Highlights
The winding road along Vietnam’s coastline connecting the country’s important cities and towns has borne witness to many twists and turns in her recent history. Built in the 18th century by Vietnamese foot soldiers and mandarins, it was called mandarin route. From the hectic traffic and fast business pace of Hochiminh City to pristine beaches in Phan Thiet, Nha Trang, Danang…and historical sites in Qui Nhon, Hoi An, Hue and Hanoi, the mandarin route will be with you wherever you go. You will set foot on a maiden expanse of land between Dong Hoi and Ninh Binh where you wil find the local people and landscape exotic beyond your imagination. Sixteen days of travelling along this backbone route will give you an opportunity to tell your friends that “I have been there and have learnt about Vietnam”.
DAY 1: Ho Chi Minh Arrival & City Tour (L )
Arrive at Tan San Nhat airport. Be welcomed by Luxury Outing’ guide and driver. Transfer to your hotel. Begin your sightseeing tour by visiting the Reunification Palace, which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until the end of the war in April 1975, and explore some French colonial structures including Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Central Post Office.
Take a tour of town including Thien Hau and Quan Am pagoda. After seeing the Emperor Jade Pagoda and the War Remnants Museum we end the city tour with a visit to Ben Thanh market where anything and everything is for sale . Stay overnight at your hotel of choice in Ho Chi Minh city.
DAY 2: Ho Chi Minh city – Tay Ninh – Cu Chi tunnels (B, L)
After breakfast at your hotel, drive west to Tay Ninh, the headquarters of Caodaism, a symbol of the curious combination of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. On arrival attend the fantastic mid-day temple service when the followers fill the temple wearing colorful robes.
Lunch at the local restaurant.
On the way back, stop to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground network of tunnels constructed by Vietnamese fighters during the struggle for independence. The tunnels contained hospitals, accommodation, smokeless kitchens, etc. They were also used as a military base for the Vietcong during the American war. Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. Stay overnight at your hotel of choice in Ho Chi Minh city.
DAY 3: Ho Chi Minh city – Cai Be floating market (B, L)
Breakfast at your hotel. Depart for Cai Be, stopping to take photos in Tan An town overlooking picturesque flat rice fields. On arrival in Cai Be, set off by motor boat to visit Cai Be floating market and watch the locals trading fruit and many other commodities on board their vessels. Then wander into a small village to visit an orchard and fruit plantation. Continue cruising to Vinh Long along a series of small canals to experience the charms of the Upper Mekong Delta. Visit a small family business to see how coconut candy and crispy rice popcorn are made. Arrive in Binh Hoa Phuoc village, the green pearl of Vinh Long, where you can immerse yourself in nature.
Enjoy a lunch of fresh river food served in the heart of a garden accompanied by traditional southern Vietnamese folk music.
Take a delightful walk through a bonsai garden. Meet the driver in Vinh Long. Return to Ho Chi Minh City. Stay overnight at your hotel of choice in Ho Chi Minh city.
DAY 4: HoChiMinh city – Nhatrang ( B )
Afterbreakfast. 6h30 am. Transfer by car or bus to Nhatrang.
It takes about 9 hours of the bus ride from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang.
Overnight at hotel in NhaTrang.
DAY 5: NhaTrang City ( B, L)
Visit the Tropical Marine park, boat cruise to visit Tri Nguyen Aquarium, HonTam islet, sunbathing. Visit Dam village, Po Nagar Cham Tower.
Overnight at hotel.
DAY 6: Nha Trang – DaLat ( B )
Am : transfer to Dalat and stopover at some beautiful pass on the way and Visit DaLat market, King Bao Dai palace and some other architectures of DaLat.
Overnight at hotel.
DAY 7: Dalat – Lac Lake – BuonMeThuot ( B)
Leave for BuonMeThuot. Full day visit the Lac lake and enjoy elephants working, ridding,.
Overnight at hotel in Buon Me Thuot
DAY 8: BuonMeThuot - Pleiku ( B)
Drai Sap waterfall ,Visit Jarai ethnic village, Highlands Minorities Museum, central market then transfer to Pleiku.
Overnight at Pleiku.
DAY 9: Pleiku-Hoian ( B)
Leave for HoiAn. Stopover in Pleiku to visit Giarai village, enjoy welknown Cham Towers: Silver Tower, Bronze Tower, Chien Dan Tower.
Dinner on guest’s account. Stay overnight at your hotel of choice in Hoi An.
DAY 10: Hoian (B)
After breakfast, visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, a Pottery Museum, Tan Ky old house, the Cantonese congregation, silk street of Hoi An, Danang style temples and pagodas.
Dinner on guest’s account. Stay overnight at your hotel of choice in Hoi An
DAY 11: Hoi An – Hue (B)
After breakfast at the hotel, depart for Hue via Danang. Visit Marble mountain and a Cham museum. Stop for photos at Hai Van pass and Lang Co beach.
Have lunch at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, visit Dong Ba market, the Imperial Citadel from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945 and the ruins of the Purple Forbidden City. Enjoy a night boat trip and be entertained by a performance of Hue folks songs. Stay overnight at your hotel of choice in Hue city.
