Vietnam with family

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Arrival in Hanoi

  Upon your arrival, you will be welcomed by your guide and the driver from Orient Skyline Travel, who will accompany you by private car to your hotel. You will spend your first night in Hanoi.

• day 2

  Visit of Hanoi

  

  This morning, you will discover Mr. Liem's house and especially his workshop, where you will have the privilege of attending a traditional water puppet show. Through this performance, you will understand the ancient and modern stories of Vietnamese life. You can also take part in other activities, such as painting an authentic puppet. We will then take you to a typically Hanoian house, where you can enjoy a delicious lunch specially prepared by a local family. You will continue your visit of Hanoi with the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam. Built in 1076, it was established in a temple to educate the royalty of Vietnam as well as mandarins and members of the elite. The university's gardens and architecture, so well preserved, offer a fascinating glimpse into Vietnam's past. You will also visit the fascinating Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays), which is both a research center and a public museum presenting 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam. Its aim is to preserve cultural heritage and promote socio-cultural diversity in the country.

• day 3

  Hanoi – Ky Son

  After a good breakfast, you will be taken to the fertile Tonkinese valley next to the village of Ky Son. You will have the opportunity to visit not only the iconic Thay pagoda, but also two off-the-beaten-path craft villages. For those who wish, it will be possible to learn how to make noodles and vermicelli. In Ky Son, explore the traditional structures and the pleasant countryside landscape before starting a Vietnamese cooking class that you can then enjoy. After lunch, take the opportunity to relax or go for a bike ride or a walk to discover the village of Ky Son and the surrounding farming communities. Along the way, you can take a short break to enjoy a cup of tea, meet the locals, or even help them with their daily tasks (picking tea plants, medicinal herbs, etc.). Finally, you will return to the lodge for "Happy Hour" or take a traditional fragrant herbal steam bath before dinner.

• day 4

  Ky Son – Duong Lam – Ky Son

  In the early morning, you can practice Yijinjing, a set of physical exercises, and discover the traditional Vietnamese worship of honoring ancestors with morning rituals. After breakfast, you will set out to discover the ancient village of Duong Lam. You will have lunch in an authentic local house. In the afternoon, you will visit the Mia pagoda where you will explore the surrounding small hamlets before returning to Ky Son. You can enjoy your free time by relaxing on a hammock in a garden, taking photos in traditional Vietnamese costume, or even fishing. Optional activities: If you wish, you can work in the rice fields with a water buffalo, an ancient tradition using Vietnamese commands, only available in certain seasons.

• day 5

  Ky Son – Halong Bay

  

  Today, we will take you to the famous Halong Bay. Upon your arrival, you will board a junk where a short briefing on safety standards will be given, before heading to Bai Tu Long Bay, passing by splendid limestone cliffs plunging into the jade waters of the bay. You will explore the well-hidden Thien Canh Son cave before relaxing on a paradisiacal beach of fine white sand, or diving into the water for a kayaking excursion. In the evening, you can attend a cooking demonstration before enjoying a pleasant evening on board. You will spend the night on a boat in Halong Bay.

• day 6

  Halong Bay – Bai Tu Long Bay

  You will leave for Cong Dam to learn more about the unique geology of Bai Tu Long Bay, before kayaking around the hidden lagoons and the Cong Dam geological park. After enjoying a barbecue on the beach, you will sail around the Cong Do area and the Thien Canh Son cave. We will return to Cap in the evening.

• day 7

  Halong Bay – Hanoi – Flight to Danang – Hoi An

  This morning, you will board a traditional boat heading towards the floating fishing village of Vung Vieng. There, you will be able to observe the daily life of the locals, guided by the rhythm of the sea, and enjoy a last view of Halong Bay while savoring your lunch. You will then be taken to the airport to catch the flight to Danang. You will stay in the ancient city of Hoi An.

• day 8

  Hoi An – Local life

  

  Start your tour with a bike ride (you can choose between the bus and the bike to get there) through the rice fields to the village of Tra Que. This charming little hamlet, on the outskirts of Hoi An, is known for its fragrant green vegetables that spice up the delicious dishes of Hoi An, such as Cao Lau and Mi Quang. Then join the locals in the fields and learn planting and harvesting techniques. You can also attend a cooking class. Many consider that the noodles from Central Vietnam are by far the best in the country. You will return to Hoi An for a cruise along the river, meeting fishermen who will show you the secrets of casting nets. You will also learn how to navigate a basket boat. These original vessels are known as coracles and are widely used in the region.

