Name: Vietnam & Laos Special Holiday
Brand: Tour

Route

Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City Hoi An Hue Hanoi Halong Bay Sapa Ninh Binh Hanoi Luang Prabang

Duration

17 days / 16 nights

Vietnam & Laos Special Holiday is good designed itinerary for travelers who would like to visit these two adjacent countries in one combined tour. In 17 days, travelers will visit almost whole Vietnam from south to north, and major sites in Laos. Tour start from Ho Chi Minh (former name is Saigon) - the most vibrant city in Vietnam. Discover the major historic sites of the Vietnam War such as the Cu Chi Tunnels, Reunion Palace, experience Vietnamese colorful life on a tour of the Mekong delta. Next, by flight to central of Vietnam, you will enjoy with beautiful of Hoi An ancient town with many activities at night, visit romantic Hue citadel and peaceful enough. Heading to the historic Hanoi Capital in the north of Vietnam which is conserved between the traditional and modern culture. Immerse into the space between the sea and the extremely impressive limestone islands of Ha Long Bay (World Nature Wonder) famed for it’s beautiful landscapes. Discover the terrace rice fields, local ethnic villages and untouched nature in Sapa. Enjoy the typical countryside beauty of the Tonkin Gulf with breathtaking scenery in Ninh Binh.

Goodbye Vietnam after 14 days traveling with many memorable moments, you will continue next journey in Laos with admired of culture, untouched beauty of sceneries. Luang Prabang is one of the most comfortable places in Laos, the town has such a wonderful feeling and visitors will always feel welcomed and so comfortable. It is one of the most well-known world heritage sites of Laos and Indochina.

Tour Highlights

+ Visit major attraction places in Vietnam & Laos such as Ho Chi Minh, Mekong Delta, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Sapa, Ninh Binh, Luang Prabang.

+ Enjoy activities such as boating in Mekong Delta, kayaking/boating in Halong Bay, boating in Ninh Binh, boat trip upstream Mekong River to visit sacred Pakou Caves.

+ Experience local cuisine, overnight on train Hanoi - Sapa, overnight on Halong Bay cruise.

+ Boat trip upstream Mekong River to visit sacred Pakou Caves.

+ Visit Wat Xieng Thong, Khoangsi Waterfall - One of the most beautiful waterfall in Laos.

+ High quality transportation, friendly local guide.

Note: This is a sample of tour itinerary designed for your reference, it can be customized itinerary as per your requirement, and match your travel expectation such accommodation type, duration, sightseeing attractions so on. Kindly tell me your requirement, we will help you to make a tailor-made tour with much fun time & unforgettable holiday in Vietnam and Laos.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Ho Chi Minh (N/A)

Upon on arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh, you will be warmly welcomed by driver (No Guide) with signboard, then transfer to hotel to check in & leisure (the room is official available after 14:00 pm). The rest time, you will be freely explore Hanoi by your ways. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh Meals: None Included: No tour guide, private transfer

Day 2: Cu Chi Tunnels - Ho Chi Minh City Tour (B/L)

Have breakfast at hotel. This morning, head to Cu Chi Tunnels . Arriving tunnels, a short introductory video showing how the tunnels were constructed will be given. We then spend time exploring the maze of tunnels including innumerable trap doors, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens. Then, drive back Ho Chi Minh City. Have lunch in the restaurant. Afternoon, visit The Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, The Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic Central Post Office, City Hall, the Opera House, Jade Emperor Pagoda , Ben Thanh Market. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh Meals: Breakfast, lunch Included: Private tour guide, private transfer

Day 3: Mekong Delta Full Day (B/L)

At 08:30 AM, tour guide will pick up you at hotel and start a full day to Mekong Delta . It is also known as Vietnam's 'rice basket’-- a fertile area spreading nearly 50,000 sq km. Here the mighty Mekong River ends by splitting itself into nine major tributaries. The Vietnamese name these nine tributaries “ Nine Dragons .” Here’s our schedule that is designed to help you experience local daily activities along the Mekong. Enjoy the scenic journey along way bordered by green rice fields. On arrivals at My Tho , visit Vinh Trang Pagoda . Take a leisurely on boat ride along the river, view stilt houses, fruit plantations and fishing villages along the river bank. Proceed to Tortoise islet , have lunch at orchard garden. Boat ride to An Khanh - a less touristy attraction in Ben Tre, enjoy cruising on a hand-rowed sampan under the shadow of water coconut trees along natural canals, then enjoy seasonal fruit & honey tea and enjoy “ Southern Vietnamese folk music ”, performed by locals. Visit a family business which epitomizes idyllic rural lifestyle, taste the delicious coconut candy & observe the pastoral life as you roam through the fruit plantation and village. After visiting these places, drive back Ho Chi Minh. Check in hotel & leisure. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh Meals: Breakfast, lunch Included: Private tour guide, private transfer

