Vietnam Panorama in 24 Days – Complete Tour from North to South

Breakfast at the hotel.

Pick up by the guide for a visit to the Museum of Ethnology (closed every Monday), which offers a unique opportunity to explore the cultural richness of the numerous ethnic groups present in Vietnam. After the museum, it will be time for the Temple of Literature (Quoc Tu Giam); considered the first national university of Vietnam, it was built under the Ly dynasty in the 11th century. The complex served as a place for the worship of Confucius and as a school to teach royal children.

Free lunch in a local restaurant (not included).

In the afternoon, you will visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (from the outside only, as it is closed on Mondays and Fridays) before taking a pleasant walk in the botanical gardens and visiting the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house where he lived and worked, and Ba Dinh Square, the place where Ho Chi Minh read the declaration of Vietnam’s independence from the French in 1945. Then, a stop will be made at the One Pillar Pagoda, considered one of the city’s most important symbols.

Afterward, you will visit the Tran Quoc Pagoda, dating back to the 6th century during the dynasty of Emperor Ly Nam De. Finally, you will take a rickshaw ride of about 40 minutes (xich lo) around Hoan Kiem Lake (the Lake of the Restored Sword), which evokes the legend of a giant turtle and a magic sword used to drive the Chinese out of Vietnam, and the Hanoi Old Quarter with its famous narrow streets teeming with life.

The day ends with a water puppet show, in which the daily life, culture, and beliefs of the Vietnamese people are told through puppets on water.

At the end of the visits, return to the hotel.

Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Hanoi.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure for Hoa Binh (160km ~ 3.5 hours) along a road dominated by landscapes of terraced rice fields. You will continue to the Thung Khe Pass, where you can admire magnificent panoramic views of the valley before arriving in the town of Mai Chau. Continue toward the Mai Hich valley, a picturesque village less frequented by tourists in the Mai Chau valley.

Free lunch in a local restaurant (not included).

In the afternoon, a walk or a bicycle ride around the village will allow you to best enjoy the lush landscape and the rice fields stretching as far as the eye can see.

Free dinner (not included) and overnight stay in traditional stilt houses in Mai Hich.

Option 01: Overnight stay in traditional stilt houses – private room with private bathroom.

Option 02: Overnight stay in traditional stilt houses shared with shared bathroom.

(Basic comfort – here mattresses are laid out, covered by mosquito nets. In the courtyard, there are shared facilities with toilets, washbasins, and showers).

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit to the villages of Poom Cong and Lac; the main ethnic group encountered is the White Thai. You will travel along Route 6 to reach the Moc Chau plateau. Stop along the road to visit H’Mong villages. You will cross the Pa Uon bridge to arrive in Phu Yen. Stop for lunch in a small local restaurant.

Continue toward Nghia Lo and Tu Le.

Accommodation and overnight stay in a local hotel or Homestay.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Return to Khau Pha to head back to La Pan Tan – an authentic H’Mong village from where you can take thousands of beautiful photos of the rice terraces masterfully created by Hmong farmers, a tradition passed down from generation to generation.

After the lunch break, you will continue the excursion and take many souvenir photos. Stop at Che Cu Nha and the Ba Nha bridge, followed by an uphill walk of about 2 hours to best enjoy the place and its wonders from above, before going to Mu Cang Chai.

Overnight stay in a White Thai people’s homestay.

Breakfast at the homestay.

Leaving Mu Cang Chai, we head towards Sapa along a particularly scenic mountain road. During the journey, several stops are planned to admire the spectacular landscapes of terraced rice fields, lush tea plantations, and rural villages nestled among the hills. A brief stop in Than Uyen is also scheduled, one of the most characteristic rice valleys inhabited by Thai ethnic minorities, where you can capture the authenticity of local life.

Than Uyen, at the foot of Mount Fansipan, is home to colorful ethnic groups such as the Thai, Dao, H’mong, and Khmu. Traditionally, local women are distinguished by their black teeth and indigo-colored clothes encrusted with silver pieces. The splendid landscapes of limestone peaks, rice terraces, and ethnic villages offer the opportunity to take beautiful photographs.

