Itinerary
- Day 1
Hanoi to Halong Bay to Ninh Binh
You'll get picked up around 8:45-9:15 AM from your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter for the drive to Halong Bay, which takes about 2.5 hours. Once you arrive, you'll board a boat and head out to explore the UNESCO site, stopping at Sung Sot Cave and paddling through Luon Cave by kayak. There's time for swimming at TiTop Island, and you'll have lunch served on the boat with a set menu. Later in the afternoon, there's a sunset party before heading back to Hanoi and transferring to your hotel in Ninh Binh for the night.
- Start point
- Hanoi, Vietnam (Hanoi old quarter, 08:00 - 08:30)
- Meals
- Lunch (Set menu lunch on the boat with special dishes of Halong Bay)
Included Activities
- Boat excursion on Halong Bay
- Visit Sung Sot Cave
- Kayaking or bamboo boat through Luon Cave
- Visit TiTop Island with swimming and trekking options
- Sunset party on boat
Optional Activities
- Swimming at TiTop Island
- Trekking to top of TiTop Island for sightseeing
Landmarks/POIs Sung Sot Cave Luon Cave TiTop Island Fighting Chicken Islet Incense Burner Islet 
- Day 2
Trang An - Thung Nham Bird Garden
This morning you'll check out Trang An, a natural area where limestone karst mountains rise up through rice paddies. You take a boat trip up spring-fed rivers that wind through caves, visiting a 10th-century pagoda and temple along the way. After lunch, you'll bike about 10 kilometres round-trip on flat roads to Thung Nham Bird Garden. Back at your hotel, you'll clean up before boarding an overnight train heading to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park later that evening.
- Meals
- Lunch
Included Activities
- Boat trip through Trang An caves
- Visit Ancient 10th Century pagoda and temple
- Bicycle trip to Thung Nham Bird Garden
- Overnight train to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
Landmarks/POIs Trang An Thung Nham Bird Garden - Day 3
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
After arriving at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, you'll visit Paradise Cave either by buggy or on foot (there's a 2km walk plus over 500 stairs involved). You'll see the cave's stalactites, then move on to Dark Cave where you can zipline down and experience the underground section by walking and swimming through Thuy Tien lake, plus try mud bathing. There's optional kayaking available on Chay River with zipline swimming if you're interested. Dinner happens at a local restaurant before you settle in for the night in Phong Nha or Dong Hoi.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch at Dark Cave restaurant), Dinner (Dinner at restaurant)
Included Activities
- Visit Paradise Cave with buggy/walking access and stairway
- Zipline to Dark Cave
- Swimming and mud bathing in Thuy Tien Lake at Dark Cave
- Head torch and swimming equipment provided for Dark Cave exploration
Optional Activities
- Kayaking on Chay River
- Zipline swing to swim in Chay River
Landmarks/POIs Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Paradise Cave Dark Cave Phong Nha Cave Son Doong Cave Chay River 
- Day 4
Dong Hoi
After breakfast at the hotel, you'll check out around 6:30 AM and head to the Botanical Garden within Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park where you might spot rare forest orchids and wildlife like monkeys, porcupines, and squirrels. You'll visit Gio Waterfall and Golden Lake for swimming, then break for lunch and rest. In the afternoon, you explore Phong Nha Cave, the only cave in Vietnam with an underground river that's open to tourists. A bus takes you back to Dong Hoi City by evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at the hotel), Lunch (Lunch at restaurant)
Included Activities
- Explore Botanical Garden of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
- Visit Gio Waterfall
- Visit Golden Lake and bathing
- Visit Phong Nha Cave
Landmarks/POIs Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Botanical Garden Gio Waterfall Golden Lake Phong Nha Cave - Day 5
Hue
You'll visit Vinh Moc, a tunnel complex in the DMZ built during the American war to shelter families from bombing, where over 600 people lived and 17 babies were born between 1965 and 1972. After lunch, you stop at the Mine Action Visitors Centre in Dong Ha to learn about ongoing war effects in the region. Then it's on to Hue where you'll see Thien Mu pagoda on the Perfume River banks, Vietnam's tallest pagoda with 7 tiers. You'll spend the evening and night in Hue.
