Splendours of Vietnam

Splendours of Vietnam

Vietnam, a remote country located between Cambodia, Laos and China is offered to you in the form of a private tour lasting 15 days. This is a tailor-made tour during which you will have a chance to discover everything about this beautiful country. You will leave Hanoi to go to Halong Bay before ending up in Ho Chi Minh City with many interesting stops across the country along the way. This is the perfect opportunity to discover a culture, a history and a cuisine that is dramatically different than what you are accustomed to. Our adventure is specially designed for those who love a total change of scenery and experience and it will not fail to delight you. So embark with us and our guides for an unforgettable visit!

This itinerary can be adjusted to your personnel needs and preferences.

Highlights

  • Private independent tour

  • Hanoi, the vibrant capital of Vietnam

  • Ride a pedicab through the streets of Old Hanoi

  • Traditional Sampan cruise through the paddy fields

  • Navigate the fascinating islets of Halong Bay

  • Visit the Imperial City of Hue and take a dragon cruise along the Perfume River 

  • Spending time with Mr Vinh at his garden home in Hue

  • Cooking class with a chef in Hue

  • Stroll down the lantern-lit Streets of historic Hoi An

  • Cruise down the Mekong River and visit a local family

  • Witness how goods are traded at Cai Rang floating market

  • Explore street food 

Included

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Flights

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All transfers

tour guide

English speaking private guides

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Accommodation

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32 Meals

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Visits according to the description of the itinerary

Travel Information

Code: VNE2

Journey intensity

Grèce

Price

15 days starting from xxxx$

Departure from Montreal to Hanoi.

Upon your arrival at Hanoi International airport, you will be welcomed and transferred to the hotel in Hanoi City Centre. Free time for the rest of the day.

Meals: Dinner
Overnight in Hanoi 

Morning departure to visit the beautiful Temple of Literature. It was used to educate Vietnamese royalty, mandarins, and the elite. The University operated for 700 years before becoming the peaceful landmark it is today. Its gardens and well-preserved architecture offer fascinating glimpses of the country’s distant past.

Continue to explore Hanoi with a visit to the nearby Ho Chi Minh Complex, the final resting place of President Ho Chi Minh (Bac Ho), the most iconic leader of Vietnam and who has led the country to its independence and reunification. This complex includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Ba Dinh Square, Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, Ho Chi Minh Museum and One Pillar Pagoda. Here you will see the mausoleum and the old house where he lived from 1958 to 1969. End the morning with a visit to the small, but iconic One Pillar Pagoda.

In the afternoon, start with a visit to the Museum of Ethnology. This is the most comprehensive museum in the country, with an abundant amount of information on the 54 ethnic minority groups in Vietnam.

In the late afternoon, ride a pedicab through the streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, also known as “36 streets”. Take a tour through the charming Hang Be Market and around Hoan Kiem Lake. This bustling area of narrow streets and alleys is home to thousands of small merchants.

Enjoy a water puppet show that will immerse you into the traditional performance arts scene of Vietnam before heading back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast – Dinner
Overnight in Hanoi 

After your breakfast, departure toward Hoa Lu, the former capital of Vietnam during the Dinh and Le dynasties in the late 10th century. On arrival, visit the two temples dedicated to two emperors of the Viet Kingdom.

After lunch in a local restaurant, continue to Trang An, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its spectacular natural landscapes and the magnificent rock formations which is often referred to as “Halong Bay on land”.

Take a local boat and glide along the picturesque river which runs through five limestone mountains. While enjoying the sounds of nature with birds soaring, you can take some great photos of the vertical cliffs shadowing in t he emerald crystal water.

Finally, climb up a white stone cliff to visit an ancient Pagoda, from the mountaintop you will be amazed with the scenic views of the surrounding area.

Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Overnight in Ninh Binh 

Early morning transfer to Halong Bay for a 2 days cruise throughout its breathtaking 1,600 islands and islets that rise up out of the emerald water. The beautiful bay also hosts numerous pristine sandy beaches that are ideal for swimming.

Complete the check-in procedure for your cruise, then a short transfer to the Capella cruise by a tender boat. Cruise anchors for outdoor activities that include Oasis Pool and Jacuzzi; Floating Ocean Pool; Inflatable Water Slide; Kayak; Mini-golf course.

In the afternoon, enjoy a happy hour with freshly prepared canapés and complimentary drinks while watching the sunset. In the evening, enjoy onboard activities such as the Cigar & Poker room; Night Squid Fishing; Board game at the Spirit of the Sea Lounge, and more.

Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Overnight on board the cruise 

Start your day with a Tai-chi exercise class on your cruise sundeck followed by a light breakfast.

