Vietnam Grand
Tour
22 days,
21 nights Photo Gallery for this trip
Introduction
Explore Viet Nam from the Mekong Delta to the mountainous border area near China on the Vietnam Grand Tour. Highlights of the trip; Ho Chi Minh City, the resistance tunnels of Cu Chi, the beauty of the Mekong Delta, refreshing air in the Central Highlands, sun and beach time on the Central Coast, charming ancient Hoi An, the temples of My Son, World Heritage Hue, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, Dien Bien Phu and the turning of Vietnam’s history, the quiet mountain hill station of Sa Pa and the Grand Finale at Ha Long Bay.
This tour may be run
in reverse order and depending on your time availability, be lengthened or
shortened.
Brief itinerary
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City
Arrival
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City Tour
Day 3: Tay Ninh - Cu Chi Tunnels
Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City
- Vinh Long - Can Tho
Day 5: Can Tho - Cao Lanh - Ho
Chi Minh City
Day 6: Ho Chi Minh City
– Bao Loc – Dalat
Day 7: Dalat Tour
Day 8: Dalat - Nha Trang
Day 9: Nha Trang – Boat trip to the islands
Day 10: Nha Trang – Fly to Da
Nang - Hoi An
Day 11: My Son - Hoi An Tour
Day 12: Hoi An - Da Nang - Hue
Day 13: Imperial Tombs – Fly to Hanoi
Day 14: Ha Noi
City Tour
Day 15: Hanoi
Kenh Ga – Hoa
Lu – Hanoi
Day 16: Hanoi – Fly Dien Bien Phu – Dien Bien Phu Relic Tour
Day 17: Dien Bien Phu
– Muong Lay – Paso
Day 18: Paso - Lai Chau – Sapa
Day 19: Sapa Valley Trek – Lao Cai – Night train to Hanoi
Day 20: Ha Noi - Ha Long
Bay
Day 21: Ha Long – Hanoi
Day 22: Hanoi
- Departure
Day to day itinerary
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City Arrival
On your arrival at Tan
San Nhat airport, you are met and greeted by your local guide and driver. You
transfer to the hotel, refresh and enjoy lunch. Ho Chi Minh City
is the largest city in the country
and the heart of southern Vietnam
and with a population of over 7.5 million, the city is continuously attracting
people from all over the country hoping better their life.
In the afternoon, we
sit with our guide and go over our planned itinerary. We get an overview of HCMC and the depart for
the a short walk about the city and also visit the History Museum to see an excellent collection of artifacts
illustrating the evolution of Vietnam’s culture.
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: Airport
transfer
Meal plan: L
Walking Time: Light
Day
2: Ho
Chi Minh City Tour
After breakfast at the
hotel, we start a sightseeing tour to the Reunification
Palace, which was once the symbol of South Vietnamese Government until
April 1975 and some French colonial structures including the Notre Dame Cathedral – a neo-Romanesque
with two 40m-high pinnacle towers and the Old
Central Post Office.
We break for lunch and
then continue to visit Cho Lon or China Town – a jewel box of interesting
Chinese-style temples such as Thien Hau (the
Protector of Mothers and Newborns and Quan
Am Pagodas (the Goddess of Mercy) – the most active pagodas in Cho Lon. Emperor Jade Pagoda – one of the most
spectacular and colorful pagodas in HCMC and the War Remnants Museum. We end the tour at Ben Thanh Market – a huge indoor market selling all manner of good
surrounded by one of the city liveliest area.
We end our day by late
afternoon. If you feel like thirsty after a long day sight seeing, the local
beer Ba Ba Ba (333) is sure to satisfy!
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: short
journeys around HCM
Walking time: 3 - 4 hours
Walking
difficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B/L
Day 3: Tay Ninh - Cu Chi Tunnels
Today we drive west to
Tay Ninh, the head quarter of one of Vietnam’s most interesting
religions, Cao Daism. The Cao Dai Great Temple is one of the
most striking structures in all of Asia. On arrival
we attend mid-day prayer session but will not disturb the worshippers. The hall
is filled of colored robes, a symbol of the curious combination of the Confucianism,
Taoism and Buddhism – Vietnam’s
Triple Religions.
On the way back, we
visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, an
underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese fighters during the
struggle for independence. The tunnels
contained hospitals, accommodation, etc. and were used as a military base for
the Vietcong in the American War. Cu Chi has become legendary and a place of
pilgrimage for Vietnamese school children and communist party cadres.
