BEST OF VIETNAM: ART & CULTURE


19 Days
18 Nights
Saigon | Mekong Delta & River | Hoi An | Hue | Hanoi | Sapa Valley | Ha Long Bay
From $7436 Per Person
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Set out on a 19-day Vietnam private guided tour, covering all the beauty from North to South of Vietnam and revealing vivid cultures, special lifestyles, traditional and modern art, cuisine, and people. You’ll visit Cu Chi Tunnels in high-energy Saigon and the imperial legacy in ancient Hue; taste the bucolic life on the Mekong and Hoi An; see ethnic Hmong painting their batik. Tranquil Halong Bay where you cruise world natural wonders; and Hanoi, the cultural heart of the country and the mecca for street food. This is surely an enriching journey that will satisfy your travel wanderlust.

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Brief Itinerary

Day 1 -2: Saigon. Cultural walk and admiring the local art.

Day 3-5: Mekong Delta. Idyllic life on the Mekong.

Day 6-8: Hoi An. The charm of the Unesco protected Old Town.

Day 9-10: Hue. Imperial heritages.

Day 11-14: Sapa. Hilltribe culture and mountain treks.

Day 15: Halong Bay. A journey into the dragon's jaws.

Day 16-19: Hanoi. Vietnam’s cultural heart and street food heaven.


Vietnam is an incredible mixture of cultural diversity and natural highlights. The scenery on offer ranges from lush green paddy fields to winding mountain passes.

Capital: Hanoi Population: 97.47 million (2021) Currency: Vietnamese dong (VND)

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DETAILED
ITINERARY

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DAY 1 Saigon

Upon arrival in Saigon, you will be transferred to your accommodations and assisted with check-in, enjoying the remainder of the day at your leisure.

DAY 2 Saigon

Today's highlightsOne-hour talk Saigon Through the Ages

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Start your Vietnam exploration with an insight into its history. The talk charts Saigon’s fascinating story, from its earliest days as a remote Khmer outpost until it's nowadays. Lunch at a local restaurant. Later, a local guide will take you to explore a lesser-known Saigon. You’ll visit old buildings where the residents love carrying out their daily activities outdoors and modern buildings where young generations prefer their privacy. Enjoy the A O art performance at the end of the day.

DAY 3 Saigon

Today's highlightsVisit underground Cu Chi tunnel

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Cruise the Saigon River on a speedboat to the notorious Cu Chi Tunnels. You’ll learn how the Vietcong used these massive subterranean networks of tunnels during wartime and be enlightened on their tactics and basic weapons. In the evening, hop on a Jeep and start a memorable and tasty night out. Your evening ends at the riverside where young generations love to go to chill out. 

DAY 4 Mekong Delta & River

Today's highlightsLearn about local countryside life on the water

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Leaving Saigon to Vung Liem. Upon arrival, continue to your lodge fronting the banks of the Mekong River. 

After lunch at the lodge, take a pleasant ride on quiet paths around the village to enjoy the rural countryside. Learn how to make traditional snacks and visit fruit orchards to sample fresh fruits. In the late afternoon, meet a neighborhood veteran to listen to his story and enjoy a traditional music performance before rolling up your sleeves to make Banh Xeo, the popular Vietnamese pancake. 

DAY 5 Mekong Delta & River

Meals: Breakfast

This morning, embark on a boat to get a glimpse into the local life and learn about the versatile uses of coconut, the most popular fruit of this region. You’ll see a local market, the colorful Cao Dai Temple, and visit coconut factories where you’ll witness manual processes that the workers do every day. 

In the afternoon, transfer to your zen retreat in Can Tho. Spread over an islet on the Hau River, your tonight base blends perfectly with its lush surroundings.

DAY 6 Hoi An

Meals: Breakfast

Embark on a wooden boat for a river cruise. You’ll pass Ninh Kieu Quay and fishing villages before reaching the once-called Cai Rang Floating Market to observe the local life on the water.

Later in the day, fly to Da Nang where your local guide and driver will welcome you and transfer you to your accommodation in Hoi An. Evening at leisure.

