Day 1: Hanoi arrival
(guide, private car, dinner, accommodation, visits)

Welcome by Zen Vietnam Travel guide and driver. Transfer to downtown Ha Noi.

An orientation walk or rickshaw in the old town district, otherwise called the 36 Trades Streets of Ha Noi because most of the shops on the same street sold the same thing, Rue des bambous, Rue de silk, Traditional medicine street, Bronze street, etc. A really typical and charming district, with its shops on the sidewalks, small narrow houses, scooters everywhere.

Installation at the hotel for the shower and rest. Warning ! hotel rooms are only available from 2 p.m.

Gourmet dinner at the famous ¨Cha Ca¨ dish in a local restaurant. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

 

Day 2: Hanoi - Visits
(guide, private car, lunch, accommodation, visits)

Today, you will start the visit of the capital Hà Nội with a very old Buddhist pagoda, the 6th century Trấn Quốc pagoda, located in a beautiful setting by the large West Lake. Then you will visit the Quán Thánh temple at 300m.

Then, visit the Ethnographic Museum, which gives you a panoramic view of the life of 54 ethnic groups with 54 different cultures in the territory of Vietnam.

Time for lunch at the restaurant.

In the afternoon, visit of the political district with the mausoleum of Hồ Chí Minh, the founding father of modern Vietnam, the presidential palace, the house on stilts of Hồ Chí Minh, the pagoda with the one pillar. Visit of the Temple of Literature, the first university in the history of the country.

At the end of the day, you will witness the performance of the Water Puppet Theater, a unique culture that you will never find in any other country in the world. Vietnam is the only country that practices this art.

Overnight at the guesthouse in

Hanoi. Day 3: Ha Noi - Nghia Lo
(guide, private car, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits)

 

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure at 8 am towards Nghia Lo passing through the tea hills in Thanh Son. Visit of the small villages along the road.

Visit of a small tea factory (depending on their work). On the road, stop and visit small villages of Muong and Thai ethnic groups with their typical houses, unexpected encounters!

Lunch at the local restaurant.

In the afternoon, visit Suoi Giang where there are centuries-old tea plantations created by the H’mong at an altitude of 1000m.

Arrival in Nghia Lo, a large and very peaceful valley surrounded by mountains, villages on the edge of rice fields. A picturesque landscape.

Dinner and overnight at homestay in the house on stilts of Madame Loan, Thai White ethnic group.

 

Day 4: Nghia Lo - Tu Le - Mu Cang Chai
(guide, private car, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits)

Breakfast at the homestay.

Departure at 9 am to Mu Cang Chai. Visit the daily market of Nghia Lo before heading to the most beautiful rice terraces in Vietnam.

Arrive in Tu Le, a small town by the road, famous for its rice fields, sticky rice and chicken. You will take a walk in the small villages of the Thai Blacks, unexpected encounters with the local inhabitants, a little discovery of local life where the stress and worries of urban life are not yet known.

Lunch at the local restaurant with good sticky rice and sporty chicken, very firm! In the afternoon, we will go up to altitude and admire the most beautiful rice terraces in the country. A magnificent landscape awaits you.

Visit of the black Hmong village at La Pan Tan. A natural spectacle made by human hands. Arrival in Mu Cang Chai, a very quiet little town.

Dinner and overnight at homestay. Mr. Sanh's family

 

Day 5: Mu Cang Chai - Sapa
(guide, private car, lunch, accommodation, visits)

Breakfast at homestay.

At 8:30 am, departure to Sapa, the old summer town founded by the French during the colonial era.
On the road to Sapa, you will still see kilometers of tea plantations, very beautiful rice fields and beautiful villages with houses on stilts.

Lunch on the road.

Before arriving in Sapa, you will visit the beautiful Thac Bac waterfall which is located on the longest pass in Vietnam, the O Quy Ho pass, a magnificent landscape.

Arrived in Sapa, you will visit its market, its church, the Catcat village inhabited by the Black Hmong, a minority ethnic group from Vietnam who still keeps very well its customs as well as its pretty traditional dress.

Freetime for dinner by yourself. Night at the hotel.

Note: Despite the criterion of “staying with the locals”, one night in a comfortable hotel will allow you to recover more or less for the next few nights that arrive.

 

Day 6: Sapa - Matra Village, Ta Phin - Bac Ha
(guide, private car, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits)

Breakfast at the hotel.

