Arrive Hanoi

Upon arrival at Hanoi Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our representative and transferred to your hotel for check-in.

Hanoi, also known as the “River-bound City,” is Vietnam’s capital with a rich history dating back to 1010. The city’s charm lies in its unique cultural relics, ancient streets lined with antique houses, elegant French colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards, and romantic lakes. This blend of historical significance and natural beauty makes Hanoi one of the most enchanting cities in Asia.

No meals included
Overnight stay at a hotel in Hanoi

Hanoi – Full Day City Tour

Start your day with an hour-long Cyclo ride around the French Quarter in the heart of Hanoi. This experience immerses you in the nostalgic atmosphere of an area that perfectly captures the timeless charm of Vietnam. Developed during the French colonial era in the 20th century, the French Quarter’s layout resembles a chessboard, making its structure uniquely resistant to change. The buildings and architecture, designed by French architects, blend colonial style with the Vietnamese climate. This ride offers a wonderful introduction to Hanoi, showcasing grand structures along tree-lined boulevards, modest buildings hidden in small alleys, and a mix of renovated and weathered architecture. Many decades after the French left, these buildings remain as important heritage sites, contributing to the distinct atmosphere and charm of the capital.

Afterward, visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex and Ba Dinh Square to pay your respects to the nation’s founder. Explore the simple cottage on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked during his early years as a revolutionary. Next, visit the Ho Chi Minh Museum, which features an extraordinary tribute to his life. Gain insight into the prewar history of the country at the Governor’s Residence, also known as the Presidential Palace. This classical French architectural gem is where Ho Chi Minh chose not to live, opting instead for a traditional Vietnamese stilt house on the grounds. Stop by the iconic One Pillar Pagoda, a unique structure reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond, and learn about its legendary construction. Return to your hotel for some leisure time.

In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius. Then, your guide and driver will take you to Chợ Hôm market, primarily known as a fabric market where you can buy fabric by the meter for custom-made clothing. The market also offers a variety of produce, meats, seafood, and traditional Vietnamese foods. Experience the market like a local and see how Hanoians shop for their daily needs.

After finishing the city tour, visit a unique café hidden in a small alley in the Old Quarter. With about 95% of its furniture and decorations made from recycled materials, the café’s owner aims to protect the environment and raise community awareness. Using the principles of “reduce – reuse – recycle,” scraps are transformed into tables, chairs, decorative lights, and drinking cups.

In the evening, enjoy a Water Puppet show, one of Vietnam’s unique traditional arts. This style of theater, known as “Roi Nuoc” in Vietnamese, originated from rural festivals and features artists standing waist-deep in water to manipulate puppets. The puppets move, talk, laugh, and dance on the water’s surface, depicting typical Vietnamese stories like farmers working in the paddy fields, water buffalo bathing, courtship scenes, and martial arts displays, delighting the audience.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight stay at a hotel in Hanoi

Hanoi – Halong Overnight on Boat

In the morning, you’ll depart Hanoi at 08:30 for a scenic 3.5-hour drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long Bay City. Along the way, you’ll stop for refreshments. Upon arriving in Ha Long City, you’ll transfer to your junk boat and set sail through the bay while enjoying lunch on board. As you cruise through the magical bay, you’ll be captivated by the thousands of sculpted limestone islands rising from the water like dragons’ teeth.

Later in the afternoon, you’ll visit a fishing village where you can interact with fishermen who have lived in the bay for almost three generations. Back on board, enjoy cocktails or participate in a cooking class while watching the sunset. Later, unwind with a lavish dinner in the onboard restaurant. The evening offers various activities such as a movie night, board games, or beauty treatments before you retire for the night on the junk.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Overnight stay on the cruise

Halong – Hanoi (Drive) & Hanoi – Danang (By Flight) & Danang – Hoi An (Drive)

Wake up to the soothing sounds of the ocean coming to life. Start your day with breakfast, and if you’re an early riser, take a Tai Chi class and watch the sunrise over the bay. After breakfast, visit a stunning limestone grotto. Then, head back to the junk for a final cruise through Ha Long Bay as you make your way back to the dock.

