DAY 1 : ARRIVE IN HANOI
Time of arrival in Hanoi:…
Customs formalities and luggage recovery (Estimated time approximately 30 minutes).
You will then be greeted by your guide and driver, outside the airport, transfer to Hanoi city for a day tour of the city
Lunch at the restaurant
HANOI CITY : is the capital of Northern Vietnam and keeps this role until now. The city is located on the right bank of the Red River and far about 1760 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi features a warm humid subtropical climate with plentiful precipitation. In addition, Hanoi is considered one of the main cultural centers of Vietnam, where most Vietnamese dynasties have left their imprint .
Hanoi Cyclo : an hour cycling around and take photos in the Old Quarter.
The Old Quarter (36 old streets) : has a history that spans 2,000 years and represents the eternal soul of the city. Ha Noi Old Quarter with its old-styled narrow streets full of antique brick houses seems to nostalgically resist the flow of time while still actively trying to adapt to the dynamic atmosphere of the modern city. Once a bustling area where merchants and artisans gathered to sell their products, Ha Noi Old Quarter consists of many small, meandering streets, each bears the name of the goods that was specifically traded there such as Hang Bac (Silver Product), Hang Ma (Paper Product), Hang Go (Wood Product), just to name a few.
One pillar pagoda : a wooden pagoda on a single stone pillar, and it is designed to resemble a lotus blossom, which is a Buddhist symbol of purity, since a lotus blossoms in a muddy pond.
The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long : is an intriguing relic of Vietnam’s history and, signifying its historical and cultural importance, was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. Also known as the Hanoi Citadel, many artefacts and items dating back to between the 6th and 20th centuries were excavated in 2004, including foundations of old palaces, ancient roads, ponds and wells.
Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi.
DAY 2 : HA NOI
Breakfast at the hotel
Then visit of:
Temple of Literature : founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, the Temple of Literature is dedicated to Confucius (Khong Tu). Inside you’ll find a pond known as the ‘Well of Heavenly Clarity’, a low-slung pagoda and statues of Confucius and his disciples. A rare example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture, the complex honours Vietnam’s finest scholars and men of literary accomplishment. It is the site of Vietnam’s first university, established here in 1076, when entrance was only granted to those of noble birth.
Ngoc Son Temple was built in the 18th century on Jade Island in the centre of the ‘Lake of the Returned Sword’ or Hoan Kiem Lake. Legend describes how an emperor was once given a magical sword which helped him defeat the Chinese Ming Dynasty and in doing so saw the return of the Golden Turtle God to the lake.
Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) : refers to a legend of the great Vietnamese hero, Le Loi, who led a successful uprising against the Chinese in the fifteenth century. Tradition has it that Le Loi netted a gleaming sword while out fishing in a sampan and when he returned as King Ly Thai To, after ten years of battle, he wanted to thank the spirit of the lake. As he prepared the sacrifice there was a timely peal of thunder and the miraculous sword flew out of its scabbard, into the mouth of a golden turtle (Vietnamese use the same word for turtle and tortoise) sent by the gods to reclaim the weapon.
Then free time for shopping at Dong Xuan Market
Dong Xuan market : is the oldest and largest market in Hanoi. Established in 1889, Dong Xuan Market is housed within a four-storey Soviet-style building on the northern edge of Hanoi Old Quarter. It’s also known as Hanoi’s largest indoor market, offering a wide range of goods such as fresh produce, souvenirs, accessories and clothing, as well as electronic and household appliances.
Lunch at the restaurant
At the end of the afternoon, you visit:
West lake ( Ho Tay) : is the biggest freshwater lake of northwest center of Hanoi, Vietnam. With a shore length of 17 km (about 10.6 miles) and 500 hectare (about 5 km2) in area, this is the largest lake of the capital and a popular place for recreation with many surrounding gardens, hotels and villas.
