Fascinating Vietnam & Laos Tour – 18 Days

Tour informations :

Tour route: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta – Danang – Hoi An – Hue – Hanoi – Halong Bay – Vientiane – Luang Prabang
Duration: 18 days
Date: No fixed departure dates. You may go whenever you wish.
Start/End: Ho Chi Minh city (Vietnam)/Luang Prabang (Laos)
Group size: Private only – 1 person minimum and above
Tour type: Landscapes, Nature and Culture; History; World Heritages; Leisure & Enjoyment.
Tour Customizable: Absolutely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)

Day 1: Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City tour
Day 3: Ho Chi Minh City – Tay Ninh with Cao Dai Temple & Cu Chi Tunnels
Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta (Cai Be Floating market)
Day 5: Mekong Delta-Ho Chi Minh City
Day 6: Ho Chi Minh City – Da Nang – Hoi An
Day 7: Getting to know Hoi an
Day 8: Hoi An – Sanctuary My Son Holy Land
Day 9: Hoi An – Hue
Day 10: Hue – City tour
Day 11: Hue – Fly to Hanoi – Getting to know capital
Day 12: Hanoi – Halong Bay trip cruise (overnight on boat)
Day 13: Halong Bay – Hanoi
Day 14: Hanoi – Vientiane by flight
Day 15: Getting to know Vientiane – Luang Prabang by flight
Day 16: Getting to know Luang Prabang (Day trip)
Day 17: Luang Prabang (Day trip)
Day 18: Luang Prabang – Departure/Head back home.

Day 1: Arrival in Saigon/ Ho Chi Minh City (D)

On arrival at Ho Chi Minh’s Tan Son Nhat International airport, you will be greeted by our guide and transferred to your hotel in town. The rest of the day is free to explore this dynamic city. Tonight we will have nice welcoming dinner at one of the finest restaurants in town. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City tour sightseeing (B, L)

From the morning you will enjoy the city tour unravels HCMC ( former Saigon) ‘s turbulent past and also provides a glimpse into the fascinating variety the city has to offer. This city tour includes The Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office, Remnant War Museum, Giac Lam Pagoda, Chinatown with ancient pagodas and temples, and bustling Binh Tay Market.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 3: Ho Chi Minh City – Tay Ninh with Cao Dai Temple & Cu Chi Tunnels (B/L)

This morning you drive to Cao Dai Temples in Tay Ninh – Cao Dai Holysee Temple is the cathedral of the Cao Daism religion with the Divine Eye – official symbol of Caodaism. Cao Dai followers worship Jesus Christ, Confucius, Taoism, and Buddha. Time to observe the midday service.

Following lunch you will drive to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels – Cu Chi Tunnels consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels. The network included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and a feel of what underground life during the U.S.-Vietnam War.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta- Homestay (Vinh Long & Cai Be floating market) (B, L)

Visit to the land of seasonal fruits, rivers & canals.
This morning we will leave for the Mekong Delta at around 08:00AM. Driving through the Delta to Cai Be, we will take our private cruise to visit Cai Be Floating Market, joining with local people to buy special fruits or other souvenirs. Afterwards, we will continue our boat trip along the maze of waterways and canals through An Binh Island. We will stop at an old southern house with a bonsai garden and visit some local cottage industries that produce candy as well as rice cakes. Afterwards we will board a small restaurant serving the local delicacies of the river. Later, we will arrive at the lush orchards of the house in which we will spend the night in a home stay with a local family in Vinh Long /Mekong Delta.

Day 5: Mekong Delta – Back to Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon (B, L)

After breakfast with the host family, we then board our riverboat for a cruise along the endless waterways of the mighty Mekong. We will stop, visiting brick pottery kilns, and a floating fish farm following our cruise, we will return to the Pier and transfer to our awaiting vehicle to return to Ho Chi Minh City. Lunch will be at My Tho City and our trip will finish at around 04:00PM. We check in hotel, at leisure & stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Day 6: Ho Chi Minh City – Fly to Danang – Hoi An (B)

Domestic flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Danang: local airlines at good quality.
We are picked –up at hotel & transferred to Tan Son Nhat airport for catching the noon or afternoon flight to Danang in center region.
Our local tour guide will welcome upon arrival at the airport in Danang and escort to Hoian. On the way; we can have stops for visiting the Cham museum in Danang where fine artifacts of Cham people are displayed; My Khe beach and a craft village. After that we head to Hoi An town for checking – in the hotel and then at leisure only with overnight.

Day 7: Getting to know Hoi An – Walking tour (B)

From the 16th to 18th centuries, Hoi An was a thriving international commercial port. Today it is a quaint riverside town popular with tourists for its eclectic architecture, tailor shops, and cafes. This morning we will have half-day walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the Ancient Quarter visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, Assembly Hall, the 200-year-old Tam Ky house, and the Japanese Covered Bridge. The remainder of the day is free at leisure.
Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 8: Hoi An – Tour visit Sanctuary My Son (B)

Day 9: Hoi An – Transfer to Hue (B)

You will leave Hoi An for another World Heritage site, Hue, via the Hai Van pass. You will stop to visit the Marble Mountains and a handicraft village before arriving in Hue, where you will tour sites including the Citadel, the Forbidden Purple City, the Imperial Museum and Dong Ba market.
In the evening you will enjoy the fine cuisine of Hue at a local restaurant and then have an overnight stay.