This morning, a short hike from 3 hours to travers of the Ma Tra and Ta Phin villages, the two villages which are inhabited by the Black Hmong and the Red Dao, the two main ethnic minorities in Sapa. A little encounter and discovery of their daily life, contemplate the magnificent landscapes; this is what awaits you during this walk.

Lunch at homestay in Ta Phin village.

In the afternoon, 2.5 hours drive to Bac Ha, a small town 100 km from Sapa where the weekly Bac Ha market is located.

Arrival at Na No village, a beautiful little village inhabited by another minority ethnic group, the Tay. Walk in the village.

Dinner and overnight at Madame Hoan's.

 

Day 7: Sapa - Bac Ha - Ha Noi
(guide, private car, lunch, accommodation, visits)

Today is Sunday, the day of the biggest weekly market among the Hmong Fleur, Bac Ha market.

Due to the limited means of transport and the very mountainous terrain of the region, the locals are unable to meet every day to exchange their agricultural products, their animals or to buy things. So the weekly markets are created.

The locals come to the market not only for the goods but also to meet, have a drink together after a week. Indeed, the market does not remain only an occasion for purchases but also an occasion of meetings between the local people, a small local festival for the young people who come to meet each other. An opportunity to find the husband or wife of their life.

Lunch at the local restaurant.

In the afternoon, 5 hours on the highway to Ha Noi.

Freetime for dinner by yourself. Overnight at the guesthouse in Hanoi.

Note: Depending on your arrival, Zen Vietnam  will calculate the visit to the appropriate weekly market, either Bac Ha market on Sunday, or other markets on another day.

 

Day 8: Ha Noi - Cat Ba - Cruise in Halong Bay - Overnight on board
(guide on board, bus, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits, private junk or collective boat)

Breakfast at the hotel.

At 8:00 am, departure for Hai Phong at 100 km to embark on a shuttle that takes you to Cat Ba Island. 30 minutes more bus and you arrive at the Ben Beo pier where you will board our beautiful private junk (or collective boat) and start 24 hours on board for a discovery of one of the natural wonders of the world, the bay from Halong. From our ¨zen¨ criteria for trips, we have chosen the part of the south of the bay where the large mass tourism boats do not pass yet, just a few small traditional junks in this area. A part of the bay that is still very authentic with thousands of rocks, wild beaches and huge floating villages that you cannot find in the other part of Ha Long Bay.

Lunch on board with seafood. Time for swimming or simply resting on the deck to admire this miracle that nature offers us. After 3 hours of navigation, we arrive at Hang Ca, a beautiful place for the kayak trip, another way to see the bay up close.

Around 5:30 p.m., we anchor in a magnificent circus in the middle of the bay where you will be alone. A hell of a time to watch the sunset over the bay.

Dinner on board and a test of squid fishing in the evening will be great memories.

Overnight on board.

Note: The order of visits during the cruise may be changed depending on local weather conditions.

 

Day 9: Cat Ba - Ninh Binh
(guide on board, bus, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits)

An early morning awakening in a magical setting around 5 am to admire the sunrise over the bay, why not?

After a good breakfast, the junk continues to sail in the bay and takes you to Viet Hai village for a nice bike ride or visit the fish farm or just enjoy the tranquility on a beach. You choose !

Lunch on board and disembarkation around 11:30 am.

Road to Ninh Binh.

Departure to Mr. Huan's family where you will sleep tonight in Hoa Lu crossing the World Heritage Center of Trang An, the center of Halong Bay on land with stunning scenery.

Dinner and overnight at Huan's in Hoa Lu

 

Day 10: Ninh Binh - Halong Bay on land
(guide, private car, lunch, accommodation, visits)

Breakfast at homestay

Road towards Ninh Binh, nicknamed the terrestrial Ha Long Bay because of the similarity between the landscapes and the geological formation, with thousands of rocks covered by beautiful vegetation, a succession of natural cirques linked together by dug caves by erosions.

At 8:30 am, bike ride around Hoa Lu. Visit of the King Dinh temple.

Arriving at Van Long Nature Reserve, known as the “unspoiled natural area” of Halong Bay on land, Van Long offers us magnificent views of the countryside and rural life. In comparison with Tam Coc, Van Long is much more primitive and completely intact. The rivers, the mountains, the caves, the rice fields, its warm inhabitants, the small bamboo boats and especially its biodiversity, give Van Long a different charm. Bamboo sampam ride.

Transfer to Ha Noi Airport for the 18:00 flight to Hue. Arrival in Hue. Welcome by the guide and the driver.

Transfer to the hotel.

Installation at the hotel around 8 p.m.

Freetime for dinner by your self.

