Vietnam Panorama – 9 Days

Ha Noi / Arrival (D)

Arrival at Hanoi Airport. Welcome and meet our guide.

Hanoi, Vietnam’s thousand-year-old capital, has preserved much of the charm of the French colonial era. It is undoubtedly one of Vietnam’s most charming cities, with its authentic atmosphere, wide shaded avenues, numerous lakes and well-kept gardens. The name Hanoi means “the city beyond the river.”

Transfer to the hotel and check-in. Begin discovering the city of Hanoi.

Depending on your arrival time, enjoy walks and visits around Hanoi for your first discoveries of the capital:

• The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex, overlooking Ba Dinh Square, and his stilt house, offering a better understanding of the modest lifestyle of this important historical figure.
• The famous One Pillar Pagoda, known for its unique architecture associated with an interesting legend dating back to the 11th century.
• Visit the Temple of Literature, dedicated to Confucius and his disciples. By visiting Vietnam’s first university, you will gain a better understanding of education during the country’s feudal era.
• Visit Ngoc Son Temple (Temple of the Jade Mountain), located in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. The giant turtle associated with the temple recalls the famous legend of the lake dating from the 15th century.

Welcome dinner at a local restaurant featuring local specialties.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Please note that you may book your own international flights and arrive earlier depending on your travel dates. All travelers will then meet and join the tour locally.

Ha Noi - Ninh Binh ( Ha Long on land) (B,L,D)

After breakfast, departure for Ninh Binh.

Ninh Binh is located in the Red River Delta, southeast of Hanoi. The province marks the southernmost point of Southeast Asia’s limestone karst plateau. It is also where these rock formations are among the most impressive in Vietnam, earning the region its nickname, “Inland Ha Long Bay.”

Upon arrival, visit the temples dedicated to the kings of the Dinh and Le dynasties, then continue along a scenic road surrounded by magnificent peaks to Tho Ha Village.

Lunch featuring local specialities at a stilt-house restaurant surrounded by rice fields.

In the afternoon, take a sampan ride to explore caves carved by erosion in Thung Nham, an area still untouched by mass tourism. Visit Thien Ha Cave inside the mountain.

Continue towards the Tam Coc–Bich Dong area, where you will enjoy a pleasant bicycle ride through beautiful, authentic villages.

Visit Bich Dong Pagoda (“Jade Cave” and its three 17th-century temples), offering panoramic views over this enchanting region.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Ninh Binh - Ha Long Bay (B,L,D)

After breakfast at the hotel, departure for Ha Long Bay.

Stops along the way to photograph farmers in the Red River Delta planting or harvesting rice.

The legendary Ha Long Bay, whose name means “descending dragon,” is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This magical place, considered the “eighth wonder of the world,” is a vast geological museum. Covering approximately 1,500 square kilometres, it features more than two thousand islands, islets and karst reefs of various shapes, dotted with caves and caverns that delight visitors.

The three areas of Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay—the latter belonging to Cat Ba—together form what is known as the maritime Ha Long Bay area.

Arrival in Ha Long around noon. Board the boat for a 24-hour cruise through Ha Long Bay, one of Vietnam’s most famous destinations and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994.

After a seafood lunch, temporarily leave the boat to visit Surprise Cave.

Seafood dinner and overnight aboard the traditional junk in Ha Long Bay.

Ha Long Bay - Ha Noi - Hue (B,L,D)

After breakfast, board a small sampan to visit a fishing village and continue admiring the magnificent scenery of Ha Long Bay.

After lunch, disembark and return to Hanoi, followed by a transfer to Hanoi Railway Station for the overnight train.

Upon arrival in Hanoi, enjoy a traditional water puppet show, an art form closely associated with Vietnam’s wet-rice farming culture. Dinner and overnight aboard the train.

Four-berth sleeper cabin | Tourist-class comfort, equipped with mattresses and blankets

Hue / Arrival (B,L,D)

Arrival in Hue. Welcome by the local team and transfer to the hotel for breakfast before beginning your visits around Hue’s must-see attractions: the Imperial City and its three enclosures—the Citadel, the Imperial City and the Purple Forbidden City.

Take a dragon-shaped sampan cruise along the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, also known as the Pagoda of the Celestial Lady, the Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, the conical hat and incense-making village, and Dong Ba Central Market in Hue.

Hue was unquestionably the capital of Central Vietnam—formerly known as Annam during the French colonial period—from 1802 to 1945. Located only a short distance from the East Sea, the city was built along the banks of the Perfume River (Song Huong), which has been praised and painted countless times by artists who stayed there. Hue has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. An imperial city established by the Nguyen Dynasty, it is now one of the country’s cultural and intellectual centres, with magnificent and majestic palaces, pagodas and royal tombs.

