17 Days Vietnam Adventure Tour from North to South

Flight: International flight on your own arrangement or upon request

Welcome to Hanoi!Upon arrival, our tour guide and driver will welcome you at the airport. You will be escorted to the hotel and check-in. The rest of the day is at your leisure for recovery.

Note: if your arrival time is early, and you prefer to explore the city instead of taking a nap, please kindly tell our travel consultant, and we’ll recommend one of our suggested activities like enjoying the Hanoi food tour by motorbike at night, or having a half-day cooking class, or walking around the Hanoi food street.

 Accommodation: Overnight in Hanoi

 Meals: N/A

Enjoy your breakfast. In the morning at 8:00-8:30, you will be met by our tour guide at your hotel, and start to explore the city of Hanoi. The morning’s activities include:

1. Tran Quoc Pagoda: located on the shores of West Lake, this pagoda is full of amazing Buddhist symbolism, a must-see for any of Hanoi city tour.
2.Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum: one of the most famous works in Vietnam. With great cultural and historical value, it will expand your understanding of the country.
3.One Pillar Pagoda: Hanoi’s iconic landmark not to be missed, famous for its extraordinary architecture. This Pagoda is not only a famous tourist attraction but also a religious stop for local pilgrims.
4.Temple of Literature: one of the top historical attractions in Hanoi, is the first university in Vietnam. The temple represents Vietnamese ancient architecture and traditional fondness for learning.

End of the sightseeing, you will have lunch at an authentic Vietnamese restaurant, then take a rest.

In the afternoon, you will enjoy the following activities:

1. Hoan Kiem Lake with Ngoc Son Temple: famous for its peaceful beauty, cultural as well as historical values.
2. Taking a traditional cyclo tour through the Old Quarter: the fascinating experience of rickshaws driving around the Old Quarter and experience the daily life of the local.
3. Savor the best street food in the world: Never miss out the Vietnam food.

Enjoying local Vietnamese dinner, you will be escorted to watch a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. The show lasts 50 minutes. It’s a unique Vietnam performance to display the daily life in Northern Vietnam villages.

After the show ends, you’ll be transferred to the train station to catch an overnight train to Lao Cai, the gateway to Sapa. Sleep on the train in comfortable sleeping compartments.

 Accommodation: Overnight on the train

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early morning arrival in Lao Cai at 5:55 am. From there, you’ll be transferred to Sapa in 1 hour, a picturesque town located in the mountains.

After enjoying a delicious local Vietnamese breakfast, the rice paddy terrace trekking will start at around 8:00 am. During the trek, you'll visit these stops in order.

In the afternoon, we will drive to Can Tho and check-in hotel. In the evening, wandering around the night market will be recommended for you.

1. Cat Cat Villiage: home to the Black Hmong people.
2. Waterfall and a hydroelectric station: trek on a dirt trail through rice paddy terraces.
3. Y Linh Ho Villiage: black Hmong minority, where you can take a rest and have lunch.
4. Muong Hoa Valley: pass through Lao Chai village of the Black Hmong minority.
5. Ta Van Villiage: home to Giay minority.

It’s a very popular trekking route around 15km across different villages of the Hmong, Giay, and Red Dao ethnic minorities, and you’ll enjoy the spectacular scenery of Northern Vietnam highlands. After the trekking, you’ll escorted to the hotel in Sapa.

 Accommodation: Overnight in Sapa

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Meet your guide at 8:30 am in the hotel after enjoying breakfast. Then you’ll transferred to Fansipan Cable Car Station.

1. Fansipan Cable Car: the Guinness World Record as the world’s longest cable car.
2. Mt. Fansipan: the roof of Indochina.
3. 20-meter celestial Buddha Statue.

You’ll ride a 15-minute cable car to the Mountain Station, and then go up 600 steps to get to the summit of Mt. Fansipan to breathe in the fresh air and get captivating sights from there. After climbing Mt. Fansipan, you’ll return to Sapa for lunch and then take a private car to Hanoi for 5 hours. The rest of the day is at your leisure for recovery.

 Accommodation: Overnight in Hanoi

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, after breakfast, our driver will pick you up at about 8:00, then head to the cruise port of Halong Bay. It takes about 3 hours to arrive. Upon arrival, the cruise staff will help you with the check-in from at around 12:00.

Welcome onboard in Halong Bay! You will be greeted with a welcome drink and the introduction and guidelines. Then, you will enjoy the lunch onboard in the elegant dining-room.

In the afternoon, you will enjoy some exciting activities such as sightseeing, kayaking or swimming according to each cruise’s itinerary.

While onboard, you can take advantage of the leisure time of the Spa, Beauty and Massage services surrounded by the stunning scenery around you. Besides, you can also join in the chef’s cooking class and learn the art of traditional Vietnamese cooking.

In the evening, an elegant dinner is ready with a fusion of eastern and western cuisine, accompanied by a wide selection of wines and beverages from around the world.

