Essential Vietnam with Sapa Adventure

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City

  Welcome to Vietnam! Your private guide will meet you at Tan Son Nhat Airport and transport you to your hotel in the city center to check in. Spend the remainder of the day at your leisure. Depending on when you arrive, you can either relax in your hotel or venture out to capture your first impressions of Vietnam.

  • Ho Chi Minh City

• Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City

  Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, has a distinct culture shaped by a turbulent history. As a modern metropolis, the city now offers an enticing blend of old and new.

  After breakfast, meet your knowledgeable guide and take an insider's tour to visit the maze-like Cu Chi Tunnels, War Remnants Museum, and Reunification Palace (the former Presidential Palace). In addition to the war sites, wander around the Old Saigon Post Office, Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, Dong Khoi Street, and Ben Thanh Market to learn more about Saigon's colonial past and new life.

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  • Ho Chi Minh City

• Day 3: Mekong Delta Cruise Tour

  In the morning, depart from bustling Ho Chi Minh City and drive about 1.5 hours to the rustic My Tho in the Mekong Delta. After visiting a wholesale fruit market, embark on a boat cruise to experience the incredibly lush beauty and the pastoral life of riverside fishing villages. Disembark and visit a traditional workshop and learn how to make local coconut candy. A local horse-drawn cart or tuk-tuk ride afterward will take you through rural villages and fruit orchards. Next, board a rowing long-tail boat to explore the palm tree-lined canals. At a riverside restaurant, sample some local specialties for lunch.

  This afternoon, admire the distinctive Vinh Trang Pagoda combining Asian and European architectural styles, followed by a 2.5-hour road transfer to Can Tho. Settle into a local hotel and enjoy the remainder of today at leisure.

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  • Can Tho

• Day 4: Can Tho - Ho Chi Minh City - Hoi An

  Cai Rang is the largest and busiest floating market in the Mekong Delta. Around 6:30 a.m., hundreds of boats loaded with fruits, vegetables, and fish will converge there to trade. Rising early, board a smaller boat to weave among the boats and catch the market in full swing. You will have ample opportunities to see the buying and selling process close up and even join in if you like. Following this, move on to visit an orchard garden and a traditional rice noodle factory for a true insight into the lives of the locals.

  After that, drive about 3 hours back to Ho Chi Minh City for your flight to Da Nang, where your local guide will meet you and arrange a private transfer to your hotel in Hoi An. Spend the rest of the afternoon and evening independently.

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  • Hoi An

• Day 5: Hoi An Historic Tour with Lantern Making

  This morning, learn about Hoi An's fascinating past as a prosperous trading port by visiting the Japanese Bridge, the Chinese Temple, and Vietnamese former merchants' houses. Later, pay a visit to a local craftsman's home and seize the opportunity to make your fold-away lantern. Locals believe that lanterns, as a symbol of Hoi An, can bring happiness, luck, and wealth.

  The rest of today is free to relax or explore on your own. You can join the crowds strolling through the laneways or find a great restaurant to eat at and enjoy the pleasant breeze.

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  • Hoi An

• Day 6: Hoi An - Hanoi, My Son Holy Land

  Today, spend this morning exploring the My Son Holy Land to delve into the Cham Pa Kingdom's history and culture from the 4th to 5th centuries. After lunch, you will be transferred back to Da Nang Airport for your flight to Hanoi.

  Your guide will meet you at the airport and transport you to the hotel. The rest of today is on your own to relax in your room or stroll around the nearby Hoan Kiem Lake.

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  • Hanoi

• Day 7: Hanoi Sightseeing Tour

  Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel or head out to try the traditional rice noodles Pho. Your guide will then lead you to explore the city's major sights, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House, the One Pillar Pagoda, and the Museum of Ethnology. You are then free to relax for a few hours before embarking on a street food tour around the lively Old Quarter. Led by your guide, walk through the maze-like streets to sample local specialties like Cha Ca (grilled fish), try Hanoi's special egg coffee, and hear fascinating stories of Vietnamese food culture.

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  • Hanoi

• Day 8: Hanoi - Sapa

  Sapa, surrounded by dramatic gorges and stepped rice terraces, is one of northern Vietnam's most unique destinations. In the morning, depart Hanoi for Sapa on a 5-hour private transfer. En route, stop by Ta Giang Phinh village at the foot of Ngu Chi Son mountain to learn about the Black Hmong people's culture and way of life. When arriving in Sapa town, check into your hotel and explore by yourself.

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  • Sapa

• Day 9: Sapa Trekking Tour

  Sapa has many trekking options that take you through the region's scenic hillsides and small ethnic villages. Your guide will meet you at your hotel after breakfast and accompany you on a full-day trekking tour. Hike scenic trails through tumbling rivers, magnificent waterfalls, and valleys, see stunning terraced rice fields, and learn about the ethnic cultures of the Hmong, Dao, Tay, Giay, and Yi minorities. After your trek, take a private transfer back to your hotel to relax.

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  • Sapa

• Day 10: Sapa - Hanoi

  Spend this morning relaxing in your hotel or strolling around a local market in town. If you still have energy, you could take a short tour to the Silver Waterfall & Heaven Gate or take a cable car to Fansipan Peak. After lunch, take a private vehicle back to Hanoi.

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  • Hanoi

• Day 11: Hanoi - Halong Bay

  Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before departing for your Halong Bay vacation. The drive from Hanoi to Hon Gai Pier will take approximately 3.5 hours. This afternoon, cruise around Halong Bay's stunning limestone islets rising from emerald waters that formed thousands of years ago. Want to do something enjoyable? A variety of optional activities are available! You can kayak on the bay, take a cooking class, relax in a sauna, or even go squid fishing with the others. Have a wonderful time!

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  • Halong Bay

• Day 12: Halong Bay - Hanoi

  Get up early to see the breathtaking sunrise and practice Tai Chi on the open deck. You will take an excursion to the Thien Canh Son Cave after a light breakfast. It would be a pleasant experience with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites inside. Return to your boat for brunch after the tour. Your Halong Bay cruise is coming to an end as your ship gets closer to the pier. Disembark and meet your guide before being driven back to Hanoi. Have a fantastic last night in Vietnam!

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  • Hanoi

• Day 13: Hanoi, Departure

  After breakfast, you will be taken back to Hanoi airport in time for your flight home. Best wishes!

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