Vietnam Explorer 15D/14N (from Hanoi)

Airport Transfer

You will be picked up at Hanoi Airport for a private transfer to your accommodation.

Please note that standard check in time is 14:00 and check out time is 12:00. Early check in/ Late check out is subject to availability of the hostels.

Today your cruising adventure will start at 8:00 am from Old Quarter area in a transfer to Halong Bay (no guide escort). Around 12:00 - 12:30 pm, you will arrive to your cruise where you can check into your cabin until lunch on board while you cruise through the bay. Around 3:00 pm we will have a stop at the famous Ha Dong Tien (Fairy Lake Cave), one of the most beautiful caves on Halong Bay. It has high historical and geological value. After, you will have the possibility to kayak around Trong Cave, where it is more suitable and enjoyable for kayaking, as the area is more open. Arrive back on board your cruise ship. Here, if you are interested in cooking, you can join Chef and learn how to make traditional Vietnamese food. Afterwards, enjoy dinner and the rest of the evening you are free to relax in your cabin, or if you wish you can join the staff at the reception for squid fishing. Overnight on board. 

Please note that only international and local food is available on boat. The program will be little varied upon your chosen cruise. There is shared English speaking guide on board.

This morning you will start bright and early, with a Tai Chi lesson on the sundeck at 6:15 am. While having breakfast you will continue cruising through the Halong Bay. You will have a stop at Soi Sim Island where you can spend your time swimming or you can choose to climb to the peak of the island for amazing panoramic view of the bay. After, head back to the ship, where you should get all packed up and ready before disembarking and heading back to Hanoi. You will have some time to relax on the sundeck and have a lunch before the time to leave will come. Around 15:30 you will arrive back to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.

Meal: Breakfast at hotel

You will have a free day to explore Hanoi on your own, please make your own way to the train station for your overnight train to Hue (departure time: 20:00).

Meal: Breakfast at hotel.

Upon arriving at Hue station at 9:30, you will be pick up by our guide and driver to transfer to your hotel to drop off luggage. We first bring you to the impressive Khai Dinh Tomb. Khai Dinh was an important Vietnamese emperor who ascended the throne in 1916 and died in 1925. Then we will watch a performance of the fascinating martial art called Vo Kinh Van An. We continue to the Tu Duc Tomb which was completed in 1867. Walk around the extensive gardens filled with huge stone temples and structures, rivers and a reflection lake imagining what splendid life was lived here by the faithful Tu Duc court. Our final pit stop in the morning is visiting a village where incense making and conical hat making has become their specialty. 

We will continue with the tour to the Citadel of Hue, which was built by the emperor Gia Long in 1804. It’s also known in Vietnamese as the Forbidden Purple City, a term similar to the Forbidden City of Beijing. Our next stop is the Thien Mu Pagoda, which is Vietnam’s tallest pagoda. It has an iconic status in Hue and it is known as the unofficial symbol of the former imperial capital. The way back to Hue will be on a boat down the beautiful Perfume River, where you will see local fishermen and traditional villages. Our journey ends upon arrival to the Toa Kham pier. Overnight in Hue.

After breakfast, please find your own way to the bus station for your next bus to Hoi An. Overnight in Hoi An.

Meal: Breakfast at hotel.

This morning you will be picked up at your accommodation to go pick out a bike before heading out on your unforgettable day tour to Cam Kim island. We will cross the Thu Bon river along with plenty of locals heading to school or to the central market. Here we will make a stop in the Kim Bong carpentry village and take a look at the fishing boat builders on the riverbank. Here there are several families famous for generations of boatmaking and carpentry. They also contributed in building Hoi An´s beautiful wooden houses for Chinese and Japanese traders that make the town such a charming destination today.

Leaving the town, we will cycle past a scenic rice field and small river branches where you can see large fishing nets hanging over the water. We will visit a family on a small local island to see the most common local occupation: weaving sleeping mats, a tradition hundreds of years old.

Finally, we will cycle through the tranquil countryside to another family´s house for a homemade local lunch. After a great meal with even better company, we will cycle back to town. After returning your bike you will be dropped off at your hotel in the afternoon. Overnight in Hoi An.

Meal: Breakfast at hotel.

You will have nearly a full day to enjoy around Hoi An on your own. Make your way to the bus station for your overnight bus to Nha Trang. 

Bus time: from 19:00 pm to 6:00 am (01 transfer in Da Nang).

Meal: Breakfast at hotel.

Arrive in Nha Trang at 6:00 am. Enjoy a free day in Nha Trang. Upon arrival, meet your guide and transfer to your accommodation to check in. Explore the city on your own. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Meal: Breakfast at hotel.

After hearty breakfast, head to the bus station for your next bus to Dalat. Upon arrival, meet your guide and transfer to your accommodation to check in and have an evening at leisure. Overnight in Dalat. 

Meal: Breakfast at hotel.

Get ready for your 8:30 am pickup from the accommodation to take an exciting motorcycle tour around Dalat with an English speaking driver/guide. Ride on the back of a motorcycle to admire the beauty of this region filled with natural wonders such as lakes, waterfalls, lush green forests and floral gardens. Take a break at the Truc Lam meditation center and see the beautiful Paradise lake, Elephant waterfall and Linh An pagoda. Immerse yourself in the local way of life at a Chicken minority village and learn about the local industry as we stop by a vegetable farm, a mushroom farm, a coffee farm and a silk factory. Arrive back to Dalat around 17:00 pm.

Overnight in Dalat. 

Meal: Breakfast at hotel.

Enjoy breakfast in your accommodation. After, find your way to the bus station for your last bus during this trip to Ho Chi Minh. Upon arrival to Ho Chi Minh, meet your guide and transfer to your accommodation to check in. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh. 

Meal: Breakfast at hotel.

A smooth one-and-half-hour bus ride through rice field scenery along National Highway 1 brings you to the beautiful rural district of Trung Luong.

On arrival at My Tho, after visiting Vinh Trang pagoda, take a leisurely cruise on the Tien River to view the four beautiful islands: Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, and Tortoise. Boats pass by the fish rafts along the Tien River, overlooking the Rach Mieu Bridge. Stroll along the village road, visit the orchard and enjoy seasonal fruit & honey tea to the sound of "Southern Vietnamese folk music" performed by locals.

Riding a hand-rowed sampan through the Tan Thach canal. Then visit the coconut candy mill and take an amazing rowing boat trip along the small canal on a hand-rowed sampan under the shadow of the water coconut trees along natural canals.

Enjoy lunch at the local restaurant; Then the motorboat will take you back to the cruise. Meet on the bus and return to Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Free day in Ho Chi Minh (no services provided). Enjoy a free day in Ho Chi Minh, get settled into your accommodation and explore the city on your own. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Meal: Breakfast at hotel.

You will be picked up at your accommodation for a private transfer to Ho Chi Minh Airport (no guide escort). We wish you a nice onward journey!

Meal: Breakfast at hotel.