ESSENCE OF NORTH TO CENTRAL VIETNAM (10 DAYS 9 NIGHTS)

Hanoi - Duong Lam - Sapa - Hanoi - Halong - Hue - Hoian

5.0 0 Rating

90% Recommended

Duration

10 Days - 9 Nights

Language

English

Highlights

• Explore Hanoi with optional city tour or street food experience

• Visit Duong Lam Ancient Village and learn about rural traditions

• Trekking in Sapa through hill tribe villages & rice terraces

• Overnight cruise in stunning Halong Bay

• Discover Hue’s Imperial City and cruise the Perfume River

• Scenic Hai Van Pass & Cham culture in Danang

• Experience local life in Hoi An: fishing, farming & cooking

• Stroll through Hoi An Ancient Town before departure

Itinerary

day 1

Day 1: Hanoi arrival – City tour

Welcome to Hanoi Noi Bai international airport You are welcomed by Seagulls Travel’s guide & driver then it takes about 50 minutes by vehicle to get into Hanoi city. (Notice: hotel official check in is from 14:00, hotel early check in is NOT included, and is subject to hotel availability and regulation; hotel early check in can be available on request) You enjoy your free & easy time to take a rest to recover from jet lag after long-hour flights Overnight at hotel in central Hanoi city Optional tour 1: HANOI SIGHTSEEING TOUR & WATER PUPPET SHOW: An Option to do a short tour in the afternoon to visit to one of the most beautiful lakes of Hanoi – the Hoan Kiem lake (Restore Sword Lake) & Ngoc Son Temple located on a beautiful islet in middle of the lake. Then, watching water puppet show Optional tour 2: STREET FOOD TOUR AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

day 2

Day 2: Hanoi – Countryside Tour To Duong Lam Ancient Village – Overnight On Train (B, L)

Breakfast at the hotel, check out 08:00am, Pick up from your hotel, depart 8.00 for Duong Lam Ancient villge, located some within 60km from central Hanoi to the West, Duong Lam village is a purely agricultural village, typical of the Northern Red River delta which still preserves and standing many hundred-year-old houses, On arrival to Duong Lam, we start our walking tour from the Main Entrance of the village, amazingly, Duong Lam is the only hamlet with the village’s original main entrance gate still remains intact till today, continue walking in to the village, we take a visit to the Mong Phu communal house which located in the very center of the Duong Lam village, the Communal house is one of the most solemn place where worships the Tan Vien Mountain Saint – one of four immortal Saint in Vietnamese traditional conceptions – as the tutelary of the village, the Communal house is one of the beautiful art work, a typical of the Northern Vientam, We keep walking, going through the narrow alleys for sightseeing and taking photos of the old laterite brick houses which makes up the special feature and unique for the village. Lunch will be served in a local family at a beautiful ancient house. After lunch, we take a walk or a very short drive to the nearby Mia Pagoda (another hamlet of Duong Lam), built in the 15th century, some 287 statues of all sizes can be seen here, among which are famous sculptures such as the statue of Buddha and the statues of the ‘Eight Vajra Deities’. Next stop, we take a visit to the nearby Phung Hung temple & Ngo Quyen Masoleum, the 2 places dedicated to two great national heroes who drove a way foreign enemy and regained the independence for Vietnam Free time (own dinner) until you will be picked up and transferred to Hanoi train station for a night train trip to Sapa, overnight on the train.

day 3

Day 3: Lao Cai Train Station Arrival – Drive to Sapa – Cat Cat Village (B, L, D)

The night train arrives in Lao Cai station at 6 AM Impress travel team will pick you up from the entrance of Lao Cai station, and transfer to central Sapa town (40km, 1 hour ). This town located at an elevation of 1600 meters above sea level, Sapa is a delightful former French hill station situated in the mountainous region of Vietnam’s northwest, close to the Chinese border and at the foot of the Hoang Lien Mountain range and the Fansipan Mount as known as the roof of Indochina (located at 3,143m above sea level). Sapa is home to many ethnic minority groups and each group bears their own traditional customs and habits, with their own lifestyle, with differences in the architecture in houses, unique costumes, and your cultures which have preserved from hundreds of years, from generations to generations On arrival to your hotel, put down your luggage to repack, (you may leave your big luggage in the hotel store, and get them back on the next day), a shower for refreshment can available on your request) Breakfast will be served at the hotel 09:00, guide and transfer pick you up again for a short drive to the entrance of Y Linh Ho Village (3km, 15 minutes) You will hike some 10 km from the Y Linh Ho village and trekking through Y Linh Ho to the Lao Chai & Ta Van hill tribe villages, the trekking pathway is with many up and down along the buffalo trails and passing through a suspension bridge, local houses of the black H’Mong ethnic people, with the terraced rice paddy fields, the bamboo bushes, you will have a great chance for sightseeing and interacting with the local ethnic people with their unique way of life, the tour is amazing and is truly a must-see for whoever wants to go to Sapa (Notice: it depends on how fit you are and hiking speed, the guide will flexible and will discuss with you to decide if should take picnic lunch on the way or eating at the restaurant) On arrival to Ta Van Village, check-in the homestay in Ta Van, take a shower and relax, you can enjoy your free time. In the afternoon time, exploring the Ta Van village and its surrounding area, take a photograph and interact with the local tribal people Enjoy your dinner at the homestay Free time to have dinner on your arrangement & overnight at the homestay in Ta Van (notice: If you would prefer to stay in the hotel in central Sapa rather than taking the homestay, please make sure the hotel reservation confirmed in advance already)

