Itinerary

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1. DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN HANOI

   Welcome to Hanoi – Vietnam. Upon arrival to Noi Bai Airport, you are warmly greeted by Goway Asia Travel’s team and then take you to hotel in downtown for check-in. The rest of the day is yours to relax or exploring Old Quarter area on your own.
   Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.
   Meals included: No meals.

2. DAY 2: HANOI - CITY TOUR & LOCAL FOOD DISCOVERY

   After breakfast, pay your respect to the nation’s founder at the Ho Chi Minh Complex and Ba Dinh Square, an important point of pilgrimage for the Vietnamese. Explore the nearby simple cottage on stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked during his humble beginnings as a revolutionary. Next, move to the Ho Chi Minh Museum featuring an extraordinary tribute to his life. Gain insight into the prewar history of the country at the Governor’s Residence, also known as the Presidential Palace, an excellent example of Hanoi’s classical French architectural heritage, and Ho Chi Minh refused to live in the opulent structure for symbolic reasons, opting to build a traditional Vietnamese stilt house on the grounds instead. Stop by the iconic One Pillar Pagoda - a unique Vietnamese architecture reminiscent of a lotus blossom rising from a pond and hear the legend of its construction. Before have a lunch, we stop to visit the first place named Tran Quoc Pagoda, a Buddhist relic and national heritag lying on the West Lake.
   Afternoon, continue with the Temple of Literature, built in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius. Next is Hoa Lo (so-called Hanoi Hilton), a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. Prisoners of War.
   Later, hop on a cyclo, one of the most typical vehicles in Hanoi, is a human-powered transport with a seat at the front for passengers and the driver at the back. With this an hour leisurely ride, which is perfect chance for photos and slow-moving sightseeing, you will have a great chance to have the local closer touch.
   Finish the day with a walking tour and tasting Vietnamese authentic local cuisine around the Old Quarter area. You will have a chance to not only sample delicious street foods but also to explore hidden alleyways and bustling markets. Our food tour includes "Bun Cha" - rice noodle with BBQ pork, one of the most favorable dishes for foreigners, then followed by "Banh Cuon" - steamed rice roll, "Banh Mi" - another well-known Vietnamese food that is even added into Oxford English Dictionary.
   Now, it is time for cup of Bia Hoi (Vietnamese draft beer) or enjoy a cup of unmissable Egg coffee, while we sit down and mingle with locals. It seems it is one not be missed for foodie in Hanoi.
   Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.
   Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner with streetfood.

3. DAY 3: HANOI - DRIVE TO SAPA - VISIT SAU CHUA VILLAGE & WATCH SUNSET

   After breakfast, you will check out your hotel and be transferred by shuttle bus (luxury limousine bus) on the road for 5,5 hours to Sapa. Established as a hill station by the French in 1922, Sapa today is a must-visit destination in the Northwest. This is northern Vietnam’s premier trekking base, from where hikers launch themselves into a surrounding countryside of cascading rice terraces and tiny hill-tribe villages that seem a world apart.
   After arriving Sapa and checking into your hotel and relax.
   In the afternoon, your guide and driver will take you to visit Sau Chua ethnic Black Hmong village. This village has been recently discovered and much less visited. It is located on the mountain summit, therefore, you can take the best photos of panorama Sapa Town down there at sunset. Besides, you will have lots of interactions with the villagers who show their great hospitality and want to share their life so you’ll learn more about how they live. Back to Sapa, you can stroll around the town, visit the Old French Church, or just relax at hotel for your refreshment.
   Overnight at hotel in Sapa.
   Meals included: Breakfast.

