Guide book
Tour Code: VTL 03
Tour Route: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An town (Charming World Heritage site) Saigon - Ho Chi Minh city, Mekong Delta
Tour Duration: 15 Days15 Days - Discover Vietnam's Highlights Tour Map
Dates: No fixed departure dates. You may go whenever you wish.
Starts/Ends: Hanoi/ Ho Chi Minh City
Tour Type: Landscape and Nature, Cruise Holidays, and Folk Arts
Activity Level: Regular itinerary, moderate walking
Tour Customizable: Absolutely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)
BRIEF ITINERARY:
Day 1 Arrival Hanoi
Day 2 Hanoi City tour
Day 3 Hanoi Halong Bay
Day 4 Halong bay - Hanoi
Day 5 Hanoi fly to Hue
Day 6 Hue
Day 7 Hue - Hoi An
Day 8 Hoi An
Day 9 Hoi An
Day 10 Hoi An - Da Nang fly to Saigon
Day 11 Ho Chi Minh tour
Day 12 Ho Chi Minh - Cu Chi - Cao Dai
Day 13 Ho Chi Minh - Mekong
Day 14 Mekong - Ho Chi Minh
Day 15 Departure
Detail Itinerary
Especially designed for professional or semiprofessional photographers who want to take special pictures of Vietnam. From bustling Saigon to the Mekong Delta, to Hoi An to the former capital of Hue, to Halong - the land of dragons descending to the sea and to the mountain of Sapa... The best of Vietnam will be waiting you.
Day 1: SAIGON ARRIVAL
Arrive at Saigon airport, meet the guide of Binhtours with the welcome signboard. Transfer to hotel for check in with an orientation tour of Saigon city to have an overview of Saigon. Overnight in Saigon. No meals provided.
Day 2: SAIGON CITY TOUR (B, L, D)
Today’s full day city tour visits Saigon’s historic landmarks including walking tour for photo opportunities toward the Old Saigon Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, former Presidential Palace and possibly War Remnants Museum (the main room, where a collection of photos taken by war journalist photographers are now on display).
Afternoon visit to the Chinese district of Cholon to enjoy the bustling wholesale quarter of Saigon. China town has been established in Saigon for over 200 years but remained unchanged with its old temples and houses characterizing the disintegrated Vietnamese- Chinese culture. There are lots of photo opportunities about the local life during the visit. Dinner at a local Restaurant. Overnight in Saigon
Day 3: SAIGON – CU CHI – TAY NINH (B, L, D)
Enjoy a morning drive through typical southern Vietnamese countryside to Cu Chi district, and Tay Ninh Province. Upon arrival in Cu Chi district, make a couple of stops for photo opportunities and a visit to a rice paper making factory at Tan Phu Trung Village. Experience ourselves the underground village of Cu Chi guerrilla fighters, which is simply a network of tunnels built during the long years of wars.
Continue to drive another an hour and half from Cu Chi towards Tay Ninh to visit the incredible Cao Dai Great Temple, and attend the noon time service; photo opportunities during the ceremony. Lunch is at a local restaurant. Drive back to Saigon and arrive at 4 pm. Balance of the afternoon is to wander about Saigon for photo shooting. Dinner and O/N Saigon.
Day 4: SAIGON – MY THO – CAN THO (B, L, D)
Leave Saigon for My Tho. My Tho is located on the northern banks of the Mekong river and is the closest town in the Delta area to Ho Chi Minh City, about 2 hours drive away. In the center of the town close to the river there is a large market that sells just about anything that can be eaten or is used in day to day business. Around the My Tho area you will find a maze of small canals that can be explored on one of the many organized boat tours. Enjoy a boat ride on the Mekong River and visit an orchard on an island, with lunch en route. Continue with a visit to a snake farm and then continue driving to Can Tho. Check-in hotel and stay overnight in Can Tho.
Day 5: CAN THO - SAIGON (B, L, D)
Early morning board for a 3-hour cruise to Cai Rang and Phong Dien, 2 big floating markets with stops at a Bun Tau noodle factory and a short trek before arriving at a rice-husking mill. You can even try passing one of the many fragile monkey bridges along the canals photo shot. At the floating markets, you will discover a typical way of displaying and advertising farm products of local people gathering on the Mekong river to trade their goods. Leave our boat at a dock opposite Cai Rang market. Drive back to Saigon with a lunch stop at My Tho. Dinner and O/N Saigon.
Day 6: SAIGON – DANANG - HOIAN (B, L, D)
Morning transfer to the airport for a 1-hour flight to Danang. On arrival, transfer to hotel with an immediate visit to Cham Museum, Marble Mountains and China Beach before driving another 30 km to Hoi An. Hoi an, a former international trading port during the 17-18th century, is a charming small town with an eccentric mix of western and eastern-influenced architecture. On arrival, transfer to hotel for check in.
Afternoon, take a walking tour on its narrow cobblestone streets visiting former merchants’ houses, Phuc Kien Pagoda, the 400-year old Japanese Covered Bridge, the colorful bazaar, and the local market, where we spend a lot of time to shoot the most lively pictures of fish mongers on the river bank. At 5 pm, take one hour boat ride on the Thu Bon River visit the Kim Bong pottery and carpentry villages to learn the traditional way of making clay products and fishing boat building. Dinner and Overnight in Hoi An.
Day 7: HOIAN – HUE (B, L, D)
Free to explore the town on own until 10 am. Depart Hoi An for Hue, the capital of Vietnam under the Nguyen Dynasty of emperors from 1802 till 1945. The scenic route passes through Danang before climbing over the Mountain Clouds Hai Van Pass where a spectacular panorama of the central coastline can be viewed at the summit, dropping down to the wonderfully photogenic fishing village of Lang Co located on a sand dune line. Enjoy a fresh seafood lunch in Lang Co village before continuing driving to Hue. Upon arrival check in your hotel. Afternoon , take an hour cycle ride around the city an overview and photo the romantic French colonial styled villas located a long the Perfume River bank. We carry on visiting the Dong Ba central market before driving back to the hotel. Dinner and Overnight in Hue.
Day 8: HUE (B, L, D)
Morning take a dragon boat downstream to visit Con Hen island, where we have chance to describe the life of boat people on the sampans by photo. Continue upstream toward the Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue’s most reserved religious monument standing on the riverbank with its seven-floored tower. Drive to visit the Imperial Citadel.
Lunch is at the Thuong Tu pancake restaurant (specialties of Hue). Afternoon continue by vehicle to visit the elaborate Royal tombs of Emperor Tu Duc and Khai Dinh. Before returning to the hotel, we come up to the Vong Canh hill for a photo opportunity of the spectacular upper part of the Perfume River. Dinner and O/N Hue.
Day 9: HUE – HANOI (B, L, D)
Early morning transfer to the airport for flight to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi, meet and transfer to your hotel. After check in, begin a tour of this charming capital city visiting the One Pillar Pagoda, Fine Arts Museum, Temple of Literature, Lake of the Restored Sword. Lunch is at Hoa Sua cooking Afternoon, we continue to wander the downtown area through the old section of 36 streets and 36 wares, where each street hosts vendors of particular trade, and also where we will visit an ancient house located at 23 Hang Giay, owned by Mrs. Le Thi Loc who has lived there over the French colonial time.
Free shopping or wandering around Hanoi old part of the city for photo shooting. Dinner and O/N Hanoi
Day 10: HANOI – HALONG OVERNIGHT ON BOAT (B, L, D)
Early morning around 5.30, walk to Hoan Kiem Lake where local seniors practice a rigorous, joint-limbering version of tai chi. After breakfast, drive 160 km to Halong City with a coffee break en route at the Sao Do handicraft village. Arrive by noontime at the dock, we board our private boat to begin sightseeing cruise through spectacular Halong Bay, visiting the amazingly beautiful caves and grottos. Enjoy a fresh seafood lunch served on board. Visiting The Grotto of Awe and the boat transfer you to the calm and clean water areas (pearl farming area) for swimming. Dinner and O/N on boat.
Day 11: SUNRISE ON THE BAY – HANOI – NIGHT TRAIN TO LAO CAI (B, L, D)
Waking up very early morning to catch sunrise and take photos of Halong Bay in early morning. Disembarking off the boat and driving back to Hanoi with a stop en route in ceramic-making village of Bat Trang to observe the century-year old trade of ceramic production. You will be at leisure to hang around for photo opportunities before enjoying a water puppet show and the dinner.
Transfer to the train station to take an overnight train ride to Lao Cai. O/N on train.
Day 12: LAO CAI - SAPA (B, L, D)
Arrive in the early morning at Lao Cai Station, near the Chinese border, and transfer to our private car for a scenic drive to the hill station of Sapa. Enjoy the spectacular views of rice-terraced mountains and Black H’mong and Red Dao hill tribe people dressed in their colorful wares walking along the roadside. After checking into the hotel and breakfast, begin a walking tour through the market, where hill tribe people from villages afar converge here on Saturday, and continue towards Cat Cat Village, home to the Black H’Mong hill tribe. Back to the town for a late lunch at a local restaurant After lunch hang around the town to interact with the Dzao, H’mong and Dzay hill tribe people. Balance of the day is free at leisure. Dinner at the hotel.
Day 13: SAPA – BAC HA SUNDAY MARKET – NIGHT TRAIN BACK HANOI (B, L, D)
Waking up early morning at 06:30. Drive to Bac Ha. This Sunday market also attracts a wide variety of ethnic minority groups including the Variegated H’mong, Dao, Phu La, La Chi, Tay who still retain their age old cultural traditions and are recognizably distinct from each other by their dress. Great chance to take pictures of those most colourful the hill tribes reside in the north-west. The experience of this congregation is unique.
After touring around the market, the car will take you to Ban Pho villages where inhabited of Flower H’mong people. Driver back to Lao Cai town for dinner and the night train back to Hanoi. Overnight on the train
Day 14: HANOI – SURROUNDING PAGODAS (B, L)
Arrive Hanoi station in the early morning. Pick up and transfer to hotel for early check-in and breakfast.
At around 09.00 your tour guide will pick up you again to depart for the “Pagoda of the West” (Tay Phuong) and the Master-Thay pagoda. Tay Phuong pagoda, 40 km southwest of Hanoi, consists of three parallel single level structures built on a hillock said to resemble a buffalo. These structures represent three treasures, Buddha, his laws and the bronze. Take a relaxing hike (for photo opportunities) for a few miles through the rice paddy and villages to the Master-Thay pagoda, the home of the Water Puppetry Art. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the pagoda. Return to Hanoi later afternoon. At leisure rest of the day for your own activities and dinner. O/N Hanoi.
Day 15: HANOI DEPARTURE (B)
Having breakfast at the hotel. Free until transfer to the airport for departure flight. End of services.
INCLUDE:
+ English-speaking tour guides of Binhtours.
+ Double/Twin-shared accommodation at Standard 3-star hotels
+ Meals as mentioned in the program.
+ Transfer as transportation by A/C vehicle as per program.
+ Domestic air tickets: Saigon – Danang; Hue - Hanoi and airport tax.
+ Train tickets Hanoi – Lao Cai - Hanoi
+ All Boat trips as mentioned in the program.
+ Admission fees to tourist sights as per program.
+ Mineral water and wet tissue (Bottle of 500ml/person/day)
EXCLUDE:
+ International flights to/from Vietnam and airport tax.
+ Visa arrangement.
+ Other meals; Drinks and personal expenses (laundry, phone calls, tips, emergency transfer, etc).