Essence of Vietnam: 16-Days Tour from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh

Upon arrival, you will be picked up and dropped off at hotel in Hanoi central. The rest of the day is spent at your leisure

Night 1: Overnight in hotel in Hanoi

Have breakfast at your hotel

This tour starts with the Old Quarter! Here, you could walk around to enjoy local food as well as see how local people live and work. It’s great to try some mouth-watering street foods while listening to our tour guide explain many interesting historical stories about Hanoi’s old quarter! Want to make something special? You could try making some traditional foods under the guidance of tour guides!

Please note that:

– Schedule is up to our arrangement and it can probably be adjusted due to  seasons or other factors.

– In case you’re a vegetarian, it’ll be limited in choice of food for you. But we still have some vegetarian options. It’s also enjoyable like non-vegan options!

Sitting outside like local people on a low chair, enjoying the most famous cuisine in the old quarter and learning more about Hanoi! What could be more joyful than this?

Free time in Hanoi. 

Night 2: Overnight in hotel in Hanoi

Breakfast take away prepared by hotel.

6.30 – 7.00: Pick up from your hotel/accommodation in Hanoi Old Quarter, get on big bus and depart for Sapa Town.

9.30: Follow the highway to Lao Cai city with the first comfort break

11.00: Second comfort break at Lao Cai city before approaching Sapa

13.00: Arrive Sapa Town with colorful traditional costumes of H’Mong, Dzao, Tay ethnic People.

Welcome drink and itinerary briefing, enjoy the lunch with local Vietnamese dishes

14.15: A short drive to Y Linh Ho then trek through the rice terraces and along Muong Hoa Stream to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai to see the spectacular landscape of Hoang Lien Son Mountain. You approach Ta Van village where Dzay Ethnic People inhabits in late afternoon.

Trekking distance is about 9 kms and it lasts for 3.5 hours

17.45: Check in homestay; get to know the family of Dzay People. Spend time to enjoy the mountain life on Sunset. You may attend cooking local dishes with the family and enjoy dinner in peace.

In the evening, you can join the local bar nearby with music and socialize with other tourists then overnight at The Yen Homestay in Ta Van Village.

Night 3: Overnight in homestay in Ta Van village

8.00: Have breakfast prepared by the family and start a new day with more interesting trek.

8.45: Keep walking to the rice paddies where you have a nice photo session of the amazing surrounding landscapes; a trek through the bamboo forest; stop to have a panorama view of Giang Ta Chai village – home of red Dzao People.

11.00: Trek through the Giang Ta Chai Bridge to main road, bus picks you up to come back Sapa Town.

Trekking distance is about 4 kms and it lasts for 2 hours

12.00 – 14.00: Welcome drink at hotel, have lunch with delicious Vietnamese dishes and check in procedures.

Free time in afternoon in Sapa Town. Have dinner by your own and overnight in hotel with night activities.

Night 4: Overnight in hotel in Sapa

.30 – 11.30: Have breakfast at hotel and free times to discover Sapa town by yourself.

12.00: Check out and clear all the bills.

14.30: Transfer to bus office for the bus back to Hanoi

15.00: Get on bus to go back to Hanoi with two comfort breaks.

21.15: We say goodbye to you at your hotel/stay. 

Night 5: Overnight in hotel in Sapa

Have breakfast at hotel

7:55-8:15am: Driver come to pick you up at your hotel

12:00 – 12:30 Arriving Tuan Chau Marina. Welcome aboard the cruise. Meet the captain, crew and join us for welcome drink as we tell you about life onboard.

12:30: Check in your cabin. Time to refresh.

13:00: Served a delectable lunch while cruising ahead to Ha Long Bay

14:00: Explore the Surprising Cave – the most beautiful cave in Ha long Bay. It is one of the widest grottoes in Ha Long Bay with thousands of stalactites and stalagmites.

15:30 visit the Titop Island – swimming Climbing up to the Top of the Island – take the best view of Halong Bay Continue cruising to the quiet area while enjoy beautiful seascape on the way.

18:00: Enjoy the Sunset Party on sundeck.

19:00 Dinner is served.

20:00 Socialize with other guests or just laze around

Please bring your passport and you can leave your big bags at the hotel

Night 6: Overnight on board

7:00 Have breakfast on board while the boat starts cruising to the Natural Preservation Zone.

8:00 Kayaking to explore around the area or visit a floating house and learn about the daily life of the local fishermen who live there.

9:00 We board the cruise again. Take time to refresh and relax before checking out. Bags can be left in luggage store.

10:00 Join in the Cooking Class, teaching you how to make our specifically (Spring rolls) before an early lunch is served.

11: 30 – 12:00 Disembark at the harbor, Tuan Chau Marina.

15:00 Arrival back at your hotel in Hanoi. Free time in Hanoi until 19h00, take the night train to Da Nang.

Time you need to spend on the train is around 16 hours so it is better to have dinner before going and also buy some snacks to bring with you onto the train.

On the train you can view our beautiful country along the coastal line. You also stay overnight on the train and reach Danang train station at around 10.30 am-11:00am the following day.

