VIETNAM ESSENCE TOUR 15 DAYS 14 NIGHTS from 850 USD/person only

See the very best of Vietnam in just 15 days — a greatest-hits tour of a country on the move. The tour is designed for travellers seeking a taste of the country and a high standard of comfort. Highlights include, Hoi An, Halong Bay and Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll also meet ethnic-minority villagers in the northern countryside and surrounding Sapa and cruise the Mekong Delta on a converted rice barge.  All aboard!

Brief itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Hanoi (D)

Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B,L,D)

Day 3: Hanoi - Sapa (B,L)

Day 4: Sapa (B,L)

Day 5: Sapa - Hanoi (B,L)

Day 6: Hanoi – Halong Bay (B,L,D)

Day 7 : Halong Bay – Hanoi - Hoi An (B,L,D)

Day 8: Hoi An (B,L)

Day 9: Free time in Hoian (B)

Day 10: Hoian - Hochiminh city (B,L,D)

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi Tunnels (B,L)

Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong river delta - Can Tho  (B,L,D)

Day 13: Can Tho –  Chau Doc (B,L)

Day 14: Chau Doc (B,L)

Day 15: Chau Doc – Ho Chi Minh City (B,L,D)

Detail itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive Hanoi (D)
With local food stalls on every corner, Hanoi is famous for its street food cuisine and Bia Hoi, a drought beer that is brewed daily and sold on street corners. Start your evening at "internationl Bia Hoi corner" because drinkers here come from many different countries and pull up a stool to taste the local brew and do a spot of people watching.  Then walk through the bustling streets of the Old Quarter as your guide introduces you to the various foods on offer.  Stop at one of the many pop up restaurants and try a Vietnamese barbeque of flame grilled meats, tofu and vegetables on skewers just like the locals. End the evening with a walk along Hoan Kiem Lake for dessert at Hanoi’s most famous ice-cream street. O/N in Hanoi

Day 2: Hanoi city tour (B,L,D)
Begin your Story of Hanoi with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. Here, you will hear about the man who led Vietnam’s campaign for independence from Japanese and French colonial rule. Next, visit the Imperial Citadel, the apex of regional political power for more than a millennium, where research and excavation is still underway.  After a Vietnamese lunch, head to another 11th century relic, the Temple of Literature, which was built as an homage to the Chinese scholar Confucius. Then take a stroll across the iconic Long Bien Bridge. Constructed across Red River between 1899 and 1902, when Vietnam was still ruled by the French, it is now jammed with whizzing motorbikes and an occasional passenger train chugging into nearby Long Bien Station.

Walking through Hanoi’s bustling Old Quarter, a place where Hanoians buy everything from noodles to Buddha statues.  In the past, the quarter’s 36 streets were named after the products that were sold from their shops and today, vendors on Tin and Bamboo Streets still sell the same wares.  After exploring the old quarter’s shady alleyways, sip a strong Vietnamese coffee in a café overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake. O/N in Hanoi.

Day 3: - Hanoi - Sapa (B,L)
At 06:30 am, our mini bus will pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi Old Quater and take you to our big Sapa Express Bus to drive to Sapa, you will share the bus with other tourists. On the way, you can see a lot of beautiful countyside of Vietnam, from flat region of Red River Delta to mountainous regions of North West Vietnam. The road is quite good so you can enjoy a nice driving. Arrive Sapa and have lunch before checking in your hotel. In the afternoon, trek down to Cat Cat village of Black H' Mong people and enjoy fantastic scenery of mountains, valleys, waterfalls and tarrace rice fields. Then get back your hotel to relax. This dinner by your own account. O/ N in Sapa

Day 4: Sapa (B,L)
Meet your guide this morning and drive to the village of Ta  Giang Phin and the start of your adventure. Today you will trek for approximately four hours through terraced rice fields. Along the way you’ll see farmers working in the fields, buffalos soaking in mud pits and children scurrying home from school. Enjoy a picnic lunch at a scenic lookout and then meet a H’mong family who will welcome you into their home for a cup of tea and a chat. You’ll get a first-hand look into their lives and traditions, hear stories, and enjoy a great social interaction. Then continue your trek, walking through more rice terraces with spectacular mountain scenery before emerging on the main road to meet your driver. Return to Sapa late in the afternoon. O/N in Sapa

Day 5: Sapa - Hanoi (B,L)
This morning, you will enjoy a private tour to visit Laochai and Tavan village where you can see the best scenery of Sapa. Keep your camera on and ready for taking great photos. By the way,enjoy wonderful fresh air of forests and mountains here. You will be welcomed by dozen of local people who are willing to talk and share their local culture, you may be supprised by their excellent English. After 2 hour trekking, you will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant by the side of a stream. Then drive back to Sapa Express Bus Station to catch our bus to drive back Hanoi. You will arrive Hanoi in the late afternoon. O/N in Hanoi.

