Ho Chi Minh City – Tan Phong Island – Cai Be – Hoi An – Hue – Hanoi – 14 days

On Monday morning in Ho Chi Minh City, you will have a half-day city tour to get an overview of this bustling urban area. First, you will visit the Reunification Palace, a well-preserved historical site that witnessed the final days of the Vietnam War. Next, your next destinations will be two iconic landmarks of the city: Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica and the Old Post Office. Your final stop will be Ben Thanh Market, where you will have some leisure time for shopping, souvenir hunting, and experiencing local bargaining skills.

In the afternoon, return to your hotel, concluding the city tour. The remaining time of the day will be at your leisure.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

In the morning, wake up early to enjoy the fresh morning air and the delightful sounds of the countryside, such as roosters crowing and birds chirping. Take a leisurely stroll around the village and observe the busy morning activities of the local farmers. Return to your homestay for breakfast and then join a cycling excursion around Tan Phong Island. During the trip, you'll have the opportunity to visit traditional handicraft workshops and participate in various interesting activities, including:

1. Making rice paper: a key ingredient in Vietnamese dishes like spring rolls and Vietnamese pizza.
2. Using coconut leaves to thatch roofs: learn how locals use natural materials for shelter.
3. Weaving banana hammocks: a traditional Vietnamese handcrafted product.
4. Bamboo product crafting: try your hand at crafting with bamboo.
5. Making jackfruit leaf cakes: join a cooking class and test the flexibility of jackfruit leaves when cooking.
6. Visiting a local school: meet the lively and intelligent local children at their school.

In the afternoon, return to your homestay, check out, and head back to the pier by boat. Our driver will pick you up and take you directly to the airport for your flight to Da Nang. You will have lunch at a restaurant on the way back to Ho Chi Minh City and then be transferred to your hotel in Hoi An. The rest of the day is at your leisure. You can rest and recharge after the long journey or explore Hoi An at night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An

In the morning, you are free to explore Hoi An's ancient town at your own pace. In the evening, your street food culinary tour will commence as the night falls. Our guide will meet you in the late afternoon and lead you through the narrow streets filled with cafes, restaurants, food vendors, and local markets. Since this is a street food tour, you will mainly dine at local food stalls and providers. Some of the dishes you can sample during your culinary tour include:

1. **Banh Mi:** Vietnamese sandwiches made by the famous "Banh Mi Queen."

2. **Cao Lau:** Hoi An's signature dry noodles with various layers created by different toppings in a bowl.

3. **Banh Beo:** Traditional Vietnamese steamed rice cakes, round, small, and thin like a leaf, found mostly in the Central region.

4. **Banh Khot:** A traditional street food in the Central region, round cakes made from rice flour, turmeric, and coconut milk, topped with quail eggs and herbs.

5. **Balut (Duck Embryo):** Ranked among the top 10 weirdest foods in the world. It has a unique and excellent flavor and contains a substantial amount of protein. However, the ingredients might challenge your culinary bravery as it involves a small duck still inside the eggshell.

6. **Coffee:** Hoi An coffee is made from the finest Vietnamese coffee beans and enhanced with sweetened condensed milk. This beverage will be a perfect conclusion to your culinary tour but may keep you awake all night.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An

Day 6: Be a farmer in Cam Thanh Village Morning It's a farming day! The tour guide will meet you at the hotel at 8:00; then your itinerary will start with cycling to Cam Thanh Village - a famous site on the outskirts of Hoi An ancient town. Arrive at Cam Thanh; you will be greeted by a local host and then join them in farming activities, mainly growing wet rice. The host family will guide you on plowing and raking with buffalo, transplant rice, flood farming, grinding, and pounding rice. Also, if you are brave enough, you can try riding the water buffalo. After farming, you will get to a local fishing village to try fishing with the professional fishermen here. Finally, you will explore the water coconut jungle by basket boat. Lunch will be served at a local house before finishing the trip.

Morning: You will be picked up at 8:00 AM for a full day of traveling from Hoi An to Hue by road, crossing the famous Hai Van Pass (Cloudy Pass) (shuttle or private vehicle depending on your choice). Along the way, the driver may make stops at some scenic points for photo opportunities (entrance fees not included).

