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Outlined details:
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh – Mekong – Cai Be – Homestay
Day 3: Cai Be – Soc Trang – Can Tho
Day 4: Can Tho – Cai Rang – Sadec – Ho Chi Minh
Day 5: Ho Chi Minh – Danang – Hoi An
Day 6: Hoi An – Danang – Hue
Day 7: Hue
Day 8: Hue – Dong Hoi – Phong Nha – Hanoi – Train night
Day 9: Hanoi city tour
Day 10: Hanoi – Pac Ngoi – Ba Be – Homestay
Day 11: Ba Be – Homestay
Day 12: Ba Be – Cao Bang
Day 13: Cao Bang – Quang Hoa – Dong Khe – Lang Son
Day 14: Lang Son – Halong
Day 15: Halong – Hanoi
Day 16: Hanoi – Departure
A journey that will take you to discover the dazzling rich culture of Vietnam through visiting many sites listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, Hoi An, Hue, Halong Bay, Phong Nha Caves, but also through meeting of different minorities near Lake Ba Be.
Itinerary details:
Day 1: HO CHI MINH ARRIVAL & VISIT
Pick up at the airport by your guide, you will visit the old colonial quarters, post office, market, outside the Reunification Palace, City Hall, Notre-Dame Cathedral. Overnight in hotel
Day 2: HO CHI MINH CITY – CAIBE – OVERNIGHT ON MEKONG LODGE
Departure from Ho Chi Minh city to Cai Be: approx. 120km.
Arrive Cai Be, greeting at Cai Be harbor and boat trip transfer to Mekong Lodge.
Check-in bungalows.
Daily lunch is served in the nice restaurant with the Vietnamese day-menu.
From 15h00pm: afternoon cycling tour to Tân Phong island, go to one of the orchard: approx. 10km along village paths, in passing 3 wooden ferries, in about 2 hours.
Cooking class in the evening & dinner in restaurant.
Riverside Bar are open until mid-night
Day 3: CAIBE –SOCTRANG – CAN THO
07:00 – 08:00am: breakfast in the restaurant.
From 08:00am: boat trip to the bustling floating market, visit handicraft villages, and Cai Be market on land, then transferred to Mekong Lodge.
11:30am: clear bill and check out.
12:00pm: boat trip transfer to Cai Be harbor
Departure for Soctrang visit the bats Cha Doi Pagoda, the Chua Dat Set Pagoda, the house in Binh Thuy which was filmed the movie "The Lover" and Khmer pagoda, completely covered with ceramics. Culinary discovery: the 'Canh Chua'. Stay in Can Tho
Day 4: CANTHO – CAI RANG – SADEC – HO CHI MINH CITY
Boat trip on the Cai Ngong channel before discovering one of the largest floating markets of the Delta: Cai Rang. Departure for Sa Dec, authentic colonial city, the garden of Cochin and the Confucian Kien An Cung Pagoda, former home of mandarin Quach. Walk through the narrow streets until the Trung Vuong primary school where Marguerite Duras studied and the market with exotic flowers. Back to Sai Gon. Dinner cruise on the Saigon River and overnight in hotel
Day 5: HO CHI MINH – DANANG – HOI AN
Half day city tour strting by the discovery of old Chinatown Cholon, Binh Tay Market, Thien Hau Temple and pagoda Giac Lam. Then we have the chance to discover the local crafts: lacquer. Flight to Danang (1h), pick up and drive to Hoi An. Tasting 'Banh Vac' stuffed white rice shrimp paste. Free time in Hoi an. Overnight in hotel
Day 6: HOI AN –DANANG – HUE
Walk in the old town of Hoi An, among ancient houses, old Chinese temples, Japanese bridge and the local market. Visit a silk factory and boat trip on the Thu Bon river with observation the fishers and dismark to visit th wood carvings Kim Bong
Afternoon departure to Hue. Arrival, check in hotel and free time.
Day 7: HUE
Visit Hue. Cruise on the Perfume River, Thien Mu Pagoda, the citadel of the Imperial City and the mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc. Discovery of crafts: making incense sticks. Walk to Dong Ba market. Overnight in hotel
Day 8: HUE – DONG HOI – PHONG NHA – HANOI – NIGHT TRAIN
Quang Tri was the scene of heavy fighting during the war. Visit the 17th parallel. Discovery of Vinh Moc tunnels that helped to protect more than sixty families. Boat trip in the Phong Nha Cave, National Park, classified at UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overnight on train (10h) to Hanoi.
Day 9: HANOI CITY TOUR
Arrive early morning, pick up and transfer to the hotel.
City tour: outside Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature and the superb Museum of Ethnology. Walk to Hang local market. Visit Ngoc Son Temple, Tran Quoc Pagoda and the Lake of the Returned Sword. Tour by rickshaw. Puppet show on the water. Overnight in hotel
Day 10: HANOI – PAC NGOI – BA BE – HOMESTAY
Today, we will cross a mountainous region for Ba Be Lake. Departure by boat to the village Pac Ngoi and meeting with Tay minorities. Dinner and overnight at the inhabitant in the land of Tay-Dao (basic comfort).
Day 11: BA BE AND VICINITY – HOMESTAY
Hike through terrestrial paths admiring the fascinating landscape of a mountainous region. The opportunity to experience the unique culture and daily life of the peasants of the Dao minority. Visit villages of ethnic minorities. Lunch outdoors. Dinner and night in houses on stilts.
Day 12: BA BE – CAO BANG
Down the Nang River by boat through a landscape of limestone peaks. Walk on the shore to admire the stalactites and stalagmites in the cave Puong and then transfer to Cao Bang to the bottom of the valley where the rivers converge Mang Hieu and Tra Vinh. Arrival, check in hotel.
Day 13: CAO BANG – QUANG HOA – DONG KHE – LANG SON
The pass of Ma Phuc &Quang Hoa. Discover local crafts: blacksmiths. Meeting with Tay minorities. Depart for Lang Son border town north-east. Crossing the village of Dong Khe seat of a battle during the first Indochina war then That Khe. Overnight in Lang Son
Day 14: LANG SON – HALONG – OVERNIGHT ON CRUISE
The tour guide and driver will get back and pick you up for the morning drive overland to Halong City, your entry point to the Bay of the World Heritage by UNESCO. Thousands of islands rise dramatically from the waters of Halong Bay and, to further their beauty, intricate cave systems naturally exist throughout these limestone karst formations. The traditional styled junk will cruise in between the towering islands, visit a limestone cave in the afternoon and do some kayaking and swimming (depending on the weather) Your accommodation tonight is a truly special experience – sleeping on a boat surrounded by high limestone karsts. Overnight on board.
Day 15: HALONG – HANOI
Traditional junk cruise through the fabulous Halong Bay, through the famous karst sugar loaf. Brunch on boat. Stopover to discover the natural caves. Disembarkation. Stop in the village of Dong Trieu ceramic and visit a factory. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day16: HANOI – DEPARTURE
Transfert to the airport to take your flight off.
