Day 3: Hanoi / Halong

The second day of your 12-day trip to Vietnam will be devoted to discovering the marvelous Halong Bay. A shuttle will pick you up from the hotel. Enjoy the landscapes of rice fields as far as the eye can see where agricultural work is still carried out by hand or with the help of water buffaloes.

Then, you board a traditional junk boat for a cruise on Halong Bay until noon the next day. The grandiose landscapes of Halong Bay and its biological richness make it one of the most beautiful natural sites in the world, as evidenced by its inclusion as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994.

You are welcomed by a welcome cocktail then a lunch and welcome speech from the captain. During this cruise in the bay you pass by the Cirque des Merveilles, the Con Cho and Dinh Huong islands.

At the end of the afternoon, you have the opportunity to attend a cooking class. Meals and night aboard the junk in a private cabin.

Day 4: Halong / Hanoi

At daybreak, don’t miss the milky colors that are very emblematic of this exceptional place. You have the opportunity to attend an initiation to Tai Chi. You visit Thien Canh Son Cave which features cauliflower-shaped limestone formations, as well as stalactites and stalagmites. To access the three rooms you will have to climb more than a hundred steps.

Return to Hanoi in the afternoon. If time permits, possibility of visiting a cultured pearl workshop. It is a recent industry, introduced into Halong Bay by the Japanese at the end of the 1990s. Manufacturing, in a closed cycle from oyster farming to the creation of jewelry, is entirely carried out by the Vietnamese.

Day 5: Hanoi / Ninh Binh / Hue

Transfer to
Ninh Binh
(approximately 2 hours journey). This city is known for its land-based Halong Bay. We first visit the Jade Cave Pagoda where there are three pagodas and a monastery built in the 17th century. Those who have seen the film “Indochina” will remember this magical and unreal place where the two fugitives come to take shelter. Then, visit the Hang Mua Pagoda. To get there, you have to cover 450 steps. At the top, you will have a breathtaking view of the entire area.

Then embark for a rowing boat trip to Tam Coc. You will enjoy a two-hour visit through immense and countless karst peaks rising from the earth and framing a wild and green nature, hence its nickname “Terrestrial Halong Bay”. You should also know that Tam Coc means the “three caves”. You will understand this meaning better during your walk since your small boat will pass through them. In the evening, transfer to the station for the sleeper train to Hue.

Day 6: Hue

Arrival at the station in the morning. Welcome by your driver and transfer to the hotel for breakfast.
In the afternoon, you will explore the Imperial Citadel of Hue. The city brings together most of the historical sites of Vietnam, they are testimonies of the power and influence of the Nguyen lords.
Introduction to the art of kite flying from a craftsman in Hue. By combining passion and know-how, different generations of craftsmen from the ancient capital have created a gigantic collection of traditional kites with thousands of models in the shape of birds and animals: dragon, lion, unicorn, phoenix , peacock, butterfly, crow… You will have the chance to make your own small kite.

Day 7: Hue / Danang / Hoi An

The cruise along the Perfume River is considered an essential stop during a visit to Hue. A boat trip is an opportunity, once again, to realize that the Vietnamese are a people of the water as evidenced by the diversity of everything that floats on the rivers. We make a stop at Thien Mu Pagoda – symbol of the city of Hue. Then disembark and continue towards the royal tombs of Hue. Visit to the Khai Dinh tomb.
In the afternoon, you take the road towards the south taking the famous cloud pass road (Hai Van). It runs along the Truong Son mountain range which marks the border with Laos. At its summit, it offers a unique panorama of Danang Bay to the south and the coast of Hue to the north. Several stops are planned en route, including one at Lang Cô beach, the village of which occupies a narrow peninsula wedged between the sea and the lagoon. Danang, the former Tourane, became a French concession in 1888.
Arrival in Hoi An late afternoon.

Day 8: Hoi An

In the morning, we will take the time to stroll through the streets to admire the architecture and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of this old city of Faifo which is today a real open-air museum. We will note, during the visit to Hoi An, the perfect state of conservation of a good number of houses, the most famous of which is the Tan Ky House. We will be able to discover the communal house of the congregation of Phuc Kien, founded in 1786 as well than the Japanese bridge: located to the south of the city, this covered bridge built in 1593 connects two districts of the city.

Free afternoon for your personal discovery of Hoi An. Don’t hesitate to stop at Reaching Out (131 Tran Phu Street). Here, all the employees are deaf and mute and travelers will live an unusual experience based on the absence of sound.

In the evening, enjoy the Full Moon Festival in Hoi An. This festival is organized on the 14th day of each month, according to the lunar calendar. During the full moon festival, all the lights in the old town are turned off which gives a magical feel and only the lanterns illuminate Hoi An. This is the opportunity to rediscover the Town of Hoi An Ancient.

Day 9: Hoi An / Saigon

Morning flight to Saigon. Renamed Ho Chi Minh City in 1976, Saigon is the largest city in the country and established itself very early as the economic capital. The French presence is still very marked by long shaded avenues, dotted with colonial houses, gardens and monuments. A walk will take us to the Notre-Dame cathedral in neo-Roman style with two spiers 40 meters high and the central post office built in the style of the Gare d’Orsay and whose cast iron glass roof was manufactured by the workshops of Gustave Eiffel. Then, visit the Jade Emperor Pagoda, built in 1909 by the Canton congregation, it is considered the most important in the city.

In the afternoon, visit the Reunification Palace, also known as the Independence Palace. Then, visit the Chinese district of Cho Lon. Founded in the 18th century, this suburb is one of the liveliest shopping districts in Saigon. Home to the majority of the Vietnamese community of Chinese origin, it is home to remarkable temples and pagodas located mostly near the main artery.

Day 10: Saigon / Ben Tre

Departure with the guide towards Ben Tre to begin your discovery of the Mekong Delta. Upon arrival in Ben Tre, you board a local boat. You can witness the making of bricks and coconut fibers. Seasonal fruit tasting. Continue to the Cai Son and Nhon Thanh circuses where local families specialize in making mats. Then, continue the road to Vung Liem. After crossing the Quelle Thien ferry, take a bike ride or walk to arrive at the locals’ home who will accommodate you for the night. Free time then meal preparation with the host family. A step to discover the population of Vietnam.

Day 11: Vung Liem / Can Tho

Breakfast at the locals’ home. In the morning, departure to discover authentic Vietnamese life on the island of Quelle Thien. This island is located at the meeting point of the provinces of Ben Tre, Vinh Long and Tra Vinh. It is a hidden place, untouched by tourists covered with immense orchards and small canals on the edge of the mangrove. You will go on foot or by bike with the owner to greet his neighbors, cousins, family… You will thus discover the homes and the habits and customs of an island where time seems to have stopped. Return home and have lunch with the locals. In the afternoon, drive to Can Tho.

Day 12: Can Tho / Sadec / Saigon

We are leaving this morning by boat to discover the very busy Cai Rang floating market. Exhilaration of movement, monster traffic jams of boats, boats loaded with bananas and sweet potatoes, peddlers in pointy hats… This walk takes us to the heart of the commercial and typical life of the delta, and it is also an opportunity to taste the exotic fruits of the region.
Return to the hotel for breakfast.
Transfer to Sadec, mainly known for having hosted the novelist Marguerite Duras and her family between 1928 and 1932. 100 years old, the village has many flowered and fragrant pergolas. The village is full of marigolds, chrysanthemums and all kinds of roses. There are also exotic flowers such as lisianthus and Salvia splendens.
In the afternoon, direct transfer to Saigon airport for your return flight. Return home with lots of good memories of your 12-day tour in Vietnam.