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Hue

Morning: At 8:00 AM, your guide will pick you up from the hotel and take you to the Toa Kham Wharf for a boat ride on the Perfume River. Your boat will stop at Thien Mu Pagoda, an ancient Buddhist temple and an iconic symbol of Hue. You'll then visit Thuy Bieu Eco-Village, where you'll learn more about the traditional Hue architecture known as "nha vuon" (garden house) and observe the peaceful daily life of the local people while walking or biking around the village for about 2 hours. You'll also visit some families engaged in traditional handicrafts.

Afternoon: Following the village tour, a special cooking class awaits you at Hue Eco-lodge. Here, you will learn to prepare some traditional Hue dishes and taste your own creations. Then, you'll have relaxation time with a medicinal foot soak and a local massage. Tam Giang - Chuon Lagoon is the final stop in your day trip around Hue. You will explore this area on a three-bamboo-basket boat. Here, you'll get a closer look at the daily life of the local fishermen and learn more about how the local people catch fish in the lagoon and do their own fishing. You will have dinner at a nearby restaurant while enjoying the stunning sunset over the lagoon.

Evening: Return to the city of Hue around 7:30 PM.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Hue

Morning: You have the option to explore Hue on your own or, if you're not comfortable traveling solo, you can book one of the suggested day tours below:

1. Full-Day DMZ Hue Tour
Starting from $93 per person

2. Discover Hue's Countryside by Bicycle
Starting from $85 per person

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel in Hue

Morning: Meet your guide at the hotel at 8:00 AM and begin a motorbike tour to explore Hanoi. Your journey starts with a cup of Egg Coffee, a Hanoi specialty, at Café Giang. Visit some famous landmarks in the city, beginning with the Long Bien Bridge and the nearby Chương Dương Bridge. Enjoy some renowned Trang Tien ice cream and pass by the Hanoi Opera House. Nowadays, various artistic performances are still held here (those interested can contact us for tickets). Hoan Kiem Lake is another must-visit spot, located near the Ly Thai To Monument, built to honor the king in the ancient capital of Thang Long (now Hanoi). It's a 5-minute walk from St. Joseph's Cathedral.

Explore Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the Maison Centrale - an elegant name for a colonial-era prison that was once a nightmare for all inmates held here. Travel to West Lake & Tran Quoc Pagoda, West Lake is Hanoi's largest freshwater lake and is often referred to as the "lung of the city." On a small island in West Lake stands the oldest Buddhist temple. Visit Huu Tiep Lake - the site of the B52 wreckage, marking the victory of the Vietnamese military in the Vietnam War. From here, our guide will also take you to a nearby market to observe the daily life of the local people.

The final stop on your half-day Hanoi city tour is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the most eminent leader of the Vietnamese people rests in peace. You can admire the mausoleum from the outside and take photographs. Before taking you back to the hotel, the guide will bring you to a nearby restaurant for a taste of delicious Vietnamese cuisine.

Note: The itinerary may be subject to change depending on weather conditions and traffic on the day.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Day 12: Halong Bay - Overnight on Cruise Morning You should wake up soon to enjoy your breakfast at the hotel before BestPrice's driver picks you up at 8:00 and depart for Halong. After 2.5 hours of traveling on the road, you will arrive at the port and get ready to board the cruise for your voyage to explore Halong Bay. After checking in, lunch will be served while the boat is sailing to the bay. Afternoon In the afternoon, you will follow your cruise's itinerary, which may include some exciting activities such as sightseeing, kayaking, or swimming. Return to the boat when it's twilight; you may enjoy the sunset party or "happy hours" program for "buy-1-get-1-free" cocktails while admiring the magnificent dusk in the bay. Dinner is served on board, and then you are free to enjoy the nightlife in Halong. Stunning View In Halong Bay Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: On-board an overnight cruise in Halong Bay

Morning Wake up early and say hello to a new day with a simple Tai-chi exercise on deck, or you may sleep until breakfast time. Then, you will continue with the cruise itinerary to explore and experience more in Halong Bay. Brunch is usually served when the cruise return to the port. Afternoon Drivers will bring you back to Hanoi. The night in Hanoi is all yours; you can explore the city by night freely on your own. Meals: Breakfast, Brunch Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi