Romantic Vietnam in 12 Days

Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi), you will be warmly welcomed by our English-speaking guide and driver, who will transfer you to the city center. Along the way, you will catch your first glimpse of Vietnam’s lively and fascinating traffic scenes.

Depending on your flight arrival time, you may either relax at your hotel (official check-in time is from 2:00 PM) or enjoy an orientation tour of the city.

A Special Welcome by HORIZON VIETNAM TRAVEL:

Upon arrival at our office, you will be greeted by the enchanting melodies of traditional Vietnamese musical instruments. Their gentle sounds will transport you into the rich and captivating world of Vietnamese culture, creating a memorable and emotional first impression.

You will then take part in our traditional tea ceremony. More than simply tasting tea, this experience reflects the Vietnamese art of sharing and cultural refinement. Every gesture, from selecting the tea leaves to serving the tea, carries a deeper meaning. It is a moment to celebrate friendship, social harmony, and a close connection with nature, inspired by Buddhist and Confucian traditions that value balance and serenity.

Next, you will have the opportunity to join a singing bowl meditation session. Focus on your breathing and inner self while leaving behind worries and tensions. In the silence, the soothing sound and vibrations of the singing bowl create a deeply relaxing atmosphere, bringing peace and mindfulness.

To complete your welcome experience, enjoy an exceptional massage session, either a full-body massage or a foot massage. The gentle and professional techniques help stimulate blood circulation, relieve fatigue, and ease muscle tension accumulated during your journey. It is the perfect way to unwind after a long flight.

Welcome lunch at a typical Vietnamese restaurant.

In the afternoon, begin your discovery of Hanoi with a walking tour through the city’s historic districts. Stroll through the former French colonial quarter, known for its elegant architecture, and explore the bustling Old Quarter of 36 Guild Streets, where a vibrant mix of vehicles, local shops, traditions, and daily life creates an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in the world.

Dinner at your leisure.

Overnight at your hotel in the heart of the Vietnamese capital.

Breakfast at the hotel, then you begin your immersion in the city of Hanoi. We start the day with a visit to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. Inaugurated by Jacques Chirac in 1995, this is a remarkable museum whose design focuses on presenting the customs and traditions, productive and leisure activities of the 54 ethnic groups living throughout Vietnam. You will discover numerous artifacts and reconstructions that offer a clear and authentic understanding of their history and ways of life: houses, clothing, tools, and festive traditions.

The museum also features a large outdoor area displaying full-scale, highly authentic models of traditional houses from various ethnic minorities across the country. Cooperation between Vietnamese scholars and French museology specialists has greatly contributed to the museum’s success.

Next, we head to the western part of the city to visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, located on the shore of West Lake. It is known as one of the oldest and most beautiful pagodas in Vietnam.

Lunch at a good local restaurant.

The afternoon is dedicated to visiting the Temple of Literature in Hanoi—a symbol of Vietnam’s feudal education system and a living testament to the Vietnamese passion for learning. Afterwards, enjoy a short walk to visit Ngoc Son Temple (“Jade Mountain”) on the shore of the Lake of the Restored Sword, an opportunity to admire the beautiful Hoan Kiem Lake at dusk. Finally, you will pass by St. Joseph’s Cathedral of Hanoi, built by the French.

Theatrical evening: Attend a traditional water puppet show, a popular performing art over a thousand years old and emblematic of the Red River Delta.

Dinner at leisure and overnight at the hotel in Hanoi.

After breakfast, we cruise through the vast rice paddies of the Red River Delta, the breadbasket of the north. The junk anchors in the port of Tuan Chau, far from the tourist areas, in tranquil waters surrounded by beautiful islets.

You will be welcomed aboard the with a welcome drink. Our cruise manager will greet you, explain the cruise itinerary and safety procedures, and then you will settle into your cabin. The boat will then continue its journey towards Lan Ha Bay. Enjoy a delicious lunch in the ship’s restaurant.

The junk will take you to the stunning landscapes of the limestone mountains of Lan Ha Bay in the Cat Ba Archipelago. This bay is pristine and secluded, as few cruise ships venture this route.

You will continue your cruise to the Ba Trai Dao (Three Peaches) region and the natural lagoon of Lan Ha Bay. This area encompasses a beach with a romantic atmosphere and three small islets that lie in the sea like three giant peaches. This is the best time for a kayaking trip to discover the true beauty of the bay. Enjoy a swim in the crystal-clear water.

(In case of bad weather, for safety reasons, the visit to the Ba Trai Dao area will be replaced by a visit to the Light Cave, known for its pristine nature and the poetic and attractive seascape of Lan Ha Bay. Take a kayak or bamboo boat trip and discover the authentic beauty of the magnificent limestone formations and the blue skies of Lan Ha Bay.)

Return to the boat to admire the sunset or join the Sunset Party on the sundeck with tea, coffee, and fresh fruit. It’s a pleasant time to chat, make new friends, or simply take photos of the game and enjoy a drink. Afterward, enjoy Happy Hour – BUY 2 DRINKS, GET 1 FREE at the bar. Then, participate in a cooking demonstration. Our chef will show you how to prepare simple and typical Vietnamese dishes. Enjoy a dinner featuring delicious local recipes. In the evening, enjoy the bay scenery from the sun deck. You can relax with drinks from the bar, try your hand at squid fishing, or watch a movie. Overnight stay on board.

