Explore Amazing Vietnam in 15 Days

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 guide 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

The capital of Vietnam, a city that celebrated 1.000 years in 2010 has countless fascinating cultural and historic sites and our days’ tour will visit the highlights.  See the grand and solemn mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh (viewed from outside; closed Mon and Fri and from Oct-Nov), the ‘icon of Hanoi’ – The One Pillar Pagoda, the beautiful Temple of Literature, West Lake’s Tran Quoc temple and Quan Thanh pagoda as well as the Train Street, Hoa Lo Prison, the bustling Old Quarter and at the end of the day – a water puppet performance.

Night 2: Overnight in hotel in Hanoi

Breakfast at your hotel, ready for the ride to Ninh Binh for visiting Hoa Lu – the Ancient Royal capital of Viet Nam. This will include Dinh king temple and Le king temple in the 10th century, finding out the heroic histories of this two Kings in Chinese Wars. 

After that, take a boat trip to visit Trang An or Tam Coc tourist attraction before heading back to Hanoi

Night 3: Overnight in hotel in Hanoi

We’ll pick you up in Hanoi by 8:00am and drive through the verdant Red River Delta to make our way to the famous UNESCO World Heritage site, Halong Bay. You’ll board a luxury junk ship for an overnight cruise– while you relax on-board you can marvel at the incredible limestone karsts that jut out of the sea and the thousands of jungle-covered islands that seem to float on the waves. The turquoise waters of the Gulf of Tonkin swirl around hidden grottoes and ancient caves to create an enchanting, timeless world. 

We’ll serve you a fresh seafood lunch while you sit back and relax as you enjoy the incredible view with a drink in your hand. We’ll take you to a traditional fishing village where the locals have created an entire town on the Octks of their boats, then you can explore Tien Ong Cave before returning to the cruise for cocktails, canapés, and a spectacular sunset. End your day with a romantic, candlelit dinner.

Night 4: Overnight on Cruise

Begin the day with a Tai Chi class on Octk in the early morning mist or just admire the beautiful scenery as the sun rises over the azure waters. Choose between an excursion to a secluded island with a sandy beach for a swim or join the chef for a cooking demonstration to learn more about Vietnamese cuisine. Enjoy a leisurely brunch while your junk cruises Halong Bay, passing islets and caves as you make your way back to the dock. 

Your driver will meet you when you disembark and transfer you to Hanoi. 

Free time until transfer to train station for night train to Dong Hoi. Overnight on the train ( soft sleeper 4 people stay in one room)

Night 5: Overnight on the train

Phong Nha Cave and Paradise Cave are the two most famous caves in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, which was listed in UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in 2003 for its geological values. 

Both of them have created a special attraction for the “Kingdom of the caves”, Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park. Nowadays, there are a lot of tourists not only domestic but also international coming to visit and admire their beauty. If you are a person who likes exploring caves, Phong Nha is an ideal place for you.

Our car and tour guide will pick you up at train station in Dong Hoi, heading out to explore the most impressive Phong Nha caves (50 km from the city, 45 minutes driving). After 25 minutes on the boat, visitors will arrive at Phong Nha cave, and take a couple hours to see the cave. This cave is called a water cave, and is famous for its rock formation which has been given names such as the “Lion”, the “Fairy Caves”, the “Royal Court”, and the “Buddha”.

Lunch at a local restaurant in Phong Nha village before exploring National Park in the afternoon. 

Later, continue to visit Paradise Cave before returning to your hotel. Enjoy the evening on your own.

Tip: Bring swimwear and a towel.

Night 6: Overnight in hotel in Dong Hoi

Leave Dong Hoi for Quang Tri Province – Visit Vinh Moc Tunnels – The Old DMZ (Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone) – Hien Luong Bridge Ben Hai River, the Border between the North and the South of Vietnam. Then, you will be transferred to Hue. 

Night 7: Overnight in hotel in Hue

Start your day with a visit to the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945.  After exploring the ruins of this wonderful monument, continue through the ‘Old City’ to Tinh Tam Lake where the Emperors used to come to relax. 

This afternoon, visit Mu Pagoda overlooking the Perfume River. End the day at Khai Dinh’s Tomb which boasts a traditional Vietnamese design with a European touch, making it unique from the other tombs in Hue. Then free time. 

Night 8: Overnight in hotel in Hue

Breakfast at your hotel, the guide will pick you up and transfer you to Hoian. On the way to Hoian, stop over to visit the picturesque fishing village of Lang Co Beach Cham Museum, ascending the Pass of Ocean Clouds for panoramic views of the surroundings. Arrive in Hoian, check in the hotel & enjoy your free time.

OPTIONAL VISIT GOLDEN BRIDGE (Extra price 75 USD per person)

Ba Na Hills, the leading road to a fairyland, is considered a green environmental gem of central Vietnam. As part of a long-term development plan, the resort is continually expanding its service and offerings on an ongoing basis to serve the demands of all tourists.  

You will have a chance to visit the complex including the new Golden Bridge before heading to Hoi An (please ask our travel experts to have the cost supplement as it depends on each group size).

Night 9: 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). Riding into a small village. Here, the local ferry crossing takes guests to the water coconut palm fringed Cam Thanh village.  Have lunch at Cam Thanh homestay. Back to your hotel by motorbike.

Night 10: Overnight in hotel in Hoian

The most common regret from travelers leaving Vietnam is staying too short in Hoi An! You can stay from three to five nights or even longer, it’s really hard to run out of things to see & do in Hoi An. From the lanterns to the beach, from the boat trips to the shopping, from the vegetable villages to the handcraft areas. After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy time on your activities or ask our travel experts to organize our Hoi An tour collections.

Night 11: Overnight in hotel in Hoian

After breakfast at your hotel, transfer to Danang Airport for a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Arrive at the airport, meet your guide and head to visit city highlights.

OPTIONAL street food tour by motorbikes (Extra 65 USD per person)

We have specifically designed a Ho Chi Minh food tour that is focused on showing off our favorite spots for Vietnamese food and recipes in Ho Chi Minh City in a tasting menu style. Throughout the night we will travel from various locations in Saigon on a motorcycle tour while we eat local Vietnamese food and drink our way through our 5-course menu. The “Vietnamese Food Vendors” we will be visiting specialize in very specific Vietnamese Recipes and often only have 1 or 2 Vietnamese food dishes that they offer which is the common theme for local Vietnamese Street Food. (Please ask our travel experts to have the cost supplement as it depends on each group size)

Night 12: 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 the 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 making sleepmats and enjoying 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 overnight.

Night 13: 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 14: 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!