Discovery Vietnam 17 Days from Hanoi

Itinerary in brief
Day 01: Hanoi Arrival
Day 02: Hanoi city
Day 03: Hanoi - Mai Chau
Day 04: Mai Chau - Van Long - Hoa Lu
Day 05: Hoa Lu - Halong Bay
Day 06: Halong Bay - Hanoi - Flight to Hue
Day 07: Hue city
Day 08: Hue - Thuy Bieu Eco village
Day 09: Hue - Danang - Hoian
Day 10: Hoi An - Danang - fly Ho Chi Minh
Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City
Day 12: Ho Chi Minh - Mui Ne
Day 13, 14: Mui Ne free
Day 15: Ho Chi Minh - Ben Tre - Long Xuyen
Day 16: Long Xuyen - Chau Doc
Day 17: Chau Doc - Ho Chi Minh

Detailed Itinerary

Day 01: Hanoi Arrival (-)
Upon arrival in Hanoi, you will be welcomed by our guide and transferred to your hotel. Hanoi is one of Asia's most charming cities, with its romantic tree-lined boulevards and colonial houses. The day is free for your own exploration and shopping. Overnight at hotel.

Day 02: Hanoi city (B, L)
Your trip will be start from Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays and will be alternated by the History Museum), which offers informative and well-documented displays of the country’s 54 ethnic groups. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. We then move to Ngoc Son Temple, which along the lake itself is the picturesque heart of Hanoi. In the evening, you will perfectly wrap up the day with a water puppet show, a unique traditional theater art in Vietnam. Overnight at hotel

Day 03: Hanoi - Mai Chau (B, L, D)
Depart from Hanoi to Mai Chau, a picturesque valley, home to many hill tribes including the Dzao, Muong and Thai. We will arrive in Mai Chau around noon and check into the Thai ethnic homestay in Van village, a village of the ‘White Thai’, who predominantly inhabit this area.- A typical Thai meal will be served for lunch at the homestay. In the afternoon, you can take a short walk around the village where you will encounter friendly local people, and get the chance to communicate with them and get to know their traditional lifestyle. Enjoy a traditional dance show at night while tasting Ruou Can, the local rice wine. Overnight at homestay.

Day 04: Mai Chau - Van Long - Hoa Lu (B, L)
After breakfast, we will drive to Ninh Binh via Nho Quan with its peaceful countryside settings. After lunch, you have the choice of exploring the village either by buffalo cart or bicycle. We will then board a small rowing boat to explore the Van Long Nature Reserve which covers some 3,000 hectares of picturesque waterscape. You will enjoy two hours of rowing through spectacular scenery made up of limestone mountains reflected in emerald waters adorned by lush rice paddies. The forest is home to the Delacour Langur, an endangered species counting a mere 200 animals globally. We will disembark our boats and walk to visit two temples dedicated to King Dinh and Le in Hoa Lu, which served as the capital of Vietnam during the 10th century. Overnight at hotel in Hoa Lu.

Day 05: Hoa Lu - Halong Bay (B, L, D)
After breakfast, you will be on a 3.5-hour transfer through the Red River Delta to Halong Bay. Crossing from west to east, you will pass the immense rice fields in the most fertile lands of Northern region. Upon arrival, you will set out on a beautiful junk cruise through the bay for 2 days and 1 night. The junk will pass through the magical Halong bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the emerald waters like spikes on a dragon’s back. During the cruise, you will take a short trek to a nearby summit fora panoramic view of the bay, go for a swim at a quiet beach or sunbathe on the sundeck. On the cruise.

Day 06: Halong Bay - Hanoi - Flight to Hue (B, L)
Enjoy breakfast and savor the incredible sunrise from the sundeck while the boat sails to Luon Cave and one of Halong’s floating villages then back to the harbor. On the way back to Hanoi we will stop in Bac Ninh province to visit Vietnam's first Buddhist centre, the But Thap Pagoda, which was built in the 13th century and reconstructed in the 17th century on the southern bank of Duong River. It is renowned for its valuable statues, the most remarkable of which is a thousand-handed and thousand-eyed Buddha considered a masterpiece of Vietnamese sculpturing. We continue our drive to Hanoi where we head to the airport for flight to Hue. On arrival, you are picked up & transferred to hotel for check in. Overnight in Hue.

Day 07: Hue city (B)

In the morning, we will visit Hue Imperial City, the remaining vestiges of Hue's citadel, including: Flag Tower, Ngo Mon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace and the Forbidden Purple City (Tu Cam Thanh). The tour will end with a visit to Minh Mang Mausoleum, a beautifully landscaped royal complex consisting of 40 buildings (palaces, temples & pavilions). The rest of the day is free for you to explore Hue at your own leisure. Overnight at hotel.

