Vietnam and Thailand off The Beaten Track

Today you will fly to Hanoi. On arrival, your private guide will welcome you at the arrival hall and transfer you to your hotel with a private car and driver. Your guide will help you with luggage and hotel check-in and ensure your arrival is worry-free.

Today you'll jump into Hanoi's sights and sounds on a tour that covers all the essentials. You'll visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which includes the Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh's former stilt-house residence, The Hoa Lo Prison, The One Pillar Pagoda and The Temple of Literature, which, dating back to 1070, is Vietnam’s oldest university.

After lunch, you will explore the enthralling Museum of Ethnology, which contains an extensive display of life-size structures dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minorities. Next, enjoy an hour-long cyclo ride winding through the narrow, chaotic streets of the Old Quarter - a must for any visitor to Hanoi! The day finishes with a traditional performance of the famous Vietnamese Water Puppets Show.

Your guide will then escort you to the Hanoi Train Station for your overnight train experience, and he will assist you with your luggage (no guide is proved on the train).

Arrive in Lao Cai this early morning. Your guide will meet you and take you to have breakfast. Then drive to Cao Son commune, through the Muong Khuong district. Along the way, you will pass terraced rice paddies, pine plantations and the tea farms. Visit busy Cao Son Market, where Red Dao, Tay, Black H'Mong and other ethnic people gather from the surrounding area to sell their handicrafts and silverware and to buy provisions. Later, have a short walk to Flower Hmong Village before have lunch. Drive along the Chay River through the panoramic views of mountains, valleys and villages. On the way, you will enjoy a few photo stops of enjoy the spectacular scenery before arriving at Coc Ly Bridge. Then you will board a local boat and cruise along the river to Trung Do village before continuing onto Sapa.   

After breakfast, take a morning walking tour (about 8km and 3 hours trekking) of Sapa for a visit to the busy market where Red Dao, Black & Flower H'Mong, Tay and other ethnic minority people converge from the surrounding countryside to sell their silverware and handicrafts, and to buy provisions. Afterwards, we will do one of the most beautiful Sapa Tours with the drive to visit Lao Chai and Ta Van Village of the Black H'mong and the Day people where you can enjoy fresh air, amazing scenery of the imposing mountain range, trek down world's most beautiful terraced rice fields, visit some local family on the way and learn unique culture and life of these ethnic groups. Back to Sapa by private car, free at leisure for the rest of the day.

Today, your trek starts with the Ma Tra Village, and then you will walk through the breathtaking view of the rice terraces and reach the Ta Phin Village (approx. 3 hours),  where the Red Dao minority lives. Enjoy a lunch in the village that full of local flavor, and then head back to Hanoi by road (about 5 hours).

After breakfast, you will take a private transfer for about 3 hrs to Halong City, where you will begin your one and a half days' Halong Bay cruise. You will board the tradtional Vietnamese junk in the afternoon and cruise around the Halong Bay's limestone islets and caves doted the sea and see the sun set over the clam waters at the deck. Enjoy a wonderful dinner at evening. All meals are included during your stay on board. There are also a variety of optional activities waiting for you. Such as swimming, kayaking, diving...etc.  

Wake up early this morning to catch the sunrise over the bay with a Tai Chi lesson on the sundeck. Continue cruising and you can choose either kayak or traditional rowing boat to around discovering local life on the waters. Disembark at Tuan Chau International Passenger Port at around 11:00, where your guide and driver will wait for you and drive you to Hanoi airport for your onward flight (arrive at the airport at around 3:00 pm).  

Today you will fly to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, our guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is on your own to relax.

This morning set out for the incredible underground Cu Chi Tunnels and then drive back to Ho Chi Minh City to visit the War Remnants Museum and Reunification Palace (the former Presidential Palace), the Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Saigon Post Office and Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat) absolutely nice choices for a free stroll.

In the early morning, you will head out of the bustling city to Mekong Delta Area. Cruising on the Mekong river for sightseeing: islands of Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle, Phoenix. 