Royal dinner: dressed in the costumes of emperors, queens, princes and princesses, we enjoy imperial dishes accompanied by traditional music—for groups of at least 10 people.

Overnight in Hue.

Hue - Hai Van Pass - Hoi An (B,L,D)

After breakfast, departure for Hoi An, travelling across the famous Hai Van Pass, which offers panoramic views over the sea and Da Nang—Vietnam’s fourth-largest city. Stop at Lang Co fishing village to observe local fishing activities.

Photos from the summit of Hai Van Pass. Arrival in Da Nang and lunch at a local restaurant.

Arrival in Hoi An and visit to Hoi An Ancient Town, including some of its most distinctive monuments:

An ancient traditional house, the Japanese Covered Bridge and the Fujian Chinese Congregation Hall.

Hoi An: Once Vietnam’s most important trading port and formerly known as Faifo, Hoi An was a bustling town during the 17th and 18th centuries, when Chinese and Japanese communities established their own districts here. It was also where the first merchants from Portugal, the Netherlands, England and France arrived. This charming town captivates travellers with its peaceful atmosphere, architecture and the authentic daily life of its residents. Today, Hoi An is also a popular seaside destination known for its beautiful An Bang and Cua Dai beaches.

Dinner in town and overnight in Hoi An.

Hoi An - Da Nang - Flight to Sai Gon (B,L,D)

In the morning, enjoy pleasant walks and discoveries in the countryside surrounding Hoi An:

A beautiful bicycle ride through the outskirts of Hoi An to discover its picturesque countryside.

A basket-boat ride along small waterways surrounded by nipa palms, where you can observe local fishing activities.

Excursion to Kim Bong Village to discover local life.

Relax with a 15-minute foot massage at a local family’s home.

Cooking class and lunch with a local family.

Return to Hoi An, followed by a direct transfer to the airport for the flight to Saigon.

Arrival in Saigon, welcome by the local team and transfer to the hotel for some rest.

Dinner and overnight in Saigon.

Sai Gon - My Tho - Mekong Delta - Sai Gon (B/L)

Departure for My Tho. A vast network of thousands of canals characterises life in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s largest rice-producing region.

In southern Vietnam, the Mekong River divides into nine major branches, forming a delta more than 100 kilometres wide. Its fertile land, which is wet and flooded every year, supports lush and diverse vegetation. The delta is vast and can be explored through several destinations—cruising along rivers and canals, visiting islands, discovering local life and, above all, exploring its floating markets.

We travel through the greenery of the delta’s fields and orchards and vast rice fields dotted with lotus ponds.

Board a boat for a cruise on the Mekong River towards Thoi Son Islet, also known as Unicorn Island—a vast 11-square-kilometre tropical garden.

Taste tropical fruits and fresh honey collected from beehives in the orchards.

Lunch on the island featuring local specialities, including the famous elephant-ear fish.

In the afternoon, take a sampan ride along the small waterways, bordered on both sides by lush vegetation.

Return to Saigon. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel for some rest and free time.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Saigon.

Sai Gon - Departure (B,L)

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is often contrasted with “traditional Hanoi,” as Vietnam’s economic capital embodies the country’s modernity and its hope of overcoming the economic setbacks caused by successive wars. Located in the heart of former Cochinchina, near the Mekong Delta, it is also the country’s largest city, with a population of more than 14 million.

Depending on the departure time of your return flight, you will visit and explore Saigon’s two main districts:

The Chinatown (Cho Lon), with Thien Hau Pagoda, Binh Tay Central Market and Ngoc Hoang Pagoda, also known as the Jade Emperor Pagoda.

Lunch in the colonial quarter, followed by the discovery of this beautiful Western-style district, including the Central Post Office, designed in a distinctly French architectural style and associated with Gustave Eiffel; Notre-Dame Cathedral; the Opera House; and City Hall, with its original French architecture. Enjoy a pleasant walk along the former Catinat Street, ending with a visit to a lacquerware workshop or Ben Thanh Market, where you can compare it with Binh Tay Market.

Transfer to the airport for your return flight.

Note:

• Please note that the scheduled visits may be changed due to local weather conditions or other unexpected circumstances.
• Prices may be adjusted if the programme is modified.
• The final programme, price and number of participants will be confirmed 31 days before the beginning of the trip.
• Travellers must hold a passport valid for at least six months after the return date.