Fun discovery of Vietnam with the family

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Hanoi - Arrival

  

  Arrival and welcome at Noi Bai airport by your French-speaking guide, then transfer to your hotel located in the heart of Hanoi's old town, just a few steps from Hoan Kiem Lake. Check-in at your accommodation. You will then begin your visits: West Lake, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple, One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, as well as Hoan Kiem Lake and the Jade Mountain Temple. Accommodation: hotel Transport: 1h

• day 2

  Hanoi - Trek - Mai Chau

  

  This morning, you take the road towards the Mai Chau valley. Surrounded by the first foothills of the Annamite Range, this place is renowned for its magnificent terraced rice fields. This afternoon, you will take an easy walk among the rice fields and the villages of the Thai minorities. Most of the inhabitants here live in stilt houses. You will meet the Thai people and try to understand their way of life. Overnight with a local family. Dinner with the family. Accommodation: with a local family Meals included: breakfast - lunch - dinner. Transport: 3h 2 hours of walking

• day 3

  Trek - Mai Chau Ecolodge

  

  Breakfast with a local family, then walk between the villages of Poom Coong and Sam Khoe. Throughout the walk, you will enjoy beautiful views of the rice fields and the region's karst mountains. In the late afternoon, you descend the mountains to arrive at a hotel where you can rest after these days of trekking. Accommodation: hotel Meals included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner 3 hours of walking

• day 4

  Halong Bay on land - by bike

  

  After your breakfast, you will take the road to Ha Long Bay by land. You will be able to discover this region by boat and by bicycle. In Hoa Lu, you will visit the temples dedicated to the Dinh kings, then board a small rowing boat to navigate through the magical landscape of Trang An, listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. Along the Sao Khe River, you will pass between karst peaks, rice fields, and caves, some of which show evidence of human activity dating back about 30,000 years. After the excursion, transfer to your accommodation in Tam Coc. Accommodation: hotel Meals included: breakfast 2 hours of walking Transport: 3h 1 hour of cycling

• day 5

  Navigation in Lan Ha Bay, kayaking, swimming.

  

  You take the road to Hai Phong from where you reach Cat Ba Island. This is the beginning of your unforgettable cruise in Lan Ha Bay, a preserved and less touristy part of Ha Long Bay. By boarding a traditional junk, you will sail among countless sugar loaves and karst islets covered with vegetation. Enjoy this unique landscape and this moment of peace and beauty! On the program: visit of a cave, swimming and kayaking. Meals on board. Accommodation: Junk Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner Transport: 4h

• day 6

  Halong - Hanoi - Night train to Hue

  

  You leave Halong Bay in the morning to reach the south of the Red River Delta. The region is dotted with karst sugarloaf hills, which is why it has been nicknamed the "terrestrial Ha Long Bay." The waterways wind through the rice fields, follow the hills, and shelter caves transformed into pagodas. You travel by boat through the karst peaks, rice fields, and caves... It is one of Vietnam's must-see natural sites. In the late afternoon, you return to Hanoi to take the night train to Hue. Accommodation: Night train Meals included: breakfast, lunch Transport: 4h

• day 7

  Hue - Visit

  

  Arrival in the morning in Hue and welcome by the guide and driver at the train station. You will then set off to discover the Imperial City, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This large complex is made up of temples, pavilions, moats, ancient gates, as well as museums and galleries illustrating the art and costumes from different periods of Vietnam's history. It also provides a remarkable example of an Eastern feudal capital. You will then visit the Thien Mu Pagoda (the Heavenly Lady), one of the most revered sites in the city, overlooking the Perfume River. Next, you will arrive at the Thuy Bieu eco-tourism village to explore the rural world of Hue by bicycle and discover endangered crafts: incense making, traditional painting, votive papers, etc. Dinner served at the lodge Accommodation: Hotel Meals included: breakfast, dinner Transport: 2h

• day 8

  Hue - Hoi An

  

