Vietnam from South to North

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

Presentation

Vietnam from South to North - Floating market

Vietnam is a multicultural country very varied in its traditions and its landscapes. From the south of the country (Saigon and its Mekong Delta), through the shores of the center, to the northern mountains bordering China, you will travel through this territory through its most beautiful natural and cultural sites. You will meet people with different regional cultures and discover their kindness by staying at home or sharing a good time around a meal. So many memorable moments during your trip to Vietnam.

Saigon > Can Tho > Danang > Hoi An > Hue > Hanoï > Lao Cai > Bac Ha > Sapa > Mu Cang Chai > Nghia Lo > Hanoi > Halong > Ninh Binh > Hanoi

Saigon

Our guide (with driver) welcomes you to Saigon airport to begin your trip to Vietnam.

A stroll through the historic center of this energy-filled city offers the opportunity to discover the Central Post Office, the Reunification Palace (former residence of the Presidents of the Republic of Vietnam), the Town Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral, Thien Hau Pagoda and Ben Thanh Market.

Night at the hotel.

Day 1: Saigon

Saigon, Ben Tre, Can Tho

Immersion day at the heart of local life in the Mekong Delta. Road to the "coconut kingdom" Ben Tre. Island of resistance during the Vietnam War, it is now a haven of peace quite different from the bubbling Saigon. Sampan ride on the river Ben Tre to the village of Nhon Thanh and cycling on shaded paths. Visit a coconut candy making workshop and carpet factories. Tasting of tropical fruits in orchards (dragon fruit, mangoes, grapefruit, ...).

Departure to Can Tho, the largest city in the Mekong Delta to discover its surroundings on foot or by bike. Night at the hotel.

Day 2: Saigon, Ben Tre, Can Tho

Can Tho, Cai Rang, Da Nang, Hoi An

Visit of Cai Rang Market. This floating wholesaler market, the largest in the Mekong Delta, is recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Back at the dock, the program is linked with the small town Sadec, which served as a backdrop for filming The Lover by Jean-Jacques Annaud. We will visit the elegant house where lived the lover of Marguerite Duras, immortalized in her novel The Lover, and the Kien An Cung pagoda belonging to the same family.

Then there is time for a small boat trip to Xeo Quyt, where there is a very dense network of canals and arroyos. While crossing a mangrove, one reaches the relics of the war from 1960 to 1975.

Return to Saigon, transfer to the airport for your flight to Danang.

Arriving in Da Nang, our driver drives you to Hoi An. Free evening in the old district or on the beach near the hotel.

Day 3: Can Tho, Cai Rang, Da Nang, Hoi An

Hoi An, My Son, Hoi An

After 40 km of Hoi An road, discover the sanctuary of My Son, former religious capital of the Champa kingdom of Hindu culture with ruins of "towers-temples" dedicated to Cham rulers and their deities.

Return to Hoi An for lunch and then discover this charming city.

Hoi An, old small port, welcomes us. Many merchants, mostly Chinese and Japanese settled there in the 16th century, giving the various buildings this typical and original architecture. We discover successively the small Japanese bridge, the shrine of the goddess of the sea, the Chinese house Phung Hung,...

Night walk along the pier under the lanterns light. Night at the hotel.

Day 4: Hoi An, My Son, Hoi An

Hoi An, Hue

A beautiful road through the Cloudy Pass will take you to Danang. Visit the Cham museum where archaeological remains of the ancient Hindu kingdom of Champa (192-1832) are exhibited. A few kilometers away, while following the sea, the Marble Mountain reveals skilful stonecutters. See Tam Thai Pagoda and Huyen Khong Cave.

Free meal and Hue direction. Arrival in Hue, free time for a stroll in the city. Free evening and night at the hotel.

Day 5: Hoi An, Hue

Hue, Hanoi

The discovery of the colors of Hue, this ancient imperial city from 1802 to 1945 begins with a navigation on the Perfume River leading to Thien Mu pagoda, visit the city of the last imperial dynasty, the tombs of the emperors and an incense stick workshop.

Transfer to the airport to continue your trip to Vietnam with the flight to Hanoi. Night at the hotel.

Day 6: Hue, Hanoi

Hanoi, Lao Cai

Discover Hanoi, a city caught between tradition and modernity: the old quarter with the trade streets, Hoan Kiem Lake, St. Joseph Cathedral, Dong Xuan indoor market, ...

