Authentic Vietnam Itinerary from Mountain to the Sea

Arrival in Hanoi. In the Arrivals Hall, your driver stands with a sign with your name applied, helps you out to the car and drives to the centrally located hotel. The hotel is located in the old quarter of the city with its nice narrow commercial streets and within walking distance of Hoan Kiem Lake and Dong Xuan Market, both of which are some of Hanoi's landmarks.

Your Vietnam itinerary begins with the guide and by car with the driver, you drive to the city's famous attraction: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Presidential Palace. President Ho Chi Minh's pile house. The one-pillar pagoda. Vietnam's first university Van Mieu. The Ethnology Museum. Later in the afternoon, stroll around Hanoi's evocative old neighborhood with a stop at the cozy coffee shop.

Transfer to Halong Bay to continue your Vietnam itinerary. On a smaller cruises aboard, you will be traveling around Halong Bay with its marvelous limestone landscape on a 2 day 1 night cruise. The boat trip comes well around Halong Bay and away from the areas where most tour boats are located. A visit to a cave is planned, a landing on a large limestone island and the opportunity to kayak. Meals and overnight on board in 2-person cabin with private bath and toilet.

Further sailing in the bay, where you come i.a. past a floating fishing village. On the way back to the mainland, lunch is served. On land again you drive to a smaller village where you see traditional water puppet theater. Then by car to Hanoi and later transfer to the train station to take the night train to Sapa. Overnight in a 4-seater sleeper with air conditioning.

Arrival at the train station and transfer to breakfast at hotel in Sapa city. Walk around the city center before being taken by car to the starting point of the hike. 4-5 hour trekking tour with guide in the beautiful mountainous regions with rice terraces and villages with different ethnic minority groups. Overnight stay in homestay with family from the Tay tribe. Alternatively, on the 2 nights in Sapa, you can be taken by car to the city and spend the night at the hotel, and then the next day drive to the hiking route again.

After breakfast with the family, you continue in the green nature area for more than 7 hours at your own pace up hillsides and pass villages with colorful minority people. Overnight in homestay with the Red Dao tribe (or by car to Sapa town and overnight in hotel bed).

Trip-trap trekking for around 4½ hours in this scenic mountain area. After lunch you are brought to Sapa town with access to bathing facilities and changing clothes. You have some time in the city center before picking up and transporting to the train station, from where you are going by night train to Hanoi.

Pickup at the railway station. Before breakfast at the hotel, stop at Hoan Kiem Lake where the locals do morning gymnastics. Transfer to Hanoi airport and flight to Hoi An. From the airport with guide to the marble mountains. After lunch, take a stroll in the quaint streets of the old trading town of Hoi An, where you stop and visit the Japanese Bridge, an old grocery store, the Fujian Chinese Assembly House and the market.

Day off to stroll around the cozy streets with the old grocery stores built at that time French, Chinese and Japanese traders settled in Hoi An. In the historic setting today there are restaurants, galleries, artifacts shops and tailors. Time to get selected fabric and sew something to the wardrobe. Or time to go to the beach or ride a bike.

Car to the starting point for the bike ride, which goes through private housing districts and rural surroundings. Several stops are made along the way by small contractors who do wood carving, incense sticks, fishing boats, and when you encounter local attractions. You have lunch in a private setting in the countryside to Hoi An. After the bike ride transfer by car to the hotel.

By car to the airport and by plane to Ho Chi Minh City. Pick-up and transfer to a charming lodge located far off the beaten track in the original "backyard" of the Mekong Delta. In the bungalow with a terrace overlooking the river, you can enjoy the place, but of course, small excursions are planned around the local area.

The days at the lodge include visits to various private homes, a temple, and small contractors making rice popcorn, flares of nature's materials, sailing in a sampan boat, stopping at a school for the lowest grades and a few bike rides around the countryside with rice fields and small villages.

This morning you will transfer from country back to city. From the rustic Mekong to 10 million people, the metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City. Lunch at a good restaurant before you in the afternoon passes the old palace of the South Vietnamese presidents, the War Museum and the old French post office.

Car to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a 3-level underground tunnel system and just over 250km long. From here, the resistance group Viet Cong fought against the South Vietnamese army and US troops. The evening offers metropolitan and gastronomic experiences as you ride a small 100cc motorcycle with driver through the city's neighborhoods and eat specialties at various restaurants.

Time to experience Vietnam's largest city on its own, as most flights are in the evening. Take a walk in the city center for example. past the US Embassy, Notre Dame Cathedral and the central Ben Thanh Market, all within a 1km radius. Drop into a juice or coffee shop and enjoy a drink overlooking the hectic street life. Transfer from hotel to airport and departure. End of your Vietnam itinerary.