Vietnam to Bali: A Journey Through History, Culture and Beauty 17-Day

 Landing at the Hanoi Airport. We welcome and pick you up at the airport to your hotel.

You will check in hotel and take a rest before getting ready for the tour . Street food walking tour with hidden Train street visit.Start your tour at the meeting point at No.47 Hàng Bông Street, and head to a traditional restaurant specializing in entrees such as pillow cake, shrimp cake, Pho rolls, and spring rolls. Have a taste of some popular and classic Vietnamese dishes. 

Then head over to the nearby St. Joseph’s and stop for some pictures of the late colonial French architecture. Along the way make sure to stop at a local restaurant to try Banh Cuon (filled rice noodles) and watch as skilled chefs demonstrate how this tasty dish is created.

Next, enjoy Pho (noodle soup), which is Vietnam’s most famous dish. Try both the beef and chicken versions. Definitely don't miss out on a Vietnamese traditional dessert called Chè (sweet soup). There are both hot and cold versions for each season.

After several dishes, you will be full and satisfied. Catch a taxi and go straight to the train street. We will stop at a typical coffee shop at the train street corner and enjoy egg coffees while waiting the train passes by.

Although according to official schedules, the train will come daily, sometimes they do and sometimes not, so if we're lucky, we may catch one and see the huge train passing with our own eyes.

When you finish enjoying the drinks, hop in a taxi again to go back to the meeting point where the tour ends. For those who would love to have a different look of the bustle and hustle streets in Hanoi, select the cyclo option in which you can sit back and enjoy surrounding sceneries in quiet comfort.

Overnight in Hanoi

Just 100 km down to the south of Hanoi, Hoa Lu was theancient capital of Viet Nam from 986 to 1009. The Trang Aneco-tourism site is considered the “Ha Long Bay land”.Here, space was so quiet that the only sounds were those ofthe trains. In the distance, visitors have the opportunity toperceive the white flowers of the reeds in the foothills.While enjoying fresh air and mountain scenery, which takes visitors into a magical world.

7:30 - 8:00: Our guide and driver pick you up at your hotel, arrive after 2,5 hours.

10:00: Depart to the most popular attraction to visit inNinh Binh are the Trang An Grottoes (the World NaturalHeritage site). Arriving Trang An - eco tourism site. In 2hours you will be surprised by the beauty of this landscapethat seems as Halong Bay on land. The bamboo boat willtake you through many amazing caves.

12:00: Lunch in Restaurant where you can try the special food is goat meat and other traditionallocal foods. After Lunch, Depart to visit Trang An tourist attraction – Hoa Lư.

13:00: Arrive Hoa Lu, once ancient capital of Vietnam dating back to the 11th century. Havingbeen eroded over the millennia, the dilapidated ruins have nearly been absorbed by the

spectacular scenery creating a mystical atmosphere that willbesure to titillate your imagination, visit King Dinh and LeTemple.

13:30 - 14:00: Visit Mua Cave - totally get challenging to finallyenjoy wonderful relaxation on the top of Mua Cave mountainwith a majestic world around you.

16:00-16:30: Getting on the car return to Hanoi.

Overnight in Hanoi

08:30: Pick up at your hotel near by the Old Quarter in Hanoi by shuttle bus departure to Halong Bay – Lan Ha bay.  Short break half way. 

12:00: Arriving Tuan Chau marina, transferred  by tender of cruises. Welcome aboard the  cruise. Refresh with our welcome drink. Meet  the captain, crew in the cruise briefing, safety  instruction. 

13:00: A special lunch in Vietnamese cuisine  of fresh seafood

and an assortment of  appetizing favorites are served while sailing  through Islets of Con Vit. 

15:30: The Cruise sails through Lan Ha Bay. 

The area is surrounding of extraordinary limestone karsts landscapes. We progress to Ong Cam Area  of Lan Ha Bay- a separate part of Ha Long bay. This is a quiet tourist paradise in Vietnam, enjoy  kayaking and/or enjoy swimming in the crystal clear waters of the Bay. 

