25 Days South to North of Vietnam Discovery with Short Angkor Detour

ITINERARY

Day 1: Saigon | Arrive in Saigon

International Flight: Excluded

Welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival in Saigon, our guide will greet you at the airport welcome area and transfer you Charm Suite Hotel for check-in.

Saigon (officially Ho Chi Minh City) is a bustling metropolis of the South and the economic muscle of Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, it was the main base center of the US military with the largest airport in the region. Prior to that, it was under French colonial rule and was an Asian hub of sea trade. The city is based in the Mekong River Delta region – the rice basket of Southeast Asia and where many exotic fruits are cultivated. Full of history and culture, Saigon will certainly be an interesting visit.

Accommodation: Hotel Saigon Continental

Day 2: Saigon | Vietnamese Cooking Class & Cu Chi Tunnels

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Learn southern Vietnamese cooking in Cu Chi province.

After you’ve finished breakfast at the hotel, your private guide and car will greet you and escort you to visit a lush green Vietnamese Medicine Garden full of herbs, vegetables, and spices used in local cuisine. Your chef will teach you how to identify various plants and when is the right time to pick them. The chef will also educate you on the various mints used in the Vietnamese kitchen and which herbs are believed to have certain healing properties.

After you’ve learned about the various vegetation used in Vietnamese gourmet, you’ll be taught how to make your own masterpiece dishes.

Then you’ll have the opportunity to eat your creation for lunch.

Next, you’ll take your adventures underground for an adventure in history you won’t forget with a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Discover these amazing systems developed by the guerrillas fighting in the Vietnam War.

You’ll have an opportunity to see the various weapons used in the war on display. Then you’ll be taken to see the innovative ways the guerrillas survived and fought back in the war. See how they built an impressive underground system as your tour guide tells of the stories and history of the Vietnam War.

Then you’ll have the chance to see rice paper and coconut candy being made. After, you’ll enjoy jasmine tea and a boiled cassava root snack that was a common food eaten by guerrillas during the war.

You’ll return back to Ho Chi Minh.

Cu Chi Tunnels – 25 Days South North Vietnam Discovery Short Angkor Detour

Accommodation: Hotel Saigon Continental

Day 3: Saigon – Can Tho | Mekong Delta-My Tho | Overnight in Can Tho

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Discover the Mekong River, essential to Vietnamese life.

Your private guide and car will take you to the remote My Tho.

This burgeoning capital rests in the Mekong Delta and is surrounded by beautiful countryside known as the “rice basket of Vietnam”. First, you’ll visit Vinh Trang Pagoda which is decorated with mosaics made from broken pottery. Overlooked by a tall white Buddha, it is set amongst lovely gardens packed with flowers, shrubs, lotus pools, tombs, and ornate gates that provide entry.

Next, you’ll take a boat ride along the river to view the stilt houses, fruit plantations, and fishing villages. You’ll stop at the Tortoise Island where you’ll enjoy lunch in the orchard.

After lunch, you’ll visit An Khanh, a small village that specializes in fruit orchards and coconut sweets. If time permits, you can take a short cycling trip through the island.

Then enjoy seasonal fruit, honey tea, and delicious coconut candies all to the sound of “Southern Vietnamese folk music”, performed by locals.

When the tour is finished, you’ll transfer to Can Tho.

Accommodation: Vinpearl Hotel Can Tho

Day 4: Can Tho – Saigon | Cai Rang Floating Market | Return to Saigon | Vespa Streetfood Tour

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After you’ve finished breakfast at the hotel, you’ll start the second round of the Mekong tour. You’ll go by boat to watch the bustling activities along Can Tho riverbanks.

Then you’ll visit the Cai Rang Floating Market to see selling and buying activities with the traditional signal “offering pole” (exchanging goods hung on the pole to introduce people what the boat is selling). Then return to Saigon.

This evening, experience the nightlife on the streets with a street food tour by Vespas. Start with visiting a cafe to enjoy some drinks and meet your Vespa drivers. Then hop on the back and enjoy watching the big city lights. Stop at some local restaurants to try seafood, Vietnamese pancakes, and other delicious treats and drinks. Finish up the evening by visiting a bar for some live modern Vietnamese music.

Street food by scooter – 25 Days South North Vietnam Discovery Short Angkor Detour

Accommodation: Hotel Saigon Continental

Day 5: Saigon – Da Lat | Flight to Da Lat

Meals: Breakfast

Today, you’ll fly to Da Lat. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for check-in. Then relax for the rest of the day.

