Discover the Essence of Vietnam: A 12-Day Journey

Upon arrival, you will be met by your guide who will escort you to a waiting vehicle for your transfer to downtown with a brief introduction en route. Your driver will be holding a welcome signboard with the Sun Getaways Travel Logo & your name. 

Hanoi is Vietnam’s capital city and home to seven million people. Traditional and refined with French colonial architecture, tree-lined boulevards, scenic lakes and a bustling Old Quarter, Hanoi has a sophisticated charm. Observe locals practicing Tai Chi by the lake, with barbers and food vendors plying their sidewalk trade.

Night 1: Overnight in hotel in Hanoi

After breakfast at your hotel, our driver and tour guide will come to pick you up at about 8:00 am for a city tour. You will visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (viewed from outside; closed Mon and Fri and from Oct-Nov), – the final resting place of the beloved national hero, Uncle Ho – and President Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house where he lived off and on from 1958 to 1969. 

9.30: You’ll visit the One Pillar Pagoda, which is a group of structures that collectively make up a pagoda built over the water in the middle of a square lake. After that, you’ll have a chance to explore the Tran Quoc Pagoda on the shore of West Lake. From there, it’s onto the Temple of Literature, which was Vietnam’s first university and is dedicated to Confucius. 

12.30: You have lunch at the restaurant in the Old Quarter. Afterward, you’ll visit Hoan Kiem Lake – the heart and soul of Hanoi.

Option 1: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday

You’ll stop in at MUSEUM OF ETHNOLOGY. This superb museum showcases the depth of Vietnamese cultural diversity with an astounding collection of 15,000 artifacts gathered from throughout Vietnam. Maps, displays and dioramas are labelled in Vietnamese, French and English.

Displays portray a typical village market, the making of comical hats and a Tay shamanic ceremony; videos show the real thing. You can also check out a traditional Black Thai house reconstructed in the museum. There’s also a centre for research and conservation where scientists from all over the world study traditional Vietnamese cultures

Option 2: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Depart for Bat Trang ceramic village which is about 20 km away from Ha Noi, this is a pottery village with a half- millenary historic development.

15.30 – 16.00: We will come back to your hotel. Free day for shopping or relaxing at your hotel. 

Night 2: Overnight in hotel in Hanoi

We’ll pick you up at the hotel and drive through the verdant Red River Delta to make our way to the famous UNESCO World Heritage site, Halong Bay. 

10:00: Stopover on the way for refreshments.

12:30: Enjoy Vietnamese seafood and vegetarian lunch, while cruising in the magnificent Halong Bay, admiring the fascinating rock formations in the bay.

15:00:  You at  Tung Gau Area. The airy and fresh air, cool breezes, blue sea and sky, and natural seascape will captivate any visitors setting foot here. Especially, Tung Gau of Lan Ha Bay is extremely suitable for enjoying kayaking and swimming and then Visiting Halong Pearl Farm Village

17.30: Come back to our Cruise and relax.

19:30: Time for dinner enjoying special food on the cruise.

21:00: Evening entertainments: play games on the cruise: cards game, chess, karaoke, squid fishing, and overnight on the Cruise.  

Night 3: Overnight on cruise

06.30: Early morning sun risers can enjoy a Tai Chi lesson on sunJulyk.

07.00: Morning view of the bay’s landscape with a cup of tea or coffee. Have breakfast.

08:00:  Arriving at Sung Sot Cave (Amazing Cave) and joining with guide to visit and explore the cave

10:00: Check out and enjoy a fantastic cruise on the bay. Join the cooking class guided directly by Chef of Cruise. You have a chance to practice Vietnamese traditional dishes such as spring rolls or the famous cuisine of Vietnam.

11:00:  Enjoy the lunch on the cruise.

12:00: Cruise lands at Halong Bay harbor, tourist say goodbye to sailors and finish the cruise.

12:30:  Return to Hanoi by shuttle bus.

Our driver will pick you up by private car from the shuttle bus on the way to Hanoi and transfer you to the airport for your flight to Danang Airport. Upon arrival in Danang, you will be picked up by our driver and go to the hotel in Hoi An for check-in and free time in Hoi An.

Night 4: Overnight in hotel in Hoian

Option 1 – Cooking class:

Your cooking class today will begin with a visit to a colorful local market, buying all the necessary ingredients, and heading back to prepare. Your chef will demonstrate how to cook some typical Vietnam cuisine, you will then start cooking yourself and enjoy what you have cooked.

In the afternoon, explore the enchanting time-capsule town of Old Hoi An on a walking tour with your guide. Hoi An was a major seaport in Asia and it resulted in a fusion of style and culture that has been perfectly preserved. Wander traditional Chinese shops, luxurious French homes, and an ancient Japanese bridge. The town is home to silk markets, Vietnamese food stalls, and talented street performers– all of which are sure to charm you. 

