11-day Private Tour: Vietnam's Green Getaway

Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, after clearing all customs procedures, please proceed to the exit gate and meet our driver, who will be waiting in the lobby, holding the signboard with your name on it. If you cannot locate your driver, please go to the Airport information counter in the middle of the Domestic and International arrival lobby (inside the terminal) and call the emergency numbers provided in the confirmation voucher for assistance. Your driver will come to meet you up and transfer you to your hotel in the Old Quarter.

Overnight in Hanoi

In the morning, you will have the opportunity to explore the hidden side of Hanoi, where local people do their day-to-day business living and working alongside the railway. Your guide will introduce you to the people who share their space with Hanoi's main rail artery. You will also explore the bustling markets which play an important role in this community.

At 9:30 am, your guide will meet you at the hotel lobby and take you to the food market on Kham Thien Street, where you will see how people shop for some local key ingredients found in Vietnamese cuisine. After a short exploration of the market, turn off the main road and walk down narrow side streets before arriving at Alley Le Duan with a great view of one of the city's 'railway streets'. Here you will witness people enjoying a coffee on the tracks, chatting with friends, or hanging out their washing before casually making way for the oncoming trains. If the train schedule permits, you might witness the train passing by this narrow street. Afterward, move towards Hanoi station with the strange mix of colonial and socialist architecture.

Continue walking through some local areas and enjoy a stop at Cua Dong Street for a morning refreshment before the car picks you up and takes you to Gia Lam Station. At this station, hop on the train and travel to Long Bien Station. On arrival, you will have the chance to visit a bustling market located in the shadow of the famed Long Bien Bridge - a French relic that played a crucial role in the Vietnam War due to its strategic position. The bridge was heavily bombed, but some original sections remain.

Overnight in Hanoi

Notes:

Suggested departure time: 09:30

Tour duration: 3.5 hours

Get up early in the morning to have breakfast and get ready for your next adventure. Today we will take you on to 4-hour drive to Pu Luong Nature Reserve. This place is a perfect eco-tourism site with beautiful mountains, green rainforests, and authentic villages.

Upon arrival at Pu Luong Retreat, check in the room and relax in the beautiful garden overviewing the mountain landscapes.

In the afternoon, take a walk to get closer to the village and see the daily routine of the locals that live in the hills above the retreat. See how farmers are working in the rice fields, and admire the stilt houses of local minorities. Your guide will help you to accommodate a small chat with the people you meet to understand better the local traditions and way of living.

Overnight in Pu Luong

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and take an easy walk around the beautiful valley with rice terraces. Then continue to walk through small paths shrouded in vegetation to slowly reveal a picturesque Uoi village sitting at the base of a towering mountain. Your camera will not be able to sit still when you see the panoramic views of the village from above.

Continue walking downhill to a local home, where you can rest before cycling around Lan Village. If time permits, we could visit a local family, which makes traditional brocade weaving (not guaranteed). Then cycle along the rice paddies to another village, where you will explore more beautiful landscapes. Then ride back to the local home, where the car will pick us up and transfer back to your hotel for lunch.

In the afternoon, relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings of the retreat. This beautiful and peaceful area is a perfect place to unwind and connect with nature.

Overnight in Pu Luong

Have breakfast at the hotel and depart to visit Tam Coc, known as “Halong Bay on Land”, where a skilled rower will take you on a 2-hour slow journey on the winding river and canals. Enjoy the views of the beautiful karst formations as you enter into natural caves formed under the hills.

After the boat trip, climb to Mua Mountain, which has a shape of a bell with a base sized around 800 square meters. On the left and right sides of the staircase, there are beautiful carvings of the dragon or phoenix. The way leading to the cave formed by a long stone staircase zigzags through the karst, there are nearly 500 steps to a simple altar to Quan Am (the Goddess of Mercy). Later you will be transferred to your hotel in Ninh Binh.