Accommodation: Zen Cafe Lakeside

Day 6: Da Lat | Da Lat Discovery

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning, you’ll start with a roller coaster ride through the jungle. After a few minutes of beautiful views, you’ll arrive at the bottom where you can visit Datanla Falls. Then continue to a lookout of Tuyen Lam Lake where you’ll take a cable car for nice views of the lake. After the ride, you’ll visit the pagodas and temples nearby the lake. Stop for lunch on your own arrangement.

In the afternoon, continue to visit several famous gardens in Vietnam where many Vietnamese couples go for photos. Then go to Lam Dong Museum where you’ll get a brief overview of the nearly 4,000 years of history surrounding Dalat and Lam Dong province. Next, you’ll visit a mansion designed by its owner, Hang Nga, with a very unique architecture which is now referred to as the “Crazy House”. Continue to the “Valley of Love”, a beautiful park and gardens nearby Tuyen Lam Lake. Then return to the hotel for the evening.

Crazy Houses in Dalat – 25 Days South North Vietnam Discovery Short Angkor Detour

Accommodation: Zen Cafe Lakeside

Day 7: Da Lat – Nha Trang | Leisure | Road Trip to Nha Trang Coast

Meals: Breakfast

Today, you will be transferred from Da Lat to Nha Trang by private vehicle with the guide.

Accommodation: Liberty Central Nha Trang

Day 8: Nha Trang | Relax on the Beach

Internal Flight: Included

Meals: Breakfast

Today is at your leisure to enjoy the beaches of Nha Trang.

Accommodation: Liberty Central Nha Trang

Day 9: Nha Trang – Hoi An | Flight to Danang | My Son Holy Land & Hoi An Ancient Town

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, take a flight to Hoi An. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to Little Hoi An Central Boutique Hotel & Spa for check-in.

At the end of a long line of sandy beaches, palms and the blue sea turns the Thu Bon River. Take a step back in time 300 years to cobblestone alleys and aged wood and stone homes. Time stands still in this quiet part of the world where ornate doorways and bridges could keep the curious passerby entranced in amusement. The setting – a Far Eastern port that was forgotten in time. Japanese, French, Chinese, and Vietnamese designs and styles melt together along every street.

You’ll transfer to the My Son Holy Land. Tucked in the mountains up winding roads with serene views, lay the 4th century My Son Holy Land ruins. The surrounding mountains are strictly forbidden from living or development. The ruins lay in a beautiful surrounding mountainous landscape. You’ll enter the temples while your tour guide gives you the history and stories of the Cham and the site.

Myson Ancient Ruins – 25 Days South North Vietnam Discovery Short Angkor Detour

Ancient Port Town of Hoi An

In the afternoon, you’ll continue to visit Hoi An Ancient Town. This town features the 16th-century Hoi An port town in it’s preserved state. You’ll start the day visiting the Museum of Trade Ceramics. This museum houses art and Ancient Port Town of Hoi An pottery dating from the 1,500s to the 1,700s.

Then you’ll briefly visit the Chua Ong Pagoda, a temple from the 17th century which features China’s influence in the region. You’ll continue through the Ancient Town as the streets take on a magic of their own with old lanterns, French-style houses, intricately carved wooden doors, and more. You’ll take a stroll through the Old Tam Ky House to see it’s imperial styles meshed with French overtures. Continue on to stroll along the river and see traditional boats and locals on bicycles passing by. You’ll then approach the Japanese Covered Bridge. This bridge has connected the Chinese and Japanese sides of town over the waterway for centuries. The old wooden structure has shown amazing resilience for more than 400 years.

At dusk, enjoy walking along the riverside as colorful lanterns light up the town. After you’ve finished the tour, you will return back to your hotel.

Accommodation: Little Hoi An Central Boutique Hotel & Spa

Day 10: Hoi An – Hue | Road trip to Hue | Leisure

Meals: Breakfast

Your tour guide will assist with checking you out of your hotel and then you’ll be escorted by vehicle for a scenic ride along the mountain coasts of Vietnam. Start by riding alongside the beaches of Danang where you’ll see hundreds of traditional fishing boats scattered out along the water with beautiful mountains lining the horizon. Then you’ll approach a steep and narrow ascent where you’ll find the scenery surreal. Along the way, there is a stretch of road which overlooks a beautiful bay with a small fishing village, perfect for a Facebook portrait. You’ll continue your climb to a summit where the clouds will meet you. In Chinese, the summit is referred to as “Where the Clouds Meet the Ocean”.

You’ll continue onward through mountains, valleys, countryside, and shorelines where you’ll find numerous breath-taking scenes. Feel free to request your driver to stop for photos along the way. As you enter Hue, you’ll see many imperial signs and impressive houses and buildings which are only a deluge of what’s to come.

