Romantic Vietnam 16 days

8.00 Sightseeing today includes explore Vietnam’s charming capital. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and ancient oriental pagodas, start a Hanoi’s key sites: the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and stilt house), the Presidential Palace, the nearby One Pillar Pagoda; the Temple of Literature; West Lake including the sedate Tran Quoc Pagoda; and one of the city’s museums (a choice between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum). End the day’s explorations with a cyclo tour through the Old Quarter or enjoy a traditional water puppet show

Our guide and shuttle bus will pick you up at lobby of hotel at 8.00 – 8.20AM and start journey east to Halong Bay, through picturesque rice-farming villages of the Red River Delta, where we see every day Vietnamese village life. On arrival, we board a beautiful traditional junk and spend a full day and night cruising the bay’s 3000 magnificent limestone islets. In the evening when the boat is anchored in the middle of the stunning lagoon, we enjoy a wonderful seafood meal and later there is opportunity for an evening swim from the side of the boat. Spend the night on our luxurious boat

Awake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax and enjoy the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, before setting out to explore nearby islands by rowboat. Return to the junk for breakfast then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Halong. Have brunch on board the boat before returning to Halong pier to get back Hanoi for your flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival Da Nang. Our driver will pick you up and transfer to hotel in Hoi An to check in. Overnight in Hoi An. 

Today, it is time for you to explore art and handicraft galleries, try on clothes tailor-made, relax at the riverside restaurants or take the short journey to the nearby beach. Overnight in Hoi An. 

OPTIONAL: Bana Hills with Golden Hand Bridge

7:20 AM – Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. For private tours, pick-up time can be adjusted upon request.
8:00 AM – Meet your guide and depart for Ba Na Hills (~30 km, ~1 hour drive from Da Nang).

Upon arrival, take the Ba Na Hills cable car, one of the longest and highest in the world, reaching the summit in 15–20 minutes. During the ride, enjoy spectacular views of the mountains and forested valleys below.
At the top, visit the key highlights:

• The Golden Bridge, held up by giant stone hands – an iconic photo spot
• The romantic Le Jardin d’Amour (nine themed flower gardens)
• The historic French Wine Cellar (optional with extra fee)
• The peaceful Linh Ung Pagoda

Continue exploring the French Village, including:

• Campanile Bell Tower, Nine Floor Goddess Shrine, and Tombstone Temple
• Linh Phong Monastery, Linh Chua Linh Tu Temple, and Tru Vu Tea House
• Watch the colorful Carnival Performance at Du Dome Square

12:00 PM – Enjoy a buffet lunch at a mountaintop restaurant.
1:00–3:00 PM – Free time to explore or join games at Fantasy Park (indoor amusement area).
3:30 PM – Take the cable car down (15–20 minutes) and meet your guide at the base station.
4:30 PM – Transfer back to Da Nang. On the way, stop by the Han Market, where locals shop for fresh produce, dried goods, and souvenirs. A perfect spot to observe daily life and experience the local vibe. Overnight in Da Nang/ Hoi An

OPTION 1: Hoi An - Cam Thanh Farmer - Buffalo Experience
08:30 – Meet your expert guide at your hotel and cycle along quiet countryside roads to the local fishing village of Cam Thanh. Along the way, stop at rice paddies and fish and shrimp farms.
Meet local farmers working in the fields and join them in traditional farming activities, including ploughing, preparing the soil, and planting young rice seedlings. You will also have the opportunity to ride a water buffalo and help feed it — a truly memorable experience.
Continue to a local fisherman’s home to taste homemade coconut jam and tea while meeting members of the family.
Explore the water coconut palm forest and learn about traditional fishing techniques. Share hands-on experiences with local fishermen as you catch fish and purple crabs using unique fishing nets, and paddle a traditional bamboo basket boat.
Learn more about the Vietnam–American War through interesting and authentic stories shared by locals.
Enjoy lunch at a local home, where you will learn how to make fresh rice milk and cook the traditional Hoi An pancake (Bánh Xèo).
13:00 – Return to your hotel and end of the program. Thank you for choosing our company.
Optional departure:
Guests may also choose an afternoon departure, starting at 14:00 and finishing at approximately 18:30.

OPTION 2: Countryside & Handicraft Villages by Bike and Boat – Half-Day Tour
Morning Tour: 07:30 – 11:30 or Afternoon Tour: 13:30 – 17:30
Start with a bike ride through rice paddies and quiet villages, heading to the harbor. From here, embark on a boat trip along the Thu Bon River to discover Hoi An’s traditional handicraft villages.
Thanh Ha Pottery Village: Visit this famous village known for its centuries-old pottery traditions. Explore the temple, museum, and join a hands-on pottery-making workshop.
Kim Bong Carpentry Village: Hear the rhythmic sounds of chiseling and drilling as you walk through this community where woodworking skills have been passed down for generations.
Tra Nhieu Mat-Weaving Village: Learn how locals weave traditional sleeping mats and listen to stories about village life, fishing traditions, and resilience during wartime.
Stop at a local restaurant for lunch (or early dinner for afternoon tours), where you’ll enjoy authentic countryside flavors.
Cycle back to your hotel. Tour ends.