Tran Quoc Pagoda : is the oldest pagoda in the city, originally constructed in the sixth century during the reign of Emperor Lý Nam Đế (from 544 until 548), thus giving it an age of more than 1,450 years. When founded the temple was named Khai Quoc (National Founding) and was sited on the shores of the Red River, outside of the Yen Phu Dyke. When confronted with the river’s encroachment, the temple was relocated in 1615 to Kim Ngu (Golden Fish) islet of Ho Tay (West Lake) where it is now situated. A small causeway links it to the mainland.
Water Puppet show : is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. The puppets are made out of wood and then lacquered. The shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large bamboo rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers, who are normally hidden behind a screen, to control them. Thus the puppets appear to be moving over the water.
Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi.
DAY 3 : HA NOI – NINH BINH
Breakfast at the hotel
Depart to Ninh Binh
NINH BINH : is a province in Red river delta. It is far about 90 kilometers from Hanoi with convenient transportation system. The city itself is a fairly uneventful place, but it is surrounded by a stunning landscape of lush green paddy fields and striking limestone outcrops and is the hopping off point for sights and attractions including Tam Coc and Trang An, Bich Dong, Hoa Lu, Phat Diem Cathedral, Van Long and Cuc Phuong National Park.
Lunch at the restaurant
King Dinh Tien Hoang’s Temple: The temple is located in Truong Yen village, Hoa Lu town, in a garden of 5 hectares wide. It faces the East, and stands in front of Ma Yen Mount, where King Dinh Tien Hoang’s tomb was located.The temple was built in the 17th century, with a special architecture.
King Le Dai Hanh Temple: is almost the same as Dinh Temple in term of architectural design, except for some details. Le Dai Hang temple also consists of three parts: Bai Duong used for the community, Thien Huong, in memory of the royal mandarins of King Le, and finally, the altar in memory of the King.
Trang An Eco-Tourism Complex : is a complex beauty – landscapes called as an ‘outdoor geological museum’ with numerous caves, mountains, valley water, trees and the historic relic. The Trang An eco-tourism site is considered the “Ha Long Bay land”. Here, space was so quiet that the only sounds were those of the trains. In the distance, visitors have the opportunity to perceive the white flowers of the reeds in the foothills. While enjoying fresh air and mountain scenery, which takes visitors into a magical world. On June 25th, 2014, at the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee in Qatar, the UNESCO named Trang An Landscapes Complex as a world heritage, becoming the first recognized cultural and natural heritage site in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Thien Ha cave : is located in the hillside of the Tuong Mountain rang with the height of nearly 200m. The gate of the cave is about 4m high with various stalactites in different features at the very beginning of it. Going into the cave and looking back, you will see a sparkling light ribbon coming through the gate to reflect the stalactites. All the length of Thien Ha cave is about 700m with two areas: 200m dry cave and 500m water cave.
Overnight at Ninh Binh Hotel
DAY 4 : NINH BINH – HALONG BAY
Breakfast at the hotel
Depart to famous Halong Bay, for a memorable cruise on the bay.
Town of HA LONG: Its bay, newly designed among the 7 new wonders of the world, offers one of the most beautiful seascapes in the world.
Halong Bay Cruise: On board a junk, you’ll have a memorable cruise. Enjoy a delicious seafood meal on board and spend your day admiring one of Vietnam’s natural wonders. Visit islets, caves, If the heart tells you, you can make a dip in the jade waters of the Gulf of Tonkin.
DAY 5 : HALONG BAY – HANOI
Breakfast at the hotel
You will have the opportunity to see the sunrise over the bay.
After we continue the cruise to Bai Tho Mountain in the other beautiful bay of Bai Tu Long.