- Meals
- Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Vinh Moc tunnel complex
- Visit Mine Action Visitors Centre
- Visit Thien Mu Pagoda
Landmarks/POIs Vinh Moc Tunnels Mine Action Visitors Centre Thien Mu Pagoda Perfume River 
- Day 6
Hue
Following breakfast, you'll explore the Imperial Citadel with its architecture built by Gia Long, showing the marks of decades of conflict. Next you head to Minh Mang Tomb, where Vietnam's 2nd emperor rests, and the architecture blends with the landscape reflecting Confucian principles. Later, you go to a local beach for lunch, cocktails, swimming, and watching the sunset before returning to your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Lunch (Lunch at local beach)
Included Activities
- Visit Imperial Citadel
- Visit Minh Mang Tomb
- Beach lunch and swimming with sunset cocktails
Landmarks/POIs Imperial Citadel Minh Mang Tomb 
- Day 7
Hue to Hoi An
You'll leave Hue early in the morning on motorbikes heading toward Hoi An with several stops to take in the beaches and coastline views. You'll swim and have lunch at Elephant Springs for a couple hours. From there, the route heads south and climbs famous Hai Van Pass where you can see French and American war bunkers and get great coastal views. This scenic route is popular from the Top Gear television show.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch at Elephant Springs)
Included Activities
- Motorbike tour with multiple stops
- Swimming and lunch at Elephant Springs
Landmarks/POIs Elephant Springs Hai Van Pass 
- Day 8
Hoi An Cooking Class
The tour begins at 8:00 AM or 2:00 PM from your hotel lobby, and you'll cycle to Hoi An's colorful central market to chat with local sellers and learn about cooking ingredients. Continuing by bike, you reach Tra Que vegetable village for a welcome drink and guided walk through traditional gardens. You get a foot herbal massage, then join a Vietnamese cooking class with the chef. After lunch, you return to your hotel, then catch a night bus from Da Nang to Buon Me Thuot.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch prepared during cooking class at Tra Que)
Included Activities
- Bicycle ride to Hoi An's central market
- Bicycle tour to Tra Que vegetable village
- Walk through vegetable gardens with traditional farming methods
- Foot herbal massage
- Vietnamese cooking class and lunch
Landmarks/POIs Hoi An Central Market Tra Que Vegetable Village - Day 9
Buon Me Thuot
You'll arrive in Buon Me Thuot either by night bus from Da Nang or early morning flight, starting with local Vietnamese breakfast. This is Vietnam's coffee capital and the world's second largest coffee exporter. You'll visit Trung Nguyen coffee village to taste various coffees, including exotic weasel coffee. After lunch, you see D'ray Nur waterfalls on Krong Ana River, especially impressive during rainy season, then visit an Ede Ethnic Minority Village to learn about their matriarchal society. Overnight is in a homestay.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Local Vietnamese breakfast), Lunch
Included Activities
- Local Vietnamese breakfast
- Visit Trung Nguyen coffee village and coffee tasting
- Visit D'ray Nur waterfalls
- Visit Ede Ethnic Minority Village
Landmarks/POIs Trung Nguyen Coffee Village D'ray Nur Waterfall Krong Ana River - Day 10
Buon Me Thuot to Da Lat
You'll wake up early around 6:30 AM to join the National Parks Elephant Conservation Project. At first light, you meet elephant caretakers and track roaming elephants through the jungle. You'll spend 30 minutes washing the elephants and feed them bananas and sugar cane. The center emphasizes ethical treatment with no elephant rides, keeping the animals healthier and happier. After returning to Buon Me Thuot for lunch featuring local specialties, you board a minibus to Da Lat, arriving in time for dinner.
