Fantastic Vietnam – 18 days

Morning: you will discover some of the major landscapes of Ho Chi Minh City: Independence Palace, the Notre-Dame Cathedral with its neo-Romanesque style in red bricks, and Ben Thanh Market.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Drive 60 km to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an extensive underground network built in 1948 to support the Viet Minh against the French, later expanded during the Vietnam War. This hidden city once sheltered around 10,000 people, with living quarters, kitchens, hospitals, and even births taking place underground.

Back to the hotel and free time for the rest of the day

Boat Trip On The Ben Tre River, Tuk-tuk Ride To Nhon Thanh Village, Discovery Of Local Life

8:00 AM: Departure for the Mekong Delta to Ben Tre Province. Upon arrival at the Hung Vuong pier, take a motorboat excursion to discover the customs and daily life of the Mekong Delta inhabitants: fishing, goods transportation, etc. The first stop is at a ceramic kiln to see how bricks are decorated and baked. Then, visit one of the coconut candy workshops. Enjoy these candies with honey tea. Continue your boat trip to the Cai Son and Nhon Thanh canals, where local families specialize in making mats. Take a tuk-tuk ride through picturesque landscapes of rice fields, coconut groves, and vegetable gardens.

Stop at a coconut orchard to learn the coconut harvesting technique. Lunch in a family-owned restaurant. In the afternoon, a short walk allows you to explore local life in-depth, followed by a brief rowing boat ride along small canals through palm groves. Then, return to the large boat to reach the Ben Tre Wharf. Your vehicle will then head to Can Tho. You will cross the bonsai and orchard region of Cho Lach and arrive in Can Tho in the late afternoon.

Overnight at the hotel.

Boat excursion to the famous Cai Rang Floating Market

After breakfast, board a boat to visit the Cai Rang Floating Market, the largest in the entire Mekong Delta. The trading method here is unique, with each boat hanging the fruits it sells on a pole (beo). Take a walk to visit a rice noodle (Hu Tieu) making facility, a local specialty. Transfer to the ecological Son Island. A short boat ride takes you to Con Son Island with a stop to visit the floating village.

Enjoy a foot massage with fish. Lunch on Con Son Island. Take a walk around the island to discover local life and the daily activities of the residents. Visit an orchard, participate in making traditional cakes, taste seasonal fruits, and homemade local cakes.

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Da Nang.

Upon arrival, you will be picked up and taken to Hoi An, where you will check-in at your hotel.

Morning: Our tour guide will take you for a short bike ride to visit Tra Que village. There, you will experience the daily life of local people and learn more about their work on vegetable fields. Then, bicycle ride to the village of Cam Thanh, an area covered by the Nipa palm mangrove. Upon arrival, you board a round woven bamboo basket boat that has been used for generations by locals for fishing at sea. You peacefully glide along picturesque small canals with mangrove landscapes, lagoons, and water coconut trees - a moment full of serenity. Discover the locals' crab fishing technique. You will learn to make fun tools with coconut leaves. Lunch with the local family.

Exploring Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage ancient port town that beautifully preserves its 15th to 18th-century charm. Take a leisurely stroll through its narrow streets, admiring the blend of Chinese, Japanese, and French architecture. Visit iconic landmarks such as:

• 17th-century Japanese Covered Bridge
• Phuc Kien Temple, a former meeting hall for Chinese traders.
• Ancient wooden house of wealthy merchants (choose between Tan Ky, Phung Hung)
• A museum (either the Museum of Ceramics or the Cultural Museum of Sa Huynh).

Optional activity: Participate in a lantern-making workshop, where you can design and keep your own lantern as a unique souvenir.

Continue to peacefully stroll through Hoi An's streets, browse art galleries and tailor shops. Dinner on your own and free time in the evening. Overnight at the hotel in Hoi An.

Depart for My Son Sanctuary, Vietnam's foremost Cham archaeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage site, located 40 km from Hoi An. This was the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom from the 4th to the 13th century. Explore the impressive red-brick and stone tower-sanctuaries, perfectly illustrating Hinduism's spiritual influence. You may also catch a performance of traditional Champa dances before returning to Hoi An.

