Travel Style
Active & Adventure
Destinations
Chau Doc, Can Tho, Hue, Dong Hoi, Sa Pa
Highlights Itinerary Accommodation Inclusions/Exclusions
A unique Vietnam travel plan in 20 days offering insightful understanding of Vietnam uncovers the breathtaking nature and culture in Vietnam, picturesque landscapes from northern to southern Vietnam. This adventure travel Vietnam tour includes must see places of Vietnam like Hanoi City, Halong Bay overnight cruise, Hue ancient capital, Hoi An ancient town, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta; and adventourous things to do in Vietnam such as stunning hiking routes in Sapa mountainous region, thrilling caving and hiking in Quang Binh, incredible cycling in Hue, Hoi An and remoted places in Mekong Delta. You will have chance to intermingle with local people and learn on culture and belief of different ethnic groups in Vietnam like the minorities of Dao and Hmong in Sapa, the Khmer community in Mekong region and son on. Diverse local means of transportation like night train, overnight cruise, wooden boat; opportunities to sample the food from different parts of Vietnam and different activities for active travelers like cycling, hiking, walking make a colorful brocaded Vietnam Tour. The proposed itinerary also includes highlighted and off-path Vietnam travel destinations; which make it attractive to travelers looking for 3 week Vietnam itinerary.
Welcome to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam since 1010 which was originally named Thang Long or rising dragon. Surpassing thousand of years, Hanoi become a country's cradle of culture and history. These days, beside being a leading developed cities in Vietnam with vibriant centers, this city presents stunning gastronomy, various architecture of colonial and feudal styles, iconic historical construction and great local lifestyle.
Upon your arrival at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, you are greeted by your tour guide and travel to hotel in Hanoi city center for check-in. Stay at leisure till the rest of the day for refreshment.
After breakfast at hotel, you will delve into the marvelous city tour discovering Hanoi. Begin with the Tran Quoc Pagoda on the peninsula to the East of West Lake – the biggest lake in Hanoi. Apart from its remarkable location, Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest pagoda in Vietnam dating back in 6th century offering serene ambience. Next, have a 15 minute leisure walk from Tran Quoc Pagoda to Ba Dinh Square to contemplate Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum from front. You then come and see the President Palace, the old houses of Ho Chi Minh president showing his respectful simplicity and plain lifestyle. Afterward, you will have lunch with tasty Vietnamese cuisine.
After the lunch, you will visit Temple of Literature in Hanoi a construction of 11th century since Le Dynasty where was the first university of Vietnam also the temple of Confucious. Passing the gate, you will leave behind the busy traffic of a modern city to enter the holy monastery of Vietnamese education to learn meaningful cultural stories. Then, move on to Hanoi Old Quarter of busy narrow streets and alleys. Since the Feudal time, Hanoi Old Quarter has played a crucial role in purchasing of goods between Vietnamese and Chinese. Following the long-time practiced business custom of "you need cooperate with friend to develop together", all traders at same business gathered in the same street that make each street named after the main business operated there; then each street name begins with "Hang" which means store. Walking by each corner, you will find interesting stories in the Old Quarter. Optional to stop any time to get a local drink, food or buying some souvernirs (on your own cost for flexibility).
Depart from city center toward Ninh Binh Province about 90km (56 miles) in the south of Hanoi. After roughly 2 hour driving, you will stop at Hoa Lu Temples to pay a visit to Dinh Kinh and Le King who are respectable figures who respectively ended internal conflicts between 12 military troops and protected the land from invaders in both the northern and southern regions of country. Then, have lunch at local restaurant serving tasty dishes of Ninh Binh cuisine.
Afterward, you will get on a small wooden boat rowed by a villager on Ngo Dong River in Tam Coc. The pleasant boat trip in Tam Coc offers picturesque scenes of limestone mountain, three water caves and greenish paddies. After the boat ride, have a cylcing tour around villages in Tam Coc showing more details of rural lifestyle, culture and landscape in Vietnam. Afterward, travel back to Hanoi, you will have relaxing time at a mini hotel nearby rail station for showering and resting before overnight train to Lao Cai City with escort of your tour guide. Your adventure travel Vietnam is being kick off!
Upon your arrival at Lao Cai train station early this morning, you will travel to your hotel in Sapa for breakfast and check-in and have some leisure hour for freshen up.
At good time, you will have a short trek to Y Linh Ho Hamlet where Black Hmong people resided. Then get along the river and reach Lao Chai Village where you will learn more about cultures of the ethnic groups of this region. Have picnic lunch and some resting.
In the afternoon, carry on to Ta Van Village – the main living hub of Giay minority group. While hiking, you can admire the marvelous landscape of terraced rice fields, the mountainous geography, and spend some time to sip a tea cup with the local and learn more about each ethnic group typical identities. You will meet up with your driver at Ta Van Village and drive back to hotel for relaxation.
