Discover marvelous Vietnam from jungles to the beaches in 12 days

Set in an idyllic valley, hemmed in by hills, the Mai Chau area is a world away from Hanoi’s hustle. The small town of Mai Chau itself is unappealing, but just outside, the patchwork of rice fields rolls out, speckled by tiny Thai villages where visitors doze down for the night in traditional stilt houses and wake up to a rural soundtrack defined by gurgling irrigation streams and birdsong. You can also watch the local farmers and how they work in the rice fields.

In the morning, at around 8:00, you will be picked up at your hotel in Hanoi, and head out for Mai Chau. Stop along the way to visit the Muong tribe and then at Thung Khe Pass for a spectacular view of Mai Chau Valley. Have a traditional lunch with a White Thai Tribe family and use your free time to get to know the other villagers.

In the afternoon, ride a bike to the remote villages, discovering the natural beauty of the valley and the culture of the ethnic minority Thai people on our visits to the Pom Coong and Na Phon villages.

Return to your stay for a relaxing day. having dinner and then enjoying a traditional dance and music performance by the villagers.

Overnight at a homestay in Mai Chau or upgrade to your resort in Mai Chau.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Wake up in the peaceful and beautiful mountain setting and enjoy breakfast with your local host.

After that, you will be transferred to Pu Luong by road via a breathtaking mountain pass with panoramic views of the valley. Spend some free time exploring the beautiful retreat. Lunch will be served at Pu Luong Retreat.

You will be transferred to a suspension bridge over the Cham River, where you will begin your walk in search of stunning water wheels. Get up close to each wheel and discover how water is moved from the river to handmade bamboo aqueducts via simple constructions of all sizes. (approximately 3 km, easy walk)

After arriving at a local fisherman’s house, you have a short rest to gear up for the bamboo river rafting. Float along the calm river and enjoy the views, in between learning how to paddle and steer your handcrafted. (about 800m of river rafting).

Arriving at the scenic Tan Lap bridge, you disembark to be transferred back to Pu Luong Retreat for dinner.

Overnight at Pu Luong.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Mai Chau ecolodge

After breakfast, you will join a half-day trek to Uoi village and Lan village. This 6.5 km trek is a common and easy walk around the most beautiful valley of rice terraces around nature. We start to descend into the beautiful valley where you can walk around the tumbling rice terraces. Then we will walk through small paths shrouded in vegetation to slowly reveal a picturesque Uoi village sitting at the base of a towering mountain. Your camera will not be able to sit still when you see the panoramic view of the village from above.

You continue to walk down the hill to Uoi village, then on to Lan village. If time permits, we will visit a local family where we can learn about their traditional brocade weaving (not guaranteed). Walk through the rice paddies again to get back to the main road and the car pick-up point. You will be transferred back to Pu Luong Retreat. Have lunch at Puluong Retreat, then take a transfer of 3.5 hours to Cuc Phuong National Park.

Cuc Phuong National Park covers an area of 25000 ha and is also the first national forest in Vietnam. The features of Cuc Phuong are tropical rainforests, all year it is covered in a beautiful green color. The park also has extremely rich and diverse fauna and flora. There are many highly endangered species that have been discovered and preserved here, which helps protect the environment greatly.

Upon arrival, check-in at your guesthouse or similar and have dinner.

Overnight at Cuc Phuong National Park.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Wake up in the park and enjoy breakfast. Then, you will visit the langurs and gibbons in the Endangered Primate Rescue Center. Professional staff protect these endangered animals from becoming extinct and can tell you more about what they do and about the animals.

Afterward, enjoy a typical lunch at a local restaurant, recommended by your guide. Take a hiking trip into the heart of the jungle in the afternoon. As you hike, observe the rare flora and fauna that surround you. Listen to the exotic birds as they sing and stand in the middle of the jungle to take in nature in its truest form. From there, continue to walk the trail, taking photos along the way. There are many natural wonders that will absolutely impress you (you will have the option of cycling if you want to).

Late in the day, you will return to the car and transfer back to your Hanoi hotel.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Cuc Phuong National Park

The scenery of Halong Bay where thousands of limestone islands jut out of the emerald sea, sculpted into bizarre shapes, is truly an iconic image of Vietnam. An overnight boat trip is the best way to enjoy this Vietnamese must-see.

After breakfast, you are transferred through the rich farmlands of the Red River Delta to the legendary Halong Bay. It takes you 3 hours, including a 20-minute stop on the way.

Arrive at the jetty in Halong City towards noon and proceed with check-in formalities. After a welcome onboard, lunch will be served while cruising towards the bay itself. In the afternoon, enjoy some visits and/or activities (depending on each boat’s itinerary) or just spend some time relaxing on board.

Towards the end of the day, the boat sets anchor for the night among the karst formations. Dinner is served on board.

