THE TRIP

Arrival Hanoi

Xin Chao and welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel in Ha Noi. Have some time to relax and chill. Then we recommend you head down to the hustle and bustle of Hanoi 36 Streets area (aka ‘the Old Quarter).

Hanoi Bia Hoi & More

Stroll to the Old Quarter, stop along the train tracks where locals still live and sample a Hanoi institution ‘Bia Hoi’ – this is an amazing fresh beer brewed and served by the friendliest local people. One glass sets you back around 5,000 VND (0.25USD). Get involved and try some of the best street food Asia has to offer. The must try stuff is Cha Ca Thang Long which tastes brilliant. We suggest diving right in and eating local Vietnamese (such as pho/banh mi or bun cha. Also worth mentioning is the egg coffee, another Hanoi classic.

Hanoi Like A Local

Hanoi is a great city to explore by foot, although the traffic is mental you can see so much more from a ground level. Today kicked off with a full-day walking tour of the city and explore Hanoi like a local! By the end of the day you will have a feel for this awesome city. We will start to pay a visit to Ngoc Son Temple, the gem of Hoan Kiem Lake, have an overview about Vietnamese culture and religion from our local guide. Hop in a traditional red cyclo and get taken through the organized and sometimes not so organized chaos of Hanoi. Continue the adventure into Hoa Lo Prison and gain a deeper understanding about the Indochinese wars and how they shaped the culture, the people and the country as a whole. In the evening check out a traditional water puppet show,

Ha Noi – Ha Long Bay

Explore the Surprising Cave – the most beautiful cave in Ha long Bay. It is one of the widest grottoes in Ha Long Bay with thousands of stalactites and stalagmites.

Back to the cruise, we will take you to visit the Titop Island – swimming Climbing up to the Top of the Island – take the best view of Halong Bay. Continue cruising to the quiet area while enjoying beautiful seascape on the way. After that, come back to the boat, enjoy the Sunset Party on sundeck (free wine & fresh fruits). Dinner is served. Socialize with other guests, fish for squid, or just laze around.

Back To Hanoi

Start your day with Tai Chi exercises or a photo hunt. Have breakfast on board while the boat starts cruising to the Natural Preservation Zone.

Have a short time for kayaking in the bay. Check out the cabin, your bags can be left in luggage store. Join in the Cooking Class to learn how to make our specifically (Spring rolls) before an early lunch is served.

Disembark at the harbor, Tuan Chau Marina. Return to Hanoi. Arrival back at your hotel approximately 16:30/17:00.

Relax for a while on your own then head to Ha Noi train station for your night train to Hue.

Hue Imperial City & Street Food By Motorbike

Arrive at Hue in the morning. There will be a driver waiting for you and bring you to the hotel for checking in. Have the morning to relax or explore the city on your own. Be ready for a pick up at 13:00 heading to the Citadel where you’ll gain insight into Vietnam’s imperial history. Our local guide will pick you up from the hotel then walk you to the Royal Palace. Situated in the fortified Citadel, the Forbidden City was once home to Vietnam’s royalty: the emperor, his family, court women, and few others lived within the structure protected by a moat and tall brick walls.

In the evening, hop-on the back of a motorbike to explore Hue Imperial City By Night. The experience is organized by licensed ‘lady bikers’ who are mostly University students looking to improve their English. This evening will be crazy fun! Your local guide will take you around the Perfume River with locals, exploring the Hue Night Market, tasting the royal cuisines, listening to performances from locals and walking around Walking Street. This will be a memorable evening for sure and the best way to get under the skin of the city.

Hue Bao Vinh Ancient Town & Local Food

Being picked up and head to Bao Vinh ancient town of Hue. Until the 19th century, Bao Vinh ancient town was considered the epicenter of trade in the Dang Trong area. Many Chinese businessmen came to settle here, trading local goods like salt, rice, fish sauce, and seafood. To buy and sell goods, merchant ships also arrived to this trading hub from Hong Kong, Macau, Japan and India, as well as European countries.

