Vietnam’s Heritage Sip, Paddle, Dzo! (9 Days)

• 08:00: After breakfast at the hotel, check out. Spend the morning sightseeing in Hanoi, visiting Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed on Mondays and Fridays), the Presidential Palace, One Pillar Pagoda, and Tran Quoc Pagoda. 

(Image: 1. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum; 2. One Pillar Pagoda – Ha Noi – Vietnam) 

• Have lunch at a local restaurant. 

• In the afternoon: our driver and tour guide will take you through the outskirts of Hanoi to reach the countryside vibe with the most famous incense village in Vietnam, Quang Phu Cau (40’ from Ha Noi center): You will go through the ancient beauty of the Northern Vietnam countryside blended with modern elements. The village’s impressive beauty and centuries-old history and its colorful incense sticks have been reported by the international press. Let’s come here to know more about the daily life of a Vietnamese traditional craft village.  

(Image: Quang Phu Cau – Ha Noi – Vietnam) 

• 16:00: Move to visit the iconic railway street – one of Hanoi’s unique destinations in the capital. The train travels by the backyards of these families a couple times each day. Enjoy a cup of coffee while waiting for the train to pass through. 

(Image: Railway Street – Ha Noi – Vietnam) 

• 17:30: Free to relax until dinnertime. You can set a time to watch very famous traditional shows: Vietnamese water puppet show or A O acrobatics & bamboo cirque (free transportation is provided by VN Lovely Travel; show tickets are at your own expense). Overnight in Ha Noi. 

(Image: Vietnamese water puppet show) 

• 09:00 – 09:30:  After breakfast at your hotel in Hanoi, a shared limousine bus and tour guide will pick you up at your hotel. 

• 12:00: The crew members of Peony or Mon Cheri Cruise will welcome you at Tuan Chau Port, lot 16, Quang Ninh.  

• 12:45: You will be taken aboard our support vessel and travel from the wharf via the bay to board our luxurious craft, Peony or Mon Chéri Cruises. Upon arrival, enjoy a welcome drink, a refreshing towel, and a special lunch featuring fresh seafood and a selection of delightful dishes, served in the luxurious dining space of the cruise. Life just doesn’t get better than this! We then set sail for Lan Ha Bay – ecognized as one of the World’s Most Beautiful Bays. 

• 15:30: We will visit Dark and Bright cave – famous for the pristine natural beauty and poetic, attractive seascape of Lan Ha Bay. Here you will take some photos of the surrounding limestone karsts. This is also the best time for tourists to enjoy bamboo boat rides or swimming – which is an interesting activity to discover the truest beauty of the limestone mountains and the blue sky of Lan Ha Bay. Afterwards, visitors immerse in the emerald-green water of Lan Ha Bay with exciting swimming activities or enjoy a mini pool with a jacuzzi on Peony or Mon Chéri Cruise. 

(Image: The Dark and Bright cave – Lan Ha Bay – Quang Ninh – Vietnam) 

• 17:30: Return to Peony or Mon Chéri Cruise and unwind with a sunset party on the sundeck. This is a perfect opportunity for photography enthusiasts to capture the breathtaking sunset over Lan Ha Bay. 

• 19:30: Enjoy a romantic dinner at the restaurant on Peony or Mon Chéri Cruise. 

• 21:00 – 22:00: Enjoy the nightlife of the bay from the top deck. Immerse yourself in music, enjoy a glass of cocktail from the bar, watch a movie under the stars and relax on the cruise. 

• Otherwise, you can try your hand at squid fishing with the sailors or simply relax in the room and enjoy the bay view from the balcony. 

• Overnight on the cruise. 

• 06:30 – 7:30: Breakfast is served at Mon Chéri Cruise restaurant. 

• 08:00: Visit Frog Pond, go kayaking or be free to relax in the four-season mini pool on Lan Ha Bay – A silk ribbon made from green mountains, blue seas and diverse fauna and flora. 

(Image: Frog Pond – Lan Ha Bay – Quang Ninh – Vietnam) 

• 09:30: Check out of the room. Then the lunch in the restaurant is ready for you, pay the extra fee (if any) at the reception while traveling to the port. Kindly needed to pay for the costs in charge of the front desk (if any) while traveling to the port. 

• 10:30 – 10:45: Disembark and move back to the port. 

• 12:00: Transfer to Ninh Binh by private car with our English-speaking local guide.  