 

Day 11: Hue - Visits
(guide, private car, lunch, accommodation, visits)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Hue, former capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. A charming city which has a great cultural richness with its history, its historical monuments, its imperial city, its mausoleums, its Perfume river ...., which seduced the soul generations of Vietnamese poets as well as visitors. Despite damage due to the two wars, the renovation projects are gradually giving it back its original charm.

The day's visit begins with Dong Ba Market, the largest indoor market in the city. Here you find everything the locals need. A beautiful market to see.

Then you will visit the Heavenly Lady Pagoda, the most important pagoda in Hue. Built in 1601, the Heavenly Lady Pagoda is not only a Buddhist temple but also an important ceremonial place for members of the royal family.

A little discovery on local religious life.

The visit continues with the most important monument in Hue, the Imperial City. Built for 29 years from 1804 to 1833, the imperial city was the political, economic, cultural center of the country and the home of 13 Nguyen emperors and their families. The construction of the imperial city was a typical example of oriental architecture by harmoniously applying Confucianist philosophies, fengshui and also the use of local and exotic materials.

Time for lunch.

Continuation of the visit to the 2 mausoleums of Khai Dinh and Minh Mang. While the Mausoleum of Minh Mang is a typical construction of the city, strictly respecting local criteria, oriental philosophies, fengshui ... the mausoleum of Khai Dinh is an exception. Its architecture is really an original invention of this emperor and under the hands of the artists of the time, a splendid building, mixed with several styles: Catholic, Buddhist, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, as well as a most beautiful mosaic work. from Vietnam, were made.

Dinner on your own and overnight at the guest house.

 

Day 12: Hue - Cloud Pass - Hoi An
(guide, private car, lunch, dinner, accommodation, visits)

Breakfast.

The morning begins with a visit to the Thanh Toan Bridge, a cute little Japanese-style bridge located in a small village not far from the city center. Visit of the very authentic daily market where the villagers come to shop every day. A market that stands out from the rest.

Departure towards Hoi An via the Col des Nuages. A photo stop on the pass is highly recommended.

Arrival in Da Nang. Time for lunch at the restaurant.
Visit the beautiful Ngu Hanh Son Buddhist temple which is hidden in the Marble Mountain in Da Nang.

Arrival in Hoi An, nicknamed the Little Venice of Vietnam, Hoi An was a former silk trading port since the 14th and 15th centuries, a city which is very very well preserved, with its ancient temples, its ancient houses of various styles. , from the West with French houses, to the East with Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese houses. A favorite city for most of the people who have visited it. Town tour.

Dinner at the restaurant in the center of the old town. This outing allows you to see the city again but under the magnificent light of the lanterns.

Night in a guest house.

 

Day 13: Hoi An freetime
(accommodation)

Completely freetime day for your personal activities: walking, cycling, beach, shopping….

Overnight in the guesthouse.

 

Day 14: Hoi An - Flight to Saigon - Visit Saigon
(guide, private car, dinner, accommodation, visits)

Breakfast at the hotel.

At 8:00 am, departure with the driver for the 11:00 am flight to Saigon.

Arrival in Saigon. Welcome by the guide and the driver. Transfer to the city center.
Saigon, today called Ho Chi Minh city, is the first city of Vietnam in several aspects: economic, area, population ...

Continuation of your day with a visit to the Reunification Palace which served as the Presidential Palace of South Vietnam before 1975.

Visit of the central post office and Saigon Cathedral.

Discovery of the old Chinatown of Cholon with in particular the Binh Tay market which is full of life and where you can find absolutely everything you can imagine, all in a warm atmosphere. Finally, visit the Thien Hau pagoda, a guaranteed atmosphere with the conesof incense that burns on the ceiling and all the decorative elements typical of a pagoda dedicated to the goddess of the sea.

Dinner on the Indochine Junk boat, a beautiful ride for 1h30 on the Saigon river to admire the modern beauty of the city while listening to traditional music.

Overnight at hotel in Saigon.

 

Day 15: Saigon - My Tho - Saigon - Departure
(guide, private car, lunch, visits)

At 8:00 am departure to Mỹ Tho for a little air of the Mekong. Visit of the five islets with its immense gardens of exotic fruit trees: jackfruit, durian, rambutan, mangosteen, mango, milk apple ... etc, as well as its typical trades: candy factory, rice cakes, rice alcohol . Bike and rowing boat ride.

Participate to learn to cook with the family.

Gourmet Mekong Lunch

Return to Saigon. Departure for your return flight

 

End of the trip!




Travel with passion!