Essential Vietnam Tour, Unmissable Package

Upon arrival, our Authentik Travel’s tour guide and driver will welcome you and transfer to your hotel in the city center.
Our tour guide will give you some first information about our country and enjoy a welcome dinner at a finest restaurant.
Overnight in Saigon.

After your breakfast, Enjoy a full day Saigon city tour.
Meet our tour guide and driver at your htoel to enjoy a full day city tour.

Visit the Reunification palace (or the war memorials Museum), Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office inspired by Orsay Station in Paris.
Then, transfer to Cho Lon District to discover its old quarter, Binh Tay Market and the colorful Quan Am pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas in the city. Its architecture and decorations have remained since its construction.

Return to Saigon city for a walk in the city center visiting sites like the former Catinat streets, the Opera house, City Hall as well as Ben Thanh market.
Overnight in Saigon.

Get picked up from your hotel and transfer to Cai Be ( 120km – 2.5 hour driving). Visit Cao Dai temple on route.

Upon arrival, embark on a boat trip on a branch of the Mekong River to Vinh Long. Experience the rhythm of life on the legendary Mekong River with a visit to Cai Be floating market and the orchid canals .
Visit crafts workshops of rice, popcorn, coconut caramel and rice cake.
Cycle or walk on the village paths to discover the ancient and beautiful Phu Chau pagoda where serenity reigns and meet the local people.

Enjoy  lunch in an open air restaurant where you can taste a famous local specialty, the Elephant ear fish. Then enjoy tasting delicious fruits while rowing a small rowboat in the canals shaded by the fruit trees.
Continue your boat trip to Vinh Long and meet our driver at the pier for a transfer to Can Tho. Arrive in Can Tho in the late afternoon.  Check in at your hotel and relax.

Enjoy free time on your own to discover the city located on the Mekong River.
Stay overnight in Can Tho.
 

Have breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the pier for a boat trip to visit Cai Rang floating market, the largest and most lively market in the Mekong Delta.

There are so many colors and smells in the bubbling atmosphere where hundreds of sampans are filled with goods such as rice, fruits, and craft products. Everything is shown to sell from the early morning.
Leave the market and continue the boat trip through the canals and visit a fruit garden (Option - replace the garden with the nursery field by the river)
Head back to An Binh Market which is full of fish, fruits and vegetables.

Stop at Binh Thuy ancient house which contains the orchid garden where “The Lover” was filmed.
Transfer back to Saigon and arrive in the late afternoon.
Overnight in Saigon
 

Transfer to airport for flight to Danang, pick up and transfer to Hoian ancient town.

Enjoy a city tour in Hoian ancient town which is listed in the Heritage of Humans.

Some real treasures that need to be discovered are Hoian Museum, Japanese bridge, China Town, Quan Thang ancient house, the local market and the old busy port of the 15th century for the international boats from China, Netherlands, Japan, and Poland.
Finally, visit the Thang Loi silk factory, known as a good establishment in Hoian to have tailor-made silk clothes.

In the evening, Embark on a small boat in Hoian town then depart to Thu Bon River which was once a very busy exchange place for a lot of international ships throughout the 15th century. The boat trip will take you along the river. This is a good chance for you to appreciate the landscape of the peaceful village by the river bank and admire the fishermen’s activities on the river. Enjoy the sunset in the late afternoon from April to November.
Overnight at Hoian.
 

Get picked up from you hotel in Hoian Town and transfer to Thanh Ha village, located 2km from the town. The village is known for its pottery restoration activities and we can view the village’s pottery in the ancient house in the town. There are still 23 families who have done pottery as their main job since the 16th century. 

After the visit to Thanh Ha, we will discover the village’s private porcelain museum.
Then the boat trip will take us to Kim Bong village. On the boat, you will immerse yourselves into the comfortable fresh air and enjoy the idyllic landscapes on both sides of the river.
This village has long been known for its wood carving. At first, the artisans inherited the techniques from the northern Vietnamese. Later, from business exchange, they could successfully adopt the know-how of Chinese and Japanese sculptures and cultivate their own style.

