Highlights of Vietnam & Laos

Take the morning trip to visit Independence Palace, also known as the Reunification Palace, was built on the sight of the former Norodom palace. The Independence palace is a widely known landmark of Ho Chi Minh City and was designed by the architect Ngo Viet Thu. Continue seeing the beautiful structures from the French Colonial times such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic Central Post Office. Followed by the remarkable site of the War Remnants Museum, the museum has a vast display of both the Indochina wars. 

Have lunch at a local restaurant. 

In the afternoon, you will transfer to Cu Chi Tunnels – the historic site where Vietnamese soldiers used as a shelter during wartime. This fantastic network stretches over 250 km and is the shelter of Vietnamese soldiers during the wars. The system was served as communication routes, storage facilities, hospitals and living areas for Vietnamese fighters throughout the war. Take your time to descend into the tunnels to discover the wonderful tunnels and the harsh conditions of Vietcong guerrillas. Back to the hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Depart from Ho Chi Minh at around 8-8.30am and head straight to Ben Tre, crossing the impressive Rach Mieu Cable-stayed Bridge. Board a small boat to visit typical workplaces including small brick factories, a coconut processing workshop and a local mat-weaving house.

Stop at a quiet village, take a short walk to experience local life and hop on your xe-lôi (a kind of motorized rickshaw) and stop at a riverside restaurant for a lunch with local food.

After lunch, take a short cycling tour to explore the surrounding fields before boarding a sampan for a tranquil trip along the picturesque canals. Come back to the port and return to Saigon. You will be dropped off at the hotel at around 5 pm. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Free at your leisure before being transferred to the airport (without tour guide) to take your domestic flight to Hue.

Once arrival in Hue, our tour guide and driver will warmly welcome and transfer you to the hotel to check in. The balance of the day will be free at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, you will meet our tour guide and driver at the lobby. We will drive to visit Dong Ba market to get into the busy life of locals. Then take a boat trip to Thien Mu pagoda - the oldest pagoda in Hue city, and enjoy the peace here.

Continue to see Imperial Citadel - The home of Vietnam's last royal dynasty, the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 - 1945)

Then, we will visit the Hue Royal Antiques Museum - A collection of ornaments from the Nguyen dynasty.

Have a short rest for your lunch at a local restaurant. 

In the afternoon, we will visit an incense stick village to see how Hue people do incense stick and listen to the story of cultural feature indispensable in the thinking of Vietnamese

Then, transfer to Minh Mang tomb -  a reflection of the Chinese architectural concepts, recommended sightseeing by its monuments, statues, gardens and especially the bridge over a Lake of lotus flowers which gives access to the Imperial Minh Mang tomb.

And wrap your day with The Nguyen Emperor Khai Dinh's Royal Tomb - a unique tomb among the royal tombs in Hue, Vietnam. Where other royal tombs are expansive and invite respectful reflection, Khai Dinh built his final resting place to be monumental in style and bombastic in execution.

Then, we will meet Mrs. Thuy a local artisan that makes a conical hat with one hand and listen to her story.

Return to the hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Our bus and tour guide will pick you up you from the hotel at around 8-8.30 am for the journey to Danang via the scenic Hai Van Pass, where we will enjoy the spectacular panorama of the central coastline from the summit. 

Upon arrival in Danang, transfer to Marble Moutain - a group of five marble and limestone mountains, named after the five elements of the ancient oriental philosophy: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. 

You will continue to the hotel in Hoi An. Check in the hotel (Room is at your disposal from 2 PM). The rest of the day is free at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

At 8 am, the tour guide and driver will come to pick you up from your hotel to transfer to the ancient town. As the national trading center in the 16th century, Hoi An is home to the diversity of ancient streets and homes. Stroll around the unusual cobblestone streets to admire the hundred-century-old Chinese houses.

The leisurely trip offers you a great chance to see the ancient houses built in Chinese, Japanese, French and European architectures. There are some incredible places that you should not miss when visiting Hoi An including the hundred- year – old Japanese Bridge, the Phuc Kien Hall, and Art Craft Manufacturing Workshop. Back to the hotel or continue to discover the town on your own. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Free at your leisure before being transferred to the airport (without tour guide) to take your domestic flight to Hanoi.

