21-Day Unforgettable Vietnam Adventure Tour

Upon arrival, your private guide and driver will greet you at the airport and then drive you to your hotel. The rest of the day will be free time for you to rest or explore at your leisure.

• Depart your hotel with your driver for approximately 1.5 hours to Moon Garden Homestay, located in Ky Son Village.
• Embark on a bike ride to visit local families involved in traditional craftsmanship.
• Learn how to prepare a traditional Vietnamese dish by participating in a cooking class.
• Unwind with a relaxing Hand Spa experience and enjoy a foot bath in warm water infused with ginger, salt, and mugwort medicinal herbs.
• Explore Moon Garden Homestay and Ky Son Village at your own pace during your free time before returning to Hanoi.

Cook Traditional Vietnamese Dish

• Embark on a walking tour that ventures beyond the typical tourist itinerary in the Old Quarter.
• Take a cyclo ride through the Old Quarter to see the city from a different perspective.
• Head towards Long Bien Station and hop on a ten-minute train ride to observe locals during their everyday commute.
• In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Literature, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Experience a private water puppet show at a local's house.
• Enjoy an hour of spa treatment and a refreshing shower at the spa center before boarding the evening train to Sapa.

A Cyclo Ride in the Old Quarter

The Suite of Chapa Express Overnight Train

• Upon arrival in Sapa, savor a refreshing local breakfast. Then, take a scenic one-hour drive to a bustling hill tribe market.
• Experience the vibrant market atmosphere from Tuesday to Sunday, where different hill tribes gather in various towns and villages across Lao Cai province.
• Meet friendly hill tribe people and immerse yourself in their festive market activities during their peak days.
• Explore a nearby ethnic village on foot and gain insights into their traditional way of life.
• Return to Sapa by lunchtime and enjoy the scenic drive to your mountaintop hotel  - Topas Ecolodge.

Meet Hill Tribe People in A Local Market

• Take a light trek on a good path for a few hours, with plenty of time to learn about the history and traditional customs of the Black Hmong people. Along the way, enjoy views of beautiful Hoang Lien National Park.
• Continue the trip deeper into the valley and cross the beautiful Muong Bo River before reaching Thanh Phu village of the Tay minority.
• Explore My Son village in the afternoon, then journey to Nam Cang, Sapa's most remote Red Dao village. Walking along the small roads and village paths, you would get a true off-the-beaten-track experience.
• Return to your hotel later in the afternoon, and stay overnight again at Topas Ecolodge.

Trek through the Remote Villages of Sapa

• Escape the everyday hustle and embark on a captivating half-day trek from Topas Ecolodge.
• Immerse yourself in the enchanting landscapes of Lech Village, nestled amidst nature's serene embrace.
• Venture into the heart of Lech Village, where the warmth and hospitality of the locals await. Embrace the opportunity to dress in traditional attire, experiencing the essence of their culture firsthand.
• After this immersive experience, return to Topas Ecolodge and conveniently transfer to Hanoi with their shuttle service.

Try on Traditional Red Dao Clothing

• After breakfast, depart Hanoi for Ha Long City and board Heritage Line's Ylang cruise, the epitome of luxury in Lan Ha Bay.
• Unwind on the terrace deck or your private balcony, soaking in the breathtaking seascape.
• Later, we'll moor near Cat Ba Island where you can explore Viet Hai Village, nestled in a picturesque valley framed by jungle-clad mountains.
• Take a scenic bike ride through the valley, gaining insights into the secluded life of the local residents.
• After returning to the ship, we'll set sail to our overnight anchorage spot in Lan Ha Bay.

Explore a Local Floating Fishing Village

• Start your day with an invigorating Tai Chi session on the terrace deck, soaking up the morning sun.
• Over breakfast, the ship sails towards the northern port of Cat Ba Island, gateway to its national park.
• A scenic bus ride takes you through the lush park, leading to the starting point for a leisurely hike.
• Return to the ship for lunch and a relaxing sail to a secluded spot, where the afternoon unfolds at your own pace. Choose from a variety of options: unwind on a pristine beach, explore the calm waters by kayak, or pamper yourself with spa treatments, a steam bath, or sauna back onboard.
• Make the most of this unhurried afternoon, creating lasting memories in the heart of Lan Ha Bay.

Unwind on the Private Balcony of Ylang

• Wake up early for a Tai Chi session on the terrace deck. Traditional Vietnamese coffee, tea and breakfast pastries await in the dining room for a first bite.
• Kayak Frog Lake's secluded jade waters, cliffs rising like giants.
• Back on board, we serve a hearty brunch while cruising back to the disembarkation spot, from where we transfer you back to the pier by speedboat.
• Transfer from Ha Long city back to your hotel in Hanoi.

Kayak in Frog Lake

• After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport for your flight to Dong Hoi.
• Upon arrival, meet your new guide and driver at the airport and transfer to your hotel.
• In late afternoon (5:30-6:00 PM), join your tour guide and driver for a safety briefing at Oxalis' Phong Nha office, where you'll meet the caving safety expert and fellow Son Doong Cave Expedition participants.
• In the evening,enjoy a welcome dinner at Oxalis Home after the safety briefing.

