Vietnam Family Classic and Beach Holiday 17 Days

Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you’ll be met and driven to your hotel. You’ll have time to relax after your journey.

In the evening, you’ll have tickets for a performance of traditional Water Puppetry (an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and a good, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture). You’ll spend the night in Hanoi.

You’ll have the whole day to explore Vietnam’s capital city. Your guide will take you to the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam dating back to the 11th century, and a popular attraction, as is Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, his simple stilt house where he lived and wworked, and the museum dedicated to his memory.

After lunch, you’ll drive to the excellent Ethnology Museum for an overview of Vietnam’s 54 distinct ethnic groups. Then you’ll visit Hoa Lo Prison – better known by captured US pilots as the ‘Hanoi Hilton’. The bustling Old Quarter is a magnet for visitors, it’s noisy and hectic, but definitely a ‘must-see’ attraction. The Old Quarter is a maze of shopping streets and restaurants with a hotchpotch of architecture – traditional tube houses, religious buildings, artisfans’ workshops and cottages, colonial houses and modern concrete edifices. You’ll spend the night in Hanoi.

After breakfast, you’ll drive to Mai Chau, passing through mountainous landscape on the way. You’ll have a stop en – route to have a soft break and photograph. Upon arrive in Mai Chau around noon, you’ll enjoy lunch. You’ll then spend your afternoon to cycle to authentic villages as Tong Dau, Na Tang, Cha Long where rarely visited by tourists. You’ll be back to Mai Chau Ecolodge around 17:00 to 17:30. Dinner will be served by 19:30 (at your own account). After dinner, enjoy traditional dance show with local wine “Ruou Can”. You’ll spend overnight in Mai Chau.

In the morning, you’ll be driven to Ninh Binh. Upon arrival, you’ll relax on a local rowboat trip in Tam Coc (three caves), a peaceful valley among limestone ‘karst’ hills, There, you’ll be rowed along a gentle river between paddy fields and through the caves.

You’ll come to a host family to enjoy a special lunch prepared by the home chef with the local cuisine featuring the yin-yang balance of the Asian culture.  In the afternoon, you’ll pick up your bike to ride along a scenic canal with walking around open rice fields and looking around at the amazing folds of the rock formations. You’ll have a chance to learn about Vietnamese agriculture and cycle through different villages and a unique area known for its magnificient limestone peaks. Then you’ll visit Mua Cave, the most beautiful place to view in Ninh Binh, where can see the city far from the standing in front of Tam Coc in back and the limestone mountain along to the south of Vietnam. In the late afternoon, you’ll be driven to your hotel in Ninh Binh for overnight. You’ll spend the nigfht in Ninh Binh.

After an early breakfast, you’ll leave for Ha Long Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas and the world’s largest marine limestone ‘karst’ landscape. There you’ll board a deluxe junk to take you round the Bay before stopping off at a beach on an island. Weather permitting, you’ll be able to swim, fish, and climb a hill (not a mountain!) for an overview of the Bay’s remarkable seascape. From there, you’ll continue your cruise to visit a fishing village – you’ll also have an opportunity to investigate one of the bay’s sea level caves in a small sampan or a kayak. Back on board, you can enjoy cocktails while watching the sunset. Later, unwind with a lavish dinner before an overnight stay on the board. The route is designed to avoid the busy areas and includes a very quiet location for your overnight stay.

You’ll wake in the fresh air on the bay with a swim and/or a Yoga or Taichi session on the large sundeck (beginners welcome!). After a light pastry and a tea or coffee for breakfast, you’ll dock to visit one of the most famous caves in the Bay. You’ll return to the junk for a brunch while cruising back to dock around noon whereupon you’ll be picked up back to Noi Bai airport for your departure flight to Hue. When you arrive, you’ll be met and driven to your hotel to check in. You’ll spend the night in Hue.

Departure from your hotel for our morning explorations to visit the Imperial city to learn all about the royal kingdom here in the past. We then embark for our beautiful boat ride along the Perfume River, with stop at Thien Mu Pagoda.

Continue our boat journey downstream with pleasant viewing along the sides of the river and lunch onboard while we are sailing down the Perfume River.

Our afternoon start with biking to visit the flower village of Tien Non, it’s just lovely to be among different types of flowers, then cycle a bit more to visit Thanh Tien paper flower making village, you can try to make one by yourself.  After that, you will visit village where they make traditional folk painting, more ride through the beautiful and peaceful countryside of Hue before hitting the road back to your hotel for about 17.00.  You’ll spend the night in Hue.

In the morning, your car will drive you to Danang. On the way, you’ll cross the Hai Van mountain pass. The views from the top are excellent – you should be able to see Lang Co beach and village, and the lagoon far below, with Danang spread out before you to the south.