4. DAY 4: SAPA – VISIT VILLAGES

   After breakfast, you will meet your tour guide again and begin the day with a 3km-trek through the breathtaking landscape to the village of Suoi Ho.
   Continue your hike toward the stunning village of Ma Tra. You will pass the impressive ruins of a French Catholic church built in the early twentieth century. Take a few minutes to explore this intriguing sight and take some photos as you wish.
   Your hike will grow deeper until your arrival at Ta Phin Village, inhabited by the Red Dzao ethnic minority tribe, with their beautiful traditionally embroidered outfits and practice of shaving their hair and eyebrows as a sign of respect. Ta Phin village is also home to the Black H’mong minority who live their own way with no cultural mixture.
   Pause at a Red Dzao family and over a cup of tea, have a chat with them learning about their lifestyle. Enjoy a delicious lunch cooked and served by the family.
   After lunch, you have time to stroll around the village, take pictures and do some fun shopping. The Red Dao people are known for their expertise in herbal medicine as well as the usage of plants from the land to treat many illnesses. If you’re a bit sore from the activities of the day, sample a traditional herbal bath made by a local Dzao specialist, famous for its therapeutic qualities.
   Leaving Ta Phin you will be picked by your private driver and taken back to Sapa town where the balance of the day will be at your leisure. You may take a stroll around the town and visit the night market for some delicious local delicacies.
   Overnight at hotel in Sapa.
   Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.

5. DAY 5: SAPA – BAC HA MARKET (SUNDAY) – HANOI BY NIGHT TRAIN

   After breakfast and check out of the hotel, you will be picked up and driven for three hours to Bac Ha for the colorful Sunday Market. Nestled deep in the mountains, Bac Ha town is a quiet backwater Monday to Saturday, but by Sunday crowds of locals from thousands of surrounding villages descend on the town for trading at the market.
   Upon arrival, you will set out to explore the market with your guide. The market itself is a kaleidoscope of color, noise, and culture, where locals in an array of traditional dress barter for cows and show off delicately embroidered and embellished designs. Wander, camera in hand, and soak in the lively atmosphere while fending off the persistent sellers. The scent of fresh herbs and fragrant, strong tobacco wafts among the tented stalls and the overpowering smell of animals drifts down from the live market above.
   After lunch at a local restaurant, you will drive downhill to Trung Do Village which is home to the Tay minority.  Then you’ll continue onwards to Lao Cai station for your night train journey back to Hanoi. You will have the opportunity to drop your bags at mini hotel near the station where you can take a shower or have dinner before boarding the train. Accommodation on the train will be on a shared basis in a four-berth soft sleeper compartment with air-conditioning.
   Overnight on train.
   Meals included: Breakfast.

6. DAY 7: HANOI - HALONG BAY

   Upon arrival at Hanoi Train Station, your guide will pick you up and take you to a nearby hotel where you will have the opportunity to take a shower and have some rest.
   After breakfast, you will travel to Halong Bay and arrive the harbor around noon. There, you will embark on a cruise in the must-see Halong Bay. This world-famous bay is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Vietnam, with its giant rock islets covered in luxuriant vegetation overlooking the waters. Halong Bay includes some 1,900 islands and islets of rocky peaks, often uninhabited and unvisited.
   This scene creates a spectacular marine landscape, which earned it UNESCO World Heritage status in 1994. You will be served lunch and dinner aboard with excellent and freshly caught seafood from the bay. At the end of the day, you will have the chance to enjoy a night fishing session on the boat.
   Overnight on cruise.
   Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

7. DAY 7: HALONG BAY - FLY TO DANANG - HOIAN

   Start the day with calming Tai Chi session on the sun deck. We will pass beautiful spots while having a light breakfast. In this morning, you are free to choose to explore a cave on an island or just spend your time soaking up some sun. After checking out from your cabin, we have a brunch on board. Around noon, we arrive back at Halong harbor. It's time to say goodbye to Halong Bay and head to Hanoi airport.
   You will catch the short flight to Danang city.
   Upon arrival at airport, you will be picked up by your local guide & driver and taken to your hotel in Hoian ancient town. Check in & free for the rest of day.
   Overnight at hotel in Hoian.
   Meals included: Brunch.

