14 Days of Spectacular Vietnam Sightseeing

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

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…

You will travel to a mini hotel, and take a room for a shower from 17h30 to 20h30. You will have dinner by yourself and free time until about 20h40 – Sun Getaways Travel’s tour guide come to pick you up then transfer to Ha Noi Railway Station and catch the night train to Lao Cai (overnight on the train, the cabin with 4 berths, soft sleeper and air-conditioning).

Night 2: Overnight on train

The train arrives at around 6:00 am. Look for the “Sun Getaways Travel Logo & Your Name” sign when you exit the train station, as our guide will pick you up there and transfer you to the former hill station of Sapa. After having breakfast at a local restaurant, a short rest, and some last preparations before our Sapa trip. The first part is on the road but we soon turn to the right and walk on a small path down the valley to the Muong Hoa River along Y Linh Ho valley and from here lead to the Black H’mong in Lao Chai village. Black H’mong is one of the biggest minority groups in the Sapa area. They are proud of their culture and keep their traditions and way of living. They have their language and wear traditional indigo-blue clothing. 

Continue to Ta Van village (1.200 m) to visit the Zay people. Zay is a fairly small minority group of about 38.000 people who live mainly in the mountains in Northwest Vietnam. The development has meant that some of their old customs have been lost but many women still wear traditional shirts with a purple, blue, or green color. Check in the room then you have dinner and overnight at homestay. With the ‘Homestay’ experience, your overnight accommodation is provided by a local family in their traditional house-on-silts. There are some private rooms on the first floor for private tours and you will have toilet or bathroom sharing. The sleeping corner is set up with a single mattress (thin, but adequate), blankets (ditto), pillow, and mosquito net. The restroom is at standard and a few steps from the main house. 

Night 3: Overnight in homestay in Sapa

Following breakfast with local people, enjoy marveling at the breathtaking scenery morning, then leave the village to continue to visit Red Dao people at Giang Ta Chai where we also have a short break near a hanging bridge made from cane and a beautiful waterfall. The Red Dao women have very colorful red embroidery and coins on their clothing. On their head they wear a red scarf. Some of the women have shaved off their eyebrows because of a nice Red Zao Legend. 

We continue along small paths in the rice fields, cross the Muong Hoa River, and trek up to Su Pan village where you will meet the jeep and transfer back to Sapa. The rest of the day is free time for exploring local market and Sapa town. Late afternoon, the car will pick you up for the night train back to Hanoi. Arrive at Lao Cai train station and take the night train back to Hanoi.

Night 4: Overnight on train

Early in the morning, arrive in Hanoi, we will pick you up and transfer you to a mini hotel to take a daily room for relaxing and showering. The driver of Sun Getaways Travel will come to pick you up around 7:45 to 8:30 am with our shuttle bus to start the 3-hour-and-a-half drive to Halong Bay through the paddy fields in the Red River Delta.

10.00 Stopover on the way for refreshments

12:00: Arrive at Tuan Chau Harbor, 12:15 Welcome to Rosa Boutique Cruise, Enjoy welcome drink and get a brief introduction about the cruise and safety guidelines. Check-in your cabin.

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 Rosa Boutique 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 Rosa Boutique Cruise.  

Night 5: Overnight on Cruise

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

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 Rosa Halong Cruise. You have a chance to practice Vietnamese traditional dishes such as spring rolls or famous cuisine of Vietnam.

11:00:  Enjoy the lunch on the cruise.

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

12:30:  Return to Hanoi by shuttle bus.

14:30: Stopover in Hai Duong province to visit a ceramics workshop. Arrive in Hanoi at around 15h00.

Then transfer you to Noi Bai airport and your flight to Hue. When you arrive in Hue we’ll pick you up and transfer you to your hotel.

Night 6: 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 take a cyclo 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 7: Overnight in hotel in Hue

Breakfast at your hotel. Our driver with a private car will pick you up from the van on the way to Danang. When you arrive in Hoian, you can check-in hotel in Hoian. Relax and freetime

Night 8: Overnight in hotel in Hoian

Breakfast at your hotel. Start a walking tour of Hoi An’s ancient town centre will take you back in time to when it was a major trading port in Asia. 

Visit old shophouses, the 400-year-old Japanese Bridge, a Chinese communal hall, and the colorful market in this well-preserved town. Then free time for relaxing on Cua Dai Beach.

Night 9: Overnight in hotel in Hoian

Breakfast at your hotel, free time until transfer to Danang airport for a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, pick you up, and transfer you to the hotel. Free time.

Saigon is a city that never sleeps and offers a plethora of great restaurants and bars catering to all tastes, from street food vendors to the rooftop bar at the Rex Hotel, where international correspondents covered the Vietnam War and where the U.S. military attaché’s press briefing was held daily and dubbed the “Five O’clock Follies”. Whatever your interests, be sure to ask your guide for personal recommendations.

Night 10: Overnight in hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Breakfast at your hotel, transfer for visiting Cu Chi Tunnels. After lunch in Cu Chi, the driver back to Ho Chi Minh City. This afternoon, depending on your preference, visit either the War Remnants Museum or History Museum, and the former Presidential Palace. Finish the day with a stroll around the city’s colonial architecture, including the Old Saigon Post Office, and Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat).

Night 11: Overnight in hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Breakfast at your hotel. The guide will pick you up and transfer you to Ben Tre. 

Arrive at Ham Luong dock, you will take a boat and then cruise along Ham Luong River, a tributary to the Mekong River. The cool breeze from the river and lush tropical islands along its banks will immediately get you excited to explore all the great things ahead.

Arrive and visit various local workplaces to find many wonderful examples of how local people use ageless techniques to create their crafts, including activated charcoal, dried coconut, handy coconut husk

brooms, and many family businesses using coir, or coconut fiber, to create amazing art. Cruise around the village roads by “Xe Lôi”, the local vehicle, which is a kind of motorized rickshaw. Kayak through

 the natural canals to get a unique experience of the peaceful beauty of the Mekong River as well as the rural life there. Having lunch at a local host house.

After lunch, you will have some time for relaxing before continuing with more activities- cycling around the village, or treating yourself to relaxing time to relish the beautiful countryside, fishing, and cooking with the locals. Enjoy dinner and an overnight homestay experience.

Night 12: Overnight at homestay in Ben Tre

Early wake up to enjoy the peaceful countryside in the morning, and then have breakfast. Then take the boat on along the  River – one of tributaries of Mekong River, Sight-seeing lively activities along river as fishing, water transferring …..Stop at  brickwork – coconut charcoal making and coconut husking.  Then visit one of the plenty of coconut processing workshops where coconut candies are made and have a chance to learn the coconut candies making process located along canal ( Ms. Lan coconut candy workshop). Turn on natural scissors creeks where they look smaller and smaller to go to village. Take a walk to family making sleep mats. Afterward, being on a cart powered by a motorbike or biking  and traveling through some tranquil villages where vegetables gardens to be able to touch on real life and find out about tropical culture from Peasants. Lunch at local restaurant.

Afternoon, take biking around the village, rowing-boat along water palm creek and boat  to Hung Vuong Pier. Then transfer back to HO CHI MINH CITY.

Night 13: 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!