Vietnam tour in freedom - 14 days and 13 nights

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Hanoi – Arrival

  Our perfectly French-speaking guide and our driver will welcome you upon your arrival at Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi), then transfer you to the city center for check-in at the hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to recover or take a walk in the city and discover the old quarter of Hanoi. Theatrical evening: you will attend the water puppet dance show. Welcome dinner in a typically Vietnamese restaurant. Overnight at the hotel in the heart of Hanoi.

• day 2

  Hanoi – Discovery

  Breakfast at the hotel, then we start our day with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh district, where his mausoleum, his stilt house, and his garden within the presidential palace grounds are located. Next, visit to the One Pillar Pagoda. We then head to the West district to visit the Tran Quoc Pagoda, located on the edge of West Lake. It is known as one of the oldest and most beautiful pagodas in Vietnam. We then visit the Quan Thanh Temple. Lunch in a typically Vietnamese restaurant in the city. In the afternoon, visit to the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam, which allows you to understand the country's feudal education in the past. Then, visit to the Jade Mountain Temple, located in the middle of the Lake of the Restored Sword. The legend will tell you the magical story of this lake. Afterwards, an hour of cyclo ride will let you discover the colonial side of the old quarter and its 36 streets and guilds. You will then stroll through the typical Dong Xuan market. Dinner on your own and overnight at the hotel in the city center.

• day 3

  : Hanoi – Hoa Binh – Mai Chau Valley

  Breakfast at the hotel. Departure by private car to reach the Mai Chau valley via a charming road, offering superb views of lush rice fields, sugar cane fields, and ethnic villages. Several stops are planned along the way to take beautiful photos and to meet smiling and hospitable locals. Arrival in Mai Chau around noon. Check-in at a large traditional Thai stilt house. Friendly lunch with a local family, with the White Thai people. In the afternoon, you will enjoy a lovely walk around the village, passing through the magnificent sprawling rice fields of the valley. The walk will take you to the ethnic villages. Many opportunities to interact with the White Thai ethnic group are planned. With the help of our guide, you will better understand the peaceful life of the farmers as well as their customs and traditions. Possibility to participate in cooking preparation activities with the family. Friendly dinner and pleasant night in the typical traditional wooden house.

• day 4

  Mai Chau – Hoa Lu – Ninh Binh

  Breakfast with the locals, then departure by private car to Hoa Lu/Ninh Binh, the former capital of Vietnam under the Dinh dynasty (968-980) and at the beginning of the Early Le dynasty (980-1009). Upon arrival in Hoa Lu, you visit two temples dedicated to these two kings, dating from the 10th century. They still retain all their beauty, as well as the finesse of the art of sculpture and engraving on wood and stone, works by Vietnamese artists since the 17th century. Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will enjoy a beautiful sampan ride in the Van Long national reserve, which will take you through the picturesque landscapes of the rugged mountains, set in the middle of rice fields. You then pass through two lovely caves and, if you are lucky, you will spot all kinds of monkeys and birds. This site, called the terrestrial Ha Long Bay, still retains all its beauty. Finally, there is free time for your family, or you can continue with a beautiful bike ride (if you wish) on the small winding paths in the middle of endless rice fields, where you will feel the tranquility and serenity of country life, not to mention the human contact with the smiling and hospitable farmers. Dinner at your leisure and overnight at the hotel in the terrestrial Ha Long Bay.

• day 5

  Ninh Binh – Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay – Cruise

  Breakfast at the hotel, then drive to Ha Long Bay along a charming road through the vast landscapes of the Red River Delta. Several stops are planned along the way to take photos. Arrival at Ha Long Bay around noon, immediate boarding on a beautiful traditional wooden junk, converted into a floating hotel for a wonderful cruise to discover the UNESCO World Heritage site. Welcome drink and presentation of the cruise program. You will then settle into your cabin where you can freshen up. Lunch is served while the junk heads towards Cap La Island and its limestone formations with amazing shapes. Then, free time to go kayaking through hidden areas. Return to the junk, where you can take a shower at your convenience. Relaxation on the terrace or taking photos at sunset. Lunch and dinner consist of excellent fresh seafood. Dinner and overnight on board the junk.

