24-day Vietnam tour with beach extension
Description
Take the time to discover Vietnam from north to south during a 24-day stay from the rice terraces of Sapa to the Mekong Delta. And to finish this stay in a peaceful way to recharge before returning to Europe, enjoy a few days of relaxation on the heavenly beaches of Phu Quoc for an end of beach holiday.
This complete program which is en example and can be changed, is available in PDF version here.
Day 1 | Hanoi
Our driver welcomes you at the airport to take you to the hotel. You will then receive our Travel Book with useful information and restaurant recommendations for your trip and your eSim.
Day 2 | Hanoi | B, L
Our English-speaking tour guide meets you around 9 a.m.
Dive into the atmosphere of Hanoi in the 36-guild district during a cyclo ride.
Take a gourmet break and enjoy the egg coffee, a specialty of the city.
Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda on the shores of Ho Tay Lake.
After lunch, discover the Temple of Literature, before ending the day with a visit to the Vietnamese women’s museum where traditional women’s costumes are remarkably highlighted.
Day 3 | Hanoi - Sapa | B, D
Free morning in Hanoi according to the recommendations of our Travel Book then around 2 p.m., transfer by limousine minibus to Sapa and dinner at the hotel to discover the culinary specialties of Sapa.
Day 4 | Sapa | B, L, D
Trek of 13 km
Departure around 9.30 a.m. with our English-speaking tour guide to visit Sapa, then trek on small mountain paths that take you to the villages to meet the inhabitants and discover the rice terraces (green between May and July; yellow between August and September, uncultivated between November and April).
Lunch in a small local restaurant.
In the afternoon, cross the Tả Phìn valley, one of the most beautiful valleys in the region with its bamboo forest, before heading to a family of the Red Dao minority group for a herbal bath. Dinner and night with the family.
Day 5 | Sapa - Hanoi | B, L
Trek of 14 km
After breakfast with the family, go up to the small village Chín Séng where Black Hmong and Red Dao live together. Meet the farmers and discover their daily activities and their local life during a peaceful stroll in this village.
For lunch, enjoy a picnic in nature before visiting the salmon and sturgeon farm. Go back to Sapa by car in the afternoon, and possibility to take a shower then minibus to Hanoi.
Day 6 | Hanoi - Tu Long Bay | B, L, D
Departure by minibus from Hanoi around 8 a.m., to go to the harbor of Ha Long.
On the boat, meet the English-speaking tour guide and start your cruise with the lunch in the middle of the impressive rocky peaks of Lan Ha Bay.
In the afternoon, a kayak tour will immerse you in the magnificent landscapes of the bay near Cap La Island.
At the end of the day, admire the amazing sunset igniting the bay before dinner. Then discover squid fishing after dinner or relax with some board games, perfect for a family evening.
Day 7 | Tu Long Bay - Tam Coc | B, L
If you are an early riser, marvel at the splendor of the sunrise over the immensity of the bay during a Tai Chi session.
After breakfast, discover Thienh Canh Son Cave.
Come back to the boat check out and lunch then return to the harbor to take the road to Tam Coc by bus.
Day 8 | Tam Coc | B, L
Departure from your hotel around 9 a.m. with our English-speaking tour guide.
Enjoy a 2-hour cruise on a small sampan, in the middle of the limestones. Let yourself be carried away by the magic of the place, admire the green rice fields and the mountains carved out of caves.
Admire Bich Dong Pagoda by the water, a Buddhist sanctuary in the middle of nowhere, built against the rock, in a splendid green setting.
After lunch, discover another architectural wonder, Bai Dinh Pagoda. It is the largest Buddhist complex in Southeast Asia, imbued with spirituality. You enter through the impressive Tam Quan gate before admiring the entire site, with its huge golden Buddha statues, caves and temples, surrounded by lush vegetation.
At the end of the day, admire the panoramic view of the region from Mua Cave.
Day 9 | Tam Coc - Hue | B, L
Departure from the hotel around 9 a.m., with our French-speaking tour guide to go to Tay Phu village and visit of local market. Then, discover how the Bánh Chưng is made, a traditional dish of the Tet festival in Vietnam.
After a lunch in a local house, meet the families who are still doing the local crafts: making rice noodles, water hyacinth baskets, reed mats, tofu... You will have the opportunity to discover and take part in their activities while providing them some support and additional income.
At the end of the day, go for a bike ride on the dam, in a peaceful setting away from the cars and among the flowers before returning to the hotel to refresh and for check out. Around 8.30 p.m. transfer to Ninh Binh station for the night train to Hue.
Day 10 | Hue | L, D
Our English-speaking tour guide meets you at the train station when you arrive around 9.30 a.m. then go to discover the Royal Palace classified as a World Heritage of UNESCO, is a splendid complex composed of impressive walls and refined palaces.
Late morning, a small boat awaits you on the lagoon for a boat ride. You will discover the local fishing, before enjoying a lunch based on seafood.
End your day by discovering the charming village of Thanh Thuy, its rural museum and its picturesque wooden bridge covered with tiles.
In the evening we will meet to enjoy a dinner together, which will be an opportunity to share about Vietnam.
Day 11 | Hue | B, L, D
Our English-speaking tour guide meets you at your hotel around 9 a.m.
In the morning, discover the peaceful environment of a monastery located in the mountains near Hue and marvel at its orchids.