Afternoon: Free time at leisure.

Optional: Visit Thanh Ha pottery village or Transfer to the Indochine Distillery at the beach south of Hoi An, where you can discover the rum-making process. Alternatively, you can participate in a cooking class.

Morning: Drive to Hue, the former capital of Vietnam. On the way, we will stop to visit the Cham Museum in Da Nang, and take a break at the top of Hai Van pass to observe the splendid panorama. After taking a few pictures at the beautiful Lang Co beach, we will reach Hue.

Afternoon: Visit the Imperial City, the heart of Vietnam's last feudal dynasty. Explore its key areas: The Citadel, Imperial City, and Forbidden Purple City, including landmarks like the Flag Tower, Nine Dynastic Urns, South Gate, Palace of Supreme Harmony, Thai Hoa Palace, and the Temple of Nguyen Kings.

Morning: Visit to Thanh Toan Covered Bridge, its local market, and the Agriculture Museum

Visit Tomb of King Tu Duc, a stunning example of traditional Vietnamese art, offering insights into the Nguyen Dynasty and French colonial history.

Enjoy a photo stop at a craft workshop specializing in incense and conical hats in Thuy Xuan. Stop at Bellevue Hill for a panoramic view of the Perfume River.

Afternoon: Explore the majestic tomb of Emperor Minh Mang, one of the most impressive royal mausoleums of the Nguyen Dynasty. Set amidst serene pine forests and lakes, the complex features harmonious architecture, reflecting traditional Confucian principles and imperial grandeur. Walk through beautifully landscaped gardens, pavilions, and courtyards that embody the emperor’s vision of balance between man and nature.

Then, visit Thien Mu Pagoda, an iconic Hue landmark, notable for its 21-meter-high octagonal tower representing Buddha's seven incarnations.

Have a nice breakfast at your hotel before we head for a drive on national road No1 with stop at Hien Luong Bridge. Then, we will drive to Phong Nha Cave, a marvelous World Natural Heritage site. You will board on a tiny boat and cruise through the river while catching a glimpse of the daily life of local people. After approximately 25 minutes, we will finally reach Phong Nha Cave. You will have time to admire the beauty of the mineral and rocky formations of this splendid cavern. Some of them have been given nicknames such as “Lion”, “Unicorn”, “Fairy Caves”, “Royal Court”, “Kneeling Elephant”, and “Buddha”.

Dinner at a restaurant and free time during the evening.Overnight in Phong Nha.

After a good breakfast at the resort,

After a nice meal, we will drive to Paradise Cave. We will walk around for half an hour in a typical tropical forest before reaching this huge cave (31.4-km long and a height ranging between 30 m and 100 m).

After a fabulous discovery of the cave, we will drive to the airport for your flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, you will be picked up by bus and taken to your hotel for check-in.

A day dedicated to exploring the city's most iconic landmarks:

Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first national university (established 1070). This serene complex honors Confucius and features well-preserved traditional architecture, courtyards, ponds, and gardens.

Ba Dinh District. This area includes Ba Dinh Square, the botanical garden, the Presidential Palace (formerly the Governor's Palace of Indochina), Ho Chi Minh's stilt house, and the One Pillar Pagoda, one of the city's oldest monuments (built 1049).

Tran Quoc Pagoda: Built in 1615 on the shore of the large West Lake.

Lunch with Hanoi specialties: Grilled pork and Egg Coffee.

Visit the Museum of Ethnology to learn about the diverse lifestyles, customs, and traditions of Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups.

Dinner at a local restaurant before being taken to the train station. You will board the night train for Lao Cai (air-conditioned cabin shared by 4 persons, soft beds).

You will arrive in Lao Cai early in the morning around 6:00 AM. Transfer to Sapa by car, which is a 40 km mountain road. We will freshen up and have breakfast at a local restaurant.

9:00 AM: Transfer by vehicle to the Muong Hoa Valley, enjoying beautiful views surrounding the village of Y Linh Ho, home to the Black H'mong people.

