A Lively Vietnam 20 Days - A TRULY VALUABLE FOOTPRINT GUEST FAVORITE

We pick you up at 8:00 AM for a short transfer outside of Hanoi, you have this morning to learn about Hanoi villages’ life, its traditions, customs.

We walk and cycle along the villages, visit local markets, some old houses, their worshipping temples and communal houses. Then, we have a small food demonstration before our lunch at one of the local family’s houses here.

In the afternoon, we catch your van for a short drive to Lien Mac, a beautiful area of immaculately tended vegetables and flowers. Here you hop on the bike again and get a close- up look at the colourful fields and have the chance to chat with some of the local people out caring for their crops.  Stop by a “tofu family” to explore how they make tofu and you can try their fresh products. Bid your farewells, and catch the van back to your hotel in Hanoi at around 4:30 PM.

Inclusion: Transfer, guide, entrance fees, breakfast, lunch, water, local bike, community development fund, hotel.

Depart from your hotel at 8:00 AM and transfer 100 km (2 hours) to Ninh Binh. Relax on a local rowboat trip as soon as we arrive to Trang An. Meander within the karst landscape and float through some local caves for about 2 hours. Later, local Vietnamese food is served for lunch. 

A short transfer to Hoa Lu, Vietnam’s 9 th  century ancient capital, for some cultural sightseeing and storytelling of past kings. Return to Hanoi around 6:00 PM. Dinner on your own.

At 8:30 PM transfer from a prearranged meeting spot to the station for your night train to Sapa. Boarding is at around 9:40 PM. You are in shared AC soft sleeper cabin to travel North to Lao Cai town.

(Our tour guide shows you prearranged hotel near the train station which you have a shower and breakfast before going on Ha Long on Day 7).

Inclusion: Transfer, guide, entrance fee, breakfast, lunch, water, local rowboat, train ticket.

Today morning at around 6:30 AM, you are welcomed by our driver at the train station to transfer to Sapa. When you arrive in Sapa, you have a time for a short rest, hot shower and some breakfast before your inspiring trek. A short transfer and we’re off. Chances to meet and talk with locals working in the fields are plentiful. Picnic lunch en route then continue trekking to Ta Phin village - home of the Red Dao people. Your Dao host family warmly welcome you to their traditional home where we share in an ethnic style dinner and stay the night.

Trekking Distance: 14 km (4-5 hours)

Trail Difficulty: 4/5

Inclusion: Transfers, guide, train ticket, morning shower, entrance fee, all meals, permit, homestay.

At the first gleam of daylight, you see and hear the sounds of morning village life. You can join your host family in some of their morning activities like feeding the animals, cleaning the houses, gardening or preparing breakfast. After breakfast, we take a short wander around the village or spend more time enjoying the view and company at the homestay. Then, you are supported by our car / van back to Sapa (30 minutes).

Back in Sapa, check in to your hotel, shower, rest and lunch on your own. At 2:30 PM, we take an easy walk to Cat Cat village, home of Black H’mong. Take part in a traditional musical performance. Back in Sapa for dinner and the evening on your own. Overnight here.

Trekking Distance: about 5 km

Trail Difficulty: 2/5

Note: The music show in Cat Cat village is closed on Tuesday afternoon. We arrange and alternative activity.

Inclusion: Transfer, guide, entrance fee, breakfast, music show ticket, hotel

Wake up in Sapa town, breakfast at the hotel then enjoy the morning activities in the town markets. Today your guide is available to you for the whole day, although you do have the option to enjoy the day on your own. Suggestions for today: visit the orchid gardens at Dragon Mountain or complete another day trek to a hill tribe village.

At 5:30 PM, transfer to the Lao Cai train station. Departure is at 8:15 PM on an AC soft sleeper class cabin to Hanoi.

Trekking Distance: around 6 km (optional trek)

Inclusion: Transfer, guide, train ticket, breakfast, entrance fee.

Safely back in Hanoi at 05:00 please find your way on foot back to a prearranged hotel near the train station. Shower, short rest and basic breakfast.

