Exploring the Grand Vietnam in 20 Days Tour

Upon arrival at the airport, your IDC Travel guide and driver will welcome you and take you to your hotel. You’ll have time to rest after a long flight. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide

After breakfast at the hotel, spend the whole day discovering Hanoi: the Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and Ho Chi Minh Museum, the One Pillar Pagoda, Tran Quoc Pagoda, and the Temple of Literature.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the Ethnology Museum. Immerse yourself in the diversity of the culture of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups through 25,000 everyday objects: traditional costumes, musical instruments, jewelry, and weapons illustrate the customs and practices of the Kinh majority and various Vietnamese minorities.

Continue your journey with a Cyclo ride in the heart of old Hanoi before attending a water puppet show.

Cyclo in Old Quater

In the evening, head to the station for the overnight train to Lao Cai.

Overnight on the train with soft sleepers.

Included: Transportation, English-speaking guide, Accommodation, Entry fees, Overnight train ticket Hanoi – Lao Cai, Meals: breakfast, lunch

After arriving in Lao Cai in the early morning, drive to Sapa.

Breakfast in Sapa then take a short hike to Cat Cat village, a Hmong minority village in the valley. Admire a magnificent view of the valley with mountains and terraced rice fields.

Pass through the old village and meet locals, getting a glimpse of traditional H’Mong customs and practices. Stop to admire a waterfall, like “the great white water curtain,” surrounded by unique fauna, and then explore remnants of an old hydroelectric power station built by the French during the colonial era.

Lunch at a local restaurant in Sapa. In the afternoon, free time to discover Sapa.

Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Meals: breakfast, lunch

Breakfast at the hotel then drive to Lao Chai village where Black H’mongs live. Walk along the river and visit hillside houses, chat with residents who make their clothes by hand; then continue to Ta Van village, home to the Dzay ethnic minority.

Lao Chai Village

Lunch in Ta Van village; rest time.

In the afternoon, return to Sapa. After a 2.5-hour drive (about 110 km), you’ll arrive in Bac Ha. Then, you can settle in with a Tay family. Dinner and overnight stay with a local family.

Dinner and overnight with a local family.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

After a local breakfast with the host family, discover one of the weekly markets in the region (Coc Ly market on Tuesday, Sin Cheng market on Wednesday, Can Cau market on Saturday, Bac Ha market on Sunday).

Bac Ha Market

Then walk to explore the old residence of the Hmong King and Ban Pho where villagers use corn to make alcohol. If you wish, you can take a moto-taxi to Hoang Thu Pho village.

In the late afternoon, head to Lao Cai station for the overnight train to Hanoi.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Overnight train ticket Lao Cai – Hanoi, Meals: breakfast, lunch

After arriving early in the morning, rest and then have breakfast at a hotel until 9 am. Transfer to Ninh Binh.

Stop by Van Long, go by bike or ox cart amidst beautiful rural landscapes. Lunch at a local restaurant. Then, take a traditional boat ride in the Van Long Natural Reserve to explore rice fields bordered by high cliffs.

Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve

Drive to Ninh Binh then you will have free time to relax. Overnight at a hotel in Ninh Binh.

(Overnight with a local family upon request).

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Meals: breakfast, lunch

After breakfast, depart for Halong Bay, “the descent of the dragon.” Arrive at the port after about 3.5 hours of travel and board a junk for a one-day and one-night cruise on Halong Bay.

Halong Bay Cruise

You’ll be welcomed with a drink before settling into your cabin. Then, enjoy delicious seafood for lunch.

During the cruise, the junk sails through the water, among limestone pillars emerging from the water. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Halong Bay reveals its treasures: caves, significant-shaped islets, fine sandy beaches uncovered at low tide, floating villages, and fish farms.

Then, you can swim, sunbathe, or kayak in the relaxing waters of Halong Bay.

Kayaking in Ha Long Bay

Dinner and overnight stay on the junk in comfortable cabins.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide on board, Entry fees, Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

We recommend waking up early to admire the beauty of dawn, and the tranquility of the bay, and enjoy the birdsong.

Continue cruising through the beautiful Halong Bay before returning to Halong port in the morning. Enjoy brunch on board before disembarking around 11 am.

On the way back to Hanoi, stop for a moment to discover the But Thap Pagoda with beautiful architecture where you will find very famous statues, including that of Quan Am with a thousand eyes and a thousand arms, a work of great value, symbolizing both the beauty and the sacredness of religion.

But Thap Pagoda

Take the road to the airport for your evening flight to Hue.

Upon arrival in Hue, your guide and driver will welcome you and take you to your hotel.

Overnight at the hotel.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Hanoi – Hue flight ticket in economy class, Meals: breakfast, lunch

After breakfast, visit the Imperial Citadel, built during Emperor Gia Long’s era in the French military architectural style of Vauban. Then, continue to discover Dong Ba market where you will find Hue specialties, particularly the most beautiful conical hats in Vietnam. This market is really worth a visit.

The Imperial City of Hue

After lunch, the afternoon continues with a sampan cruise to the Heavenly Lady Pagoda (an octagonal tower 21 m high with each floor dedicated to a human-form Buddha) and then the Emperor Tu Duc’s mausoleum.

Then, on the way back to Hue by car, stop for a moment at the incense production village.

Overnight at the hotel in Hue.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Meals: breakfast, lunch

Breakfast, then depart for Hoi An, passing through the famous Hai Van Pass where you can enjoy a panoramic view of Lang Co beach and the surroundings of southern Danang.