We recommend rising at dawn to witness the sunrise, which offers a picturesque view of the bay. Start your day in Lan Ha Bay with a Tai Chi session on the upper deck or simply enjoy the morning scenery.
A light breakfast is served in the dining room with a morning view of the bay.
You will take a trip in a bamboo sampan or kayak in the Cave of Light area – an ideal destination for adventurous visitors who want to paddle or kayak on calm waters while admiring the impressive cave walls.
Return to the boat. You will have some time to relax. Afterward, enjoy a light lunch as the junk sails slowly through the emerald-green waters and among thousands of karst mountains to the harbor.
Disembark and return to Hanoi through the beautiful scenery of the rice paddies in the Red River Delta. Arrival in Hanoi in the late afternoon, then flight to Hue.
Overnight stay in a hotel in Hue city center.

Hue was the capital of Vietnam between 1802 and 1945 and this chapter was one of the most eventful in the country. The city’s preserved architectural and historical heritage deserves your full attention.

Breakfast at your hotel, today you visit the Majestic Imperial City where 13 Emperors of the Nguyen dynasty lived between 1802 and 1945.

It is the only existing Imperial city still visible today in Vietnam, time has passed, but it retains its beauty of original Vietnamese-Chinese architecture. You visit sumptuous monuments of the complex including: the Porte du Midi, the Palace of Supreme Harmony, the Eastern and Western pavilions, the Reading Pavilion, the Royal Theater, the private palaces of the Queen Mother, the Palace of Longevity, the Tea and Boat pavilions, the Pavilion of Benevolence, the Gate of Virtue…

Then you visit the pretty Heavenly Lady Pagoda perched at the top of the hill which dominates the Perfume River. 

Lunch in a good local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you head towards the Imperial Mausoleum of Minh Mang – a sumptuous tomb surrounded by frangipani trees and pine trees built to plans drawn up by the emperor himself. Then you visit the Khai Dinh mausoleum.

At the end of the afternoon, you take a beautiful walk to visit the Dong Ba market where you will find products testifying to the skill of the women of Hue, such as their talent for making the famous conical hats!

Free dinner and overnight at the hotel in the heart of Hue city.

Breakfast at the hotel, then departure by private car for Da Nang, traveling through beautiful scenery along Vietnam’s central coastline. Several stops are planned along the way, including one at the Hai Van Pass, which offers a stunning view over Lang Co Beach – one of the most beautiful bays in Vietnam.

Arrival in the ancient town of Hoi An around midday. You first enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then stroll through narrow, charming lanes lined with lovely ancient houses – remnants of a prosperous period in the country’s foreign trade history. With its outstanding architectural and historical value, Hoi An, formerly known as “Faifo” was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. During this walk, you visit some of Hoi An’s most remarkable landmarks, such as the Japanese Covered Bridge, Chinese temples, ancient houses, and the traditional handicraft quarter.

In the afternoon, you are taken to a lantern – making workshop in Hoi An’s old quarter, where you can create your own lantern. The rest of the day is free for your personal exploration of this former port town. Dinner at leisure and overnight at your hotel in Hoi An.

Breakfast at the hotel, then free time for personal discovery of Hoi An as well as swimming, relaxation, on beautiful beaches of An Bang. Free meals and night in Hoi An.

“Located about 4 km from the center of the old district of Hoi An, An Bang Beach is the ideal place for your relaxation while maintaining its virginity and calm. This immaculate beauty gives it an incomparable softness bringing together sun, wind, blue sea and fine, dazzling sand. The best time to go is from March to September »

After breakfast at the hotel, you leave by private car to explore the Cu Chi tunnels, it is an immense network of 200 km of underground galleries and narrow tubes dug by hand by the Viet-Cong to take refuge and defend themselves against the “American war machine”. The visit to this tunnel system explains how the Vietnamese with their rudimentary weapons were able to fight against the modern weapons of the Americans.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Return to Saigon via a very pleasant country road. The rest of the day is completely free for your personal discovery.

Free dinner and overnight at your hotel in Saigon.

Breakfast at the hotel, then departure by car to My Tho in the Mekong Delta (the rice granary of Vietnam).

You stop on the road to visit Vinh Trang Pagoda – the national historical relic. The specific character of this pagoda is the combination of architecture from Western civilization and Asia.

Arrival at My Tho, boarding the boat for a beautiful stroll on the Tien River crossing four famous islets, each named after a sacred animal in Vietnamese culture: Long (the Dragon) – Lan (the Unicorn) – Quy (the Turtle) – Phung (the Phoenix). Along the river, you cross the fish cages to arrive on Unicorn Island where you visit the bee garden to discover the taste of honey directly from the honey boxes raised by locals. You also visit the orchid garden and taste chocolate made from cocoa beans. You also taste fruits and listen to folk music “Don Ca Tai Tu” – intangible cultural heritage of the world in the garden of Mr. Nam Chanh.

Back to the boat, you cross the canal and visit the artisanal coconut making workshop : you will see how people use all parts of the coconut and you will taste these sweets (specialty of Ben tre). Pursuit, you do a Lambro ride “motorized vehicle”, winding under the cool shade of coconut trees on the village road to the garden restaurant where you have a good lunch with local dishes.

Then you perform the rowing boat ride between two rows of coconut trees which will take you through preserved and romantic landscapes.

Return to Saigon at the end of the afternoon. Free dinner and overnight at the hotel in Saigon city.