Vietnam Like a Local 2 Weeks

Morning

Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City which is still called "Saigon" by locals. The tour guide and driver welcome you at Tan Son Nhat Airport and you will be transferred by private car to your hotel to check in.

NOTE: The check-in time is usually 14.00. Early check-in is available with a surcharge.

For anyone who wants to explore Saigon right on the very first day, you can try the below optional suggestions:

Morning/Afternoon (depending on availability)

You can choose the departure time at 08:00 - 08:30 or 13:00 - 13:30 then get ready for a half-day city tour to have a general view of Ho Chi Minh on a motorbike:

Visit Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office stand as iconic landmarks in Saigon, boasting stunning French colonial architecture characterized by intricate Gothic styling, offering visitors a glimpse into the city's rich historical heritage.

Note: The Cathedral is temporarily closed for renovation.

Take a look at Saigon Opera House, which stands as an architectural gem, boasting a striking façade adorned with ornate details reminiscent of the Belle Époque era, offering a glimpse into Vietnam's colonial history and cultural heritage.

Then, travel to Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Head Office, which was the city hall, and the beautiful Nguyen Hue Walking Street where you can take nice photos from the Apartment cafes here.

Continue to visit some hidden gems of the city such as The venerable Thich Quang Duc monument, Ho Thi Ky flower market, Thien Hau Pagoda, and Cambodian market.

The next stop is Nguyen Thien Thuat Oldest Apartment - a famous street food area with considerable diversity in the style of cuisine and local culture. Take a short walk to explore the lifestyle of local people here.

At the end, we will drive you back to the hotel and pass by Nguyen Trai Street located in District 5 which is famous for hundreds of fashion shops along the street.

Afternoon

Return to your hotel. The rest of the day will be your free time to discover this bustling city by yourself.

Morning

Have a tasty breakfast at the hotel; then at 08:00, you will be transferred to Cai Be and visit Com Candy Craft Village, where you can see the process of making candy nuggets and try freshly baked sweet nuggets.

Then, visit a bee farm to experience many exciting activities here, such as enjoying freshly made honey tea to relax, and witnessing the daily life of local people in the gardens.

Leave the bee farm, the tour guide will bring you to Tan Phong Islet and experience garden tourism in a neighboring orchard to enjoy unique tropical fruits like durian, rambutan, longan, and more (seasonal) and try to pick them on your own.

Next, visitors come to a local house and listen to the live performance of "Don Ca Tai Tu" - a classic kind of Vietnamese folk music and enjoy a cup of tea and welcome fruit of the host.

Get on a small rowing boat through small canals to get to Mekong Ecolodge for checking in, and then you will have lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon

You can have a nap or walk around the campus to explore the fruit and flower gardens of the Ecolodge. Here, guests can pick and eat fruits for free on the spot.

Afterward, participate in a local daily activity called "ditch fishing hook”. You will use a traditional fishing tool and try to catch some fish in the ditch and go to the garden to pick vegetables to prepare for dinner.

Then, it would be best if you took a shower before helping the homestay's local chef make dinner with the fresh fish you have just caught.

Enjoy your fantastic dinner and stay overnight at the homestay.

Morning

Get up early to take in the countryside's fresh air and beautiful sounds. Wander around the village and observe the morning activities of the local farmers.

Get back to your homestay, have breakfast, and then join a cycling tour around Tan Phong Island. Take a chance to visit traditional handicraft workshops and also join interesting activities.

First, you can see locals make rice papers in a local house, a signature cooking material in Vietnamese dishes. Then, learn how people knit a banana hammock with banana rope- a traditional Vietnamese handicraft.

Moving on learn how to knit water hyacinth and try to knit one yourself. After that, visitors have the opportunity to see the process of making nail files with bamboo sticks and local materials.

Cycling back to Ecolodge to participate in a cooking class to make jackfruit leaf cake with the guidance of local people and try your product. The cake is said to be a specialty of Tan Phong Island.

