Simply Vietnam

Day 1 - HANOI ARRIVAL (NO GUIDE)
Arrival Noi Bai international airport, you will transfer to your hotel. Free at leisure and Overnight in Hanoi

Day 2 - EXPLORE NOM ANCIENT VILLAGE HALF DAY (B)
This morning your guide and driver will transfer you 40’ to Nom Village. This ancient and quaint rural village is a gem for cultural and historical experiential appreciation; a wonderful example of a village in Vietnam’s northern delta that follows a traditional structural layout. Highlights cover a spectrum of interests. Here are a few examples for you to consider: spend time with the villagers and learn about their personal and village stories, choose from ten ancient houses and seven places of worship, understand and see the typical village layout (communal house, market, entrance gate, pond, wet market, and stone bridge). As a popular spot, if you are fortunate you may even catch a glimpse of a Vietnamese movie being filmed. Then drive back to Hanoi. Free at leisure in the afternoon. Overnight in Hanoi

Day 3 - HANOI – PU LUONG (B/L)
After a 4.5 hour drive to Pu Luong, you will arrive at your accommodation followed by free time to explore the beautiful retreat, with its captivating panoramic views and tranquil setting before a delicious lunch. After lunch, you will get close to village life and interact with locals living in the hills above the Retreat. A glimpse at daily life, walk around working farmland and rice fields, and get to know more about the local culture. Overnight at Pu Luong.

Day 4 -  PU LUONG TREKKING FULL DAY (B/L)
Start early to descend into the beautiful valley facing the Retreat where you walk around tumbling rice terraces. Trek through 6km small paths downhill shrouded in vegetation to slowly reveal a picturesque village sitting at the base of a towering mountain. Continuing to Kho Muong which is located in the central valley, to engage with locals and see their rural life. Heading to “Bat Cave” - where the first ancestors of Muong ethnic group lived. Lunch will be served at a local house on stilts. Then trekking 7 km through the jungle to explore the abundance of flora and fauna along the way. The winding road around gorgeous mountains will take you to Uoi village which is located in the middle of the forest. You weave between roads and farmland, villages and wild fields, ponds and rivers, mountains and open land. Savour the ever-changing scenery as you trek to a beautiful spot. Then you will be transferred back to Pu Luong. Overnight at Pu Luong

Day 5 - PU LUONG – NINH BINH (B/L)
After breakfast, you will depart Pu Luong for a 3.5hr drive to Ninh Binh Province. We visit Vietnam’s ancient capital of Hoa Lu, the country’s first centralized feudal state from the end of the 10th century with the temples of the Dinh and Le dynasties still standing surrounded by rice paddies. Continue to Tam Coc, known as “Halong Bay on Land”, where a skilled rower will take you on a 2hr slow journey on the winding river and canals. Enjoy the views of the beautiful karst formations as you enter three of the many natural caves formed under the hills. Visit Thai Vi temple on the way back to the hotel for check-in. Overnight in Ninh Binh

Day 6 - THO HA VILLAGE – GALAXY GROTTO – HANOI (B/L)
After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, you will drive to the Tho Ha Village in Nho Quan to begin a leisurely 5-15km (3-10mi) biking trip passing by sleepy villages and picturesque countryside landscapes. Continue to Dong Tam Hamlet to participate in some engaging agricultural activities such as catching crabs, fishing and transplanting, and watering vegetables. After an hour or so, return to the hamlet in time for a cooking class and lunch with a local family where sweet potato cakes and grilled fish are on the menu. After lunch, board a rowboat at the Nha Le Pier and enjoy a trip to the 900m (2,953ft)-deep Galaxy Grotto, so named for the sea of stalactites growing from the ceiling above, like so many stars. The grotto is also home to a large bat colony that nests near the end of the grotto. Overnight in Ninh Binh.

Day 7 – NINH BINH – HALONG (B/L/D)
Today, depart from hanoi for a 2.5-hour drive to Tuan Chau harbour via the new highway. You will be welcomed aboard and set sail through the bay while lunch is served. You will pass through the magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons' teeth. After lunch, you will take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with golden sails, and then go swimming on a quiet beach or sunbathing on the sundeck. Later in the afternoon, you will visit an interesting fishing village with the opportunity to interact with fishermen who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. Back on board, you can enjoy cocktails while watching the sunset. Later, you will unwind ata lavish dinner before an overnight stay on the deluxe junk. Overnight on cruise.

Day 8 - HALONG – HANOI – FLY TO DANG/HOI AN (B/BR)
Greet the day with a morning tai chi session, with an opportunity to view the sunrise over the bay. After breakfast, you will visit a beautiful limestone grotto and then go back to the boat for a final glimpse of Halong Bay while cruising back to the dock. Checkout is at 11:45 am and the boat arrives at the harbor by noon for the drive back to Hanoi airport for your onward flight to Danang. Upon on arrival, you will be picked up and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Danang
Note: Flight ticket Hanoi to Danang should be from 06.00PM

Day 9 - HOI AN FREE AT LEISURE (B)
Free at leisure. Overnight in Hoi An

Day 10 - HOI AN FREE AT LEISURE (B)
Free at leisure. Overnight in Hoi An

Day 11 - FLY TO HO CHI MINH CITY – FREE AT LEISURE (B) (NO GUIDE)
After breakfast, you will take a private transfer to Danang airport for a flight to HCMC. Upon arrival, pick up and transfer to hotel. Free at leisure. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 12 - MEKONG DELTA EXCURSION (B/L)
Depart from Saigon to Cai Be. The program will start with a quick visit of Cai Be. We can walk around this orchard & enjoy some fruits when listening to the traditional music at local garden. Then, the rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals to enjoy the peaceful time. Back to our boat to go across one of the longest rivers in the world, Mekong River, to come to An Bình Island. Travel on a handmade canal to Ut Trinh home. After lunch, we can walk in the local village to visit the local workshop to see how to make rice paper, coconut candy, pop-rice... Enjoy some sweets with a cup of hot tea. Optional biking can be made for a leisure! It will be so amazing to bike on village paths to see the local daily life: orchard, school, church, pagoda, traditional houses. Visit the brick kilns where you can see how the local people create beautiful potteries from clay. The cruise will end at VinhLong city where your car awaits for the drive back to Saigon. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 13 - HO CHI MINH DEPARTURE (NO GUIDE/B)
Free at leisure until you will transfer to Ho Chi Minh airport for flight back to UK