• 15:00: Check in at a hotel in Ninh Binh, take a short rest. 

• 16:00: Visit Thung Nham Bird Park which is surrounded by tropical forests over limestone mountain chains with a lot of valleys and caves. Bird garden is a living space for many birds such as stork, heron, mallard, etc. There are also two rare species in the Red Data Book, flamingo, and phoenix. Everything is peaceful and poetic.  

• 18:00: Go back to the hotel and have dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Ninh Binh. 

(Image: Thung Nham Bird Park – Ninh Binh – Vietnam) 

• 08:30: After breakfast, we continue visiting the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex. You have a chance to take a leisurely cruise around the area, seeing 47 grottos and caves, and 31 valleys. Pagodas are located inside the Trang An scenic landscape complex. 

(Image: Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex – Ninh Binh – Vietnam)   

• 11:30: Have lunch at a local restaurant.  
• 13:30: In the afternoon, we visit Hoa Lu old capital, where you can take time to visit Dinh Le Temple, with Dinh Temple worshiping King Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Temple worshiping King Le Dai Hanh since the 17th century and hear stories about ancient kings and the quintessence of Dai Co Viet history. 

• 14:30: Transfer back to Ha Noi.  

• 16:30: Have dinner at a local restaurant in Ha Noi. 

• 17:30: Our driver will take you to Noi Bai International airport for the flight to Da Nang. 

• Our driver in Da Nang will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel in Da Nang. Overnight in Da Nang. 

• After breakfast, transfer to Ba Na Hills. Spend your time on the most modern cable car in Southeast Asia, then explore Le Jardin d’Armor and Ling Ung Pagoda. Continue the second cable car to visit the French village, enjoy street music, admire art statues, and visit Linh Phong Monastery. Don’t miss walking on the Golden Bridge amid the foggy hills and enjoy the gorgeous view of Da Nang City. 

(Image: Golden Bridge – Danang – Vietnam) 

• Have lunch at the restaurant (buffet lunch with more than one hundred different dishes). 

• 15:00: We will go downhill and transfer for 1.5 hours to Hoi An ancient town – a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries. Visit some places such as the Chinese Communal House, Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, ancient Tan Ky Merchant’s houses, and the 400-year-old Japanese Bridge. 

• Have dinner with Hoi An local food and relish the colorful nightlife, enjoy a boat ride along the river with floating candles, and admire the lanterns in Hoi An before returning to your hotel or resort in Hoi An. 

• 08:00: After breakfast at the hotel, our tour guide will escort you to visit the Old Brick Kiln, nestled in a green rice field and known for its picturesque scenery. Enjoy some coffee and take in the surroundings. 

(Image: Old Brick Kiln – Hoi An – Vietnam) 

• 09:30: Move to Cam Thanh Village for a brief introduction to its history. Board a basket boat and paddle along the water coconut river, where fishermen will teach you how to catch crabs (2 people per boat). Enjoy basket boat dancing performance, and crab-catching, then participate in a cooking class to make Banh Xeo and Fried Spring Rolls, followed by lunch featuring local specialties by the riverside. Menu includes fresh spring rolls, Banh Xeo, salad, fish in clay pot, morning glory, rice, and dessert. 

(Image: Cam Thanh Coconut Forest – Hoi An – Vietnam) 

• 13:30: Transfer back to your hotel. 

• Afternoon: Free time – explore the old town’s alleys to the local life; visit tailor shops, or handicraft gifts and coffee beans. Alternatively, relax at An Bang Beach 3 km from the hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Hoi An. 

• 08:30: After breakfast, transfer to Cua Dai pier for a snorkeling trip to Cham Island, followed by high-speed canoe transportation (shared with other groups). Visit all the local island highlights: Hai Tang Pagoda, Champa Ancient Well, and Marine Protected Area. Enjoy coral reef snorkeling.  

• 12:00: Have lunch at the largest restaurant on Cham Island.  

(Image: Coral reef snorkeling – Cham Island – Vietnam) 

• 14:30: Take the high-speed canoe back to Cua Dai Port. 

• 15:30: Arrive back in Hoi An center, take a short rest, then have dinner with local specialties. 

• Free evening to discover Hoi An at night. Overnight stay in Hoi An. 

• After breakfast, free at leisure, check out. 

• Our driver only will pick up and transfer you to the airport for your next destination. 

Thank you for joining us, and have a nice trip!