Stroll around the village to understand their daily life and visit a carpenter's workshop to admire their talent. It is possible to buy some wood products for your souvenirs.
Return to Hoian town by boat.
 

Depart from Hoian ancient town to Hue. Drive along the coastline and arrive in Danang.

Enjoy a walk to My Khe beach where you can enjoy the view of giant Goodness of Mercy statues in the Linh Ung Pagoda. Take photos of fishermen by the beach and visit the Cham Museum which preserves the most important Cham culture collections in the world.

Continue to Hue on the Mandarin Road via Sea Cloud Pass (Hai Van Pass). Stop on the top of the pass to enjoy the breathtaking view to the ocean and Da Nang city.
Arrive in Hue and check in to your hotel.
 

Transfer to the pier by the Perfume River bank to embark a Royal boat trip to the villages in the East of the city. This is an opportunity to discover the local life on the both sides of this poetic river.

Upon arrival in Tien Non village, disembark for a bike ride (or  motorbike) in the countryside through three villages: Tien Non, Thanh Tien and Sinh village.  The trip will immerse you into the daily rhythm of life in the villages.
In Tien Non Village, meet the villagers working on the fields and vegetable gardens. Then, visit a family worship house in the village.

Next, reach Thanh Tien village, an artificial paper flower village dating back 400 years. Besides the rural works, they make paper flowers for the New Year festival to offer their ancestors the best wishes. Visit Mr. Hieu’s family, one of the well-known artisans in the village to learn how to make paper flowers under his instruction. 

Keep going to Sinh Village, a cradle of 400 year folklore prints in Hue. Meet Mr. Phuoc who will explain the techniques of traditional prints. You will find beautiful souvenirs on this trip.
Finally, take the boat back to the city.

Take boat back to the city.
Visit Thien Mu Pagoda,  one of the oldest pagodas in Hue, dating back to 1601. This is the spiritual highlight of the city and well known for its majestic octagon tower and beautiful view of the Perfume River.
Then, continue to the most anticipated site in Hue, Hue citadel, the only vestige symbol for what was once the imperial city of Vietnam. It is inspired by the fortification of Vauban. The city is composed of three parts: Kinh Thanh (the Capital city), Hoang Thanh (the Imperial city) and Cam Thanh (the Forbidden City).

The most beautiful sites in Hue are concentrated in this area including the flag tower, the South gate, the palace of supreme Harmony, the Dynasty temple area and the settlement area.
Return to your hotel.
 

At 8.00, transfer upstream of the Perfume river to visit the emperor, Minh Mang's tomb, an architectural masterpiece that harmoniously highlights the nature and imperial religious works.

After that, we will voyage along the Perfume River to Thuy Bieu Village taking in the picturesque landscapes on both sides. After 1 hour, we arrive in Thuy Bieu known for its divine grapefruit trees where you can take a bike around the village under the shade of the grapefruit trees and enjoy their pleasant perfume aroma and the harvested straw. The peaceful atmosphere is in every corner of the village.

Then, visit a temple dedicated to the village protector, a traditional garden house built several centuries ago. This is a wonderful opportunity to stop for great photos and interact with the villagers working in the gardens and vegetable fields which should not be missed. 
Lunch is served at Mrs. Loan in the village of Thuy Bieu.

In the afternoon, take a short flight to Hanoi. On arrival, our tour guide and driver will welcome you and transfer to your hotel in the city center.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Today, we discover the wonders of the capital of Vietnam, filled with timeless charm. Start by visiting Van Mieu (Temple of Literature), the first University of Vietnam built from the 11th century by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong. Continue to visit Chua Ha (Ha Pagoda), known as a sacred place to pray for luck in love, especially for your future spouse.

After that, transfer to the Ethnology Museum (closed every Monday) which offers a deep insight into Vietnamese culture through traditional costumes, tools, musical instruments and traditional houses of many minority ethnic groups. Enjoy a special water puppet show in the museum garden.
Lunch is served in a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, discover the Ho Chi Minh complex including the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh's House on stilts and the fish pond. 