Upon arriving in Danang and a brief look at the remarkable Hindu statuary in the Cham Museum, you’ll arrive at Hoi An. After lunch, you’ll have a guided visit to the Ancient Town of Hoi An and spend the night in Hoi An.

The day starts with cycling the narrow roads through the countryside, passing by rice paddy fields, water buffalos, bamboo bridges and local farmers on their daily work. You’ll then board a boat to the mouth of the Thu Bon estuary where the river meets the Cua Dai Sea and cruise along the coastline observing the lives of the local fishermen. After joining the fisherman to try your hand at catching fish in a traditional ‘Thung Chai’ basket boat, you will meander through the water palm coconut canal. During the American War, Viet Cong soldiers made use of this area as a highly effective hiding place from enemy attacks through their long struggle. Following an insightful visit to a local fishing village, you’ll be free to relax and enjoy a lunch before cycling back to your hotel. You’ll spend the night in Hoi An.

After breakfast, you’ll be free until when you’re picked up to the Danang airport for the flight to Can Tho. When you arrive, you’ll be picked up to your hotel Can Tho where you’ll spend the night.

After breakfast and a boat cruise, you’ll arrive at Cai Rang floating market on the Mekong Delta. Both the journey and the market provide insights into the rural Mekong Delta lifestyle.

After breakfast and a boat cruise, you’ll arrive at Cai Rang floating market on the Mekong Delta. Both the journey and the market provide insights into the rural Mekong Delta lifestyle. After that, you’ll check out your hotel and drive to Vinh Long market where you’ll have chance to take pictures of of fish, shrimps, prawns, ricefiedl crabs/rats, snakes, ftropical fruits, vegetables…. After that, you’ll board the boat to travel downstream on Mekong River seeing many floating cages for farming fish. Then, the first stop to visit the local workshop to see how to make rice paper, coconut candy, pop-rice… Enjoy some sweets with a cup of hot tea. Then, you’ll walk to visit the orchard; traditional house of Ut Trinh family, we will enjoy some kinds of fruits and tea when listening to the traditional music.

You’ll have lunch on board when our cruise is coming to RED KINGDOM where you can see hundreds brick kilns on both sides of Thay Cai, My An, Hoa Tinh cannal. You’ll then walk/bike in the peaceful village to see how they make bricks, floor tiles, wave bamboo trays, bamboo baskets… Our boat continue to travel on Long Ho canal then  go back Vinh Long city where your driver is waiting for you to take you to Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

7:10 am:  Early in the morning, your guide will meet you at your hotel’s lobby and bring you by car to your boat at Tan Cang pier.

7:20 am:  Then you will depart Saigon by speedboat. Within 15 minutes, the banks of the river change from city sprawl to lush jungle. A light breakfast of sandwiches or pastries, fresh tropical fruits and Vietnamese iced coffee (Ca phe sua da) is served, as your guide explains rural traditions and aspects of riverbank life.

8:50 am: You will arrive at the Cu Chi Tunnels site before the majority of larger bus tours arrive. Watch a brief introductory ‘propaganda’ video to the Cu Chi area.

9:00 am: Explore the tunnel site, which includes weapon and booby trap exhibitions, navigating authentic Viet Cong tunnel, visiting different underground bunkers (kitchens, meeting rooms, ammunitions etc.), a firing range and much more. Try the local cassava root that sustained Viet Cong fighters for years.

11:00 am: Enjoy a delicious traditional Vietnamese lunch by the river, consisting of authentic fried spring rolls, chicken and beef dishes and soup.

11:30 am: Say goodbye to Cu Chi Tunnel and return to Ho Chi Minh City.

13:00 pm: Arrive back at Tan Cang’s pier. Les Rives staff will take you back to your hotel by car.

In the evening, at 18.00, you’ll then be picked up at hotel for Vespa tour. Your first stop is to Café zoom to “watch the world goes by” (quoted by The Lonely Planet) and enjoy cocktail and appetizer (inclusive) before adventuring into favorite local eating spot. You’ll experience the nightlife of Saigon the way locals do, all from the back of a vintage Vespa scooter. Then the tour will continue to a hidden Vietnamese-style coffee shop to have a taste of Vietnamese music (live) as a local. After this the tour will bring guest to a Mall (Diamond Plaza or Birdie Buddies Kids Club at Crescent Mall) to enjoy some games before returning to your hotel. Your overnight stay will be in Ho Chi Minh City.

Your time will be your own until when your private car and driver arrives to take you to Tan Son Nhat airport for the flight to Phu Quoc. On arrival, you’ll be driven to your resort. You’ll spend the night in Phu Quoc.

Your time will be your own! You’ll spend the night in Phu Quoc.

Your time will be your own! You’ll spend the night in Phu Quoc.

Your time will be your own! You’ll spend the night in Phu Quoc.

After breakfast, you’ll be free until you’re picked up to the airport for a flight back to Ho Chi Minh Cty which is in good time to connect with your departure flight home. End of services.