Day 4: Ho Chi Minh - Fly To Da Nang - Hoi An (B)

Have breakfast at hotel, driver (No Guide) pick up you to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your flight to Da Nang City . Upon on arrival at Da Nang Airport , you will be warmly welcomed by driver (No Guide) with signboard, then transfer to Hoi An. Check in hotel in Hoi An and free at leisure. Overnight in Hoi An Meals: Breakfast Included: No tour guide, private transfer

Day 5: Hoi An Walking Tour (B/L)

Have breakfast at hotel. This morning, you will have short free time for leisure before you will be taken a day walking tour through the narrow, winding streets of Hoi An’s ancient town, you will discover the charming of Hoi An ancient town by walking to visit a traditional Chinese Communal House, Hoi Kien Temple, ancient Tan Ky Merchants’ Houses, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge & spending time in Colorful Hoi An Local Market , free time for shopping at Hoi An ancient town. Have lunch at local restaurant during visit. After lunch, continue walking through the narrow, winding streets of Hoi An’s ancient town to explore & experience local life of Hoi An citizens. Overnight in Hoi An Meals: Breakfast, lunch Included: Private tour guide, private transfer

Day 6: Hoi An - Da Nang Sightseeing - Drive To Hue (N/A)

Have breakfast at hotel. Morning is free at leisure in some minutes as you can. Then, journey from Hoi An over scenic mountainous roads with spectacular views over the coastline. We will visit Marble Mountains , it is a cluster of five marble and limestone hills located in Ngu Hanh Son ward and admire the dramatic Hai Van Pass , the high dividing line between the climate zones of north and south Vietnam. Continue southwards passing Lang Co beach, a lovely stretch of beach curving outwards between a clear blue lagoon and the East Sea. Upon arrival Hue, check in hotel & leisure. Overnight in Hue Meals: Breakfast Included: Private tour guide, private transfer

Day 7: Hue City Tour Full Day (B/L)

Have breakfast at hotel. You will enjoy the boat on the Perfume River to visit the ancient and sacred Thien Mu Pagoda . Then, you will then visit the Hue Citadel - The palaces of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), the last dynasty of Vietnam - Noon Gate, Thai Hoa Palace, Imperial Ancestral Temple and Hue Royal Antiques Museum. Visit and shopping at Dong Ba Market . Have lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will visit Minh Mang tomb , one of the most interesting emperor tombs in Hue and Khai Dinh Tomb which represents a fusion of traditional Vietnamese style and modern influence. The tomb is almost entirely made of concrete and includes many European architectural details. Overnight in Hue Meals: Breakfast, lunch Included: Private tour guide, private transfer

Day 8: Hue - Fly To Hanoi - City Tour Half Day & Water Puppet Show (B/L)

Have breakfast at hotel, free leisure until driver (No Guide) pick up you to Hue Airport for your flight to Hanoi . Upon on arrival at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, you will be warmly welcomed by tour guide with signboard, then transfer city central. Check in & short leisure (the room is official available after 14:00). Afternoon: you will have a half day city tour in Hanoi by visiting outside of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum . Just next door is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. Lying to one side of the Mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049 the structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi. Continue to visit the Temple of Literature . Continue to visit Hoan Kiem Lake, explore Ngoc Son Temple , The Huc Bridge. Finally enjoy very special Vietnamese culture show “Water Puppet”. Then drive back hotel & leisure. Overnight in Hanoi Meals: Breakfast Included: No tour guide Hue, tour guide in Hanoi, private transfer

Day 9: Hanoi - Halong Bay - Overnight On Cruise (B/L/D)