- Meals
- Lunch (Local specialty lunch in Buon Me Thuot)
Included Activities
- Track elephants in jungle at first light
- Wash elephants (30 minutes)
- Feed elephants bananas and sugar cane
- Local specialty lunch in Buon Me Thuot
Landmarks/POIs National Parks Elephant Conservation Project - Day 11
Da Lat Canyoning
You'll explore Da Lat's scenery through canyoning, which mixes sightseeing with outdoor adventure across waterfalls, hills, and pine forests. You'll have quality equipment provided to handle the challenges in the wilderness. This active experience tests your courage and strength while giving you a real sense of accomplishment and excitement as you move through the landscape.
Included Activities
- Canyoning tour in Da Lat
- Sightseeing during canyoning
Landmarks/POIs Da Lat - Day 12
Da Lat to Mui Ne
During the morning or early afternoon, you can choose between sightseeing, mountain biking, or just walking around Da Lat freely. After lunch in town, you transfer to Mui Ne beach, about 4 hours away. There you'll visit white sand dunes by a lake, either walking up the hill for cool air or riding ATVs for adventure. You explore the old iron mine that gives the area its red soil color and visit the fishing village for photos before checking in at your hotel.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch in Da Lat town)
Included Activities
- Visit white sand dunes near lake
- Visit old iron mine
- Visit fishing village
Optional Activities
- Half-day sightseeing in Da Lat
- Mountain biking in Da Lat
- Free walking around Da Lat town
- Walking up sand dunes
- All-Terrain-Vehicle ride on sand dunes
Landmarks/POIs Mui Ne White Sand Dunes Mui Ne Old Iron Mine Mui Ne Fishing Village 
- Day 13
Mui Ne to Ho Chi Minh City
You have free time to relax on Mui Ne beaches until afternoon, then at 1:00 PM you drive to Ho Chi Minh City. You'll check out Cho Lon (Big Market) and Thien Hau Pagoda in Chinatown, then head to Bach Dang Harbor to board a water bus tour. From the water, you see typical commercial buildings including Vin Homes Central Park, Landmark 81 tower, and Bitexco Financial Tower. You discover the Saigon River, once known as Paris of Indochina. The bus returns you to your hotel by 6:00 PM.
Included Activities
- Visit Cho Lon (Big Market)
- Visit Thien Hau Pagoda
- Water bus tour on Saigon River
Landmarks/POIs Cho Lon (Big Market) Thien Hau Pagoda Bach Dang Harbor Vin Homes Central Park Landmark 81 Bitexco Financial Tower Saigon River 
- Day 14
Mekong Delta Tour
You'll leave Ho Chi Minh City traveling to My Tho on the left side of Mekong River, visiting Vinh Trang pagoda from the late 19th century. Boarding a sampan, you cruise around four islands: Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, and Tortoise. On Unicorn Island you walk rural lanes, explore orchards, and try tropical fruits plus local folk songs. A hand-rowed sampan takes you through Thoi Son canal to family businesses, a honey farm, and a coconut candy workshop. After lunch at a local restaurant, you bike around Tan Thach village meeting locals or relax in a hammock, then return to Ho Chi Minh City.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch at local restaurant in Mekong Delta)
Included Activities
- Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda
- Sampan cruise around Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, Tortoise islands
- Walk on Unicorn Island through country lanes
- Explore orchards and enjoy tropical fruits
- Experience local folk songs
- Hand-rowed sampan through Thoi Son canal
- Visit family business
- Visit honey-bee farm and enjoy honey tea
- Visit coconut candy workshop
- Cycling around Tan Thach village or hammock relaxation
Optional Activities
- Cycling around Tan Thach village
- Hammock relaxation (alternative to cycling)
Landmarks/POIs My Tho Vinh Trang Pagoda Dragon Island Unicorn Island Phoenix Island Tortoise Island Thoi Son Canal Tan Thach Village Mekong River 
- Day 15
Ho Chi Minh City
Your final day is unscheduled, so you're free to do as you like or continue elsewhere. You might consider extending your stay for a few more nights to explore more of what Ho Chi Minh City has to offer.