At leisure in hotel till good time, you will check-out and then travel around 12km from Sapa town to reach Ta Phin Village to embed in the green valley of H’Mong and Red Dao minorities. The Red Dao people in Sapa own a very special herbal medicine formed of surrounding faunas which could cure many ill or simply provide relaxation to the user.
This late afternoon, you will travel to the Lao Cai Train Station and have the night train back to Hanoi.
You will arrive in Hanoi early this morning, have breakfast and relaxation at mini hotel. At around 9:00am you will travel to Ha Long Bay passing the Red River Delta of villages and towns. En route, you will have chance to contemplate further scenes of Vietnam beside the hustle and bustle city Hanoi such as factories, rivers, plantations, rice fields, buffalos, etc.
After around 2.5 hours, you will reach the marina harbor and embark the cruise and set the sails toward captivating Ha Long Bay with thousands karst islands merging up from the ocean. The sails will take a couple of hours till you reach the center for activities like kayaking in the lagoon and visiting the cave. In the evening, the boat will anchor down for overnight. You are free on board at night.
For morning risers, you might to wake up early at around 6:00am to practice the Tai Chi exercise on the top deck with the master on board.
After your breakfast, you will have time to go swimming on the Titop Island and walking up to the peak for Ha Long Panorama view. Then, you will get back to the main land. Spend your last time to enjoy the fantastic scenes of Ha Long Bay before check-out before noon, and have lunch/ or brunch.
At noon, disembark the boat and drive to Noi Bai Airport for a domestic flight to Dong Hoi. Upon your arrival at Dong Hoi Airport, you are greeted by the local tour guide and travel to your hotel nearby Phong Nha National Park.
This morning, you will travel around 40 minutes through pristine landscape of the countryside with maize field and ancient karst mountains to Thien Duong Cave, 31km (19.2 miles) long, discovered in 2005 and officially opened for visiting since 2010. With only around 900m (0.6 miles) for public visiting, the cave reveals magnificent charm of great stalactites and stalagmites of variable but uniquely amazing shapes.
After lunch of local cuisine, you will have active time on the Chay River and Dark Cave with a short zipline ride cross the Chay River then continue with kayak reaching inside the dark cave where with high humidity and pretty cool temperature. This cave also home wild animals like bats, swallows, Vooc, etc. The place characterizes diversity of the ecology. Afterward you have some free time doing swimming in the turquoise water which is assumed of the karst erosion and calcium dissolve. Return to hotel in the afternoon for relaxing till the rest of the day.
Today you travel itinerary of active travel in Vietnam will have your exploration of the exotic and pristine places of Quang Binh where blockbuster “Kong: Skull Island” was casted in 2017; which was then nominated as the best war movie of the year by ABC News. From the starting point, you will walk around 2km (1.24 miles) passing the peanut field with water buffalo wandering nearby; you will arrive at Rao Nan River. Let’s cross the river and admire the Chuot Cave (Rat Cave) then trek through the Hung Ton Valley for the Hung Ton dried Cave. Here, you will swim up to 100m (328 feet) through the underground river and relax at the To Mo Valley. Have delicious lunch after hard work and relax by the To Mo Waterfall. After your lunch, you will make the way back by another way. Let’s call it a day and chill-out at hotel till the rest of the day.
After check-out hotel, you will travel by land via Ho Chi Minh Trails to Hue. En route, if you are interested in the country’s history, you can stop at the 17th Parallel with Hien Luong Bridge and Ben Hai River where once the border dividing the country for 21 years. You will understand some further of the war time with struggle, suffer and constant unfear fights to get the country united. After 3.5-hour drive, you will reach Hue City. Check-in hotel and have free time at leisure.
Break the dawn in a peaceful but historical and rich in culinary city, you will jump on the bicycle and explore Hue. Begin with the Imperial Citadel and what you will learn about is the Nguyen Dynasty – the last feudalism dynasty of Vietnam. This court site will explain to your curiosity how the people call Hue culinary the Imperial cooking style.
You then will carry on the bike to Thuy Bieu Village offering authentic local ambience. Stop at an garden house which describes typical ancient architecture. Sip a cup of tea with the host, you will hear interesting stories of the past. Then move on to the Thien Mu Pagoda of eleven storied tower, also known as the significant pagoda in the Buddhism religion.
After lunch at local restaurant, you will board a boat to sail along scenic Perfume River reaching Minh Mang King’s tomb which was designed by the King prior to his death. This preparation of sophisticated architecture wasn’t completed before he passed away. The work then was finished by his son. Inside 1.750m (1 mile) wall lie the palace, temples, etc. which are of parallel to each other along the master axis at 700m (2.296 feet). Harmoniously the place nestles in middle of water and mountains – two main elements which once considered main materials to from a country. You then will drive by land back to the city center. Have Imperial style Dinner at restaurant.
