Northern and Central Vietnam Discovery - 10 Days

Landing at the Noi Bai airport, you are welcomed by professional tour guide and driver at the pickup lobby. Enjoy 45-minute driving to the city center (Hanoi Old Quarter) with city's briefing information about the most visited spots, culture, traffic and cuisine....Arrive in your hotel, check in and have a rest.

Note: Hotel check in time at 14.00

In the morning, explore Exploring the Capital City of Hanoi

In the morning, visit the Tran Quoc Pagoda—dating back to the 6th century during the reign of Emperor Ly Nam De. Then visit the mausoleum (closed on Mondays and Fridays), dedicated to Ho Chi Minh, who led Vietnam to independence from the French. Enjoy a pleasant stroll through the botanical garden to visit the Presidential Palace—Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house where he lived and worked.

Late morning, visit the Temple of Literature—known as the first National University and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After lunch, transfer to In the afternoon, continue to the Hoa Lo Prison Museum (Hanoi Hilton), which chronicles Vietnam’s history during French colonial rule and the Vietnam War. Take a cyclo ride through the Old Quarter to Hoan Kiem Lake.
Evening at leisure. Meals are at the guests’ own expense.
Overnight stay at the hotel.

Ninh Binh is an awesome site with giant limestone karst formations jutting out of the rice paddies. This ancient land is enriched with historical, cultural and geographic wonders. Visit Trang An Nature Reserve and Bai Dinh pagoda is the fantastic experience for a day tour from Hanoi.

- Discover the World' First Mixed Heritage Trang An by boat

- Excursion Giant Bai Dinh pagoda

Bai Dinh pagoda which is one of the most impressive of Buddhism centers in Vietnam. On arrival at pagoda, walk along a path with 500 stone arhats alongside it, lining the route to the main pagodas. Each of the large pagodas and huge statues is an example of artistic architecture.

Take a lift to the viewpoint, a 13-storey tower that is believed to keep a part of Buddha’s ashes. Experience a panoramic view of the largest pagoda in Southeast Asia, surrounded by an exquisite river valley that is dotted with limestone karsts which will take your breath away.

Trang An, the world's first mixed heritage zone, recognized by UNESCO in 2014. On arrival at the pier, you will board a private traditional sampan boat which is gently rowed by a local. Cruise across a poetic river through a series of caves, some of them being 300-400m long. Every section offers you a new hidden world inside isolated valleys of tranquility.

Step off the boat for a walk through peaceful pagodas and temples worshipping the most famous Tran Dynasty’s mandarins. Hike up to get better views then continue down to a movie set island where the latest iteration of the King Kong movie series “Kong: Skull Island” was filmed. Get back on the sampan boat, immersing yourselves in the beauty of the nature while heading back to the pier.

07:30 – 08:00 Our driver will pick you up from your hotel in the Old Quarter (A short break on route for refreshments about 20 minutes)
11:30 – 11:45 Arrive at Halong International Harbor 
12:15 Embark on cruise by tender. Check-in, enjoy welcome drinks and cruise briefing
13:00 Enjoy lunch while cruising to magnificent Ha Long Bay, and admire the fascinating formations on the way
14:45 Luon cave - Kayak or Bamboo boat 
Luon cave excursion on bamboo rowing boat by locals or kayak. This is one of the must-do activities in the bay. 
16:00 Titop island – Climbing, Beach & Swimming 
Your next stop is Titop island with its famous crescent moon-shaped beach and tranquil beautiful blue waters. Viewing Halong Bay from the peak of Titop island is another not-to-be missed activity. 
17:00 – 18:30 Enjoy the best moments of the day at sundeck as the sun hits the water between the dramatic limestone peaks and emerald-green coves, enjoying drinks and a cooking demonstration.
19:15 Savour a delicious dinner
21:00 Night time squid fishing 
22:30 Free of mind with sweet dreams

Note:

-The itinerary is subject to change in case of bad weather
-English speaking guide on board

06:15 Enjoy sunrise on the Bay. Morning Tai Chi session on sundeck
06:30 Light breakfast. Coffee, tea and pastries served in restaurant
07:20 Sung Sot cave excursion
Explore Sung Sot Cave – the biggest and most stunning cave in Halong Bay
09:15 Check-out of cabins & bill settlement. Start cruising back to the port
09:30 Buffet brunch served at the restaurant 
10:45 – 11:00 Back to the port. Farewell and disembark
11:15 – 11:30 Transfer back to Hanoi Old Quarter. Arrive at approximately 14:30-14:45.
End of our service. 