Day 6: Hanoi – Halong Bay (B,L,D)
Your guide and driver will meet you at the hotel and drive to Halong bay, the UNESCO world natural heritage site, in about 4 hours, we will stop on the way to have breakfast and resting for a while. Arrive at the dock around noon and board your Junk,spend 24 hours on a traditional Junk Cruise in the amazing bay, a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. . Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as we sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, cruise around some of Halong’s many islands, including Dinh Huong and Ga Choi. Along the way visit one of the bay’s 3 largest caves (Thien Cung, Dau Go or Sung Sot). Stop at an island cover with a sheltered white-sand beach and take a dip in the warm waters of the Tonkin Gulf (weather permitting). Pass the night on your junk, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of calm waters.. O/N on cruise

Day 7 : Halong Bay – Hanoi - Hoi An (B,L,D)
Awake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax and enjoy the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, before setting out to explore nearby islands by rowboat. Return to the junk for breakfast then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay as you navigate back to Halong City. Have brunch on board the boat before returning to Halong pier. Your driver will meet you at the dock and take you to Noi Bai Airport of Hanoi to catch your flight to Danang.  Arrive in Danang and take a forty minute drive to the seaside town of Hoi An. O/N in Hoian

Day 8: Hoi An (B,L)
Begin your tour of Hoi An, a former port that welcomed Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab merchants between the 16th to 18th centuries. Today it is renowned for its old quarter lined with restored two-storey Chinese shops, with elaborate carved wooden facades and terracotta tile roofs. And not forgetting expert tailor shops and delicious food!

Hear the interesting story of Hoi An as you visit key sites, the first is Chua Ong Pagoda, a 1653 temple built in honour of the Chinese general Quan Cong, who is worshipped by many as a symbol of loyalty and justice.  Next, pop into Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, to see the Jinshang Temple which is dedicated to the goddess of the sea and the protector of sailors.  From there it’s a short walk to Tam Ky House, a 200 year old ancestral house and finally, stroll across the often photographed 17th century covered bridge built by Japanese craftsmen. The beautifully built bridge doubles as a temple and is a major landmark of Hoi An.

In the afternoon take a short boat trip down the river and visit a craft village where local artisans make ceramics. Visit a local boatyard full of traditional fishing boats and see the unusual round basket boats that ply the waters. Return to town just in time for an early dinner or a sunset stroll along Hoi An’s sleepy Thu Bon River. O/n in Hoian

Day 9: Free time in Hoian (B)

Today, you enjoy a whole day for relaxing in Hoian, strolling around calm and tranquil walking streets or you can relax your-self at a beautiful beach nearby Hoian. O/N in Hoian

Day 10: Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh City (B,L,D)
Drive back to Danang and take a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City formerly Saigon. Discover the Story of Saigon with a visit to the War Remnants Museum, where you will hear about the city’s darkest and most tragic hours during the Vietnam War. The museum contains displays of military aircraft, weaponry and many photographs - some that are quite graphic in nature.

Next, visit the Reunification Palace once a symbol of the South Vietnamese Government. It was here on 30 April 1975, that the war ended when a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through its gates. See the war room, the banquet hall and the presidential office. Then continue to the Central Post Office, designed and constructed by the renowned architect Gustave Eiffel, and take a moment to send a postcard! Just behind the post office is the Notre Dame Cathedral, an iconic Saigon landmark built by the French between 1863 and 1880. Today it’s a favoured backdrop for Vietnamese wedding photographs.

Take a short stroll along Dong Khoi Street to the Opera House which was used as a bomb shelter and also housed the Parliamentary Lower House. Restored in 1995 the Opera House has returned to its roots and is once again a theatre. End your day with a speedboat trip along the city’s ancient canals where life carries on unchanged. Return to your hotel as the sun sets on this fascinating city. O/N in Hochiminh city

