Vietnam Hidden Charm Package tour:12 Days
Experience the best of Vietnam on a 12-day journey through culture, history, and natural beauty. Begin in Hanoi, the charming capital with its ancient Old Quarter and peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake. Cruise overnight on Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, surrounded by limestone karsts and emerald waters.
In Central Vietnam, explore the imperial heritage of Hue, the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An, and the coastal charm of Da Nang. Continue south to Ho Chi Minh City, a dynamic hub of colonial landmarks and modern life. Conclude with the Mekong Delta, where floating markets and lush riverside villages showcase authentic rural Vietnam.
This 12-day tour promises unforgettable landscapes, rich traditions, and the warm hospitality of the Vietnamese people.
Tour in brief
- Day 1: Hanoi arrival – walking street food tour (D)
- Day 2: Ninh Binh discovery (B, L)
- Day 3: Hanoi – Halong bay (B, L, D)
- Day 4: Halong bay – Hanoi then flight to Hue (B, Brunch, D)
- Day 5: Boat trip to Thien Mu Pagoda & Hue imperial city (B, L)
- Day 6: Hue – Danang – Hoi An (B, L)
- Day 7: Hoi An walking tour then transfer to Danang, flight to HCM (B, L)
- Day 8: Hoi An countryside tour – Fishing – Biking – Cooking- Farming (B, L)
- Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City tour – Cu Chi tunnels tour (B, L)
- Day 10: Hcm city – My Tho – Can Tho (B, L)
- Day 11: Can Tho – floating market – HCM (B, L)
- Day 12: Free at leisure then flight out (B)
🌟 Why you'll love this tour?
⏰ Experiences Day By Day
- ARRIVAL: Arriving in Hanoi, our guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.
- Nonfit is free time after you check in hotel, you will have your own lunch or relaxing at hotel.
- WALKING STREET FOOD TOUR – 3 HOURS: We eat as we go, trying seasonal fruits and sampling a tasty French-inspired snack from a street cart. Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Hanoi dish Banh Cuon at a local eatery . Our next two snack stops are at outdoor barbeque stalls. We sit down with the Hanoi locals and sample various meat, vegetable and bread specialties that are flame grilled over hot coals for extra flavor. It’s then time for dessert as we venture down a small alley to join in the local tradition of feasting on fresh fruit served in a cup and smothered with crushed iced and condensed milk – this specialty is one not to be missed!. Your local guide will then take you to one of Hanoi’s best kept secrets, a hidden street food restaurant to taste top ten street foods in Hanoi is Banh My Hanoi, Vietnamese Rice Wine. After some dishes, we transfer to the train street. Although train schedules show them to come daily, sometimes they do and sometimes not, so if you’re lucky, you may catch one and experience the huge train passing right in front of your face. While here, enjoy egg coffees at a nice shop trackside and experience the unique ambiance.
- STAY: Overnight in Hanoi, basically we offer your hotel is located in the center of Hanoi – old quarter where you can take easy walking to explore the stores, to find out good places to drinks & eating at night.
- Hotel: La siesta premium hotel/Silk Path, room type: Deluxe windows.
This full-day tour begins with hotel pickup in Hanoi’s Old Quarter around 7:30–8:00 AM and a drive to Ninh Binh. Along the way, the guide shares insights into Vietnam’s history and culture. At 10:00 AM, enjoy a 1.5-hour boat trip through Tam Coc’s scenic river and caves. Visit Thai Vi Temple, then have lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, explore Bich Dong, bike through Thung Nang’s rice fields and lotus ponds, and discover Dan Khe Trong village. At 3:00 PM, visit the 10th-century Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel before returning to Hanoi around 4:00 PM.
- 8.00 AM: Pick up at your hotel in the Old Quarter between 7.30 – 8.00 AM then we leave the bustling Hanoi to the south – Ninh Binh Province.
- After 2 hour transferring, our tour guide will give you the information about Vietnam such as history, culture, people.
