Day 1: Arrival – Hanoi
Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, our guide and driver will pick you up and transfer to hotel for check in. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B, L, D)
You are met at 08:30 am in the hotel lobby. There is a morning and afternoon schedule, as well as an organised lunch.
Morning:
• Ho Chi Minh Complex including the Mausoleum, his former stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh Museum
• The Temple of Literature - Vietnam’s first university dating back to 1070
• A local Vietnamese lunch by yourself
Afternoon:
• Hanoi Hilton museum (Hoa Lo prison)
• Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake - the Ngoc Son Temple is set on a tiny island on Hoan Kiem Lake, its history dating back to the 13th century
• A one-hour cyclo tour through the narrow, chaotic streets of the Old Quarter - a must for any visitor to Hanoi!
• A traditional performance of the famous Vietnamese water puppets
18:30 We start Hanoi street food tour. We will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes. We eat as we go, trying seasonal fruits and sampling a tasty French-inspired snack from a street cart.
Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we tempt our tastebuds with the famed Hanoi dishes such as Bun Cha Ta, Banh Cuon at a local eatery. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how this tasty dish is put together. Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, we wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1000 years ago.
Our next two snack stops are at outdoor barbeque stalls. We sit down with the Hanoi locals and sample various meat, vegetable and bread specialties that are flame grilled over hot coals for extra flavor. It’s then time for dessert as we venture down a small alley to join in the local tradition of feasting on fresh fruit served in a cup and smothered with crushed iced and condensed milk – this specialty is one not to be missed!
Our guide will take you to one of Hanoi’s best kept secrets, a hidden street food restaurant to taste top ten street foods in Hanoi is Banh My Hanoi, Vietnamese Rice Wine and famous Egg Coffee. This hard-to-find café is one of the few left in the narrow street inside the old quarter of Hanoi. Or, if coffee is not your style, a cold beer awaits!
Overnight in Hanoi.
Please note: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed all day on Monday and Fridays, as well as from 1st October to 30th November (approx.) for annual conservation.
Day 3: Hanoi – Ninh Binh (B, L)
07:30 Our guide will pick you up at hotel and leave Hanoi Capital for Ninh Binh, enjoy the beautiful sceneries of the rural areas on the way. About 10:00 arrive Hoa Lu, visit the the two temples of King Dinh and King Le in the 10th century, finding out the heroic histories of this two Kings in Chinese Wars. After that, we go to Tam Coc (10 km far from Hoa Lu). King Dinh Tien Hoang chose this mountain location as the water systems fed from the mountains were perfect for both agriculture and defense. Enjoy the sight of palaces, pagodas, tombs and pavilions built by different dynasties and visit the Dinh and Le Temples, the two remaining architectures of Hoa Lu. Have lunch at local restaurant.
After lunch you will get on bamboo boat – rowed by the local people – in Hoang Long river to visit Tam Coc (three caves) on the way, you also have chance to see the paddy field if you visit Tam Coc in April or September.
Then cycling to Bich Dong Pagoda comprising three pagodas located at different levels on a green mountain and the setting of the French film ‘Indochina’.
Continue to visit Mua cave. The place attracts visitors with its many interesting stories. Climb 500 stone steps, here you can see all the way to Tam Coc, enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the countryside and Ngo Dong river.
Day 4: Hanoi – Halong bay (B, L, D) – by shuttle van of cruise company – 3-4 hours driving
08:15 Our driver will pick you up at hotel and drive to Halong bay
11:30 Ready at Athena check-in lounge
12:00 Boarding time.
13:00 Check-in your cabin.
13:15 The Cruise Manager will give a welcome speech with all the cruise information and Safety instructions.
13:30 Enjoy the Buffet Lunch with the best products of the Bay.
14:45 Visit the Vung Vieng Floating fishing village by kayak or bamboo boat
15:30-16:30 If you want to relax on the boat instead of participating in other activities feel free to use our sauna for no extra cost.
16:30 Relaxing time: the right moment for a massage or to take some pictures of the spectacular sunset in the bay.
17:00-18.30 Happy Hour: buy 01 get 01 drink
17:30 The Cooking Demonstration is waiting for you to discover the secrets of Vietnamese Cuisine
19:00 Dinner is ready in the restaurant. Fill your senses with a selection of Western fusion food and Vietnamese traditional dishes.
21:00 Enjoy the Squid Fishing activity.
Free time on the boat. The bar is open late to serve you.
* The itinerary of cruise can be changed due to the check-in time and the weather conditions and without notice
Day 5: Halong bay – Hanoi – Da Nang – Hoi An (BR) – by flight
06:30 Practice one of the oldest traditions of East Asia: Tai Chi – A beautiful and relaxing experience on the open deck. Tea and coffee are served.
07:00 Light breakfast is served.
07:30 Explore Thien Canh Son cave in Ha Long Bay. Witness its beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. Note: there are about 200 steps to get up to the cave.
09:00 Check out time.
Please put your luggage outside the cabin and the key at the reception desk.
Our staff will transfer your luggage to our lounge for you. Bill settlement at the reception desk.
09:30 Brunch is served at the restaurant on the 2nd deck.
10:45 The boat arrives at the pier. Say goodbye to the crew.
11:00 – 11:15 Our driver will pick you up and transfer to the airport.
14:30 – 15:00 Arrive at the airport. Catch the flight to Da Nang (VN175 – 16:20 – 17:40). Upon arrival, pick up and drive to hotel. Check in and overnight in Hoi An.
Day 6: Hoi An – Biking tour – Cooking class (B, L, D)
08:45 Our guide will pick you up and transfer to Tra Que Farming Village. Cycling to visit the vegetable village and see the daily activities of the local famers there. Then join gardening activities in preparing the land, fertilizing with seaweed, raking the growing, sowing, watering, picking vegetables ,… Enjoy foot soak before getting to preparing lunch with a local family. Join cooking with “Tam Huu” spring roll, “Banh Xeo”. After that, you learn how to harvest and wrap the vegetables.
In the after noon, we do a cooking class. Depart for a walking tour around local market , experiencing the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this colorful market, interacting with the local sellers and purchase some of the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later.
Take a boat trip along the Hoi An River to reach the Cooking School. This is a chance to view local river life, so make sure your camera is handy. Join in a countryside style cooking class which brings you an exciting cooking learning experience with local foods. Then have dinner.
Back to hotel and relax. Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 7: Hoi An (B)
Free at leisure at the hotel and then discover Hoi An city by yourself or relax on beach. Overnight in Hoi An.
Note: Hoi An is one of the best places for relaxing in Vietnam. You will have many options as relax on beach, walk around ancient town, ride a bike to villages, take a boat trip on river, visit handicraft, visit Cham island, My Son, Ba Na Hill, do a cooking class....
Day 8: Hoi An – Da Nang – Can Tho (B) – by flight
Free at leisure at the hotel and then discover Hoi An city by yourself or relax on beach. Then transfer to the airport for the flight to Can Tho (VN1441 – 17:30 – 19:00). Upon arrival, our drive will pick you up and transfer to hotel. Relax and overnight in Can Tho.
Day 9: Can Tho – Mekong delta – Ho Chi Minh city (B, L)
Early morning take a leisurely boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong river ( Bassac River), then proceed to Cai Rang floating markets, which are the liveliest in the whole religion.
Have you ever tasted Vietnamese vermicelli soup? Well, now go and see how it is made. Then wander around the village and meet the friendly local people and experience how to cross a "Monkey bridge" which is built by only o¬ne stem of bamboo
We continue to depart to Ben Tre, enjoy the scenic journey along the National Highway bordered by green rice fields. On arrival in Hàm Luông Pier (Bến Tre town) opposited the same name’s hotel. Take a boat on Bến Tre river – one of tributaries of Mekong river, Sight-seeing lively activities along river as fishing,water transfering……. Stop at brickwork to see how to make bricks in handy traditional style by printing and baking. Visite one of plenty of coconut processing worshops located along canal. Turn on natural scissors creeks where they look smaller and smaller to go to village. Take a walk to family workshop making sleepmats and enjoying some fruits and tea. Take a motor cart (xe lôi) or cycle riding under tree shades, pass by green rice fields and vegetable plains to be able to touch on realy life and find out about tropical culture from Peasants. Lunch at local family.
In the afternoon - riding to local house – seeing ancient porcelains colecting set. Help peasents planting, harvesting in the field.
Then drive to Ho Chi Minh city and relax. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.
Day 10: Ho Chi Minh city – Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L)
08:00 Our guide will pick you up at hotel. Transfer to the Cu Chi Tunnels (75 km from downtown). Visit Cu Chi tunnels with watching documentary film, witness hand-made weapon gallery (gun, land mine, bamboo traps,…), crawl into the real tunnels,… Back to Saigon. Have lunch.
In the afternoon, we will visit the Former Presidential Palace, the War Crime Museum, the central complex of architecture: the Notre Dame Cathedral, the City Hall, the Municipal Theater, Ben Thanh market.
Then transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for the your international flight. End of services.
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24/7 Hotline :+84 906 282 484 (David D Mr.), +84 983 822 192 (Jennifer N Ms.)