Land on Unicorn island, take a walk on the village road, visit an orchard of tropical fruits. Visit a bee-farm, enjoy honey-tea and visit a typical house in Mekong Delta. Visit coconut candy workshop, taste fresh candies. Enjoy tropical fruits at local farm, listen to Southern traditional music. 

Next to land on Dragon island, transfer by cyclo or motorbike to local home. Have a homemade lunch and enjoy cooking time with some dishes such as “Banh Xeo” (Vietnamese crepe); Spring Rolls.... with the owners. After lunch, return to boat station. Transfer back to Saigon. End of tour at your hotel.

Your guide will escort you to the airport for your flight to Bangkok. On arrival, your private guide will welcome you at the arrival hall and transfer you to your hotel with a private car and driver. Your guide will help you with luggage and hotel check-in and ensure your arrival is worry-free.

Depart early morning for a 2-hour drive to the 100-year-old Damnoen Saduak Floating Market located 100 km (62 mi) from Bangkok, one of Thailand’s most famous attractions. Day-in and day-out from about 8 am to about 11 am, the Floating Market is routinely crowded with hundreds of vendors and purchasers floating in their small rowing boats selling and buying or exchanging their goods. You will have a chance to take a ride on a long-tail boat to get a real sense of a floating village. After the long tail boat cruise around the village, you will stop at a transit point where you can choose to further explore the floating market by a 4-seat boat or stroll around by the river's banks. 

After having lunch, you will return to Bangkok, and you will visit Wat Pho, which is one of Bangkok’s oldest and largest temples. Wat Pho was built by King Rama I about 200 years ago and houses the gigantic, gold-plated Reclining Buddha image. This unique image is 49 meters long and 12 meters high with beautifully inlaid mother-of-pearl soles. Your last stop is The Royal Grand Palace, the nation's landmark and the most revered royal monument. You will see the Palace, which is used for many different occasions, and you will see The Coronation Hall, the Funeral Hall, the Royal Guest House, and the mysterious, famous Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew), the most revered Buddha image in Thailand. 

You will take your internal flight to the historical and colorful city of Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai, located in the north of Thailand, with its lovely Lanna temples, charming traditions, unique food, family-friendly attractions and stunning setting is a gem in Thailand’s northern hills. There’s so much for tourists to do here, from cultural exploration to adventurous treks and food tours. Your private guide is waiting for you at the airport to take you by private car to your hotel.

Your morning half-day Chiang Mai old-city, temple tour takes you on an unforgettable drive through many different parts of the city. Your tour includes Wat Pra Singh which is one of over 200 ancient Buddhist temples located around the city and one of the most well-regarded examples of Lanna architecture. The temple of Wat Chedi Luang is the site of an enormous pagoda, originally 280 feet high, which was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1545. Continue to Warorot Market to see and feel the real northern people’s way of life. 

Enjoy your meal at a local restaurant, then a relaxing drive of about 1hr takes you to the Doi Suthep Mountain. Climb 309 steps to the top (For the less active traveler, a tram is available for a small surcharge.), enjoying the truly breathtaking scenery all along the way.  You will find Wat Phra That at the very top, one of Northern Thailand’s most sacred temples. At the top, rest and relax while marveling at the panoramic views of the city of Chiang Mai. 

A half-day package to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary offers you an enjoyable opportunity to spend quality time with elephants in their natural home, as well as gain an insight into their history and behavior, and create cherished lifelong memories of their time spent with these amazing animals.

Today you will be picked up from your place of accommodation and will drive through scenic agricultural areas before arriving at the Sanctuary. There, you will meet your English-speaking guide and learn a little about the elephants, before changing into traditional Karen clothing.

After being allocated bananas and sugar cane to feed to the elephants, you will walk with your guide through the Sanctuary, where you will find free-roaming elephants and hear their individual stories. You can touch, feed, photograph, and interact with the elephants at your leisure while you learn about their lifestyle and behaviors. 

After the close encounter with elephant, you will return to your hotel, the rest of the day is free at your leisure.

Enjoy your free time until your guide come and escort you to airport for your onward flight.