Includes internal flights, twin shared accommodation, English speaking guides, private cars, sightseeing and meals listed. Excludes visa and travel documents, travel insurance, international flights, local tipping, etc.
This itinerary is to give you a flavor of what is possible. We can tailor this trip to suit your specific needs and expectations. You may alter any aspect of the itinerary from excursions to accommodation.
Welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival in Hanoi, our guide will greet you at the airport welcome area and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.
After check-in, enjoy a stroll on your own around Hoan Kiem Lake outside your hotel. Feel free to also pick up a souvenir at the night markets or at one of the many trinket shops in the alleys and small roads of this historic part of town.
Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Day 2: Hanoi | Leisure Day | Welcome Dinner
Meals:Breakfast, Dinner Morning and afternoon are at your leisure to relax after an international flight or explore the city on your own.
In the evening, enjoy traditional Vietnamese cuisine at Home Restaurant – a historic French colonial residence restored in between the Old Quarter and the serene West Lake. Enjoy fine Vietnamese cuisine as you begin an enchanting journey through Vietnam and Laos. Once you finish your dinner, you’ll be escorted to your hotel.
Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Day 3: Hanoi | Best of Hanoi
Meals: Breakfast Morning is at your leisure to relax.
In the afternoon, you’ll visit the One Pillar Pagoda – a pagoda situated on a pillar made of a single stone, in the middle of a lotus pond. This pagoda was built by a 9th-century emperor who saw it in a dream and regarded this as a divine inspiration to recreate the structure in the vision. You’ll pass by the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum before visiting the highlight of this tour – The Temple of Literature. This ancient university was erected almost a millennium ago and has hosted many of the most prominent scholars through Vietnamese history. The site features many gardens, pools, buildings, and ancient trees where the best and brightest of Vietnam studied under the guidance of Confucius teachings.
Trang Quoc Pagoda
Next, you’ll take a stroll around the Hoan Kiem Lake where you can see the Tortoise Tower sitting on the water. Then you’ll enjoy a half hour cyclo tour through the Old Quarter in Hanoi. The cyclo is a historic mode of transportation in the cities of Vietnam where a cyclist escorts you while you sit in a seat affixed to the front with a canopy over top. In the late afternoon, transfer to Tran Quoc Pagoda set on West Lake. This 1,400-year-old temple features ten tiers surrounded by gardens and which also hosts a bodhi tree grown from a cutting of the original Buddhist tree under which Buddha sat. Then return to your hotel for the evening at leisure.
Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Day 4: Hanoi – Halong Bay | Voyage to Emerald Halong Bay
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Enjoy a short plane ride by seaplane to Tuan Chau pier, a scenic way to take in the beauty of the Red River Delta region.
Around noon, embark on a private charter cruise with your own crew to cater for whatever you need. Enjoy a personalized lunch while sailing through emerald covered isles between Cat Ba Island and Halong Bay. Anchor at Lom Bo Island for a private guided tour of Me Cung Cave. Continue to a pearl farm where you can kayak through the village and see how they harvest pearls. Continue to the overnight point as you enjoy sunset tapas. Then enjoy a fabulous dinner under the stars. If seasonal conditions allow, you can join the staff for some squid fishing as bio-luminescent sea-life provide an entertaining view.
Accommodation: L’Azalée Private Premium Cruise
Day 5: Hanoi – Ninh Binh | Sunrise Halong Bay | Scenic Seaplane | Bai Ding Temple Sunset
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch Rise early for a gorgeous sunset over the bay. Breakfast is served. Then continue to Ti Tov Island where you can swim at the beach or climb the steps to the top lookout point. After your exploration, return back to the pier for disembarkation.
Ha Long Bay Cruise
After disembarkation, you’ll enjoy a 15-minute scenic flight by seaplane over Halong Bay to get a stunning bird’s eye view. Then continue back to Ninh Binh.
Check in at the Emeralda Resort with stunning views all around.
Time to stretch your legs! Go with our guide to visit Bai Dinh Temple, the largest temple in Vietnam. This Buddhist temple was built into the mountain with 3 terraces, and faces the river. Explore the many halls, rooms, carvings and statues during late afternoon. Our guide will then take you to the best place for watching the sunset over this untouched part of Vietnam. Shortly afterward, you’ll witness the 13-tier pagoda – Chau Bai Dinh – be lit up for the evening: a true spectacle to behold! Return to the resort for overnight and leisure.
Accommodation: Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh
Day 6: Ninh Binh – Hanoi | Wonders of Ninh Binh
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch After breakfast, enjoy some time at the resort to relax and take in the stunning views. Check out late morning and then you’ll go to visit Hoa Lu, the ancient capital. In 968, Dinh Bo Linh declared himself as the King. Since then Hoa Lu existed as the capital for only 41 years. In 1010, King Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long – present-day Hanoi. Hoa Lu became the old citadel. In Hoa Lu there are now two temples dedicated to two Vietnamese kings, which have been built on the grounds of the old royal palace. The visit offers a chance to learn more about the feudal dynasties and historical periods in Vietnamese history.