OPTION 3: Tra Que Village – Bay Mau Coconut Forest
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Distance (cycling): ~ 4.5 - 5km | Duration: Full day
08:30 AM – Cycle (~15–20 mins) from your hotel to Tra Que Village. Visit herb gardens, meet local farmers, and join light gardening activities using organic methods.
10:00 AM – Ride through rice fields and quiet roads to Van Lang Fisherman Village & Bay Mau Coconut Forest. Visit a local family, enjoy green tea, and row a basket boat through the palm-lined waterways. Learn traditional fishing techniques.
1:00 PM – Herbal foot soak, then join a hands-on cooking class with the host. Enjoy lunch with local dishes: Tam Huu, Banh Xeo, grilled fish, and more.
2:30 PM – Relax before returning to your hotel by ~4:00 PM.
Note: Non-cyclists can join by car/electric buggy (extra charge).

OPTION 4: Coconut Forest - Hoi An Walking Tour - Tailor Streets
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
8:30 AM – Pick-up from your hotel. Transfer to Bay Mau Coconut Forest (Cam Thanh Village), known for its peaceful canals and lush nipa palm groves.
Enjoy a basket boat ride through the waterways, guided by local fishermen. Learn traditional fishing techniques and have fun with basket boat "spinning" performances.
10:00 AM – Head to Hoi An Ancient Town. Begin your walking tour through the UNESCO-listed Old Quarter:

- Visit the Japanese Covered Bridge
- Explore the Fujian Assembly Hall
- Wander through narrow alleys, tailor shops, art galleries & local markets

12:30 PM – Lunch at a local restaurant, featuring Hoi An specialties: Cao Lau, Mi Quang, Banh Mi, etc.

Afternoon & Evening: Free at Leisure
Suggested activities:
- Walk along the lantern-lit streets of the Ancient Town
- Take a Thu Bon River boat ride at sunset
- Visit the vibrant Night Market
- Dine at a riverside restaurant
- Watch a traditional show like Ký Ức Hội An

OPTION 5: Lantern Making & Be a Farmer at Tra Que Village – Half-Day Tour from Hoi An
Meals: Breakfast 
Distance: ~3 km (~10-15mins by cycling)
08:00 – 08:30 (Flexible for private tour): Your guide will meet you at your hotel and provide bicycles for the trip. Begin cycling through rice paddies and shrimp farms on the way to Tra Que.

Tra Que Vegetable Village
Arrive at the peaceful Tra Que vegetable village. Stroll through the lush gardens and experience daily farming life. Join the locals in traditional activities such as digging, sowing, planting, and harvesting with centuries-old tools. Refresh yourself with E Water, a Tra Que specialty made from medicinal herbs, and enjoy becoming a farmer for the morning.
Lantern Making Workshop
Continue cycling past rice fields and quiet villages to reach a local lantern-making workshop. Skilled craftsmen will demonstrate how to create colorful lanterns, and under their guidance you will craft your own lantern — a perfect souvenir to bring home.
Return to Hoi An
After the workshop, cycle back to your hotel. The tour ends around 13:30.

OPTION 6: Countryside & Handicraft Villages by Bike and Boat – Half-Day Tour
Morning Tour: 07:30 – 11:30 or Afternoon Tour: 13:30 – 17:30
Start with a bike ride through rice paddies and quiet villages, heading to the harbor. From here, embark on a boat trip along the Thu Bon River to discover Hoi An’s traditional handicraft villages.
Thanh Ha Pottery Village: Visit this famous village known for its centuries-old pottery traditions. Explore the temple, museum, and join a hands-on pottery-making workshop.
Kim Bong Carpentry Village: Hear the rhythmic sounds of chiseling and drilling as you walk through this community where woodworking skills have been passed down for generations.
Tra Nhieu Mat-Weaving Village: Learn how locals weave traditional sleeping mats and listen to stories about village life, fishing traditions, and resilience during wartime.
Stop at a local restaurant for lunch (or early dinner for afternoon tours), where you’ll enjoy authentic countryside flavors.
Cycle back to your hotel. Tour ends.

OPTION 7: My Son Sanctuary

This morning (afternoon), you will set out on a drive to the southwest of Hoi An to My Son Sanctuary for a My Son half day tour. This is where the Cham culture in Central Vietnam started in the 4th century, declined in the 13th century, and ceased to exist in the 15th century. The once capital of the Champa Kingdom dedicated to the worship of the god Shiva is now a cluster of partially ruined and heavily damaged Hindu temples, with only 20 left, due to age and bombing during the Vietnam War. This unique and majestic sanctuary stands as a witness to a glorious bygone era of the once-thriving Cham culture. Transfer back to Hoi An and free visiting a lovely old house, still occupied by the descendants of the merchants who built it over 200 years ago, before seeing the elaborate Japanese Bridge, a Chinese temple, the bustling market. Overnight in Hoi An.