We cross the Hoang Lien Son Pass (also known as the Tram Ton Pass or O Quy Ho Pass), the longest and highest in Vietnam, at 54 km long and an altitude of 2,047 meters above sea level. We stop to admire a spectacular view of the valley before arriving in the town of Sapa.

Lunch in a small local restaurant along the way. In the afternoon, we reach Sapa, the small town “discovered” by the French in 1903. Weather permitting, it will be possible to take a walk around the center of Sapa.

Free dinner and overnight stay at a hotel in the center of Sapa.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Continue visiting Sapa with a trek toward the village of Y Linh Ho. Follow the downhill path and interact with the friendly H’mong women and children living in houses nestled in the valley. You will make a stop at the cable car bridge to refresh yourselves and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding nature. If you are sporty and adventurous, follow the uphill trek along the buffalo path (dirt track) with breathtaking views and fewer tourists. For those who prefer an easier trek, you can take a pleasant walk along the Muong Hoa River.

You will then go to Lao Chai Village via a small path that crosses the rice fields to the small village. It is an excellent opportunity to learn about their daily life and culture. The tour continues with the exploration of Ta Van village, the fascinating land of the Dzay people, beautifully situated on the hill with a splendid view of the river, the rice terraces, and the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. As you stroll along the narrow village streets, you will meet the local inhabitants who will kindly invite you to visit their homes.

Free dinner and overnight stay at a hotel/homestay in Sapa.

Breakfast at the hotel/homestay.

Departure for Bac Ha passing through Thanh Kim and Thanh Phu; enjoy the breathtaking views of the mountains, the river, and the hydroelectric lakes along the way. Located at an altitude of 1000 meters, Bac Ha is home to several ethnic groups such as the colorful Hmong, Phu La, and Tay. The Bac Ha region is well known for its weekly and extremely colorful markets, surrounded by a wild and beautiful landscape. For centuries, these markets have been not only for the exchange of goods but also for the cultural exchange of ethnic groups. It is possible to visit a colorful ethnic market in Bac Ha which takes place every Sunday (Alternatively, we can visit the Coc Ly market on Tuesdays, the Sin Cheng market on Wednesdays, or the Can Cau market on Saturdays). Enjoy the evocative atmosphere with many products such as vegetables, poultry, horses, and buffaloes, while capturing many minority groups in their most colorful outfits of the week.

Free lunch in a small local restaurant.

Take a walk through some idyllic ethnic villages, which represent a typical Bac Ha landscape, interspersed with cornfields, cassava hills, and clay houses; plum gardens adorned by H’Mong women and their colorful clothes will accompany you throughout the journey. You are free to explore the town.

Free dinner and overnight stay at a homestay in Bac Ha.

Breakfast at the homestay.

Departure for Ha Giang, passing through Xin Man and Hoang Su Phi: a narrow winding road, considered the most beautiful and adventurous in North-East Vietnam. Along the way, several stops are planned to admire traditional tea drying techniques, hood weaving, and the embroidery of the Flower H’mong.

Free lunch in a small local restaurant along the road.

Arrival in Ha Giang. Dinner and overnight stay at a homestay with a Tay ethnic family, in a traditional stilt house.

Hoang Su Phi is famous for its spectacular terraced rice fields. October is the ideal time to visit, when the fields turn golden yellow at harvest time. Visitors are often enchanted by the pristine beauty of the rice paddies, the wild mountains, and the authentic culture of the ethnic minorities. The terraced rice fields of Hoang Su Phi cover 760 hectares of the 3,000 total hectares, distributed across six communes: Ban Luoc, San Sa Ho (inhabited by the Dao and Nung ethnic groups), Ban Phung (La Chi ethnic group), Ho Thau, Nam Ty, and Thong Nguyen (Red Dao ethnic group).

Breakfast at the homestay.

Go to visit the village of the White Hmong minorities. Continue to Dong Van (the only stone plain in Vietnam). Various short stops to admire the Heavenly Gate, the Fairy Mountains, the Hmong village, and its traditional weaving.

Stop to visit the village of Pho Cao.

Lunch on the road.