day 4

Day 4: Sapa – Cat Cat & Sin Chai Village – Night Train Return Hanoi – Overnight on Train (B, L)

Breakfast at the homestay, farewell the house owner 09:00 am: Impress Travel team will pick you up at the homestay, we return to central Sapa town, you enjoy another a guided walking tour to the nearby Cat Cat & Sin Chai villages, which are home to the Black Hmong tribe. You will do a trekking tour, with up & down of the stone steps and pathway to explore Cat Cat village with amazing scenery of Fansipan mountain, with traditional houses of the black H’Mong tribal people, with rice terraces, the waterfall, and ancient hydrofoil power station was since 19th century. After Cat Cat village, take a short drive to Sin Chai village where you could make the soul melt away by green rice paddies. We may also take a visit to a local family chatting or experience with the lifestyle tribal H’Mong. Enjoy your lunch at the local restaurant. In the afternoon, explore the fabulous markets selling traditional art and crafts, embroidery, and silverware items. (Notice: Hotel room and surcharge for day use can be available on request). Arrival to Lao Cai city, enjoy your dinner by your own payment (restaurants available nearby Train Station) before taking a night train trip back to Hanoi Overnight on the train (share a 4-berth cabin type).

day 5

Day 5: Hanoi – Halong bay – overnight on cruise (B, L, D)

Begin the new day with breakfast in the restaurant Pick up at 07:30 from your hotel to travel to Halong Bay (distance 160km, a stop for a break time on halfway for a refreshment). You enjoy the drive and sightseeing the peaceful countryside scenery during the bus trip (4 hours), we arrive at the at Ha Long Bay seaport at around noon time At 12.00 noon, you aboard the cruise, check-in & enjoy a welcome drink while your cabin will be assigned. Check-in your cabin and put your luggage in, relax and may do a short inspection tour by moving around the cruise to discover about the cruise’s architecture & design Relax, sightseeing and taking photographs before lunch is served. A sumptuous lunch with fresh seafood meal will be served while cruise slowly gliding out into the Halong bay. It’s a wonderful opportunity to admire thousands of islands and islets with magnificent caves and grottoes at the inside the islands, admiring sparkling stalactites and stalagmites like germs and listening to the legends of the Dragons and the land and seascape in the area, You may enjoy extra activities organized on board (depends on each cruise’ program, such as visiting a floating village, going for kayaking (notice: extra activities subject to availability, kayaking fee is on own expense, can be available on request at Cruise’s reception) Relax on the cruise during the happy hours or may join in a cooking demonstration, watching the sunset on Cruise. Dinner is served on cruise After dinner, free at leisure time to relax on Cruise and socialize with other guests or can join in some other evening activities such as squid fishing…, Overnight in your cabin on the Cruise.

day 6

Day 6: Halong bay cruise tour – Hanoi – Flight to Hue (B, Brunch)

Early bird risers may be awarded a great chance to enjoy the sunrise and enjoy the amazingly peaceful breath-taking beauties of Ha Long Bay’s seascape in early morning. Refresh your body & soul with a Tai-chi martial art lesson on the sundeck. Breakfast will be served You continue enjoy the sightseeing tour on the cruise until noon time, sightseeing, taking photographs & relax on board At about 09:30 – 10:00, packup your luggage and check out your cabin while cruising returning to the boat pier. Lunch will be served on Cruise (or in restaurant in land in Halong city, depends on different cruise’s program) 11:30 am – Return to prier, and disembark the Cruise & say fare well to all crew member, Meet again the driver and the bus for another 4 driving back to Hanoi, About 16:00 – Arrival back to Hanoi central city, you will be picked up and transferred to Airport for a short flight to Hue city On arrival Hue city airport, pick up and transfer from Danang to hotel in Hoi An, check in, free & easy Free time & Overnight in Hue city

day 7

Day 7: Hue city tour – boat trip – Hoi An (B, L)