Lunch and return to the pier
Back to Hanoi
DAY 6 : HANOI Q BUON ME THUOT – LAK LAKE
Breakfast at the hotel
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flight to Buon Me Thuot
Takeoff flying … .. to …
Arrive Buon Ma Thuot at … Welcome to Buon Ma Thuot airport (10km from the city center) with local guides and drivers, to visit:
Buon Ma Thuot : It is the provincial capital of Dak Lak (or Dac Lac) Province and approximately 360 kilometres from Saigon, deep in the Central Highlands of the country. Despite being one of the biggest towns in the Central Highlands, Buon Ma Thuot is only visited by a few tourists because it is off the beaten track. However, this town can serve as a starting point for those who want to see the attractions in the area.
Dray Sap Waterfall: This name is derived from a legend of love story between a boy and a girl who lived in this area. Everyday, H’Mi – name of the girl – used to go to the milpa with her lover. One day, while resting on a flat stone, they saw a monster, whose head was as big as a mountain, eyes like bronze urns. Its body was glittery with silvery scales. Suddenly, the monster dived down from the sky and his trunk plunged into the ground, stirring up a colossal column of water. The monster spread out its large wings, flew around several times, making a fierce rain then flied away. In terrible shock, the girl disappeared into the mist. The boy was transformed into a big stump, whose roots stuck into the rock. This place was then called the Dray Sap, or Misty Waterfall.
Lak Lake: The largest natural body of water in the central highlands, Lak Lake (Ho Lak) is surrounded by bucolic rural scenery. You can get paddled out onto the blue, reed-covered expanse in a long boat. While the lake is pretty at sunrise and sunset, the real draws here are the three M’nong villages scattered around the lake.
Lunch at the restaurant
Continue the walk before stopping at the village Jun for an elephant ride (for about 1 hour).
DAY 7 : BUON ME THUOT
Breakfast at the hotel
Transfer to Yokdon National Park for a walk for about 2 hours.
Then, visit the village of Buon Don.
Don Village: Don Village is located northwest of Buon Ma Thuot in Krong Na Commune, Buon Don District, Dak Lak Province close to the Cambodian border, approximately 42km from Buon Ma Thuot.It is well known as the native land of elephant hunters and trainers throughout Southeast Asia.It has been famous for its Kru, powerful elephant tribe leaders, for a long time, and is well known in India and France for its elephant. Y Pui, a 102-year-old man (1883-1985) who tamed over 450 elephants, spent part of his life as King Bao Dai’s Mahout. Elephant training and hunting has been passed down through generations. It takes 67 months to domesticate a wild elephant.
Visit Trung Nguyen Coffee Village: Located in the highland city of Buon Ma Thuot in Dak Lak Province in the Central Highlands, Trung Nguyen Coffee Village offers more than a cup of the exquisite beverage. It is an ideal place for those who are interested in learning about coffee trees and the coffee processing industry.
Lunch at the restaurant
Dak Lak Museum of Ethnology : is located in the center of Buon Ma Thuot city. It was built on the grounds of the former residence of King Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam, nearly 100 years ago.
This museum preserves and presents the culture quintessence of ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands. The museum has more than 10,000 objects and receives about 100,000 visitors a year, one third of whom are foreigners..
Overnight at the hotel in Buon Me Thuot
DAY 8 : BUON ME THUOT – DOC LET
Breakfast at the hotel
Visit :
Ako Dhong Village: is located 2km north of Buon Ma Thuot City, which is home to a number of ethnic groups, including Mnong, Ede … The village is the richest in the region.
Then depart to Doc Let.
Arrival at Doc Let, installation at the hotel
Lunch at the restaurant
Doc Let Beach : This lovely stretch of beachfront is long and wide, with chalk-white sand and shallow water. Doc Let (pronounced ‘yop lek’) is easily accessible from Nha Trang, and worth considering as a day trip or overnight stop. Although there’s a small town nearby, the resorts on the beach are fairly isolated. If you’re staying here, be prepared to do nothing but lay around.
Overnight at hotel in Doc Let.
DAY 9 : DOC LET – NHA TRANG
Breakfast at the hotel
Free time for activity on the beaches.
Then head to the seaside town of Nha Trang.
