11 Days: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hanoi, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta

Tour overview:

This 11-day adventure gives you the best of two of Southeast Asia’s most intriguing countries. All in one itinerary you’ll experience the misty mountains and beautiful French colonial towns of Laos and discover the enchantment of Vietnam by sailing through ethereal landscapes of Halong Bay and exploring two historical and modern metropolises.

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Day 1 - Arrive Hanoi

Upon arrival, meet your tour director and transfer to your hotel. Remainder of the day is at leisure.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Please note: Check-in time is 14:00.

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Day 2 - Hanoi – City tour

Start your day off by exploring Hanoi’s illustrious history. In the morning, visit the imposing marble edifice housing the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed on Mondays & Fridays) before moving onto his wooden stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda. You will then explore the first university of Vietnam, the Temple of Literature. 

In the afternoon, visit the Hoan Kiem Lake and the Ngoc Son Temple. A one-hour cyclo tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter allows you to catch a glimpse of ancient Hanoi, learn about traditional Vietnamese architecture and take a stop at an ancient Vietnamese “long house.” In the evening, take delight in watching a traditional water puppet performance. Overnight in Hanoi. (B)

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Day 3 - Hanoi / Ha Long Bay

Head to Ha Long Bay. You will board a junk for a cruise among the hundreds of islets of Ha Long Bay. Enjoy a seafood lunch and a swim (if weather permits) before visiting a grotto of gigantic stalactites and stalagmites. Drop anchor in the late evening for an overnight stay among the dramatic limestone peaks rising from the sea. Overnight on board. (B/L/D)

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Day 4 - Halong Bay – Hanoi – Flight to Luang Prabang

Spend the morning cruising through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Ha Long Bay before returning to the wharf. Return to Hanoi and transfer to the airport for your flight to Luang Prabang. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Luang Prabang. (B)

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Day 5 - Luang Prabang

You can discuss with your guide for an early morning start (5.30am) to witness and partake in the daily morning ritual of ‘Tak Bat’ or giving alms to the monks. This is a unique ritual still followed by the locals in Luang Prabang. We can also visit the local fresh market to see how the locals shop, before returning to your hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, we transfer to the peninsula boat landing, where we board a private boat for a cruise up the Mighty Mekong River. Enjoy the tranquil countryside passing by, until we reach the mysterious Pak Ou caves, two caves set in a limestone cliff facing the Mekong River crammed with thousands Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes. We then return downstream, stopping at the weaving and textile villages of Ban Xangkhong and Ban Nongxai. We arrive back in Luang Prabang in the early afternoon. Overnight in Luang Prabang.(B)

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Day 6 - Luang Prabang

We start our half day city tour with a visit of the quaint Royal Palace Museum that provides a fine overview of the culture and history of this ancient city. We follow the quiet back lanes to the beautiful Heuan Chan Heritage House. Explore the house and its historical items and architectural charms while learning about the connection it has with the Royal Palace. After a refreshing Iced Tea in the gardens, we continue our walk up the peninsula to the country’s most historic and enchanting temple, Wat Xiengthong. With its roof that sweeps low towards the ground, this temple's architecture best represents the classical Luang Prabang style. Our last visit this morning, is at the excellent ‘Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre’, which gives a great insight into the rich and diverse ethnic and cultural blend of Laos. In the afternoon, we drive out of town, to the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the turquoise pool or walk along the forest trails. Next to the falls is a Bear Rescue Centre, which does a great job in protecting and rehabilitating the rare Asiatic Black Bear. We return to Luang Prabang by late-afternoon. Tip: bring a towel with you if you would like to swim at the waterfall. Overnight in Luang Prabang. (B)

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Day 7 - Luang Prabang – Flight to Vientiane

You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Vientiane. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. You will embark on an afternoon city tour including Wat Simuang and the religious museum at Wat Sisaket. The tour includes a stop at Wat Pra Keo, the 16th century That Luang Golden Stupa and the Patuxai Victory Gate. The day ends with watching the sunset on the banks of the Mekong River. Overnight in Vientiane. (B)

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Day 8 - Vientiane – Flight to Ho Chi Minh City

You will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight into Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.(B)

Dinner On Saigon River Cruise

Evening, embark on a lovely dinner cruise along the Saigon River. Experience the vibrant Ho Chi Minh City at night when you join the Saigon River cruise for a memorable two-hour dinner cruise on Saigon Princess Cruise (3-course Fusion set menu). Step on the cruise and listen to the sounds of Saigon! On board the cruise, you will experience completely new things, in a cool evening in Saigon, enjoy gastronomic food on one of the most authentic vessels on the Saigon river, enjoy special performance, and admire the shimmering scenery along the banks of the Saigon River. After dinner, transfer back to your hotel. 

