Grand Vietnam tour

THROUGH GRAND VIETNAM TOUR, YOU WILL DISCOVER

 

Day 1: Arrive Hanoi

At Noi Bai Airport, Orient Skyline Travel’s guide will welcome you and transfer you through the city to your hotel.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B, L)

At 08:30 from the hotel, depart to visit the old quarter of Hanoi, this vibrant part of the city is literally home to thousands of pop up businesses and family businesses. Walk through Hang Be Market near Hoan Kiem Lake, and on the tiny island visit Ngoc Son Temple. Walking through these bustling streets is a great opportunities to see local life. Continue to the Temple of Literature, known as Vietnam’s first university from 1076, this was the educational center of Vietnam where the members the royal family and elite class were educated. The tour includes visit to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the first President of Vietnam. Behind the Mausoleum, take a look at the iconic One Pillar pagoda.

After lunch break, meet Mr. Liem, one of Hanoi’s water puppet masters to discover the secrets of this traditional art of performance. Arrive at Mr. Liem’s home, you will be amazed at his studio, be inspired through his passion with water puppet art. On site, chat with Mr. Liem and to have on spot experience, enjoy a home performance, up stair his house. This is an excellent way to have an insightful understanding about Vietnam traditional crafts for a unique local experience.

Return to your hotel and overnight in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi by bike – Overnight train to Lao Cai (B)

Transfer to the starting point to go through a safety briefing from the guide before embarking on a mini adventure biking tour to Hanoi hidden countryside. From your bike, watch the locals and their daily activities along the Red River. Cycle though the flower and bonsai gardens before arriving at a pottery village where ceramic flowers and pots are loaded on floating houses. Leave the flower village for the West Lake, cycle along the picturesque lake shore to a coffee shop for a break while enjoying sipping some Vietnamese coffee. Return to the starting point and transfer to Hanoi center.

Note: The tour itinerary may change due to local operational conditions, group size and other unexpected circumstances. In this case we will try our best to alternate with other activity of the equivalence value to the original activity.

Tonight, transfer to Hanoi railway station to catch the night train to Lao Cai.

Night on board the train.

Day 4: Lao Cai – Sapa (B, L)

Arrive at Lao Cai station quite early, meet your guide and enjoy a simple breakfast in one of the local restaurant near the station. Drive away to visit a hill tribe market of H’mong, Phu La, Black Dao, and Nung. At the market, see many local products like spotted-bellied pigs, horses and buffaloes.

In the afternoon, take a gentle hike to discover the picturesque valley of Sapa, near the beautiful Hoang Lien Son Mountain and the summit of Indochina, peak Fansipan.

Please note that if the weather conditions are kind and safety is threatened, our programs may be revised.

Overnight in Sapa.

Day 5: Sapa – Lao Cai – Overnight train to Hanoi (B, L)

Enjoy breakfast then take 30 minute transfer, with spectacular view of Hoang Lien Son, to Ban Khoang.

Arrive Ban Khoang valley to visit Lu Khau, home to Blue H’mongs and Red Dzao people. Walk through the village and meet hospitable locals to learn about their culture and mountain lifestyle. Get back to the car and continue to Ta Giang Phinh, another beautiful valley where local lunch will be served in a local H’mong family.

Walk through the homeland of the Blue H’mong ethnic group. Take time to visit local families to see some craft workshops weaving clothes or making H’mong’s bamboo flutes.

Return to Sapa and you will be transferred to Lao Cai station for the night train to Hanoi.

Sleep on the train.

Day 6: Hanoi – Halong Bay (B, L, D)

Welcome back to Hanoi early and your guide will arrange transfer to your hotel to have breakfast and refreshment.

Leave the hotel at 8:00 AM and head to Halong Bay. The scenic journey by car will take three and half hours to get there through many rice field and small towns along the way through the Red River Delta. Through the car screen, look for locals carrying pigs and chickens or bonsais trees to the local markets. Late in the morning, be welcome onboard and enjoy a tasty lunch. The boat starts to motor toward the center of the UNESCO Heritage Site of Halong Bay.

Partake in some aboard activities (varied on different boats) while take time to enjoy the magnificent view of the Bay from the boat sundeck. Enjoy Happy Hour onboard before the Seafood dinner as the sun has set over the limestone towering mountains.

Night on Halong Bay boat.

Day 7: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Flight to Danang – Hoi An (B, L)

Get up early to partake in Tai Chi on the boat sundeck while enjoy the majestic views of the surrounding limestone formations. Have breakfast and take the last hours on the boat enjoying the view, followed by a brunch onboard. Transfer to the airport for the light to Danang. From here, transfer to hotel in Hoi An.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Note: Halong Bay tour may be changed or revised depending on weather conditions and decision from local authority at time.

Day 8 : Hoi An – My Son – Hoi An (B, L)

Transfer to visit the holy religious center of the lost Champa Kingdom. My Son is home to many towers and shrines built from 7th to 13th centuries. Wind your way through the complex and learn about how the ancient people built such a beautiful brick towers without using mortar. On the way returning to Hoi An, stop for visit Tra Kieu, the ancient capital city of Champa Kingdom before the 8th century.

