Best of Vietnam in 14 Days with Trip to Sapa

Upon arrival at Hanoi Airport, our local guide will greet and assist you with the transfer to your hotel for check-in. The hotel room will be available for your use from 2:00 PM onwards. You can take some rest after your journey.

In the late afternoon, we will begin a walking tour of Dong Xuan, Hanoi’s largest covered market. There are numerous street vendors along the market’s edge offering a diverse array of products such as live seafood, exotic fruits, and spices. Our knowledgeable local guide will enlighten us on the intricate traditions of Vietnamese food culture and the historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes. We will try seasonal fruits and have a French-inspired snack from a street cart as we explore.

We will continue our tour by walking through the maze of busy streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, tantalizing our taste buds with Banh Cuon, a well-known Hanoi dish, at a local eatery. The talented chefs will demonstrate how to make this delicious dish. We will then explore the heart of the Old Quarter, strolling past street vendors and quiet residential lanes where you can see the locals’ daily life, which has remained unchanged since Hanoi was established over 1000 years ago.

Our next two snack stops are at open-air barbeque stalls where we will sit down with the Hanoi locals and savor various meat, vegetable, and bread specialties grilled over hot coals for extra flavor. To conclude the tour, we will indulge in a dessert by venturing down a small alley to experience the local tradition of enjoying fresh fruit in a cup covered with crushed ice and condensed milk.

After the tour, we will transfer back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

This morning, your guide will meet you at your hotel and take you on a tour of some of Hanoi’s notable sites. The first stop is Tran Quoc Pagoda, situated on the West Lake and considered a national heritage site. Afterward, you’ll visit the Ho Chi Minh complex, which includes his mausoleum, house-on-stilts, and the One Pillar Pagoda, designed after a lotus flower, an important symbol in Hanoi.

Next, you’ll head to the Temple of Literature, constructed in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius, sages, and scholars. It was once the first university of Vietnam.

At lunchtime, you’ll have a chance to relax and enjoy a meal at a local restaurant in Hanoi’s Old Quarter before exploring the traditional ceramics village of Bat Trang. Here, you can see how artisans model their products and visit showrooms.

After returning to legendary Hoan Kiem Lake to visit the Ngoc Son Temple, dedicated to Tran Hung Dao, a famous general who fought against the Mongolians. In the afternoon, your guide will drop you off at your hotel, and you’ll have free time until your check-out.

Later, you will be picked up at 21.00 to transfer to Hanoi station for the train to Sapa. Dinner is on your own. You will spend the night on the train cabin.

In the morning, you will arrive at Lao Cai Station and our local guide will meet you there. Enjoy breakfast at a local restaurant before embarking on a 30 km drive to your hotel in Sapa town. Your room will be available for check-in at 1:30 pm.

After leaving your luggage at the reception storage, the guide will take you on a walk to the picturesque village of Cat Cat, south of Sapa. The winding valleys surrounding the village of Y Linh Ho offer some of the most stunning scenery in the region. During the trek, you will pass by green paddy fields, a deep river gorge, and reach the river bank. Take a break to stretch your legs and watch the local children fishing in the river before venturing into the terraced villages of the Black H’mong. Explore the village at your leisure and take in the breathtaking views of the region. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant before returning to your hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner is on your own, and you will spend the night at the hotel.

In the morning, you will take a small path that will lead you to the Black Hmong village. Along the way, you will cross Muong Hoa River and walk past well-maintained rice terraces. Upon arrival at the village of Lao Chai, you will continue trekking along the Muong Hoa River and cross a small suspension bridge, located approximately 2km from the village. There, you will have the opportunity to see a collection of rock carvings that depict images of people, stilt houses, and decorative patterns.

The focus of the day is a scenic hike through the stunning Sa Pa valley. You will begin by walking down the road that follows Cau May street for 6km. You will stop for lunch along the way and enjoy the incredible view of the rice terraces.

