Vietnam Essence: 8-Day Journey Through Culture and Nature
Vietnam Essence: 8-Day Journey Through Culture and Nature
8 Days Starting in 105 Nguyen Truong To, Quan Thanh, Ba Ðình, Hà Noi, Vietnam and ending in 10A Pham Ngoc Thach, Phuong 6, Quan 3, Thành pho Ho Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
Visiting: Hanoi, Hạ Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An Ancient Town, Ho Chi Minh City, Bến Tre
Tour operator:
Tour code:
VE8D
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
4 - 16
Age range:
19-80
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians, Gluten free
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Private Available:
Request A Private Tour
Tour Overview
For those time poor, looking to experience authenticity, genuine connections far from the crowds; in style and comfort. For those looking to get lost amongst unspoiled nature, to eat truly authentic Vietnamese fare and experience local living far from the crowds; this one’s for you. From Hanoi to Saigon, this 8-day group adventure will see you coast between Ha Long Bay’s soaring limestone peaks on a luxury boat. Meander around the islands of the Mekong Delta and fill up your memory card with breathtaking landscapes. You’ll be invited into the homes of hospitable families and enjoy the most authentic Vietnamese meals around. WHAT'S INCLUDED Max 16 travellers per group All activities mentioned on the itinerary 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners Two domestic flights Hand-picked 4 star hotels & one 3 star Private minibus, train & two boats Arrival Airport transfer Accommodation in twin rooms Experienced Fun Genie at each city.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : True Hanoian Hospitality
Location: Hanoi
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: The Q
Meals Included: Dinner
Hanoi, where streets blare with the horns of innumerable scooters, colonial architecture provides a visual feast and the smell of street food accents the air at every turn. You are invited into the home of a Hanoian family for a traditional Cha Ca meal. Sitting in their living room alongside three generations, you’ll get to feast upon a traditional fish or vegetarian dish that’s near-impossible to find outside of a family kitchen. Get to know your generous hosts and fellow travellers.
Day 2 : Secret Ha Long Bay
Location: Hạ Long Bay
Accommodation: Luxury cruise boat
Accommodation Name: Cozy Bay Cruise
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ha Long Bay or the Bay of the Descending Dragon. Legend has it that a dragon created these thousand little islands.
Board your luxury cruise boat and cruise amongst the 2,000 islands that dot this UNESCO world heritage site until you reach the isolated and lesser-explored Lan Ha Bay.
After lunch on deck, kayak the emerald water and may be explore one of the caves. Enjoy the gorgeous scenery on deck, cocktails and a sunset dinner.
Day 3 : Sunrise On Halong Bay
Location: Hạ Long Bay, Hue
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Lantanna Riverside
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
When was the last time you saw the sunrise? Sunrise on Ha Long Bay is a singular beauty that will continue to move you after it has passed. Tai Chi class on the top deck to salute the sun. Settle in for breakfast then depart for a short walk to explore Cat Ba Island, the most important in the bay, before heading onward to Hue.
Enjoy a VIP treatment at the hotel's mineral baths to prepare yourself for more adventures.
Day 4 : Cycle Hoi An, Learn The Secrets Of Noodles.
Location: Hoi An Ancient Town
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Lantanna Riverside
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
After a relaxing evening, you’ll be ready for a day of cycling through Hoi An’s scenic countryside. Pedal through rice fields and swaying palm trees before taking a boat ride across the Thu Bon River to Cam Kim, an isle known for its tranquil village life. Here you’ll take a break from cycling at a noodle workshop. Watch as local craftspeople prepare a noodle that’s unique to Hoi An and taste this key Vietnamese ingredient fresh from the pot.
Enjoy the afternoon free at your own pace by the pool or head to the beach. For the fashionable, customize your wardrobe at a Hoi An tailor.
Check with your trip leader for the show schedule this evening of Lune Production shows, a highly acclaimed music theatre about the life and culture of Vietnam.
Day 5 : Design Your Own Indigo Scarf And Learn Some Vietnamese Recipe
Location: Hoi An Ancient Town
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Lantanna Riverside
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Breakfast savored, venture forth to embrace an indigo dyeing workshop led by the talented visual artist, Le Thuy. Immerse yourself in the ancient art of fermenting indigo, crafting your bespoke design with Le Thuy's guidance. Depart with a beautiful cotton scarf of your own creation. Whetted appetite beckons a cooking class, an epicurean adventure through Hoi An's historic streets. Stroll the Old Town's charm, mastering new recipes to delight family and friends and let the flavors linger in the hearts of those dear.
The indigo workshop takes approximately 2.5 hours and is 5 minutes walk from the Old Town.
Cooking class take about 2 hours in total.
Day 6 : A Moveable Feast
Location: Ho Chi Minh City
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: The Bach Suites
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
There’s perhaps nothing more Vietnamese than sitting atop a tiny stool on a busy city street and tucking into a bowl of something brimming with intoxicating flavours. For all the fancy restaurants you could book a table at in Saigon, the city’s street food is where you’ll really feel the pulse of Vietnam’s flavours and people. The places you’ll stop at aren’t in any guide book. These are places that evoke special memories of childhoods in the city for the locals.
Day 7 : Life On The Mekong Delta
Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Bến Tre
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: The Bach Suites
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Saigon’s breakneck pace gives way to a totally different cadence once you enter Bến Tre Province in the Mekong Delta, a fascinating region where the locals have learned to be self-sufficient and live in harmony with the river’s natural bounty. Join a local family in the home they built themselves and dig into another authentic feast. Post-lunch, travel deeper into the hidden waterways of the Mekong on a private sampan.
