Outline itinerary

Day 1 : Hanoi arrival

Day 2 : Hanoi City tour

Day 3 : Hanoi - Hoa Lu Tam Coc ( Ninh Binh )

Day 4 : Ninh Binh - Halong Bay

Day 5 : Halong Bay - Hanoi - Danang/Hoian

Day 6 : Danang/Hoian - Hue

Day 7 : Hue City tour ( flight )

Day 8 : Hue - Hochiminh city 

Day 9 : Hochiminh city - Mekong delta

Day 10 : Mekong delta - Hochiminh city / departure

Detailed itinerary

Day 1 - Hanoi
On arrival at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport an Asian Destination Travel  guide will greet you and transfer by private car through the city to your hotel.
Overnight in Hanoi .
Meals: Independent

Day 2 - Hanoi (B,L)
After breakfast depart for an insider’s tour of the capital.
Take a walking/street food tour of Hanoi’s best culinary spots with a food blogger. A local hospitality industry insider, with an enormous passion for his country's cuisine, created a blog that gained a large following both in Vietnam and internationally. Here he created awareness of locally know street food dishes combined with cultural adventures, entertaining his readers since 2005. Quirky observations also found their way into both local and international media and his experience managing some of Hanoi 's finest dining establishments along with his special interest in street-food (he's shared many hours trawling the street stalls and markets) make him the genuine, local authority on  Hanoi 's food scene.
Your specialist street food guide and your private vehicle and driver will meet at the hotel. Drive to the centre of Hanoi. Once in the centre of town the tour will be mostly conducted on foot so be sure that you are wearing comfortable walking shoes
Stroll through Old Quarter, past the old east gate to Thanh Ha market. Along the way delicacies, strange food items and an explanation of Vietnamese food practices will be given. This busy, eclectic market is alive with the sights and sounds of Hanoi and is the essence of Vietnamese culture.
Continue through the streets of the Old Quarter to Dong Xuan market to sample some local treats such as pho tiu and bun dau. Your guide will explain the routine of Vietnam meal times and indigenous/unusual ingredients eaten. Stroll up ‘food alley’ to see other dishes on offer.
From here visit the food sections of Hanoi’s main market, Dong Xuan. See dried goods and aromatics, the essentials of Vietnamese cuisine.
Walk down to Hang Than Street to view ceremonial cake stalls and taste a special French influenced dessert. An explanation on traditions and food gifts for celebrations will be given. Continue back into the Old Quarter via Hang Cot Street – check specially treated fruit which are dependable on the seasons and a common snack in Vietnam. Walk along Phung Hung Street through temporary market stalls where you can see the changing market scene in Hanoi and how modernization is shaping tradition. At the end of the tour stop at one of the Old Quarter busiest (yet smallest) coffee shops for a well-earned sit down and coffee before transferring back to your hotel.
This afternoon continue to West Lake and one of the oldest Buddhist pagodas in Hanoi, Tran Quoc, and the nearby Taoist temple of Quan Thanh which dates from the Ly Dynasty.
Time permitting, or as an alternative to one of the above, visit the highly acclaimed Vietnam Women’s Museum (closed on Mondays).  The museum is located near Hoan Kiem Lake and offers wonderful insight into the lives of Vietnamese women.  Displays highlight Vietnam’s vast cultural diversity and educate on the significant role Vietnamese women play in Vietnamese society. Learn historic and modern-day traditions centered around births, weddings, motherhood, spirituality and more. The rest of the day is at your leisure.  Overnight in Hanoi .

