DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN HANOI (L/D)

Arrival in Hanoi then transfer in a private care to the Old Town in the city-center. Visit the main attractions of the capital city: One-Pillar Pagoda, Literature Temple, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (outside) and Presidential Palace (outside). At lunch, you will get to try a famous local dish, cha ca la vong. It is a delicacy from Hanoi that contains grilled dill-savored fish, a type of herb that is not encountered often within Vietnamese cuisine. You will then have time to take a stroll around the Lake of the Returned Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake) and the 36 Streets (Old Town).

Get a welcome dinner at the Co Yen Restaurant, that combines northern Vietnam’s flavors and specialties in a setting that recalls the Old Town’s ambient.
Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi.

DAY 2: HANOI / NINH BINH (B/L/…)

After breakfast, you will be headed to Ninh Binh, a place that is also dubbed “Halong Bay on Land” because of its gorgeous limestone mountains that resemble Halong Bay’s. In a small boat, you will wind through the arms of the river within the valley, and enjoy an amazing backdrop.

You will also discover Tonkin region’s former capital city, Hoa Lu, where you may visit the Le and Dinh Temples but also Bai Dinh Pagoda, the biggest pagoda in Vietnam. Then, get ready for lunch! You will get to taste some local specialties such as grilled goat meat. The afternoon will be busy with touring the rest of the Halong Bay on Land, on a boat or on a bicycle. You will see beautiful caves and highly symbolic paddy fields.

Dinner at your discretion.
Overnight at the hotel in Ninh Binh.

DAY 3: NINH BINH/HA LONG (B/L/D)

After spending the night at the hotel, hit the road to one of the most famous natural sites of the country, the UNESCO-listed Halong Bay. Once there, you will hop on a cruise that will bring you at the heart of the limestone mountains and in the depths of the bay’s caves. You will also discover fishing villages set up on the water. You may take a bath in the bay and go kayaking as well. Besides, if you feel like it, you will have the possibility to fish squid! You will spend the night on the boat and watch the sunset over the gorgeous Halong Bay.

Dinner on board.
Overnight on the boat.

DAY 4: HA LONG / HANOI / HUE (B/Br/…)

The sun is rising over the Halong Bay. Enjoy the view and softly wake up your body thanks to an introduction class to Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese tradition that consists in series of slow, focused movements combined to breathing exercises.

Brunch on board.

Return to the jetty and journey in a private car to Hanoi’s airport to get the flight to Hue, in central Vietnam.

Arrival in Hue in the evening. Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 5: HUE (B/L/…)

As the Nguyen dynasty’s former imperial capital, Hue is a city comprising a lot of monuments. Situated along the Perfume River (Suong Huong), you will tour the citadel, which is a UNESCO listed site and take a glance at the buildings that remained after the Vietnam War bombings. 4 kilometers away from the citadel stands a major attraction that you may visit: the Thien Mu Pagoda, the “Celestial Lady Pagoda.” Its 8-storey tower has become a symbol of Hue.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you will go on a private car to the Tomb of Khai Dinh, the emperor before last in Vietnam. You will get stunned by the contrast between the exterior and in the interior. Outside, the building is made of grey concrete. But inside, walls and furniture are covered with colorful mosaics! After the visit, you will discover Vietnamese incent handicraft.

Dinner at your discretion.
Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 6: HUE / HOI AN (B/L/…)

Visit of Dong Ba Market in Hue, before the journey to Hoi An. The route goes through the Ocean Cloud Pass, also known as Hai Van Pass, that winds along the coast and offers amazing views. You will also stop by Lang Co Beach, a white-sand tongue nested between the mountains.

Once in Hoi An, have a taste of the local specialty, cao lau. There is no way you can pass on that, first because it’s the city’s most famous dish and also because you may not find it someplace else! It consists of thick noodles, braised pork, herbs and croutons. The legend has it that the noodles are only boiled in the water coming from the Ba Le Well in Hoi An, and that that water is mixed with a certain type of ashes, resulting in an alkaline liquid. Only a few families in town actually have the secret recipe of cao lau. Don’t miss it when you’re in Hoi An!

After lunch, you will have time to take a stroll in Hoi An’s Old Town, a UNESCO-listed site. You will notice the richness of the architecture: from the Japanese bridge to Chinese pagodas and colonial villas. Indeed, Hoi An used to be a main harbor in Indochina, and many merchants from different countries lived there. Today, Danang has taken over Hoi An regarding port operations but Hoi An has become a main tourist attraction. Dubbed “the Lantern City,” it displays colorful lanterns that glimmer every night in the Old Town, reflecting their lights on the surface of the Perfume River.

Journey length: 3.5 hours to Hoi An.

DAY 7: HOI AN (B/L/…)

That day will be dedicated to your discovery of the local side of the town. You will visit the local market where you may meet people and talk to them about the ingredients you will need to get to prepare lunch. You will be introduced to a family who will show you their daily lives. Afterwards, the villagers will help you during a cooking class. You will then eat lunch in their home.

In the afternoon, a boat will bring you for a cruise on the Cua Dai River to discover the Bay Mau coconut forest. Then, hop on a circular boat and learn how to fish like the locals. Try to keep your balance!

Dinner at your discretion. Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 8: HOI AN / SAIGON (B/…/…)

Free time and rest in the morning. Lunch at your discretion.

Journey to Danang airport to get the flight to Saigon.

Arrival in Saigon. You will meet your chauffeur who will drive you to the city-center. Check-in at the hotel.

Dinner at your discretion. Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 9: SAIGON / CAI BE / SAIGON (B/L/…)

You will drive to Cai Be, in the Mekong Delta. A boat will await you and will bring you at the heart of local life. You will visit local handicrafts: coconut candies, rice paper, honey…). At lunch, you may taste local specialties in an old traditional house. Then, you will go back to your cruise and as a dessert, you may take a bite in local fruits. You will also attend a short southern Vietnamese music concert, and take a stroll in a fruit garden.

Journey to Saigon in private car.

Dinner at your discretion. Overnight at the hotel.

Journey length: 3.5 hours to Cai Be.

DAY 10: DEPARTURE FROM SAIGON (B/L/…)

You may want to spend the morning touring Saigon’s city center and its colonial architecture: Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Main Post Office whose roof was designed by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel, the Opera House (from the outside), Dong Khoi Street that used to be called Catinat Street, and the Reunification Palace.

At lunch, try a Vietnamese dish called banh xeo. It consists of a rice-flour pancake mixed with curcuma and stuffed with sliced pork meat, shrimps and mung beans. It is served with nuoc mam sauce (fish sauce).

Free time in the afternoon.
Dinner at your discretion.

Transfer to Saigon airport.