Discovery the north & center of Vietnam 12 days

This "Discovery the North & Center of Vietnam" itinerary will lead you to these two regions of this country to gain a deep insight into the colorful culture and lifestyle of Vietnamese people, as well as the diverse natural and cultural sites.

12 days 11 nights

Vietnam

Classic Highlights

Attractions

Ha Noi - Ha Long City - Sapa - Hue - Hoi An - Da Nang

Duration

12 days 11 nights

Code

VCT13

Overview

Overview

The Discovery North and Center of Vietnam tour is a 12-day journey that takes you on an adventure through the cultural and natural wonders of Vietnam. The tour starts in Hanoi, the capital city known as the Paris of the Orient, where you can take a full day trip to explore its beautiful architecture and vibrant culture. Experience the night train for a round trip between Hanoi and Lao Cai and enjoy a quiet night on board in Halong Bay, where you can take in the breathtaking scenery.

Visit the Coc Ly ethnic market on Sunday, which deeply shows the typical cultural features of minorities in remote mountainous areas. Take a short trek to Lao Chai and Ta Van, the village of the Hmong and Zay people, to enjoy the beautiful scenery of rice field terraces. Learn more about Vietnam's history through Hue's complex of tombs, pagodas, and palaces.

Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Hoian ancient town and My Son Sanctuary. At Ba Na Hill, indulge in unlimited adventure games, and admire the stunning architecture of the famous Golden Bridge. Take an eco-tour of Cam Thanh by bike and end your day with a sunset kayak cruise with a floating bar.

This tour offers a mix of cultural experiences and adventure activities, giving you a chance to explore Vietnam's natural beauty and learn more about its history and culture. With a perfect balance of city tours, markets, treks, and beach escapes, this tour is ideal for those looking for a diverse and unforgettable experience of Vietnam.

Highlights

Take a beautiful picture of Hanoi city– the Paris of the Orient after taking one full day trip
Enjoy a quiet night with pure, fresh atmosphere on board in Halong Bay
Experience night train for round trip between Hanoi and Lao Cai
Sneak into Coc Ly ethnic market on Sunday. The market deeply shows the typical cultural features of the minorities in remote mountainous areas.
Short trekking to visit Lao Chai and Ta van the village of the Hmong and Zay people. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of rice field terrace
Learn more about Vietnam history through the Hue’s complex of tombs, pagodas & palaces
Visit Hoian ancient town and My Son Sanctuary– UNESCO world heritages
Attractive by unlimited adventure games in Ba Na Hill
Admire the stunning architecture of the famous Golden Bridge

Itinerary

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Warmly welcome you on arrival at Noi Bai international airport. We transfer you with a comfortable vehicle to the city center of Hanoi to check-in your hotel. This day is scheduled to take some rest after your long flight. You have the opportunity to get some first impressions of the city by yourself and of course our tour guide is always available at your request. Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi

After breakfast, our guide will pick you up and show you around Hanoi, Vietnam’s gracious capital. We enjoy a full day city tour starting with the Ho Chi Minh Complex, home to his mausoleum, garden, house on stilts and a museum which traces his life and work.

Our first stop is to visit the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh. Located in the center of Ba Dinh Square, this is the most important monument of Vietnam in which Ho Chi Minh’s body is preserved. This site only opens on Tuesday to Thursday and weekends from 08:00 – 11:00.

The next destination is the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. The Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house was completed on May 19th, 1958 as a birthday present for uncle Ho and becomes a symbol of his simple life.

Close to this complex is the One Pillar Pagoda. The pagoda looks like a lotus blossoming from the square pond. It was constructed in 1049 by King Ly Thai Tong based on his dream of Goddess of Mercy seating on a lotus flower and giving him a boy. In 1954, it was destroyed by the French and then restored in 1955.

We follow this with the Temple of Literature, which is well known as the first university of Vietnam. This temple provides an opportunity to learn more about education in Vietnam since 1000 years ago until recent history.

In the afternoon, visit the impressive Ethnologic Museum that is dedicated to Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups. This museum has both indoor and outdoor exhibition area with the most popular architectural styles of house’s ethnic people. The museum closes on every Monday.

You have free time & dinner until we transfer to the rail way station to board a soft sleep & AC train to Lao Cai/Sapa (21:00).

Taking place only on Tuesday, Coc Ly is a unique market where you can meet several ethnic minorities such as Flower Hmong, Black Zao, Phu La, Nung and Tay.

After having breakfast, you will travel by car from Lao Cai Railway Station. The ride is relatively flat from Lao Cai. It will take you through rural area. The road is rougher for the last 30km. You arrive in Coc Ly by the time where the market is the most crowded.
Coc Ly market locates by the Chay River, which flows from China. Every Tuesday morning, minorities from surrounding villages such as Flower Hmong, Black Zao and Tay, gather to sell and buy their products. After visiting the market, you travel by boat downstream. Along the ride, you can enjoy magnificent sight of the beautiful caves and life on the riverbank. You will have lunch on a beach or later in a village.
The trip will also offers you a visit to Trung Do village of Tay minority, where you can stop by a traditional Tay house for a cup of tea. You will go further downstream until you arrive to Bao Nhai Bridge. Here you get on the car for the journey back to Sapa for your overnight

Approx: 5 hours driving/ 1 hours boat cruise/ 0.5-hour walking/ 1-hour lunch

Note: In case the level of water is not able to take boat trip, you can change to take a buffalo cart in Trung Do village instead.