Disembark at the Cruise Café Lounge, where you will meet your private car for a transfer back to Hanoi Airport. Board your flight to Da Nang, and upon arrival at Da Nang Airport, our guide will pick you up and transfer you to Hoi An, a 45-minute drive away. Once you check in to your hotel, enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.

Meals: Brunch
Overnight stay at a hotel in Hoi An

Hoi An – Half Day Hoi An Walking Tour & Half Day Cooking Class

In the morning, enjoy breakfast at your hotel before embarking on a half-day cooking class and a half-day Hoi An town tour.

Half-Day Cooking Class Tour (Joining with others) Our guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel lobby and transfer you to Hai Café for a welcome drink.

Start with a visit to Hoi An’s colorful market, where you’ll experience the vibrant sights, sounds, and aromas. You’ll have the chance to interact with local sellers and learn about the ingredients you’ll use in your cooking lesson.

Next, board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely 25-minute cruise along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. Make sure to have your camera ready to capture local river life.

Upon arrival, explore the cooking school’s herb garden before diving into a cooking lesson featuring some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s most famous dishes. The lesson lasts about 2 hours, during which Red Bridge chefs will demonstrate each dish before you prepare it yourself. The class also includes a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving for plate decoration. After the lesson, enjoy the dishes you’ve cooked.

Feel free to bring your swimsuit to relax and enjoy free use of the 20-meter swimming pool after the cooking tour. Towels and showers are provided.

Recipes:

• Rice paper (making)
• Fresh Rice Paper Rolls of Shrimp
• Crispy Hoi An Pancakes with Shrimp, Herbs, Bean Sprouts & Peanut Sauce
• Seafood Salad with mixed Vietnamese Herbs served in Half a Pineapple
• Quang Nam Style Fresh Noodles with Chicken
• Food Decoration – Pineapple Boat, 3 Colored Flowers & Vietnamese Hand Fan

Half-Day Hoi An Walking Tour Take a walking tour around Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once a bustling maritime commercial port from the 15th to the 19th centuries, Hoi An is now a peaceful town known for its well-preserved architecture, lifestyles, and traditions. The town showcases a fascinating fusion of cultures from Vietnam and beyond, including influences from China, Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Your sightseeing will include:

• The iconic 400-year-old Covered Bridge with a small temple attached to one side, a prime example of Japanese architecture.
• The Museum of Trade Ceramics, an elegant Vietnamese-style wooden house built in 1858 showcasing antique ceramic artifacts.
• The 200-year-old Tan Ky House, an ancient Chinese merchant residence.
• Ong Temple, built in 1653 by Chinese settlers to worship Guan Yu, an ancient Chinese general known for loyalty, bravery, and justice.
• The local market, vibrant with colors and activities.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Overnight stay at a hotel in Hoi An

Hoi An – Danang (Drive) & Danang – Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) (By Flight)

In the morning, enjoy breakfast at your hotel before embarking on a half-day city tour of Ho Chi Minh City.

Half-Day City Tour

1. War Remnants Museum:

   • Start your tour with a visit to the War Remnants Museum. This museum is a must-see for any war or history buff, offering a comprehensive look at Vietnam’s war history with the French and Americans. With your private driver and English-speaking guide, explore the museum’s extensive collection of machinery, weapons, and photographs from the Vietnamese perspective. The museum also features moving tributes to journalists, civilians, and soldiers lost during the war, as well as a critical look at biological warfare, weaponry, and global peace movements.

2. Reunification Palace (Independence Palace):

   • Continue to the Reunification Palace, also known as the Independence Palace. This historic site was the residence of the President of South Vietnam until the end of the Vietnam War in April 1975. It was here that a North Vietnamese Army tank famously crashed through the gates, leading to the formal reunification of Vietnam.