8. DAY 8: HOIAN ECO TOUR - VISIT ANCIENT TOWN & A TASTE OF LOCAL FOOD

   After breakfast, you will proceed to Cam Thanh, the 7 hectare water coconut forest which houses many species of sea life such as crabs, snails, fish, turtle…This is the ideal spot for fishing. Once we are there, get on a basket boat – a locally used daily for fishing. Disembarking the boat to begin another chapter of your day. We’ll depart for Tra Que village by cycling on level ground. At the village, you will be shown the environmentally sustainable practices which the local villagers have used for centuries and is still being used extensively today. Put on a uniform to join the gardeners on their farming activities. You’ll be shared about raking soil on the field; scooping water, planting vegies.
   After some farming practices, head a local family to enjoy a foot massage and the traditional herbal foot dip. You will be back to the hotel for relax. Get ready for the afternoon walking and food tour
   Your tour guide will pick you up and take you to discover the charm of Hoi An, as a renowned World Heritage Site. Once a bustling maritime commercial port of Asia between 15th and 19th centuries, Hoi An is now a peaceful town of exceptionally well-preserved architecture, lifestyles and traditions. The town exemplifies a fascinating fusion of cultures between Vietnam and the outside world including China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines. Besides visiting must-see highlights of the Old Town such as the town’s iconic 400-year-old Covered Bridge, the 200-year-old Tan Ky House…The highlight of the day is the visit to the Reaching Out Tea House, a welcome little oasis of calm in the busy, vibrant Old quarter, owned and operated by the mute and deaf people. Here you will be treated with delicious cakes and incredible tea in the Eastern style.
   Hoi An is a food lover’s paradise, famous for its wonderful cuisine and delicious street food. Now, it’s time for your Hoi An street food discovery tour. With your guide, you will weave in and out the tiny alleyways, get to chow down with the locals at stalls you’d never discover on your own. Every day at 4 pm, Hoi An’s streets filled with a myriad of street food carts, stalls, and vendors. The street food tour will give you an unforgettable and delicious culinary experience as we sample many local specialties. The town is a melting pot of cultures, which has influenced its cuisine. Originating in the 15th century as an important South East Asian commercial port, it became home to many Chinese traders and merchants; hence, the strong influence of Chinese cuisine, which is guided by the forces of Yin and Yang to create a regulating balance of flavors and textures. The French, Japanese and Indians also contributed to the town’s unique cuisine.
   Overnight at hotel in Hoian.
   Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner with streetfood.

9. DAY 9: HOIAN - DAY AT LEISURE

   Spend your full day to relax at your leisure in this town. Hoi An is the perfect place to potter around, shop at the many tailor stores, and dine at the town’s fabulous restaurants. In this town, you can get a suit/ tuxedo made within 24 hours at a reasonable price. You can also take an opportunity to join a cooking class to learn about the arts of Vietnam culinary; visiting the local market, choosing ingredients and preparing and cooking Hoi An special dishes.
   You can contact us to join our optional tours for your activities today.
   Overnight at hotel in Hoian.
   Meals included: Breakfast.

10. DAY 10: HOIAN - HUE

    After breakfast, you will travel for approximately 3 hours to the Royal City of Hue. Today the drive over the Hai Van Pass will be one of the most scenic ones on your trip. En route, you will stop to visit Lap An lagoon, a beautiful landscape picture with white clouds floating, with high mountains overlapping on a unique blue background
    Arrive in Hue after midday and check into your hotel.
    Your guide and driver will pick you up and transfer you to the wharf for your boat ride on the Perfume River. During the boat cruise, you will stop to visit the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda, a symbol of Hue.
    After the boat cruise, you will explore the Dong Ba Market runs along the north bank of Huong (Perfume) River.  Here you will sample the best Bun Bo Hue “Hue Noddle soup”.
    Return to the hotel in the late afternoon. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure.
    Overnight at hotel in Hue.
    Meals included: Breakfast.

