16-Day Authentic Vietnam Tour: Hanoi to Saigon & Beach

Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam’s charming capital where centuries-old streets meet modern energy. Your morning flight lands at Noi Bai International Airport at around 06:30.

After immigration and baggage claim, our driver meets you in the arrival hall and transfers you to your hotel, arriving around 08:30–09:00. Standard check-in is at 14:00, so you can leave your luggage at reception, freshen up and rest in the lobby lounge. Guaranteed early check-in is available on request at an extra cost — recommended after a long overnight flight.

Next, you can start gently with a steaming bowl of pho at a local eatery near the hotel, then take a slow walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and the lively Old Quarter. Moreover, you stop for Hanoi’s famous egg coffee on a rooftop café overlooking the lake. After checking-in, you take an afternoon nap to beat the jet lag. In the evening, you explore the colourful night scene of the Old Quarter on your own.

Overnight in Hanoi

Inclusions: Airport transfer, hotel

08:30: Our tour guide picks you up from your hotel and drives to Duong Lam Ancient Village, about 60 km west of Hanoi. This farming village of the Red River Delta is known for its hundred-year-old houses built from red laterite stone.

Then, you begin a guided walk from the village’s main gate, the only ancient village gate in Vietnam still intact today. From here, you stroll through narrow brick alleys lined with laterite walls. As well as visiting a 200-year-old family house to hear how local families have lived here for generations. You can stop at a local workshop to taste chè lam (ginger rice candy) and see how traditional soy sauce is fermented in clay jars. Then cycle along quiet country lanes past rice fields and village ponds for a true taste of rural northern Vietnam.

Finish the day, you return to Hanoi in the late afternoon and join a Hanoi street food tour: crispy banh mi, a bowl of pho and a cup of egg coffee. After having dinner, you transfer to Hanoi Railway Station for the Chapa Express night train to Lao Cai, departing at 22:00.

Overnight on the Chapa Express train (Suite Twin Cabin)

Inclusions: Transfer, Polish-speaking guide, entrance fees, street food, dinner, train ticket

Good morning in the mountains! The train arrives at Lao Cai Station early in the morning. Our guide meets you and transfers you to Sapa (about 1 hour) for breakfast and a cup of local coffee. Leave your luggage at the hotel and set off to explore the ethnic villages of the Muong Hoa Valley: Lao Chai (Black Hmong) and Ta Van (Giay).

A private van takes you to Lao Chai, where an easy Sapa trekking route leads through rice terraces, Black Hmong houses, suspension bridges and traditional water mills. Along the way, you chat with friendly villagers, take photos and learn about their daily life.

After about 3 hours of trekking, you arrive in Ta Van village for lunch and a performance of traditional ethnic music and dance. Then transfer to Utopia to relax by the mountain stream.

Overnight in Sapa

Inclusions: Transfer, Polish-speaking guide, entrance fees, breakfast, lunch, hotel

After enjoying breakfast, a 40-minute drive takes you to the forests of Hoang Lien National Park. Here, you walk for about 30 minutes to enjoy views of both sides of the Hoang Lien Son range. The weather can differ sharply between the two sides: often foggy on the Sapa side and bright sunshine on the other.

Next, you trek 30 minutes through the forest, past wildflowers and along a stream, to the Love Waterfall. The last stop is Heaven Gate (O Quy Ho Pass), where clouds drift around you at the top.

Later, you return to Sapa town. Dinner on your own.

Overnight in Sapa

Inclusions: Transfer, Polish-speaking guide, entrance fees, breakfast, lunch, hotel

After having breakfast, you enjoy your free time until our driver picks you up for the transfer to Ninh Binh by private VIP limousine (about 7–8 hours, with rest stops).

Overnight in Ninh Binh

Inclusions: Transfer, breakfast, hotel

08:30: You meet our guide and depart for the peaceful Van Long Nature Reserve. Then, you board a bamboo rowing boat and glide through this wetland, surrounded by rice paddies, lotus ponds and towering limestone peaks.

12:00: You have lunch at a local restaurant.

13:00: You continue to visit Mua Cave (Dragon Peak). Climb almost 500 steps to the top of Lying Dragon Mountain for a panoramic view over Tam Coc. Enjoy the lotus fields at the foot of the mountain, especially beautiful in summer.

16:30: Return to your hotel in Ninh Binh.

Overnight in Ninh Binh

Inclusions: Transfer, Polish-speaking guide, entrance fees, boat fee, breakfast, lunch, hotel

After having breakfast, you check out and drive to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (about 3–4 hours, with a refreshment stop).

Next, you arrive at the cruise port around noon and board your cruise. Enjoy a welcome drink and a short briefing before settling into your cabin. A seafood lunch is served as the boat sails among thousands of limestone islands.

In the afternoon, you visit Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave, the largest grotto in the bay. Afterward, you continue to visit Titov Island for swimming or relaxing on the beach, or hike to the top for a panoramic view of the bay.

At sunset, you unwind on the sundeck with a drink during the Sunset Party. Dinner is served on board, followed by free time for squid fishing, games or stargazing on deck.