Venturing back to a simpler time, enjoy a ride from your hotel to Bao Vinh Ancient Town. The charming character of this town has been influenced by French colonial architecture. Continue this walking tour to the bustling local market and get on a small ferry to cross the Perfume River. You will have the memorable time enjoying the authentic and real local food of this city.

Open Top War Era Jeep Tour Along Hai Van Pass To Hoi An

After having breakfast at the hotel, you’ll travel to Hoi An by open top Army Jeep. These are vintage vehicles used since the war time. On the way we’ll have lunch by the beach and stop on the top of Hai Van pass and enjoy the breathtaking view there. It will be around a 5-6 hours journey to get to Hoi An. We will start by making our way up the Hai Van Pass to some viewpoints with awesome photo opportunities overlooking the coast and the train tracks and a place surrounded with French colonial buildings in ruins. We will also descend down the other side of the pass and head to the beach for a spot of lunch and may have a swim to cool down if you feel up to it.

Once you arrive, check in and chill into your hotel in Hoi An. A World Heritage site, Hoi An was a major trading port with the West from the 15th to the 19th century. Today it has been restored to look exactly as it did more than a century ago, giving it an old-world feel full of nooks and crannies to explore. It’s a super unique place to visit.

Hoi An local ‘Quan Nhau’ Hopper

Free to enjoy your morning. You could visit one of the famous tailors and get some clothing made, or just feel like chilling on the beach. Here you can chill at Soul Beach bar, or if you feel like more of a party head to Kahuna’s beach club. We recommend to have yourself hungry ready for a ‘quan nhau’ hopping trip. ‘Quan nhau’ are the local restaurants selling many kinds of foods ranging from appetizers to salad, hot pot accompanied with beers. We will visit a super cool place at Cam Thanh for yummy roasted duck, then another one for brilliant ‘Goi Ca Lat’ (Lat fish salad) & amazing stuffs such as ‘Bo Um’ (slow cook beef with tofu) or ‘Canh Chua Ca Nganh’ (sour soup with Nganh fish). These two places are super local and you will be the only tourist group surrounded by local builders, local drivers. It’s time to hang out like a local.

We then have a small treat to ourselves by visit a local beer factory, where the owner brews his own beer. You will enjoy a set of 4 beers and observe the whole brewing process.

Hoi An Local House Dining

Get a taste of the best Hoi An’ special dishes and enjoy the lively evening atmosphere of the town with a friendly local host! You can continue getting to know your hosts and finding out more about their lives while they prepare some delicious traditional dishes for you.

Being picked up at the accommodation, the local tour guide will lead you through small countryside roads. We will then cross a morning glory field through the monkey bridge and arrive at the local house. This is the iconic family in Hoi An, where you can observe the life of 3 generations under the same roof. Feel free to sit back, relax with some cold beers while listening to stories about the house, the daily routines and communicate with the kids wandering around.

Hoi An Free Day

Today is free at your leisure to Chill. Lying on the beach to relax and recharge the energy before long homeward flights or strolling down the alleys in ancient zone for amazing street foods of Hoi An is recommended. In the evening, hop on the train head to HCMC.

HCMC Local Food

Get picked up by your local guide, you will visit a number of street food stalls and restaurants serving fried delta snails, prawn pancakes, coconut ice cream and Saigon beers too.

Saigon also has some amazing rooftop bars such as Hideout, GO, Skybar… if you are looking for something with a nice view.

HCMC Free Day

Today is free at your leisure. It’s time to relax and recharge the energy before long homeward flights.

Departure

Your trip comes to an end after breakfast. The driver will pick you up and transfer to Da Nang Internatioal Airport for your flights back home. If you are spending more time in Vietnam we can help you to book additional nights’ accommodation or tours elsewhere.

Xin Cam on!