17:30 Back to Cruise, drop anchor for staying overnight. Enjoy the complimentary Sunset Party on the  sundeck with local wine and fresh fruit.

19:00: Dinner is served in the restaurant. Enjoy delicious local food prepared and served for you by our wonderful onboard catering staff. After dinner, retiring to your cabin or join the fishing excursion, watch a movie, have a drink at the bar, wifi access or play exciting games.

Overnight on board.

The morning is the best time of the day on Lan Ha Bay. You might like to head to the upper deck to participate in our daily Tai Chi sessions or relax with an early morning cup of tea, coffee or juice to watch the stunning scenery unfold before you. After breakfast, explore the mysterious caves amongst the remote islets on local rowing boats.

The breath-taking beauty of this World Heritage region will certainly impress. Check out of your cabin as we draw closer to the mainland. After a final early brunch and a last farewell from our crew, you will be transferred back to Hanoi .

Arrive in Hanoi, drop you off at your hotel. Free time till picked up at hotel for transferring to  train station for night train to Lao Cai. Meet at your hotel in Hanoi at around 20:00 hrs and transfer to Hanoi train station. Overnight train trip  to Lao Cai in Private 4-berth sleeping train cabin. Train departs at approximately 21:15 hrs. 

Notes: 

- Our tour guide will not accompany during the train trip 

- Train schedule is subject to change. 

- Private compartments on request at surcharge. 

- Train journeys are part of a great local experience. Cabins are shared with other local passengers  (unless private cabin is requested and all berths paid for - with supplement). Restrooms at either end  of the carriages complete the local experience. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Accommodation: Overnight on train

Picked up at Lao Cai Station upon your early arrival for over an hour drive uphill in a shared  mini van to Sapa. After freshen up and Breakfast in a local restaurant you will enjoy a free walk  around this charming town, paying visit to Sapa  market and the old cathedral where you can meet  a lot of local ethnic minority peoples such as Black H’mong and Red Zao wearing their traditional colorful dresses selling their farming 

and gathering products and handicrafts for souvenir.

Back to our Sapa office at about 10.30 and begin your exploration trip to Muong Hoa valley. You will follow the main road heading south for about an hour before turning right to a foot path down hill to Muong Hoa Valley. This part offers spectacular scenery of the highest part of Hoang Lien Son mountain range and in a nice day, Fansipan Peak can be seen.

Crossing the river by a suspension bridge you will challenge your feet uphill to Y Linh Ho village.  Here you will pay visiting to some H’mong families, watching them doing their daily works. After  picnic Lunch, the trail continues up and down hill for about 2 hours as you reach to Lao Chai, a large  village of the H’mong and then following the river bank to Ta Van of the Zay people. Paying visiting  to local homes, village schools… you will enjoy much your cultural discovery of local ethnic peoples  as well as breathtaking scenery of the Muong Hoa Valley. Settle down in Ta Van village for an  overnight home stay. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Accommodation: Homestay in Ta Van Village 

Leaving Ta Van village after Breakfast, you will take the trail uphill, passing fascinating terraced rice field and some small hamlets of the H’mong before getting through a bamboo forest to a waterfall, enjoy a break for magnificent scenery and then continue walking for half an hour to Giang Ta Chai village of the Red Zao peoples which sits on the top of a hill and looks down Muong Hoa river.

After  spending time visiting the village, making friend with the Zao and experiencing the hospitality you  will cross the river by another suspension bridge and then uphill again to Hau Thao village where you  will pay visiting to a local handicraft center where H’mong and Zao women gather for exchanging  experience and skill of making handicrafts. A late Lunch will be prepare here nearby this center and then you have time relaxing as well as getting  acquaintance with local school boys, girls and their  teachers as well. 