Afterward, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Sapa. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore on your own. Dinner on your own. You will spend the night at the hotel.

Our driver and guide will collect you in the morning for a relaxed trip. The drive up the hill provides stunning views of Fansipan Mount. You will see rose flower farms and chayote growing on bamboo frames covering a large area. Our first stop will be at the magnificent Silver Waterfall, followed by Heaven Gate and Tram Ton Pass. At an altitude of 2047m, the Heaven Gate & Tram Ton Pass is Vietnam’s highest mountain pass. Take a walk around for thirty minutes to admire the beautiful scenery on both sides of Hoang Lien Son mountain range. The wind here is strong enough to move the clouds continuously. It is the best spot to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of both sides of Fansipan Mountain Range. It is incredible that the weather is significantly different on each side: on many days, it is foggy and cloudy on the Sa Pa side and sunny and bright on the other side.

After leaving Heaven Gate, we will drive downhill for 7km before stopping to visit some lush farms in O Quy Ho. Here, various kinds of vegetables, flowers, fruit trees, and even medicinal plants have been grown for years, making this part of Sapa evergreen. We will have lunch at a local restaurant.

At noon, you will check out of the hotel, and the shuttle bus will pick you up at 15.00-15.30PM to transfer you back to Hanoi. Upon arriving in Hanoi, you will check into the hotel. Dinner will be on your own, and you will spend the night at the hotel.

After breakfast, you will embark on a private car and travel 180 km to Halong Bay, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site consisting of 2000 islands surrounded by limestone in the Gulf of Tonkin. Halong Bay offers visitors a natural wonderland with stunning landscapes.

Once in Halong, you will board a boat and spend the night on the bay, where you will be treated to a delicious menu of fresh seafood, making it one of the most memorable experiences of your trip.

Lunch and dinner will be served on the boat, and in the evening, you will have one hour of free-flow at the bar on board. You can choose from a variety of drinks, including juice, beer, soft drinks, and wine. You will spend the night on the boat.

It is suggested that you wake up early in the morning on this day to enjoy the beautiful view of the aquamarine water of the bay. After having lunch on the boat, you will continue to explore the impressive limestone formations around the bay. In the afternoon, we will drive to Hanoi airport by private car to catch your flight to Danang.

Upon arrival in Danang, your local guide will meet you and transfer you to your hotel in Hoian for check-in. Dinner will be on your own, and you will spend the night at the hotel.

Today’s itinerary offers a delightful opportunity to experience rural life in Hoian and enjoy Vietnamese cuisine. After breakfast, your local guide will meet you at your hotel, and you’ll visit the local market to observe the bustling morning market and interact with vendors. You can also learn bargaining techniques while shopping. The tour guide will introduce you to the necessary ingredients for cooking classes.

Next, you’ll take a coracle ride and paddle through the Bay Mau nipa forest canals, surrounded by the natural beauty of the nipa palm forest. You can purchase adorable handmade souvenirs, such as hats, watches, and rings, made from nipa palm leaves.

Our guide will introduce you to the fun folk game “bit mat dap nieu.” Then, you’ll take a break with some local tea before joining the cooking class with our local chefs to prepare for lunch. The chefs will teach you how to cook Vietnamese dishes and share valuable information about Vietnamese culinary culture. You’ll enjoy the Vietnamese food that you’ve prepared for lunch.

The relaxing time involves a boat tour along the Thu Bon River, where you can enjoy the countryside’s river beauty, observe the traditional way of catching fish, and experience the hospitality of the local fishermen.

You’ll return to your hotel around 3 pm and then head to the Reaching Out Tea House to enjoy peaceful and quiet moments of silence and tranquility.

Afterward, you’ll be transferred back to the hotel for dinner on your own, followed by an overnight stay in Hoi An.