Departure for Ha Long Bay is around 8:00 AM in a shared van. Arrive at the port around 12:30 PM. Welcomed on board, you are taken to  our cabin before the trip briefing while you cruise to Bai Tu Long Bay and admire the fascinating formations. Visit Thien Canh Son cave.  Then relax at our secluded island-beach or explore by kayak. Later you return back to the boat just in time to watch the beautiful sunset  from the top deck before enjoying the bay’s freshest seafood dinner.

Inclusion: Transfer, guide on boat, morning shower, entrance fee, kayak, boat / junk, all meals, permits.

Early risers can enjoy the sunrise and the quiet breath-taking beauty of Bay’s landscape with towering limestone. You have breakfast at around 8:00 AM before our short rowboat by the locals of the bay.

Lunch on the boat as we slowly cruise back to boat pier. Hit the road back to Hanoi around 5:30 PM.

Inclusion: Transfer, guide, entrance fee, boat / junk, breakfast, lunch, hotel.

Today is your free day in the Hanoi capital with all of its fascinating historical charm. Spend your day relaxing or shopping. Some suggestions include waking up early (about 6:00 AM) and joining in the some exercising around Hoan Kiem Lake, or visiting the numerous markets, shopping, and trying all of the street side traditional foods.

At 6:30 PM, we pick you up from our office or your hotel for the night train to Hue. Boarding is at 7:30 PM. You are in a shared AC soft sleeper cabin.

Inclusion: Transfer, guide, breakfast, train ticket.

Arrival in Hue at around 9:00 AM. Station pick up then transfer to a prearranged hotel. Shower, short rest and breakfast.

Departure from your hotel for our morning explorations to visit the Imperial city to learn all about the royal kingdom here in the past. We then visit Thien Mu Pagoda and learn more about Buddhism in Vietnam. Have Lunch at the restaurant.

After lunch, you embark for a beautiful boat ride downstream with pleasant viewing along the Perfume River to reach Tien Non pier. Our  afternoon start with biking to visit the flower village of Tien Non, it’s just lovely to be among different types of flowers, then cycle a bit more to visit Thanh Tien paper flower making village, you can try to make one by yourself. After that, we visit Sinh village where they make  traditional folk painting, more ride through the beautiful and peaceful countryside of Hue before hitting the road back to your hotel for about  4:00 PM.

Cycling Distance: 14 km

Inclusion: Transfer, guide, entrance fee, morning shower, breakfast, lunch, water, local boat, bike & helmet, hotel.

After breakfast at your hotel around 8:30 AM, we go on a relaxing 1 hour Vietnam cyclo ride to visit Dong Ba market then explore the Royal Tombs, choosing only to visit the best ones, as we have lots to do today. Visit Ming Mang or Khai Dinh Royal Tombs.

After it is time to begin our transfer to Hoian (about 4 hours). There is fabulous sightseeing en route and we may make stops at: Lang Co Beach, Hai Van Pass, Cham Museum, and the Marble Mountains depending on time. Hoian in the evening. Overnight here.

Tip: This is a very good chance for you to get great tailor-made clothes at reasonable prices. Hoian is well known for its tailoring.

Inclusion: Transfer, guide, entrance fee, breakfast, Vietnam cyclo, hotel. 

At 8.00 AM, we meet at your hotel for a very short transfer to the boat docks, we boat to a fishing village where you see & experience the life of a fisherman here, activities from preparing the fishing tools to go fishing. Followed by a short basket boat row along the village of water  coconut before our lunch.

We then cycle along the country road through the paddy fields of rice, coconut or corn heading to the main town of Hoian.

Our afternoon is continued with sightseeing to the famous cultural sites around Hoian, we end our trip at around 5:00 PM at your hotel.

Inclusion: Transfer, guide, local bike & helmet, local boat & fishing tools, breakfast, lunch, water, hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel then transfer to the airport in Da Nang for a noon - flight to Nha Trang. Upon arrival, aiport pick up then transfer to your hotel. Free to chill out on the beautiful white sand beach.

