Vietnam

 Hanoi arrival(D)

Private transfer and accommodation for two nights in the Old Quarter of trades. The hotel offers a level of comfort and service quite appreciable decoration which puts a touch of Vietnamese style. An oasis of calm in an environment that is both peaceful and buzzing. We visit the famous Lake of Restored Sword ( Ho Hoan Kiem) which is also offering a great escape from the stress of modern life and Ngoc Son Temple. Cyclo arround Old Quarter. Close your day by attending a wonderful performance of Water Puppet Show. Enjoy dinner

  Hanoi Home Cooking Class – City tour – night train to Lao Cai(B,L,D)

Today you spend the morning time to discover the Vietnamese cuisine. A cooking class always begins with a race to the market to choose ingredients that will then be used in the morning. Then we take you in a beautiful house in the village of Thanh Tri, known with Banh Cuon – Ravioli rice, which is 7km from the city center. The mistress of the house, has the secret recipe of Banh Cuon – specialty of the village, share how to do it, then his niece – chef also give you the information to make some www.lana-tour.net traditional dishes. The cooking session lasts about 2 hours. Lunch will be an opportunity to taste dishes prepared by you. Back in town and afternoon On this this afternoon city tour, you will visit the very impressive Museum of Ethnology, among the finest of Vietnam’s museums. You will see many exhibits, photographs and actual houses inhabited by some of the 54 ethnic people in Vietnam. It will offer a truly colorful introduction to these ethnic tribes. From here, you will enjoy a one hour cyclo tour of Hanoi’s vibrant Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake, the focal point of the city Transfer in the evening to the railway station to take the night train to Lao Cai. Overnight on train

  Sapa – Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Tavan(B,L,D)

Met up at your hotel in Sapa by local guide then walking down to the south east of Sapa along the side of Muong Hoa valley to Y Linh Ho village of the Black H’mong. Continue on 2km of trekking down to Lao Chai village of the H’mong. Lunch at a local family, and then walk through terraced rice fields to Ta Van village of the Dzay minority people where we stay for the night. It gives you a worth chance for you to learn about the local house architecture which is full of their daily life styles and exclusive custom. Enjoy the landscapes. Back to Sa Pa for overnight

 Sapa – Suoi Ho – Matra Village – Ta Phin – Lao Cai – Hanoi by night train (B,L,D)

You will be met up at your hotel at 8AM by local guide then start a short walk downhill through beautiful orchid gardens and pine forests. You will then reach a small village of Suoi Ho is inhabited by Hmong ethnic minority. Their house normally built of land has no windows because of the cold in the winter. You will then continue your walk through rice paddy fields and spectacular scenery to Ma tra. Your journey will be mostly driving to Ta Phin village. Here you can experience the unmixed cultural life of Black Hmong and Red Dao minorities, 2 largest ethnic groups in the area. They live happily together while maintaining their own tradition from generation to generation. You can recognise them by dressing while they are both very famous of handicraft. You will enjoy walking among local people. The trip also offers you the opportunity to visit the local houses. Then our vehicle will be waiting for us for our drive back to Lao Cai for overnight on train.

 Hanoi – Ha Long bay (B,L,D)

Arrival in Hanoi railway station early in the morning. You will have the rooms in the hotel near the station for shower and breakfast www.lana-tour.net 07.45 – 8.15: Pick up from hotels at Hanoi Old Quarter, if using Gray Line’s shuttle service 12.15: Embark at Tuan Chau Marina. Enjoy complimentary drink at Gray Line reception room 12.30: Get on Gray Line boat easily by private quay, then you will be warmly welcomed by Crew, who will serve you in the trip. Welcome drink will be served instantly following cruise briefing. Check in to your reserved cabin and take a rest. 13.20: Enjoy a nice set lunch. Relax on sundeck and grab the unparalleled scenery of Halong Bay while cruising ahead to the Bay. Cruise through Hoa Cuong floating fishing farm. 15:00: By tender, visit Titop Island. Free choice of activities such as sunbathing, swimming and conquering the peak of the biggest island in Halong that is named of a Russian space hero and taking panoramic photos of Halong bay in the afternoon 16.00: Challenging yourself at Luon cave by kayaking – an indispensable water activity in Halong offering the serenity of escape and cooling your soul down after a 4-hour-car drive 17:30: Go back Gray Line boat for relaxation. Regain your energy by enjoying fantastic views of Halong on sundeck at dusk. Enjoy the mini sunset party with complimentary seasonal fruits and finger foods. To get memorable sunset moment, you should order some Halong styled glasses of cocktail by joining buy-one-get-one-free program, made by our skillful bartenders. 18.30: Join cooking class on the sundeck. Gray Line’s chef shows you how to make Spring Roll – an authentic specialty, which is voted for World’s 50 best foods by CNN 19.30: A sophisticated dinner that gives you an appetite will be dedicatedly served in romantic ambience, especially with BBQ fresh seafood and a variety of Vietnamese and Western foods. 21:00: Evening activities: watching film at the outdoor bar; playing board, guitar and card games; going fishing squid on tender. Enjoy squid cooked after fishing. 22:00: Overnight at the quietest sleeping area, End of the first day in Halong.

