The Vietnam Experience - 15 Days

Good Morning Vietnam! You will be picked up and transferred to your hotel in HCMC at any time on Day 1. After you check in, you are then free to explore or chill until you meet the rest of your group for a welcome dinner feast with your new friends. Take a dip in the rooftop pool overlooking the city and get ready for the trip of a lifetime!

Accommodation: Twin/Double Rooms – Alagon City (or similar) Activities: Welcome Dinner Meals: Dinner Physical Rating: Low

After breakfast, get ready for a cultural experience like no other, learning the national sport called da cao! This is also called “foot badminton” and you will see it played in every park around the country. Learn the basics from one of the local teams we support as part of our community projects. After that, we will head out on a walking tour to see sights and some hidden gems of this incredible city. Refresh back at the hotel before heading to the train station for our overnight train to Da Nang.

Accommodation: Overnight Train to Da Nang Activities: Da Cao, HCMC Walking tour Meals: Breakfast Physical Rating: Medium

Upon arrival, you will be picked up by the team and transferred to the banks of the Thu Bon river where we will kayak through the local farming areas and palm groves to finish in the middle of the majestic old town of Hoi An. Take a short walk to your hotel to freshen up, maybe take a dip in the pool, then head out to explore the area. In the evening, your tour leader will take you on a guided walk through the UNESCO heritage town with its quaint alleys, exotic lanterns, and amazing food!

Accommodation: Twin/Double Rooms – Hoang Trinh (or similar) Activities: Kayak into Hoi An, Hoi An guided tour Meals: N/A Physical Rating: Medium/High

Rise and shine! Spend the morning cycling through the countryside by small villages and rice fields to a quiet riverbank where we will begin collecting the plastic pollution that has been discarded along the river. Enjoy a refreshing sugarcane juice by the river before heading back to a Hoi An garden house where we will classify the trash to make eco bricks for a local NGO. The afternoon is yours to explore however you want (beach time!).

Accommodation: Twin/Double Rooms – Hoang Trinh (or similar) Activities: Cycling tour, Eco Brick NGO Visit Meals: Breakfast Physical Rating: Medium

After having breakfast at the hotel, you’ll travel to Hue (the Imperial City) in style! We will be touring in open-top jeeps starting with making our way up the famous Hai Van Pass!

On the way, we will pass a beautiful waterfall, stop for lunch and drive through magical country backroads. After, we will arrive in the historical town of Hue, the old seat of the Nguyen Dynasty, in the afternoon.

Accommodation: Twin/Double Rooms – Alba Hue (or similar) Activities:Waterfall visit, Open-top Jeep ride Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Physical Rating: Low

In the morning, we will hop on the Dragon boat. After making a stop at a pagoda, we will make our way to a local garden situated on the banks of the Perfume River.

Here you will get to experience a traditional Vietnamese cooking class. After the cooking class, you can relax or explore the imperial city until it's time to transfer to Hue Train Station for your night train journey to Pu Luong.

Accommodation: Overnight train to Ninh Binh Activities: Dragon boat, Pagoda, Cooking Class Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Physical Rating: Low

Get ready for your trip to one of the most amazing landscape destinations of Vietnam! We will hop on the bus and head to Pu Luong National Park. On the way we will stop for lunch and visit the Chua Ngoc Chau Temple. We will then arrive at our accommodation, a local homestay in Ban Hieu which is nestled between rice paddies and mountains. Visit a waterfall before dinner with local families. Experience incredible off the beaten path scenery all around you and bed down tonight in one of the local houses.

Accommodation: Multi-share Rooms – Local homestay Activities: Unique stay, Temple visit, Waterfall visit Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Physical Rating: Low

After breakfast with a wonderful valley view, we will start with a trek, heading to a beautiful traditional rural bamboo lake house where you can try bamboo rafting or swim in the crystal clear water. Lunch will be served here by the local family in an amazing setting surrounded by nature. After lunch you will have time to relax or help the local family with their daily chores before we will have an amazing family dinner.

Accommodation: Multi-share Rooms – Local homestay Activities: Bamboo Rafting, Trek Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Physical Rating: Medium/High

As we say goodbye to our homestay family and scenery in Pu Luong, we can look forward to the hustle and bustle of Hanoi and a stay in a beautiful, boutique hotel! Take it easy in the morning and then after a big breakfast, we head off. We arrive in Hanoi in the afternoon and you’ll have time to freshen up and join the rest of your group for a city walk before a feast of local delicacies.

Accommodation: Twin/Double Rooms – Nesta Hotel (or similar) Activities: Hanoi City Tour Meals: Breakfast Physical Rating: Low/Medium

We will jump on our luxury transport to the coast where we will await our traditional boat to take us out into the famous Ha Long Bay. We get away from the crowds by travelling north to Bai Tu Long and more of the untouched locations of Ha Long Bay. Kayak around the breathtaking scenery of Cap La Island and see the floating fishing villages. Opt to visit one of the secret beaches in Cong Do Island before heading back to our boat for sunset drinks and dinner on the top deck.

Accommodation: Twin/Double Rooms – Renea Cruise (or similar) Activities: Ha Long Bay Cruise, Bai Tu Long Bay, Kayaking Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Physical Rating: Low/Medium

Start your day with a chilled Tai Chi routine on the sundeck, or catch a morning view of the stunning bay’s landscape. We’ll then cruise over to the most famous cave system in the whole bay, Thien Canh Son. On the way back try your hand at the famous Vietnamese fruit & vegetable carving, as well as making spring rolls before disembarking and heading back to Hanoi where you can do an optional walking tour before celebrating our last night together.

Accommodation: Twin/Double Rooms – Nesta Hotel (or similar) Activities: Tai Chi, Thien Canh Son, Walking tour Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Physical Rating: Low/Medium

After breakfast, say goodbye to the guests on the 12 Day tour and get ready for scenic views and rice fields!

Explore Hanoi at your own leisure during the day before we jump on an overnight sleeper train to Lao Cai!

Accommodation: Overnight sleeper train Activities: N/A Meals: Breakfast & Dinner Physical Rating: Low

Upon arrival at Lao Cai Railway station we will meet the local driver and transfer to the hotel in Sapa. Here you will have some time to freshen up and enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Departing from Sapa town at 9:00am, we will embark on a lovely walk to Lao chai and Ta van villages – Home to Black Hmong people. This is one of the most enjoyable treks and will involve descending into a nearby valley inhabited by a variety of ethnic hill tribes. Once on the valley floor you can really appreciate the wonderful scenery that surrounds you. The walls of the valley are covered with multi – layered rice terraces and scattered villages. Enjoy a local style picnic lunch by a river, then walk for approximately 3–4 hours through the spectacular villages and mountains.

Accommodation: Multishare – Local homestay (or similar) Activities:Rice Terrace Trek Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Physical Rating: Medium/High

After breakfast, we'll leave Ta Van and trek to Giang Ta Chai village where we can see the Red Dao people. The women of the Red Dao wear very colourful clothing.

We'll stop for lunch before leaving Giang Ta Chai and drive back to Sapa where we will visit the Sapa markets. In the evening the shared bus pick us up to Lao cai railway station where you will have time to grab some dinner before taking the night train to Ha Noi.

Accommodation: Overnight sleeper train Activities: Rice Terrace Trek, Guided market tour Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Physical Rating: Medium/High

All good things have to come to an end, and sadly this is our final day in Vietnam together. You’ll be arriving back into Hanoi at around 6am and then your time is your own!

Accommodation: N/A Activities: N/A Meals: N/A Physical Rating: N/A