Overnight in Halong Bay.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Ha Long Bay landscape view in sunset

Wake up and enjoy the sunrise in Halong Bay. Engaging in a Tai Chi session in the early morning is the perfect way to start your new day in Halong Bay. Tai Chi is a gentle physical exercise combining deep breathing and relaxation with slow and easy movements. A form of martial art, Tai Chi is extremely beneficial for your health as it helps to reduce stress, prevent falls, and improve balance and general mobility. It is strongly recommended that you wake up early and participate in the session.

Join some activities on board (depending on each boat’s itinerary).

Breakfast is served (also brunch on some boats) while the vessel cruises slowly back toward the port. Disembark and transfer back to Hanoi airport.

Take a short flight to Danang.

On arrival in Danang transfer 40 minutes to Hoi An, a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries whose architecture and relaxed lifestyle have changed little over the years. Also, Hoi An is a charming World Heritage village that is being beautifully restored and preserved that will captivate you immediately. No matter what you like, you will find it here, whether it is shopping, restaurants, photography, history, architecture, golf, fishing, swimming, scuba, abseiling, or massage and lazing around. Hoi An has become famous for its tailoring, where there is a huge variety of fabrics to choose from.

Overnight in Hoi An.  

Meals: Breakfast, Brunch.

Ha Long Bay landscape view

Spend the whole morning relaxing. At 14:00, our guide will meet you at your hotel for an orientation walk in Hoi An town.

Your walking tour will include visits to a private house where members of the same family have lived continuously for centuries in a traditional setting and to one of the family chapels built by prominent merchants or official families as centers for ancestor worship. Continue to the Sa Huynh Museum, which contains exhibitions from the earliest period of Hoi An’s history. Finally, continue to the famous Japanese Covered Bridge Pagoda, first constructed in 1593 by the Japanese community of Hoi An to link the town with the Chinese quarters across the stream.

After that, you are going to attend a lantern-making class. Colored lanterns are a symbol of Hoi An, where locals believe they bring happiness, luck, and wealth. Bring home a souvenir with a difference, a lantern that you made yourself after this fascinating class. Choose from a wealth of different silks, then work with your instructor to craft a bamboo frame and create your lantern, which will fold away neatly into your luggage.

Enjoy a romantic sunset dinner on the Cinnamon Cruise. The elegant river cruise lasts a leisurely 2 hours, giving you plenty of time to sip some cocktails and relax over a unique experience of dining on the water while listening to music. A great way to start your evening is by watching the boat cast off from our outside observation deck. It is also a fabulous opportunity to make your best wishes by lowering a floating candle lantern into the river from the boat.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

This is for nature and eco-tourism lovers! Bach Ma National Park is located high elevation of Truong Son mountain rank and it covers an area of the natural reserve is 22,031 ha. It is the home of over 330 species of birds and 55 species of mammals. It is a well-protected location, in line with the Annamist. Thus it has a combined climate and biological characteristics for both North and South Vietnam. The vast biodiversity, spectacular location, and lush resources make it a very attractive eco-tourism location.

After breakfast, at around 7:30 we depart from our hotel in Hoi An to Bach Ma National Park. At around 10:00, we will arrive at the foot of Bach Ma, where our special birder guide will welcome us and brief us on the itinerary for the next 2 days. The trip will be started after a pleasant stop to watch the Brown Fish-owl nest on one of the main entrance pillars.

Then we start our trek after a drive of 8 km to the Pheasant trail. The Pheasant Trail leads 2.5 km to the junction of two rivers where Blyth’s Kingfisher occurs and passes through.

After 2 hours of trekking, we meet our driver again for an awesome drive up to 17 km, where we have a sumptuous lunch and check in to Do Quyen guesthouse (or similar) where we will spend the night.

In the afternoon, we discover the Five Lake trail. We can swim and relax in this area, and spot the Slaty-backed Forktail bird. We will have a quiet dinner in the summit area before retiring for the night.

Overnight at a guesthouse or Phong Lan Villa in the national park.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Wake up and enjoy the fresh atmosphere. Have a light breakfast at the restaurant. Some free time to walk around and relax. Then, at 9:30 am, get in the car back to Da Nang/Hoi An. On the way, our guide will take you to a nice fishing village, Lap An Lagoon. From here, it is a great chance to get some Vietnamese coffee and take some nice photos of the lagoon. Then we continue the trip with a stop at the summit of Hai Van Pass, the most beautiful pass in Vietnam.

At noon, arrive in Da Nang and have lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you will visit Marble Mountain, which is a cluster of five mountains and is one of the most attractive sites in Da Nang. You can visit some caves, and shrines, and see the whole view of Da Nang from here.

After that, our guide & driver will take you to your beach hotel in Da Nang.

Free evening at your leisure.

Overnight at My Khe Beach.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Free day at your leisure!

On a day in paradise, you may choose to lounge by your resort pool, swim at the beach, or indulge in a massage, facial, or pedicure.

Overnight at My Khe Beach.

Meals: Breakfast.

After breakfast and a leisurely morning on your own, you will check out by midday as this will mark the end of your 11-day trip through Vietnam, Jungle to the Beach. Your private driver will pick you up and take you back to Da Nang International airport for your departure flight home.

Meals: Breakfast.

Da Nang city in the sunset