Nha Trang : is a small city belongs to Khanh Hoa province on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is known as a beautiful coastal city in Vietnam and in the world. The city is just 265,47 km2. The position of Nha Trang is evaluated as one of the most beautiful Bay in the World.
The stone church
The Alexandre Yersin Museum provides insight into the life and work of an unsung hero. Alexandre Yersin (1863-1943) was a Swiss and naturalised French physician, bacteriologist and explorer of both the world we see and the microscopic one. Among his many accomplishments, he discovered the bacillus of the bubonic plague that made it possible to create a serum to fight the disease.
Lunch at the restaurant
Po Nagar Cham Towers: Built between the 7th and 12th centuries, these four Cham Towers are still actively used for worship by Cham, Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhists. Originally the complex had seven or eight towers, but only four remain, of which the 28m-high North Tower (Thap Chinh), which dates from AD 817, with its terraced pyramidal roof, vaulted interior masonry and vestibule, is the most magnificent. The towers stand on a granite knoll 2km north of central Nha Trang, on the banks of the Cai River.
Thap Ba Hot Springs Centre is a great place to relax and rejuvenate after a day of exploring Nha Trang. Great for a temporary retreat away from the bustling city, the hot springs centre is set against a mountain backdrop with plenty of greenery and flowers. It is also fitted with private and shared mud-baths, herbal-bath, Jacuzzi, waterfall, swimming pool, and sauna.
Overnight at hotel in Nha Trang
DAY 10 : NHA TRANG – DEPART TO HO CHI MINH BY TRAIN
Breakfast at the hotel.
Then visit 4 islands of Nha Trang Bay
Nha Trang Islands: (boat tour): The coastal islands of Khanh Hoa province are for some of them resort centers where you can practice many water sports or diving. The clear waters abound with a multitude of multicolored fish and harbor a magnificent coral environment. You will discover 3 islands.
Lunch at the restaurant
Back to Nha Trang,
Tonight transfer to Nha Trang station to catch the train to Hochiminh city.
Night on board
DAY 11 : ARRIVE IN HO CHI MINH
Arrive in early in Hochiminh city.
Ho Chi Minh city : also known as Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam with the population nearly 9 millions. The city is called ‘Diamond of the Far-East’, the same luxury level overriding Hong Kong or Bangkok. Ho Chi Minh city becomes very important city in Vietnam. The nice location at central of the South Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh city becomes very important center of transportation lead to surrounding provinces , bring opportunities to develop the economy and tourism of Eastern and Western area of the South.
Ben Thanh Market : is the most famous shopping destination for tourists in Ho Chi Minh City, featuring every type of souvenir the spending traveler desires to buy. The attraction is one of the earliest surviving structures in Saigon and an important landmark of the city. The market was first created as an informal gathering of street vendors near Saigon River.
The Central Post Office : is one of the oldest buildings in Ho Chi Minh City. This was built around 1886 – 1891 based on Villedieu’s design, a famous French architect. It has been the busiest post office of the country. Its architecture, with a roof topped by a glass roof, is reminiscent of the buildings of the World Expo. It is a place where it is nice to stop.
The People’s Committee Building of Ho Chi Minh City : was built and put into use in 1909 as a hotel whose original name was Hôtel de Ville. It was designed by Gardes, a famous French architecture. This building is thus one of the oldest, biggest and most beautiful French style buildings in Ho Chi Minh City, functioning both as a city institution and as the city’s most prominent landmark today.
The Saigon Opera House is owning an elegant architecture.The building still many lively evidences for the influence of French architecture in Vietnam. This magnificent building designed by French architect Ferret Eugene, was built as a classical opera house with 800 seats. The style of this majestic building is influenced by flamboyant style of the French Third Republic. Since 1975, he has returned to his original function.
Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral : built in the late 1880s by French colonists, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam. Sitting between two streams of traffic, Notre Dam Cathedral is in the middle of Saigon’s chaotic District 1. A brick, neo-Romanesque church with 40m-high square towers tipped with iron spires. Interior walls are inlaid with devotional tablets and some stained glass survives. In front of the cathedral stands a Virgin Mary statue, which is said to have shed tears in 2005, causing thousands of people to stop around the Basilica.
Lunch at the restaurant
The War Remnants Museum : was opened in September 1975. Not only does the museum illustrate a phase of painful history, but it also tells unknown stories about war to people, especially to Westerners. Also featured are grisly photos that show the disfigured bodies of locals who had prenatal exposure to strong pesticide and chemical sprayed, best known by the name ‘Agent Orange’.A powerful collection of photographs taken by 134 international journalists who were killed during the Vietnam War. The exhibit was donated by the state of Kentucky. A collection of artwork by young children around the world showing their ideas about war and peace. An exhibit of photographs, factoids, and signboards showing the technological advantage and firepower that the Americans utilized during the Vietnam War .
Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
DAY 12 : HO CHI MINH – CAI BE – AN BINH – VINH LONG
Breakfast at the hotel
then depart to Cai Be:
Cai Be: is a district in the west of Tien Giang province. Cai Be has total area of 41,000 ha, and a population of 280,000 people living in 24 communes and a capital town of same name. Local economy is mainly based on horticulture and tourism with a great number of fruit orchards. Cai Be has a small Cai Be floating market which is yet to be touristy as the Cai Rang floating market in Can Tho. Cai Be is in the northern side of My Thuan Bridge, the gate into Vinh Long province and the whole Mekong Delta in general.
The boat takes you to visit:
-the tile and ceramic manufacturing plant
-the craft village
-The An Binh island with its flower gardens, nurseries, orchards
-tasting seasonal fruits while listening to traditional music
After lunch with the locals, walk or cycle through the village trails to discover the activities of the locals
The boat then takes you to the guest house in Vinh Long where you can help prepare the evening meal with the inhabitants of the house.
Dinner and overnight homestay in Vinh Long
DAY 13 : VINH LONG – HO CHI MINH
Breakfast at the hotel
You separate yourself from the host family.
You wander along the path to enjoy the pure air of the Mekong.
Then visit of:
Cai Be floating market : Foreigners who never heard floating markets before are highly advised to set foot in Cai Be once in their trip to Vietnam. Floating market is a huge marketplace where both sellers and buyers make deals or purchases on the boats. The truth is that this kind of market is very common in the Mekong Delta region where the people’ lives are also closely attached to the waterway.
The rice cake factory, candy made from coconut.
Lunch at the restaurant
Back to Saigon.
Binh Tay Market, constructed by the French in the 1880s, is located in the centre of Vietnam’s largest Chinatown district. Unlike Ben Thanh Market in District 1, this market mainly serves the local population with its extensive range of fresh fruits, vegetables, poultry, meat and seafood from regions across Vietnam. Also known as Cholon Chinatown Market, Binh Tay Market occupies a two-storey building along Thap Moui Street. Travellers can also find an assortment of handicrafts, lacquerware, and textiles that are sold in bulk, though goods are not varied compared to other (more touristy) markets in downtown Hanoi. Along with the interesting historical and cultural aspect of Cholon, Binh Tay Market is great for experiencing the local lifestyle and sampling unique Vietnamese-Chinese delicacies.
Thien Hau Temple in Saigon is a Buddhist temple dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess, Mazu. It’s believed that she protects and rescues ships and people on the sea by flying around on a mat or cloud. Mazuism is connected with traditions and beliefs from both Taoism and Buddhism. Mazuism is therefore an incorporation of different aspects and traditions which have merged to form a new belief. You will find this temple in ‘Cholon’ (Chinatown) in District 5, which is roughly a twenty minute drive from the city centre .
Overnight at hotel in Hochiminh city
DAY 14 : HOCHIMINH CITY – RETURN
Breakfast at the hotel
Then transfer to the airport for the return flight.