Classic Vietnam Vista – 21 Days

North Vietnam Itinerary 8 Days

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (D)

Welcome upon arrival in Hanoi by Cozy Vietnam Travel’s local tour guide and driver, we then transfer to hotel. Relax after a long flight and we enjoy our welcome dinner at a local restaurant in town. Overnight in Hanoi.

Remarks: In case your flight to Hanoi in the morning and you want to have a half-day tour, please advise then we will give you optional tours.

Day 2: Hanoi City Tour (B)

After breakfast at the hotel, we visit Ho Chi Minh Complex to see Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilt, the Presidential Palace, and the One Pillar Pagoda. Followings we visit the Temple of Literature which originally built as a temple to Confucius. This is the site of Vietnam’s first university dating back to 1070. The Temple now is a destination of Vietnamese students for their educational good luck praise.

After lunch, we keep on visiting the Museum of Ethnology, which is widely acknowledged as the best in the country and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples. Then we are back to the center city to take one-hour cyclo around the Old Quarter, known as the 36 streets. This bustling area of narrow streets is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. The last activity today is to enjoy the unique Water Puppet show.

Day 3: Hanoi – Halong Bay (Overnight on Deluxe Junk) (B, L, D)

Travel to Halong Bay today along the Red River Delta. Stopping at a halfway for short relax then we catch up Tuan Chau Pier at midday. After a short transfer by tender, check in the cruise and get a warm welcome on board by crew team then enjoy our fresh seafood lunch while the cruising deeper into the Bay.

In the afternoon, visit Sung Sot cave (the Amazing cave) and relax, swim or do kayak around. When the sunset comes, we relaxing on the sundeck, enjoy our favorite drink… Later, we enjoy our dinner then overnight on the cruise.

Day 4: Halong Bay Exploration Tour (Overnight on Deluxe Junk) (B, L, D)

After breakfast, travel the different area of the Halong Bay by a day boat, enjoy kayak in the tranquil beauty of the Lan Ha Bay. The camera should not be missed because there are many photo opportunities today. We will be at a deserted lagoon, quiet floating village, we also have a chance to see the last rays of the sun cash reflections over the beautiful area….We enjoy our BBQ lunch on the beach and swim at the nice, quiet beach. It depends on the tide of each day, we will have an alternative option. And we are back to the overnight cruise at the end of the day. Dinner and overnight in Halong Bay.

Day 5: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Night Train to Sapa (B, L)

Today crew team will take us to Titov island where we can swim or climb up to the top of the mountain to get the panorama view of the Bay. Later we join the cooking demonstration and have lunch. The cruise arrives at the pier at midday then we take our vehicle back to Hanoi for our night train to Sapa.

Day 6: Sapa Trekking Tour (B, L, D)

Day 7: Sapa – Homestay (B, L, D)

We check out hotel this morning then leave the busy town behind to Muong Hoa valley where we stay overnight at a local house. We trek downhill to Lao Chai & Ta Van village, a village of Black H’mong ethnic minority people, stop at the waterfall and old hydroelectric station; then trek along a dirt trail through rice paddy terraces. We have lunch at another Black H’mong village of Y Linh Ho, enjoy the fresh air and relax in a river area nearby.

Day 8: Sapa – Night Train to Hanoi (B, L)

Have breakfast with host this morning then keep on trekking through the bamboo forest, the area belongs to Hoang Lien National Park to Giang Ta Chai village of the Red Dao ethnic minority people. We stop for lunch at a nice place in the village then continue on trekking to Su Pan, a small village located nearby the road. From here, our awaiting vehicle will take us back to Sapa and Lao Cai railways station for our night train to Hanoi.

Central Vietnam Itinerary 9 Days

Day 9: Hanoi – Fly to Hue – City Tour Half-day (B, L)

Today we take a morning flight to Hue after the night train. We will meet tour guide and driver in Hue, then transfer to hotel. Later we visit Citadel, The Forbidden City, and Dong Ba market. Overnight in Hue.

Day 10: Hue Boat Trip & Transfer to Hoi An (B)

After breakfast, we take a dragon boat trip along the Perfume River down to Thien Mu Pagoda where we can see the panorama of Hue city. From here, we travel to King Khai Dinh’s tomb and Tu Duc’s tomb.

In the afternoon, we drive southward to Hoi An via Hai Van Pass & Danang city with Cham Museum, Non Nuoc Beach, and Marble Mountain. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 11: Hoi An Walking Tour & Cooking Class (B, L, D)

Today, we have a morning walking tour in Hoi An town – one of the World Culture Heritages of Vietnam. This quaint riverside town still boasts a wealth of century’s old traditional architecture. The influences of several Asian cultures can be seen in old houses and waterside buildings. It is also famous as a place to be instantly created inexpensive tailored outfits.

In the afternoon, we join the fantastic Cooking class at Red Bridge restaurant with first activity to visit Hoi An colorful market to experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy market; and purchase some of the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later.