Accommodation: Emm Hue Hotel

Day 11: Hue | Phang Nga Caves

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning, you’ll transfer 200km North of Hue to visit the remote Phong Nha Caves. These caves were recently discovered and comprise some of the largest caverns in the world. They are still being mapped by a team of British and Vietnamese scientists. You’ll take a boat trip to visit some of the more easily accessible caverns. The caves are famous for their rock formations which have been given names such as the Lion, the Fairy Caves, the Royal Court, and the Buddha. Afterward, return to Dong Hoi for lunch before driving back to Hue.

Accommodation: Emm Hue Hotel

Day 12: Hue – Hanoi | Hue Imperial Citadel and Highlights | Flight to Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, you’ll start with a visit to the Perfume River, a river famed for its natural scenery and numerous flowers that cover its shores. Along the river, you’ll see Vietnamese daily life up close. Your boat will take you to the Tomb of Minh Mang, featuring gardens, many steps, and beautiful decorations.

Then you’ll visit Tu Doc, a compound with the private royal residence and a tomb that also houses the body of one of the wealthiest emperors in Vietnam. Archaeologists have attempted to find his body and the vast treasures, legends have held, that are contained with it. However, these attempts have failed as the body was buried in an inconspicuous place in the large compound unknown to this day. You’ll then continue on to see the Khai Dinh Tomb, a more modern tomb with ornate decorations inside.

Your ventures will take you to lunch at a royal residence. These imperial styled houses near the Royal Citadel feature beautiful gardens, intricate furnishings, and detailed ornaments at every turn. Each dish highlights different aspects of Hue traditional food enjoyed by the royalty. The brilliant food presentation will be sure to leave a fond memory with you of this family-owned garden and restaurant.

Hue Royal Citadel – 25 Days South North Vietnam Discovery Short Angkor Detour

Imperial Citadel of Hue

In the afternoon, you’ll press onward to see the famed Imperial Hue Citadel – the old capital of Vietnam. This Citadel has a moat and wall perimeter 10 km long. You’ll be able to view it’s vast gardens and structure relics. Then you’ll breach the outer perimeter of the Hue Imperial City. Inside, you’ll see many of the national treasures and structures which have survived the Vietnam War. Venture further inside and you’ll enter the Purple Forbidden City. This city was off-limits to the commoners and only could be entered by the highest officials in the Vietnamese government and royalty. Your driver will meet you on the other side of the city where you’ll then be escorted to a stop at the Dong Ba Market where you can see local fruits and produce for sale.

In the evening, take a flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to Silk Path Boutique 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: Silk Path Boutique Hotel

Day 13: Hanoi – Sapa | Coach to Sapa

Meals: Breakfast

Transfer in the morning by coach up to Sapa. Our guide will greet you at the station and assist you with check-in at the Amazing Sapa Hotel. Then enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

Accommodation: Amazing Hotel

Day 14: Sapa | Binh Lu Hill Tribe Market

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, your tour guide and driver will escort you to visit Binh Lu Market. On the way, you can take a short walk to Silver Waterfall and then head to Heaven’s Gate, where you will be amazed by breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains including Mt. Fansipan, the highest peak of Indochina with the altitude of 3143 meters. Your ride will be mostly downhill (approximately 1.5hours) toward Binh Lu Market (opened on Thursdays). You will stop at Chu village of the Red H’mong minority before reaching Binh Lu Township. Continue to trek through the rice fields to Pa Pe village – home of Lu and Thai minority people.
Return to Sapa in the afternoon.

Accommodation: Amazing Hotel

Day 15: Sapa | Ta Van Village

Internal Flight: Included

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, go with our tour guide will take you to Muong Hoa valley to see one of the most beautiful valleys in northwest Vietnam. Descending into the valley by foot, you will see the largest terraced paddy of Sapa. A short walk takes you from Lao Chai village of the Black H’mong minority to Ta Van village of the Giay minority. You will have a chance to see the different traditions and costumes of these two ethnic minority groups. After the hike, return to the hotel for some leisure time.

Accommodation: Amazing Hotel

Day 16: Sapa | Leisure Day

Meals: Breakfast

Today is at your leisure to explore Sapa and the surrounding beautiful scenic trails on your own.

Accommodation: Amazing Hotel

Day 17: Sapa – Hanoi | Silver Waterfall and Heaven’s Gate | Coach to Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning, you’ll transfer to Silver Waterfall. There, you will take a short walk around the perimeter of the waterfall to see great views of the contiguous mountains and lush forests of Hoang Lien National Park. Many tree species are grown here such as plum and peach trees. After that, you’ll go on to go up to Heaven’s Gate. From here, you will see Fansipan Mountain which is well known as “the roof of Indochina” with an altitude of 3143 meters. In the evening after the tour, you’ll be back to the hotel for check out. Then take a coach to Hanoi for overnight.

