Northern off the Beaten Track

Welcome to Vietnam! On arrival at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, our tour guide greets you at the airport and transfer to hotel in the center of Hanoi. Hotel checks in upon arrival, the rest of the day is yours to relax, or head out into the city for a little adventure on your own.

Travel kits in Vietnam:

UME will provide our special care to you on your arrival day in Vietnam. Our travel kits include SIM card (Unlimited data access with 6Gb of high speed + 30 minutes international call), and daily bottle of mineral water! 

In the morning, visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh House on Stilts, One Pillar Pagoda, Hoa Lo prison and Temple of Literature (the first university in Hanoi). After lunch, you will visit Museum of Ethnology and take a rickshaw ride through the Old Quarter about 1 hr. Then pay a visit to Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple. The tour comes to an end by enjoying a Water Puppet Show to learn more about Vietnamese traditional culture. 

Your guide will then escort you to the Hanoi Train Station for your overnight train to Lao Cai, 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 you and drive you back to Hanoi (about 4hrs) to take the afternoon flight to Hue. Upon arrival, you're greeted by your local guide and drvier and escort you to the hotel.  

Today, tour the Minh Mang Tomb renowned for its architecture and sublime forest setting. Admire the Vietnam’s tallest and iconic seven-storey Thien Mu Pagoda by a royal dragon boat cruise on the Perfume River. After that, take a walk on the cobbled paths in the Imperial Citadel, and discover some former glory of the country’s royalty in the Forbidden Purple City. Finally, stroll in the Dong Ba Market to get a taste of the local civil life.

Today, your journey begins with a scenic drive to Hoi An (about 3 hrs), during which you can have a full view of the coast and Da Nang when driving on the top of Hai Van Pass. And you can also have a leisure walk on the soft white sand at Da Nang’s Non Nuoc Beach, appreciate great sculptures in Cham Museum and climb the beautiful Marble Mountains. You can explore the town on your own or just relax after reaching Hoi An in the afternoon.

Your local guide will meet you at your hotel and you’ll take a cyclo ride to the center of Hoi An to visit the colorful market. At the market you’ll have the opportunity to interact with local sellers and learn about the fresh ingredients you’ll be using during your cooking lesson later in the day. This is a great chance to take some photos as well, so be sure to have your camera ready!

After visiting the market, you’ll take a ride to Tra Que vegetable village. You’ll enjoy a welcome drink and then walk through the vegetable gardens where local farmers work in their fields following the methods that have been in use for hundreds of years.

Next you’ll having a cooking lesson with a chef to learn the traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese food. After the lesson, you’ll have a chance to enjoy what you’ve cooked!

At the tour，you’ll bid farewell to your host family before riding back to Hoi An and your hotel.

Day at leisure. Relax at your hotel, or explore the surrounding area.

Today, transfer from Hoi An to Da Nang, then fly to Ho Chi Minh City.After hotel check in, the rest of the day is free at your leisure.

Today, you will drive to Mekong Delta area to enjoy One day Mekong Delta tour (My Tho) with visiting to villages and markets.

After breakfast at hotel, leave Saigon for Mytho for one day trip. Arrival in Mytho city visit to Vinh Trang Pagoda, this is one of the most beautiful & ancient pagoda in Mekong Delta. Continuous to My Tho boat station .cruise on the Mekong river for sightseeing: fish floating market, islands of Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle, Phoenix. Take a walk to visit Thoi Son orchid garden, visit a bee-farm, enjoy honey-tea. Going around Thoi Son island by Xe Tau Mo (Pedicap by bike). Stop over at an orchard of Ms Ba’s. tropical fruits Enjoy seasonal fruits and listen to Southern traditional music. Take a short walk to rowing boat quay, get on the rowing boat to discover natural canal and the daily procession. The last visit is coconut candy workshop, taste fresh candies in coconut island before have lunch at Mien Tay riverside restaurant. Back to pier. Transfer to Can Tho for overnight.

Today starts with a boat cruise along the endless waterway of mighty Mekong River. Visit the Cai Rang Floating Market where hundreds of boats are loaded with fruits, vegetables and fish jostling for trade, and the Bun Tau Noodle Factory. Afternoon go back to Ho Chi Minh City.

After breakfast, our guide and driver will pick up you at hotel and transfer to Cu Chi Tunnels. After lunch at local restaurant，transfer to Ho Chi Minh Airport for your flight to next destination.