Tour photograph · Ninh Binh
Village encounters, bamboo rafting and sampan rides bring a personal perspective to Vietnam’s cultural highlights.
Fourteen days through Ba Vi, Mai Hich, Van Long, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An and the Mekong Delta, including a night in Ninh Binh.
Best suited for: Travellers who want rural life, cultural sites and river landscapes on a private journey.
Meet a tea-farming family and cook local dishes in Ba Vi. In Mai Hich, walk through villages and take a bamboo raft along the Xia River. Continue through Van Long, with a night in Ninh Binh, and Halong Bay before travelling to Hue, Hoi An and the Mekong Delta.
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Your private driver will meet you at the airport with a name sign and take you to your centrally located hotel near the Old Quarter. Rest after your flight or explore the neighbourhood at your own pace.
Overnight in Hanoi.
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After breakfast, travel to Ba Vi with your English-speaking guide. In Ri village, meet a Vietnam War veteran who runs a tea farm. Learn how to pick tea leaves and follow the processing steps in his workshop. In Moc village, prepare traditional dishes with your host and enjoy lunch in a tropical garden. In the afternoon, visit local …
After breakfast, travel to Ba Vi with your English-speaking guide. In Ri village, meet a Vietnam War veteran who runs a tea farm. Learn how to pick tea leaves and follow the processing steps in his workshop.
In Moc village, prepare traditional dishes with your host and enjoy lunch in a tropical garden. In the afternoon, visit local families and see crafts such as tofu and conical-hat making. Cycle through rice fields, then finish with a traditional herbal foot bath before returning to Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi.
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Leave Hanoi at around 8 am for Mai Hich in the Mai Chau Valley, surrounded by green mountains. Stop along the way for photographs of valleys, rice fields and limestone peaks. Your hosts will welcome you to the homestay. In the afternoon, explore nearby villages on foot or by bicycle. You may choose to help farmers plant rice …
Leave Hanoi at around 8 am for Mai Hich in the Mai Chau Valley, surrounded by green mountains. Stop along the way for photographs of valleys, rice fields and limestone peaks. Your hosts will welcome you to the homestay.
In the afternoon, explore nearby villages on foot or by bicycle. You may choose to help farmers plant rice or try local rice wine.
Overnight in Mai Hich, in accommodation matching your booked category.
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An easy walk follows the Xia River through natural forest towards Ban Buoc. Pass villages such as Den, Ngo and Xum and learn about the cultures of the Thai and Muong communities. Return to Mai Hich on a bamboo raft along the Xia River, passing rice and maize fields and glimpses of village life. Back at the homestay, …
An easy walk follows the Xia River through natural forest towards Ban Buoc. Pass villages such as Den, Ngo and Xum and learn about the cultures of the Thai and Muong communities.
Return to Mai Hich on a bamboo raft along the Xia River, passing rice and maize fields and glimpses of village life. Back at the homestay, relax with a cool drink and enjoy the sunset. Lunch and dinner are included.
Overnight in Mai Hich, in accommodation matching your booked category.
Travel through scenic countryside from Mai Chau to Ninh Binh, with time for photographs of valleys, sugar-cane fields and rice paddies. At Van Long, take a sampan through a landscape of striking limestone formations.
Overnight in Ninh Binh.
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After breakfast, travel by private vehicle from Ninh Binh to Halong Bay. Board your cruise and take in limestone cliffs and karst caves. Enjoy a seafood lunch on board, followed by time to relax on the sun deck. At a suitable stop, you will have an opportunity to kayak or swim. After an early dinner, spend the evening …
After breakfast, travel by private vehicle from Ninh Binh to Halong Bay. Board your cruise and take in limestone cliffs and karst caves. Enjoy a seafood lunch on board, followed by time to relax on the sun deck.
At a suitable stop, you will have an opportunity to kayak or swim. After an early dinner, spend the evening relaxing or joining optional activities on board.
Overnight on board a shared cruise.
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Rise early for sunrise and breakfast in the dining room. Tai chi is offered on the sun deck. Visit a limestone cave with stalagmites and stalactites, then check out and enjoy brunch as the boat returns to the harbour. Transfer from the harbour to Hanoi Airport for the flight to Hue, taking around 1.5 hours. Meet your driver …
Rise early for sunrise and breakfast in the dining room. Tai chi is offered on the sun deck. Visit a limestone cave with stalagmites and stalactites, then check out and enjoy brunch as the boat returns to the harbour.
Transfer from the harbour to Hanoi Airport for the flight to Hue, taking around 1.5 hours. Meet your driver on arrival and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free.
Overnight in Hue.