Day 3 - Hanoi-Hoa Lu / Tam Coc (B,L)
A couple hours drive outside of Hanoi will take you deep into Vietnam’s past and picturesque countryside: discover Hoa Lu, ancient capital of Vietnam during the Dinh and Le dynasties, before taking a sampan trip down the so called ‘Halong Bay on Land’ - Tam Coc River, famous for its charming grottoes and limestone karst mountains. A real insight into Vietnam’s outstanding heritage and dramatic scenery.
Depart your hotel this morning at 0800 for the 2-hour drive through rural northern Vietnam to the site of Vietnam’s first capital, Hoa Lu. Visit the temples dedicated to Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang of the Dinh Dynasty (968-80), and Emperor Le Dai Hanh of the Le Dynasty (980-1009). The ancient Hoa Lu Citadel (most of which has since been destroyed) once covered an area of three square kilometers.
If time permits after visiting Hoa Lu (for the fit and healthy), take a half-hour walk up one of the surrounding limestone karst hills, the climb is rewarding with spectacular views.
In the late morning depart for Tam Coc Town for a Vietnamese lunch, along the way stop where you wish to take photographs of local villages and the stunning landscape.
After lunch board your private sampan to either Thung Nang (visited in summer) or Trang An (visited in winter). As the boat gently slices through the water, notice the enormous limestone karsts jutting out from the green rice fields giving rise to other name, ‘Halong on Land’.
Should you feel adventurous climb up to Bich Dong Pagoda on nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain, dating to 1428 and comprising three structures: Ha, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas, in ascending order.  Overnight in  Ninh Binh .

Day 4 - Ninh Binh - Ha Long Bay (B,L,D)
After breakfast leave Ninh Binh for an overnight boat trip on Halong Bay. Journey there through the rich farmlands, observe everyday life of Vietnamese villagers as they work the rice fields, take pigs to the market on bicycles and plough the fields with their water buffaloes. Arrive in Halong City late morning and board your traditional wooden junk for the overnight journey into the Bay. Lunch is served on board. Following cruise by rock formations with such names as Sail, Dog and Dinh Huong (incense pot).
Towards the end of the day set anchor for the night. As the sun sets over the bay dinner is served on board with fresh seafood, salads, and fruits.  Overnight aboard boat on Halong Bay.

Day 5 - Halong Bay - Hanoi - Danang - Hoi An (B,L)
On your return to Halong City enjoy a wholesome brunch as your boat weaves through strange-shaped limestone rock formations. Upon disembarkation your driver will meet you for the transfer to Hai Phong Airport for the flight to Danang.
On arrival your guide will welcome you for the 40-minute drive to Hoi An. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 6 - Hoi An - Hue (B,L)
After your breakfast drive to the ancient port town of Hoi An. Despite the passing of 200 years and the ravages of weather and war, the centre of Hoi An remains much the same as it was in its heyday. A walking tour is the best way to see this marvellous town.
Lunch at one of Hoi An’s best restaurants which serves original and creative cuisine that can only be described as Vietnam-Latin American-Japanese fusion. With a combination of refreshing flavours, beautiful presentations and a relaxing atmosphere this eatery has one the heart of many loyal and happy customers. 
Leave Hoi An after lunch for Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam. In Danang visit the Cham Museum, before climbing over the ‘Pass of Ocean Clouds’. Arrive in Hue late in the afternoon and transfer to hotel.
Overnight  in Hue.

Day 7 - Hue  (B,L,D)
Pick up from hotel by cyclo and head to dai noi ‘Old City’ to Tinh Tam Lake where the Emperors used to come to relax; full of lotus flowers in summer there are many local style coffee shops around the lake where university students come to study. Continue by cyclo to Tay Loc Market which is located in the northwest part dai noi. This market is mostly for locals and is rarely visited by tourists.
From Tay Loc transfer by vehicle to the beautiful pagoda which dates back to 1843. What is most interesting at the pagoda are the eunuch tombs from the former Royal Court which in the whole city of Hue are only found here. If in Hue on Thursday or Sunday mornings between 0900-1000 it is the gathering place for up to 20 Buddhist monks and nuns who gather together to pray and read aloud scriptures. This is a fascinating time and highly recommended.
Ho Quyen, which was an arena where duels between elephants and tigers were fought for the entertainment of former Kings, will be visited next. The last fight was held here in 1904 and although small, you can climb the nearby ramparts and gaze down upon the area where the animals once fought.
At the end of the tour visit the recently restored An Dinh Palace where magnificent murals can be seen, as well as the stunning façade where oriental and European designs are integrated.
Enjoy lunch in Hue at one of the city’s most renowned restaurants, Ancient Hue. In the afternoon see the tomb of the former emperor Minh Mang which is located in a tranquil setting of gardens and ponds. Journey on to Khai Dinh’s Tomb which is traditional Vietnamese in design with a European touch making it unique from the other tombs in Hue.
At the end of the afternoon head back to your hotel.
Dinner at one of visit to Hue’s beautiful garden houses known locally as ‘nha vuon’.  These houses are traditional, privately owned, and set in large and attractive formal gardens. Some have connections with the old Royal Imperial Court and the house’s traditional architecture has long been associated with the natural environment and the ancient belief of ‘feng-shui’. Overnight in Hue