You will follow a trail that crosses the stream dividing the valley surrounded by terraced rice fields. As you descend, you will encounter friendly Hmong women and children living in houses nestled in the valley.

Tranquil walk along the Muong Hoa River, from Y Linh Ho Valley to Lao Chai (Black H'mong) village to the Day village of Ta Van.

Stop at a traditional batik workshop to discover the painting techniques of Black Hmong Batik Art. You will also meet a village artisan working with beeswax technique for decorating traditional indigo clothes of the Hmong. These authentic encounters are an excellent opportunity to learn a little about the daily life and culture of the Black H'mong Ethnicity. Then, visit a Day family who make incense cones.

Overnight in Sapa.

Enjoy a delicious local breakfast before heading to the remote rice valleys of Nam Cang and Nam Sai, known for their stunning terraced fields. Visit Dzao and Tay villages to discover local traditions, then continue to Bac Ha. On the way, explore a village of the Phu La and Hmong ethnic groups in Lung Phinh, who settled in Vietnam centuries ago. If your stay includes a Saturday night, don’t miss the unique Bac Ha buffalo market the next morning.

Overnight at the hotel.

After a good breakfast, you will set out to explore one of the weekly markets in the region: Coc Ly market on Tuesday, Can Cau market on Saturday, and Bac Ha market on Sunday.

Bac Ha's weekly market profoundly showcases the typical cultural traits of ethnic minorities living in remote regions, including various ethnic groups such as Tay, Black Dzao, Phu La, and notably the Flower Hmong.

Enjoy its striking atmosphere with a wide array of goods, vegetables, poultry, horses, buffaloes... on display. Moreover, you will have a good opportunity to see boys and girls dressed in very colorful traditional costumes, heading to the market with the hope of finding a soulmate. It is also an opportunity for them to chat and exchange goods.

A short and easy walk to the Flower Hmong village. Explore the agricultural environment, traditional housing, and lush terraced rice fields.

Transfer by sharing Dcar Limousine car to return to Hanoi.

Today, we will visit Ninh Binh, surrounded by many limestone mountains emerging from rice fields. Ninh Binh is known as “Ha Long Bay on land”. We will visit the Trang An grottoes, newly recognized as a World Natural Heritage site by UNESCO. There, we will board a row boats and cruise along the stream through 9 grottoes including Ba Giot, Dia Linh, Toi (“Dark Cave”), Sang (“Bright Cave”), Ao Trai, and Seo. We will also visit the valleys of Tran Temple, May, Khong, and Nau Ruou.

Later, we will go to Bai Dinh pagoda, the biggest in Vietnam.

In the afternoon, you will be able to bike and discover the countryside.

Dinner on your own and overnight at the hotel, in the peaceful countryside.

07:00 – Pick-up at your hotel Quarter. Enjoy the scenic drive through the Red River Delta.

11:30 – Arrival at Tuan Chau Marina, check-in at the lounge.

12:00 – Board the cruises, welcome drink and safety briefing.

12:30 – Lunch on board while cruising past iconic sites: Incense Burner, Dog Islet, Fighting Cock Islet, Three Coconuts Island.

14:30 – Visit a Pearl Farm and enjoy kayaking amid the bay’s stunning landscape.

16:00 – Explore Sung Sot Cave, the largest in the bay, known for its impressive rock formations.

17:30 – Return to the boat. Join a cooking class, enjoy a sunset Happy Hour on the sundeck.

19:00 – Dinner on board.

21:00 – Optional activities: squid fishing, movie in your cabin, card games, or relaxing on deck.

23:00 – Overnight on the cruise.

06:30: Coffee, tea and pastries for breakfast are served in the restaurant.

07:30: Visit Titov Island. Titov is a small limestone island with one of the best sandy beaches in Ha Long Bay. You can immerse yourself in emerald water and hike to the top for stunning panoramic views of the bay.

09:30: Back to the boat. Check out and settle your bill at the reception.

10:00: Have brunch while cruising back to the harbour.

11:30: Disembark at Tuan Chau Marina,

Back to Hanoi

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.