3. Former American Embassy and Thich Quang Duc Memorial:

   • Drive past the former American Embassy and visit the site where Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc self-immolated on June 11, 1963. His act of protest against the Diem regime sparked significant political change. After his funeral, Thich Quang Duc’s heart, which did not burn, was enshrined and treated as a sacred relic.

4. Ben Thanh Market:

   • End your tour with a visit to the iconic Ben Thanh Market. This centrally located covered market offers ample opportunities to pick up souvenirs or relax with a cup of Vietnamese coffee. The market is vibrant and bustling, providing a quintessential Saigon experience.

In the afternoon, return to your hotel for check-in and enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Overnight stay at a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh – Cu Chi Tunnel

In the morning, enjoy breakfast at your hotel before heading out for a half-day tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels.

Cu Chi Tunnels Tour

Transfer to Cu Chi, the northernmost suburban district of Ho Chi Minh City. Discover the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, which were a major underground hideout and resistance base for Viet Cong forces during the wars against the French and Americans. These hand-dug tunnels form a complex network of interlinked multilevel passageways, stretching over 120 km and reaching as far as the Cambodian border. The tunnels were designed with meeting rooms, kitchens, wells, clinics, schools, depots, trenches, and emergency exits, making them a self-contained system capable of withstanding destructive bombings and prolonged sieges.

Activities at Cu Chi Tunnels:

1. Documentary Film:

   • Begin your visit by watching a documentary film that provides an introduction to the Cu Chi Tunnels, taking you back in time to understand their significance and usage during the Vietnam War.

2. Crawling Through Tunnels:

   • Experience crawling through the tunnels that guerrilla fighters used during the war. You’ll see a kitchen, living quarters, and a meeting room along the way. The tunnels have been slightly enlarged for visitors, but you can still imagine the conditions the fighters endured.

3. Booby Traps:

   • Learn about the different types of booby traps, a hallmark of guerrilla warfare, and see how they were created and set up.

4. Weapons Room:

   • Visit the weapons room to discover how the Viet Cong soldiers ingeniously made their weapons.

5. Shooting Range:

   • For the adventurous, head to the shooting range to fire a real AK-47 (note: the cost of bullets is not included in the tour price).

In the afternoon, return to Ho Chi Minh City, check in to your hotel, and enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.

Meals: Breakfast Overnight stay at a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh – Panorama River Cruise

In the morning, we will pick you up from your hotel in Saigon and transfer you to either Can Tho or Cai Be. You will board your wooden river cruise vessel around noon. After a refreshing welcome drink, you’ll be introduced to the on-board facilities and shown to your cozy cabin. As lunch is served, the boat will start cruising, allowing you to sit back and enjoy the fantastic scenery and observe the daily life of the Mekong people.

In the afternoon, you can disembark for a guided, leisurely stroll through a village and the surrounding fruit orchards or rice fields. You’ll have the opportunity to meet friendly locals and taste the local produce and fruits.

Return to the boat and enjoy a drink at the bar or relax on deck as the sun sets over the magnificent water landscape of the Mekong River. The cruise boat will anchor for the night. The day will end with a delicious on-board dinner. You’ll spend the night on board your floating hotel in the Mekong Delta.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Overnight stay on the cruise in the Mekong Delta

Panorama River Cruise

Wake up to the soothing sounds of the river and prepare for another exciting day of sightseeing in the Mekong Delta. At 6:30 AM, the cruise vessel sets off for a sunrise cruise. Watch the locals go about their daily routines, such as drying exotic fruits and building ships in the wooden yards, while enjoying an early breakfast.

Morning Activities:

1. Cai Rang Floating Market:

   • After breakfast, board a sampan boat to visit the Cai Rang floating market, the region’s busiest and most vibrant market. On even dates, you will explore the small channels of the Mekong Delta around Cai Be either by sampan or on foot. Marvel at the abundance of exotic fruits and vegetables, and engage with merchants by pulling up to their boats to talk and bargain.