 Halong – Hanoi – flight to Hue (B,L,D)

06.30: Start a new day by doing Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck or being ready your camera while Dawn breaks over the sea. 07.30: Have a light breakfast with coffee, tea and bakeries at Gray Line restaurant. 08.30: Explore Me Cung (Maze) cave, which is rare in cave-lake seascape. Climb up several rugged stone stairs to admire the miracle of stalactites in a very complex structure, then gradually to the west overlooking a great lake considered as a royal garden surrounding by natural mountain walls, seemingly www.lana-tour.net isolated on the bay. Its water looks blue all year round and breathtaking from high above. Moreover, values of nature and archeology about Maze cave as well as the life of local ancient people in thousand years ago will be revealed by your professional tour guide. 9.30 – 10.30: Come back the cruise. Time to check out your cabin, relax among grand views. Farewell lunch is deliciously served whilst Gray Line keeps on its route back to the marina. 11:45: Disembark at Tuan Chau Marina. Relax at Gray Line reception room. Go back to Hanoi to take the flight to Hue. Upon arrival, you will pick up and transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Hue.

NOTES:
 All timing above are estimated, the exact timing will be given by Tour Guide in that day.
 Cruise itinerary and schedule are subject to change due to weather, tide levels and operating conditions.
 All activities in itinerary are included, just ignore some of them if you would love to have more relaxation.

 Hue discovery (B,L,D)

You will start the day with the discovery of the Imperial City, listed Unesco World Heritage. Hue was the ancient capital of Vietnam, under the reign of the Nguyen dynasty, from 1802 to 1945. The city is considered a big living museum with many historical monuments, imperial tombs, pagodas and temples that tell us the history of the last feudal dynasty in Vietnam. Road to the grapefruits village of Thuy Bieu, between the city center and Nguyen emperors tombs. The old village is spe- cialized in the plantation of grapefruits, recognized for their quality. In the past, they were offered to the royal family. Lunch in a locals’ house. Road to the grapefruits village of Thuy Bieu, between the city center and Nguyen emperors tombs. The ancient village is specialized in the plantation of grapefruits, famous for their quality. In the past, they were given to the royal family. Cradle of culture of Hue, Thuy Bieu is an old village currently developing eco-tourism. Ride by bike, some stops are prevised: to the old temple dedicated to the genius of the village, at school, and in a family which owns three of the older houses. These buil- dings are characterized by engravings and sculptures in wood: dragons, phoenix and other natural landscapes on columns, beams or rafters. Return by bike to the family house. Participate in the preparation of the lunch with the family: figs salad, lemongrass duck…. Go back by car to the center of Hue. Overnight in hotel

 Hue – Da Nang – Hoi An (B,L,D)

Leave Hue in the morning to go to Hoi An. Let’s go to the fishing village of Van Lang! Discover these places that make the charm of Vietnam: local market Ba Le, rice fields, traditional cemeteries, schools… Arrived in the village, you will be warmly welcomed by Mr. Han, from a family of three generations. He will offer you a green tea tasting. After that, you will take a cruise on board of a « thung chai », a round basket boat made of bamboo, much more stable than you think, and the fishermen will teach you the traditional fishing. Guaranteed fun ! Back to Mr. Han’s house, take advantage of a relaxation time thanks to a foot massage with medicinal herbs, a traditional therapy practice, very enjoyable. Your feet will be in a tepid bath with lemongrass and leafs of lemon tree, that will delight your sense of smell. www.lana-tour.net Then you will prepare the lunch with the Han Family. On the menu : crunchy pancakes, nems from Hoi An, tam huu, grilled fish in a leaf of banana tree… It’s delicious ! And finally, to finish this beautiful day, you will have the chance to chill in the shade of a coconut tree, before going back to Hoi An.