• day 6

  Ha Long Bay – Cruise – But Thap Pagoda - Hanoi

  We recommend waking up at dawn to contemplate the sunrise, which offers a picturesque painting of Ha Long Bay. Start the day on Ha Long Bay with a Tai Chi class on the terrace or by going on a photo hunt. 07:30 – 08:30: Breakfast is served on board. Then, the boat sails to the most beautiful and quietest corners hidden in Bai Tu Long Bay. The cruise continues to the most peaceful and magnificent places of Ha Long Bay. You will then visit Thien Canh Son Cave, one of the beautiful and less touristy places in the bay. Next, you can participate in a Vietnamese cooking demonstration: how to make NEM. Afterwards, taste the dishes you have prepared yourself. A light lunch is served while the junk returns to the pier. Disembark and return to Hanoi, crossing the grand landscapes of the vast rice fields of the Red River Delta. Upon arrival in Bac Ninh province, visit But Thap Pagoda. It is known as one of the most beautiful and largest pagodas in Vietnam, built in the 11th century under the Ly dynasty. There you will find the stupa with its original architecture in the shape of a huge brush, as well as the statue of the goddess Quan Yin with a thousand arms and a thousand eyes, particularly remarkable. Arrival in Hanoi at the end of the afternoon. Dinner on your own and overnight at the hotel in the heart of Hanoi's capital.

• day 7

  Hanoi - Da Nang – Hoi An

  Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer by private car to Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi) for the domestic flight to Da Nang. Arrival at Da Nang airport, welcome by our guide and driver, then transfer to Hoi An and check-in at the hotel. Lunch in a good restaurant in the city. In the afternoon, you stroll through the small and narrow streets to visit the city of Hoi An, the most important former port city in Vietnam, once called Faifo. It was very lively as early as the 17th and 18th centuries, when the Chinese and Japanese had their quarters and welcomed the first European traders. The city of Hoi An is one of the four Vietnamese sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage. The main sites visited are: the Japanese Bridge, the Chinese temple, the Phung Hung house, the craft neighborhoods, etc. Then, a beautiful boat ride on the Thu Bon River will allow you to watch the sunset and see various fishing scenes as well as fishing boats of the local inhabitants. The rest of the day is free for you to rest, make your own discoveries or do some shopping. Dinner on your own and overnight at the hotel in Hoi An.

• day 8

  Hoi An – My Son – Hoi An

  Breakfast at the hotel, then departure by private car to discover the "holy land" of My Son, the most important archaeological site of the Champa kingdom and Cham civilization. From the end of the 6th century, the Chams built towers and temples there dedicated to kings and Brahmanic deities, which became the religious and political center over the centuries, then the capital of the Champa kingdom. There are more than 70 architectural works in brick and stone, in the heart of lush nature. These buildings were all adorned with sculpted friezes and other delicate ornaments, characteristic of Cham art, which offers us a new insight into the glorious history of this little-known civilization. The construction of the towers remains a mystery due to their unique architecture. In December 1999, the My Son site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Lunch at a local restaurant, return to Hoi An in the afternoon. Dinner at leisure and overnight at the hotel in Hoi An.