Overnight in Ninh Binh

Notes

Suggested departure time: 08:00

Tour duration: 8.5 hours

Today you will explore Halong Bay, the UNESCO World Heritage site that is known for its stunning limestone karsts and emerald waters.

Enjoy the delicious breakfast at the hotel and meet your driver. Take the most scenic route to reach Halong Bay, taking you across the Red River Delta with emerald green rice paddies stretching for as far as the eyes can see.

On arrival at the pier, you will board the cruise and enjoy the fantastic views of limestone rocks and the karst grottoes. Have an utterly delicious seafood lunch and enjoy the time at the sundeck exploring the Bay.

The cruise will stop in a secret place where you will spend time kayaking or swimming, so you can explore the karst grottoes closer. Towards the evening, you will return to the boat for an early dinner, followed by some time at leisure. You can optionally attend the activities taking part on the boat or just relax.

Overnight on cruise

Note: In case of bad weather (the boat is not allowed to push off or not allowed to overnight in the sea), the Ha Long Bay tour could be canceled without notice. We will consider other replacement tours or a refund based on the specific circumstances.

Rise early today to view the sunrise at the wonder of nature with breakfast served in the dining room. A Tai Chi class on the sun deck will awaken your mind and muscles.

Then head off to visit the limestone cave full of stalagmites and stalactites. After your exploration return to the boat to check out and enjoy the brunch while the cruise is sailing back to the harbor. Later you will be transferred to your accommodation in Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi

Relish the remaining moment in Hanoi before your private driver escorts you to the airport to take the flight to Da Nang. When you arrive at Da Nang Airport, your driver will pick you up and transfer you to your accommodation in Hoi An. The rest of the time is free for leisure. Hoi An is known for its beautiful old town and colorful lanterns, which will look especially charming after dark, so we recommend you to have a walk around the old town in the evening.

Overnight in Hoi An

A pleasant walk around the charming town of Hoi An. This World Heritage ancient town is known for its well-preserved architecture, pedestrian-only streets, and distinctive local cuisine that give visitors a glimpse of its illustrious past. Hoi An’s narrow lanes are ideal for a guided walking tour of its many atmospheric sights including the old merchant houses with a mixture of Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese architecture; the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, first built in the 1590s by the Japanese community to link them with the Chinese quarters across the stream; the Assembly Hall of the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation with its intricate woodcarvings; and the colorful market with stalls brimming with local specialties, silk, and clothes.

Then end your tour with an hour-long boat trip on the Thu Bon River, which will give you a closer view of fishing boats and country villages before heading to your hotel. You will also have a chance to drop flower lanterns in the river. This local tradition has been passed down from generation to generation and symbolizes letting the negative energy go off and making wishes for a brighter future.

Overnight in Hoi An

Today you will be picked up at your hotel lobby and transferred to Vong Nhi village, you receive the bikes and we start cycling through the village (around 6 km). On the way we may see lots of stunning landscapes from peaceful countryside such as green water coconut forest and prawn & red snapper farms or immerse ourselves in rustic beauty of rice fields. Arrival at Thanh dong organic farm- a 10,000sqm organic garden supporting 10 local families. We will take a short stroll around the vegetable garden while listening to the life-changing story of the farmers since they have been approached organic method of cultivating herbs. Afterwards we join the farmers to do some gardening activities like preparing and applying organic manure to the land, raking the ground, sowing herb seed, watering or picking vegetables. Then, we leave the farm for taking the basket boat ride along the Do River to The Field Restaurant. You may enjoy the beautiful scenery or fishing life of local villagers on the way there. Before getting back to the hotel, we will enjoy short cooking class (demo traditional pancake- Banh Xeo) and have Vietnamese family style lunch/dinner.

Overnight in Hoi An

Relish a healthy breakfast on the final day of your trip. Complete the hotel check-out formalities after which you can visit the local markets and buy souvenirs for your loved ones.

Later, proceed for departure and board your flight back home.

Trip Ends.