Services included: English speaking guide, transfer, 3-course Fusion set menu dinner, water during transfer.

Services NOT included: Other expenses not mentioned in the itinerary.

OPTIONAL TOUR:

A O Show

Experience local Vietnamese culture and theater entertainment at its best with entry tickets to the Vietnamese Bamboo Circus - À Ố Show at the Saigon Opera House in Saigon. Vietnamese Bamboo Circus combines a new circus, unique live music, and creative use of bamboo to form an awe-inspiring performance art. This art genre displays the deeply rooted beauty of Vietnamese culture, which transcends language allowing thousands of audiences all over the world to enjoy it. Inspired by the charming beauty of Southern Vietnamese culture, À Ố Show represents a contrasting portrait of village and city, a transformation from peaceful life to bustling urbanization with a delicate touch of humor and live music from folk instruments. Since 2015, the show has been on several tours in Europe, and other countries such as Brazil, Oman, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia. À Ố Show is the first show from Vietnam to perform at the Sydney Opera House in June 2019. 

Services included: English speaking guide, transfer, show ticket (Ooh class), water during transfer.

Services NOT included: Other expenses not mentioned in the itinerary.

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Day 9 - Ho Chi Minh – Cu Chi tunnels – City tour

In the morning you will visit the amazing Cu Chi Tunnels. 

Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon for a half-day city tour. Highlights include the Reunification Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, Chinatown, the Binh Tay Market and either the Thien Hau Temple or the Quan Am Pagoda. Visitors are welcome to visit the BOARC Gallery and witness the masterpieces made by thousands of bamboo sticks. Such icons as Vietnam Heritages (Hanoi's One-Pillar Pagoda, Ngo Mon gate, Temple of Literature) as well as global landmarks like the Tajmahal, Notre Dame De Paris, Mandala Universal BigBen... Created by the artist Hoang Tuan Long, a new art genre by combining the precision laser cutting technique with the Vietnamese traditional bamboo arts and shifted his full-time attention to bamboo craft artworks. Some of the products, community artworks, have been proposing for auction to get funds for supporting disadvantaged and needy children. After learning the procedure and technique, you can experience it by yourself. First involve to the meaningful community artworks and then for a souvenir product individually created for you. It takes around 45 minutes to complete the tour. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh. (B)

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Day 10 - Ho Chi Minh – Mekong Delta – Ho Chi Minh City

Breakfast at hotel. Depart for Ben Tre – the heart of Mekong Delta. Upon arrival in Ham luong Pier in town or Chet say pier (5 km from center), boating on Ben Tre River – one of tributaries of Mekong river- go along mangrove trees growing up ashore of waterway. Witness lively activities of town market on land and transferring on waterway as fishing boats, coconut cargo boats. Discover handmade local workshops and country in Nhon Thanh village.

Boating on river to traditional brickwork to see how to make bricks by hand. Turn on Cai Son canal winding through coconut jungle, visit coconut workshop, have a look stages of coconut processing from husk off, prize out to peel out by hand. Go on small waterway and stop at coconut candy workshop, have a look them making candy by hand, try some sweet, enjoy some fruits and listen to local music as well. Go on by boat and step ashore and take a shortwalk to farmer house who making sleepmats.

Hop on tuktuk through coconut grove, Nhon Thanh – Thuan Dien village, deeping on coconut jungle in country. Keep going by rowing boat on shady palm tree canal in Cai Tac pier. Stop for lunch at local restaurant by river.

Go back by boat and drop tour off at Chet Say pier. Drive back to Ho Chi Minh. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city. (B/L)

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Day 11 - Depart Ho Chi Minh City

Free time until your transfer to the airport for your return flight home. (B)

Please note: Checkout time is 12:00.

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