Return to Saigon and enjoy your final night of adventure in the wild Saigon nightlife.
Ben Tre is 3 hours by private bus.
Included meal: Breakfast, Lunch,
Day 8 : Farewell Vietnam
Location: Ho Chi Minh City
Meals Included: Breakfast
It's the end of your adventure. Enjoy your last shopping spree of travel gifts. Let your trip leader know of your travel plan so your transfer can be organised.
If you plan to spend more time in Vietnam, we'd love to help.
Hope to see you soon on another adventure with us.
What's Included
-
Airport Transfers at Destination
Arrival pickup included
-
Accommodation
4 star hotels
-
All Domestic Transportation (including internal flights)
2 domestic flights
-
Entrance Fees
All fees as part of itinerary
-
Free Wi-Fi at Accommodation
All hotels
-
Fully Guided
English speaking guide at each city
-
Local Taxes
Included
-
Train Tickets
N/A
-
Meals – Half Board
As listed in the daily description.
-
Experiences listed in the itinerary
What's Not Included
-
Country Entry Visas
-
Drinks with Meals
-
International Travel
International flights to and from Vietnam not included
-
Meals
Meals not mentioned in itinerary
-
Insurance
Travel insurance not included
Optional Extras
-
Single Supplement
For solo travellers who want privacy
Mode of Transport
2 domestic flights
Private airconditioned coach
Accommodation
Handpicked luxury 4 star+ independent boutique hotels
Check out our Q&As
-
Are all the relevant entry visa’s included in the price of the tour?
No. e-visas can be applied via this government portal https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/khai-thi-thuc-dien-tu/cap-thi-thuc-dien-tu
-
Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Yes. Single share or single supplement requires the customer pay an additional fee to have his/her own single room. The single share amount varies depending on the type of accommodation. In some situation, single share is not available such as homestays or overnight boat. Single share only applies where we can secure private accommodations such as hotels.
-
Can I join the tour once it has departed?
No, unfortunately it is difficult and costly to organise the logistics to catch up with a departed tour.
-
What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
We are undergoing the certification process for Travel Life. Prior to setting up this company, the founders are sustainability professionals, leader of the first B-Corp company in Vietnam, impact investor, developed award winning community based tourism projects. Together, they have lifted thousands of lives out of poverty, removed hundreds of thousands of plastic bottles.
-
Am I contributing to any charity by booking the tour?
5% of our revenue is committed to projects involving carbon removal or plastic waste management. We have an interest in reforestation and upcycling plastic waste and aspire to remove more plastics and carbon than we produced on our tours.
-
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
All our properties are assessed for COVID hygiene standard as recommended by WHO. All suppliers must adhere to the authority's health and safety guidelines which follow closely the WHO requirements. Travellers must be fully vaccinated within 6 months of travel. All our staff and contractors must be fully vaccinated within 6 months of the tour and tested negative to rapid antigen test within 24 hou
-
Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
Like minded people who love to travel and have a good time.
-
What documents will I receive before I travel?
Trip notes with daily information and contact details.
-
How long has the tour company been trading?
1 year since we registered for operation in 2021. However, the company was founded by 4 veterans of the tourism industry with over 30 years of combined experience at some of the biggest names in the industry.
-
What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
Please refer to our cancellation policy. We understand that things do change. If your plans change and you tell us 60 days before your tour commence, you will be fully refunded. However, after 60 days, we will have had to pay for deposits and tickets which cannot be fully refunded. In these cases, we will do our best to get the most of your refunds or you can reschedule your trip or take a credit.
-
Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
All our accommodations are inspected according to minimum health and safety standard set by the WTTC. We adopt the Safe Travel Protocol which expects the properties performing at least at local health authorities expectations or higher.
Reviews from travellers on this tour
Want a private tour?
-
Personalise your trip
Make changes to the itinerary, accommodation, or transport method
-
Travel more exclusively
Your tour guide can focus all their attention on your group
-
Travel for a special occasion
Celebrate an important event by only travelling with your friends or family
1 Select your preferred date
2024 Jan
2025 Feb
2025 Mar
2025 Apr
2025 May
2025 Jun
2025 Jul
2025 Aug
2025 Sep
2025 Oct
2025 Nov
2025 Dec
2025 Jan
2026
Friday - Friday
Dec 20, 2024 - Dec 27, 2024Friday - Friday
Dec 27, 2024 - Jan 03, 2025Friday - Friday
Jan 24, 2025 - Jan 31, 2025Friday - Friday
Feb 21, 2025 - Feb 28, 2025Friday - Friday
Mar 21, 2025 - Mar 28, 2025Friday - Friday
Apr 25, 2025 - May 02, 2025Friday - Friday
May 23, 2025 - May 30, 2025Friday - Friday
Jun 20, 2025 - Jun 27, 2025Friday - Friday
Jul 25, 2025 - Aug 01, 2025Friday - Friday
Aug 22, 2025 - Aug 29, 2025Friday - Friday
Sep 26, 2025 - Oct 03, 2025Friday - Friday
Oct 24, 2025 - Oct 31, 2025Friday - Friday
Nov 21, 2025 - Nov 28, 2025Friday - Friday
Dec 19, 2025 - Dec 26, 2025Friday - Friday
Jan 23, 2026 - Jan 30, 2026Book with Confidence
-
Free Date Changes
Lang Thang Travel allows you to make 1 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 60 days before the start of the tour.
-
Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Lang Thang Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform lang thang travel, 60 days before departure.
-
Low Deposit
Lang Thang Travel requires a minimum deposit of 10% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
-
Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of lang thang travel charges.
Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 15 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.