DAY 7 Hoi An

Today's highlightsDiscover the history of silk weaving & Hoi An Ancient Town

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Start your morning with a bicycle ride on quiet village roads, visit an ancestral house to learn more about the genealogy of a traditional Vietnamese family, meet a local family and watch the techniques they use to weave sedge mats. Afternoon highlights are discovering the history of silk weaving and visiting Hoi An - UNESCO World Heritage site for its well-preserved ancient streets and houses. Lunch at local restaurant.

DAY 8 Hoi An

Meals: Breakfast

Today is free at leisure.

DAY 9 Hue

Meals: Breakfast

Have a leisurely breakfast. Your guide will meet you and take you to Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. Check-in your hotel and relax. 

In the afternoon, take a scenic bike ride along the Nhu Y River to the poetic Chuon Lagoon. A peaceful boat ride will travel you through fishing boats, floating bamboo huts, and a network of fish farms. Relax in a bamboo shack where you can enjoy some fresh seafood with cold beer in a close look at the local life.

DAY 10 Hue

Today's highlightsLearn about Vietnam history in Imperial Citadel

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Begin your tour at the Imperial Citadel, a massive complex offering a look back to the life, architecture, and power of the Nguyen Dynasty. Cap off your morning tour with traditional Hue cuisine for lunch.

This afternoon, explore one more icon of Vietnam’s past and present - the Gia Long Tomb. Admire the masterpiece of nature and architecture and learn about the founding emperor of the Nguyen dynasty. Have dinner at a 19th-century charming garden house. 

DAY 11 Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast

Fly to Hanoi. Upon arrival, meet your guide, and check in the hotel for day-use before transferring to the train station to take an overnight train to Sapa. Overnight on the train (2 soft sleeper berths/ cabin). 

DAY 12 Sapa Valley

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Chill out in the back of your private car, enjoy the mountain landscape on the drive to Bac Ha Market. The Dzao, Hmong, as well as other hill tribes, gather together at this weekend market for trading and socializing, giving it a special vibe that’s hard to find elsewhere.

After the market, continue your drive to Topas Ecolodge, a rustic, sustainable retreat, perched high above Sapa Valley.

DAY 13 Sapa Valley

Today's highlightsGet an insight into the Hmong batik

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Get an insight into the Hmong batik, and age-old hemp fabric dyeing method using beeswax to create patterns. Enjoy the intricate Hmong symbols, indigo color, then try your hand on some processes to learn more about the artistry of Hmong people. Aside from the workshop, you’ll have soft treks through beautiful mountain landscapes. Have a traditional H’Mong lunch before transferring back to the hotel.

DAY 14 Sapa Valley

Meals: Breakfast

Take a walk in the spectacular views of mist-clad peaks and rice terraces to visit the village of Red Dzao, the most colorful ethnic group in Vietnam. Later in the day, say goodbye to Sapa and you'll be taken to an overnight train to Hanoi.

DAY 15 Ha Long Bay

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Arriving in Hanoi. Transfer to your next destination, Halong Bay. You'll embark on a beautiful cruise for your overnight sail through the bay. Relax on the deck in the stunning scenery of the World Heritage Site and wait for the dramatic sunset over the seascape.

DAY 16 Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast, Brunch

Enjoy your cruising before driving back to Hanoi. Check-in hotel. In the late afternoon, enjoy a traditional water puppet show, an art form that has been closely associated with thousands of years of history of the Red River Delta.

DAY 17 Hanoi

Today's highlightsMeet and talk with an art curator

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Your Hanoi exploration takes off with a visit to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Later, meander on the beautiful courtyard of the thousand-year-old Temple of Literature. After lunch at a local restaurant, meet up with an art curator for a glimpse of how local artists create a mixture of the traditional and the modern in their works.

DAY 18 Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hop on a Vespa see a morning flower market, Long Bien Bridge, then stop at a garden house. Meet a local woman, make the village’s specialty for breakfast, and learn about life in a suburban village during a walk with her. Back to hotel. In the late afternoon, weave your way through the Old Quarter. Sample the delicacies of Hanoi such as Banh Cuon, Pho, and Banh Mi. End your day at a hidden cafe.

DAY 19 Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to Noi Bai International Airport to catch your flight home.

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