You will be exploring the Bright cave on a traditional rowing bamboo boat. Here you will see an angled passageway opening the cave at water level and a serene round lake surrounded by lush trees and precipitous stone cliffs.
After your buffet brunch, transfer to Hanoi airport to take a flight to Hue. Arrival, welcome at the airport and transfer to your hotel in Hue.

Meals: Brunch – Dinner
Overnight in Hue 

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before exploring Hue’s famous royal tombs and
the illustrious examples of grand dynasties past, the garden houses.

Begin your day by cruising down the peaceful Perfume River, enjoying the endless
surrounding greenery. At the end of your hour-long boat trip, hop off at the pier and transfer to the tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh. Admire the unusual combination of architecture that blends a traditional past with a modern Western future. Then, continue to Minh Mang Tomb to explore the opulent and exotic resting place laid out in formal Chinese style.

For lunch, feast on a vegetarian meal prepared by nuns at a pagoda. Visit the kitchen to see how your meal is prepared in a wood burning stove, and then dig into your food in the company of the nuns who made it. Take the opportunity to learn about Buddhism or just get to know your friendly hosts.

Next, make your way to Thanh Tien Village, well-known for over 300 years of crafting paper flowers. Meet one of the local villagers and learn how to make your own ornate paper flower. You can be sure that your visit is backing a good cause as it is supported by Backstreet Academy, a social enterprise providing struggling artists, craftsmen and home-based workers with additional income and recognition.

Finally, visit Tha Om Garden House and its owner, Mr Vinh. Explore the traditional 19th century Hue residence and listen to Mr Vinh’s stories of his royal heritage before returning to your hotel.

In the evening you will have a royal dinner with traditional Hue dishes wearing royal costumes.

Meals: Brunch – Lunch – Dinner
Overnight in Hue 

After your breakfast, departure South towards Hoi An. The scenic route also passes through the Ocean Cloud Pass (Hai Van Pass), the wonderfully photogenic fishing village of Lang Co where you will stop for photos before reaching Hoi An.

Arrival to Hoi An in the afternoon. Rest of the day free.

Meals: Breakfast – Dinner
Overnight in Hoi An 

After your breakfast, you will meet with your guide and start your day riding a bicycle to Hoi An’s colorful central market where you will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson. Make sure your camera is handy.

You will continue to cycle to Tra Que village, home to the oldest organic vegetable garden in Vietnam, where you will attend a cooking class. After a welcome drink, walk through the vegetable gardens where local farmers work on their fields, using the traditional methods of hundreds of years ago, no electrical machinery here.

You will relax with a herbal foot massage and afterwards it’s time to cook your lunch.
Working together with the chef at the restaurant and following his instructions, you will learn the traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food.

In the afternoon, begin your tour of Hoi An, a former trading port that welcomed Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab merchants between the 16th to 18th centuries. Today Hoi An is famous for its restored architecture, homemade silk, expert tailors and delicious noodles and seafood. Its relaxed vibe and pedestrian streets make this town a pleasure to walk around and discover new things.

The tour includes stops at several famous landmarks. The first is Chua Ong Pagoda, dating back to 1653 and built in honor of the Chinese general Quan Cong, who is worshipped by many as a symbol of loyalty and justice.

Next, pop into Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, to see the Jinshang Temple which is dedicated to the goddess of the sea and the protector of sailors. From there it’s a short walk to
Tan Ky House, a 200 year old ancestral house and finally, built two centuries ago by a Vietnamese family, this gem of a house has been lovingly preserved through seven generations.

You will also visit the most iconic landmark of Hoi An, the Japanese Covered Bridge, you will have the chance to take some amazing pictures.

Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Overnight in Hoi An 

Free day at leisure to relax and discover the city.

Meals: Breakfast – Dinner
Overnight in Hoi An 

Transfer to Danang airport and flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Arrival and transfer to your hotel to check-in and leave your luggage at the hotel.

Continue with a half day city tour including the visit of the Notre-Dame Cathedral and The Central Post Office, which was designed by the renowned French architect Gustav Eiffel. Take a short stroll along Dong Khoi Street to the Opera House. From a bomb shelter to housing the parliamentary Lower House, the Opera House has had an interesting history. Restored in 1995 the Opera House has returned to its roots and is once again a theatre.

Continue your visit with the Reunification Palace, once a symbol of the South Vietnam Government. It was here where on April 30,1975 the war ended. You will visit the war room, the banquet hall, and the presidential office which holds all the unusual gifts received at the time.
Head to Cholon, the city’s Chinatown, and Thien Hau Pagoda, dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea.

Meals: Breakfast – Dinner
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Morning departure to Ben Tre province. The two-hour journey offers a scenic view of the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. Ben Tre is referred to as the kingdom of coconut. It is famous for its fruit orchards and traditional craftsmen who make a variety of products from coconut.