• day 9

  Hoi An – Da Nang - Hue

  Breakfast at the hotel, then departure for Hue along a charming road. You cross the Marble Mountain, where the locals live from the art of sculpting statues and marble objects. Enjoy the Hai Van Pass, which offers at its summit a superb panorama of the central coastline. Several stops are planned along the way, including one at the top of the pass to get a spectacular view of Lang Co beach, one of the most beautiful peninsulas in Vietnam. Then, continue to Hue, recognized as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Hue was the former capital of Vietnam under the reign of the Nguyen dynasty, from 1882 to 1945. Lunch in a city restaurant. In the afternoon, you visit the Imperial City of Hue, the only example of an imperial city in Vietnam still existing today. Time has passed, but it still retains all the beauty of its original Viet-Chinese architecture. Next, visit the Pagoda of the Heavenly Lady, perched at the top of the hill overlooking the Perfume River. A beautiful private boat ride on this romantic river will take you to the mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc. You disembark and visit this mausoleum, a sumptuous tomb amid frangipani and pine trees, built according to plans drawn up by the Emperor himself. On the way back, you will have the chance to discover the artisanal district where incense sticks are made. Finally, we take a lovely walk through the Dong Ba market, where you will find the most beautiful conical hats in Vietnam. Dinner at your leisure and overnight at the hotel in the heart of Hue city.

• day 10

  Hue - Saigon

  After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Hue airport for the domestic flight to Saigon (renamed Ho Chi Minh City), a lively, bustling, rebellious, commercial, and casual city. It remains the economic heart of the country. Upon arrival in Saigon, you will be welcomed by our guide and driver, and transferred for check-in at the hotel. We first visit magnificent colonial buildings such as: Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Ho Chi Minh City Post Office, and the Municipal Theater. Lunch in a city restaurant. In the afternoon, we visit the Reunification Palace, which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until April 30, 1975. The program continues to the beautiful Giac Lam Pagoda (one of the most beautiful and oldest pagodas in the city). Next, visit the Thien Hau Temple, dedicated to the worship of the Goddess of the Sea. At the end of the afternoon, we take a lovely stroll through the central Binh Tay market, located in the heart of the Chinese district, typical and very lively. Dinner at your leisure and overnight at the hotel in the heart of Saigon.

• day 11

  Saigon – The Cu Chi Tunnels – Saigon

  After breakfast at the hotel, depart by private car to discover the Cu Chi tunnels. This is a vast network of 200 km of underground galleries and narrow passages hand-dug by the Viet Cong to take refuge and defend themselves against the "American war machine." The visit to this tunnel system explains how the Vietnamese, with their rudimentary weapons, were able to fight against the Americans' modern weapons. Return to Saigon via a very pleasant country road. Lunch in a local restaurant. The rest of the time is free for your rest. Dinner on your own and overnight at the hotel in the center of Saigon.

• day 12

  Saigon – Ben Tre - Can Tho

  Breakfast at the hotel, then departure by private car to the Ben Tre region, located in the Mekong Delta (the rice bowl of Vietnam). Arrival in Ben Tre, boarding a private boat for a beautiful ride on the river. This ride will take you through preserved and romantic landscapes. Several stops are planned to meet with local inhabitants. You then cross the canal and visit a workshop for the artisanal production of coconut-based products. Walk along the paths and stop at the farmer's house to discover the handmade production of mats. We then take a beautiful bike ride or a local tuk-tuk "xe loi" through the paths of Nhon Thanh village, passing through typical southern Vietnamese tropical gardens and vegetable fields. Lunch with local specialties at a local's home. In the afternoon, departure for Can Tho, crossing the vast landscapes of the Mekong Delta. Arrival in Can Tho at the end of the afternoon. Dinner on your own and overnight at the hotel in Can Tho.

• day 13

  Can Tho – Cai Rang Floating Market – Sai Gon

  After breakfast at the hotel, we take the private boat to visit the Cai Rang floating market. It is one of the most typical markets in the southern regions of Vietnam. You will sail among different types of dugout canoes, rowing boats, and other small fishing boats that carry a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, rice, and local handicrafts. This scene makes the market very lively. We slip into the small canals shaded by tropical fruit orchards, where you will have the opportunity to taste fresh fruit picked on the spot. You then disembark to return to Saigon, with lunch at a local restaurant along the way. Arrival in Saigon in the late afternoon, dinner at your leisure and overnight at the hotel in the city of Saigon.

• day 14

  Saigon – Return Journey

  After breakfast, the rest of the day is free for you to rest or to make a personal discovery of the city, as well as to make your last purchases, until the transfer to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for the international departure flight.