16-Day North and Central Vietnam Discovery

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After breakfast, you'll explore Vietnam’s charming capital. You'll visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and his personal residence, the One Pillar Pagoda and Tran Quoc Pagoda. You'll finish the morning with a visit to the Museum of Ethnology. In the afternoon, you'll visit the Temple of Literature and Ngoc Son Temple near Hoan Kiem Lake. Finish the day by enjoying a one-hour cyclo sightseeing tour around Hanoi Old Quarter and watch a traditional water puppet show.

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After breakfast, you'll depart for the 2-hour journey to the Perfume Pagoda. On arrival, you'll board a private rowing boat for the relaxing hours’ cruise down the Yen River. Disembark and follow a stone flagged path to Thien Tru. This pagoda was built in the seventeenth century and dedicated to the goddess Quan Am. Continue the walk uphill to Huong Tich Chu, the pagoda of the perfumed vestige. This pagoda is one of the most important to the Mahayana Buddhists of Vietnam.

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After breakfast, drive to Ninh Binh. On the way, stop at Hoa Lu, the ancient royal capital of Vietnam to visit temples dedicated to the Dinh and Le Kings. Continue your trip to the World Heritage site Tam Coc area and board a small sampan for a spectacular 2-hour trip through caves, waterways and beautiful rural landscape consisting of limestone cliffs and rice paddies. Then, drive to a local homestay and take part in the cycling trip to the villages and help locals with their daily works.

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You'll start the day at 8 am for a 3.5-hour drive through the Red River Delta, which offers plenty of chances for taking photos of Vietnamese farmers tilling the vast green paddy fields. Arrive at Halong pier, check in and board your junk and enjoy a 24-hour journey in the amazing bay. Savour a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as you sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, enjoy some activities in the bay or just spend some time relaxing. Dinner is served on board.

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Wake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax and enjoy the sunrise. Enjoy a light breakfast before setting out to explore nearby islands by rowing boat. Then, return to the junk to take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay. Have brunch on board before returning to pier then, drive back to Hanoi Airport for your flight to Dong Hoi. Upon arrival, you'll be escorted to Phong Nha, about half an hour drive.

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After breakfast, transfer from hotel to Phong Nha Cave. Take a boat along the Son River to Phong Nha Cave. Conquering the Phong Nha Cave: The longest wet cave, enjoy the scenery with spectacular limestone, underground river system and unique stalactite in the world. Continue the journey to visit Nuoc Mooc Stream. Enjoy the great moments of relaxation, mix the natural scenery of the romantic Mooc stream. You'll spend the day participating in activities such as kayaking, swimming.

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Today, you'll have some free time in the morning in Phong Nha to spend as you wish. You may want to enjoy any number of the above ground activities including forest trekking and mountain biking, or if you haven't had enough of caves you can continue exploring. You'll then meet your driver and transfer to Hue City. Upon arrival, you'll check-in your hotel in the centre of Hue. The rest of the day is free to explore on your own.

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Start the day with a visit to the Imperial Citadel, home to the Imperial City and Forbidden Purple City – once the Emperor's private residence. The Imperial Citadel gives you a better understanding of the beauty of Vietnamese Royal architecture and culture. Then, you'll take a dragon boat trip along Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda. In the afternoon, you'll visit Emperor Ming Mang and Khai Dinh tombs.

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You'll have some free time in the morning to explore Hue City on your own. Then, you'll transfer to Thuan An Beach to enjoy a little beach break. Check-in your beachfront resort and spend the rest of the day free to relax. Thuan An beach is located at a small fishing village which has gradually become more popular with those looking to escape the intense summer heat.

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Breakfast at the hotel and the day is free on your own to relax at the beautiful beach of Thuan An. Spending time on this beach and in this village enables you to truly experience the real Vietnam. On one side of your resort, you'll find a typical fishing village and on the other you'll find 400 metres of beautiful private beach for you to enjoy all day.

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Your Hanoi to Hoi An tour continues. Today, you'll take a private car to get from Thuan An to Hoi An City via Hai Van Pass, the biggest mountain pass in Vietnam. On the peak, you'll enjoy a spectacular view of the landscape. Arriving Danang, you'll visit the famous Marble Mountains before driving to your hotel in Hoi An. When you arrive, you'll have some free time to enjoy the beautiful yellow city of Hoi An.

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After breakfast, you'll visit My Son Holyland, once the spiritual capital of Champa Kingdom that dominated South East Asia for nearly a thousand years. The Champa occupied most of the central parts of Vietnam from 2nd-16th century, with a very rich history and culture. In the afternoon, drive back to Hoi An and visit a former merchants' homes, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, Phuc Kien Pagoda and the colourful riverside market. Then enjoy some leisure time in the ancient town.

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Start the tour in the morning by visiting Hoi An’s colourful market, and experiencing the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy market. You will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about all the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later. Once your cooking class has finished, the afternoon is free on your own to explore Hoi An Town.

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You'll have the day free to cycle through rice paddies in the countryside of Hoi An ancient town, shop for souvenirs among the antique shops and art galleries, or just sit at sidewalk cafes and soak up the atmosphere of this quaint town. You also have the option to venture out on a wet rice farming experience or simply relax on the white sand of the famous Cua Dai Beach or An Bang Beach.