Nature & Culture Tour in Vietnam

Day 1: Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City

Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by your guide and your driver, who will transfer you to your hotel for check-in at 2pm. You will have free time to relax and unwind after your long journey, and then spend the night in Saigon.
Pullman Hotel or Renaissance Riverside – Superior Room


After breakfast, you will depart for the Mekong Delta, and arrive in the Hung Vuong port in the village of Ben Tre after a drive of just an hour and a half. Take a boat excursion on the Ben Tre, a tributary of the vast Mekong River, to discover the commercial and artisanal activity that takes place on the palm-lined banks of the river and on the boats that pack its narrow waterways. Visit a handmade brick workshop, where the shaping and firing is still done in the traditional way. Learn the many ways of using local produce as coconuts are transformed by hand by the side of the river; then share a mid-morning snack of fresh local fruit with a family who make sleeping mats by hand.
Then, enjoy an excursion in a tuk tuk on the shady paths running alongside the rice paddies and vegetable gardens for a glimpse of everyday life in rural Vietnam, before enjoying dinner in a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, take a paddle boat the along the stream to the port of Hung Vuong; return to Saigon by car, and spend the night in Saigon.
Pullman Hotel or Renaissance Riverside – Superior Room

Day 3: Ho Chi Minh City – Da Nang – Hoi An (Breakfast)

After breakfast, the first excursion of the day will be to the Chinese quarter of Cho Lon in Ho Chi Minh City, including the Binh Tay market and the Thien Hau Pagoda. You are free for lunch, then in the afternoon you will be transferred to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for your flight towards Da Nang, from where you will be transferred to the hotel for check-in, and spend the night in Hoi An.

Day 4: Hoi An (Breakfast)

Start your cultural break in Hoi An by taking a walking tour of the city and its marvellous port. Follow its little straight roads lined by houses in typical Chinese, Japanese, French and European styles, and visit the many unmissable tourist destinations: the 400-year-old covered Japanese bridge, the Phuc Kien assembly hall, the local fish market... You will also see the traditional art galleries and tailors shops, where you can get made-to-measure dresses and bespoke suits for bargain prices.
Then continue your visit with a trip to the home of an artisanal lantern-maker in the old quarter. Here, you will have a brief introduction to the history of the origin of the form and colours of the lanterns, as well as the many stages of fabrication. You can even make your own lantern, decorate it, and keep it as a souvenir of your time in Hoi An.
You will be free for lunch, then in the afternoon you can either take a cruise on the Thu Bon river to visit artisanal villages such as Thanh Ha, famous for its pottery, and Kim Bong, celebrated for its carpentry; or just simply wander around the city for shopping and relaxing. Spend the night at Hoi An.

Day 5: Hoi An (Breakfast)

After breakfast, you are free to explore the city or relax on Cua Dai beach. Spend the night at the hotel.

Day 6: Hoi An – Da Nang – Hanoi – Thay Pagoda – Chang Son

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Hanoi. You will be welcomed by an English-speaking guide and driven to the hotel in the centre of the city for check-in, where you are free until after lunch.
In the afternoon, you will be driven towards Ha Tay, around an hour’s drive away, to visit Chang Son, a village whose principal product is traditional paper fans. Here, you can try your hand at making the fans alongside the locals. Then, you will continue driving to visit the Thay Pagoda, a centre of pilgrimage frequented by the people of Hanoi for its ritual value and romantic setting, as well as its stunning reflection pool.
Continue up the 50m vertical ascent to the hilltop pagoda complex, where a collection of charming old buildings and shrines to Quan Am, the bodhisattva of compassion, are perched perilously on the mountain. Appreciate the natural and man-made beauty of the area, before returning to Hanoi.
Nikko Hotel or Sheraton Hotel – Deluxe Room

Day 7: Hanoi – Mai Chau (Breakfast/Lunch)

You will depart after breakfast for Hoa Binh, 75km north-west of Hanoi, with its green open spaces, rice fields, and provincial charm. Visit the village of Muong, nestled in the GIang Mo valley. This traditional village comprises of a hundred or so houses built on stilts, and you can enjoy lunch in the home of a villager in GIang Mo.
In the afternoon, you will continue driving to Mai Chau, where you will arrive late afternoon. After this you have free time to relax, before spending the night at Mai Chau.
Mai Chau Ecolodge -

Day 8: Mai Chau – Hanoi (Breakfast/Lunch)

After breakfast, you will go by bike to visit the villages of Na Tang, Cha Long, Tong Dau and Van, where you will meet the locals. Dine in the home of a villager in Poom Coong, then after lunch you will return to Hanoi, arriving in the afternoon. Spend the night at the hotel.
Nikko Hotel or Sheraton Hotel – Deluxe Room

Day 9: Hanoi – Ha Long (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) - English-speaking guide on the boat

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then set off by car at around 8.30am towards the famous Ha Long Bay, around three and a half hours’ drive away. This iconic Bond-like setting is the ideal place to unwind. Though the first impressions of the trading port might not give you a magical first impression, beyond the port the blissful bay retains its other-worldly charm. Upon arrival, you will board your exclusive junk boat and depart for a cruise, spending a night on the bay in a luxury cabin.
The cruise will weave in and out of the rocks, delving further into this mysterious, romantic, geographical phenomenon. With any luck, the semi-permanent mist will give way to the brilliant Vietnamese sun, and you can observe from deck the vast rocks populated by singing cicadas, and the tiny boats that will approach you in hope that you might buy local produce, or pretty trinkets and souvenirs. Enjoy a seafood lunch, then dinner and the rest of the evening will be spent on board.
Aphrodite Cruise or Sealife Cruises – Luxury Cabin

Day 10: Ha Long – Hanoi (Breakfast/Brunch) – English-speaking guide on the boat

In the morning, you will have breakfast on board, as you navigate across Bai Tu Long bay, passing by rocks, tiny islands and floating fishing villages. A light brunch will be served on board before arriving at the quay around 11am. From here, you will be transferred straight to Hanoi, where you will arrive around 4pm. Spend an hour discovering daily life of Hanoians by bike, before visiting the temples of Ngoc Son and the Hoan Kiem lake. Spend the night in Hanoi.
Nikko Hotel or Sheraton Hotel – Deluxe Room

Day 11: Hanoi – Departure (Breakfast)

On your final morning, you will visit the many sights of Hanoi, including the temple of literature, Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam; the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh; the late President’s former residence, a modest house on stilts; and the monumental Tran Quoc Pagoda part of Hanoi's oldest temple.
You will then be transferred to the airport for your return flights.