Upon arriving in Hanoi, Viet Unique Journey’s  tour guide will personally meet you at the airport and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is time at leisure.

Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

After breakfast at the hotel. Meet ‪Viet Unique Journey’s expert at the hotel lobby.

You will visit Ho Chi Minh Complex, completed in 1975. The complex includes the Presidential Palace, House-on-Stilts, One pilar Pagoda and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. After that, youb will move to visit Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first University dating back to 1070. The temple highlights the importance that Vietnamese society place then and now on education.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, continue your tour to Museum of Ethnology widely acknowledged as the best in the country and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic groups.

Back to the center of Hanoi, visit Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake. Ngoc Son temple is set on a tiny island on Hoan Kiem Lake, its history dating back to the 13th century. The temple is reached by crossing The Huc Bridge which literally means the ‘Place Touched by Morning Sunbeams’. Hoan Kiem Lake is the local point of the city and the source of many legends.

45 minute Cyclo Tour through the Old Quarter. Also known as the 36 streets, this bustling area of narrow streets is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. Originally each of the street name was related to the products being sold there. It’s a great place to explore on foot with numerous photo opportunities. Enjoy water puppet show before going back to your hotel.

Dinner is on your own cost.

Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

08.00 AM: After breakfast at your hotel, you will depart for Pu Luong.

Pu Luong offers you a great amount of different beautiful sights. All attainable by car or stunning treks. The region is quite unknown among most tourists, but that does not make it less worth to visit. Pu Luong may attract you thanks to its beautiful nature, breath taking mountain passes and traditional villages of ethnic minorities who still retain their unique cultural heritage and way of living.

In the morning, enter Pu Luong Nature Reserve by road via a breathtaking mountain pass giving you a panoramic view of the whole valley. You arrive at your accommodation in time for a delicious lunch, followed by free time to explore the beautiful retreat, with its captivating panoramic views and tranquil setting.

In the afternoon, transfer to a suspension bridge over the Cham River, where you begin your walk in search of stunning water wheels. Get up close to each wheel and discover how water is moved from river to handmade bamboo aqueducts via simple constructions of all sizes.

Arriving at a local fisherman’s house, you have a short rest to gear up for the bamboo river rafting with Dinh and his team. Float along the calm river and enjoy the views, in between learning how to paddle and steer your handcrafted rafts.

Arriving at scenic Tan Lap bridge, you disembark to be transferred back to Pu Luong Retreat for dinner.

Overnight in Pu Luong.

Start early to descend into the beautiful valley facing the Retreat where you walk around tumbling rice terraces. Trek through small paths shrouded in vegetation to slowly reveal a picturesque village sitting at the base of a towering mountain. Your camera will not be able to sit still!

Continuing to the base of the valley, you weave between roads and farmland, villages and wild fields, ponds and rivers, mountains and open land.

Savour the ever-changing scenery as you trek to a beautiful spot to enjoy a picnic lunch.

In the afternoon, free time to explore the refreshing water to the nearby river, before moving to our pick up point to be transferred back to the Retreat.

Overnight in Pu Luong

Early morning, leave Pu Luong for Ninh Binh. After 3 hours drive, arrive in Hoa Lu which is the former capital of Vietnam (968 – 1009) under Dinh and Le dynasties. Visit Dinh temple, Le temple and surroundings.

Lunch at a restaurant of local food.

Take the amazing boat trip to visit Trang An grottoes which is a gathering of 31 valleys, 50 cross-water caves, and home to 600 kinds of flora and over 200 kinds of fauna, many of them in the Red Book of Vietnam. While rowing through Trang An grotto in the quiet, fresh air of the highlands, with only the sound of birds and the oars stirring the clear water and surrounded by magnificent forested mountains upon which graze white goats, visitors enjoy a heaven on earth.

Then drive back to your hotel in Van Long for check-in. The rest of the day is free at your leisure.

After breakfast at your hotel. Our tour guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel in Ninh Binh and transfer to Halong Bay.

12:00 – 12:30: At Tuan Chau International Marina, a tender boat will take you to our Halong Phoenix Cruiser. A refreshing welcome drink is served and you can check into your cabin.

13:00: When you are putting all of your stuffs into your cabin, our boat starts gliding out to the centre of the World Heritage Site. Your lunch, at the boat’s restaurant, is would be served with fresh local seafood, but vegetable menu is always available at your request. From the marina area, our cruiser passes by Dog Head and Swan Islands, Ba Hang Floating villages (with floating houses), Incense Burner then Thumb Islands before reaching to Luon cave area for kayaking.

14:30 – 15:00: We have time to gear up for one hour kayaking around Luon cave area. Our guide will show you some basic safety guidelines and techniques to paddle before helping you to sit on our brand new sit-on-top kayaks. After that our boat will help you visit the Titop Island one hour for swimming, sun-bathing or getting a panoramic view on island peak.

17:00: As the sun sets over the bay, we head back to our cruise and relax. Coffee, tea and fruits will be available on the sundeck or you can order your favorite drink while our boat cruises to the night’s anchorage area.

19:00: Dinner will be served with local seafood. After dinner you may choose to enjoy drinks from the bar or top deck or experience squid fishing before retiring.

Overnight on Cruise in Halong Bay.

Remark: The cruise’s itineraries are sample and subject to change

07:00 – 07:45: Enjoy the morning view of the beautiful landscape with a cup of coffee or tea. Have breakfast in the fresh air.

08:00 – 09:00 : You will visit the impressive Cave of Halong Bay – Surprising Cave (Sửng Sốt) with your tour guide, a truly awesome and amazing cave to experience.