Option 2 – Vegetable village:

 Breakfast at your hotel and then it’s time for a little bit of exercise and a bike ride to Tra Que Vilage and a visit to a local farm. This is a very special involvement in true Vietnamese rural life. You will learn about the history of the village and then be shown the daily practices of growing vegetables. You will learn how vegetables are used in traditional Vietnamese medicine. You will join in the activities of the farmers – collecting seaweed fertilizer, sowing, raking, watering and picking. Your cultural immersion continues as you join the family to prepare and eat the lunch you have helped grow. You will also taste other local specialties such as Tam huu (spring roll) and Bahn xeo (pancake). Of course, you must also join in the after-lunch nap before returning to the field to learn how to harvest and wrap the produce. Mid-afternoon we wave goodbye to your new friends and go back to Hoian to visit Hoian Old Quarter. Return to your hotel for relaxing 

Option 3 – Countryside biking or motor riding:

Our guide will pick you up at the hotel by motorbike, ride to Tra Que village and then ride back to the river for aboard a local ferry to  Kim Bong Village. This village is not only famous for wood carving but weaving sleeping mats as well, so we will stop at a family to see how they weaved the mat for everyday use in the old times before having today’s popular mattresses. Visit a local family making the famous local noodle – Mi Quang is another chance to learn the local life. You also have a chance to make and eat the perfect banh dap (rice cracker). Then visit Cam Thanh village with basket boat.  Have lunch at Cam Thanh homestay. Back to your hotel by motorbike.

Night 5: Overnight in hotel in Hoian

You’ll have the morning for a leisurely breakfast before we come to collect you and take you to Danang to catch a flight to Buon Me Thuot. When you arrive at the airport, you will be met and transferred directly to your hotel. Enjoy the balance of the day at leisure. 

Night 6: Overnight in hotel in Buon Me Thuot

After breakfast, visit Lak Lake, have a ride elephant to Lak Lake (1 hour), do a dug-out canoe on Lak Lake (30’), and sightseeing. Have lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the villages of M’lieng, Le and Jun. Discover the culture of the M’nong R’lam. Enjoy the Gongs Show or go fishing with local people by dug-out canoe (optional). Visit plantations of pepper, rubber, or coffee.

Night 7: Overnight in hotel in Buon Me Thuot

Today, start to visit D’ray Nur Fall (chance to swim in good season), Ako D’hong Village (Ede people), and Trung Nguyen Coffee Village. Have lunch at a local restaurant. 

If time permits, enjoy a local coffee & ready for the flight to Saigon. When you arrive at the airport, you will be met and transferred directly to your hotel. Enjoy the balance of the day at leisure. 

Night 8: Overnight in hotel in Ho Chi Minh

We’ll pick you up in the morning and take you to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a major part of the Vietnam-American War and a fascinating day trip– explore the mysterious tunnels, find hidden doors and once-deadly traps. 

After lunch, we’ll go back to HCMC and spend the afternoon either visiting the War Remnants Museum or the Presidential Palace, whichever you prefer. Then stroll around the city’s colonial streets in the evening to the Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street, Continental Hotel, Opera House and City Hall.

Night 9: Overnight in hotel in Ho Chi Minh

Leave your hotel this morning, heading to visit the Mekong Delta. On arrival in Hàm Luông pier. Cruse on Bến Tre River exploring the lively activities along river as fishing, and water transferring. See brick making in handy traditional style by printing and baking. Visit one of plenty of coconut processing workshops located along the canal. Turn on natural scissors creeks where they look smaller and smaller to go to the village. Take a walk to the family workshop make sleep mats and enjoy some fruits and tea. 

Riding a motor cart (xe lôi) or bike on shady paths, pass by green rice fields and vegetable plains to be able to touch on real life and find out about tropical culture from Peasants. Lunch at Hai Hồ house.

Afternoon – riding a sampan along the canal, before the boat back to Ham Luông pier. End your touring, heading to Can Tho for an overnight.

Night 10: Overnight in hotel in Can Tho

Take a leisurely boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong River ( Bassac River), then proceed to visit the Cai Rang floating market which is the liveliest in the whole religion. 

Have you ever tasted Vietnamese vermicelli soup? Well, now go and see how it is made. Then wander around the village and meet the friendly local people and experience how to cross a “Monkey bridge” which is built with only one stem of bamboo. Visit the orchard garden. Stop for lunch. On the way back to HCM city by bus, the last stop is to see how incense sticks are made.

Night 11: Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

After breakfast at the hotel, this morning is free at your leisure for last-minute shopping and sightseeing before your private car and driver arrive to take you to the airport for your flight to your next destination. Tour ends

Accommodation: Check-out time is at 12:00 pm.

This is the end of your trip with Sun Getaways Travel. We thank you for joining us on this incredible experience to explore all the wonders of Vietnam. Goodbye, and we hope to see you again next time!