Extraordinary Vietnam Adventure

Your trip begins with arrival in Vietnam. Your private driver will meet and greet you at the airport. You will be escorted to the hotel. You can walk through the streets of the city for the remainder of the day. Historic charm, architectural marvels, and shops are splashed all over this area. After enjoying the first day, return to the hotel for a relaxing sleep.

To begin the tour, you’ll explore by vespa. See the Old Quarter, the French Quarter, and the Opera House. You’ll see the railway train tracks, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the botanical gardens, and Huu Hiep Lake to see the B52 Crash site at the lake. A US bomber was shot down during the 1972 bombing raids of Hanoi, a poignant reminder of recent history.

Next up is the biggest lake in Hanoi city, then to the An Duong market to see where local people come to buy and sell fresh vegetables and food. The next ride takes you along the riverside to the red river island to visit a hidden gem village. Head up through a banana farm to a cafe where you can rest up and try Vietnamese coffee, including the famous coffee of Hanoi, egg coffee. Finish up by riding over Long Bien Bridge, to dinner a magnificent structure built over a hundred of years ago which spans the red river and connects the Hoan Kiem and Long Bien districts.

Have breakfast at the hotel and leisure time on your own before the driver comes to the hotel and picks you up for a transfer to Mai Chau. Arrive in Mai Chau and relax in the beautiful village.

Today you will discover the lakes and rivers around Mai Chau. Boat is the best way to explore the beauty of the area. You ride through islets, visit fishing villages, meet and talk with local fishermen, and explore secret ponds.

Have breakfast at your hotel. Enjoy the morning in Mai Chau, then the driver will pick you up to head to Hanoi. You’ll have a hotel room to relax in before boarding a night train to Sapa.

Today is devoted to a beautiful hike through the breathtaking scenery of Sapa valley. Admire the rice terraces hidden behind mist of the morning, a truly awe-inspiring sight. Follow a small track and cross Muong Hoa River and pass well-tended rice terraces on your way to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai. Continuing through the colorful rice terraces, you will reach the village of Ta Van Giay. As you continue your trek along the Muong Hoa River, you will cross a small suspension bridge roughly 2km from the settlement. Here you can discover a fascinating collection of rock carvings. Eat lunch in a home in the village.

After lunch the walk continues through a bamboo forest to Giang Ta Chai, a Red Dao ethnic minority village. After taking a rest near a waterfall to refresh, you start climbing uphill to a road where the car is ready for your journey back to Sapa.

Have breakfast at your hotel. You’ll drive down to Lao Cai and then to Taphin village. Here you can experience the unmixed cultural life of Black Hmong and Red Dao minorities, the two largest ethnic groups in the area. They live happily together while maintaining their own traditions from generation to generation. The trip also offers you the opportunity to visit the local houses.

You will return to Sapa by car and then board an overnight train to Hanoi.

Have breakfast at your hotel and some rest and free time until it’s time to be transferred to the airport for your flight to Quang Binh. Upon arrival you will be met at the airport and transferred to your accommodation.

You will be picked up at your hotel and transferred to Tan Hoa. After a safety briefing and gear check, it's off and away for a full day of trekking. The trek begins with a 2.5km walk across fields of peanut crops, giant water buffaloes, towering corn stalks, and down to the Rao Nan River. The adventure accelerates with a 30m climb up a rocky hill to a small jungle opening where you can catch your breath before a 100m descent in elevation down to Hung Ton Valley.

Lunch will be enjoyed in the Hung Ton Cave opening and then the adventure picks up again with some serious trekking from Hung Ton Valley and over to Mango Mountain, then back down into Tu Lan Valley (3km). By midafternoon, Tu Lan campsite will be on the horizon, where swimming can be enjoyed in the beautiful waterfall. Afternoon activities include exploring and swimming through Ken Cave, located next to the campsite, and after that it’s back to camp for a delicious BBQ dinner. Sleep will come easy in comfortable hammocks or tents set up amongst the trees!

Today starts with a hearty breakfast and more cave exploration. Start with a brief swim across the river into the heart of Tu Lan Cave System, where you will break to enjoy the blue lagoon entrance before making your way 180m downstream through the Tu Lan Cave entrance. Make your way up to explore the dry part with some climbing and squeezing, at which point you will reach the dry exit and trek a short way through the valley into Kim Cave dry entrance. Stay awhile to watch out the natural window and then you will be off on a swim (450m) and trek (500m) through Hang Kim to To Mo Valley.

A picnic lunch will be served next to a stunning waterfall by Hung Ton Cave mouth. Then, you will try to follow a dry path before swimming out through Hung Ton wet cave. Following this is the exploration of a dry passage, and then a trek down into Hung Ton Valley (800m). Arrival in Tan Hoa is followed by a chance to take in the scenery with a cold drink in hand. Showers are available for those who would like to clean up and change, and then departure back to Phong Nha is at around 4 pm with arrival in Phong Nha by 5:30 pm.

Have some rest and free time in Quang Binh before heading to the Dong Hoi airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh. Upon arrival you will be met at the airport and transferred to your accommodation.

Have breakfast at your hotel, then board the Jeep for a Ho Chi Minh City Tour. First stop on your tour is the Independence Palace/ the Reunification Palace. The palace is symbolic of the end of the Vietnam War during the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, when the North Vietnamese Army tank number 843 crashed through the gates of what was at the time the residence of the President of the Republic of Vietnam.

Next, you will admire the Museum of American War Crimes/ the War Remnants Museum which is the most popular museum in Ho Chi Minh City. After the museum, you will see Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Post Office, which are the two of the best highlights of old Saigon architecture. Then, the Jeep will take you to visit some famous roads in Saigon such as Dong Khoi street. You’ll then visit the Ben Thanh Market, a lively market in District 1, where your guide can help you barter for goods.

After breakfast, it’s time to check out and travel to the airport for your flight.