After check-out, you will travel to Hoi An via Hai Van Pass stretching along the ocean with breathtaking view and very comfortable breeze. On the way, you will stop at the Cham Museum and learn about the Champa culture which once developed with great prosperity in central Vietnam. Sited right at the foot of the Golden Dragon Bridge, it’s a wonderful chance to hear about Da Nang – city of the bridges. You then move on to Hoi An Ancient town for hotel check-in.
This morning, you will travel to Cua Dai Pier and embark the local boat to the Cam Thanh Fishing Village. Delve into the region of coconut palms and thick mangrove forest offering the amazed pristine nature. You then will see the villagers and excitingly do their fishing ways by casting traditional round net and catch river small fishes. Our friendly host will share with you very simple but not easy technique to get the fishes.
Afterward, have the life-vest on as you will change to the rounded basket boat which seem imbalanced but controlled professionally by its owner who will help you reach very narrow area which motor boat could not enter. After lunch, you will return the city center to explore the Hoi An ancient town where is an atmospheric and unique place with mixture of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese culture.
Have free and easy day on your own to relax. It's optional for you to get around Hoi An and try local tasty dishes, chilling out at local cafe, or getting to the beach in Hoi An.
After check-out hotel, you will travel to Da Nang City and board the flight to Ho Chi Minh City the most vibrant and developed city in Vietnam.
This evening, you will experience a stunning adventurous thing to do in Vietnam which is Vespa ride in busy streets in Ho Chi Minh City. Your vespa driver will welcome you at hotel for the Saigon after dark amazing ride. You will ride over unique and local places which prove that Ho Chi Minh is not only the hustle city of building and car but the very interesting local lifestyle. Just stay behind the guide, and you will intermingle with the locals and stop at a café and drink as they do daily.
After breakfast at hotel, you will travel to Cu Chi Tunnels which lie deep down to the ground for a further insight about Vietnam War. After watching the documentary, you can come down and explore the complicated tunnel systems with pretty basic amenities like living rooms, meeting rooms, kitchens, weapon cavities, hospitals. Finishing the exploration, you will get back to the city center for lunch. After lunch, you will visit main symbolic sites of the Ho Chi Minh City including War Remnant Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office, Reunification Palace and Nguyen Hue Street. Local food and drinks are included. This evening is at your leisure.
After breakfast at hotel, you will depart toward the south reaching Mekong delta region. The amazing Mekong trip will bring most authentic experiences of the countryside, fruity orchids and local floating inhabitants. You will travel to Ben Tre – famous and hometown of coconuts, and reach the Phong Nam Pier to board a boat along An Hoa River for further exploration with stops to visit the brick kiln, handicrafts and coconut candies making workshop.
Next have a Vietnamese tuk tuk ride passing coconut and fruit plantations. You then will stop for lunch at a local house sited nearby rivers. After lunch, have some time relaxing on the hammock or walk around and see the fruit orchids. Thereupon, get on the sampan row and then motor-boat to return to mainland where your driver is awaited. Travel to Can Tho for overnight.
This morning, you will board a mystic cruise to explore the Mekong tranquil landscape, see the floating market and have breakfast on boat. Returning to the hotel, you will have free and easy time.
After check-out hotel, drive to Chau Doc province in 2.5-hour drive. If time permits, you will have a stop at fishing village and visit the fish farm
This morning you will traverse to Tra Su Cajuput Forest distanced 20km (12.4 miles) from Chau Doc city center and only around 10km (6.2 miles) from border with Cambodia. Of 845ha, the forest preserves an impressive ecological value of variable species and wildlife. The boat ride will reveal picturesque landscape of incredible nature and wildlife. Afterward, you will have lunch and travel back to Ho Chi Minh City for overnight.
You will have breakfast at hotel and have leisure time at your own for shopping or getting around the town. After check-out, your tour guide and driver will greet you at hotel lobby and travel to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your departure to next destination.
Inclusion:
Accommodations with daily breakfast
Private air-conditioned transfer
Professional local English-speaking tour guide
Non private cruise on Ha Long Bay
Round trip 4 berth sharing soft-sleeper cabin train Hanoi – Sapa
Meals mentioned in program
Biking tour and boat trip as mentioned in program
Entrance fees
02 bottles of water (500ml each) per person per full day tour
Exclusion:
Vietnam visa authorization letter/ stamping fee
Food/beverage not mentioned in program
International and domestic air-fares
Tips & gratuities
Services not mentioned in program
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