10:00: Check out of your cabin and settle your bill as our boat begins cruising back to the harbor. Experience more views of Halong Bay such as Fighting Cocks Island (Symbol of Halong Bay), Incense Burner and Stone Dogs Islands.

10:20: A cooking demonstration onboard shows you how to make authentic Vietnamese Spring rolls. You will learn about the recipes and techniques that create this popular dish of Vietnamese people.

10:45: Lunch is served on board during cruising towards the harbor.

11:20: Depart the Halong Phoenix Cruiser and travel by tender boat back to Tuan Chau International Marina where you then board the private vehicle and get transferred to the airport for the flight to Hue.

Upon arrival Hue city, you will be escorted by your tour guide and transfer to hotel for check-in. Dinner is on your own arrangement.

Overnight in Hue

In the morning, take a boat trip along the poetic Perfume River to ancient Thien Mu pagoda, a special cultural – historical site where still preserves a legendary tale about the Heaven Fairy Lady since Nguyen Dynasty. Then, head to Hue Citadel by car. Walk around and take a look into the special feudal relics of immense architectural and cultural values. Visit the major sites including the Imperial Citadel with Forbidden Royal City.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, visit the tomb and monument of King Tu Duc which is located in a very beautiful area. This is an opportunity to learn more about Nguyen Kings and to enjoy the spectacular landscape.

Return to the hotel and overnight in Hue.

Check-out the hotel in the morning, you will depart from Hue to Hoi An. Drive over the mighty Hai Van Pass and admire a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean and famous Long Co fishing village.

Upon arrival in Hoi An, enjoy a walking tour around this enchanting port town. Follow the narrow lanes lined with centuries-old houses influenced by Chinese, Japanese, French and European architectures, and visit its numerous places of interest: the 400-year old Japanese Covered Bridge, the Phuc Kien Assembly Halls.

After a lunch in a local restaurant, enjoy a short boat ride to Thanh Ha pottery village which has a long historical legacy and it used to play an important role in the development of Hoi An ancient town. It’s better to head straight to the narrow lanes behind the village tourist park to find the families busy churning out pots, sculptures, roof tiles and cute handcrafted whistles shaped like animals.

Return to your hotel and free at your leisure time.

Overnight in Hoi An.

08.00 AM: In the morning, after being collected from your hotel, a short bicycle competency test will be given. For those uncomfortable with a pushbike, then other methods of transport can be arranged. The tour starts by cycling along level ground to the Thu Bon River to visit a local fishing village.

Ride along country lanes at a peaceful pace viewing local life and pause to see farmers toiling in their rice fields using centuries of farming practices. Peddle your way through palm forests, across bridges, fields of water buffalo….

Biking along country lanes at a peaceful pace viewing local life and pause to see farmers

09:00: Take a short break in a local family at Cam Thanh Village before enjoying 1.5 hours ride on traditional Basket Boat (round boat) in the Water Coconut Palm Forest. Learn how to sail the basket boat and spend your time to catch fishes and “purple crabs” in the Canal.

10:30: Continue to drive to Tra Que Organic Vegetable Village where a large variety of vegetable are produced for the local community. At the village, you will be shown the environmentally sustainable practices which the local villagers have used for centuries and is still being used extensively today.

11:30: Visit a local family and after a short, informative and fun cooking lesson, we sit down for a delicious lunch.

Around 13.30 – 14.00: Go back to your hotel, the rest of the day is your free time at leisure.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Goodbye Hoi An, you will take a flight from Danang to Ho Chi Minh city

You are free at leisure until our guide and driver escort you to Danang airport for the afternoon flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Upon arrival, you will be transferred to hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free at your leisure.

08.00 AM meet your tour expert at your hotel lobby and depart for driving through pleasant countryside before arriving at Cu Chi.

We then spend the next hour exploring the maze of tunnels where the Vietnamese could escape bombings, hide from enemy, and mount surprise attacks. Also on display are various mantraps and the remains of an American tank as well as numerous bomb craters made by 500 pound bombs dropped by B52 bombers.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, we head back to Ho Chi Minh City and take city tour a half day. We start by visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral that was built between 1877 and 1883. This is one of the best examples of classical French colonial architecture. Nearby is the Old Post Office that is another example of French colonial architecture and is also the country’s largest post office.

Then, we move on to see the Reunification Palace. This is one of the most important buildings in the city. Here on April 30th 1975 the ‘American War’ officially ended when tank number 843 of the North Vietnamese Army crashed through the gates of what was, at the time the residence of the President of the Republic of Vietnam. After that, we continue to visit War Remnants Museum – Formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes, this is a poignant display of the futility of war. Go back to hotel in the late afternoon around 17.00, dinner is on your arrangement.

After breakfast at hotel, Viet Unique Journeys’s expert and driver will bring you to the “Capital” of Coconut – Ben Tre.

On arrival in Hung Vuong Pier, take a boat on Ben Tre River – one tributary of the Mekong river, enjoy lively activities along river as fishing, water transfering. Stop at the brickwork to see how to make bricks in handy traditional style by printing and baking. Visit one of plenty of coconut processing workshops located along Cai Son canal. Turn on natural scissors creeks where they look smaller and smaller to go to Nhon Thanh village. Take a walk to a family workshop making sleepmats and enjoying some fruits.

 Take a tuk tuk or ride on shady paths, pass by green rice fields and vegetable plains to be able to touch on realy life and find out about tropical culture from Peasants.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, take a rowing boat along water palm creek and boat along Cai Coi creek back to Hung Vuong and transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Farewell and see you in the next  journey!

You are free at your leisure until your driver escorts you to Tan Son Nhat airport for your departure flight.