On arriving at Noi Bai Airport, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel in the city centre. Hotel check-in is available at 2 pm. Free time to discover the old quarter. 

Starting the day trip with a visit to the Tran Quoc Pagoda. We will then visit the Temple of Literature, constructed in 1070 to worship Confucius, which also served as the first Royal National University in Vietnam. There are 82 stone steles, carried by tortoises, engraved with names, birthdates, and birthplaces of honoured doctorates from 1442 to 1779. Local people believed that touching the head of these tortoises would bring luck. The green and neatly maintained gardens and lotus ponds make this place a peaceful hideaway from the city’s hustle and heat. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. 
Our afternoon exploration begins with the Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays, the alternative on this day being the History Museum). The museum offers a wide range of informative and well-documented displays of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, including colourful hill tribe costumes. The outdoor display is an impressive collection of traditional houses of various minorities from the north to the central Highlands.
We will drive to the Old Quarter, also known as “36 streets and guilds”. Now time for a street food tour and to get lost in the labyrinth of lanes in which each street once specialized in a specific type of manufacturing or trade. Most of the houses in the area were built towards the end of the 19th century. There is no better way of exploring this commercial district than on foot to capture all aspects of local daily life: crafts, Buddhism, temples, gastronomy, local markets, traditional tube-houses (a Vietnamese particularity), medicine… and perhaps most special, delving deep into the culture of the capital through local food will be a memorable experience.
The street food tour ends with a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) before watching a traditional water puppet show. 

Today we escape the busy city and head to Mai Chau - a beautiful and quaint valley mainly occupied by the White Thai. We get to the town around noon where a special lunch prepared by the Thai people is waiting to be served. In the afternoon, we will make a nice bike ride to discover an authentic country really unknown by mass tourism. We will be charmed by the traditional houses on stilts, the smiles of the Thai, friendly acceuils and green rice, vegetable gardens and bamboo forests near our path, crossing the villages: Chieng Sai, Cha, Cha Long, Na Tang, Tong Dau ... After dinner, you will enjoy the traditional music show in the evening. Night at the homestay.

In the morning we will drive to Pu Luong. The road leading to Pu Luong Nature Reserve takes you to breathtaking mountain passes and offers fascinating bird’s- eye views of the whole valley. 

In the afternoon we start to descend into the beautiful valley facing the Retreat where you walk around the rice terraces. A small path covered with vegetation slowly leads us to Uoi village sitting at the foot of a towering mountain. Your camera battery will discharge significantly due to the scenic view of the village from above. If time permits, we will stop at a local family to learn about the traditional brocade weaving. Walking resumes through the rice paddies again to get to the main road at the car pick-up point. Take the car back to Pu Luong Retreat. 

Car transfer to Tam Coc (Ninh Binh). In the afternoon, we will take the road to Tam Coc, where we will embark on a small rowing boat to discover the outstanding karst waterscape on Ngo Dong River. Tam Coc literally translates to « three caves» and is adorned with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites of all sizes shaped like gemstones. While rowing, enjoy the peaceful scenery of rice paddies lining the river bank. Then visit Hoa Lu, the ancient Royal Capital of Vietnam, and two temples: Temple of King Dinh and of King Le, where you can admire this unique architecture from ancient times. Overnight in Tam Coc.

Our journey today is toward the East, through the rich farmland of the Red River Delta, and then by boat to Cat Hai Island off the port city of Hai Phong. On arrival at the port, you are welcomed aboard the ship. Settle into a private comfortable cabin and unpack for a three-day cruise around Lan Ha Bay. Along the way to the unspoiled and less visited areas, you can admire the picturesque scenery of islands immersed in emerald water while enjoying a generous lunch served on board. These karst formations are littered with beautiful beaches, grottoes, and caves. Take a break from the cruise with an enjoyable paddle in the kayaks or a recreational swim in a secluded cove and the crystal-clear waters of the bay. Then back to the boat to take part in an onboard traditional cooking class. Enjoy delicious local food prepared and served for you by the wonderful onboard catering staff. 

Rising to the tranquil beauty of the bay you have time for an early morning dip while the sun rises, followed by breakfast on board. We will continue to sail through the bay during the morning to explore more secluded areas. The junk will stay close at all times serving as a backup vessel for those that require it. Around midday we will return to the main harbor & drive back to Hanoi airport. Flight to Da Nang city and transfer to Hoi An. Ovenigh at the hotel.