You will be picked up from your hotel in Hoi An and transferred to Ba Na Hills. Here, you will take the Cable Car, which is one of the five highest in the world, to reach Ba Na Hills station. During the ride, you will stop at By Night station to visit Vong Nguyet hills, Linh Ung Pagoda, and The Old Villas of French. You will then continue up to the Nui Chua Mountain, which is the highest point of Ba Na range. Here, you can visit Nghinh Phong top, Le Nim Villas, and Orchid Garden. You can also experience hill climbing train, which is the first and only funicular in Vietnam, and visit the old French cellar called Debay Ancient Wine Cellar, flower garden Le Jardin D’amour, and Linh Ung Pagoda.

You will also have a chance to walk across the famous Golden Bridge and enjoy the panoramic view over the area of mountain and lush trees. Lunch will be on your own choices at a local restaurant. After lunch, you will have free time to enjoy games in Fantasy Park, which is the third biggest indoor games zone in Vietnam with a series of interesting games, including 4-5D films, skiver, the death race, and dinosaur park.

You will then return to your hotel in Hoian, and the rest of the day is yours to spare. Meals will be on your own, and you will spend the night at the hotel.

This day is reserved for your own personal leisure time to enjoy the beach in Hoi An. You are free to spend your time as you wish, without any planned activities or schedule. You can explore the area around your hotel, relax on the beach, go for a swim, or engage in any other activities that interest you. Meals are not included, so you can choose where and what to eat on your own. You will spend the night at the hotel.

In the morning, you’ll be taken to Danang Airport without a guide, where you’ll catch a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Once you arrive, our local guide and driver will pick you up and take you to your hotel to check in. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, and then take a short break before our motorbike driver picks you up for an afternoon shopping tour. You’ll ride around Ho Chi Minh City, stopping at various shops, malls, and markets where you can pick out stylish and sophisticated outfits to impress your friends and family.

After your shopping spree, you’ll be taken back to your hotel. Dinner is on your own, and you’ll spend the night at the hotel.

In the morning, our guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel and drive for approximately 2.5 hours to reach Cai Be. Along the way, we will make a stop for refreshments and a restroom break.

Upon arrival, we will visit a flea market before embarking on a cruise along the canals and channels to enjoy the beautiful views of the Mekong River. We will stop by a house-boat at the floating market to taste fresh fruits and observe the locals conducting their business on the water.

During our visit to some local cottage industries, you can see a coconut candy workshop, try snake wine, learn how to make pop-rice, or witness the process of making rice paper.

We will cross the Mekong River to visit Tan Phong island, where we will explore a tropical fruit garden and enjoy traditional Vietnamese music. We will also take a hand-rowing sampan to experience the local way of life.

Lunch will be served at a local house, where your host will demonstrate how to cook a traditional Vietnamese dish. You can also challenge yourself by cooking the dish and enjoy your lunch afterward.

After lunch, you can either take a rest at the house or go on a 30-minute cycling tour around the village to get a better sense of local life.

We will then head back to Ho Chi Minh City and drop you off at your hotel. Dinner will be on your own, and you will spend the night at the hotel.

This morning, we will depart from the city in a private vehicle to visit the impressive tunnel system of Cu Chi. This network spans almost 250km and provided shelter to over 16,000 Vietcong guerrillas during the wars. The tunnels were first built in 1948 to protect against French air and ground attacks, and later served as communication routes, storage facilities, hospitals, and living quarters for Vietnamese fighters during the American war. If you’re interested, you can even go down into the tunnels to learn more about the tough living conditions of the Vietcong. After returning to the city center, you can take a short rest. Lunch will not be provided.

In the evening, you will be taken to the Saigon River bank to board the Bonsai Cruise. While slowly cruising along the river, you can enjoy a buffet dinner on the boat. Then, you will be transferred back to your hotel for the night.

This day is a free day for you to spend as you please until it is time to be transferred to the airport for your departure flight. You can enjoy the hotel facilities or explore the city on your own. Check-out time is at noon. Meals on your own. This marks the end of our services.