Afternoon

It's time to check out and travel from the Tan Phong ferry with local people to Hiep Duc. Our driver will pick you up at the port and drive you directly to the airport for your flight to Da Nang.

Note: You will have lunch midway in a restaurant while traveling back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Arrive at Da Nang Airport and then be transferred to your hotel in Hoi An. The rest of the day is all yours. You can sleep to recover after a long trip or explore the stunning Hoi An by night.

Morning/ Afternoon

In the daytime, you are free to explore the Hoi An on your way. You can leisurely walk through the pretty street of the ancient town, take some photos or drive to the beach.

Evening

Our guide will pick you up in the late afternoon and lead you through small streets to start a walking food tour to many coffee shops, restaurants, and eateries to try some famous local food:

Banh Mi: Worldwide famous Vietnamese food made by Banh Mi Queen

Cao Lau: Hoi An signature dry noodles with many different layers created by many toppings in one bowl.

Banh Beo: Vietnamese traditional steamed rice cake which is round, small, and thin as a leaf, and only found in Central Vietnam

Banh Khot: A traditional street food in Central Vietnam which is a round pancake made from rice flour, turmeric, and coconut milk and topped with quail eggs and vegetables.

Balut: Listed in the top 10 weird foods in the world. The taste is amazing, and this dish contains a huge amount of proteins. However, the ingredient will dare you to try the dish; it's a little duck that still stays inside its eggshell.

Coffee: Made from the best Vietnamese coffee beans. Adds some sweet condensed milk and this drink will be a perfect ending for your food tour.

After a flavorful night, return to your hotel to rest.

Morning

It's a farming day! Meet your tour guide at the hotel at 08:00 then begin with a bicycle ride to Cam Thanh Village, a well-known location on the outskirts of Hoi An old town:

Arrive at Cam Thanh, you will be greeted by a local host and then join them in many interesting farming activities of growing rice.

You can try plowing and raking with buffalo, transplanting rice, flood farming, grinding, and pounding rice with the help of the host family. If you are brave enough, you can try riding the water buffalo and take many unique pictures.

After that, you will get to a local fishing village to try fishing with the professional fishermen here. End the tour with a basket boat trip to explore the lush water coconut jungle.

A delicious lunch will be served at a local house before you finish the trip.

Afternoon

Return to the hotel and take your much-needed rest after an active day.

Morning

08:00:  Have breakfast and prepare for a long day transferring from Hoi An to Hue.

Afternoon

Arrive at your hotel in Hue. Check in and relax. 

Morning

You will be picked up at Toa Kham Wharf by a dragon boat, a unique way to experience the serene beauty as well as the slow life of Hue along the Perfume River.

The boat will stop by one of the most ancient shrines of the city - Thien Mu Pagoda, a tall brick pagoda with seven stories standing in the center of lush gardens and tranquil atmosphere.

After the visit, travelers are back to the dragon boat then head to the next destination - Hue Ecolodge, where our friendly guide will greet you warmly and lead you to Thuy Bieu Eco-village.

The eco-village is a relaxing place famous for its serenity, verdant fruit gardens, and ancient houses, bringing a rejuvenating experience for relaxation lovers who come here. You will spend time taking a stroll or biking around this beautiful village.

On the way, travelers can visit some handicraft families to learn more about their lifestyle and how they make their living by witnessing the incense-making process, or paper painting.

After that, let’s take part in the cooking class at Hue Ecolodge to learn how to make Hue cuisine such as Vietnamese traditional spring rolls and Banh Khoai. It’s time for you to have a taste of the delicious dishes you have made, our Eco-chef also gives you some feedback and advice for your cooking skills.

Afternoon

Ending the tour, you have a wonderful time soaking your foot in hot water from boiling medical herbs and enjoy excellent massage by blind people.

Have breakfast at your hotel. 

You have the whole day to explore Hue yourself. If you don't know where to go, you may take one of the suggested day trips below:

Morning

Make the most of your remaining time in Hue before our driver comes to take you to the airport and fly to Hanoi.