Day 8 - Hue - Ho Chi Minh City (B,L)
Depart for Hue Airport after breakfast for the short flight to dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by the locals. Our tour guide and driver welcome you at the Tan Son Nhat airport head to Cholon, the Chinatown district, to discover the area’s markets, shops, and the Cantonese Thien Hau Pagoda - dedicated to the goddess of the Sea. Visit Vietnam's first traditional medicine museum, the FITO Museum, with an amazing collection of 3,000 items relevant to the development of traditional Vietnamese medicine. Implements used to prepare indigenous herbs, and objects commonly found in traditional pharmacies can be seen in the galleries as well as ancient books and documents on traditional Vietnamese medicine.
Head back to the city centre to visit Ben Thanh Market where an incredible display of fresh produce is offered. Simply stroll through the market exploring the variety of goods for sale.
This afternoon visit the War Remnants or History Museum (choose which one you would most like to see) and the former Presidential Palace, Stroll (your vehicle will be available at all times) to the major sights of colonial Ho Chi Minh City: the Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat), Continental Hotel, Opera House and City Hall. At the end of the afternoon head back to your hotel.
Overnight in Saigon .

Day 9 - Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta (L,D)
This morning, leave Ho Chi Minh City for the 2-hour drive to the delta town of Cai Be. On arrival, board your boat for an overnight cruise. Start in Cai Be floating market where traders have been living on the delta waters for generations. After visiting the market, continue cruising the distributaries where lunch will be served en-route. Along the way admire the scenery and daily life of the local villagers. Dinner and overnight on board your boat on the Mekong Delta.
Overnight on the Mekong Delta.

Day 10 - Mekong Delta - Ho Chi Minh City (B)
This morning, cruise to Cai Rang floating market, taking in the traditional sights such as rice barges, traditional shipyards and tropical fruits drying along the river banks along the way. After a visit to the colorful floating market, check out and disembark before the return to Ho Chi Minh City. Your private car and guide will be at your disposal until your transfer by private car to Ton Son Nhat Airport for international flights or a domestic extension.

 Tour Price: 969 USD per person ( apply for group of 2 people , If your group has more than 2 persons, pls contact us for a specific price (surely less then price for group of 2) base on the standard hotel option

Rates vary frequently. Please contact us to get the best possible price based upon your travel period and specific touring needs.

INCLUSION
•    Accommodations in Twin sharing with breakfast basis at mentioned hotels or similar ones if the mentioned hotels are not available
•    Meals as mentioned in the program B = breakfast, Br=Brunch, L= lunch and D=dinner
•    English speaking local guides during the whole trip
•    Entrance fees for all the mentioned visits
•    Private air-conditioned vehicle during the whole trip
•    Vietnam visa approval letter – COMPLIMENTARY (Values up to 20 USD per person)
•    Cyclo ride and water puppet show in Hanoi
•    Private boat trip in Hue and Mekong delta
•    One night on a non-private boat in Halong bay (Chartered boat request may apply surcharge)
•    Mineral water and cold tissue (2 small bottles+2 cold tissues per person per day)

EXCLUSION
•    International air tickets from/to Vietnam
•    Domestic air tickets Hanoi-Hue, Danang-Hcmc (Pls see airfares in module tours)
•    Vietnamese visa stamping fee (25 USD per person with Single entry and 50 USD per person with multiple entries,paid to the Immigration officers at the airport on arrival)
•    Meals other than mentioned
•    Laundry, telephone calls and expenditure of a personal nature
•    Tips to guides, drivers, hotel porters, boat crews…
•    Any services other than mentioned

ACCOMMODATION

ACCOMMODATION ( DELUXE OPTION)