local guide and driver. Transfer to the hotel for breakfast and shower. Trekking about 12 km to visit two villages of the Black H’mong (Cat Cat and SinChai). Enjoy a picnic lunch by a waterfall and see the hydroelectric power station established by the French. Transport from Cat Cat back to Sapa at around 4pm. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at your chosen hotel in Sapa.

Day 16: Sapa – Giang TaChai – Sapa ( 5 hours trekking, 17 km, 3 villages )

Breakfast at the hotel. Head for the valley by jeep to visit two villages of the H’mong and the Dzay. Picnic lunch on the route (or with a local family). Visit the Red Dzao in Giang Ta Chai village, stopping off to see a picturesque waterfall and suspension bridge. Walk up to the road and take the jeep back to Sapa. Dinner at a local restaurant. Transfer to Lao Cai train station for boarding the Express train to Ha Noi.

Day 17: Ha Noi – Ha long

Arrive in Hanoi in early morning. Pick up at the train station and leave for Ha Long through the Red River Delta. Arrive in Halong Bay and board the junk. Have lunch, then visit Ha Long Bay, Thien Cung cave, Dau Go cave, Tuan Chau island, Dog island, Sail island and Ti Top Beach. Have dinner on the junk, whilst enjoying the sunset. Drinks and overnight on the junk. (Optional: Kayaking)

Day 18: Ha long – Ha noi

Have breakfast. Visit man’s head island, Tortoise island, Toad island, Bai Tho mountain. Return and have lunch on the junk. Back to Ha Long wharf. Coach trip back to Hanoi. Dinner on guest’s account. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 19: Ha Noi – Departure

Breakfast at the hotel. Free for shopping until transfer to Noi Bai International Airport for departure. End of services. Finish the Grand Tour of Vietnam.