You will be transferred by private car from Noi Bai Airport to the hotel in Hanoi to check-in.

Have a rest before your food tour at night.

Evening

This evening visitors will join an exciting street food walking tour to enjoy authentic Vietnamese foods.

Take a stroll through the sparkling Hanoi Old Quarter and try some soup-based delicacies such as Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodles), Bun Thang (Rice Vermicelli Noodles With Chicken And Eggs), or Bun Bo Hue.

Keep walking and have some Banh Cuon, often known as "Steamed Rice Rolls," and Banh Mi on the way. Get a taste of some local delicacies sold as snacks on the street, such as Nom Bo Kho (Dried Beef Salad), Nem Chua Ran (Fried Fermented Pork Roll), etc.

Round off your tour of the Hanoi street food scene with Ca Phe Trung, also known as Egg Coffee, a well-known local specialty.

End of the trip, return to your hotel and relax.

Morning

Meet your tour guide at the hotel at 08:00 and start your motorbike tour to explore Hanoi and visit several famous sites in the city. 

Start with Long Bien Bridge, the nearby Chuong Duong Bridge, get some famous Trang Tien ice creams, and pass by the Hanoi Opera House, where many art performances are still taking place.

Visit the beautiful Hoan Kiem Lake, a signature destination in Hanoi, which is near the Ly Thai To Monument, built to honor the King in Thang Long Capital (Hanoi today). Continue to Hoa Lo Prison or Maison Central to take a look at the crime of the French colony in the past.

Travel to West Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Hanoi and is also called the "lungs of the city". Lying on a small island in the lake is the oldest Buddhist temple in Vietnam - Tran Quoc Pagoda.

Visit the Huu Tiep Lake - B52 crash site, which marks Vietnamese soldiers' victory in the Vietnam War. From this site, our tour guide will also take you to a nearby market and observe the locals' daily life.

End the tour with a trip to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the outstanding leader of the Vietnamese people rests in peace. You can admire the mausoleum from the outside and take pictures.

Before returning to the hotel, the tour guide will take you to a nearby restaurant to enjoy tasty Vietnamese food.

Note: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is viewed from outside, closed on Monday & Friday and from June - August. The above itinerary is subject to change based on the day's weather and traffic conditions. 

Afternoon

Get back to your hotel. The afternoon is yours to relax or discover more through our recommended optional tours.

Morning

Wake up to enjoy breakfast at the hotel before our driver picks you up at 08:00 and departs for Halong. 

Arrive at the port and get ready to board the cruise at around 11:30 - 12:00 for your voyage to explore the majestic Halong Bay. After checking in, lunch will be served while the boat is sailing among the magnificent limestone islands.

Afternoon

In the afternoon, you will follow your cruise's itinerary, which may include some exciting activities such as sightseeing, kayaking, or swimming.

Return to the boat around 17:30; you may enjoy the sunset party program for "buy-1-get-1-free" cocktails while admiring the gorgeous sunset in the bay or join a cooking class.

Dinner is served on board, and then you are free to enjoy the nightlife activities: squid fishing, karaoke, board games, etc.

NOTE: The detailed itinerary will be provided depending on each cruise. 

Morning

Wake up early and say hello to a new day with a simple Tai-chi exercise on deck, or you may sleep until breakfast time. Then, you will continue with the cruise schedule to explore more in Halong Bay by visiting a cave, joining a rowing boat trip, or swimming in the cool water.

Return to the boat and then check out. Enjoy a brunch when the cruise returns to the port.

11:00 - 12:00: Get off the board and say goodbye to the crew. Our driver will transfer you to Hanoi. 

Afternoon

Back to your hotel and relax for a while. The night in Hanoi is all yours; you can explore the city by night freely on your own.

Enjoy your last time in Hanoi before our driver meets you at the hotel and takes you to the airport for the departure flight.

Goodbye and see you again!

Note: The hotel check-out time is 12:00. A late check-out can be arranged with a surcharge.