Vietnam from North to South

PRICES FROM 1130 USD PER PERSON, BASED ON A GROUP OF 6 PEOPLE

Presentation

Vietnam from North to South is home to multiple ethnic minorities, diverse cultures, mountains, Halong Bay, Mekong Delta, beaches, Central Highlands. You will be able to admire the variety of its landscapes, to appreciate the hospitality and the smile of the Vietnamese by visiting the unavoidable of the country. A stroll in the heart of rice terraces, visiting historic cities, a relaxing day on a junk harmoniously complete your trip to Vietnam.

Hanoi > Nghia Lo > Mu Cang Chai > Sapa > Bac Ha > Hanoi > Ha Long > Ninh Binh > Hue > Hoi An > Saigon > Can Tho > Saigon

Detailed program day by day

Hanoi

Our guide and our driver welcome you to the airport and drive you to the city center to begin this trip to Vietnam. Visit the sites of the ancient capital of Tonkin: the legendary Sword Lake, the old quarter and its streets to 36 guilds, St. Joseph's Cathedral, an old house restored identically, the old market Dong Xuan (built by the French), and the East Gate.

In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Literature - Vietnam's first university, Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest in Hanoi, and Quan Thanh Temple with the bronze statue of the genius (Guardian of the North).

The day ends with a show at the Water Puppet Theater.

Day 1: Hanoi

Hanoi, Nghia Lo

Today, the direction of the mountains of the North West, the countryside offering a more "healthy" atmosphere than in the mega-city Hanoi! The valleys and hills follow one another with rice fields, tea plantations, lacquered tree forests.

We cross the Khe pass (an important strategic place during the Sino-Vietnamese conflict) and then we go down to Nghia Lo located in a basin. Here, huge orange orchards and rice paddies pass from green to yellow in autumn and make it one of the most famous regions thanks to its beauty.

Small detour on the heights, Suoi Giang, 20 kms from the end of our stage to discover endless expanses of tea trees whose oldest would be 300 years! The sunset over the mountains can be part of it!

A Thai family welcomes us in the evening to Nghia Lo for the lodge and a hearty dinner with local specialties. Dinner and overnight at the inhabitant.

Day 2: Hanoi, Nghia Lo

Nghia Lo, La Pa Tan, Mu Cang Chai

A morning walk introduces us to a few small villages in the valley, especially the Thai ethnic group with its customs and daily life. Lunch is taken at our hosts we salute before taking a new route to Mu Cang Chai.

Passage through passes in the mountains, some more than 1500 m altitude, where fans of free flight do not hesitate to face the void (Khau Pha Pass). The panorama offered to us is unheard of during our ascents and descents.

Visit of the local market suggested. Dinner and overnight at the inhabitant.

Day 3: Nghia Lo, La Pa Tan, Mu Cang Chai

- Day 4: Mu Cang Chai, Sapa - Vietnam from North to South - Mountains

Breakfast followed by a visit to a small Thai village nearby. Continue towards the north road. The valleys and villages follow one another with so much activity related to the daily work of the Hmong and Thai, majority in the region. Several passes are crossed and we can admire the mountains of the chain Hoang Lien.

Arrival in Sapa and lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, walk to Y Linh Ho, Lao Chai, Ta Van and its small hamlets of the black Hmong ethnic group. Isolated locality, accessible on foot through rice terraces so unique to Tonkin, and less traveled, this walk of about 3 hours offers us a real vision of the lives of farmers in everyday life. Night at the hotel.

Day 4: Mu Cang Chai, Sapa

Sapa, Bac Ha

After breakfast early, drive to Bac Ha to visit its weekly market. This Sunday market is one of the main attractions of the region: Hmong flower, black Dao, Phu La, Tay, Nung, Giay rub shoulders in their traditional outfits, exchange around a glass of rice alcohol. A colorful and so "perfumed" market, these unique scents that characterize Asia!

Lunch at a local restaurant or homestay. In the afternoon, walk for more than 3 to 4 hours between the Hmong, Dao and Tay villages of Pu Ngai Cho, Lan Gi Thang, or Thai Giang Pho.

Night at a Tay family after a hearty meal in a friendly atmosphere.

Day 5: Sapa, Bac Ha

Bac Ha, Hanoi

After breakfast, we say goodbye to our guests and take the road to Hanoi. Coming from Bac Ha, take a detour to the village of Trung Do where the Tay ethnic group is staying for a 1-2 hour walk and discover the daily activities of locals along the Chay River. Return to Hanoi by the motorway at the end of the afternoon. Free evening and night at the hotel.

Day 6: Bac Ha, Hanoi

Hanoi, Halong Bay

Your trip to Vietnam takes a different turn when we head towards the city of Halong to discover the beautiful bay of the same name, jewel of the East Sea. Boarding on the junk around 12:30. Cruise in Bai Tu Long Bay which is an extension of Halong Bay (less crowded and more authentic). We cross hundreds of karst peaks to reach Cong Do where we go for a kayak ride. Then, swim and relax on one of its beaches.