  In the morning, visit the mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc, the fourth emperor of the Nguyen dynasty in the 19th century. Its construction, between 1864 and 1867, involved no less than three thousand soldiers and workers! This funerary complex includes around fifty buildings, surrounded by a stone and brick wall 1,500 meters long, over an area of 12 ha. You then take the Mandarin Road via the Hai Van Pass, offering a magnificent view of the South China Sea, Danang and its surroundings. You will visit the must-see Cham Sculpture Museum in Danang, before arriving in Hoi An. The city's authentic architecture, with its diverse influences, continues to defy time. You will then visit the old jackfruit wood houses, the famous Japanese covered bridge, the picturesque market, and the port. Accommodation: Hotel Meals included: breakfast, lunch Transport: 3h

• day 9

  Hoi An - Cam Thanh village bike - Tra Que village cooking class - Saigon

  

  This morning, you will set out to discover the countryside around the old town of Hoi An. You will pick up your bicycle at the hotel. Head to the very lively market, where you will weave between the colorful fruit and vegetable stalls as well as the fishmongers' stands. It's a wonderful moment of guaranteed change of scenery! You will then continue your journey through vegetable crops, coconut trees, and rice fields to Tra Que, a village of organic market gardeners. You will then arrive at Cam Thanh, where you will be welcomed by a family for lunch. Before sitting down to eat, you can take a short ride in a traditional round boat to discover the local fishing technique. Then, return to the family. If you wish, you can lend a hand in the kitchen, then have lunch together to discover the culinary specialties of the region. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport and flight to Ho Chi Minh City, the economic capital. Arrival and welcome at the airport by your driver, then transfer to the hotel. Dinner at your leisure. Accommodation: Hotel Meals included: breakfast, lunch Transport: 2h

• day 10

  Saigon - Cai Be - Vinh Long - Can Tho

  

  Departure for the Mekong Delta, the "rice bowl" of Vietnam. The land there is very fertile and water is omnipresent. This morning, you will discover Ben Tre, the land of coconut trees, and board a small boat. On board a private sampan, you will navigate the small canals that help to "feed" the Mekong. Stop to visit a village of artisans. Lunch with a local family. In the afternoon, you will take a bike ride through the fruit gardens of Vinh Long, then continue to Can Tho, located on the banks of the Mekong. Check-in at the hotel. Enjoy your evening and dinner freely in the city center. Accommodation: Hotel Meals included: breakfast, lunch Transport: 4h

• day 11

  Can Tho - Cai Rang Floating Market - Saigon

  

  This morning, you will leave by boat to observe the lakeside lifestyle of the Mekong Delta. In this aquatic world, boats, houses, and even businesses float on the countless water networks that "feed" the Mekong. You will visit the Cai Rang floating market where, every day, a myriad of boats come to unload fruits and vegetables. Every morning, merchants and locals gather there to buy or sell goods. It is a unique moment! You will then continue your navigation through the canals. Several tourist stops are planned throughout this journey on the water: visit to orchards to taste exotic fruits, discovery of the Khmer Munirensay pagoda, which was built by the Khmer community of Can Tho, etc. After this morning on the water, you will head back to Ho Chi Minh City. Enjoy your evening and dinner freely. Accommodation: Hotel Meals included: breakfast, lunch Transport: 4h

• day 12

  Visit of Saigon - Departure flight

  

  Free visit day of the city. Ho Chi Minh City is a fairly recent city with a short history, as, except for a gathering of pre-existing villages of Vietnamese settlers, Khmer populations, or Chinese immigrants, Ho Chi Minh City was mainly built by the French at the end of the 19th century. You can stroll through the first district to find the old colonial buildings which have become, for the most important ones, administrative buildings. You can then visit the Chinese district of Cho Lon and the large Binh Tay market. Depending on your return flight information, transfer to the airport. End of the trip. Meals included: breakfast Transport: 2h