FROM HA LONG BAY TO MEKONG DELTA 14 DAYS

Arrival in Noi Bai airport , you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel in the city center. The check-in will be available at 2 pm. The rest of the day is free to rest or discover the city at your own pace.

You will be picked up at the hotel at 8:00 am, starting the day trip with a visit of the Ho Chi MinhComplex, including Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum (closed on Mondays & Fridays) and his former stilt-house residence. We will continue with the Temple of Literature constructed in 1070 to worship Confucius, which served as the first Royal National University in Vietnam. The site also honors 82 Vietnamese doctorates who passed a number of rigorous exams in the feudal ages. Their names, birthdays and birthplaces are engraved in 82 headstones perched on stone tortoises. It is widely believed that touching the heads of these tortoises will bring one luck. Its peaceful green compound and its neatly maintained lawns, gardens and lotus ponds make it a tranquil hideaway from the city’s bustle and heat. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, we will visit the Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays, the alternative being the History Museum), which offers informative and well-documented displays on the country’s 54 ethnic groups cultures, including elaborate and colorful hill tribe costumes. The display continues in the museum’s garden with fascinating examples of traditional houses of numerous minority groups, from the Kinhs to the ethnic groups of the Central Highlands.  Then back to the Old Quarter for a one hour and a half walking tour to give you a deeper insight of local daily life . Head to Ngoc Son Temple set on a tiny island in the middle of HoanKiem Lake. Ngoc Son Temple dates back to the 13th century, and the lake itself is the picturesque heart of Hanoi, frequented by tourists and locals alike.The day ends with a stroll around the HoanKiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) before watching the traditional water puppet show.

Depart at 8h00 am from Hanoi to Mai Chau, a picturesque valley, predominantly inhabited by the White Thai ethnic group. Arrive in Mai Chau around noon and transfer to your hotel, then lunch will be followed by a short break. In the afternoon, we will make a nice bike ride to discover an authentic and uncharted country, unspoiled by mass tourism. You’re gonna be charmed by the traditional houses on stilts, the Thai’s friendly smiles and greetings, vegetable gardens, green rice and bamboo forests along the way, crossing many villages of different ethnic groups: ChiengSai, Cha, Cha Long, Na Tang, Tong Dau ... Return to the lodge to admire its natural surroundings. After dinner, enjoy the traditional music show. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, you’ll be picked up and transferred to Pu Luong. You enter Pu Luong Nature Reserve  via a breathtaking mountain pass giving you a panoramic view of the whole valley. You arrive at your accommodation in time for a delicious lunch, followed by some free time to explore the beautiful retreat, with its captivating panoramic views and tranquil setting. 
In the afternoon, transfer to a place about 12 km from the Retreat, where you will start your walk to a suspension bridge over Cham River, afterward follow the river, walk from village to village looking for stunning water wheels. Get close to each wheel and discover how water is directed from the river to handmade bamboo aqueducts via simple constructions of all sizes. Arriving at Chieng Lau village, you can rest and enjoy a tranquil streamside scenery. Walk to the main road to be transferred back to Pu Luong Retreat for dinner.

We will start the day by descending into the beautiful valley facing the Retreat where you will walk around tumbling rice terraces. Then walk through small paths shrouded in vegetation that will slowly reveal a picturesque Uoi village sitting at the base of a towering mountain. Your camera will not be able to sit still when you see this panoramic view of the village from above.
Keep walking downhill to Uoi village then on to Lan village. If the time allows it, we will visit a local family where we’ll learn about their traditional brocade weaving. Walk through the rice paddies to reach the car pick-up point. Back to Puluong Retreat to check-out and transfer to Ninh Binh where you will check-in at your hotel in the later afternoon.