When returning to the boat, Vietnamese cooking demonstration before dinner. Finally, we anchor to spend the night in a quiet place.

Day 7: Hanoi, Halong Bay

Halong, Ninh Binh

Tai Chi session from 6:30 to get in shape for the morning. Visit a floating village in a small bamboo boat. Our junk returns to the port where a car is waiting for us to drive to Ninh Binh. Night at the hotel.

Day 8: Halong, Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh, Hue

Tam Coc, dubbed Halong Bay, where hundreds of karst peaks come out of the ground and create a landscape as unusual as it is exceptional. Boat trip on the Ngo Dong River, through caves, karst peaks and flooded rice paddies. Then by bike, we reach the Bich Dong Pagoda offering a magnificent view of the region.

After lunch, return to Hanoi for flight to Hue. Free evening and night at the hotel.

Day 9: Ninh Binh, Hue

- Day 10: Hue - Vietnam from North to South - Hue

Hue

This day of visit will offer us the most beautiful sites of Hue, the ancient imperial city from 1802 to 1945. Small cruise on the Perfume River to Thien Mu pagoda (Heavenly Lady), one of the oldest Buddhist pagodas of Vietnam. Visit palaces, tombs of emperors and an incense stick workshop. Free evening and night at the hotel.

Day 10: Hue

Hue, Hoi An

Departure for Hoi An passing the Cloudy Pass where we see the Lang Co beach on one side and the other side, Da Nang Bay. The museum of Cham art offers archaeological remains of the ancient Hindu kingdom of Champa (192-1832). At the Marble Mountain, observation of the art of stonemasons. Visit Tam Thai Pagoda and Huyen Khong Cave after climbing 150 steps.

Arrival in Hoi An, the ancient port city with Chinese and Japanese influences offers us its Japanese bridge dating from 1593, its shrine of Fujian (protective goddess of sailors), and its old district. Walk to the market and along the main quay. Free evening and night at the hotel.

Day 11: Hue, Hoi An

Hoi An, My Son, Saigon

Visit My Son, former religious capital of the kingdom of Champa with its "temples-towers" dedicated to Cham rulers and their deities Hinduism.

Return to Hoi An for lunch, free time for a stroll in the old town, shopping for souvenirs, or relaxing on An Bang Beach.

Departure to Da Nang for Saigon. On arrival, according to the time, visit Ben Thanh market. Free evening and night at the hotel.

Day 12: Hoi An, My Son, Saigon

Saigon, Ben Tre, Can Tho

After arriving in Ben Tre, this day is an opportunity to approach the Mekong Delta and enjoy a sampan ride on the Ben Tre River. Visit a coconut candy making workshop and carpet factories. In the village of Nhon Thanh, stroll through coconut gardens, rice fields and orchards. Tasting honey tea and exotic fruits in a shady garden. Pursuit to Can Tho and overnight at the hotel.

Day 13: Saigon, Ben Tre, Can Tho

Can Tho, Sai Gon

On a small boat, discover the Cai Rang Floating Market (one of the largest in the delta) selling seasonal agricultural products and various everyday products.

Back at the dock, our next stop will be Sadec, the charming little town immortalized by Marguerite Duras' novel. Visit the Lover’s House and the Kien An Cung pagoda belonging to the same family.

Continue to Xeo Quyt for a small boat trip on the small canals of this marshy area. Walking along the water hyacinths and crossing a forest flooded with cajeputs, we access the relics of the war.

Arrival in Saigon, dinner and rest in the hotel.

Day 14: Can Tho, Sai Gon

Saigon

Old Saigon, today Ho Chi Minh, city with a rich and tormented past, nicknamed the Paris of the Far East, was the capital of French Indochina. Saigon was destined to become the Singapore of the French. After Dien Bien Phu and the Geneva Accords, it became the capital of the Republic of Vietnam before the American conflict. Saigon will retain some beautiful colonial buildings, an urbanization with wide streets and influences of different cultures.

Panoramic tour of the city: the central post office (1886 - 1891, frame created by Gustave Eiffel), the Reunification Palace - the former residence of the presidents of the Republic of Vietnam (1962, architect Ngo Viet Thu, laureate of the Rome in 1955), the Town Hall (1898 - 1909, architect Femand Gardès), Notre Dame Cathedral (1877 - 1880, architect Jules Bourard), the pagoda of Lady Thien Hau (built in the 18th century by traders Chinese). You will be charmed by the styles of the Gothic novel with Indochinese or traditional Asian motifs.

The rest of the free time for last shopping and dinner until transfer to the airport for your departure flight. End of your trip to Vietnam.

Day 15: Saigon