CTV7: Vietnam experience 17 days 16 nights

Home >> Best Vietnam tour >> Vietnam Classic Tours

Day 1: Ho chi minh arrival
Day 2: Ho chi minh city – Cu chi Tunnel (B, L)
Day 3: Ho chi minh – Mekong delta - Caibe floating market (B, L)
Day 4: Ho chi minh – Dalat (B, L)
Day 5: Dalat – Nha trang (B, L)
Day 6: Nha Trang island tour (B, L)
Day 7:  Nha trang relaxation ( B )
Day 8: Nha trang – Danang – Hoian (B, L)
Day 9: Hoian – Myson santuary (B)
Day 10: Hoian – Hue (B, L)
Day 11: Hue –  Hanoi (B)
Day 12: Hanoi – Night train to Laocai (B, L)
Day 13: Laocai – Sapa – Lao chai , Tavan village (B, L, D)
Day 14: Sapa – Hanoi night train (B, L)
Day 15: Hanoi – Halong bay on board (B, L, D)
Day 16: Halong – Hanoi (B, L)
Day 17: Hanoi departure (B)

Itinerary in Details:

Day 1: Ho chi minh arrival
Arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport, you are warmly welcomed and transfered to hotel by Asia View Travel guides with signboard, check in, relax. Overnight at hotel in Ho chi minh. (The first day’s program can be re-arranged according to your arrival time in Ho chi minh).

Day 2: Ho chi minh city – Cuchi tunnel (B, L)
This morning we will take city tour of dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals, takes in the Reunification Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Saigon Post Office, War Remnant museum. After lunch in town drive to visit the Cuchi Tunnels. At the height of the Vietnam war, the tunnel system stretched from the outskirts of Saigon all the way to the Cambodian border of over 250 kilometers of tunnels. The tunnel system, built over 25 years starting in the 1940s, let the Viet Minh and, later, the Viet Cong, control a huge rural area. It was an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers. In places, it was several  stories deep and housed up to 10,000 people who virtually lived underground for years.... getting married, giving birth, going to school. The ground here is hard clay, which made this whole thing possible. But even so, the planning and construction was incredible. People dug all this with hand tools, filling reed baskets and dumping the dirt into bomb craters. They installed large vents so they could hear approaching helicopters, smaller vents for air and baffled vents to dissipate cooking smoke. There were also hidden  trap doors and gruesomely effective bamboo-stake booby traps. Today, the trees and bushes have grown back. And since 1988, two sections of tunnels have been open for visitors. Overnight in HCM city.

Day 3: Ho chi minh – Mekong delta – Caibe floating market (B, L)
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Cai Be, stop for photos at Tan An town over the flat rice fields. Arrive to Cai Be, start the motorized boat ro visit the Cai Be floating market, see how river life goes on, experience how people exchanging goods, fruit and many other commodities on their vessels. Visitors then roam into the small villages to visit the orchard, fruit plantation. Keep cruising to Vinh Long through small canals to enjoy the charm of the Upper Mekong Delta. Visit some hand made family business products such as the coconut candy mill, the crispy rice popcorn. Arrive in Binh Hoa Phuoc village the green pearl of Vinh Long town where you can indulge yourself into the nature . Have lunch with fresh river food served in the heart of the garden. Take a nice walk through the bonsai garden. Meet the car/van in Vinh Long. Back to Ho chi minh city for overnight at hotel.

Day 4: Ho chi minh – Dalat (B, L)
Breakfast at the hotel, 8:00 AM, depart for Dalat – the town is famous for waterfalls, flower garden, cathedral,key pagodas and the lovely old French colonial houses. We ennjoy the smooth drive with the beautiful landscape. Along the way stop  for photos. Lunch at local restaurant. Proceed to Dalat early afternoon. The city is set around a lake and surrounded forests, waterfalls and rolling countryside. 
We spend the rest of afternoon to visit  the former Palace of Emperor Bao Dai that is indicative of Bao Dai's status as the puppet ruler of an occupied country, Hang Nga Crazy  House, romantic Love Valley.  You'll be taken to have a look at an embroidery workshop in an attractive garden setting called XQ Su Quan.  Overnight at hotel in Dalat.

Day 5: Dalat – Nha trang (B, L)
Breakfast at hotel, pick up at 8:45 AM and we will ride a cable car to Truc Lam Pagoda to visit attractive Flower Garden, Dalanta waterfall, then transfer to Nha trang at noon time. It takes you around 4.5 hours to travel from Dalat to Nha trang. Our destination for today is Nha Trang, the country's premier Resort town. This part of the country was once inhabited by an ancient civilization known as the Cham, and our next stop will be at the Po Klong Garai Cham tower. This amazing structure, which has endured the test of time, the elements and indeed war, was built in the 13th century. Arrive in Nha trang late afternoon, check in, relax. Overnight at hotel in Nha trang

Day 6: Nha Trang island tour (B, L)
Start from your hotel to Cau Da port. Tri Nguyen Aquarium on Mieu Island is the first place to visit, many sea species of Nha Trang/Khanh Hoa province make a small ocean world there. Mun Island is the best island for snorkeling where you can see lots of lives colorful corals and fish. Visit a fishing village and taking a fresh lunch at the island. On the way back you will be able to see caves in which the sea swallows make their nest.