Have breakfast at hotel. At 08:00 am , shuttle bus of cruise will pick up from breakfast’s point and transfer to Halong Bay . It will take for more than 3 hours to Halong Bay, the pride of the Gulf of Tonkin , a Natural World Heritage as designated by UNESCO in 1994. The road will pass by the Red River delta with green paddy fields and rural villages, where hard-work farmers are busy with their farming jobs, plough buffaloes or planting seeding. Upon arrival in Halong harbor, at 12:00 - 12:30 pm, you will be welcome on cruise, and start to discover the magnificent beauty of this “ Descending-dragon ” bay, created by thousands odd-shaped limestone rocks and karst grottoes. Enjoy your lunch of fresh seafood on board, we can visit the Surprising Grotto , stop for swimming or kayaking, passing floating villages and approach islets to enjoy their beauty in close distance. Back to the boat for dinner late afternoon. Evening attend activities on the boat or relax at your own leisure. Note: Program may differ slightly base on cruise ships. I will update exactly itinerary of cruise when tour is confirmed, and cruise is selected. Overnight on Halong Bay Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Included: Shared tour guide on cruise, shared shuttle bus of cruise

Day 10: Halong Bay - Hanoi - Night Train To Lao Cai (B/L)

Breakfast on boat, The Vietnamese call the “East Sea” by a point-oriented name “Eastern Sea”, so you may guess how miraculous it is seeing the sunrise over the islets of the Bay. The boat will take us to go about marvelous areas, where almost each islet has its own name, adopting its shape or reminiscent, including the Fisherman’s Head, Turtle, the Sail, the Incense Burner Rock, the cute Sea Dog Rock or Cock Fighting Rocks and so on. Lunch on boat. Check out and get back to the shore. Shuttle bus of cruise take you Hanoi train station. Have free time or take your dinner (your own expense). Late evening, take night train to Lao Cai city. Note: You will go to Lao Cai by train without tour guide. A local tour guide in Sapa will take care you. Overnight on train to Lao Cai Meals: Breakfast, lunch Included: Shared tour guide on cruise, shared shuttle bus of cruise

Day 11: Sapa - Cat Cat Village - Ham Rong Mountain (B/L)

Upon arrival Lao Cai Station at 05:30 am, local tour guide will pick up you to Sapa town. Have breakfast at local restaurant. Then, tour guide pick up you and start trekking to Cat Cat village which is occupied by the Black H’mong tribe. Here, you can see the hydroelectric power station which was built by the French in twentieth century. You will experience the tribal way of life of ethnic minorities while enjoying wonderful views of the terraced rice paddy fields and the waterfall in Cat Cat village . Then transfer back Sapa town. Have lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, you will check in hotel, have a short leisure. Then, visit Ham Rong Mountain with unspoiled and spectacular scenery. You can enjoy many kinds of colorful flowers in Indochina Orchid Garden . Passing two Heaven Gates , visitors will reach the top of Ham Rong which is called Pitch Cloud and have a panoramic view of Sapa. Overnight in Sapa Meal: Breakfast, lunch Included: Private tour guide, private transfer

Day 12: Sapa - Lao Chai & Tavan Village - Night Train Back Hanoi (B/L)

Have breakfast at hotel. At 08:00 am, tour guide pick you from hotel, and today you will have a trekking day to visit Lao Chai - Ta Van Village , home to H’mong , and Dzay people to understand more about ethnic minority community, enjoy imposing mountain scenery, terraced fields, and marvelous nature. Visit ancient sacred stones with big - small ones which have many unique images, secret sigh. See bridge which made by rattan like Muong Hoa stream . This is an absolutely spectacular walk through stunning scenery inhabited by some of the friendliest people you can meet. Have lunch at local restaurant during visit. After lunch, you continue to explore Ta Van village until you are transferred to Sapa town. Prepare the last minutes with Sapa before heading to Lao Cai for the night train back to Hanoi. Overnight in Train Meals: Breakfast, lunch Included: Private tour guide, private transfer

Day 13: Hanoi - Hoa Lu & Tam Coc - Hanoi (B/L)

Upon on arrival in Hanoi train station early morning at around 05:00 am. A driver (No Guide) pick up from here, transfer to local restaurant for breakfast, and wait here. At 08:00 am, tour guide pick you up at hotel, depart to Ninh Binh province to visit Hoa Lu & Tam Coc , enjoying the beautiful sceneries of the rural areas on the way. Upon arriving in Ninh Binh , the guide takes you to visit Hoa Lu - the Ancient Royal capital of Viet Nam . We will visit Dinh king temple and Le king temple . In the 10th century, finding out the heroic histories of this two Kings in Chinese Wars. After that, we go to Tam Coc (10 km far from Hoa Lu). Have lunch at local restaurant. After lunch you will get on bamboo boat - rowed by the local people - in Small River to visit Tam Coc (three caves) on the way. You pass through three enormous caves that provide a brief respite from the intense summer sun. It takes approximately two hours to go up and down the river and along the way, you witness local fisher folk, village life along the river and, of course, the striking limestone karst formations that Tam Coc is famous for. At about 16.00: We take the car back Hanoi. Check in hotel & leisure. Overnight in Hanoi Meals: Breakfast, lunch Included: Private tour guide, private transfer