Overnight on the Ha Long Bay 5-star cruise

Inclusions: Breakfast at the hotel, air-conditioned transfer, English-speaking guide on the cruise, entrance fees, full-board meals, private balcony cabin

You wake up early for the quiet beauty of Ha Long Bay at dawn. Then, you join a gentle Tai Chi session on the sundeck or take photos as the first light touches the cliffs.

After having breakfast on board, you take a kayaking trip around Drum Cave, where calm emerald water reflects the karsts (kayaking fee on your own). Backing on board, you check out of your cabin as the cruise passes Ba Hang Fishing Village and Dog Islet. Before returning to the harbour, you join a fruit-carving demonstration and a short Vietnamese cooking class, followed by brunch.

Transfer to Noi Bai Airport for your domestic flight to Da Nang. On arrival, you transfer to your 5-star beachfront resort and enjoy the evening by the sea.

Overnight at a beach resort in Da Nang

Inclusions: Breakfast, brunch on board, transfers, entrance fees, domestic flight, resort

You set off on a full-day (about 8 hours) Jeep tour in a genuine open-top Vietnam Legend Jeep to explore the coastline and mountains of central Vietnam.

Your route takes in Non Nuoc stone-carving village at the foot of the Marble Mountains, the winding Hai Van Pass, the turquoise lagoon of Lang Co Beach, Nhi Ho Waterfall and a local fishing village. Your professional Jeep driver shares stories about the region along the way.

Later, you return to your resort in the late afternoon.

Overnight at a beach resort in Da Nang

Inclusions: Transfer, English-speaking guide, entrance fees, breakfast, lunch, resort

After enjoying breakfast, you visit Tra Que vegetable village. Where farmers still grow organic herbs and vegetables entirely by hand, without machines or chemical fertilisers. Next, you join them in planting, watering and harvesting, and learn their traditional techniques using natural seaweed fertiliser.

In the afternoon, you transfer to Cam Kim Island, the second-largest island on the Thu Bon River. Here, you cycle through quiet villages, rice fields and vegetable gardens, and visit local households and craft workshops such as boat building and wood carving. So, this one of the most authentic, non-touristy experiences in Hoi An.

Then, you continue to visit Hoi An Ancient Town and explore on your own: wander its yellow-walled streets, browse tailor shops and art galleries, and take a lantern-lit sampan ride on the Thu Bon River at dusk. Return to your Da Nang resort in the evening.

Overnight at a beach resort in Da Nang

Inclusions: Transfer, breakfast, resort

A full day to enjoy your beachfront resort at your own pace: swim in the infinity pool, relax on My Khe Beach, book a spa treatment or simply enjoy a cocktail as the sun sets over the sea.

Overnight at a beach resort in Da Nang

Inclusions: Breakfast, resort

Breakfast at the resort. Enjoy your free time until your private transfer to Da Nang Airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival, our driver takes you to your hotel.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Inclusions: Transfers, breakfast, domestic flight, hotel

After having breakfast, hop on the back of a vintage Vespa and ride through the busy streets of Saigon. Your professional driver takes you to places you would rarely find on your own:

• The Thich Quang Duc monument, a landmark of 1960s history
• A secret weapons bunker used during the 1968 Tet Offensive
• Saigon’s oldest local coffee house and the wholesale flower market
• Hidden alleys and a 1960s apartment block full of local life
• Local markets for motorbike parts, fabric and fruit (passing by)
• Lunch at a local restaurant with authentic southern dishes

In the evening, transfer to Saigon pier for a dinner cruise on the Saigon River to enjoy the city lights.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Inclusions: Transfer, English-speaking guide, Vespa tour, entrance fees, breakfast, lunch, dinner cruise, hotel

After enjoying breakfast, you set off for a day in the Mekong Delta.

1. Pick-up from Ho Chi Minh City: Your driver collects you from your hotel between 07:00 and 08:00. The drive to Ben Tre takes about 2.5 hours, with rest stops if needed.
2. Meet your guide in Ben Tre: No crowded welcome centre — just your guide, your group and a scooter or tuk-tuk ready to go.
3. Scooter ride through coconut villages: Ride shaded paths past coconut groves, banana trees and irrigation canals. Watch locals strip coconut husks by hand and learn how families farm the land.
4. Home-cooked lunch and coconut candy: Enjoy 4–5 fresh local dishes at a homestay, with handmade coconut candy before lunch. Afterwards, the hammocks are yours.
5. Sailboat cruise on quiet canals: Board a traditional sailboat and drift from the main Mekong branch into narrow, palm-shaded canals, with the engine off in the quietest parts.
6. Return to Ho Chi Minh City: Depart Ben Tre around 16:00 and arrive back in District 1 at about 18:30–19:00.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Inclusions: Transfer, English-speaking guide, entrance fees, boat fee, breakfast, lunch, hotel

Breakfast at the hotel. Then, you spend the day at leisure: shopping at Ben Thanh Market and Saigon Square, a coffee on a rooftop bar or a spa treatment.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Inclusions: Breakfast, hotel

In the morning, you have breakfast at the hotel. Next, you enjoy your free time until your private transfer to Tan Son Nhat International Airport for your flight home. Our services end on arrival at the airport.

Thank you for traveling with us. We hope to welcome you back to Vietnam soon.

Inclusions: Transfer, breakfast