Hoi An used to be one of the most typical South-East Asian trading ports dating from the 15th to the 19th century and the Old Town is still well-preserved. The exchanged cultures is displayed on many historic buildings, religion, daily business and enriched by the authentic lifestyle of local inhabitants.

the Hoi An city’s symbol - the Chua Cau or the Japanese Covered Bridge, built in the 17th century to allow the Japanese quarter to be accessible from the Chinese neighborhoods. The bridge’s original style has been carefully preserved for the last 400 years.

the Cantonese Assembly Hall sits right next to the Cau Pagoda, constructed by Cantonese settlers during the 19th century for communication among Chinese residents and worshipping the Thien Hau Holy Mother. On a visit, you can admire the structure as well as the decor, which includes a striking dragon made from pottery.

Cam Pho - one of the oldest communal houses in Hoi An. It was built in the shape of Chinese character means the country for worshipping and trading business and cultural exchange between locality and Chinese, Japanese traders.

Hoian center market where is the best place to see the local daily life. Situated on the riverside, the large market is packed with stalls where you easily find a huge variety of food at extremely cheap prices. There is also a great fresh vegetable, meat and fish market which is worth visiting.

Far diffrent from the famous Hoian ancient town or sand beaches, the rural countryside gives you the most authentic experience about life and people here. Cycling through the riverside villages, crossing rice fields and meeting people...

- Gently cycling in Kim Bong carpentering village

- Witness the landscaps from Thu Bon river

- Sampan boat experience

Take a boat to Kim Bong village. On the boat, you will immerse yourselves into the comfortable fresh air and enjoy the idyllic landscapes on both sides of the river.

This village has long been known for its wood carving. At first, the artisans inherited the techniques from the northern Vietnamese. Later, from business exchange, they could successfully adopt the know-how of Chinese and Japanese sculptures and cultivate their own style. Bike around the village to understand their daily life and visit a carpenter's workshop to admire their talent. It is possible to buy some wood products as souvenirs.

Travel to Tra Nhieu village. Immerse into the countryside in the center of Vietnam. The trip will allow some unprecedented meetings for instance, Ms Duoc with the mat weaving, Mr Kha with the bamboo sampan basket making and Mr Huynh Ri with his craftsman shipyard. A countryside landscape of palm and rice fields, buffaloes and farmers in the fields will surround you along the way.

Finally to Cam Thanh village. Along the way the landscapes of fishing farms and water palmtrees will accompany you. Arrive in Cam Thanh and embark a small round bamboo sampan basket boat. Enjoy crab catching in the water palm trees forest. This is a relaxing moment after hours of biking.

After that take a little rest in the house of fisherman (Mr. Phong) enjoy green tea and foot massage with medicinal herbs that planted in the family garden. Then prepare vegetables and herbs from Tra Que village, join in a small practice of cooking the typical dishes: crispy pancake (meat, shrimp, beansprouts…), spring rolls of Hoi An, Tam Huu, grilled fish in banana leaf… Enjoy the dishes you made.

Pick up at hotel in Hoi An and travel to Hue by passing Da Nang along the sea road. Once you arrive in Da Nang, stop to visit the Cham Museum which preserves the most important Cham culture collections in the world. Then, walk to My Khe beach where you can enjoy the view of giant Goodness of Mercy statues in the Linh Ung Pagoda. Take photos of fishermen by the beach then continue driving along the coastline to Hue ancient capital. Make a stop at top of the Hai Van pass to enjoy the breathtaking view of the ocean. 

Located in the Center of Vietnam, the poetic Hue city used tube chose as the capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. It is also the only city in Vietnam that has been able to preserve its citadel and hundreds of temples and pagodas in original. Since 1993, the Unesco has been recognized the Hue city as a world cultural heritage site.

Transfer to visit the most important sites in city - Hue Citadel, the only vestige symbol for what was once the imperial city of Vietnam. It is inspired by the fortification of Vauban. The city is composed of three parts: Kinh Thanh (the Capital city), Hoang Thanh (the Imperial city) and Cam Thanh (the Forbidden City). The most beautiful sites in Hue are concentrated in this area including the flag tower, the South gate, the palace of supreme Harmony, the Dynasty temple area and the settlement area.

The next is to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas in Hue, dating back to 1601. This is the spiritual highlight of the city and well known for its majestic octagon tower and beautiful view of the Perfume River.  

After breakfast, transfer to visit the Emperor Minh Mang's tomb, an architectural masterpiece that harmoniously highlights the nature and imperial religious works. The tomb was planned during Minh Mang’s reign (1820–40) but built by his successor, Thieu Tri with the effort of ten thousand workers and artisans.

take a boat along Huong River (or Perfume River) to Thuy Bieu Village, admire the picturesque landscapes on both sides. After 1 hour, we arrive to Thuy Bieu, well-known for its divine grapefruit trees where you can take a bike around the village under the shade of the grapefruit trees and enjoy their pleasant perfume aroma and the harvested straw. The peaceful atmosphere is in every corner of the village. Then, visit a temple dedicated to the village protector, a traditional garden house built several centuries ago. This is a wonderful opportunity to stop for great photos and interact with the villagers working in the gardens and vegetable fields which should not be missed.