- 10 AM: Arrive in Tam Coc, we will prepare for a boat trip to visit the beautiful Tam Coc, it takes 1.30 hours rowing along Ngo Dong river through the three mysterious caves while enjoying spectacular scenery surrounded by rice paddies and towering limestone mountain peaks.
- 11.30 AM: We will get to Thanh pier for a short walk to visit Thai Vi Temple which is one of the well-known temples in Ninh Binh and Vietnam. Continuing 10 minutes walking along the valley with rice fields, rivers, and lotus ponds for local restaurant, where we will spend the interesting time relaxing & having set menu lunch – Vietnamese food.
- 1:30 – 3:00 PM: Visit Bich Dong then riding a bike to Thung Nang where we ride along the river among the rice field, lotus ponds, and Limestone Mountains. Then continue to ride a bike to discover Dan Khe Trong village where the real picture of the rural countryside in the north of Vietnam.
- 15: 00: Drive to visit Hoa Lu Ancient citadel which was built in the 10th century, we will visit the two temples were dedicated to King Dinh & King Le.
- 4:00 PM: Leave Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh province, and head back to Hanoi Capital.
- Overnight in Hanoi.
- Begin the new day with breakfast in the restaurant
- Pick up at 07:30 from your hotel to travel to Halong Bay ( distance 160km, a stop for a break time on halfway for a refreshment ).
- You enjoy the drive and sightseeing the peaceful countryside scenery during the bus trip ( 4 hours ), we arrive at the at Ha Long bay seaport at around noon time
- At 12.00 noon, you aboard the cruise, check-in & enjoy a welcome drink while your cabin will be assigned.
- Check-in your cabin and put your luggage in, relax and may do a short inspection tour by moving around the cruise to discover about the cruise’s architecture & design
- Relax, sightseeing and taking photographs before lunch is served.
- A sumptuous lunch with fresh seafood meal will be served while cruise slowly gliding out into the Halong bay.
- It’s a wonderful opportunity to admire thousands of islands and islets with magnificent caves and grottoes at the inside the islands, admiring sparkling stalactites and stalagmites like germs and listening to the legends of the Dragons and the land and seascape in the area,
- You may enjoy extra activities organized on board ( depends on each cruise’ program, such as visiting a floating village, going for kayaking ( notice: extra activities subject to availability, kayaking fee is on own expense, can be available on request at Cruise’s reception )
- Relax on the cruise during the happy hours or may join in a cooking demonstration, watching the sunset on Cruise.
- Dinner is served on cruise
- After dinner, free at leisure time to relax on Cruise and socialize with other guests or can join in some other evening activities such as squid fishing…,
- Overnight in your cabin on the Cruise.
Inclusion: Hotel breakfast, shuttle bus A/C transfer, local English speaking tour guide on Cruise only, entrance fee, cruise in Ha Long bay with full meals on board, water
- Early bird risers may be awarded a great chance to enjoy the sunrise and enjoy the amazingly peaceful breath-taking beauties of Ha Long Bay’s seascape in the early morning.
- Refresh your body & soul with a Tai-chi martial art lesson the sundeck.
- Breakfast will be served
- You continue to enjoy the sightseeing tour on the cruise until noontime, sightseeing, taking photographs & relax onboard
- At about 09:30 – 10:00, pack up your luggage and check out your cabin while cruising returning to the boat pier.
- Lunch will be served on Cruise ( or in a restaurant inland in Halong city, depends on different cruise’s program)
- 11:30 am – Return to prier, and disembark the Cruise & say farewell to all crew member,
- Meet again the driver and the bus for another 4 driving back to Hanoi,
- On arrival back to central Hanoi city, you will be picked up transferred to the Noi Bai airport for a short flight to Hue city
- On arrival in Hue city Airport, pick up and transfer to hotel for check-in
- Free & easy time & overnight at the hotel in Hue
Inclusion: breakfast, shuttle bus A/C land transfer, lunch, local English speaking tour guide on Cruise, entrance fee, Halong cruise – disembark at noontime, hotel accommodation, water
- Have breakfast at the hotel.