After the dinner, enjoy a leisure evening onboard, such as joining in board games, squid fishing, night movie, or bars & karaoke.

 Accommodation: Overnight on Halong Bay Cruise Ship

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Your second day of Halong Bay Cruise will start with a Tai Chi class for 20 minutes to breathe the fresh air and brighten the day.

After breakfast, continue with the exploration of the tourist sites on Halong Bay. At around 10:00, it’s time to pack your luggage for checkout.

At about 11:30, your cruise boat will sail back to the port and you will enjoy an early lunch on the way. Then, our driver will pick you up at the port, and then drive back to Hanoi which will take around 3 hours.

The rest of the day is at your leisure for recovery.

 Accommodation: Overnight in Hanoi

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Your tour guide will pick you up at 8:00 am to start a full day touring Ninh Binh after enjoying breakfast. Get away from the busy Hanoi city and enjoy the fresh air during a full-day tour in the countryside of Vietnam, you'll see people in the village going about their everyday activities and learn about a calmer part of Vietnamese culture.

1. Hoa Lu temples: discover Vietnamese history during Dinh, Le, and Ly Dynastys.
2. Cycling around the village: ride through countryside roads, rice fields, and along grottoes with tall rock formations in the distance.

Have lunch in Ninh Binh Mountain side homestay to enjoy local food. After a short rest, you’ll take a bamboo boat to start the Tam Coc boat trip.

1. Halong Bay on land: the stunning beauty of paddy field, exploring some of the streams and grottoes.
2. Van Long Nature Reserve: famous for its diversity in the ecosystem with majestic pristine beauty.
3. Mua Caves & Ngoa Long Mountain: panoramic view of Ngo Dong River and paddy fields.

The tour would end at 17:00 pm. You’ll take the private car to the hotel in Hanoi. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

 Accommodation: Overnight in Hanoi

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Internal flight from Hanoi to Dong Hoi arranged by Indochina Tour

After Breakfast, enjoy your free time. Later, your guide and driver will transfer you to airport for your flight to Dong Hoi. From Hanoi, the flight would take about 65 minutes to arrive in Dong Hoi.

Welcome to Dong Hoi! You will embark on a trekking adventure through the stunning Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its incredible caves and underground rivers.

 Accommodation: Overnight in Dong Hoi

 Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick up you from hotel and start the tour to visit best Cave in Asia. It’s 31.4 Km long and filled with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites.

1. Paradise Cave: the dried-longest cave in Asia. This cave has been formed over 300 million years. It looks like a secret city underground.
2. Phong Nha Cave: the first cave wonders, is also the historical history of the past Vietnam. It’s considered the first section of Ho Chi Minh trails.
3. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park: a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of Vietnam’s most beautiful natural gems. It’s a paradise for wildlife lovers.

You could trek, ride a boat cruise, and view wildlife when exploring Paradise Cave and Phong Nha Cave. There are many spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.

You will transfer to hotel in Hue from Phong Nha, it will take around 1.5hours.

 Accommodation: Overnight in Hue

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Your local tour guide and driver will meet you at the hotel at 8:00 am – 8:30 am and start a visit to Hue.

1. Hue Capital Citadel: a well-known UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site which is a 520-ha fortress-like grand complex
2. Tu Duc Tomb: resting place of the fourth King of the Nguyen dynasty.
3. Dong Ba market: biggest commercial center of Hue province and the adjacent regions.

After lunch, you’ll continue your Hue tour at around 1:30 p.m.

1. Thien Mu Pagoda: unofficial symbol of Hue City with its origins dating back to 1601.
2. Minh Mang Tomb: the 2nd Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty was buried.
3. Perfume River: take a dragon boat cruise to enjoy the open view of the river and the peaceful landscape along the river banks.

After the tour, you will transfer by private car from Hue to Hoi An. The drive would takes around 3 hours.

 Accommodation: Overnight in Hoi An

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, after breakfast, you will start your half-day excursion to Cam Thanh village. Your tour guide will pick you up around 8:00 am to 8:30 am. Cam Thanh village is a fisherman at Cam Thanh Water coconut village. During this half-hour, you will experience:

1. Fishing, catching the crabs & coconut mussels: enjoying experiences from learning traditional fishing techniques and exploring tranquil coconut-palm flanked waterways of a past war.
2. Vietnamese bamboo basket boat ride: made of bamboo with the shape of baskets to make you have the very Vietnamese experience.

At the end of the first half of the day, the guide will take you to a very delicious Vietnamese lunch.

After a short rest, we are about to start the afternoon tour. Your tour guide will bring you to the edge of the old town for a half day of exploration. During the tour, you will visit:

1. 200-year-old Tan Ky House: a beautiful home that has been lovingly preserved over seven generations.
2. Museum of Trade Ceramics: with fascinating pottery artifacts from all over Asia and the Middle East.
3. Chua Ong Pagoda: the neighborhood around it has distinctly Chinese-inspired buildings and is lovely to explore at a relaxed pace.
4. Hoi An Market: reputed to be one of Vietnam’s best.