Day 14: Hanoi - Fly To Luang Prabang (B/D)

After breakfast at hotel, free leisure until driver (No Guide) pick up you and transfer to the airport for your departure flight. On arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. This evening is free for you to explore and get to know Luang Prabang. Note: + Propose flight from Hanoi to Luang Prabang: VN931: HAN 16:00 - LPQ 17:10 Overnight in Luang Prabang Meals: Breakfast, dinner Included: No tour guide, private transfer

Day 15: Luang Prabang - City Tour - Pak Ou Cave (B/L)

After breakfast we will see some of the highlights of Luang Prabang including a visit to the Royal Palace Museum , which hosts a range of interesting artifacts from the Royal period in Luang Prabang. we are seeing the city’s oldest temples, the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong with its roof sweeping low to the ground, representing classical Lao architecture, the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham . Heading to the Mekong River we board our private boat for a pleasant and scenic cruise up on the upstream to the mysterious Pak Ou Caves . These caves are an ancient pilgrimage site and contain thousands of gold lacquered Buddha images left there over hundreds of years. Returning to Luang Prabang we disembark our boat and have the option of taking a short drive to Ban Phanom , a village famous for its hand weaving or returning to the hotel for free time to relax. Overnight in Luang Prabang Meals: Breakfast, lunch Included: Private tour guide, private transfer

Day 16: Luang Prabang - Khoangsi Waterfall - City Tour (B/L)

After breakfast back at the hotel we begin our journey to Khouangsi Waterfall stopping along the way to visit the morning Phousi Market , this where all locals of Luang Prabang come to do their daily shopping. You will see a variety of local foodstuffs and products including dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, fish, vegetables and fruit, everything needed for daily life in Laos. On arrival at the Khouangsi Waterfall you will have the opportunity to cool off with a refreshing swim in the topaz pools below the falls, walk along the forest trails and visit the Bear Sanctuary. Returning to Luang Prabang, after a short rest, we will climb to the top of Mount Phousi to explore the sacred gilded stupa and to enjoy the panoramic view of the city and the sun setting over the Mekong River. You will find yourself in the midst of the famous Luang Prabang night market, where you can find a unique selection of handmade textiles and handicrafts locally made by both ethnic Lao and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Your evening is free to explore the Night Market and sample some local cuisine at one of the many restaurants the town has to offer. Overnight in Luang Prabang Meals: Breakfast, lunch Included: Private tour guide, private transfer

Day 17: Luang Prabang - Departure (B)

Depending on your flight schedule, you may have time at leisure before you will be transferred by driver (No Guide) to the airport in time for your departing flight. Meals: Breakfast Included: No tour guide, private transfer

Things to know

Travel highlights & benefits

+ Accommodation on a twin/double/tripe-share basic with daily breakfast

+ Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)

+ Private door to door transport with air-conditioned

+ English Speaking Tour guide

+ All entrance and sightseeing fees

+ Mineral water daily 2 bottle 500ml/per day tour

+ All taxes & services charge

Not included

+ International Air Fare in & out Vietnam, Laos

+ International Air Fare from Hanoi - Luang Prabang

+ Domestic Air Fare from Ho Chi Minh - Da Nang

+ Domestic Air Fare from Hue - Hanoi

+ Beverages and other meals do not indicate in the program

+ Additional sightseeing or extra usage of vehicle

+ Visa fees to Vietnam

- Approval letter for visa on arrival (depend on each nationality)

- Visa stamping fee at airport: 25 USD/Person

+ Visa to Laos (depend on each nationality)

+ Early check-in and late check-out at all hotels

+ Travel insurance (you must buy it from your country)

+ Personal expenses (laundry, telephone, shopping...)

+ Tipping to tour guide & driver together

- Group with 1-2 Persons: 5 USD/person/day

- Group with 3-5 Persons: 4 USD/person/day

- Group with 6 Persons up: 3 USD/person/day

+ Surcharge for peak season & compulsory dinner on X’mas and New Year’s, Lunar New Year

+ Single room supplement

+ Any additional expenses caused by reasons beyond our control such as natural calamities (typhoon, floods), flight delays, rescheduling or cancellations, any accidents, medical evacuations, riots, strikes etc.