20 Days Best of Vietnam Luxury Tour plus Luang Prabang Heritage Town

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 to the 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: Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon

Day 2: Saigon | Impressions of Saigon

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
See the highlights of Ho Chi Minh City today while enjoying the culture, history and the iconic landmarks.

After you’ve finished breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to see some of the most important places in Ho Chi Minh. You’ll start by visiting the War Remnants Museum. This museum provides an interesting perspective of the Vietnam War. The museum shows the realities of the war from the Vietnamese point of view.

The next stop is the Reunification Palace. This residence was the home of the president of South Vietnam during the war. The war ended when a tank from the North came through the gate.

Then you’ll visit the Notre Dame Cathedral constructed by French colonists during their settlement. Crossing the road is the Old Saigon Post Office, a neoclassical architectural building which is considered one of the main tourist attractions in the city.

Saigon City at Night

As dusk is setting, take a cyclo tour around 45 minutes to the Dang Pier on Saigon River, where you’ll enter a replica of the emperors Saigon Boat Cruise for a magnificent and memorable dining and entertainment spectacle along the Saigon river. The dinner cruise features soft traditional ethnic music while you enjoy the passing lights of the city. The captain will welcome you onboard and introduce you to the specialties which have made this boat a culinary experience in Ho Chi Minh City. While on board, relax on the upper deck and enjoy a panoramic view of Saigon lighting up the evening sky.

Accommodation: Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon

Day 3: Saigon | Cu Chi Tunnels and Vietnamese Culinary Class

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.

Accommodation: Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon

Day 4: Saigon | Mekong Delta of Vinh Long

Meals: Breakfast
Discover the Mekong River, essential to life in the heart of Vietnam.

After you’ve finished breakfast at the hotel, we will take you to Vinh Long where you’ll embark on a boat cruise to the vibrant Cai Be floating market. Be prepared to see fresh spices, mints, and local fruits. If you’re adventurous, you can take one of the many colorful fruits in season.

Mekong Delta River

The next stop is the Hoa Binh Phuoc islet, full of local homes where the families produce tiles and ceramics. You’ll visit the rice-paper kiln and coconut candy kiln where you can walk around and observe daily country life. You can have the opportunity to taste fresh made coconut candy which has a soft and chewy consistency.

When the tour is finished, you’ll return to Ho Chi Minh.

Accommodation: Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon

Day 5: Saigon – Danang | Flight to Danang | Relax on the Beach

Internal Flight: Included
Meals: Breakfast
In the morning, board a flight to Danang. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your resort next to the beach. Check in your villa and enjoy the leisure for the rest of the day.

Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang

Day 6: Hoi An – Danang | 4th Century Cham Ruins

Meals: Breakfast
Today you’ll explore the My Son Holy Land, a UNESCO Heritage site and Vietnam’s most important Cham site.

In the morning, your tour guide and driver will escort you from your hotel to the My Son Holy Land. Tucked in the mountains up winding roads with serene views lay the 1,100-year-old 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. Afterward, you’ll watch an Apsara show nearby the site, passed through the Cham tradition. The show features live music and colorful costumes.

The afternoon is at your leisure to relax.

Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang

Day 7: Hoi An – Danang | Hoi An Ancient Port Town | Floating Lantern on River

Meals: Breakfast

Morning is at your leisure to relax.
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 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.

Hoi An Ancient Port Town

In the evening you’ll be picked up at the lobby and transferred to a restaurant located next to the Thu Bon River for dinner. After dinner, enjoy your night tour though Hoian Ancient Town under sparkling lanterns all around. You can wander along these glistening streets and enjoy the surreal atmosphere of this 17th-century port town. By night, Hoian transforms into a dazzling paradise glimmering with brilliant silk lanterns, paper luminaries and warm candlelight. With the sky cloaked in darkness, stroll the riverside while watching the twinkling lanterns dance on the water. You can join this beloved scene by sending your own lanterns with some wishes onto the river.

Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang

Day 8: Danang | Relax on the Beach

Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a full day leisure to relax on the beautiful beaches of Danang. Simply relax or indulge your self with the hotel’s spa and other luxurious facilities.

Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang

Day 9: Danang | Relax on the Beach

Meals: Breakfast
Today is also at your leisure to relax. Simply relax or indulge your self with the hotel’s spa and other luxurious facilities.

Accommodation: Fusion Maia Danang

Day 10: Danang – Hanoi | Flight to Hanoi | Leisure

Internal Flight: Included
Meals: Breakfast
Morning is at your leisure to relax.

.In the afternoon, transfer by a flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you and transfer to your 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 11: Hanoi | Best of Hanoi

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 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.

Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Day 12: Hanoi – Halong Bay | Voyage to Emerald Halong Bay

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
In the morning, our guide and chauffeur will transfer you to Haiphong where you’ll enjoy some time at Orchid’s Private Lounge for refreshments until boarding. Then board Orchid Cruise.

Halong Bay Sunrise – 20 Days Best Vietnam Luxury Tour Luang Prabang Heritage Town

Receive a safety briefing and check in your cabins. The boat sets adrift for Da Chong islet, home to an old French lighthouse. Enjoy a sumptuous feast in the panoramic dining hall while en route to the isles of Con Vit and Gia Luan. The bay opens up to you with stunning green karsts towering above the water. This area receives very few cruise ships as it has just been newly opened up. Continue to Ba Trai Dao beach of Lan Ha Bay. A paradise with perfect beaches and natural beauty. Stop at one of the beaches for swimming or kayaking during the afternoon.

As dusk approaches, welcome the sunset with a local specialty – “Ba Kich”(a liquor made from Noni fruit). Back on board, you’ll join a cooking demonstration to learn a few Vietnamese culinary secrets. Enjoy your creation! Then time for supper in the dining hall. Delicious Vietnamese cuisine and seafood in a romantic setting. After dinner, you may enjoy watching the stars from the sundeck, watching a movie in the restaurant, or give night squid fishing a try with the staff(subject to seasonal availability).

Accommodation: Orchid Cruise

Day 13: Hanoi | Sunrise Halong Bay

Meals: Breakfast
Rise early for one of the top best sunrises in the world. Then head to the sundeck for an invigorating Tai Chi session amongst a picture-perfect backdrop of karsts, sea, and nature. Enjoy a breakfast in the dining hall before taking a journey to explore the area around Sang Tai sea cave via canoes.

Then disembark for a road transfer to Hanoi.

Accommodation: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Day 14: Hanoi – Luang Prabang | Leisure | Flight to Luang Prabang

Internal Flight: Included
Meals: Breakfast
Morning is at your leisure to relax. In the afternoon, transfer by a flight to Luang Prabang. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you and transfer 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 15: Luang Prabang | Buddhist Ancient City and Temples

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
The morning is at your leisure to explore on your own or visit a spa for a massage.

In the afternoon, 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” – a 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 16: Luang Prabang | Kuang Si Waterfalls and Hill Tribes

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Transfer in the morning to Ban Long Lao village – a Hmong and Khmu ethnic village who live simple lives off the land in a self-sustained community. After exploring the village and mingling with the locals, you’ll begin the hike to Kuang Si Falls. Along the way are lush green forests and clear streams. Visit a cave along the way that once acted as a bomb shelter. Arrive at Kuang Si Waterfall – one of the most turquoise waterfalls in the world. The afternoon can be spent swimming in the waterfall and visiting the Bear Rescue Center where several Sun Bears and Malayan Black Bears are being cared for after being rescued from bile farms and wildlife traffickers. Then you’ll return to Luang Prabang and evening is at your leisure.

Kuang Si Waterfalls – Pak Ou Caves – 20 Days Best Vietnam Luxury Tour Luang Prabang Heritage Town

Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao

Day 17: 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 18: Luang Prabang | Leisure Day

Meals: Breakfast

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: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao

Day 19: 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.

Pak Ou Caves – 20 Days Best Vietnam Luxury Tour Luang Prabang Heritage Town

Accommodation: Belmond La Residence Phou Vao

Day 20: 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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