DAY 12: Hue city tour – Ha Noi (B,L) Flight
Breakfast at your hotel. Take a morning boat trip to visit the royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc followed by Thien Mu pagoda and mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang which is set in nice gardens and lakes.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
Transfer to the airport for boarding flight to Hanoi. Pick up from Noi Bai airport and be transferred to your hotel in the Old Quarter. Stay overnight at your hotel of choice in Ha Noi city
DAY 13: Ha Noi city tour & Food Street ( B,L,D)
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Ho Chi Minh Complex, containing Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house and one Pillar pagoda. Continue onto the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university which is almost 1000 years old, Hoan Kiem lake, Ngoc Son temple, Tran Quoc pagoda and Quan Thanh temple.
Lunch at the local restaurant.
Enjoy a cyclo ride around the old quarter from Hang Dau to Hang Gai streets, Food Street dinner. Stay overnight at your hotel of choice in Ha Noi city.
DAY 14: Ha Noi – Mai Chau (160 km) (B)
Depart by jeep from your hotel and head for Hoa Binh province . After weaving your way through the busy Hanoi traffic, you will soon be out of town and able to admire the scenic Vietnamese countryside. Traverse a region of spectacular limestone mountains, passes and valleys, as you wind your way downhill to Mai Chau Valley of the Thai people.
Spend the afternoon strolling around one of their picturesque villages, learning more about the Thai and experiencing their renowned hospitality. Enjoy a sumptuous dinner whilst watching traditional local dancing and don’t miss the opportunity to sample the local rice wine, which is drunk with a rod. Sleep in a house on stilts. (Lac village home stay)
DAY 15: Mai Chau – Moc Chau – Son La (160 km) (B)
Today, you will travel about the same distance as you covered to Mai Chau. The road to Son La is lined with fruit orchards, tea plantations and towering mountains. En route, you will have the chance to meet and talk to the black Thai, white Thai, Hmong and Muong hill tribe people as they journey to work or the local markets. In the afternoon, visit the Prison Museum in Son La, which presents one perspective on the former French colonial rule.
Dinner and overnight at hotel.
DAY 16: Son La – Dien Bien Phu (170 km) (B)
The farther you drive, the more impressive the mountain scenery will become. Visit more tribal village people on your way to Dien Bien Phu city. Stop for lunch in Tuan Giao. Continue on to Dien Bien and enjoy the spectacular scenery of Pha Din pass.
In the afternoon, visit Dien Bien Phu, the last base of the French colonial power in Indochina. Monuments, museums and preserved bunkers all tell the story of the “final and victorious liberating battle” of 1954.
After dinner, you are free to explore the nightlife of this remote mountain city. Overnight in hotel.
DAY 17: Dien Bien Phu – Lai Chau – Tam Duong (200 km) (B)
Today’s drive lasts 6 to 7 hours but the scenery of the Lai Chau valley is both breathtaking and dramatic. The road is sometimes steep and often rugged, hugging rice-terraced mountainsides and fording turbulent rivers. In addition to the visual spectacle, you’ll have a chance to meet the some of the most beautiful and friendly hill tribe people in North Vietnam, such as the Hmong, Black Thai, Black Dzao and Pazi.
Dinner and overnight in the town of Tam Duong.
DAY 18: Tam Duong – Sapa (90km) (B)
Take a short walk around this peaceful town and its market before hitting the road once again. As you wind your way through Tram Ton pass, the highest mountain pass in Viet Nam, you will be rewarded by truly magnificent views of the majestic mountains, passes and valleys. Prepare for a dramatic change of climate as you approach the old French hill station of Sapa. Now a busy market town for the regional minority groups, the town is encircled by towering peaks, often shrouded in cloud, and the air is cool and crisp. After checking into a comfortable hotel, you are free to explore this picturesque town.
DAY 19: Sapa Trek – Night train to Hanoi (B,L)
Take a jeep ride along the rugged but scenic road downhill from Sapa. Start trekking across paddy fields, villages and streams. Discover a gentler, more tranquil way of life as you experience the genuine hospitality of the hill tribe people.
Have a picnic lunch on the way. Take an afternoon trek to Giang Ta Chai village of the Dzao people.
Back to Sapa in the afternoon then transfer to Lao Cai. Have dinner at a restaurant. Take overnight train back to Hanoi (A/C soft sleeper cabin, 4 pax/cabin).
DAY 20: Ha Noi – Ha Long (B,L,D) Overnight on junk
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Halong through the Red River Delta.
Transfer to Dragon Pearl’s junk and enjoy a welcome drink and a splendid lunch of local seafood.
Then begin a 4-hour cruise of the bay to see amazing limestone karsts with different formations such as Lion, Tea Pot, Toad, Dau Nguoi (Human Head) islets. Take a walk through Sung Sot, the “Amazing Cave”. There is ample time for swimming and sunbathing (weather permitting), as the Dragon Pearl anchors for a night on the Bay. Enjoy a wonderful sunset dinner in the beautiful restaurant before retiring to the comfort of your cabin.
DAY 21: Ha Long – Ha Noi (B,L)
Early risers can enjoy an energizing swim in the cool, calm and quiet waters of the overnight anchorage. After breakfast, The cruise then continues, passing more interesting formations such as Ti Tot and Soi Sim Beaches, Ngon Tay (Finger) islet, Thien Nga (Swan) islet and Ga Choi (Fighting Cock) islet. Return to Halong City.
Have lunch on boat.
Disembark at Ha Long Tourist Wharf for the return trip to Hanoi.
DAY 22: Ha Noi and departure (B)
Breakfast at your hotel. Free leisure time to explore the city until your transfer to Noi Bai airport for departure. End of services.