Hoi An visit – Da Nang – flight to Sai Gon(B,L,D)

Hoi An, a charming destination with two faces – the old-world trading port of narrow streets and traditional houses, an d the beach with its new resorts and long stretches of clean white sand. In keeping with Hoi An’s heritage as a trading port, the town’s tiny shop houses now host a range of craft shops and artisans including some of Asia’s best tailors. Despite the passing of 200 years and the ravages of weather and war, the centre of Hoi An remains much the same as it was in its heyday. Take a walking tour of the ancient town centre to visit former merchants’ houses, the 400 year-old Japanese Bridge, a Chinese communal hall and the colorful market. Transfer in the afternoon to Da Nang airport to take the flight to Sai Gon. Pick up and transfer to the hotel for overnight.

 Sai Gon – Authentic Market tour and Cruise Dinner (B,L,D)

Today is spent for an athentic Market Tour around Sai Gon. Ho Thi Ky is considered the biggest flower market in town and is known as the Langbiang Plateau (famously located in Dalat) of HCM City. • Pet market • Ba Hat Market is a small local market where Saigoneses people can buy fresh food, fruits • Nhat Tao market where many skilled electronic technicians can turn old PCs – TVs into new ones to sell to the poor in the southwestern region. • Tan Thanh market where you can find all kinds of motorbike parts here • Soai Kinh Lam Market is a big fabric market with nearly 500 stalls which sell silks, suit material, cotton for shirts, and material for curtains, corduroy, tartans, and denim. • Binh Tay Market was built as per western architecture but with bold Chinese influence. This market only sells goods wholesale. • Kim Bien Market have commodities such as telephone accessories, computers, sunglasses, cosmetics, toys, labor protective clothing and chemicals used in industry and food processing. • Thien Hau Pagoda: is a Chinese style temple located on Nguyễn Trãi Street in the Cho Lon (Chinatown) Depart from your hotel to Bach Dang Port and have a look before boarding a ship. Your guide will take some commemorative photographs with you at the port before getting in the ship and have Saigon dinner in it. Enjoy a special dinner on the Saigon River and experience the vibrant city from this spacious floating restaurant while taking in views of the Saigon riverbank, across the Dragon Harbor, you will have a chance to discover all the things that you will never be discovered if you are not on the cruise, with an open view from 2 sides of the junk, you can fully enjoy Ho Chi Minh City night sky and the bustling river lives. www.lana-tour.net During the Saigon dinner time, you will enjoy Southern Vietnamese Folk Music that create the most romantic atmosphere in the middle of the Saigon river. After your Saigon dinner cruise, we will take you back to your hotel about 22:00

 Sai Gon – Ben Tre – Sai Gon(B,L,D)

Depart from Saigon around 8am and head south to Ben Tre province, famous for its coconut production and quiet, peaceful waterways. On arrival, take a Xe loi ride through the local village of Huu Dinh to enjoy the green fields and gardens. Continue with a short walk to Huu Phuoc Bridge, where you will start your boat trip through small canals with beautiful tropical scenery. On board the boat, enjoy a welcome drink of fresh coconut juice and tropical fruits while cruising. The cruise will first stop at a brick making shop, where the locals still use centuries-old traditional methods to make the bricks by hand. Then you will head back to your boat to cross the An Hoa River, where you will take a sampan trip through narrow canals and enjoy the peacefulness of the region. The sampan will take you to visit one of our friends, Mrs. Huong, who lives with her 3 children and grandson – they live on fishing, shrimp and fruit orchards. Enjoy fresh fruits and tea before heading to visit a rice noodles factory which produces Hu Tieu noodles, one of most popular breakfast dishes in the region. Then switch to a bicycle and ride on village roads past green gardens and local houses, and stop at another local house where they live on their traditional family business, sampan boat building. Then continue your cycling trip to My Long to visit Mr Sau Tuong, a former Vietcong soldier who survived two years fighting the Khmer Rouge in Phnom Penh. Now he and his wife live on making rice paper which is the most famous specialty of My Long village. Have a chat with him and enjoy the crispy rice paper made by his wife, and see how it is made. Then return to the village road to carry on the bike ride to a local restaurant by the river side. It is time for you to relax and enjoy a 5-course lunch of local specialties. Relax and walk around the garden after lunch, and then visit the nearby house of Mr Hung, who is a famous sticky rice maker in the village. You can also feed his stock of catfish and walk through his fruit garden. After the visit, the boat will be waiting for you at the pier nearby to bring you back to Ben Tre city where your car will be ready to take you back to Saigon. Overnight in hotel