- Visit Hue Imperial City, including the Hue citadel, the Flag tower, main entrance gate with the Noon Gate with the Five Phoenix Pavilions, entering through the gate to visit the Thai Hoa Palace ( the great Harmony Palace where Nguyen Kings held court ), the Royal Theatre, Nine Dynasty Urns, Five Phoenix Tower…
- Lunch is served at restaurant
- Visit King Minh Mang’s Tomb & Khai Dinh Tomb,
- Aboard a small dragon boat trip on the Perfume River to enjoy the landscape along two banks of Huong river, boat trip ends at pier where you get off for a visit to the Thien Mu Pagoda ( Celestial Lady Pagoda ), one of the oldest and most beautiful Pagoda in Hue, and listening to the tale about the Celestial Lady and how the Pagoda was contructed.
- Return to the hotel, free & easy
- Overnight at the hotel in Hue
- Inclusion: hotel breakfast, private A/C transfer, English speaking tour guide, lunch, entrance fee, hotel accommodation, water
- After breakfast at your hotel.
- You enjoy your free time at leisure or visit the Dong Ba Market & check out the hotel
- Leaving Hue, we depart to Hoian, stopover on the summit of the Hai Van Mountain Pass ( of 30 km length ) for a sightseeing tour and taking photographs from the top of the mountain.. ( it is from the top of the Hai Van Mount Pass, where you may see a breathtaking scenery of the panoramic view of the Eastern Sea especially the white sandy Lang Co Beach all in your vision )
- On arrival Danang city, lunch is served
- In the afternoon, we take a visit to the Cham Museum to learn about the Cham people’s history, culture, and especially architecture and sculpture with stones, temples and towers, these are truly magnificent & unique artworks of a people who once found and developed a very brilliantly Empire and civilization from about the 4th until the 13th centuries and in the land where present-day is the central part of Vietnam
- Lunch is served at Vietnamese restaurant
- In the afternoon, we a visit the Marble mountain which is a cluster of five hills made from limestone and marble, and named after the 5 essential elements including metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Marble Mountains are a well-known pilgrimage site with peaks, caves, tunnels , and temples all just waiting to be discovered.
- On arrival in Hoi An, check-in the hotel and overnight at the hotel in Hoi An
- Drive to Hoi An, check-in your hotel, this is a very good chance for you to get some clothes tailored by your own fashions and style.
- Free time & Overnight in Hoi An
Inclusion: hotel breakfast, private A/C transfer, English speaking tour guide, entrance fee, lunch, hotel accommodation, water
After breakfast, tour guide and private car to pick up for tour to explore the countryside in Hoi An and take part in the local activities as fishing, biking, farming and cooking class. This day itinerary as following:
- You will be picked up by local tour guides at the hotel.
- You will be driven to Hoi An Market (around half an hour), you can feel the bustle of the morning market, have an opportunity to have a direct contact with sellers. You might also learn some tips of “bargaining” when going shopping. Our tour guides will introduce to you the necessary ingredients for cooking classes.
- Then you will have a sightseeing tour along the Thu Bon River and Cua Dai beach by boat. On the river, you have a chance to contemplate the river beauty in the countryside of Vietnam, the traditional way of catching fish as well as the lives of the hospitable fishermen here.
- Next, you will be switched to a coracle and paddle on the canals of the Bay Mau nipa forest. You will be immersed in the natural beauty of the nipa palm forest. Then, you can try your luck at catching mangrove purple crabs.
- After such eco-tour activities, you will be welcomed in the restaurant and participate in cooking classes with our chefs. Cooking classes will take place within 2 hours, the chefs will teach you how to cook Vietnamese food and share valuable information in Vietnamese cultural cuisine. Then can enjoy Vietnamese food made by yourself.
- Stay: Overnight in hotel, Hoi An
- Hotel: La Siesta Hoi An Resort, room type: Deluxe windows.
Inclusion: Private transfer, tour guide, entrance fee (s), breakfast, lunch, hotel.