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 4
hours by car
Walking time: 2 - 3 hours
Walking
difficulty: Easy, tunnels are
slightly challenging
Meal plan: B/L
Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City - Vinh
Long - Can Tho
Breakfast is followed
by a transfer to Cai Be where were we take a boat for the cruise on the Lower Mekong
River to visit a Cai Be Floating Market – a bustling river market. Customers in smaller boats can easily find
what they need from wholesalers on bigger boats that hang samples of their
goods from tall wooden poles. The trip
to Vinh Long passes along beautiful small islands in the river gives an
overview to agriculture, especially the growing of tropical fruit. We’ll also
visit a boat building site and some small islands (time permitting).
At Vinh Long, we have lunch
and transfer to Can Tho. Can Tho is
the centre and largest city of Mekong
Delta. The city is connected to most other population
centers in the Mekong Delta by a system of canals and rivers. We spend the
night in Can Tho.
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 3
hours by car, 2 hours by boat
Walking time: 2 - 3 hours
Meal plan: B/L
Day 5: Can
Tho - Cao Lanh - Ho Chi Minh City
After breakfast, we take
a three-hour boat trip to visit the Cai
Rang Floating Market – the biggest floating market in the Mekong Delta and Phong Dien Floating Market – the best floating market with fewer motorized craft and
more stand-up rowing boats, the most original ones in the area. We then
continue to visit rice noodles factory.
We break for lunch and
transfer to Cao Lanh. Here we take a
one hour boat trip to see the Xeo Quit Base
Area – a Viet Cong base during the American War where top-brass VC lived in
underground bunkers in the Rung Tram
Forest. The
forest is a vast swamp with a beautiful thick canopy of tall trees and vines,
one of the last natural forests left in the Mekong Delta. We return to Ho Chi Minh City by late
afternoon.
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 4
hours by boat, return car transfer to HCM
Walking time: limited
Meal plan: B/L
Day 6: Ho Chi Minh City
– Bao Loc – Dalat
Today we depart to the
cool and fresh Highland Centre via the National highway 20. We’ll enjoy a smooth drive with a beautiful
landscape. There is time to stop for
photos at the La Nga Lake
and the floating village. We’ll stop
at Bao Loc to visit the magnificent Dambri
Waterfall - one of the tallest and easily accessible waterfalls in Vietnam. We
enjoy lunch at local restaurant and sample tea and mulberry, the major local
industry in Bao Loc. On arrival to Da Lat,
we visit the tea and coffee plantations
in Lien Khuong.
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 5 hours by car
Walking time: limited
Walking
difficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B/L
Day 7:
Dalat Tour
After breakfast, we’ll
start our tour of Dalat with a visit to the Bao Dai
Summer Palace. The palace is filled with artifacts from many
generations of residents. Next we carry
on to Tuyen Lam Lake and Pagoda - a
complex of pagodas and relaxation areas overlooking a beautiful lake where we
may enjoy an elephant ride around the
lake. We then make our way to the Hang Nga Crazy House - this
guesthouse, café and art gallery is the an oddity in Vietnam because of its architecture
and art displays, most definitely unique to the country! Our last stop before lunch is the Valley of Love
- the valley was once called the Valley
of Peace by Emperor Bao
Dai and in 1972 was renamed by romantically minded students from Da Lat
University.
We break for lunch at
local restaurant and continue to drive to Langbian
Mountain, visit the Lat village at the base of Lang Bian
Mountain. The village is
inhabited by the Lat ethnic group and four other ethnic minorities, each of
which speaks different dialect. We return to Dalat by late afternoon.
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 3 hours by car, 30 - 60 minutes by
Elephant!
Walking time: 2 hours
Walking
difficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B/L
Day 8:
Dalat - Nha Trang
Today we depart for
Nha Trang and there will be plenty of time to stop for photos along the way. Our
fist stop is at the Ngoan Muc Pass - known to the French as Bellevue Pass
that offer amazing view across the coastal plain to the South
China Sea on a clear day. At the base of the pass is Dan Nhim Power Station. We continue to Phan Rang where we make another
stop at the area’s best-known site, the
Po Klong Garai Cham Tower. This famous landmark is four brick towers
constructed at the end of 13th century as a Hindu temple. Before reaching Nha Trang, we stop again to
view Cam Ranh Bay. This gorgeous
harbor has long been considered one of Asia’s prime deep-water ports and was
previously home to the US
and later the Russian Navies.