Then, go to the countryside of Hue to discover the history of the Tomb of Tu Duc and to walk the paths of its gardens in the middle of the bodies of water.
After lunch, learn how to make paper flowers with with deaf and dumb, which will make you an original souvenir to bring back from your trip.
Day 12 | Hue | B, L
Our English-speaking tour guide meets you at your hotel around 9 a.m. Take the road to Vinh Moc, to visit the famous tunnels housing an incredible complex that served as both accommodation and clinic and others. The population of the region found refuge there to protect themselves from the American bombing.
Along the way discover the La Vang Church, sacred place where the Virgin Mary appeared in 1978 to protect the inhabitants during the war. Then take a photo break at Long Hung Church, a historical testimony of the damage of the war and a high place of resistance of Vietnamese soldiers.
Then visit the Bien Hai River Museum located at the former border between North and South Vietnam at the 17th parallel and the Doc Mieu Base, a stronghold of the French colonial era.
Finally after lunch, return to Hue.
Day 13 | Huée - Hoi An | B
Departure from your hotel around 9 a.m. with our English-speaking driver.
Take the road to Hoi An and enjoy a photo break at the Lang Co Lagoon.
Then from the Hai Van Pass, contemplate the region’s sumptuous landscapes, with its lush forests and panoramic sea views.
Then make a stop at the Marble Mountain and venture out on this solitary limestone, at the southern edge of Danang which houses a complex of caves and pagodas before arriving in Hoi An.
Day14 | Hoi An | B, L
Departure around 8.15 a.m. with our English-speaking tour guide for a bike ride in the countryside of Hoi An.
Cross the Thu Bon River to reach the village of Kim Bong where you will meet the wood carvers. Also discover the work of mother of pearl, the manufacture of mats and the weaving of the famous basket boats.
Finally join Cam Thanh for a basket boat ride amidst mangrove before lunch. First discover the preparation of the banh xeo then enjoy a foot massage.
Go back to the hotel after lunch.
Day 15 | Hoi An | B, L
After breakfast, around 9 a.m., our driver and our English-speaking guide will meet you at your hotel to visit the old sanctuary of My Son.
After an hour’s drive through the countryside and rice fields, the "little Angkor of Vietnam", built by the Cham people in the 4th century and lasting until the 13th century, is revealed to you in its natural setting.
It highlights the remains of this civilization in a very natural setting.
Go back to Hoi An after lunch.
In the evening around 5 p.m. transfer to the Hoi An Lune Center to attend this acrobatic and dancing show of 1 hour.
Let yourself be carried by the intense rhythm of the music and the dances that are impressive by their strength and power while the faces of the artists radiate with joy.
Day 16 | Hoi An | B
Leisure day in Hoi An.
Day 17 | Hoi An - Ho Chi Minh | B
Transfer in the morning to Danang airport for the Vietnam Airlines flight to Ho Chi Minh then transfer to the hotel.
Day 18 | Ho Chi Minh | N, L
Our English-speaking tour guide meets you around 9 a.m.
Start the day by immersing yourself in the atmosphere of Chinatown. Venture through the stalls of the Soai Kinh Lam fabric market and visit the Thien Hau Pagoda known as the Heavenly Lady’s Pagoda, which protects the sailors and the fishermen.
Visit a temple dedicated to the founder of the goldsmith then Van Phat Pagoda.
In the afternoon, after lunch, discover traditional Asian medicine during the visit of the Fito museum and then discover the streets of district 10 before returning to the hotel.
Day 19 | Ho Chi Minh – Mekong Delta | B, L, D
Leave around 8.30 a.m. from Ho Chi Minh with our English-speaking tour guide to go to the province of Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta. This town on the banks of the Mekong River is full of diverse local activities that you will discover during a boat ride.
Visit a brick factory, discover a workshop making coconut candy, admire the meticulous work to handicraft woven mat and visit a bonsai village before lunch.
In the afternoon, go to Vinh Long to discover the life of your host and his activities in the Mekong before preparing the dinner with them. Night at the homestay.
Day 20 | Mekong Delta - Phu Quoc | B
At 6 a.m., for breakfast, go to discover the floating market of Cai Rang where traders from nearby villages exchange all kinds of products. Then transfer to Rach Gia to take the ferry to Phu Quoc and transfer to hotel.
Days 21 and 22 | Phu Quoc | B
Leisure days in Phu Quoc.
Day 23 | Phu Quoc – Ho Chi Minh | B
Transfer during the day to Phu Quoc airport for the Vietnam Airlines flight to Ho Chi Minh then transfer to the hotel.
Day 24 | Ho Chi Minh – Return flight | B
Transfer to Ho Chi Minh airport during the day for you return flight.
PRICE OF THE TRIP:
2.310 € per pax for 2 pax
2.000 € per pax for 4 pax
The full programme is available in PDF format here.
Included/Excluded
- Transfers & Excursions with Entrance fees of the mentioned sites
- Cruise in Deluxe Cabin
- Mentioned meals, B, L, D
- English or French speaking tour guide if mentioned
- Hotel - Twin or double room
- Night train Ninh - Hue & Flight Danang - Ho Chi Minh
- Travel book and eSim
- Tax and administrative fees
- International flights
- Meals not mentioned & Drinks
- Personal expenses & Tips
- Travel insurance
- All services not mentioned in included