• Take the around-1-hour Oxalis bus ride to the drop off point. The Expedition starts from there with a long steep descent of around 350 meters into a valley of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park.
• Reaching the bottom of a mountain, and going through a forest with a few stream crossings, you'll reach an ethnic minority village. Have lunch at the house of the village elder and learn about living there.
• Your group will continue trekking for about 3 hours to reach Hang En Cave for the first night's camping at one of Vietnam's best-cave camping sites.
• You will have a tent with your name on it and the chance to enjoy swimming in a lake next to the campground, which you may find very relaxing after a long day of trekking. 

The Hang En Cave

• In the morning, explore Hang En Cave, and then carry on to the entrance of Son Doong, the world's largest cave.
• The journey from Hang En's exit to Son Doong follows the river with many more river crossings. A final steep hill will bring you to the entrance of Son Doong cave.
• After lunch at the entrance, you will be kitted up with safety equipment for descending into the cave.
• Reaching the bottom of the entrance slopes, you will continue crossing the river twice.
• Around 4pm, you will arrive at the first campsite of Son Doong, named 'Level Playing Fields', just before Doline 1.

The Doline 1 of Son Doong Cave

• There are steep climbs, some wriggling through small parts of the cave, and some ropes and ladders to reach Doline 1 — the first "skylight" highlight of the journey through Son Doong. 
• Descending to reach the other side of Doline 1, a stunning scene will reveal itself in front of your eyes — the Green Gours.
• After lunch, your group will continue your journey over the calcite paths to enter Garden of Edam at Doline 2. There, you can view an entire mini-forest in a cave made up of a variety of trees and plants adapted this unique environment.
• (Garden of Edam is named after a cross between the Biblical paradise — the Garden of Eden — and Edam — the famous Dutch cheese with holes or bubbles in it.)
• A final steep and slippery descent will bring you to the campsite to rest.

The Doline 2 of Son Doong Cave

• After breakfast, conquer "The Great Wall of Vietnam", one of the best caving experiences. At the bottom of the wall, there is a stainless-steel ladder about 18 m high, and you will start the climb from there.
• After the ladder, continue climbing ropes to ascend to a large resting place.
• Unlike other hiking expeditions, this is a challenging climbing adventure.
• After lunch at the top of the Wall, your group will leave the cave and trek through a forest to return to Ho Chi Minh Trail West. There the Son Doong Cave Expedition ends.
• Arrive at Chay Lap Farmstay at 3pm for a champagne welcome and celebratory dinner.

Climbing up the "Great Wall of Vietnam"

• Following an early-morning departure from your hotel, you'll head for the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a 5-km (3-mile) strip of land on either side of the Ben Hai River. Established after the first Indochina War, the zone functioned as the division line between North and South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
• Visit the old citadel of Quang Tri, the site of a bloody battle during the Eastertide Offensive in 1972, and the Vinh Moc Tunnels, where a village was constructed underground to avoid bombing.
• After the visit, head to Hue in the late afternoon.

The Historic Vinh Moc Tunnels

• Explore the Imperial Citadel of Hue and the nearby Royal Antiquities Museum.
• Visit Emperor Tu Duc's Tomb and the 'garden houses', a unique feature of Hue.
• Later in the evening, you'll be picked up to board a boat on the Perfume River for a one-hour performance of traditional Hue music.
• Hue's traditional songs are combinations of vocal and instrumental music based on two major themes, expressing various typical forms of emotion.

The Imperial Citadel of Hue

• Check out of your hotel and we'll drive you for around 3 hours to Hoi An. You will pass idyllic countryside and beautiful seaside on the way.
• In the late afternoon, immerse yourself in the vibrant Hoi An dining scene, riding pillion on a vintage Vespa motorcycle along the riverside and through alleyways and busy streets, tasting the best local dishes and street food on the way. Free-flowing drinks and foods are all included, so bring a healthy appetite!.
• Start your night in style with cocktails and delicious street food before heading out on the Vespas to try a famous Hoi An specialty dish.
• We zoom through the bustling roads to a lantern-lit islet, then jump in a boat for a slow cruise through the ancient town. To finish with, release a paper lantern as locals do in their festivals.

Releasing a Paper Lantern during the Evening Tour

• Explore Hoi An's ancient town (UNESCO World Heritage Site) on a walking tour. Stroll past merchant houses reflecting Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese influences. See the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge and explore the bustling market.
• Embark on a unique cultural experience in a nearby fishing village. Witness the fishermen's way of life as you cruise down the Thu Bon River (formerly Cua Dai River).
• Try your hand at casting traditional Vietnamese fishing nets and paddle a unique Vietnamese round-basket boat on tranquil waterways, just like the locals do.
• Enjoy a light seafood meal on another boat while soaking in the stunning views.

Try your hand at casting Vietnamese fishing nets

• Check out your Hoi An hotel and transfer to Da Nang, where you'll enjoy 2 free days at leisure on the beach.

• Your guide will drive you to the airport for your return/onward flight.
• Asia Highlights would be more than happy to be part of your unforgettable Vietnam tour, and we hope to hear from you soon.