We arrive to Nha Trang
in mid afternoon. You check into hotel and the rest of the day is free at
leisure. Nha Trang is one of the most popular municipal beaches in all of Vietnam. The clear water around Nha Trang is excellent for
fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving. Boat trips are also a real highlight of Nha
Trang.
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 4 hours by car
Walking time: 1 hour
Walking
difficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B/L
Day 9:
Nha Trang – Boat trip to the islands
You enjoy
breakfast at the hotel and then take a morning boat trip to visit islands offshore. With 71 islands in remarkably clear water, the
boat trip to these islands is one of the best reasons for visiting Nha Trang. We’ll visit the Mun Island and Tri Nguyen Aquarium. Lunch is served on the Tam Island.
After lunch, enjoy swimming and relaxation before returning to Nha Trang.
Note - The 2 days in Nha Trang can be
substituted by a package to Whale Island - a lovely beach retreat, where you
are accommodated in wooden beachfront bungalow at Whale Island Resort
(whaleislandresort.com). The island can be reach by one hour road trip and 2
hour boat trip.
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 30 minutes by car/ boat cruise
Meal plan: B, L
Day 10:
Nha Trang – Fly to Da Nang
- Hoi An
Breakfast is followed
by a little exercise. We cycle to Thap Ba Hot Spring
Center via the beach side
road. 
Relax and revive yourself in a
soothing mud bath and enjoy swimming in a mineral spring. After we refresh our bodies, we’ll visit the Cham Po
Nagar Temples
nearby and cycle back through Nha Trang streets to view local daily life.
You have a transfer to
Cam Ranh airport for boarding to Da Nang on
flight No VN 336 (12:05 - 13:20) and enjoy late lunch in Da Nang. We then transfer to Hoi An Ancient Town, a living museum
with charm and culture from every corner. You check into hotel and take a walk
through the town on your own.
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 1 hour by bicycle, airport transfer, 1 hour
flight
Meal plan: B/L
Day 11: My Son - Hoi An Tour
Following breakfast,
we depart for My Son, a World
Heritage site, 40 km southwest of Hoi An. Located in a lush valley; My Son was
a capital and religious center of Cham people. Today it is considered to be in the same
league as some of Southeast Asia's greatest archaeological sites, including
Angkor in Cambodia, Bagan in
Myanmar and Ayutthaya
in Thailand.
The towers and sanctuaries were built
from the 7 to 13 centuries and have survived war and time itself with care from
Vietnam
to remember the distinct heritage of the Cham People.
We return to Hoi An
for lunch and stroll around the town visiting the Japanese Covered Bridge. The bridge was constructed in 1590 by
the Japanese community to link them with Chinese quarter. We continue to the Museum of Trading
Ceramics
where a collection of white and blue ceramics of the Dai Viet period and a
great ceramic mosaic are worthwhile. Our
next destinations are a sampling of beautiful architecture styles including Tan Ky House - a private home that
features Japanese and Chinese influence, the
Assembly Hall of the Cantonese Chinese Congregation - the temples and pagodas
of molded on Chinese style. We end our day by walking along Silk Street of Hoi An. You may have your silk clothing made in
just a few hours!
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 2.5 hours by car,
Walking time: 2 - 3 hours
Walking
difficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B/L
Day 12:
Hoi An - Da Nang - Hue
Today we depart for Hue, another World Heritage Site, via Da Nang.
In Da Nang, we’ll stop to visit the Marble Mountain. The mountains consist of five sizeable formations
which are said to represent the natural elements Water, Wood, Fire, Metal or
Gold and Earth. Our next stop in Da Nang is the Museum of Cham Sculpture where you can see the
finest collection of Cham sculpture in the world. We continue via Highway 1
north and will stop at the Hai Van Pass
- an incredibly mountainous stretch with spectacular views and Lang Co Beach - a crystal clear
turquoise lagoon beaches is certainly included. The picturesque view of sea and
mountain is truly amazing!
We arrive in Hue, check into hotel and
enjoy late lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon,
we’ll first visit Dong Ba Market, Hue’s largest market
where anything and everything can be bought. We then continue on to the Imperial Citadel where the Nguyen
Dynasty ruled the country between 1802 and 1945 and the Ruins of the Purple Forbidden City
which was constructed for personal use of the emperor and was entirely
destroyed during Tet Offensive 1969.