In the afternoon, continue by car to the limestone rocky plateau area, considered the mountainous Halong Bay. This majestic natural treasure has been included in the World Geological Park book. Along the road, you will discover “Nha Trinh Tuong” (a special type of house) while walking to the village of Lung Hoa. This is the typical Hmong house of the village, built on sticky soil. Then, visit the H’mong King’s Palace (Dinh Vua Meo). Dating back 100 years, far from the plains, the regions of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van, and Meo Vac created an autonomous zone with its own king. They cultivated poppies, and their economy was based on the opium trade with China.

Arrival in Dong Van, hotel check-in, and overnight stay.

Dong Van – this mountainous district borders China and is located on Vietnam’s limestone karst plateau. It has been declared a UNESCO Global Geopark, an extraordinary place where the perfection of nature manifests in all its power. Here, it seems that the hand of a deity has carved every rock, every pinnacle, and every geological formation into a breathtaking work of art. Countless sharp peaks, sea stacks, and spectacular formations rise in the landscape, creating a vast and majestic space of mountains, rivers, streams, and lush vegetation. It is a place where the sky seems to touch the earth, where the clouds descend like escalators, inviting us to climb toward an enchanted, almost fairytale world, where the wonder of nature awakens our deepest curiosity.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Depart from Dong Van for Meo Vac, crossing the Ma Pi Leng Pass, which will seduce you with breathtaking views of the limestone mountains, the Nho Que River, and the H’mong villages nestled in the mountainside. Continue to Bao Lac. This area is well known for the Black Lo Lo ethnic group. This region was highlighted by the French media in “The Journey to an Unknown Land.” This documentary was filmed in the village of Khuoi Khon of the Lo Lo people, 9 km from the town of Bao Lac, featuring the rugby player Frédéric Michalak.

Free lunch in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, transfer to the village of Coc Xa, in the commune of Na Van. This Lo Lo ethnic village remains more authentic than the village of Khuoi Khon, which has become more touristy following the famous documentary. Walk along the village paths, visit the homes of the locals, and speak with the hosts to better understand local life and their traditional customs. Return to town for your overnight stay.

Free dinner and overnight stay at a hotel in Bao Lac.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure for Cao Bang via Tinh Tuc; located 30 km from Bao Lac, in the commune of Hung Dao, there is a beautiful village of the San Chi ethnic group. Naturally, we will stop to visit and discover the beauty of the village. You will be among the few travelers to visit this area due to its hidden position behind the hill. The village, with hundreds of stilt houses, is nestled on the side of a mountain and overlooks a splendid valley. To reach the village, you will have to walk up a steep 2 km slope. The higher you walk, the better the view. Additionally, it is possible to visit a family to understand the authentic life of this ethnic group.

Continue your journey to Cao Bang, where you will be in awe of the magnificent nature where the mountains gently meet the valleys of rice terraces; feel free to stop to film or take photos whenever possible.

Arrival in Cao Bang in the afternoon. Check-in at the hotel and take a walk through the city’s central market. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel/homestay.

Departure from the hotel for the Ban Gioc Waterfall, one of the largest and most majestic waterfalls in Vietnam. Time dedicated to visiting the Ban Gioc falls and the Quay Son River. In the middle of the waters, there is a limestone outcrop covered with trees, which divides the current into three parts, creating a superb view. At the foot of the waterfall flows a wide stream, with crystal-clear water mirroring the sky and the surrounding vegetation. Ban Gioc is also famous for its “tram huong” fish. Possibility of swimming. The next stop is the Nguom Ngao Cave, reachable by climbing a hundred steps; its interior is dotted with numerous and incredible stalactites and stalagmites.

Free lunch in a small local restaurant.

The journey continues toward the center of Cao Bang; along the way, we will visit Phuc Sen, a blacksmith village, where you will have the opportunity to engrave your name on your kitchen knife, and the incense village of Phia Thap.