Follow a local guide for this experience which starts with a leisurely biking trip along the country roads. Observe traditional Vietnamese rural life as the local people work in the paddy fields. Farmers and water buffalo working the fields have become a symbol of Vietnamese countryside life. This is sure to provide you with a rich array of picture opportunities to share with family and friends. Along the way, watch out for buffalos ploughing rice fields while ducks swim across the top.  You will have a chance to hop off your bicycle to visit vivid green paddy fields and a beautiful organic vegetable village. Join a farmer to tend to the vegetables and hoe the soil. As you meander through the countryside you will experience the friendliness of the local people greeting you along the way.
Later, board the boat for a river cruise to meet and engage with local fishermen. Enjoy a hands-on experience of traditional fishing net. You will also take a paddleboat trip in a unique Vietnamese bamboo basket boat down the waterways of a coconut palm paradise before returning to Hoi An.
We spend the afternoon wandering to explore the UNESCO-recognised world heritage and its highlights: the Japanese Covered Bridge (built by the Japanese then living in Hoi An to connect their quarter and the Chinese’s one), old Phung Hung house, Hoi An’s market and ancient port. We make a special stop at the Reaching Out tea house - a tranquil oasis in the bustling centre of Hoi An. Overnight at the hotel.

After having breakfast, our guide and car will pick you up at your hotel and take you to My Son Holy Land, once the capital city of the Champa Kingdom, between the 4th and 12th century. My Son is a large complex of religious relics that comprises more than 70 architectural works. They include temples and towers connecting to each other with complicated red brick designs. 
In the afternoon, depart for Thanh Ha Pottery Village by boat where you can learn about and take part in the daily life of Thanh Ha people. Here, we will observe the necessary steps used for producing pottery products such as vases, pots and kettles. After learning about pottery making, we visit Thanh Ha Terra Cotta Park museum. We will then take another 30-minute boat ride up Thu Bon River where we will head to the Kim Bong Carpentry Village. Visit and learn about the shipbuilding area where wooden fishing vessels are built using traditional techniques. You will also have a stop at the carpentry workshop where carpenters create handcrafted furniture and sculpsculp.

Free time to free time to discover Hoi An or enjoy the beaches 5 km from the city. In the afternoon, take the car to Da Nang airport (no guide) to catch the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. You will be picked up and transferred to the hotel in the city centre.

This morning we leave the hotel at 8 am and drive to Ben Tre Province in the Mekong delta. 
Upon arrival at Hung Vuong Pier (90km from Sai Gon), we get on a boat and cruise along the Ben Tre River. The boat stops at an artisanal brick factory for you to explore its imposing ovens. A sweet break is planned at a coconut candies workshop where you will watch how coconut flesh is used and processed. A short tuk-tuk bike ride on the winding small road of the countryside will take you deeper into the village and we will stop at a family braiding mats. The local restaurant prepares typical dishes of the Mekong delta for your lunch. Following, we board on a rowing boat to join the maze of canals and return to the landing stage. Stop at Mr. Sau Khanh's house, a very hospitable villager to see his antique collection. He will happily show you the special technique of climbing coconut palms. Overnight in the homestay.

Start the morning with breakfast prepared by the family, then transfer by car to Ho Chi Minh City. Stop in My Tho to visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda.
In the afternoon, you will visit the Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, constructed between 1877 and 1880 by the French. Only a few steps from the Cathedral is the General Post Office. People come here not for sending postcards or letters, but mostly to admire its interior with the arched roof and curved windows, reminiscent of early European railway stations. The city tour then continues along Dong Khoi Street heading to see the Opera House and the Peoples’ Committee building, built in 1897 by French architect Ferret Eugene. The 800 seat Opera House served as the home of the Lower House Assembly of South Vietnam after 1956. 
Night at the hotel.

The day begins and we drive about 100km to Tay Ninh to visit the ornate temple of Cao Dai. Being the 3rd largest religion in Vietnam, Caodaism blends Buddhism, Catholicism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Islam. There are services held 3 times a day, the most suitable time for visitors to visit is 12 o' clock noon time. 
After having lunch at a local restaurant, we proceed to Cu Chi Tunnels. The underground system was built from 1946 to 1968 by local inhabitants and soldiers using simple tools. During the American bombings, they were turned into an underground city, which could house up to 10,000 people, with trapdoors, living areas, kitchens, storage facilities, armoury, hospitals, and command centres. Visitors can enter some parts of the subterranean tunnels to understand better how the system works.
Drive back to HCM City. Night spent at the hotel.

Free time to discover HCM City then transfer to the airport for your departure flight. End of our services.