Day 7: Nha trang relaxation ( B )
Breakfast at hotel. Free today for the beach relaxation. Overnight at hotel in Nhatrang 

Day 8 : Nha trang – Danang – Hoian (B, L)
We board a flight to Da Nang. Arriving in Danang international airport, the guide will pick you up and transfer to Hoian. We spend the rest of the day  exploring Hoian ancient town, once a major Asian trading port in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Hoi An’s architecture and relaxed lifestyle have changed little over the years. Take a leisurely walking tour of the ancient town center and visit the sites of former merchants’ homes, a 400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, and a Chinese Communal Hall. Believed to have been settled no less than 2,200 years ago, Hoi An was known as Faifo to early Western traders.  Hoi An was one of the major ports of Southeast Asia from the 17th to 19th centuries. Chinese, Japanese, French, English, Spanish, Portuguese and other traders had small communities here, and the old wooden houses, bridges and temples that remain are reminiscent of a Vietnam of centuries past. This unique old trading town slowly became isolated due to its river silting up and by destroyed rail lines, leaving it untouched by war and frozen in time. Nowadays, this absolutely charming and relaxed town has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overnight at resort in Hoian

Day 9: Hoian – Myson sanctuary (B)
We drive to visit holly land My Son. This is a former capital of the ancient Cham civilization that ruled central Vietnam between the second and thirteenth centuries. Hinduism from India heavily influenced their religion. Located 60km from Danang, My Son is considered to be one of the best-preserved Cham structures in Vietnam. The complex is comprised of seventy Hindu-like towers and temples dating from the second century. This site is a must-see for those who are interested in architecture and ancient civilizations. It is one of four World Heritage listed sites in Vietnam. Balance of the day will be at your leisure to do your endless shopping in Ho ian. Overnight at hotel in Hoian.

Day 10: Hoian – Hue (B, L)
After breakfast at hotel, say good bye Hoian and embark on northern bound journey to Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam.  Stop en route at the beautiful Non Nuoc Beach and the Cham Museum, which contains the finest collection of Cham sculpture in the world.  In Danang you will visit the Marble Mountains, five sacred hills containing dozens of Buddhist shrines. The guide and driver will take you over the beautiful Hai Van Pass - Vietnam's geographical and psychological boundary between north and south. The peak of the pass lies perpetually shrouded in clouds.
Arrival Hue in Hue at noon time.
This afternoon we visit the Imperial Citadel and the Purple Forbidden City. This royal residence was built in the 19th century by the Nguyen dynasty, the City was home to the former Emperors of Vietnam from 1802 until 1945. We then take a walk to the bustling Dong Ba Market and pass many fantastic eating spots where visitors have a chance to sample some local delicacies. Overnight at hotel in Hue.

Day 11: Hue –  Hanoi (B )
Breakfast at hotel, we embark on a boat for cruise upstream on the Perfume River, viewing the city and the tranquil villages on the riverbank. We will walk up to visit the Thien Mu pagoda, a nicely located pagoda, overlooks the Perfume River and the beautiful scenery beyond, where you get to learn more about the Buddhism in Vietnam.  One of the most poignant displays here is a car belonging to a former monk, who in 1963, drove to Saigon and set himself alight to protest against the South Vietnamese regime and its treatment of Buddhists. Disembark the board for a visit the elaborate mausoleum of former emperor Tu Duc,  built decades before its occupant's death the tomb was used as a palace retreat before the emperors final resting place. Transfer to the airport for flight to Hanoi. The guide in Hanoi will pick you up, transfer to hotel in city center, check in, relax.
Overnight at hotel in Hanoi
 
Day 12: Hanoi  city tour- night train to Sapa ( B, L )
Breakfast at hotel, This morning we start city tour  with the Ho Chi Minh Complex. This famous site contains the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh (Close on Monday, Friday & October for annual maintenance ), the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. Close to this complex is the One Pillar Pagoda, whose origins date back to the foundation of city. We follow this with the impressive Ethnology Museum, dedicated to Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups.  Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon, visit the Temple of Literature, which is well known as the first university of Vietnam, Vietnam’s first university.  Constructed in 1070, the gardens and well-preserved architecture offer a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past. We continue to visit the Restored Sword Lake (Hoan Kiem Lake) and Ngoc Son Temple,  do a cyclo tour around   around the 36 streets of the Hanoi old quarter to learn more about simple life of Hanoian. Enjoy water puppet show- a remarkable Vietnamese art form that combines traditional music, fireworks, underwater puppeteers, and elaborate puppets floating gracefully over water. Transfer to the train station for night train to Sapa. The train leaves Hanoi at around 9:00 PM. Overnight on train.