For those who are interested in visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, it is only open in the morning and closed every Monday and Friday. Sometimes it is necessary to queue for a couple of hours to go inside the mausoleum.
Transfer to the old quarter to visit Hoan Kiem lake (Restored Sword Lake) and Ngoc Son temple in the middle of the lake. In the late afternoon, take a night train to Sapa.

Overnight on Train (Share 4 Berth AC cabin).

Arrive in Lao Cai in the early morning, our local guide will pick you up at the railway station and transfer to Sapa town.
Enjoy breakfast and leave your luggage at your hotel and start a discovery day to ethnic villages.

Depart from your accommodation for the hike following the itinerary: Ma Tra – Ta Phin which is less touristic. The journey will lead you to the superb rice terrace valley, meeting the local people of the Black Hmong and Red Zao ethnic groups. They were originally from southern China. They settled in Vietnam in the 11 century and still live at high altitude, far away from the modern world. This helps them to preserve their traditions, language and especially their ancestral way of life. Make a stop on the way to visit a Hmong family and school in Ma Tra Village. After a 3 hour trek, you will reach the Red Zao village for a transfer to the town.
Trekking distance: 12km – 3 hours

Free in the afternoon to relax or discover the small sapa town on your own.
Overnight at hotel in Sapa.

Breakfast at hotel and start a full day of trekking from Cat Cat Village of the Black Hmong. Visit its beautiful waterfall then follow the path to Y Linh Ho village.

Arrive at Y Linh Ho bridge. Stop to relax a little bit then resume trekking along the buffalo path through the hills. You will have chance to enjoy the splendid view over the rice terrace valley considered one of the most fantastic of the world.
Lunch will be served on the way.
After lunch take a short break before trekking to the Lao Chai village of the black Hmong and Ta Van village of the Zay people.
At 16.00 meet our driver and transfer to Sapa
Walking distance: 15km – 6 hours.

Relax and dinner on your own till transfer to Lao Cai railway station for night train to Hanoi.
Overnight train to Hanoi ( Share 4 berth AC cabin)

Arrive in Hanoi in the early morning, check in hotel by the gate of railway station and relax.

8.30 am, pick up and transfer to Halong Bay
12h30 – 13h00          Embark Cruise followed by a short cruise briefing.
13h30 – 14h30          Savor a delectable lunch on cruises among the limestone islands.
15h00 – 16h00          Explore the amazing Sung Sot Cave – the most beautiful cave in Halong Bay.
16h00 – 17h00          Cruising to Titov island. Go swimming and relaxing at the beach of Titov or climb up to the top of the island for a panorama view of Halong Bay.
17h00 – 17h30          Return to the main boat and continue cruising to the quiet area while enjoy beautiful seascape on the way.
17h30 – 19h00          Enjoy Sunset Party on sundeck and admire the best moments of the day when the sun starts to set.
19h00                        Dinner is served. Socialize with other guests, take part in board games, fish for squid, or just laze around.
Overnight on board.

06h30 – 07h00          Start your day with Tai Chi exercises or a photo hunt.
07h00 – 07h30          Have breakfast on board and enjoy the peaceful morning of Halong Bay.
08h30 – 09h30          Kayak among the hidden areas of the bay, around the Drum Cave.
09h45 Return to the boat. Freshen up and check out of your cabin.
10h00 – 10h30          Continue your cruise exploring the Bay, passing Ba Hang fishing village, Dog Islet, and more.
10h30 – 11h30          While heading back to the harbor, watch the fruit carving demonstration and participate in the Cooking Class before enjoying a traditional Vietnamese lunch.
11h45 – 12h00          Disembark the cruise
12h15 – 12h30          Transfer back to Hanoi.
Free on your own in the old city.
Hotel in Hanoi
Note: The Cruise’s activity schedule will be dependent on each cruise and tide. It is adjustable.

Free till transfer to airport for your flight home.

Tour ends.