Meeting point at (8.30 -13.30 or 13.30 - 19.30) with a welcome drink at Hai Café (98 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hoi An Ancient Town) – our meeting point. Travel by minivan (10 minutes) to Tra Que Organic Village, and walk through the market gardens where local farmers work their fields using the traditional methods of hundreds of years ago - no electrical machinery here. We pick fresh saw-tooth coriander and Vietnamese mint for our cooking lesson later, before trying a special herbal drink at a local home. To the local village market and with shopping list in hand we purchase a range of local ingredients, including star anise, cardamom, sesame rice paper, water spinach and banana flower. Arriving at Red Bridge Cooking School we have a chance to freshen up before beginning our class. Working together with our Red Bridge Chef we learn the traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food from scratch. Using the freshest ingredients and traditional Vietnamese utensils (still in use today) we cook 4 famous dishes, including the national dish ‘Pho’.

After the class we sit down and a chance to savour the dishes we have prepared.

Leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River back to central Hoi An.

Leaving Hoi An, visit Marble Mountains and China Beach before continuing over the Hai Van Pass to Hue. Hue was Vietnam’s ‘Imperial Capital’, the former home to the Nguyen Dynasty that ruled over the country from 1802 until the last emperor abdicated in 1945. A visit to Hue wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Imperial Citadel which was modelled on the Forbidden City in Beijing. The Citadel was the centre piece of the royal empire, a massive moated palace that was extensively damaged during the Vietnam War. This afternoon take a cyclo ride to the Imperial Citadel, continue by coach to Thien Mu pagoda and enjoy a relaxing boat trip on the Perfume River. This evening partake in a cooking class focusing on select local dishes and cuisine originally designed for the Royal Courts of Hue.

Free at leisure until transfer to airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh. Upon arrival Ho Chi Minh, you will be welcomed by our tour guide/ driver and transfer to hotel for check in. Free & easy in your own way. 

Breakfast at hotel, meet our guide at 8.00 & start visiting to the most attractive places in Ho Chi Minh City including Reunification Palace - a special national relic for its historical and architectural values of Vietnam, and the War Remnants Museum. Next, we will explore a little bit about Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office – the French building in Ho Chi Minh City.

Have a lunch at local restaurant before leaving the city for a tour to Cu Chi Tunnels - a man-made maze with the length of almost 250 kilometers. Also, the tunnels were used to serve as communication routes, storage facilities, hospitals and living quarters for Vietnamese fighters in the long period of war. If you are interested in, you can go into the tunnels to discover the harsh living conditions of those whose were used to live there. 

After that, taste the typical boiled tapioca and hot tea before you come back to Saigon.

After breakfast our guide and driver will pick you up to visit one of the must visited regions of the Mekong delta, we visit Cai be floating market, cruising among the local barges stuffed-full of fruits and vegetables. Visit some local workshops then enjoy a delicious lunch served at a local house in the cool shade of An Binh Island’s orchards. In the afternoon, take a traditional rowboat and venture deeper into the countryside, floating through narrow canals to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Stop at a nursery garden to discover how farmers along the delta produce their world famous fruits and vegetables. The cruise ends around in Vinh Long. Get on bus and tranfer back to Ho Chi Minh. 

Morning flight to Phu quoc island. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel for check in. 

Free at leisure in Phu Quoc Island.

OPTIONAL TOUR: Phu Quoc South Explore Tour
After breakfast, tourists go to visit the attractions:
Pearl Farm: Learn about the history os pearl farming on Phu Quoc Island
Sim Wine factory: Local Wine production
Pepper Farm: Local family garden, pepper harveting
Fish Sauce Factory
Ho Quoc Pagoda: Buddhist temple
Sao Beach: Enjoy lunch (relax – swimming – sunbath)
Coconut Prison: War museum
Check in Sun Premier Village Primavera: Walking tour of Kiss Bridge and Clock Tower…
On the way back, those wish to stop at Sunset Sanato or Night Market in Duong Dong Town. (Entrance ticket fee & back by yourself at own expense.)

Free at leisure in Phu Quoc Island.

OPTIONAL TOUR: Phu Quoc 4 Island tour explore by Speed boat + Snorkeling and Take Cable car visit Hon Thom
Visit 4 islands in the south
Gam Ghi Island: Snorkeling at coral reef - Enjoy the beach
Buom Island (or Mong Tay Island): Snorkeling at coral reef
May Rut Island: white sand lagoon – unique chillout 
Having Lunch on the Island
Sea walker (pay by yourself): a new type of service, walk under the ocean, there are the fish flocks swimming & colorful corals reef of Phu Quoc
Speed boat arrive Thom Island: Enjoy waterpark – more than 20 modern games from the world’s leading manufactures.
Back on cable car (around 25 mins): Enjoy sunset & rides with a panoramic overall view of islands

Free at leisure in Phu Quoc Island.

Free at leisure in Phu Quoc Island until transfer to airport for flight back Ho Chi Minh to connect a flight back home. Tour ends