2. Local Factories and Houses:

   • Visit some local candy and cake-making factories. Continue boating through the green water landscape to see local houses, verdant orchards, and ship-building yards. Later in the morning, take a little rowing sampan to further explore the area, or alternatively, discover the nearby town by foot or by bicycle, navigating the small side canals of the Mekong River.

Afternoon Activities:

1. Village Side Trip:
   • After enjoying lunch on the cruise boat, resume the journey with another side trip to one of the exotic villages along the way. Interact with the villagers, learn about their daily lives, and enjoy the serene countryside.

As the day comes to an end, return to the cruise boat. Relax on deck or enjoy a drink at the bar while the sun sets over the Mekong River. Conclude the day with a delicious dinner on board.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Overnight stay on the cruise in the Mekong Delta

Panorama River Cruise – Chau Doc

After breakfast, start your day with an early cruise through the glorious morning atmosphere on the Mekong River.

Morning Activities:

1. Cai Rang Floating Market:

   • In Can Tho, visit the bustling Cai Rang floating market. Capture great photo opportunities and get authentic snapshots of the Mekong people and their daily life.

2. Exploring the Delta:

   • In Cai Be, explore the delta either by foot or with a small sampan. Enjoy the lush rural landscape, fertile fields, and vibrant greenery. Take another sampan side trip to immerse yourself further into the serene surroundings.

Midday Activities:

• Disembark the boat around 11:00 – 11:30 AM at the pier and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon Activities:

• Sit back and relax in the shuttle (bus or car) as you travel through the water landscape, now from a land perspective, until you reach Chau Doc.

Upon arrival in Chau Doc, you’ll be transferred to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Overnight stay at a hotel in Chau Doc

Chau Doc – Phnom Penh (By Shared Speed Boat)

Phnom Penh – Siem Reap (By Flight)

In the morning, enjoy breakfast at your hotel before transferring to Phnom Penh Airport for your flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival at Siem Reap Airport, you will be met by our guide and transferred to your hotel for check-in. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure, exploring the city or relaxing at the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight stay at a hotel in Siem Reap

Siem Reap – Angkor Tour

Siem Reap – Half Day Tonle Sap Tour

In the morning, enjoy breakfast at your hotel before embarking on a half-day tour of Chong Kneas.

Chong Kneas Floating Village Tour

Morning Activities:

1. Chong Kneas Floating Village:
   • Located at the edge of Tonle Sap Lake, Chong Kneas is approximately 30 minutes from Siem Reap and is an extremely popular destination for those wanting a break from temple visits. On the way to the village, you’ll pass large paddy fields and stilt-houses, as well as a hill with an ancient temple atop. The village is home to three main communities: Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Cham. While visiting, you’ll have the opportunity to observe fishing activities, crocodile farms, schools, floating houses, and restaurants.

Itinerary:

• Your private guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel in Siem Reap and start the tour to explore Chong Kneas, located 10 kilometers south of Siem Reap.
• Take a traditional wooden boat ride on the Tonle Sap Lake, known as the “Great Lake” of Cambodia, one of the largest lakes in Asia that flows into the Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh.
• During your boat ride through Chong Kneas, you will see ordinary Cambodians going about their daily life in the floating village. The boat will briefly enter the edge of the Great Lake before docking with the Tara, the biggest boat on the Tonle Sap Lake.
• Experience a fishermen’s “floating village” with floating schools, a floating police station, and more. The “village” moves from place to place following the water levels and current.

Afternoon Activities:

1. Les Artisans d’Angkor – Chantiers Ecoles:
   • After the boat tour, visit “Les Artisans d’Angkor – Chantiers Ecoles” in Siem Reap, where you can see traditional crafts and learn about the local artisans’ work.

• After the tour, return to your hotel for some leisure time.

Meals: Breakfast Overnight stay at a hotel in Siem Reap

Leave Siem Reap

• Enjoy breakfast at your hotel.
• After breakfast, check out from your hotel.
• You will be transferred to Siem Reap Airport to board your flight back home.

Meals: Breakfast

Safe travels and we hope you had a wonderful time exploring Vietnam and Cambodia!