Continue with a short cruise on a traditional boat for a first glimpse of life in the Mekong Delta. Cross the river to pay a visit to a coconut processing workshop and learn about the different uses of this product in daily life. Venture out for a more rustic experience by hopping on a vintage Lambro (or take a bike) along sleepy village roads where you may stop to learn how locals weave coconut mats.

Next, visit a family in their home surrounded by fruit gardens. Learn about local fruit orchards and taste the local tropical fruits as you engage with the family members. In the afternoon, transfer by private transport to Can Tho.

Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Overnight in Can Tho 

Early in the morning, you are going for an incredible experience to explore the Cai Rang floating market which bustles with wholesalers on big boats. It is very interesting to see how the goods were negotiated and changed owners. Large boats anchor and create lanes that smaller boats weave into. The main items sold are fruits and vegetables, and each boat has a long straight pole to its bow from which samples of the merchandise for sale are hung. The waterway becomes a labyrinth of hundreds of boats filled with mangoes, bananas, papayas, pineapples and even Pho.

Return to your hotel for breakfast. You will then take the road back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Meals: Breakfast – Dinner
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City 

After breakfast, begin your journey towards Cu Chi Tunnels, an extensive network running underneath the Cu Chi district northwest of Saigon. Travel through the scenic countryside which was once a stronghold of the Viet Cong and guerrilla forces.

Get down to a semi bunker and watch a short documentary film about what the Viet Cong soldiers’ life was like during the war. The winding, dark and humid underground
Cu Chi tunnel system was the nerve center to some of the war’s strategic operations, including the famous 1968 Tet Offensive to Saigon City. American B52 sky fortress dropped hundreds of missiles, bombs digging huge evidential craters all around.
Soldiers used these underground routes to house troops, transport communications and supplies, lay booby traps and mount surprise attacks, after which they could disappear underground to safety. The tunnels were used as a supply station and hospitals for thousands of guerilla fighters. You will have the chance to try some of the cassava which was the main course of the Viet Cong soldiers over ten years.

Meals: Breakfast – Dinner
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City 

Transfer to Ho Chi Minh City airport and flight back to Montreal.

Meal: Breakfast 

Vietnam
Hoi An, Vietnam
Trésors d’Indochine (Vietnam et Cambodge)

DATES

Daily departures

INCLUSIONS

This trip includes:

  • Return flights Montreal/Hanoi

  • Internal flights Hanoi-Hue / Danang-Ho Chi Minh City in economy class

  • All transfers between airport/ports and hotels in a private air-conditioned vehicle

  • All tours in a private air-conditioned vehicle

  • Private English speaking local guides in each city

  • 13 nights in double occupancy in a standard room, hotels according to the chosen category

  • 32 meals: 13 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 13 dinners

  • All the visits and tours as mentioned in the itinerary

  • Airport taxes

This trip does not include:

  • All drinks, including water, soft drink and alcohol during your meals

  • Items of personal nature such as mini-bar, safety-box, wi-fi etc.

  • Tips for guides, drivers and waiters 

  • Baggage handling at airports/ports & hotels

  • Vietnam Tourist Visa

  • All types of travel or personal insurance

  • PCR tests

  • Anything not stated explicitly in the inclusions

  • Contribution to the Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents: 3.50$ per 1000$

Featured Hotels

Package in standard hotels (or similar)

Ha NoiLe Carnot 3*                    (chambre supérieure)
Ninh BinhNinh Binh Legend 4*        (superior room)
Halong BayCappella Cruise 5*               (Oasis Suite)
HueHuong Giang 4*                  (deluxe garden view room)
Hoi AnPhu Thinh Resort 4*
Ho Chi Minh CityBlue Diamond 3*                (deluxe room)
Can ThoNinh Kieu 3*                        (deluxe room)

Package in superior hotels (or similar)

Ha NoiMay de Ville Old Quarter 3* (deluxe room)
Ninh BinhNinh Binh Hidden Charm 4* (deluxe room)
Halong BayCappella Cruise 5*                (Oasis Suite)
HueSaigon Morin 4*                    (deluxe colonial room)
Hoi AnLe Pavillon Luxury Resort 4* (deluxe room with garden view)
Ho Chi Minh CityLiberty Central Saigon Center 4* (deluxe room)
Can ThoyVinpearl Can Tho 5*              (deluxe city view room)

Package in premium hotels (or similar)

Ha NoiPeridot Grand 5*              (premium deluxe room)
Ninh BinhEmeralda Resort 4*          (superior room)
Halong BayCappella Cruise 5*                (Oasis Suite)
HuePilgrimage Village Resort & Spa 5* (superior room)
Hoi AnVictoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa 4* (garden view room)
Ho Chi Minh CityCaravelle 5*                          (deluxe room)
Can ThoyVictoria Can Tho Resort 4* (superior room)

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