11. DAY 11: HUE - FULL DAY CITY TOUR

    Hue City, the former Imperial Capital of Vietnam for the 1802-1945 period and the last refuge of Vietnamese feudalism.
    The city's beauty is characterized by the natural scenic landscape and an extensive variety of historical relics. Begin your tour with Hue Citadel, a well-known UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site which is a 520ha fortress-like grand complex built in yearly 1800s and featuring three enclosures separated by heavy ramparts namely Kinh Thanh Hue (Civic City) as the outer, Hoang Thanh (Royal City) as the middle and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden City) as the inner. Continue to Thien Mu Pagoda - the tallest pagoda in Vietnam, which stands on the Northern bank of the meandering river. It is an active Buddhist monastery with its origins dating back to 1601. Finally, enjoy an excursion by boat along the peaceful Perfume River (Huong River), admire the beautiful landscapes and tranquility.
    Overnight at hotel in Hue.
    Meals included: Breakfast.

12. DAY 12: HUE - FLY TO HO CHI MINH CITY

    Have breakfast at hotel. Then you will be picked up and transferred to Phu Bai Airport for taking flight to Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals.
    On arrival Tan Son Nhat airport, your guide and driver is awaiting and drive you to the hotel in the city center.
    Spend the rest of the day visiting some of Ho Chi Minh City’s key highlights: the Reunification Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the ornate City Hall (Hotel De Ville), the old Opera House, the Central Post Office, renowned for its architecture, and Ben Thanh Market, where vendors display a vast array of goods and handicrafts, appealing to every taste.
    Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.
    Meals included: Breakfast.

13. DAY 13: HO CHI MINH CITY – CU CHI TUNNELS & CAO DAI TEMPLE

    This morning, you will visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels, an incredible underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the long struggle for independence.
    The network included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens.
    After that, drive to Tay Ninh province to visit Cao Dai great temple - one of the most striking structures in Asia. This temple is the holy land of Cai Dai religion - a mixture of Buddhism, Confucius, Taoism, Hinduism, Christianity…). You will have chance to attend the daily noon prayer. Come back Saigon in the late afternoon.
    Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.
    Meals included: Breakfast.

14. DAY 4: HO CHI MINH - DAY TRIP TO MEKONG DELTA

    After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at hotel, head out to Ben Tre Town in the Mekong Delta, famous for its vast rice fields, numerous waterways, and beautiful landscapes. Known as the ‘rice bowl’ of Vietnam, this region produces most of Vietnam’s fruit, rice, sugar cane, and coconuts.
    Arrive in Ben Tre, you will take the boat trip cruising along Ben Tre river to see daily life of local people by the riverside. Next, visit the coconut candy workshop, see the manufacturing process of making coconut candies – one of the famous typical product of Ben Tre Province, try some delicious coconut candies and seasonal tropical fruit. Walking on the green village path and discover daily local active life. Visit coconut shell workshop, coconut shell actived carbon factory, classic “fired brick and tile” by local Mekong soil.
    Take the boat trip to visit a riverside village, take a walk on small paths to come to visit a Temple of village named Phuoc Thanh. Explore their daily life connected nature and culture where they believe in ancestor and religion.
    Continue to cruise along Balai river, see thousands of green mangrove trees, enjoy the peace and beauty of nature along the journey.
    Getting to different experienced by taking local transport like motor cart (local named “Xe lôi”) or riding bike on the village roads through the green coconut forest, banana plantation and orchards
    After lunch served with special local food at a local restaurant, then you will take the rest or spend time in the orchard, enjoy many kinds of tropical fruit and relax. Take a rowing boat ride along meandering canal under the shade of coconut and then return to the pier and drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.
    Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.
    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.

15. DAY 15: HO CHI MINH CITY - DEPARTURE

    You are free until transfer to Ho Chi Minh International Airport where you board your flight home or travel on to next destinations!
    Meal included: Breakfast.