Vietnam classic tour - 10 days

On your arrival, you are met local guide and driver who will take you around Ha Noi and Ha Long and Sapa for couple of days. If time is permitted, you will take an orientation tour of Ha Noi and take a cyclo ride (pedicab) around the ancient quarter of Ha Noi. It absolutely is a fascinating way to get the first look of this peaceful and beautiful city. In the evening, we enjoy the Water Puppet Show, a unique northern Vietnamese art performance. We will have a chance to learn more about the rural life of Vietnamese peasants and national heroes via series of history stories which were beautifully demonstrated by the artists.

Hanoi the Water Puppet Show

Today, we visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Uncle Ho’s house on stilt where he lived and worked from 1958 -1969, his fishing pond and his garden.

Uncle Ho’s house

We visit One Pillar Pagoda built in 1049 by King Ly Thai Tong who ruled from 1028 to 1054. Continuing our excursion, we visit Van Mieu, the temple of literature dedicated to Confucius and his four best disciples built in 1076. This is also the first university in Vietnam to educate Vietnamese bureaucrats, nobles, royalty, and other members of the elites from 1076 to 1779. The interesting thing is the collection of steles of doctorates whose name, birthplace, year of the examination, and the rank of diploma, were engraved onto the marble stone stele placing on the top of the turtle. There are 1307 graduated doctor names on 82 steles in this place.

 One Pillar Pagoda built in 1049 by King Ly Thai Tong (Soure: collected)

After visiting this wonderful place, we will have lunch at a local restaurant.

Later in the afternoon, we visit Ethnology Museum which is very good collection about the ethnic groups in Vietnam. The simple agriculture stools, fish traps, hand weaving cloths, crafts, festivals, folk arts, traditional houses, and lively activities of each tribe, are all here for us to discover. Finally, we visit history Museum, the exhibits from stone age, bronze age, and rehistoric era, to the modern age to show how the Vietnamese has been strugling for the independence, peace, freedom, and love.

An exciting new day waiting us to discover, we depart for Ha Long, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.

There are a lot of photo opportunities on our way to Ha Long as we drive through the rural area, street markets, paddy fields, vegetable farms, poultry farms, and lotus farms. We take a rest stop at Hong Ngoc shop after a 2- hour drive for a coffee break, and then continue to Ha Long Bay.

At midday, we board the junk for an overnight cruise. Have a welcome drink on board, we enjoy a pleasant cruise. Seafood lunch is served on board while the junk is slowly going among the islands and islets.

There are some activities for us to join in this afternoon such as: visiting the cave, swimming at Ti Top beach, climbing up the top of Ti Top Island for panoramic view of the bay, kayaking, and joining squids finishing at night. The junk is anchored in a quiet bay for overnight. Dinner and overnight on board.

Morning, we just join the Tai Chi Class on sundeck for half an hour, and then we will have breakfast. We visit Sung Sot cave, fantastic stalactites, and stalagmites.

Sung Sot cave

Enjoy a pleasant cruise back to the pier for disembarkation then drive back Ha Noi. On arrival Ha Noi, we have free time then take an overnight train Sapa.

Early morning, we get to Lao Cai railway station then transfer to Sapa town. Sapa is a hill station resort built during the French in 1880s and a lovely town located at 1600 m above the sea level. Sapa is very famous for hill tribe markets, and fabulous Hoang Lien Son mountain range in which Fan Si Pan, at a height of 3314 meters above the sea level, is considered as the highest peak of Indochina peninsula.

Fan Si Pan

We enjoy our breakfast at hotel where we can leave our luggage then take a trekking tour  to Ta Van and Lao Chay village. Late in the afternoon, we drive back  to the hotel and check in. Rest of the day is free at leisure.

Morning, we trek to Cat Cat village for 2 hours, then free at leisure. Late in the afternoon, we drive to Lao Cai railway station for an overnight train to Ha Noi.

En route, we visit Ta Phin the home of the Red Dao people. We also have a chance to visit the border gate between Vietnam and China in Lao Cai City before getting on the train.

Dinner is at local restaurant.

Early morning, we arrive Ha Noi railway Station then transfer to Noi Bai Airport for a short flight to Hue. Hue city, a lovely and romantic city located on the bank of Huong (perfume) River. Hue is the old capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945, and famous for its the Citadel, Imperial City, Forbidden City, the royal tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last feudal regime of Vietnam.

On arrival we are met local guide and driver who will take us to hotel.

After checking in our hotel, we start our excursion by taking a boat trip to Thien Mu pagoda which was built in 17th century on the top of the hill overlooking Huong River and Truong Son Mountain range.

Hue - Thien Mu pagoda (Source collected)

Then we visit the Imperial and Forbidden City, most of the royal buildings were destroyed during the turmoil of the war but there is still the sense of grace and majestic of the rulers. Entertaining Vietnamese royal court music show that is considered World Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

We drive to the royal tombs of Nguyen Dynasty and visit King Tu Duc’s tomb and King Khai Dinh’s tomb.

Today, we take our flight to Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam. Its former name was Saigon which was well known as the “Pearl of Far East” during the French colony period, and today Ho Chi Minh has become an official name of this dynamic, bustle and hustle city since 1976. There are so many interesting things for us to see.

On our arrival, we take an orientation tour around the town and visit some typical colonial buildings over hundreds of years old; Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office, the Opera House, and City Hall.

Ho Chi Minh city - Post Office

Today we will enjoy the beautiful scenery in Mekong Delta, hundreds of canal, river system and the most productive farm in Vietnam. We just take 2 hour drive to My Tho City, which is located on the bank of Mekong River, one of the longest rivers in the world. We take the boat ride to Thai Son Island for visiting fruit farm, bee farm and local crafts. We not only enjoy the fruits and honey tea at the farm, but also entertain the traditional music show, “Don Ca Tai Tu” which has been selected as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. On the way back to Ho Chi Minh, we will have lunch at Mekong Rest Stop restaurant and enjoy local specialty.

Return to Ho Chi Minh City and free at leisure

There is no activity for today. Just pack up and relax until your departure flight. The guide and driver will pick you up then transfer you to Tan Son Nhat Airport.