Your guide will meet you at the hotel between 8 and 8:30 am. Take a boat along the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, then visit the Nguyen dynasty’s Imperial Citadel, the Museum of Royal Antiquities and lively Dong Ba Market. After a Vietnamese lunch, visit Khai Dinh’s tomb, which combines Vietnamese and European influences, and Minh Mang’s …
Your guide will meet you at the hotel between 8 and 8:30 am. Take a boat along the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, then visit the Nguyen dynasty’s Imperial Citadel, the Museum of Royal Antiquities and lively Dong Ba Market.
After a Vietnamese lunch, visit Khai Dinh’s tomb, which combines Vietnamese and European influences, and Minh Mang’s tomb, with its Confucian-inspired architecture. The drive also takes you through villages known for making conical hats and incense. Return to your hotel between 4 and 5 pm.
Overnight in Hue.
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After breakfast, travel by private vehicle to Hoi An over the winding Hai Van Pass, also known as the Pass of the Clouds. Enjoy views of green hills, sandy beaches and the sea. On arrival, transfer to your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Hoi An.
Explore Hoi An your way. You might hire a bicycle at your hotel and ride to the river or beach, go swimming or enjoy a fruit drink in a small café. You can also arrange optional tailoring for clothes, bags or shoes. In the evening, stroll through the Ancient Town as the shops light their lanterns. You may …
Explore Hoi An your way. You might hire a bicycle at your hotel and ride to the river or beach, go swimming or enjoy a fruit drink in a small café. You can also arrange optional tailoring for clothes, bags or shoes.
In the evening, stroll through the Ancient Town as the shops light their lanterns. You may also see street performances. Independent activities and purchases are not automatically included in your tour price.
Overnight in Hoi An.
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After breakfast and some free time, fly from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, a journey of around 1.5 hours. Transfer to your centrally located hotel. In the afternoon, visit the Reunification Palace, designed by architect Ngo Viet Thu. See the colonial-era Notre-Dame Cathedral and historic Central Post Office, then finish at the War Remnants Museum, with …
After breakfast and some free time, fly from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, a journey of around 1.5 hours. Transfer to your centrally located hotel.
In the afternoon, visit the Reunification Palace, designed by architect Ngo Viet Thu. See the colonial-era Notre-Dame Cathedral and historic Central Post Office, then finish at the War Remnants Museum, with its exhibitions on the Indochina wars.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
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After breakfast, meet your guide between 7:15 and 7:30 am and travel to My Tho on the Mekong. Board a sampan and cruise past Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Turtle islands. On Unicorn Island, walk through orchards and plantations, taste tropical fruit and listen to folk music. Take a hand-rowed sampan along Thoi Son Canal to family workshops and …
After breakfast, meet your guide between 7:15 and 7:30 am and travel to My Tho on the Mekong. Board a sampan and cruise past Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Turtle islands.
On Unicorn Island, walk through orchards and plantations, taste tropical fruit and listen to folk music. Take a hand-rowed sampan along Thoi Son Canal to family workshops and a bee farm, where you can try honey tea and coconut sweets. After a traditional lunch, cycle through Tan Thach or relax in a hammock. Continue to Can Tho afterwards.
Overnight in Can Tho.
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After an early breakfast, take a boat along the smaller branches of the lower Mekong and Bassac River. At Cai Rang Floating Market, observe trade taking place on the water. Visit an orchard, a local noodle-making workshop, Binh Thuy communal house and Munir Ansay Pagoda, known for its distinctive Khmer architecture. After lunch, return to Ho Chi Minh …
After an early breakfast, take a boat along the smaller branches of the lower Mekong and Bassac River. At Cai Rang Floating Market, observe trade taking place on the water.
Visit an orchard, a local noodle-making workshop, Binh Thuy communal house and Munir Ansay Pagoda, known for its distinctive Khmer architecture. After lunch, return to Ho Chi Minh City.
Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
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After breakfast, check out. Depending on your flight time, you may have time to browse local markets and pick up souvenirs for family and friends. Then transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Your journey comes to an end.
Tailored to your preferences and budget
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Compare suggested accommodation by destination and hotel category. Room types and availability will be confirmed when you book.
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| Destination | 3 stars | 4 stars | 5 stars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanoi | |||
| Mai Hich / Mai Chau |
Local homestay
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Local homestay
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| Ninh Binh |
Accommodation confirmed in your personalised quote
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| Halong Bay | |||
| Hue | |||
| Hoi An | |||
| Ho Chi Minh City | |||
| Can Tho |
An overnight stay in Ninh Binh is planned. For the highest accommodation category, the hotel is confirmed in your personalised quote. All hotels listed are examples and may be replaced by comparable properties.
These hotels are suggestions, not confirmed reservations. If a hotel is unavailable, we will offer a comparable alternative. Columns represent the trip categories; lodges, homestays and cruises may be the same across more than one category.
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Your tour idea: Vietnam Discovery: Culture, Villages and Landscapes - 14 Days
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