Lao Chai & Ta Van Villages are the places where ethnic black H’mong and Dzay people are living. Here you will enjoy the fresh air, see terraced fields and stream and visit some of Black H’mong families to learn more about their culture and customs.

Along the road, you have a chance to contemplate the beauty in peace of the Muong Hoa Valley, magnificent surroundings of mountains and rice terrace fields. Particularly, you can meet many ethnic minority groups (H’mong, Zay, and Red Dao) whose stalls are along the way to sell fruits or sweets. From the main road, we get off the car and trek along a local path until we reach the Black H’mong village of Lao Chai and experience the daily life of the villagers. Continue walking from Lao Chai to Ta Van village, where the Zay hill tribes live. Here you take a rest and enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by your local guide in a local house. After lunch, relax and continue trekking to the meeting point on the main road for transferring back to Sapa town. The rest of this day is at leisure. Discover the fanciful Sapa town on your own, its bustling market with colorful handmade brocatelle stuffs of the ethnic people, tea and coffee shops as well as the local culture in this mountainous town.
Our guide will then pick up you for a transfer back to Lao Cai station for your train to Hanoi.

Breakfast served at hotel and then starts a 3-hour drive through the rich farmlands of the Red River Delta to Ha Long City.

Declared as a World Heritage site by the UNESCO in 1994, Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s most spectacular natural attractions. Nearly 200 km far from Hanoi, the bay is dotted with 1600 limestone islands, capturing visitors’ attention.

Arrive at Hanoi railway station at around 5.00 AM; you will be picked up to a mini hotel for breakfast and fresh up before starting a 3.5 hours drive to Ha Long Bay (around 8.00).

Arrive in Halong ad board a luxury wooden sailing junk for a cruise through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, giving us the chance to take in the stunning scenery of this World Heritage Site. While on board we will be served a sumptuous fresh, local seafood lunch followed by a swim and exploring some of the limestone caves in this area. When the sun comes down we drop anchor for the night nearby a remote island. Dinner served on board. Overnight on Junk

Rising to the tranquil beauty of the bay we have time for an early morning dip with joys and emotions for watching sunrise on sea followed by breakfast. This morning we continue to move around the bay to find more secluded areas. The junk will be near us at all times serving as a back-up vessel for those that require it. At around midday we will return to the main harbor where our private vehicle waiting for you for a 3-hour journey to the airport for your short flight to Hue. Upon arrival check in at your hotel in Hue

We then set out for the exploration of Hue's famous highlights, including a boat trip to visit the picturesque Thien Mu, or Heavenly Lady Pagoda

Built in 1601, it is one of the best know religious and must-see sites in Hue. Both landscape and monuments here are always in harmony and bring a feeling of peace for travelers.

Disembark the board for a visit the elaborate mausoleum of former emperor Tu Duc.
Stretching along the Perfume River, Tu Duc mausoleum is considered to be the most picturesque site of Hue. The tomb was designed by the Emperor Tu Duc himself and this is the largest architectural work of Nguyen Dynasty’s royal palaces and tombs.
Transfer back to Hue center Hue for lunch at local restaurant.

In the afternoon we continue to visit the Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City
Built in the 19th century by Nguyen dynasty, the Citadel becomes the most important historical and cultural monument in Vietnam. It is a square 2 km wall encompassing 3 walled enclosures: the Citadel, the Yellow Imperial city, and the Forbidden Purple city.

If time permits, we continue to do the walking and shopping in Dong Ba Market to enjoy the specialty of Hue city. Overnight at the hotel in Hue

After having breakfast, we continue our south journey by road to Hoian
The ancient town of Hoian is a small town in Central Vietnam. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Hoian was a busy international commercial port for foreign merchants. Today, Hoian is popular for its peaceful beauty, eclectic architecture, tailors and cafes.
The scenery en route is very beautiful. We make a stop at Lang Co beach for coffee and refreshments before winding our way up the spectacular Hai Van Pass to admire the stunning views north to Lang Co beach and south to Danang City. Continue on our way down to the other side and head to Da Nang where we will stop at the Cham Museum, the famed China Beach, and the Marble Mountains. Arrival in Hoi An, we will have our first glimpse of this beautiful boutique town recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. The tranquil and charm of Hoi An with its low tiled houses of Chinese appearance, Japanese covered bridge, and the colorful riverside market make it one of Vietnam’s most delightful places. Overnight at hotel in Hoian

