From Natural reserves to World Heritages

Our Authentik Travel’s tour guide and driver will welcome you at airport and transfer to Hotel in the city center.
Get some first briefing information about our country and enjoy a welcome dinner in a finest local restaurant.
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.

Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.

Depart to Pu Luong via Mai Chau, 200km from Hanoi. Pu Luong is a Nature Reserve containing beautiful treasures like Primitive forests, Muong and Thai ethnic group villages, and splendid landscapes of rice terraces.
Arrive at Don Village around noon and enjoy our delicious local lunch then check into your homestay.

In the afternoon, transfer to Chieng Lau, a beautiful rice field area with bamboo water wheels. Walk through the field to the village and encounter the locals to discover their life, culture and customs.
Another highlight of the day is bamboo rafting along the river which will give you an exceptional moment of relaxation after walking.
Return to your homestay by car.
 

Have breakfast at the homestay then enjoy a day of trekking to discover the Pu Luong Nature Reverse and its inhabitants.

Start from Don Village and cross the rice terraces to Kho Muong village, the most remote village in Pu Luong, located in the valley and surrounded by the beautiful lime stone mountains and rice terraces. Kho Muong is home to a Thai ethnic group. Have your camera ready to capture the breathtaking scenery of rice terraces and encounter the locals en route.
Lunch will be served in the homestay at Kho Muong Village.

In the afternoon, continue following the trails in the forest and the manioc field to reach Uoi village, a beautiful village home to another Thai ethnic group who still preserve their thatched houses. Keep walking to Lan Ngoai Village before transferring back to your accommodation.
 

Enjoy breakfast before saying good-bye to the host, then walk down to the spectacular rice terrace valley. Hike through small paths and to reach four picturesque villages, Leo, Mo, Chu and Danh.

Don't forget your camera to capture these unforgettable moments. During the hike, you will enjoy the changing landscapes of rice terraces, villages, wild fields, ponds, streams and mountains.
Lunch will be at a local restaurant.

Meet our driver for a transfer to Van Long. On the way, visit the sacred fish stream in Cam Luong. This place is well known for a special kind of fish in the stream. It is called a sacred fish for the many mysterious stories created around this special creature.
Continue to Van Long, an international nature reserve and stop again to visit Chau Son Monastery located in the romantic countryside of Nho Quan District, inspired by Gothic styles and built with red bricks in 1939. It is remarkable for its tranquility.

Arrive in Van Long in the late afternoon and check in to your homestay where you will meet a typical 3-generation rural family. Be welcomed to their home with a cup of tea and learn about their idyllic local lifestyles through intimate conversation.
 

After breakfast at homestay, enjoy a 15km bike ride ( or by car) and walk through the villages. A journey along the dyke will offer you gorgeous landscapes of rice fields, a river and limestone mountains. There are several stops for you to take beautiful photos or encounter the locals then walk to discover Thung La temple, dating back to the 11th century. Meet Mr Tuong, the temple guardian, and enjoy an authentic conversation as well as a 20 minute drum show. 

Later, take a sampan boat trip along the stream and among the limestone mountains to discover the beauty of Van Long Nature reserve. If lucky, you might get to see white monkeys and egrets on the cliffs.
After the boat trip, visit an embroidery village and take part in an embroidery course under the instruction of local craftswoman, Mrs Lam. She will proudly explain the techniques of her traditional craft. This will be a good opportunity for you to practice on fabric like a real craftsman.

Overnight at Hotel in Ninh Binh.

After breakfast, we will depart for Halong via Nam Dinh and Thai Binh province. These are famous for the extensive rice fields as far as your eyes can see will follow you along the way.
12:00 - Embarkation at Hon Gai port, relax with a welcome drink.
13:00 – Enjoy a seafood lunch on the boat while cruising in to the bay through the enchanting landscapes of Bai Tu Long Bay ( Small Dragon Bay).
15:30 - Take part in activities according to the boat such as: visit Thien Canh Son cave, go kayaking, take a bamboo sampan ride to the Vang Vieng fishing village or simply just relax on the boat.
18:00 - Return to the boat, shower and take a rest.
19:00 - Enjoy a delicious dinner on the boat.
Stay overnight in a private cabin (with air conditioner and shower)
 

You are advised to get up early to enjoy the fresh air and sunrise in the beautiful scenery of Bai Tu Long.
Breakfast on the boat.
08:30 - Enjoy activities. Either visit the cave or embark a small bamboo sampan to visit Vung Vieng Fishing village, one of the spectacular floating villages in Halong. Encounter the locals and fishermen’s farm as well as a floating school (depends on the boat’s activity schedule)
09:30 - Return to the boat and check out of the cabin.
10:00 - Cruise back to Hon Gai port. On the way back, we will enjoy lunch on the boat. Last look at the legendary bay where dragons once descended.
11:45 - Arrive at the pier and transfer back to Hanoi and directly to airport for flight to Hue. On arrival get a pick up to hotel

Overnight in Hue.
Note: The Cruise’s activity schedule will be dependent on each cruise and tide. It is adjustable.

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.

In the afternoon, 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. 
Back to your hotel in the late afternoon.

In the morning, depart to visit Tu Duc Tomb. Certainly, it is the most beautiful and majestic architectural work among emperor's  tombs. Built between 1864 and1867, this tomb is composed of two parts: the temple and the tomb. There are 50 monuments in this tomb area. In perfect harmony with nature, it is surrounded by two lotus ponds on either side. The tomb is surrounded by statues of Lions, elephants and mandarins.
Discover the emperor's worship house and his royal family, the theater and the area of the tomb which contains a stelae built to relate his life.

Drive to Hoi An via Mandarin Road and Sea Cloud pass (Hai Van Pass). Stop on top of the pass to enjoy the breathtaking view of the ocean and Da Nang city. 
Arrive in Hoian in the afternoon.
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.

Depart from your hotel in Hoian town either by bike or by boat to Kim Bong Village by the Thu Bon River.
Start a discovery in Kim Bong. 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.
After that, you can enjoy a 5km bike ride or motorbike taxi (if you choose not to ride a bike) from Kim Bong to Tra Nhieu. This is a real immersion into the countryside in the center of Vietnam. 
The trip will allow some unprecedented meetings for instance, Ms Duoc with the mat weaving, Mr Kha with the bamboo sampan basket making and Mr Huynh Ri with his craftsman shipyard.
A countryside landscape of palm and rice fields, buffaloes and farmers in the fields will surround you along the way.

Arrive in Tra Nhieu, then set off on a boat trip on the Thu Bon River to Cam Thanh Village.
Enjoy some green tea at Mr Day's fisherman family then re-embark the bamboo sampan basket to go crab catching in the water palm tree forest. This is a relaxing moment after hours of biking.
Lunch is served in family restaurant Mr Day – this is a family fisherman working in tourism.

After lunch, enjoy a nice walk in the village to discover how they make nipa for roofs and their daily activities.
Return to your hotel by 15:30

Free in the morning, then meet our driver for a transfer to airport for flight to Saigon.
On arrival, get a pick up to hotel to relax or free time on your own.
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.

Enjoy your last minutes in the most vibrant city in Vietnam before transfer to airport for your flight to next destinations or flight home.

Tour ends.