 Accommodation: Overnight in Hoi An

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, after breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up around 8:00 am - 8:30am from Hotel travel to the My Son Holy Land.

My Son became a religious center in the late 4th century and lasted till 13th century, a longest period of development of any monument in Southeast Asia. It is often compared with other historical temple complexes in Southeast Asia, such as Borobudur of Java in Indonesia, Angkor Wat of Cambodia, Bagan of Myanmar and Ayutthaya of Thailand.

Tucked in the mountains up winding roads with serene views, the 4th century My Son Holy Land ruins. The surrounding mountains are strictly forbidden for living or development. The ruins lie in a beautiful mountainous landscape. Enter the temples to hear all about the history and stories of the Cham people and this holy site.

After the tour, you will be driven to Da Nang and enjoy free time for the rest of the day.

 Accommodation: Overnight in Da Nang

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After enjoying your breakfast, your private tour guide and driver will meet you at the hotel at 8:30 am. Departure to Ba Na Hills, the road will pass the seashore on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, one of the most beautiful roads of Da Nang City, and Red Beach, where the French first landed in Da Nang.

Soon you’ll arrive at the Cable car station at the foot of Ba Na Hill to enjoy the first leg Cable car.

1. Ba Na Hill Cable Car: two Guinness World Records in 2009, longest non-stop cable car (5,042m) and highest non-stop cable car (1,292m).
2. Golden Bridge: stands 1400m above sea level and looks like giant hands of Gods pulling a strip of gold out of the land.
3. Ling Ung Pagoda: 27m high Buddha status.
4. Dreaming Stream, Rainbow Waterfall, Suspension Bridge, Golden Valley, and Ruined Opera House.

Lunch with Buffet menu at the restaurant of Mercure Bana Hill resort. You can play with wild monkeys and take photos, freely then return to the Cable car station at the foot of Ba Na Mountain and transfer back to Da Nang City. The rest of the time is for your leisure.

 Accommodation: Overnight in Da Nang

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Internal flight from Da Nang to Saigon arranged by Indochina Tour

After breakfast, you will be driven to Da Nang Airport and take a flight to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). It costs around 80 minutes.

Welcome to Saigon! Upon arrival, our tour guide and driver will welcome you at the airport. You will be escorted to the hotel and have a good rest.

 Accommodation: Overnight in Saigon

 Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, at about 8:30 am, we will drive about 1.5 hours to Cu Chi Tunnels, where you discover these amazing systems developed by the guerrillas fighting in the Vietnam War. You will see various weapons used in the war on display. It will take the whole morning to explore and enjoy.

After lunch at a local restaurant, back to Saigon city to explore the iconic highlights, including:

1. Notre Dame Cathedral: honored as one of the world's 19 most majestic cathedrals, the only representative from Southeast Asia, seen as the architectural symbol of Ho Chi Minh City.
2. Old Saigon Post Office: Vietnam’s largest post office and oldest colonial structure, is one of the must-sees, attracting visitors with its aesthetic and historical values.
3. Cholon: the largest Chinatown in Ho Chi Minh with many traditional shops, markets, and local food stalls.
4. Emperor Jade Pagoda: a sacred place of Saigon, built by a Chinese merchant named Liu Daoyuan, where people pray and seek blessings.

End of the sightseeing tour, you will be escorted to the hotel and enjoy free time for the rest of the day.

 Accommodation: Overnight in Saigon

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel and prepare to enjoy a full-day Mekong Delta discovery. Your tour guide will meet you around 8:00 am - 8:30 am.

You will arrive at Cai Be Jetty at 10:00 am. Your crew welcomes you with cold towels and a refreshing drink while your Cai Be Princess sampan sets off for its leisurely cruise on the busy waterways. On the river, boat traffic is endless and the activity never ceases.

You will experience the following today:

1. Floating Market: observe from the comfort of your sampan life as it plays out on the riverbanks.
2. Visit Ancient House: built in the 19th century.
3. Local Cottage Industries: coconut candy and puffed rice products that provide a living for the river people.
4. Le Longanier Restaurant: a lush tropical garden by the river, surrounded by fruit trees, giving you a sense of life during Indochinese times.

After lunch, at around 2:30 pm, you’ll take a short walk along a small canal towards the Ba Bon Bridge, where your personal vehicle awaits to drive you to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City.

 Accommodation: Overnight in Saigon

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Flight: International flight on your own arrangement or upon request

Enjoy your breakfast and free time in the morning until your tour guide picks you up to the airport.

Hope you enjoyed a great trip with us and we look forward to seeing you next time.

Note: If you’re planning to continue exploring the Indochina region, like Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, please never hesitate to tell us, we’re tour experts for all of these destinations.

 Accommodation: N/A 

 Meals: Breakfast