Accommodation: Silk Path Boutique Hotel

Day 18: Hanoi | Hanoi City Impressions

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning, you’ll be escorted to see the Tran Quoc Pagoda. 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. 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.

Next, 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 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’s teachings.

Accommodation: Silk Path Boutique Hotel

Day 19: Hanoi – Lan Ha Bay | Emerald Isles of Lan Ha Bay

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

You will be picked up in the morning from your hotel by the cruise’s shuttle and escorted to Halong City. You may stop en route to admire the local scenery. Roughly around noon, you will arrive at the port and board on the ship. Begin sailing and pass through a magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons’ teeth. After lunch, take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with golden sails, go swimming on a quiet beach, or sunbathe on the sundeck. Back onboard enjoy a lavish dinner. Overnight on board.

Accommodation: Paloma Cruise

Day 20: Hanoi – Siem Reap | Disembark Cruise Return to Hanoi | Flight to Siem Reap

Internal Flight: Included

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Wake up in the morning for Tai Chi exercises on the sun deck and continue cruising the bays. The breakfast buffet will be served in the restaurant, then you will visit the limestone grotto. Disembark in Halong City at noontime and transfer with the cruise’s shuttle to the airport in Hanoi before the flight onward.

Continue by flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.

Accommodation: Treasure Oasis Hotel

Day 21: Siem Reap | Angkor Thom by Bicycle

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy a relaxing cycling tour in the morning in ancient Angkor Thom – a stone city built around the time of Angkor Wat.

The biking tour will start at the South Gate – a photogenic bridge at the gateway of the stone city of Angkor Thom which has made its way into many Hollywood movies. Angkor Thom was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire. Enter the stone city and explore shaded trails and ancient monuments. Visit Bayon Temple where you will be surrounded by 216 gigantic stone faces which fame as “Khmer Smile”, you will also visit the Terrace of Elephants, the Royal Palace, and the Terrace of the Leper King. Stop your cycling trip with a visit to the local monastery to chat with monks and see their daily life.

South Gate of Angkor Thom – 25 Days South North Vietnam Discovery Short Angkor Detour

On the way back, stop to see the Killing Fields of Wat Thmei. Our guide will relay to you the history of the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot, and the war. Cambodia is still healing from these atrocities.

Accommodation: Treasure Oasis Hotel

Day 22: Siem Reap | Bantey Srei Temple | Tonle Sap lake Floating Village | Roluos Group

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning, start with an ox cart ride through Cambodia’s green countryside where you’ll see many coconut trees, rice fields, and water buffalo. After that, continue the trip to the largest lake in Southeast Asia, the Tonle Sap. You’ll take a boat ride to Kampong Phluk which means, Harbor of the Tusks due to its history in the elephant trade several centuries ago. You’ll also see the mangrove forests nearby. Continue by vehicle to Banteay Srei Temple – the Citadel of Women. This Temple is smaller in size but extremely intricate in detail. On the way back to Siem Reap, stop at the Roluos Temple Group. These temples pre-date Angkor Wat Temple and were a precursor to what you will see tomorrow. Return to the hotel for leisure and overnight.

Accommodation: Treasure Oasis Hotel

Day 23: Siem Reap | Angkor Wat Sunrise

Meals: Breakfast

Before the light of the day, your guide will pick you up from your hotel and escort you to the front of Angkor Wat Temple. From here, you’ll watch one of the most revered sunrises in the world. Our guide will arrange a light picnic breakfast for you to enjoy in front of the world’s #1 Heritage Site. Then in the early hours, you’ll explore the vast temple with your guide bringing to life the stories of Angkor. In the morning, the rays of the light play through the chambers as the morning haze settles and giving the temple a mystical ambiance while there are few tourists who visit during this time of day. After your explorations, you’ll return back to the hotel.

Spend this full day at your own leisure. You can walk around the city and discover the local daily life, find out some interesting souvenir items, drop by at a bar to relax and have a drink or two. Alternatively, simply indulge yourself with the comfort and amenities which your hotel offers.

Accommodation: Treasure Oasis Hotel

Day 24: Siem Reap – Saigon | Leisure | Evening Flight to Saigon

Internal Flight: Included

Meals: Breakfast

Today, you’ll take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for check-in. Then you are at your leisure for the rest of the day and evening.

Accommodation: Hotel Saigon Continental

Day 25: Saigon | Departure from Saigon

Meals: Breakfast

Today our guide will transfer you to the airport before your homeward flight and will bid you a fond farewell. Thank you for traveling with us!

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