Have breakfast at the hotel. Visit Hue Imperial City, including the Hue citadel, the Flag Tower, main entrance gate with the Noon Gate with the Five Phoenix Pavilions, entering through the gate to visit the Thai Hoa Palace ( the great Harmony Palace where Nguyen Kings held court ), the Royal Theatre, Nine Dynasty Urns, Five Phoenix Tower,… You will have lunch at the restaurant Visit Minh Mang King’s Tomb We will aboard a small dragon boat trip on the Perfume River to enjoy the landscape along banks of the Huong River. Boat trip ends at the pier where you get off for a visit to the Thien Mu Pagoda (Celestial Lady Pagoda), one of the oldest and most beautiful Pagoda in Hue and listening to the tale about the Celestial Lady and how the Pagoda was constructed. Back drive to Hoi An (140km ~ 3 hours by car or van ) Free time & overnight in Hoi An

day 8

Day 8: Hue – Danang – Hoi An (B, L)

After breakfast at your hotel. You enjoy your free time at leisure or visit the Dong Ba Market & check out the hotel Leaving Hue, we depart to Hoian, stopover on the summit of the Hai Van Mountain Pass (of 30 km length) for a sightseeing tour and taking photographs from the top of the mountain. (It is from the top of the Hai Van Mount Pass, where you may see a breathtaking scenery of the panoramic view of the Eastern Sea especially the white sandy Lang Co Beach all in your vision) On arrival in Danang city, you will have lunch at the local restaurant. In the afternoon, we take a visit to the Cham Museum to learn about the Cham people’s history, culture, and especially architecture and sculpture with stones, temples, and towers, these are truly magnificent & unique artworks of a people who once found and developed a very brilliantly Empire and civilization from about the 4th until the 13th centuries and in the land where present-day is the central part of Vietnam We visit the Marble Mountain which is a cluster of five hills made from limestone and marble and named after the 5 essential elements including metal, wood, water, fire, earth and Marble Mountains are a well-known pilgrimage site On arrival in Hoi An, check-in the hotel and overnight at the hotel in Hoi An

day 9

Day 9: Hoi An – Countryside Tour - Fishing - Biking - Cooking- Farming (B/ Local family Lunch)

Breakfast at hotel Am: Pick up from the hotel in Hoi An and takes you to Cam Nam fishing village to learn fishing for more experience under the instruction of the local people, especially, you will practice how to catch fish, how to cast a fish net into the river… next, proceed to the green Bay Mau water coconut forest, where you will get a chance to row a basket boat and using a fishing tool to catch field crabs while admiring the tranquil atmosphere of the real peaceful countryside area once the revolutionary base of Hoi An in the past, Leaving the coconut forest, you will be transferred and to ride a bicycle for visiting Tra Que Vegetable Village, You will ride through peaceful villages and enjoy the beauties of the countryside of surrounding area in Hoi An. On arrival Tra Que, you are welcomed with the friendly smiles and special drink; “E” water or local tea. It is here that you will have a chance to do a cooking class with the family, under the instruction of the house owner, you will practice how to prepare ingredients, and cook the Hoi An special authentic dishes. Have lunch at the local family. Pm: You will dress in farming clothes, take a short walk around to visit the garden where local farmers work and use the traditional methods without having electrical machines support. After that you are under the instruction of household; he will show you how to prepare and make the land, you fertilize green manure before growing vegetables. Watering the vegetables, which you have just grown, is the last activity in the procedure of planting them. After that, you come back to the house to relax by soaking your feet in Vietnamese herbs. This is one of the ways to refresh ourselves after a hard time in the garden of Vietnamese. Then you be transferred back to your hotel in Hoi An. Free time and overnight in Hoian

day 10

Day 10: Hoi An Walking Tour – Departure (B, L)

Have breakfast at hotel. This morning you will take a tour to wandering around the old streets to visit Hoi An ancient town including the Japanese Covered Bridge, the beautiful Chinese Assembly Halls, the Phuc Kien Pagoda, and the local market… Lunch is served at restaurant You are free & easy before being transferred to Danang Airport for your departure flight. Tour ends.

Inclusions

Inclusions: • Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B: Breakfast at hotel; L: Lunch; D: Dinner) • Private transfers & transportation as tour program • Local English-speaking guides as tour program • Entrance & admission fees, boat fee as tour program • Accommodation • Water on transfer

Exclusions

Exclusions: • Drinks/beverage during the meals & Personal insurance. • Compulsory tips for guide & driver • International and domestic flight tickets & Entry visa to Vietnam • Personal expenses, meals and any services not mentioned in the program • Early check-in and late check-out at hotels

Contact

Please feel free to contact us by

0962130566 contact@seagullstravel.com

Rating

5.0

0 Rating

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

Name