- Have breakfast at hotel. The morning is free, Hoi An is a beach resort that’s easy to explore on your own, especially by bicycle. The hotel offers bike rentals.
- Our guide picks up for a half day walking tour for an exploration around the Ancient town of Hoi An. Hoi An was the busiest purchasing centre and a port in the past of Chinese, Japanese… so it still has many kinds of old houses brings architecture of these country nowadays. An ancient town is known as the hidden charm. Visit the Tan Ky old house, Japanese bridge, Hoi Quan Phuc Kien pagoda then return to hotel.
- Check out at noon, have a lunch.
- In the afternoon, you enjoy your own free and easy time at leisure in the beach, or going for shopping in the Hoi An ancient town
- Leaving Hoi An to Da Nang for flight to Ho Chi Minh city
- On arrival at the Ho Chi Minh city Airport, being picked up and transfer to your hotel in central Ho Chi Minh city
- Stay: Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City
- Hotel: La siesta premium hotel/The Myst Dong Khoi, room type: Deluxe windows.
Inclusion: Private transfer, tour guide, cruise, entrance fee (s), breakfast, lunch, hotel and domestic flight from Danang to HCM.
After breakfast at hotel then private car and tour guide will pick up for HCM city tour & Cu Chi Tunnels as a plan following:
- Visiting The Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office
- The Reunification Palace
- The War Remnants Museum
- Ben Thank market
- Cu chi tunnels – Watching a short introductory video showing how they were constructed, then spend the next hour exploring the maze of tunnels. Also on display are various mantraps, the remains of an American tank and numerous bomb craters made by 500 pound bombs dropped by B52 bombers. For those interested there’s even the opportunity to fire off rounds from anAK47 or MK16 at the nearby rifle range
- Stay: Overnight in HCM
- Hotel: La siesta premium hotel/The Myst Dong Khoi, room type: Deluxe windows.
Inclusion: Private transfer, tour guide, entrance fee(s), hotel, breakfast, lunch.
- Taking two hours driving from Ho Chi Minh city to My Tho
- Taking a sampan cruising along the tributaries of the Mekong River for a close-up view of local life.
- Wandering through Islands and orchards where you can taste some of a huge variety of tropical fruits and listening traditional music.
- Having a local lunch and then riding bicycle around local village
- Taking sampan back to harbor for 2 hours driving to Can Tho city.
- Stay: Overnight in Can Tho City
- Hotel: Victoria Can Tho – Deluxe room.
Inclusion: Private transfer, tour guide, entrance fee, breakfast, lunch, boat trip in My Tho, bicycle, hotel
- Morning visit to Cai Rang Floating Market: After an early breakfast this morning depart by road to a nearby dock, and board a sampan boat to explore Cai Rang, the largest floating market on the Mekong. The seemingly chaotic gathering is mostly large boats wholesaling vegetables and fruit, but there are also local traders selling groceries to the larger boats. Weave around the vessels and observe the frenzied trading. The morning tour continues with a trip along the small canals, through local villages, to a fruit orchard garden. Then return to the hotel for lunch.
- Private transfer: This afternoon you will return to Ho Chi Minh City. This is a journey of around three hours, and on arrival you will check in to your hotel then evening time to discover Saigon (HCM) at night by yourself.
- Stay: Overnight in HCM.
- Hotel: La siesta premium hotel/The Myst Dong Khoi, room type: Deluxe windows.
Inclusion: Private transfer, tour guide, entrance fee, breakfast, lunch, boat trip, bicycle, hotel
Optional dinner: We also offer the special dinner on Saigon River, please tell us if you would like to enjoy from 18h00 to 21h30 with set menu.
- Enjoy your time at leisure.
- You will be transferred to the Ho Chi Minh city airport via your scheduled flight back home or continue seeing other cities in Vietnam.
- We hope you enjoyed your trip and see you again!
Inclusion: hotel breakfast, private A/C transfer, hotel accommodation – check out before 12:00 mid-day
Maps