Option: Enjoy a memorable ten course Royal Banquet Dinner complete with local musicians. To add to the occasion our attire will be that of the Imperial court – Kings, Queens, Mandarins and royal ladies in waiting.

Day 10: Hue – City tour with Boat trip (B, L)

A delicious vegetarian lunch will be served at a local Buddhist Monastery. After lunch, we drive back to town, stop at a handicraft workshop to learn about the makings of incent sticks and conical hats. We end up our day by enjoying a relaxing cruise on the Perfume River. We disembark our boat to visit the Holy Thien Mu Pagoda. Return to our hotel.

Overnight in Hue.
Highlights are visited: Forbidden City; Citadels; Thien Mu Pagoda; Perfume River, Tomb & Dong Ba Market.

Day 11: Hue – Fly to Hanoi – City tour (B/L)

Domestic flight from Hue to Hanoi: join good local airlines.
We will be transferred the airport in Hue for catching the morning flight to Hanoi – the capital. Up on arrival at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi we will be transferred onward firstly for city tour.
We drive to visit Ho Chi Minh Complex of Museum; One Pillar pagoda; President Palace and then straightly to Temple of Literature.

We are arranged for enjoying lunch at a good local restaurant nearby before continuing afterward.
After lunch we drive out of city center to visit Museum of Ethnology, the finest museum in Vietnam.
We then back to explore Hanoi’s vibrant Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake & last followed by the unique Water Puppet show.

We are getting to the hotel at late afternoon; check in & at leisure with relaxing & overnight.

Day 12: Hanoi – Halong Bay trip cruise (B, L, D)

• There are 2 options by joining shuttle bus of boat with other people or private vehicle for your own.
• We are picked –up at hotel & departing from Hanoi at 8:30AM. Drive is around 3,5-hours.
• Starting the cruise on the bay on boat by 12:30 & overnight right on boat at the Bay.
From Hanoi we depart for Halong Bay. Our journey takes us through the lush green fields of the Red River Delta to the coast and beautiful Halong Bay whose name means “an Ascending Dragon”. We will arrive in time for a delicious, fresh, seafood lunch on our junk which will cruise this secluded bay so we can marvel at some of the 3000 limestone peaks that emerge from the emerald water. We have the opportunity to view a spectacular cave crammed with stalactites and stalagmites, and, weather permitting, to swim in the clear waters surrounding our boat. We can also kayak to explore some of the hidden charms in part of the bay before spending the night on board.

Day 13: Halong Bay – Transfer back to Hanoi (B,L)

Rising early to the sound of the ocean coming to life for another lovely day. We will have breakfast as the sunrise before further exploration of Halong bay by junk and to the lagoons by row boat. We will visit Luon caves, floating villages, sail to explore the bay and have another fresh seafood lunch on board before approaching Halong wharf. We are getting back on vehicle & driven back to Hanoi.
Upon arriving in Hanoi & drop at hotel at around 16:00- 16:30; check in back hotel & overnight.

Day 14: Hanoi – Fly to Vientiane/ Laos (B, D)

Saying goodbye Hanoi & Vietnam today.
Taking the external flight from Hanoi to Vientiane in Laos.
We are picked –up at hotel & transferred to Noi Bai airport to take a flight to Laos in the morning.
Upon arrival at the airport in Vientiane we will be transferred to our hotel, check in & own leisure.
This afternoon; meet the up back for half day tour; there will be a tour of Vientiane.

Our tour includes the major temples of Vat Sisaket, Vat Phrakeo and the impressive That Luang Stupa, the country’s most important monument. We will also see the Arch of Triumph, the National Museum and the main market.
Our tour is concluded upon dropping back at hotel; and then followed by enjoying nice welcome dinner at a fine local restaurant and back to stay overnight in Vientiane.

Day 15: Vientiane – Luang Prabang by domestic flight (B)

Fly from Vientiane to Luang Prabang by local airline.
This morning we transfer to the airport for the short domestic flight to Luang Prabang. On arrival at airport in Luang Prabang; we are picked –up & welcomed to our hotel for check-in.
Luang Prabang is best known for its beautiful scenery and high numbers of Ancient Temples. This former Royal Capital has a rich variety of architecture, from the old facades of French colonial homes to the glittering temple rooftops.

We embark on a tour after that of this enthralling town visiting Wat Xieng Thong, the Golden City monastery. Dating back to the 16th century this splendid temple is considered to be the finest in Laos. We will also visit the fine temples of Wat May, Wat Vixoun and Wat That Luang. Later in the day we adjourn to the Phousi Holy Hill to enjoy the excellent views of the town and a great sunset.
The left time after tour is at leisure & stay overnight at hotel in Luang Prabang.

Day 16: Getting to know Luang Prabang (B)

Today we take a trip to the Royal Palace Museum. The palace built in 1904 is relatively new by Luang Prabang standards and is a mix of traditional Laos and colonial French design. Afterwards we visit the morning market and the weaving village of Ban Phanom. At leisure. Overnight at hotel in Luang Prabang.

Day 17: Luang Prabang (B)

Today we embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a taste of the tranquil countryside and an interesting visit to the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. Along the way, we stop at Ban Xang Hai, where the local rice wine is produced. On our return, we drive to the famous weaving village of Ban Phanom where shoppers have a chance to try their hand at bargaining. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 18: Luang Prabang – Departure/Head back home (B)

Today we have free time at leisure before transferred to airport for the departure flight. Trip conclude.