Free dinner and overnight stay at a homestay.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure for Ba Be. Boat tour on Ba Be Lake, which stretches 9 km in length and is 100 to 1800 m wide, located at an altitude of 145 m. In addition to a very rich aquatic flora and fauna, the lake will offer you diverse views of islands, mountain lakes, caves, and local dwellings. Around the lake, there are villages of mountain ethnic groups such as the Tay and Nung. They live in stilt houses and subsist on hillside cultivation. Next, we will visit the Dau Dang waterfalls. The day continues with another boat trip on the Nang River, which flows through cultivated countryside before penetrating a landscape of limestone cliffs, then entering the Puong cave-tunnel.

Free dinner and overnight stay at a local family’s home.

Breakfast in a local house.

Return to Hanoi. Along the way, we will stop in the Tan Trao area, which served as a refuge for Vietnamese fighters during the war against the French. We will also visit the Ethnology Museum of Thai Nguyen – the original version of the one located in Hanoi. This is a valuable opportunity to gain a more complete overview of all the ethnic minorities in Vietnam!

Free lunch in a small local restaurant.

Return to Hanoi. Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Meeting with the cruise company staff at 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM at the hotel reception.

Shared transfer (private upon request with a supplement) by the cruise company’s bus to Halong port (approximately 4 hours with an intermediate break).

Halong Bay, in Vietnamese “the bay where the dragon descends into the sea,” is an enchanting bay with thousands of limestone islands, karst caves, sea stacks, and islets that make it a picturesque and charming place. Magnificent, mysterious, and majestic, Halong Bay has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994 and is considered one of the new seven wonders of the world.

Day 1 of the 2D1N (2 days, 1 night) cruise program.

Meals included and overnight stay on the cruise.

IMPORTANT NOTE

• Lunch and dinner with seafood tasting on board the junk (included – drinks not included).
• Overnight on board in a private deluxe cabin (with AC and shower).
• The cruise program may vary without prior notice based on weather conditions or decisions by local authorities.
• Only one English-speaking guide provided by the cruise company is present on the junk.

Breakfast on the cruise.

Day 2 of the 2D1N cruise program:

Return on board for check-out. Enjoy brunch on board.

Return to the port. Shared transfer (private upon request with a supplement) by the cruise company’s shared limousine to Hanoi.

Return to Noi Bai airport by private car via the highway (2 hours by car) for the flight to Hue. Landing at Phu Bai airport, you will be met by a driver at the pickup hall. Transfer and check-in at the hotel in Hue.

Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Hue.

NOTE: International flights require being at the airport 3 hours before, and domestic flights 2 hours before the departure time

Breakfast at the hotel.

The day begins with the Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas in Hue, dating back to 1601. It is the city’s spiritual highlight and well known for its majestic octagonal tower and splendid view of the Perfume River. The next stop is the Hue Citadel, the sole remaining symbol of what was once the imperial city of Vietnam. It is inspired by Vauban fortifications. The city is composed of three parts: Kinh Thanh (the capital), Hoang Thanh (the imperial city), and Cam Thanh (the forbidden city).

Free lunch in a local restaurant.

The rest of the afternoon will be dedicated to the traditional incense village of Thuy Xuan, where talented artists preserve day after day the “soul” tradition of the Vietnamese nation, followed by the Imperial Tomb of Tu Duc, the most representative monument of Nguyen dynasty architecture and also one of the most marvelous constructions of the 19th century. The day concludes with the Dong Ba Market.

Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure for Hoi An (125 km – approx. 3 hours) along the Mandarin Road and the Hai Van Pass. During the journey, stop at the top of the Hai Van Pass (Pass of the Clouds) to admire the breathtaking view of the Lang Co fishing village, the ocean, and the city of Da Nang.

Upon arrival in Da Nang, visit the Cham Museum, the richest in archaeological artifacts from the ancient Champa Empire, which houses extraordinary works of art of great historical and cultural value. Continue with a visit to the Linh Ung Pagoda, where you can admire the majestic statue of the Goddess of Mercy, also known as Lady Buddha. Stop to photograph the fishermen on the beach, then continue the journey along the coastal road until reaching the ancient city of Hoi An.

Arrival in Hoi An, check-in at the hotel. Break for lunch (excluded).