• day 9

  Visit of Hoi An

  You will start the day with a tour of Hoi An, notably the commercial port that once welcomed Chinese, Danish, French, Japanese, Portuguese, and Arab merchants between the 16th and 18th centuries. Nowadays, Hoi An is known for its old quarter, lined with Chinese shops, wooden facades, and terracotta-tiled roofs, not to mention shopping centers and restaurants. You will visit many monuments, starting with the Chau Ong Pagoda, dating from 1653 and built in honor of the Chinese general Quan Cong, admired by many followers for his loyalty and sense of justice. Then, you will go to the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall to see the Jinshang Temple, dedicated to the goddess of the sea and protector of sailors. You can stroll around the Tam Ky house, which is 200 years old, and the 17th-century Japanese bridge, the most photographed in Vietnam. This sublime bridge is built in a mirrored style, with a temple at the back, which makes it one of the top monuments in Hoi An. You will spend your last night in Hoi An. Optional activity: If you are interested, you can learn about Vietnamese cuisine at the Red Bridge restaurant.

• day 10

  Hoi An – Flight to Ho Chi Minh City

  

  This morning, you will be taken to Danang airport to catch the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. That same evening, you will attend the AO show in a warm atmosphere, produced in the magnificent Saigon Opera House. It is a beautiful representation of Vietnamese cultural art, which precisely combines elements of the old and the new, and is performed by the most talented artists in Vietnam, including traditional musicians and renowned choreographers. Through this show, you will discover the life of the Vietnamese people in all its creativity, including bamboo and wooden accessories. The artists recreate the serene and soothing atmosphere of the Vietnamese countryside, the ebb and flow of the waves, as well as the frenetic road traffic of Hanoi and Saigon. After this memorable one-hour experience, you can stroll along the boulevards of downtown Saigon to the Hoa Tuc restaurant, a true gem of architecture and cuisine, far from the frenzy of district 1 and known for its contemporary combinations of Vietnamese cuisine and authentic French colonial architecture. It is the perfect place to end the evening in Saigon before returning to Ho Chi Minh City.

• day 11

  Visit of Ho Chi Minh City

  

  Accompanied by your guide, you will visit the city's central Post Office, which was designed by the famous French architect Gustave Eiffel, as well as the Notre-Dame Cathedral, built between 1863 and 1880. Admired for its neo-Romanesque architecture, the cathedral has become the favorite spot for wedding photographers. Continue your visit along the Saigon River on Dong Khoi Street, featured in Graham Greene's famous novel, "The Quiet American", to go to the Saigon Opera House, a building commissioned and completed in 1901. Bombed during the Second World War, the Opera House was used by French citizens fleeing northern Vietnam in 1954, the year the country gained its independence from France. You will make a stop at the Reunification Palace, where a North Vietnamese tank crashed through the ramparts in 1975 to end the war, which resulted in the deaths of about 58,000 Americans and 3 million Vietnamese. You will also visit the War Remnants Museum, where the Vietnamese government has assembled exhibits, some of which depict the horror and atrocity of the war. To finish, you will enjoy the afternoon at your leisure.

• day 12

  HCM City – Cu Chi Tunnels

  Today, you will have the opportunity to explore the Cu Chi tunnels, which later became an underground city for Viet Cong soldiers during the Vietnam War. The tunnels, over 250 kilometers long, stretched from Saigon to the Cambodian border. Today, they still contain the remains of an American tank and some craters formed by American bombings. Last night in Ho Chi Minh City.

• day 13

  HCM City – Flight to Phu Quoc

  Today, we will take you to the airport towards Phu Quoc. You will go to the hotel by a shared shuttle.

• day 14

  Phu Quoc

  

  You will have the day free to discover the island of Phu Quoc at your own pace. We recommend visiting the pepper production farm for which this island is famous. If you wish to use this day to relax, we suggest Sao Beach, with its fine white sand, lined with coconut trees and ultra-clear water, ideal for families with children.

• day 15

  Snorkeling in Phu Quoc

  You will be welcomed by your guide and your driver to take you to the port of An Thoi. From there, you will board a boat excursion to Crystal Beach. Enjoy a cruise to Finger Island and Dam Ngang Island, where you can swim and/or snorkel to admire many colorful coral reefs. Savor a fresh seafood lunch on the island. On the way back to the shore, you can make a quick visit to the picturesque fishing villages to discover how the local fishermen catch fresh fish. Upon your arrival at An Thoi port, you will return to the hotel to enjoy one last night in Phu Quoc with your family.

• day 16

  Phu Quoc – Flight to HCM City – Return

  After this family trip to Vietnam, with many memories in your mind, it is time to return. You will be taken to the airport by the shared shuttle to catch the return flight at Ho Chi Minh City airport, from where you will take off to go home.