Then, we board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking School; explore the cooking school’s herb and vegetable garden before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – each dish is first demonstrated by the Red Bridge chef’s before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration). After the lesson, we sit down and eat exactly what we have cooked.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 12: Hoi An Farming & Fishing Eco-Tour (B, L)

This morning, we can choose bus or bike to cycle to a local farming village to join daily work life of local farmers – hoeing and a soil, watering veggie at an organic herb garden, riding water buffalo in the field and enjoy the freshest air of the countryside beauty. After that, board the Hoi An Eco-tour boat and cruise to the mouth of the river where it meets the Cua Dai Sea.

We also learn and try our hand at local traditional fishing techniques using round and cast nets, learn to paddle the strange and unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boats. Explore the now tranquil coconut-palm flanked waterways of a past war and hear of the extreme conditions endured by soldiers on both sides. Have a relaxed fun with catching beautiful purple crabs on bamboo basket boat. After visiting a local water coconut palm village, we take a walk around the village and have some tea and snack with local talks… Back on-board our Hoi An Eco-tour boat, enjoy our lunch and the cold beer or soft drink on the boat, then back to resort. Afternoon at leisure.

Day 13: Hoi An – Danang & Fly to Nha Trang (B)

Our driver will transfer us to Danang International airport then we take the morning flight to Nha Trang beach city. Welcome upon arrival in Nha Trang then we relax at the beach for the rest of the day. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 14: Nha Trang Islands & Snorkeling Tour Half-day (B, L)

This morning we take a boat trip to Tri Nguyen Aquarium on Mieu Island to visit the small ocean world of various sea species of Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa Province. Then we keep on boating to Mun Island for snorkeling. Here we have a chance to see lots of lives colorful corals and fishes. Next, we visit Mot island, Tranh Beach island where we are relaxing, swim or join water sports. We also see the sea swallow nests on the rock islands during the boat trip. Lunch on the island and get back to the hotel at around 4 pm.

Day 15: Nha Trang Leisure Day (B)

Today we relax at the beach or spend your full day at Vinpearl Theme Park or visit Thap Ba Ponagaror take the mud bath and spa…

Day 16: Nha Trang – Dalat (B)

After breakfast, we travel up to Dalat, stop at any place if you want to take photos or relax. We arrive in the “Romance city” in the afternoon and relax.

Day 17: Dalat City Tour (B, D)

Today we visit the 7 most wonderful places in Dalat including The Robin Hill with 1,650m to get the panorama of the romantic city of Dalat; Truc Lam Zen Monastery which is the largest Zen Monastery of Vietnam. We catch this place by cable car; Tuyen Lam lake which is considered as the nicest lake in Dalat; Bao Dai Summer Palace here the last Emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai King (1913 – 1997) stayed and ruled his Vietnam from 1949 to 1954; Czary House a brightly painted concrete house that winds itself around trees, mimicking their shapes; Dalat Railway station which is remarkable for its architecture and its old steam locomotive; Trai Mat go through vegetable farms. We take a 7km train to this place (on one-way rain only); Linh Phuoc pagoda, this pagoda is the most colorful decorated one in Dalat, caved with tens of thousands of beer bottles and broken china ceramic. It is well worth to visit; Lat minority people’s village, where the people live in wooden, thatched huts. Dinner at a local restaurant.

South Vietnam Itinerary 4 Days

Day 18: Dalat – Fly to Ho Chi Minh City (B)

We take a flight down to Ho Chi Minh City this morning and relax in the rest of the day. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 19: Ho Chi Minh Tour & Cu Chi Tunnels (B)

Depending on the weather today, we can visit Cu Chi Tunnels in the morning or afternoon. If our traveling time in the raining season, we will visit Cu Chi Tunnel in the morning then city tour in the afternoon. The tour guide will plan for us on tour.

Cu Chi Tunnels, otherwise known as the “Iron Triangle” or “Iron Land” is around 70km far from Ho Chi Minh city. It takes us more than 1-hour driving through the pleasant countryside; rubber plantations and rice paddies. From here, we will have a short time to enjoy the introductory video of how the tunnels constructed; and then explore the maze of the tunnels where are widened for visiting. We also see various mantraps and the remains of a US tank, as well as various bomb craters made by 500lb bombs, dropped by B52 bombers. Relaxing time, we may try to use the real guns and bullets (your own paid – US$1/bullet).

After Cu Chi tunnels tour, we travel back to Ho Chi Minh city for our half day city tour. The highlights of this afternoon are the Reunification Palace (the former Presidential Place of the South Vietnam President in the past); the War Remnant museum where we can see countless artifacts, photographs, and pictures documenting about the second Indochina war; the Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office. Before going back to our hotel, we have a short time to visit the Ben Thanh market. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 20: Ho Chi Minh – Mekong Delta (B, L)

After breakfast today, you will be picked up from your hotel to enjoy the day tour to Mekong Delta to visit the colorful Cai Be floating market, islands.

Cai Be floating market is the whole sales markets where the local people take their small boats to buy goods, fruits, and other farming products from big boats. The floating market is started from early morning to late morning. After the market, we take rowing boat deeper into the countryside on smaller canals to see the real Vietnam island villages and people. After lunch at a local house, we have time to bike ride along the village paths; then we boat back to the city where our own vehicle takes us back to Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 21: Ho Chi Minh City Departure (B)

Today our awaiting vehicle transfers us back to the Tan Son Nhat International airport for our departure flight. Vietnam Tour 3-week itinerary ends.