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi Tunnels (B,L)
Depart from the city pier and begin your speedboat journey on the Saigon River to the Cu Chi Tunnels. As the city fades into the background, observe life along the river and the many new ‘weekend’ homes being built.  The Cu Chi tunnels were central to a few of the war’s strategic operations, including the famous 1968 Tet Offensive. They served not only as living quarters, but as supply routes, hospitals and munitions dumps for thousands of guerilla fighters.  See the various mantraps, bomb craters and other remnants of war that remain.  Next, drive through the countryside to visit a small cricket farm.  Some Vietnamese consider crickets a delicacy, and local lore says that hungry soldiers ate them to beef up their nutrient-poor diets. At the farm you’ll see crickets in various stages of growth. You’ll also have a chance to sample cricket wrapped up in tasty spring rolls. Snap a photograph so that your friends will believe your unusual tale!  Travel back to Ho Chi Minh City with a stop for a traditional Vietnamese lunch - it won’t include cricket!  O/N in Hochiminh city

Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong river delta - Can Tho  (B,L,D)
08.00 am: We will pick you up at your hotel and travel about two hours by road to the delta town of My Tho. Stop at Tourist Boat Station then get on boat for cruising on Tien  river (Mekong River) and seeing four islands: Dragon, Unicorn, Tortoise, Phoenix.

Enjoy fresh coconut juice while enjoying fresh air of mighty river, then we will visit fishing villages and Fish-craft village along Tien River. Stop at Unicorn island and start walking around countryside road, seeing orchards, enjoy tropical fruits and listen to traditional music. And then enjoy lunch at our local restaurant.

After lunch, we will take a rowing boat on small canal with beautiful scenery of countryside, to visit honey-bee farm and enjoy honey-tea. Stop at Phoenix island to visit Coconut Monk Temple and Crocodile-farm. To boat up Tien River to Tan Thach canal (Ben Tre) visit coconut candy workshop and handicraft workshop. Come back to My Tho where you will be will be transferred to Can Tho, the delta’s economic hub. O/N in Cantho city

Day 13: Can Tho –  Chau Doc (B,L)
Rise early and travel by boat to the township of Cai Rang to see the hustle and bustle of a floating market. Watch as vendors hawk their wares from boats teeming with produce and buy a coffee from one of the floating cafes. Then, drive approximately three hours to the township of Chau Doc, a colourful and sleepy town near the Vietnam-Cambodia border.

The afternoon features a boat ride on Mekong waterways, where you’ll see fishermen hauling nets, wooden barges transporting rice and vendors gathering on riverbanks to sell their wares. Cruise the Vinh Te Canal, constructed in 1824 by more than 80,000 Vietnamese and Cambodian workers. Today the canal helps define the two countries’ mutual border. After the cruise, head to Sam Mountain for breathtaking sunset views over a chequered patchwork of rice fields and earthen dikes. O/N in Chau Doc town

Day 14: Chau Doc (B,L)
This morning travel by xe loi - the Delta’s version of a cyclo - through the countryside around Chau Doc. Keep your camera handy as you pass field after field of iconic rice paddies. Stop for a glass of sugar cane juice or iced coffee in a local café before returning to the city centre.

Now comes an eclectic afternoon. First, you will visit a small village of ethnic Cambodians who have made the area home. The centrepiece of the village is the pagoda where you will have the opportunity to have a chat with the monks. Then continue to Tra Su Forest, an ecological reserve spanning 850 hectares. Glide through the waterways flanked by mangroves in a sampan and keep an eye out for the myriad of bird life, reptiles and bats. O/N in Chau Doc town

Day 15: Chau Doc – Ho Chi Minh City (B,L,D)
Today your tour ends with a transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City, a roughly six-hour drive with plenty of rest stops. End of service

PRICE: From 850 USD/PERSON only

This is our suggested price for your reference only. Prices may vary a little according to your service requests, your group size and your travel period or any personal requirements that you may have. We are happy to advise you on tours that suit your budget or to help you with prices to cover any special requests. Please send us your inquiries and we will arrange the best price for you.

Tips to low-down or upgrade this price or any further information, Never mind to contact us please! We will try with all our best to satisfy you! 

Trip includes:​

• Transportation in private vehicles.
• Accommodations
• Cruise in Halong bay.
• Private boat trip as stated in above sights
• Two way train tickets Hanoi - Sapa - Hanoi base on 4 people/cabin
• English speaking guide.
• Admission fees to indicated sights.
• Meals: daily breakfast at hotel, lunch/ dinner where stated.
• Government tax and fees
• Drinking water on bus

Trip not includes:

• All international and domestic air tickets
• Travel Insurance of all kinds
• Drinks and other personal expenses
• Meals not stated in the program
• Tipping for guides, rowing boat man/woman, drivers, doorman at the hotels…
• Others not clearly mentioned

​It is always our great honour to serve you

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