Inclusion:  Transfer, guide, domestic flight ticket, breakfast, hotel.

Morning pick up at around 8:00 AM from hotel and transfer to the boat station (about 15’). Hop on the private boat and begin a day on the water. The first stop is Tri Nguyen Aquarium. Then we cruise to Mot Island. This is one of the best places for snorkeling in Nha Trang. Hold your breath for as long as you can and dive deep into this colorful world of fish and coral. Next stop, Coral Island for sun bathing and relaxing on the off shore beach. Lunch is served with a selection of fresh seafood.

After lunch, cruise to Tranh Island for more swimming and relaxing then boat back to Nha Trang city for around 5:00 PM. Free time in the evening and overnight at your hotel.

Inclusion:  Transfer, guide, entrance fee, breakfast, lunch, local boat, hotel.

We take an early flight this morning at 7:50 AM, arriving to HCM City at 8:45 AM. Transfer downtown and check-in at our hotel before our city tour of bustling HCM City starts. Visit the Binh Tay Market in Cho Lon; stopover at Thien Hau, a 150-year-old Chinese Temple; then visit a Lacquer-wares workshop as well as the Jade Emperor Pagoda. In the afternoon visit the War Remnants Museum, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the historic Central Post Office. We drop you off at your hotel around 5:30 PM.

Inclusion: Transfer, guide, entrance fee, breakfast, domestic flight ticket , hotel.

Depart at 8:00 AM, you have the opportunity to experience what life was like for the Vietcong guerrillas who live and fought underground during the war with the Americans and the South Vietnamese. You are able to crawl through 50 m (150 ft.) out of the some 200 km of  tunnels which run under the CuChi area’s underground complex. We also visit a rice paper workshop where handmade paper is made. En route, you enjoy spectacular scenic vistas, including eye-popping views of our rice paddy fields which stretch off from the road as far as  the  eye can see.

Continuing on to the town of Tay Ninh, we visit the Cao Dai Great Temple. This homegrown religion combines aspects of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism and Christianity. We experience the spectacular noon mass at the temple (around an hour in length) and  follow this with a chance to explore the temple’s iconography and religious statuary. We return to Saigon (HCMC) in the afternoon at 5:00 PM. Overnight at your hotel.

Inclusion: Transfer, guide, entrance fee, breakfast, water, hotel.

Depart HCM City at 8:00 AM from your hotel. Head south to Cai Be. Upon arrival at around 10:30 AM, board a boat for a journey through the Mekong's floating markets. See how river life goes on here, watch the trading between merchant ships and local farmers. Alive and exciting! Cruise through the secluded canals and stop at some local factories to see locals making pop rice cake and pedal down narrow natural waterways. Stop at local home to try seasonal fruits. Lunch at local house before boating to Vinh Long. Back on the car for our trip to Can Tho to overnight.

Inclusion: Transfer, guide, entrance fee, breakfast, lunch, water, local boat, hotel.

An early start at 6:30 AM for a boat trip to Cai Rang floating market. Of course now this market is not crowded and busy as it was before,  but still interesting experience. We take a long cruise to Phong Dien, followed by a walk on a quiet country road getting a little bit closer local life here.

Our van pick us up and transfer to Vinh Long. We visit Phu Ly pagoda - one of the ancient Khmer pagodas in Vinh Long province. The pagoda was built in 1672, great combination of Indian, Thai and Cambodia architecture. Then, we keep on driving through the rice fields in  Ben Luc to return to HCM at around 6:00pm.

Inclusion: Transfer, guide, entrance fee, local boat, breakfast, water, hotel

Breakfast at the hotel then a day at your leisure in HCM City. Today is a great day for you to relax, shop and finish any last preparations before you take your flight home the next day.

Inclusion:  Transfer, guide, entrance fee, local boat, breakfast, hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. Depending on your flight you may have some more time for shopping. Then we transfer you to the airport for your flight home. Goodbye, and hope to see you again soon!

Inclusion: Transfer, breakfast.