Next, you’ll take an amazing boat trip through Trang An Grottoes. A gathering of 31 valleys and 50 cross-water caves are home to 600 kinds of flora and over 200 kinds of fauna many of which are listed in the Red Book of Vietnam. Rowing through the Trang An Grottoes is a peaceful trip of serenity. The highland air is a respite from modern living and the sounds are only that of birds and the oars stirring the clear water. Towering overhead are magnificent forested mountains upon which you might catch a glimpse of grazing white-bearded goats.
Ninh Binh Rice Fields and Karst Hills
Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Day 7: Hanoi – Luang Prabang | Leisure | Flight to Luang Prabang
Internal Flight:Included Meals: Breakfast Morning is at your leisure.
Board an afternoon flight to Luang Prabang. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.
Feel free to explore the beautiful city of Luang Prabang on your own to discover night markets selling local tapestries and souvenirs. Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao
Day 8: Luang Prabang | Buddhist Ancient City and Temples
Meals:Breakfast, Dinner
In the morning, begin with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. We then head to the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We’ll also visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai.
Late afternoon, transfer to the forest temple of Wat Phon Phao for watching a stunning sunset over the Laos countryside. Return to the hotel for leisure time or explore the night markets on your own.
Evening dinner at Hive Restaurant with “Ethnik Fashion Show” – the modern fashion show with a twist – ethnic wedding garments from over 100 ethnic groups in Laos on a show by Hmong underprivileged university students(all donations go to support their families and education). Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao
Day 9: Luang Prabang | Kuang Si Waterfall
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch Today we cross the Mekong River by boat, to the picturesque village of Ban Chan, a pottery village. We then visit the morning Phousi Market, where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weaving.
Kuang Si Waterfalls
Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, and today you will visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, a Hmong village, Ban Ou a Laoloum village and Ban Thapene, a Khmu village.
This then takes us to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails. We then return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon.
Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao
Day 10: Luang Prabang | Befriending the Gentle Giants of Asia
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch In the morning, transfer to Elephant Village – an elephant sanctuary with a focus on rehabilitation and care of rescued elephants. Here you’ll meet the camp manager and receive a short briefing about the elephants. Throughout the day, you’ll take place in the following activities:
Riding an elephant – you’ll have the opportunity to ride directly on the neck of an elephant
Mahout Training – learn about the commands of how to communicate to the elephant
Enjoy lunch at the outdoor garden restaurant
Bathe your elephant – Go down to the nearby Nam Khan River to bath your elephant; perhaps the elephant will bathe you as well!
Then return to your hotel for leisure time.
Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao
Day 11: Luang Prabang | Boat Trip to Pak Ou Caves
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch In the morning, we embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a breathtaking view of the tranquil countryside. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make Laos rice wine and rice whiskey. You’ll be able to try some and see the process they use to make it. Then we’ll reach the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims.
Lunch will be served nearby the caves. During lunch, you’ll have the opportunity to try a local dish called “Orlam” which is a soup with vegetables and features a spicy wood that is partially edible. On return, we disembark the boat to visit a traditional weaving village of Ban Phanom, which is famous for its hand weaving.
Buddha statues inside the Pak Ou caves
Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao
Day 12: Luang Prabang | Leisure Day
Meals: Breakfast Today is at your leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities or explore on your own.
Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao
Day 13: Luang Prabang | Farewell!
Meals: Breakfast Today our guide will transfer you to the airport before your onward flight and will bid you a fond farewell. Thank you for traveling with us!
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Licensed guides and drivers, thru-trip emergency phone with our contacts so you can reach us at the push of a button, vehicles with seatbelts and airbags... - your safety is important to us.
Experience Asia in Comfort
Travel at the pace you want with the comforts you expect. Air conditioned vehicles and rooms, hotels with WIFI, Western toilets and bathrooms.
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Customize your plans
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Booking your tour
Once the tour is planned how you like, simply send deposit to reserve the tour and lock in the hotels and rate. Tour Confirmation will be sent with 14 days of deposit. Remainder will be settled 60 days before traveling.
Begin your holiday
Feel free to contact our team for any questions before your big day arrives. We will also contact you during the trip to make sure everything is going smoothly.
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It's easier than ever to get going! Request a quote today!
One of our Travel Experts will reach out to you and assist you with an itinerary and quote. Also, feel free to leave your phone number and we will give you a quick call just to say hello and clarify any questions we have about your inquiry.
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