After breakfast at the hotel, take a bicycle ride along winding roads passing lotus ponds, temples and cottages, typical of Vietnamese countryside, and stop at Bich Dong pagoda for a tour. After that, transfer to visit Hang Mua cave. Its name means “dancing cave” because this site was previously considered as the place where Tran king used to enjoy dancing & singing shows. At Hang Mua, walk around the park and explore the caves there, then we will challenge ourselves with 500 steps to the mountain top where we will be rewarded with the fresh air on the “rooftop of NinhBinh”and a panoramic view.
In the afternoon, we will take the road to Tam Coc, where we will embark on a small rowing boat to discover the outstanding karst waterscape on Ngo Dong River. Tam Coc literally translates to «three caves» and is adorned with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites of all sizes shaped like gemstones. While rowing, enjoy the peaceful scenery of rice paddies lining the river bank. Then visit Hoa Lu, the ancient Royal Capital of Vietnam, and two temples: Temple of King Dinh and of King Le, where you can admire this unique architecture from ancient times. Overnight in Ninh Binh.

After breakfast, depart to Halong Bay via Thai Binh and Nam Dinh, passing a peaceful countryside typical of the Red River Delta with endless rice fields and winding rivers. We will arrive at Halong’s tourist wharf around noon and embark on an elegant wooden junk. Lunch will be served while the boat gently cruises past numerous islands and limestone structures rising from the emerald water. A fresh seafood dinner will be prepared by an experienced chef and served on deck. A peaceful night on board in your private cabin.

Continuation of the cruise in Halong Bay in the middle of the countless islets. You will never tire of this magical landscape! Disembark and drive towards Hanoi airport. Flight to Hue.

In the morning, we will take a boat trip on the poetic Perfume River. Stop to visit Thien Mu Pagoda (Celestial Lady Pagoda) built in 1601, the symbol of Hue city. Explore Minh Mang Mausoleum, one of Hue's finest royal tombs, an architectural complex comprised of 40 buildings (palaces, temples, pavilions, etc.). Disembark for lunch at a local restaurant. The afternoon will be spent visiting Hue Imperial City, the last royal city of Vietnam with various beautiful architectures including the Flag Tower, Ngo Mon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace and the Forbidden Purple City or Tu Cam Thanh. We will then visit the Tomb of Emperor TuDuc, which was built between 1864 and 1867 by 3000 soldiers and workers. It includes 50 monuments surrounded by a 1500m long wall and covers an area of 12 hectares. Take time to soak in its tranquil and relaxing setting.

After breakfast, drive on the Mandarin road, a scenic journey from Hue to Hoi An, which allows you to see a picturesque Vietnam with stunning beaches and lush tropical forest. On the way, take some pictures at Danang Beach and visit Marble Mountains and the Cham Museum. In Hoi An, check-in at your hotel and have lunch at a restaurant. In the afternoon, explore Hoi An’s ancient town visiting the Japanese Pagoda Bridge, Chinese streets, old Phung Hung houses, Hoi An’s market and ancient port. On the 1st and 15th of every lunar month, Hoi An’s ancient town is lit up by hundreds of colorful lanterns, ever more sparkling. Following the tour, you will stop over at Reaching Out tea house, a tranquil oasis in the center of bustling Hoi An.

After having breakfast, our guide and car will pick you up at your hotel and take you to My Son Holy Land, which was once, between the 4th and 12th century, the capital city of the Champa Kingdom. My Son is a large complex of religious relics that comprises more than 70 architectural works. Including temples and towers connecting to each other with complicated red brick designs. In the afternoon, depart for Da Nang airport. Flight to Ho Chi Minh City. 

After breakfast, head to an authentic place where the elders exhibit collectible birds. We will enjoy the atmosphere of the green park of Tao Dan around a good coffee. Then we will visit the Notre Dame Cathedral and the General Post Office. Finally, stop at The Reunification Palace, formerly known as the Presidential Palace, which was the residence of the president of South Vietnam until the end of April 1975. Transfer and overnight at the hotel in Can Tho. 

Early in the morning, hop on a boat to discover the Cai Rang Floating Market, the largest and most lively in the Mekong Delta. The setting is beautiful: hundreds of motorized sampans, filled with rice, fruits and crafts, come together to exchange and sell local products. Then take on a bike ride in the region of VamXang, capital of several kinds of fruit trees. Meet the locals to experience their daily lives and have lunch at the house of one of them. Drive back to Ho Chi Minh for overnight.

Depending on the schedule of your return flight, take advantage of your free time to shop in the bustling streets of Saigon: Le Loi, Ton Duc Thang, Nguyen Hue, Pasteur, or rest at the hotel (room available until 'at 12). Transfer to the airport. End of our services.