Night 7: Overnight on the night train (Soft sleeper air-condition 4 beds cabin sharing)

Train arrive at around 11.30 am. We will pick up and transfer to Hoi An Ancient town. Check in hotel in the ancient town and relaxing.

Night 8: Overnight in hotel in Hoian

Have breakfast at your hotel.

7:30-8:00 am: Our guide picks you up at your hotel and departs to My Son Sanctuary – The World Cultural Heritage.

9:30 am: Arrive at My Son and we’ll have 2 hours to discover the site by walking through the landscape, learning histories with our local English-speaking guide, and enjoying the Champa’s traditional performances.

11:45 am: Get back to the minivan and move to a local house to learn how to make rice paper, you will enjoy your own hand-making product later on!

12:30 pm: Back to the van and have lunch at another local house, relax with cold herbal tea, nice food, and fresh air.

1:00 pm: Take a boat trip to Hoi An with the nice and cool breeze onboard, and beautiful river scenery on the biggest river in Central Vietnam named Thu Bon River.

1:30 pm: Arrive in Hoi An, we will drop you off at your hotel.

Free time in Hoi An

Night 9: Overnight in hotel in Hoian

Today, you will have the whole day to explore Hoi An town on your own.

Otherwise, you can contact Sun Getaways to book the optional tour as below:

Optional tour:

• Half day to village and basket boat: 35 USD per person
• Half day to Traditional Handicraft Village: 45 USD per person

Night 10: Overnight in hotel in Hoi An

Today you have free and easy time to discovery Hoi An at your leisure time, go shopping. 

Then 8:00 Am, please take taxi to our bus stop to take the bus from Hoian to Hue. Arrival Hue check in Hotel in Hue

Night 11: Overnight in hotel in Hue

Today, you will free and easy to discover Hue city- The Kings of the Nguyen Dynasty built their feudal capital along Hue’s fertile riverbanks and atop its forested hills, but their imperial legacy is just one of many reasons to visit. Hue’s refined cuisine is the stuff of legend, and its leafy streets are lined with mossy pagodas, art déco mansions, and eye-popping markets

You can book an optional Hue City Tour full day with extra 60 USD per person

Night 12: Overnight hotel in Hue

Enjoy breakfast at hotel. You will have some free time until our driver transfer to airport to take flight to HCM. Arrive in HCM and check in hotel.

Ho Chi Minh – Vietnam’s largest economic center and cultural capital, Ho Chi Minh City boasts soaring skyscrapers that tower over charming French colonial structures and traditional pagodas from Saigon’s yesteryear. Past the bustling streets and dizzying traffic.

if you arrive Ho Chi Minh early so you can have enough time to join Dinner cruise as an optional tour (Extra price 45 USD per person)

18:45: Pick up at your hotel to start the trip

19.15: Be taken to experience Saigon’s nightlife and reach the harbor for a dinner cruise on the river. Observe the beautiful scenery of the city while enjoying Vietnamese cuisine on a traditional-style boat. See the illuminated sights of Ho Chi Minh City at night and dinner with Vietnamese folk music and dance entertainment 21:30 pm: Finish the trip.

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Tour includes: Transfer on tour, Pick up and drop off from your hotel in Saigon central, Dinner on cruise

Excluded: Tips, beverage, personal expense, drink on cruise

Have breakfast at your hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.

Leaving the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City and start your trip to depart for My Tho, the town lies on the left side of the Mekong River. Upon arrival, visit Vinh Trang pagoda which sated back to the late 19^th century. Then  boarding the sampan and cruising down the river around the four beautiful islands known as Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands.

Stop over at Unicorn Island, go walking around country lane and seeing orchards, enjoy tropical fruits, folk song music which performed by the local people. Visit the fruit plantation.

Riding a hand-rowed sampan through Thoi Son canal and treat yourself in the beauty of the countryside, visit the family business, visit honey-bee farm, enjoy honey tea and coconut candy workshop.

Have lunch at local restaurant. Break time.

In the afternoon, time for cycling around the Tan Thach village, meet the local villagers to experience the local daily life in the Mekong delta. Hammock relaxing and enjoy cool breeze for those can’t join the cycling trip. Return to Ho Chi Minh City at around 17h30

Night 14: Overnight hotel in Ho Chi Minh

07:30: Our tour guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and then start drive to Cu Chi which located 60km from HCM city, Cu Chi is now considered a heroic district for its role in the anti-American war in Vietnam. It is legendary for Original tunnels system of over 220km and is a popular spot for both Vietnamese and foreign visitors.

The peacefully rural rice paddy scenery contains ducks and water buffalos swimming in the rivers alongside the road. Visitors will find it hard to imagine the destructions, damage and defoliation all over the area, caused by bombing and mines, When Cu Chi was” A Free Target Zone “.

The remnants visitors will see show Cu Chi still has her evidence to prove the fierce battleground that took place there and visitors will see the remnants.

13:00 Back to Ho Chi Minh City

Free time in Ho Chi Minh city in afternoon

Night 15: Overnight in hotel in Ho Chi Minh

Have breakfast at the hotel then free and easy. Wait until our driver pick up you to airport in Ho Chi Minh

Note: Check in time- 14.00pm and check out time- 12.00pm