Brief Information
Tour Route: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Hue – Hoi An – Con Dao Island – Ho Chi Minh City
Duration: 16 Days/ 15 Nights
Date: No fixed departure dates. You may go whenever you wish.
Start/ End: Hanoi/ Ho Chi Minh City
Brief Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival
Day 2: Hanoi Eat & Drink
Day 3: Exploring Hanoi
Day 4: Hanoi Cooking Class
Day 5: Hanoi – Halong Bay
Day 6: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Hue
Day 7: Hue City Tour
Day 8: Hue – Hoi An
Day 9: Hoi An – My Son Holy Land
Day 10: Hoi An Like a Local
Day 11: Hoi An – Con Dao Island
Day 12 -15: Con Dao Relax & Revelry
Day 16: Ho Chi Minh City Departure
Special Experience of this Trip
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- Taste delicious street foods and take part in a cooking class in Hanoi
- Charter a private cruise around UNESCO World Heritage Site Halong Bay with luxury boat experiences
- Cycle through the rustic countryside in Hoi An ancient town and know more about local life
- Get a ton of vitamin D on Con Dao’s beautiful beaches
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival
On your arrival at Hanoi Airport, you will be welcome by our local tour guide. Then transfer to the hotel by private vehicle for check-in and recovery after a long flight. The rest of the day is your leisure to explore this 1000-year-old capital.
Day 2: Hanoi Eat & Drink
Today, a professional foodie will meet you at the hotel to start a food-focused journey through Hanoi streets. First, explore the Old Quarter’s hidden alleys and small lanes while enjoying the sights and sounds of the city as you slurp up a big bowl of pho served with sliced beef, the national dish of Vietnam.
Then sit on a cyclo to travel around ancient streets Hanoi. Each one sells one main product which this street is named after. Meet your guide again at a restaurant of banh cuon – steamed rice paper stuffed with pork and mushrooms served with the dipping sauce of fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, chili, and minced garlic.
Afterward, stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake, the heart of Hanoi. Listening to the legend behind the lake, visit Ngoc Son Temple, seeing the statue of Emperor Ly Thai To, you will learn more about the epic history of Hanoi. Later, enjoy the most popular street food in Vietnam, nem chua ran (fried spring rolls) served with chili sauce. Return to the hotel then for a short rest. Tonight, sit down for a barbeque dinner with a cold beer at a traditional bia hoi bar to immerse yourself in the vibrant lifestyle of local people.
Day 3: Exploring Hanoi
After breakfast, travel to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the grand marble resting place of the greatest president of Vietnamese people. You will also visit his traditional house on stilts as well as One Pillar Pagoda, the important symbol of Hanoi and Vietnamese Buddhism. Then head to Temple of Literature, the first national university which was built in the 11th century.
After lunch, visit Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton), the hell on earth in the French colonial period. Later, visit the Museum of Ethnology where you will have a chance to see Vietnam’s diverse cultures of 54 ethnic peoples through a unique presentation of artifacts and costumes. Tonight, enjoy a performance of traditional water puppets, a great way to end your second day in Hanoi.
Day 4: Hanoi Cooking Class
Today, meet your driver to make a short journey to the home of your culinary mentor, the Vietnamese cuisine expert. Then walk together to a nearby wet market to purchase ingredients for the cooking class.
During the cooking class, your mentor will share with you some secrets and recipes of Vietnamese traditional dishes and then using them to cook your own ones. After that, sit down and taste all of the dishes you cooked. Return to your hotel in the afternoon to enjoy your leisure at the hotel.
Day 5: Hanoi – Halong Bay
After breakfast, travel to Halong Bay by private vehicle (about 4 hours of traveling). Embark on board in time for lunch with seafood and a cool drink on the deck while cruising around magnificent limestone karsts and emerald waters. In the afternoon, visit Bai Tu Long Bay, a much quieter cruising destination with rustic fishing villages and mysterious caves. You can take a boat or kayak to get a closer look at the local lifestyle and explore hidden corners.
Later, returning to the cruise and travel a short distance before mooring at Hon Co Island of a beautiful white sand beach for relaxing and swimming. Then freshen up and enjoy romantic dinner on board under a blanket of stars and in the quiet calm of the bay at night.
Day 6: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Hue
Wake up early this morning to join in a Taichi lesson instructed by the master. Then enjoy breakfast and spend the morning relaxing on the cruise. Disembark the ship after lunch and travel to Hanoi airport.
Returning to the boat, it is time to enjoy an early lunch on board as you sail back to the harbor. Upon disembarking, your driver will be waiting for you and will take you to Hanoi airport to catch a short domestic flight to Hue. On arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel for check-in and recovery after the flight.
Day 7: Hue City Tour
Start the day with a transfer to the Imperial Citadel, the World Heritage Site. This historical relic reflects the pomp as well as the ceremony of the old dynastic rulers in the 19th and 20th centuries. Next, visit the tomb of Emperor Minh Mang to behold its gorgeous forest setting and imposing architecture. Later, transfer to the Thuy Bieu countryside to enjoy a delicious homemade lunch served in a gazebo at the pomelo garden.
In the afternoon, walk leisurely through the village and its nearby countryside before embarking on a dragon boat along the romantic Perfume River. On the way, stop at Thien Mu Pagoda (Pagoda of the Celestial Lady) the iconic construction of Buddhism in central Vietnam.
Day 8: Hue – Hoi An
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before journeying south to Hoi An through the scenic roads of Hai Van Pass (the beautiful combination of mountains, clouds, and the ocean).
Once settled into your hotel in Hoi An, spend the afternoon at leisure visiting surrounding areas, enjoy some local foods, interact with local people, stroll around the streets decorated by colorful lanterns.
Day 9: Hoi An – My Son Holy Land
After breakfast, travel to My Son, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in the heart of the tranquil countryside of Hoi An. Constructed during the era of the Champa Kingdom from the 4th to 13th centuries, these ancient brick structures are dedicated to Hindu gods or reflect Hindu mythology. Exploring these atmospheric relics while listening to tales and facts will leave you unforgettable memories.
Later, return to Hoi An for lunch. When feeling re-energized, join in a leisure walking tour to see the wooden-fronted houses (that once belonged to the town’s prosperous merchants), the Japanese Covered Bridge, the silk, handicraft, and antique shops.
Day 10: Hoi An Like a Local
In the morning, cycle into the countryside of Hoi An, exploring the narrow country roads to see the local lifestyle. Your route is filled with water buffalos, rice paddy fields, organic vegetable farms, and hardworking farmers. Stop to learn from fishermen how to spread a traditional Vietnamese fishing net from a traditional bamboo basket boat. Then, visit a water palm area of coconut trees to enjoy your lunch on a boat. Cycle to the ancient town for the afternoon’s leisure.
Day 11: Hoi An – Con Dao Island
Leave the ancient town today to depart for the beach paradise. In the morning, travel to Danang Airport to take a domestic flight to Con Dao Island with a stop at Ho Chi Minh City. The long journey will reward you with one of the most desirable beach spots in Southeast Asia. Kick the beachy vibes off with a paddle in the late afternoon sea and sundowner cocktails.
Day 12 – 15: Con Dao Revelry & Relax
These three days, spend time swimming, relaxing, and enjoying pristine beaches. Besides, you will have a chance to explore the laid back lifestyle in Con Dao. From tropical rainforests to colorful coral reefs and white sandy beaches, there is plenty in the way of natural beauty to keep you entertained on the island. So whether you prefer hiking, diving or sunbathing – or a mixture of all three – we will surely book it for you. Furthermore, eating plenty of seafood and spending some time being pampered in a spa are also essential criteria for your stay in Con Dao.
In the afternoon of day 15, take a domestic flight back to Ho Chi Minh City for your last night in Vietnam
Day 16: Ho Chi Minh Departure
Today, feel free at leisure before being transferred to the airport to take your flight home. Trip ends.
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