In the afternoon, discover the Old Quarter. The first stop is Cam Pho – it was built following traditional Chinese architecture, a building that serves as a center for worship, trade exchange, and negotiations, as well as cultural exchange between locals and Chinese and Japanese merchants. Take a short walk to the symbol of the city of Hoi An – the Chua Cau or the Japanese Covered Bridge, built in the 17th century to allow access to the Japanese quarter from the Chinese quarters. Continue to the ancient house of Quan Thang – one of the most authentic ancient houses in Hoi An; the lively and refined architecture and sculptures were created by craftsmen from the famous Kim Bong carpentry village in Oriental style. The house offers a glimpse into the daily life of a Hoi An family. If time permits, we can also visit the Phuc Kien or Fujian Assembly Hall, built in the 17th century as a meeting place for residents, merchants, and visitors from a specific area of China called Fujian.

Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Hoi An.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Free time until the transfer to Danang airport in time for your flight to Saigon.

Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport, meet the driver (no guide), recognizable by the welcome sign with your name, at the exit after baggage claim.

Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Saigon.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh to visit the most evocative site of Vietnam War history, the Cu Chi Tunnels, a district that during the war was heavily devastated, deforested, razed to the ground, bombed, and contaminated with all possible chemical agents, including Agent Orange. During the excursion, you will visit a large section of the tunnels to experience the sensations of underground life. Cu Chi is an excellent example of the spirit, strength, and determination of the Vietnamese people for peace and freedom.

Return to the city. Free lunch in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, we visit Saigon, the ancient Royal city of Prey Nokor during the Khmer Kingdom, later the capital of the French Colony, or Cochinchina, and subsequently of the Independent Republic of South Vietnam until 1976 when it was renamed Ho Chi Minh City by the revolutionary leader of the same name. Among the most symbolic icons, we visit the Post Office, built in the late 19th century with Renaissance and Gothic style influences. We continue to the Notre Dame Cathedral (exterior only, currently under renovation), the Catholic church built during the French colony, and to the Chinatown district with the Thien Hau Pagoda.

Afterward, return to the hotel in Saigon. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning journey toward Ben Tre, a beautiful region of the Mekong Delta, famous for the production of coconut candy. Arrival at the Phong Nam Bridge for a boat trip on the Ben Tre River to discover local daily life. Stop at a kiln to observe traditional brick making. Along the canal, you will visit one of the many coconut processing workshops where you can taste fresh coconut and see how every single part of this fruit is transformed into its derivative products. Continue your boat trip along a canal to the village of Nhon Thanh. This will be an opportunity to taste fresh fruit. Take a bike ride (or Tuk tuk) on a small path through the villages and enjoy the view of coconut trees, rice fields, and vegetable gardens.

Lunch included in a small local restaurant (not included).

A short walk will help you discover local life more closely. This is followed by a boat trip on a small canal shaded by wild palms.

After the visit, transfer to Can Tho.

Free dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Can Tho.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Today you will wake up to the sounds of the Mekong River!

You will begin the day with a boat trip to reach the Cai Rang floating market – the largest and most vibrant in the Mekong Delta. Here you can observe sampans laden with goods such as rice, fruit, and handcrafted products, which merchants transport at dawn to sell in the floating market.

After visiting the market, you will stop at a local family that has been hand-producing traditional “hủ tiếu” – typical Vietnamese noodles – for three generations. Guided by them, you can discover and try the preparation stages firsthand. You will then visit a fruit garden. Finally, you will stop at the evocative Bình Thủy ancient house, surrounded by an orchid garden, where some scenes of the film “The Lover” were filmed.

After the visit, return to Saigon. Along the way, stop to visit the Long Dinh mat village, renowned for the artisanal production of mats hand-woven with natural fibers.

Arrival in Saigon in the late afternoon.

Free dinner (not included) and overnight stay at the hotel.

NOTE: The Cai Rang market is best between 5:00 AM and 7:00 AM.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Free time until the transfer (without guide) to Tan Son Nhat airport in time for your flight back to Italy. We wish you a pleasant journey home!!!

NOTE: International flights require being at the airport 3 hours before, and domestic flights 2 hours before the departure time.