Vietnam Panorama: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh - 12 Days

Highlights

• See a water puppet show and try street food favorites in Hanoi
• Enjoy rural cycling adventures and traditional meals with local families
• Soak up the natural landscapes of Pu Luong, Bai Tu Long Bay, and the Mekong Delta
• Observe the juxtaposition of architecture from Chinese to French in Hoi An
• Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels used by the Viet Cong in Ho Chi Minh City

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi, Join in a Local Home-Cooked Dinner

Chao ban!  Welcome to Hanoi. Upon arrival, take some time to relax and adjust to a new time zone. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is located within the Red River Delta and is known for its centuries-old architecture and amalgamation of Southeast Asian, Chinese, and French influences. Amazingly, you can trace the city's history all the way back to the third century BCE. Today it is the second-largest city and the cultural and political center of the country.

Day 2: Cycle Rural Villages, City Tour, Water Puppet Show, Street Food Tour

Today you'll visit several villages just outside Hanoi by bicycle. This is a great opportunity to experience rural customs and traditions firsthand as you cycle from village to village and tour these little communities on foot. Beyond interacting with residents, you'll visit local markets and temples to witness and participate in daily life. Attend a cooking demonstration of traditional Vietnamese cuisine before joining a local family for lunch.

Back in Hanoi, choose one of the many museums or temples to visit, such as the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Vietnamese Women's Museum, focused on the contribution of women to Vietnam's history and culture, Quan Thanh Temple, a Taoist temple dating to the 11th century, or the Hoa Lo Prison, known as the "Hanoi Hilton" by American POWs during the Vietnam War. In the afternoon, you'll cycle around Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi's Old Quarter. You can also attend a water puppet show, often a cultural highlight for visitors to Vietnam.

Day 3: Transfer to Mai Chau, Hike in Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Today, you'll leave Hanoi in the morning and drive west with your guide to the rural Mai Chau region, about four hours away. Mai Chau is known for its lush green valleys, verdant jungle, limestone outcroppings, and mountainous terrain. It's also home to several ethnic Thai villages. You'll make your way to the Thai village of Pom Coong, where you'll meet some of the locals and enjoy a delicious local lunch.

Then, take a short drive to the trailhead for your hike through the Pu Luong Nature Reserve. This three-hour intermediate-level trek covers just over 5.5 miles (9 km) and includes uphill climbs. Along the way, you'll be treated to spectacular views of villages and terraced rice paddies. In a small local village, you'll check in with your homestay to relax before dinner and spend the night amid this beautiful landscape.

Day 4: Explore the Most Remote Area of Pu Luong

Wake up early for breakfast and spend the morning exploring the village hamlet. You'll meet some of your neighbors and learn about their lifestyle and culture. Go for an easy hike along the rice paddies before lunch. Today you'll keep trekking through more local villages until you reach Hieu village. You'll have free time here to look around and interact with the local people before taking a bamboo raft down the river to get close to nature. To continue feeling at one with nature, tonight you'll stay in an ecolodge.

Day 5: Explore the Local Village, Transfer Back to Hanoi

Wake up early to witness the daily life of the locals before breakfast, or enjoy a leisurely lie-in in your peaceful surroundings. Spend a relaxed morning today strolling around the village, meeting some more neighbors, and soaking up more insights about their lives and livelihoods. During your time here, you can watch Vietnam's bamboo water wheels in action, irrigating the farmland. Later, take a scenic drive back to Hanoi.

Day 6: Transfer to Ha Long Bay, Explore World Heritage Site Bai Tu Long Bay

Board a boat in Ha Long Bay and enjoy a fresh and local seafood lunch while cruising to explore the magic of Bai Tu Long Bay and its towering limestone islands. Stop for a swim and visit a mysterious cave, relax at a secluded island beach or explore the emerald waters by kayak. Later you'll return to the boat just in time to watch the beautiful sunset from the top deck before enjoying the bay's freshest seafood for dinner.

Day 7: Morning Exploration of Bai Tu Long Bay, Transfer to Hoi An

Early risers can enjoy the sunrise and the quiet breathtaking beauty of Bai Tu Long Bay's incredible landscape. Explore more of the bay on a local rowboat before returning to the boat for lunch as you cruise back to the pier. You'll travel to Hoi An today, a city on Vietnam's central coast known for its well-preserved ancient town divided up by canals, a colorful melting pot of architectural styles.

Day 8: Experience Hoi An City & Countryside

Visit a fishing village to see and experience the life of some of Vietnam's fishermen. Help with fishing-related activities such as preparing the fishing equipment, then take a short basket boat ride on the water. Afterward, you'll cycle through the countryside past rice paddies and cornfields to a village where you'll be welcomed with friendly smiles and tea. Take a cooking class with a local family to prepare and enjoy a traditional lunch.

Continue the afternoon with some sightseeing in Hoi An. Visit several famous cultural sites in this former port city, including the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge and its pagoda, an assembly hall, and admire the unusual mix of architectural eras and styles, from wooden Chinese shophouses and temples to French colonial buildings and ornate Vietnamese tube houses.

Day 9: Fly to Ho Chi Minh City

This afternoon, you'll fly to Ho Chi Minh City, named for Vietnamese revolutionary and former President Ho Chi Minh. The city was formerly known as Saigon before the Vietnam War and is often still called this by locals. This bustling cosmopolitan metropolis, teeming with the country's iconic chaos of motorcycles, juxtaposes ancient history with modern life with plenty of significant landmarks, local boutiques, and satisfying street food to enjoy.

Day 10: Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City Tour

Today, visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, an immense 155-mile (250 km) underground network. First built in 1948 to guard against the French, they were used during the Vietnam War as the Viet Cong's base of operations, with supply routes, hospitals, and living quarters. Enter the tunnels to get a glimpse of the harsh conditions faced by over 16,000 Viet Cong guerrillas who once lived here and see the innovative booby traps they left for unlucky enemy soldiers.

After lunch, embark on a guided tour of Ho Chi Minh City, stopping at the War Remnants Museum to see exhibits covering the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War. Then visit 19th-century landmarks like the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Opera House. You'll also see the Reunification Palace (or Independence Palace), which was taken over when Ho Chi Minh City (then Saigon) fell in 1975.

Day 11: Day Trip to the Mekong Delta, Visit Cai Be Floating Market & Local Lunch

Take a boat trip along the mighty Mekong River today to observe the lives of locals who work and play on the waterways of the Mekong Delta. Visit the floating market at Cai Be, along with a family-run workshop making popcorn and pop-rice. Have lunch in a local house on a fertile island with different fruits and trees, then nap on a hammock in the shady garden or take a leisurely cycle around the island. In the afternoon, your driver will take you back to Ho Chi Minh City, where you can enjoy your final night in Vietnam however you choose.

Day 12: Depart Ho Chi Minh City

It's time to say goodbye to Vietnam. Spend your remaining free time doing some shopping or exploring the city before getting a transfer to the airport for your onward journey. Safe travels!

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