Later a short drive will take you back to Sapa Town 

15:00 - 15:30 Driver will pick you up & transfer 5  hours to Hanoi by limousine bus. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi 

Today we fly economy class from Hanoi  to Danang with Vietnam Airlines. Our driver and guide will meet you on arrival and transfer to Hoi An Ancient Town . You will  check-in at your Hoi An hotel and  enjoy the rest of your day at leisure.

Overnight in Hoi An.

This morning we explore Marble Mountain with stunning caves and sacred pagodas then back to Hoi An Town for lunch. In the afternoon we will do a walking tour of Hoi An. Overnight in Hoi An.

Free in the morning.

In the afternoon, transfer to the station for day train to Hue. Enjoy scenic view of Hai Van Pass on the way. Arrive Hue in late afternoon. Transfer to the hotel and enjoy free time.

Note*: The train journey is part of a great local experience. Restrooms at either end of the carriages.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Hue

08:00: Pickup at the hotel.

Today, we will spend a full day touring Hue city.

In the morning: visit Old Imperial City, Flag Tower, Thien Mu Pagoda and Dong Ba bustling market. Lunch at the local restaurant.

In the afternoon: visit Royal Tombs of Minh Mang and Khai Dinh. We will also visit a Conical hat village and incense stick village

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Hue

After breakfast, we will fly to Ho Chi Minh City. On your arrival you will be met by our guide and transferred to your hotel. After a short break we will discover the Cu Chi Tunnel, an underground city constructed by the Vietnamese guerrilla during the Vietnam War.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

08.30 AM: After breakfast at hotel, your private guide will meet you at your hotel lobby. A one and half hour drive takes you to Cu Chi Tunnels where human knowledge has been enriched by experiencing an web-like tunnels system of more than 200km in length which used to be the shelters of guerrillas during the war against American troops.

After the lunch in the local restaurant, in the afternoon, you will have a city tour including the Reunification Hall, formerly known as the Presidential Palace. It was towards this modern building that Communist tanks rolled on the morning of April 30, 1975, as Saigon fell. This fascinating building is filled with history still fresh in the minds of many. The tour also includes the War Remnants Museum, the Old Post Office, Chinatown and Ben Thanh Market – the central market for the city and one of the liveliest areas.About 04.30 PM, the tour finshes and you will be dropped off at your hotel and then you are free to relax

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

07.30 AM: Heading out of the town, we set forth to the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's largest granary. The program will start with a visit of Cai Be floating market. Then, the rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals to enjoy the peaceful time. Back to our boat to go across one of the longest river in the world, Mekong River, to come to An Bình Island.

Travel on a handmade canal to Ut Trinh home & have an optional lunch. After lunch, we can walk around this orchard & enjoy some cups of tea when listening to the traditional music in the ancient house. Walk in the local village to visit the local workshop to see how to make rice paper, coconut candy, pop-rice... Enjoy some sweets with a cup of hot tea.

Optional biking can be made for a leisure! It will be so amazing to bike on village paths to see the local daily life: orchard, school, church, pagoda, traditional houses and maybe the ancestral ways to pick up fruits in Mekong Delta... Visit the brick kilns where you can see how the local people create beautiful potteries from clay. The cruise will end at VinhLong city! Then transfer to Ho Chi Minh city by your private car. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Say goodbye to HCMC, transfer to airport and take flight to Denpasar. Upon arrival at Denpasar international airport, receive a pickup by your private guide and driver.

Overnight at Bali Bromo Hotel  

- At 3 am, we go to view point to see sunrise, view of bromo with semeru mountain as background

- We climb to bromo mountain

- Back to hotel for breakfast, take shower, continue to ijen hotel area

- Arrive in hotel check in and rest

- At 2 am, we go to ijen crater

- We see beautiful green Lake, sunrise, view of ijen, sulfur mining

- Back to hotel for breakfast, take shower and check out

- We will drive to bali hotel - arrive in hotel, program finish

Overnight at Bali Bromo Hotel

After breakfast, free at hotel, then we will transfer to the airport.