Once arrival in Hanoi, you will be warmly welcomed and transfer to the hotel to check in. The balance of the day will be free at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel. 

Enjoy a full day sightseeing tour of this enchanting capital city with some of the must-see sites. Your first stop will be Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (closed on Monday & Friday) - where the body of the great President Ho Chi Minh is rested. Continue onto the traditional stilt house, Presidential Palace and the unique structure of One Pillar Pagoda. Take some time to explore the culture of the country with a visit to Tran Quoc Pagoda and Quan Thanh Temple. Afterward, pay a visit to the Ethnology Museum where you can explore the great diversity of ethnic groups. Enjoy a rickshaw ride through the bustling streets of the Old Quarter. As the day comes to an end, stop at Hoan Kiem Lake to enjoy a traditional water puppet show.

Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken by cruise shuttle bus to another fascinating land – the gem in the north of Vietnam – Halong Bay. The drive takes you through beautiful paddy rice and mountains of the Red River Delta. Visiting the bay, you will experience the magic of the wonderful wonder of the world. 

From the harbor, board our boat for a cruise among the numerous limestone karst rising from the emerald water. Make a stop en route to visit a grotto of spectacular stalactites and stalagmites and anchor for a relaxing swim in a hidden cave. Meals will be served on the cruise. Overnight on the cruise.

After breakfast, enjoy your time to swim, sunbathe and relax in the fascinating background of the bay. After lunch on board – around 11.30am, transfer back to Hanoi. Once arrival in Hanoi, our driver will pick you up to transfer to the airport to your flight to Luang Prabang. 

Upon arrival in Luang Prabang, our tour guide and driver will welcome and transfer you to the hotel to check in. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Enjoy a short drive to visit Vat Xieng Thong or Temple of the Royal City- one of the most important of Lao monasteries and remains a significant monument to the spirit of religion, royalty and traditional art.

Afterward, we head to Kuang Sy Falls a stunning turquoise waterfall. On the way, you will pass through rice fields and beautiful small villages dotted along the country road. Make a stop at some of the villages before relaxing at the waterfall. Take a fresh swim to refresh yourself in many basins.

In the afternoon, we transfer back Luang Prabang and visit the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre located in a historical building preserved by UNESCO. The exhibition here consists of traditional clothing, religious artifacts and daily working tools of Lao minorities that will help you understand more about their lifestyle and traditions.

Then it’s time for sunset moment on the Phousi Mountain where you also can have a nice panorama of the city.

Leaving here, one the way back to the hotel, we will stop to visit the H’mong Night Market where you can find a lot of souvenirs in a traditional style of Laos. This is also a paradise for a street food lover, and you can have dinner on your own. Our guide will suggest you a good place to enjoy Laos traditional food or hot pot at a nice restaurant at the river bank. 

Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Our tuk-tuk driver will pick you up at your hotel this morning to have a departure to the boat jetty. 

Embark on the Nava Mekong, a traditional riverboat, for a shared cruise on the mighty Mekong River, departing around 1000. On the way, you will have a great opportunity to enjoy the dramatic yet peaceful scenery as well as see the simple lives of rural people living along the river. 

During 2 – hour cruise upstream to the Pak Ou Caves, the village of Ban Xang Hai will be a stopover along your way of discovering. Called by Pak Ou because of its special location - the caves themselves are very close to the confluence of the Nam Ou and Mekong Rivers. In these 2 caves, you will have a chance to admire numerous ancient Buddha images, dating back from many centuries. Also, this is the most important religious site in Laos for pilgrimages during the Lao New Year festivities around mid-April. 

On the way back downstream, you will be served with a selection of typical Lao dishes onboard. 

The cruise will take about 1.5 hours to turn back Luang Prabang, and arrive around 1400. We will pick you up at the boat jetty and transfer you back to your hotel. Free time at your leisure in the rest of the day. Dinner in your account. Overnight at the hotel.

You are free to relax before being transferred without guide to the airport for your departure flight. End of the tour!