Morning after breakfast, we spend a day leisurely cycling though the scenic and peaceful countryside of Vietnam, far away from the noise of the city. After passing through town, you will find yourself cycling amongst villages of rice fields on quiet roads, ending up in Van Lang fisherman village and Bay Mau water coconut forest - 7 hectares of mangrove forest, canals, and houses covered in water coconut leaf. This place played refuge to people and local soldiers during the Vietnam War, but nowadays it is famous for its abundance of seafood. On our journey to the village we will stop at Ba Le market, rice fields, cemeteries and schools...
In the village you will be warmly welcomed with a green tea by Mr. Han and his family, the third generation of his family to live here. You are then free to stroll through the village, before rowing a basket boat with the help of skillful locals, learning their traditional fishing techniques in the water coconut forest. After returning to Mr. Han and his family, you will enjoy a traditional therapeutic foot bath with medicinal herbs, before helping to prepare lunch with a local family. Lunch will feature many local dishes, such as Tam Huu spring rolls, Banh Xeo local pancakes, grilled fish in banana leaf, among many other Vietnamese delicacies. Free time and the opportunity for a short rest will follow lunch, before we return to your hotel.
Menu :
Hoian nem
Hoian Crispy Pancakes
Tam Huu: Port, shrimp, herbs
Grilled fish with curcumas in banana leaf
Sautéed Vegetables with the garlic
Spinach Soup
Steamed Rice
Desert.

• Distance: ∼10km
• Transport: Bicycle
• Activities: Cycling, basket boat cruise, fishing, relaxing foot massage with medicinal herbs, cooking classes
and lunch at local family house.

The remaining time would be spent at your own pleasure. Overnight in Hoian

Start your exploration today with a visit to the 4th century Cham religious sanctuary of My Son,

Located in a beautiful green valley, the ruins at My Son are the largest and most intact remaining in Vietnam. It is also the home to the Museum of Cham Sculpture, which records the development of the culture and history of the Cham people.

Return to Hoian for lunch (your own account).

At 3:00 PM we set off for our afternoon sunset paddle by either US Military jeep or bicycle. Riding on village roads, we
explore the villages, hamlets and shrimp lakes where shrimp are raised by the local people. We stop to enjoy the sights and
sounds of the villages and the stunning water scenery as we make our way to the Co Co river. Here, it‟s time to throw off
our shoes and get a little wet
Detailed excursion:
15.00 Ride your bicycle or take a jeep through the countryside of Hoi An en route to the river.
15.45 Arrive at the river bank where you will prepare for your paddle and afternoon activity.
16.00 Embark on your 2 hour kayak journey around the river and experience the local river culture. Enjoy beverages
and snacks from our floating bar and watch the sun begin to set. Light your lantern, make a wish and send it down the river.
18.00 Enjoy the return trip to your hotel by car and the tour concludes.

Note: in the afternoon, another guide (different from the morning and other dates in Hoian) will take care you during your Hoian Kayak excursion (as this is special package that has been designed from a local travel agent in Hoian)

Have breakfast at hotel. Our guide and driver pick you up and transfer to Da Nang and to Ba Na Hills

Located 40 km far from Da Nang city, Ba Na Hills has the climate with 4 seasons in a day, unspoiled forest and the spectacular view over Da Nang city. With a combination of villas, restaurants and game complex, it become an excellent destination for family holidays with kids.

To reach the summit, you will take a cable car from the foot with spectacular sceneries of forest, trees, and waterfall underground when you are on cable. On arrival you will visit Old French Villas at the height of 1138 meters for experience architecture here. You will take mountain climbing train to visit Flower Garden where has many kinds of beautiful flowers. After that you continue to visit old tree, stream, Great Buddha Statue, Suspension Bridge, Wine Tunnel where are storing different wines. Especially check-in the Golden Bridge – the most famous & unique architecture of Sun World's Ba Na Hills. Have lunch at restaurant. In the afternoon you spend more time for sightseeing at the hill and then free to relax and play games at Fantasy Theme Amusement with Movie 3D…(Fee paid by yourself). After that you will take cable car back the foot and the driver picks up and transfers you to Da Nang city. Free to have your own dinner. Overnight at hotel in Da Nang

After breakfast spend the rest of your time in Hoian until transfer to airport for flight to Hanoi for your international flight back home. End of Asia King Travel’s service.

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Trip notes

Tour includes:

Private English speaking guide
Accommodation based on triple sharing with daily breakfast
Transfers & transport by private vehicle
Mini hotel for fresh-up in Hanoi
All entrance fees as mentioned
Meals as indicated (B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner)
Water & cool towels
2 days 1 night in sharing Ha Long bay cruise
Private boat trip in Hue
Fanxipang Train or similar (private soft sleeper & AC, carriage cabin of 4 berths) : Hanoi - Lao Cai / Lao Cai-Hanoi
Bicycle to Cam Thanh village
Sunset Kayak cruise with floating bar tour
Ba Na Hill cable carb