In the evening, we’ll
enjoy dinner on a Perfume
River boat cruise. The boat
cruise and Hue folk’s
songs performance mark the end of the day.
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 3 - 4 hours car, boat cruise
Walking time: 1 - 2 hours
Meal plan: B/L/D
Day 13:
Imperial Tombs – Fly to Hanoi
In the morning, we
take another cruise on the Perfume River to visit the extravagant
mausoleums that were constructed along this water’s edge. We first visit the Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc who had the
longest reign and lived a life of ultimate imperial luxury and then the Tomb of Emperor Minh Mang, the most
majestic of the royal tombs. Our river journey includes a visit to Thien Mu Pagoda, an icon of Vietnam and has become an unofficial symbol of Hue. During 1960s and
1980s, it became a flashpoint of anti-government demonstration.
We have lunch at local
restaurant before transfer to Phu Bai airport for boarding to Hanoi on flight No VN 244 (14:55 - 16:10). You
arrive in Hanoi,
transfer to hotel, check in and take a small walk around the Old Quarter. Hanoi, the Capital
of Vietnam
is the city of timeless grace, an architectural museum piece evolving in
harmony with its history. Tree-lined boulevards, lakes and parks also make the
city different from others.
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 2 hour boat cruise, airport transfers, 1 hour flight
Meal plan: B/L
Day 14:
Ha Noi City Tour
Today we spend a full
day exploring the capital city and our first visit is to the Ho Chi Minh
Complex. We first visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - the number one
place of pilgrimage of Vietnam
to pay respect to Uncle Ho. We continue to the
Residential Palace - a beautifully restored
colonial building constructed as the residence of the Governor General
Indochina and now used for official receptions that is not open to public yet. We then spend time at Ho Chi Minh's house on stilts where he lived on and off from 1958
to 1969. The house is built in the style
of Vietnam’s
ethnic minorities, sitting in a well-tended garden next to carp-filled pond. We then continue to One Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi’s
most famous pagoda is designed to resemble a lotus blossom, symbol of purity,
rising out of a sea of sorrow. Our last
visit before lunch is the Temple of Literature,
Vietnam's
first university. It is an excellent example of well-preserved traditional
Vietnamese architecture.
We break for lunch at
local restaurant. Afternoon, we continue to the Vietnam
Museum of Ethnology. The
museum features a fascinating collection of art and everyday objects gathered
from Vietnam
and its diverse tribal people. This wonderful museum is quite away from centre
of Hanoi, but
it shouldn’t be missed. On the way back
to town, we’ll visit Tran Quoc Pagoda which
is one of the oldest temple of Vietnam and Quan Thanh Temple, one of the four important
temples, each located at North, South, East and West of Hanoi and dedicated to
the Gods who are the guardians of the old capital Thang Long.
At the end of the day, an optional cyclo ride around the old quarter streets from Hang Dau to Hang
Gai.
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: short
journeys around Hanoi
by car
Walking time: 2 - 3 hours
Walking
difficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B/L
Day 15: Hanoi Kenh Ga
– Hoa Lu – Hanoi
We depart early today
to Hoa Lu, one of Vietnam’s
earliest capitals where magnificent temples set strategically in a dramatic
landscape of limestone cliffs and rice paddies. We’ll visit the Kenh Ga Floating Market. This is the only other place in Vietnam where you can see anything like this in
Mekong Delta and on the other hand nowhere in Mekong Delta you will find a
stunning mountain backdrop like the one at Kenh Ga. We’ll then enjoy a 3 hour boat trip to Tam Coc to contemplate the beauty of the
natural landscape of ‘Halong Bay on the rice paddies’ and then visit to a hot springs and
Van Trinh Cave.
After lunch we
continue the trip to Hoa Lu. It
was the Ancient Capital of Vietnam during the Dinh (968-80 and early Le
(980-1009) dynasties, a smart choice for a capital city because of the natural
protection. Before returning to Hanoi, we visit to the remaining two temples of the King Dinh and the King Le in
Yen Ngua Mountain,
a scenic backdrop for Hoa Lu.