Day 13: Laocai – Sapa – Lao chai , Tavan village - Homestay (B, L,D )
The train arrives at the Lao Cai train station at approximately 05:30. There will be a vehicle waiting to transfer us to Sapa.  The drive to Sapa is only 33 km but it takes around 1.5 hours to make our way up the mountains. Arrive Sapa and  freshen up followed by  breakfast at the hotel. We then  embark on a lovely  walk  that will take us along buffalo paths and trails and through several hill tribe villages of Lao Chai and Tavan, home to H'mong, and Dzay people. This is a absolutely spectacular walk through stunning scenery inhabited by some of the friendliest people you can meet. Stopping for a picnic lunch on the way at a family in Ta Van village. Overnight in lovely home stay in Tavan village.

Day 14: Sapa – Hanoi night train (B, L)
After breakfast from  home stay, we continue our trek through the stunning landscapes visiting several ethnic villages along the way. Later we meet up with our support vehicle for the drive back to Sapa and get yourself ready before heading down to Catcat. Enjoy the waterfall in Cat Cat and beautiful scenery along the way.   Transfer to Lao cai for the night train to Hanoi. Overnight on train.  .

Day 15: Hanoi – Halong bay on board (B, L, D)
Arrival in Hanoi in the early morning at round 5:00 am. Please find your way by foot back to a mini hotel near the Tran Quy Cap station gate to have shower and basic set menu breakfast.
Then 8:30 AM  start a 3. 5 hour drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long City. Comfort stop en route for photos and coffee ( by your own ) before arriving to Ha Long City.
11.30 – 12.15   Welcome you at Hòn Gai Tourist International Port
12.30   Check in Overnight Cruise, welcome drink and program introduction
13.00 – 14.30   The cruise start the journey
Lunch served with local cuisines menu and passing the paramount view at Ha Long
such as Kicking Dog Island , Fighting Chicken Islet, Huong Peak, Thien Cung Cave,Dau Go Island…
15.00 – 16.00   Explore Surprise Cave – one of the most famous caves on the Ha Long bay.
16.30 – 17.30   Small boat take you to Titop seaside: visiting islands, climb to Titop Mountain 200m in height to see the whole bay and swimming at Titop Seaside.
18.00   Return to your cruise or relaxation or enjoy sunset on the bay
19.30 – 21.00   Dinner at the restaurant with organized menu
21.00   Free at your leisure like lying on deck or going to catch squid…
Overnight on junk.

Day 16: Halong – Hanoi (Brunch)
Rising to the tranquil beauty of the bay we have time for an early morning dip with joys and emotions for watching sunrise on sea followed by breakfast. This morning we continue to move around the bay to find more secluded areas. The junk will be near us at all times serving as a back up vessel for those that require it. At around midday we will return to the main harbor before transferring to our awaiting vehicle for a 3.5 hour journey back to Hanoi. Arrive back Hanoi at around 4PM , free rest of the time. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 17: Hanoi departure (B)
Breakfast at hotel, free time until  transfer to  the airport for your  departure flight. Say goodbye Vietnam.
 
Thank you for traveling with Asia View Travel.

Accommodation Options

Tour includes:
• All accommodation in double/ twin room with daily breakfast at selected hotels
• 2 days 1 night cruise on Halong Bay ( private cabin – sharing boat )
• 1 night at home stay in Sapa
• 2 nights on train with soft sleep 4 berth/cabin Hanoi – Lao cai, Lao cai – Hanoi
• All tours & transfers in private air-conditioned vehicles
• Private English or French  speaking guide during guided time
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary at local restaurant with local foods (B = breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner)
• Boat cruise as stated
• Domestic airfare & airport taxes: Nha trang  – Danang, Hue – Hanoi
• Entrance fees and permits for all sights visited
• Mineral water & towel
• Government taxes & Service charges

Tour excludes:
• International flights to and from Vietnam
• Vietnam visa arrangement (upon request visa on arrival at 10 USD, not including stamping fee at 25 USD)
• Meals not indicated in the itinerary
• Kayak in Halong Bay
• Surcharge on Christmas, New Year and our Lunar New Year
• Personal travel insurance
• Personal expenses such as Telephone and Laundry bills
• Tips and gratuities

Read more: Tour packages 8 days 7 nights | Vietnam tour packages 17 days 16 nights | Tour packages 2 days 1 night | Vietnam tourist spots | Vietnam tour distance map