Hai Van Pass

After arriving in Danang, you will be offered a visit to the Cham Art Museum, which displays works attributed to the Chams. The museum aims to gather sculptures found on nearby archaeological sites.

Upon settling into your hotel in Hoi An, discover the old quarters: the Fujian sanctuary, the old wooden houses, the Japanese covered bridge, and the Pottery Museum.

Japanese Covered Bridge

Overnight at the hotel.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Meals: breakfast, lunch

At 8 am, you will be welcomed at your hotel and then cycle to the Tra Que vegetable village.

Tra Que Vegetable Village

You will learn about the daily work of the farmers in the village through activities such as planting, hoeing the soil, or watering the vegetables. Then, venture on a buffalo’s back, continue cycling around the village and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful landscapes.

Board a boat and cross the Thu Bon River and Cua Dai Sea. Observe the locals’ fishing techniques with nets and then navigate the water with round boats. Continue exploring the Cam Thanh biological coconut forest in a small round boat.

Cruise Thu Bon River

Then, return to the large boat to prepare lunch with the boat crew and locals. After exploring local life, return by car to the hotel. In the afternoon, you will have free time for personal discovery or to enjoy the beach if the weather permits.

You can admire the sunset over the Thu Bon River (option on request).

Overnight at the hotel.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Meals: breakfast, lunch

Breakfast, then depart to discover My Son and its Cham towers, 69 km south of Danang.

In the early afternoon, you will be driven to the airport for a flight to Buon Ma Thuot.

Buon Ma Thuot

Upon arrival at the airport, your guide and driver will welcome you. After settling into your hotel, visit the coffee museum with a tasting (Vietnam is considered the world’s second-largest coffee producer), then take a short walk in an Ede ethnic village, 3 km from the center of Buon Ma Thuot.

Return to your hotel.

Overnight at the hotel.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Danang – Buon Ma Thuot flight ticket in economy class, Meals: breakfast, lunch

Spend the morning admiring the Dray Sap and Dray Nur waterfalls, 30 km from Buon Ma Thuot.

Dray Nur waterfall

Return to Buon Ma Thuot for lunch before going to Lak Lake. On the way, you can visit coffee and pepper plantations. When you arrive at Lak Lake, ride an elephant in the M’nong ethnic villages (Le and Jun villages). Then take a canoe trip to the lake.

You will have the opportunity to attend a gong show accompanied by traditional dances with M’nong villagers. (Option on request).

Overnight at Lak Resort.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Meals: breakfast, lunch

After breakfast at the hotel, you will have rest time until early afternoon before departing for Da Lat.

You will arrive in Da Lat in the late afternoon.

Free time, overnight at the hotel.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, Meal: breakfast

After breakfast at the hotel, embark on a city tour: visit Truc Lam Pagoda, the Royal Palace of Bao Dai (the last King of Vietnam), the Da Lat railway station, and the cathedral.

Bao Dai Palace

Lunch, then the afternoon is reserved for discovering the hand-embroidered painting workshop (XQ), the Valley of Love, the city’s flower garden, and finally the Dalat Market. You can find all sorts of goods: souvenirs, salads, fruits, clothes, wool, etc.

Return to the hotel in the late afternoon. Overnight at the hotel.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Meals: breakfast, lunch

After breakfast, head to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Upon arrival at the airport, your guide and driver will welcome you. Start exploring the city with many buildings evoking French colonial presence: Reunification Palace (former residence of the President of South Vietnam until the end of April 1975), the old Ho Chi Minh City Post Office built by Gustave Eiffel, and Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Then visit Cho Lon, the Chinese quarter, and the large Binh Tay Market.

A View of Binh Tay Market

Overnight at the hotel.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Dalat – Ho Chi Minh City flight ticket, Meals: breakfast, lunch

Breakfast at the hotel, then depart for Tay Ninh to discover the Cao Dai Temple, 100 km from Ho Chi Minh City, and attend the daily noon mass. You can only find Cao Dao religion in Tay Ninh, a blend of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity, and other beliefs.

Cao Dai Temple

After lunch, head to Cu Chi. Upon arrival, visit the tunnels built by local warriors during the Indochina War. These underground galleries were once military bases for the Viet Cong, controlling the capital of South Vietnam. Their construction lasted 25 years, and this “underground city” was well equipped with living rooms, kitchens, hospitals, schools, meeting rooms, weapon factories, storage facilities, and command centers.

Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon.

Overnight at the hotel.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Meals: breakfast, lunch

After breakfast at the hotel around 9 am, head to the Mekong Delta – Vietnam’s rice cultivation reserve, also known as “Vietnam’s rice bowl.”

Upon arrival in Cai Be after about 2 hours of travel, settle into Mekong Lodge, located right on the Mekong’s edge.

Mekong Lodge

Lunch, then in the afternoon, cycle through the village and taste tropical fruits. If you wish, you can participate in a cooking class before dinner.

Overnight in a Bungalow.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Breakfast, then board a small boat for a delta excursion through a network of small natural canals. It’s the best way to experience the daily life of the locals. The Cai Be floating market, frequented by many boats from various delta regions, and a house with typical Vietnamese architecture await you on this cruise.

Cai Be Floating Market

Your boat will sail to An Binh Island, where you’ll find a bonsai garden or a nursery and a brick-making workshop.

After disembarking near Vinh Long, return to Ho Chi Minh City.

Upon arrival in the late afternoon, check into the hotel. Free time.

Overnight at the hotel.

Included: Transportation, Accommodation, English-speaking guide, Entry fees, Meals: breakfast, lunch

Breakfast at the hotel.

Free time, then head to the airport for your departure flight.

Included: Transportation to the airport, Meal: breakfast