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 4
hours by car, 2 hours boat trip
Walking time: 1 - 2 hours
Walking
difficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B/L
Day 16: Hanoi – Fly Dien Bien Phu – Dien Bien
Phu Relic Tour
After breakfast, we take the first flight to Dien Bien Phu, one of the most remote parts of Vietnam. Dien Bien Phu is well known through out the world as a battle field in the first
Indochina War. The city is 45 km from the Laos
border, located in Muong
Thanh Valley
and surrounded by steep and heavily forested hills.
On arrival in Dien Bien Phu, we check into hotel and have lunch at a
local restaurant. After lunch, we visit the site of the battle. Our first stop
at Dien Bien Phu Museum is very informative. We then continue to the bunker headquarters of the French commander Colonel de Castries.
On the other side of the bunkers is A1 Hill, where bitter fighting took
place. If time permits, you can visit Dien
Bien Phu Cemetery that commemorates
Vietnamese soldiers
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: Airport
transfer
Walking time: 1 - 2 hours
Walking
difficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B/L
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 3 - 4 hours car, boat tour
Walking time: limited
Walking
difficulty: Easy
Meal plan: B/L
Day 18: Paso - Lai Chau – Sapa
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 3.5
hours car
Walking time: 1 - 2 hours
Walking difficulty:
Easy
Meal plan: B/L
Day 19: Sapa Valley
Trek – Lao Cai – Night train to Hanoi
We first slip through the Sapa market and leave the busy town
behind. After a couple of minutes, we follow a road going downhill to Cat Cat village. We’ll stop by a
waterfall and a hydroelectric station for a while before continuing the trek on
a dirt trail through rice paddy terraces. We also will enjoy spectacular
scenery while walking along a narrow river. We eventually arrive in Y Linh Ho village of Black Hmong minority, where we can take a rest while lunch is
served nearby the river.
After lunch, you head toward
Muong Hoa valley. You will pass through the Black Hmong minority village of Lao Chai
and then the Giay minority village
of Tavan.
You will return Sapa from Tavan by car.
We repack our belonging and
drive to Lao Cai for the night train back
to Hanoi. Before the train to Hanoi,
we’ll make a short visit to the Vietnam/Chinese border and have a make an
offering at the pagoda next to the Friendship
Bridge crossing to China. The train for Hanoi departs after 21:00.
Accommodation: 4 berth air conditioned sleeper berth
Transit: 2
hour
Walking time: 2 - 3 hours
Walking
difficulty: Easy/Moderate, some
stairs
Meal plan: B/L
Day 20:
Ha Noi - Ha Long Bay
You arrive in Hanoi very early in the morning,
transfer to hotel to refresh and have breakfast. We then leave for Ha Long through
the Red River Delta with its scenery of rice fields, water buffalo and everyday life in the
villages. Upon arrival, you board a Traditional Style Junk and enjoy a
well-prepared lunch of local fresh seafood while the junk cruises among
thousand of odd shaped limestone islands. You will have opportunity to visit
Surprise Grotto and have a swim at Titop beach or follow the steps all the
way up to the top for a view over the Bay below. You then have dinner on board while watching
sunset. Should you feel like taking
another swim, there will plenty of time. 
Accommodation: Your choice of Junk from our list
Transit: 3
hours by car
Meal plan: B/L/D
Day 21:
Ha Long – Hanoi
You enjoy breakfast in the fresh morning
air and serenity of the bay while the
junk continues its way among thousands of islets. You cruise through several beautiful
views of Teapot Island,
Chopstick Island,
Horse Saddle and Charles De Gaulle Island. You may
wish for a swim before your lunch is served. The Junk will disembark Halong wharf at noon,
where your bus is waiting to transfer you back to Hanoi. You will arrive in Hanoi about 16.00.
Accommodation: Your choice of hotel from our list
Transit: 3
hours by car
Meal plan: B/L
Day 22: Hanoi - Departure
After breakfast at the
hotel, you are free at leisure for shopping until transfer to Noi Bai airport
for departure.
Transit: Airport
transfer
Meal plan: B
Our trip
includes
- English speaking
guide
- Accommodation as
indicated
- Meals as
indicated
- Transfer and
pickup airport
- Transportation by
car or minivan
- One way train
ticket
- Domestic flights
- Tour as indicated
- Entrance fee
Our trip excludes
- International
flights
- Visa & visa
arrangement
- Meals not
indicated
- Drinking water,
soft drink and alcohol
- Tips
& personal expenses
Prices contact info@remoteasia.com