Day 08: Hue - Thuy Bieu Eco village (B, L)
We will depart from the hotel in the morning to visit Tu Duc Royal Tomb, one of the most beautiful royal mausoleum compounds in Hue. You will then enjoy a leisurely boat trip along the poetic Perfume River, and en route visit Thien Mu Pagoda also known as "Heavenly Lady Pagoda" the symbol of Hue. We will then continue the cruise toward Thuy Bieu eco-village, an ancient village situated on the bank of the Perfume River where lunch will be served. The afternoon is reserved for cycling through the peaceful village, visiting several communal houses, ancient temples and the highlight: the garden-house, a typical and unique feature of Hue. Soaking your feet in medicinal herb water followed by an excellent blind massage will refresh them after a day of sightseeing. Back to the hotel for the night.

Day 09: Hue - Danang - Hoian (B, L)
Morning drive on the Mandarin road – a scenic journey from Hue to Hoi An, which allows you to see a picturesque Vietnam with stunning beaches and lust tropical forest. Take some stops for photo taking on route before visiting the Museum of Cham Sculpture - with many precious artifacts of the former Cham Kingdom on display. Continue transfer to Hoi An ancient town which used to be an important South-East Asian trading port from the 15th to the 19th century. You can see it by your own eyes when visiting Japanese Covered Bridge, Chinese’s street, Phung Hung old house, Hoi An market and ancient port & the old house of Tan Ky. Overnight in the hotel.

Day 10: Hoi An - Danang - fly Ho Chi Minh (B)
You can continue exploring Hoi An until the departure to the airport for you flight to Ho Chi Minh. Overnight at hotel.

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City (B, L)
In the morning, we will visit Cho Lon, Vietnam’s largest China Town where you can shop to your hearts’ content and sample the fabulous cuisine. We then visit Thien Hau Temple, the liveliest temple in Ho Chi Minh City, dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea, and Giac Lam Pagoda, the oldest pagoda in the city. Back to downtown Saigon to visit Notre Dame Cathedral (built in 1877) and the Central Post Office. In the afternoon, we will visit the Reunification Palace formerly known as Independence Palace. The tour ends with a visit to Ngoc Hoang Temple dedicated to the Jade Emperor, the supreme deity in Taoism. Overnight at hotel.

Day 12: Ho Chi Minh - Mui Ne (B)
After breakfast, take a 5-hour drive to Mui Ne, a getaway to paradise with pristine beaches, vast sand dunes, postcard-perfect fishing villages, a vibrant nightlife and friendly people. Overnight at hotel.

Day 13, 14: Mui Ne free (B)
You will spend the whole day to relax on the beach or at your own resort.

Day 15: Ho Chi Minh - Ben Tre - Long Xuyen (B, L)
You depart to the Mekong Delta considered Vietnam’s biggest rice basket. Cruise along Ben Tre River to explore the local lifestyle and the daily hustle and bustle. Stop at the Mr. Tu Lo’s brickfield and a coconut candy home factory. You will also visit a local honey farm.You can then walk or cycle through the coconut groves and green rice paddies to soak up and relax in the tranquil countryside.

In the afternoon we will take a trip on small rowing boats through a maze of waterways lined by two rows of palm tree. We continue to Long Xuyen passing Sadec where we will visit Kien An Cung Pagoda.

Day 16: Long Xuyen - Chau Doc (B, L)
In the early morning, we embark a sampan to explore Long Xuyen floating market, the least visited yet most authentic floating market in the Mekong Delta. It is crowded with thousands of boats jostling for space. We then take a boat trip to visit a floating fish farm where you have the chance to feed the fish yourself. After disembarking the sampan we will visit a village of the Cham ethnic minority. Our last stop of the day is Cu Lao Ong Ho also known as "Tiger Island", home of Vietnam's first president. We will then drive to Chau Doc, a town on the border of Cambodia and Vietnam, where we will spend the night.

Day 17: Chau Doc - Ho Chi Minh (B)
We will then drive back to Ho Chi Minh City through the countryside and villages. The rest of the day is free to relax until we bring you to the airport for your flight home. 4 Golf And Tours’s services end at the airport.

Package Includes
16 nights First Class accommodations
All transfers included only with airfare purchase on package arrival & departure dates†
13 meals: 10 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
Sightseeing per itinerary in modern air-conditioned motor coach
Services of English-speaking tour manager throughout
Entrance fees per itinerary
Comfortable wireless earphones for enhanced touring

All intra-flights: Ho Chi Minh-Da Nang & Hue-Hanoi

Package Excludes
International flights & departures taxes
Beverage
Travel insurance
Personal expenses, tips and gratuities
Vietnam visa stamping fee.
Others not mentioned above

Note:

* Check in time: 02.00pm – Check out time: 12.00pm.

* Price is based on minimum 2 people sharing 1 double/ twin room. Single supplement is surcharged when one person occupies one room.

* The cooking class is join-in session