After lunch in Hoi An, commence on a walking tour to embrace all peaceful beauties of Hoi An UNESCO Heritage town. With history of an Asian busiest trading port, hundreds of ancient houses, dozens temples and pagodas plus the peaceful countryside by the fine sand beaches, Hoi An has won the heart of many international visitors seeking for fascinating culture, old aged tradition, relaxing atmosphere. The tour comprises of the most iconic main sights like ancient residence homes, the mythical Japanese Bridge, a Chinese Assembly House and all the lantern streets by the riverbank.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 9: Hoi An – Danang – Hue (B, L)

Enjoy breakfast and head to Hue, the former imperial city. On the way via Danang, stop to visit Cham Museum, where there are outstanding Cham sculptures. On the top of Hai Van pass (ocean and cloud pass), stop for some spectacularly panoramic view of the two bays and take some postcard photos from 500m above sea. After going through photogenic Lang Co fishing village nearby the lagoon, reach Hue in the afternoon and check in the hotel.

Overnight in Hue.

Day 10: Hue city tour (B, L)

Hue was the capital city of Vietnam where the final Nguyen Dynasty reigned the country from during 1802 to 1945. Departure at 8:30 AM from your hotel, transfer to the royal city to visit royal Citadel. Begin with the Meridian Gate or Ngo Mon Gate, the impressive imposing gate that faces Southbound then follow the yellow roofed royal corridor to the Great Harmony Palace and Dai Noi to see the last imperial throne of the Nguyen emperors.

After the imperial citadel, visit Thien Mu pagoda by the bank of the Perfume River. Situated on a small hill overlooking the river, the pagoda was built in early 1600 by the Nguyen’s first Lord. In 1884 the 21-meter tower was erected to honor Buddha.

Continue the journey on dragon boat to visit the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, designed in the serene pine tree garden and lotus ponds with harmonic setting.

Travel by car to royal tomb of Khai Dinh, designed and built by the emperor himself with blend of architectural elements between traditional elements and European style.

Stroll through vibrant Dong Ba Market to learn more about people daily life and their cuisine.

Overnight in Hue.

Day 11: Hue – Flight to Ho Chi Minh City (B)

From Hue airport, depart for Ho Chi Minh City, the metropolis Southern city of Vietnam. Transfer to the central city and visit highlight destinations of the city such the Reunification Palace, The Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Post Office and the Opera House, all remain dominant buildings of the city until today. At the War Museum, discover different war perspectives and see collection of weaponry items and photos of the wartime. Visit Ben Thanh Market for the most bustling commercial place in Saigon.

Enjoy a fascinating cooking demonstration and enjoy a traditional lunch in one of Saigon’s finest dining restaurants.

Hope on a cyclo and weave winding around the Chinatown district, along the quieter back streets. The cyclo one was the main mean transportation in Saigon before the Honda area started 20 years ago. Visit the herbal medicine shops to learn about the traditional ways of illness treatment. Visit a catholic Cha Tam church and Chua Ong Pagoda, a superb example of Chinese architecture.

Transfer to district one for the Bitexco building – one of the most modern building in Vietnam and the fifth tallest tower in Asia, take in the eagle views from the EON Café lounge while enjoy a refreshing cocktail.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City – Cai Be – Ho Chi Minh City (B, L)

Leave metropolis Ho Chi Minh City and drive for 2.5 hours to Cai Be town further south in the center of the Mekong Delta. Relax on traditional wooden Mekong Queen boat and cruise the waterways and hidden canals of the green Mekong Delta. Enjoy some fresh welcome drink of a coconut and fresh seasonal fruit while watching the local life and daily activities along the riverbanks. From the mighty river, turn into a quieter branch, glide passing the rice processing mills to reach Tan Phong Island, there get off the boat and visit an old house from the 19th century, built by an elite class family, the house provides a glance of how its owners have lived in contradiction with the surrounding countryside life in the former time. Get back on boat and continue the journey to visit some local specialty workshops manufacturing coconut candy, coconut fiber cushions and spring roll rice paper. Try some local green tea served with honey and lime.

Apart from the great green scenery and local river life of the Mekong Delta, your lunch today at the restaurant Le Longanier is one of another highlight marking its note into your Mekong experience; and enjoying lunch in a fully exquisite colonial villa surrounded by tropical fruit garden will give you an in depth look into the Indochina colonial period.

At 2.30 PM, after the lavish lunch, stroll leisurely following a canal and jack fruit gardens toward the Ba Bon bridge where the driver and vehicle will transfer you to Ho Chi Minh City.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City – Departure (B)

After breakfast, take some time to relax at the hotel or be transferred to the airport to depart for the international flight.

 

You might be interested in our Family adventure in South Vietnam, otherwise look for other interesting options in our Vietnam multi-destination tours.