Small tour in cyclo passing by old buildings of the colonial time as the French school of Far-East and the Opera. We will go to the Temple of Literature (first University of Vietnam), Tran Quoc Pagoda (the oldest in the city, resting on the dyke of Great Western Lake) and Quan Thanh Temple (the imposing bronze statue of the Northern Guardian Genius of nearly tons)

Puppet theater show on the water before the night train to the northern mountains.

Day 7: Hanoi, Lao Cai

Lao Cai, Bac Ha

Breakfast at the hotel arriving on Lao Cai. Drive to Bac Ha.

Hiking for 3 to 4 hours between still authentic villages of Hmong, Dao and Tay minorities: Pu Ngai Cho, Lan Gi Thang, Thai Giang Pho.

We arrive at Na Lo to discover the lifestyle and culture of the Tay ethnic group. After dinner in a cozy atmosphere with homemade rice wine tasting, we sleep in a traditional house on stilts.

Day 8: Lao Cai, Bac Ha

Bac Ha, Sapa

You dive a while in a local market, close to the inhabitants of Hmong Flower, Black Dao, Phu La and Tay. In their colorful traditional costumes, they come to sell or buy various goods for the week: utensils, spices, vegetables, meat, crafts, animals (buffaloes, horses). It is also an opportunity to party and drink a glass of alcohol.

Your route to the north-west mountains continues to Sapa and we sleep in homestays in a family Day in Ta Van.

Day 9: Bac Ha, Sapa

Sapa, Mu Cang Chai

Morning market in Muong Hoa Valley before taking the car back.

Walk in the streets of Sapa before departure to Mu Cang Chai. We cross Vietnam's highest pass after stopping at the Silver Waterfall. We drive along the Hoang Lien mountain range before crossing a mainly populated area of Hmong.

In Mu Cang Chai, overnight stay at the Tay homestay in a house on stilts.

Day 10: Sapa, Mu Cang Chai

Mu Cang Chai, Nghia Lo

We take the road of Nghia Lo considered as one of the most beautiful of Vietnam. This passage to the sublime landscapes (classified national natural heritage) makes us discover the pass of Khau Pha, the rice terraces and many ethnic villages.

Arrival in Nghia Lo which is in a basin of 10 km long surrounded by mountains rising to 1500 meters of altitude. Homestay installation of the Thai ethnic group.

Day 11: Mu Cang Chai, Nghia Lo

Nghia Lo, Hanoi

Back to Hanoi via Suoi Giang. Visit the Hmong on this site known for its centenary tea trees. Via the pass and the winding roads, we reach the Red River and the fertile plains along the Song Da River with a view of Mount Ba Vi and its expanses of rice fields in the foreground.

Arrival in Hanoi, overnight at the hotel.

Day 12: Nghia Lo, Hanoi

Hanoi, Halong

We are expected in Halong, with one of the seven new wonders of nature. Cruise to Bai Tu Long Bay (extension of Halong Bay) in a quiet and less touristy setting. We enjoy quietly the bay, crossing fishing boats, small ferries and hundreds of karst peaks. Kayak ride in Cong Do. Swimming and relaxing on a small beach.

Cooking class then dinner at sunset. Night in the mysterious silence of the bay.

Day 13: Hanoi, Halong

Halong, Ninh Binh

Tai Chi session from 6:30 am Visit a floating village in a small bamboo boat. Discovery of the lives of the inhabitants, their activities mainly focused on fish farming and processing cultured pearls.

Back to the port. Road to "Halong Bay Land" Ninh Binh. Night at the hotel.

Day 14: Halong, Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh, Hanoi

Boat trip to Tam Coc where hundreds of karst peaks come out of the ground and create a landscape as unusual as exceptional. Then after a bike ride, we reach the Bich Dong Pagoda offering a magnificent view of the region.

Visit the gigantic Bai Dinh Pagoda made up of the largest gilded bronze Buddha of Southeast Asia of more than 100 tons, the largest bell in Southeast Asia and an army of 500 statues representing the disciples of Buddha.

Direct transfer to the airport for your return flight. End of your trip to Vietnam.

Day 15: Ninh Binh, Hanoi