Arrival in HANOI
We encourage you to arrive a day early before the tour in order to rest from the long flights. When you arrive at the Noibai International Airport of Hanoi you will pass through immigration and present your E-visa. We will arrange your transportation to our boutique hotel (1 hr. drive), Lucien Hanoi Hotel & Spa which is located next to the fascinating Old Quarter of Hanoi.
Day 1: HANOI ARRIVAL
We encourage you to arrive a day early before the tour in order to rest from the long flights. When you arrive at the Noibai International Airport of Hanoi you will pass through immigration and present your E-visa. We will arrange your transportation to our hotel which is located next to the fascinating Old Quarter of Hanoi.
Day 2: HANOI WALKING STREET FOOD TOUR
You will have a leisurely morning to rest from your flight. In the afternoon, we will go out to discover the Old Quarter of Hanoi, which is adjacent to our boutique hotel. We will have a walking tour to explore the interesting streets and tasting the culinary delights of Hanoi street food. We will take a cyclo (rickshaw) ride to explore the streets and neighborhoods. The tour will continue with a water puppet show. In the evening we will enjoy a Welcome Dinner featuring some of northern Vietnam’s finest dishes.
- Today afternoon activities: Walking and tasting local food (13:00-15:00); rickshaw ride 45m (15-16:00); water puppet show 1 h(16:00-17:00); welcome dinner at 18:30
Day 3: HANOI CITY TOUR
Today we will enjoy a day of visiting historical attractions of Hanoi.
We will discover that Hanoi is a blend of the modern with the mystery and charm of past centuries; Hanoi offers an air of elegance and harmony with nature. We begin with a visit Ba Dinh Square to see Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum; then visit the Presidential Palace; see the simple cottage where he lived and worked and One Pillar pagoda or Chua Mot Cot originally built in 1049 A.D. We continue with a visit to Westlake and the Tran Quoc Pagoda. Also, we will visit Van Mieu or Temple of Literature, which dates back to 1070 and is dedicated to the cult of Confucius. We will have lunch in a colorful local restaurant where President Obama lunched with Anthony Bourdain.
After lunch we will stop at the Ethnology Museum to learn about the many varied ethnic groups of Vietnam. Our final stop is the infamous Hoa Lo Prison, which was nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton” by American prisoners-of-war during the Vietnam War. Evening is free
Meals included today: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4: HANOI – MAI CHAU
We will be picked up at our hotel and drive (4 hrs.) to Mai Chau, a region in the mountains in which various minority groups of ethnic Thai people live. The White Thai and the Black Thai tribes came from the southern part of China in the 7th – 13th centuries. Along the drive, we will stop to visit the Muong Tribe and also stop at the Thung Khe Pass for a spectacular view of the Mai Chau Valley. We will enjoy a typical lunch with a family of the White Thai tribe and then have free time to meet other villagers. In the afternoon, we will bicycle for a couple of hours through small villages with terraced rice paddies, set amidst the natural beauty of the valley. We will also visit the villages of Pom Coong and Na Phon. Then we will check into the Homestay and have time to relax at their small pool before dinner. In the evening we will have the opportunity to prepare and cook dinner with the family who own the Homestay.
Meals included today: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: MAI CHAU – PULUONG NATURE PRESERVE
Located about 1.5 hrs from Mai Chau is the Puluong Nature Preserve, which was established in 1999. It is home to ethnic Muong and Thai people and it is well known for fabulous landscapes of limestone mountains and rice terrace fields. As we drive to the Preserve, we will go through the mountain pass with a panoramic view of the region. We will enjoy lunch here at a family restaurant and take a leisurely walk to admire the stunning views.
In the afternoon, we cross the Cham River over a suspension bridge and journey to find the water wheels that rarely exist now anywhere else in Vietnam. Continuing, we will arrive at the house of local fisherman and go on a rafting tour on the calm river with lovely scenery. The fisherman will instruct us how to use the paddle to control the raft or we can do a trek to visit Hieu waterfall. We will return to the Puluong Hotel for dinner and spend the night.
Meals included today: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6: PULUONG – TAM COC
If you are an early riser, you can start early in the morning to witness sunrise over the range of towering mountains and terraced fields. You might enjoy walking around the property to photograph the picturesque setting.
By 9 AM, we say goodbye to Puluong and transfer (3 hrs.) to Tam Coc. On the way we will stop at the Tam Coc for a riverboat ride exploring this fantastic grotto. After this sampan boat trip, we will have lunch at local restaurant. In the afternoon, we will visit the ancient capital of Hoa Lu and then check into the hotel in Tam Coc.
Meals included today: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7: TAM COC – HALONG BAY – LAN HA BAY
We will depart at 7:30 AM for Halong Bay. The 4 hour ride will take us to the Halong International Harbor by mid-day. We will board the luxury cruise boat where we will receive a welcome drink and orientation. Between 1.30 PM – 2.30 PM we will enjoy a set menu lunch served in the outdoor dining room (weather permitting) andcontinue cruising into the magnificent Lan Ha Bay, admiring the limestone karst mountains along the way.
Upon arrival at Station number 17 – OVERNIGHT CRUISE PORT, Tuan Chau Maria, Ha Long passengers will be welcomed by receptionist at La Casta’s waiting lounge.
11:30 – 12:00: After taking a rest, our high speed tender will transfer you to the main boat (Around 25 minutes).
Get onboard and warmly welcome from La Casta crew team with welcome drink.
After that, you will be given a short briefing about La Casta Cruise and safety guideline at our restaurant.
Complete the check-in procedure and check-into our suite cabins.
13:00: Enjoy a lunch in the restaurant. La Casta Cruise start to depart for the voyage to discover the Lan Ha Bay.
15:45: Visit the Ba Trai Dao area and the natural lagoon of Lan Ha Bay – this area includes the beach breaths a romantic atmosphere and three smaller islets like three giant peaches on the sea. You can join with our activities such as: kayaking, swimming, sightseeing and explore the Ba Trai Dao area.
(In unfavorable weather conditions, to ensure the safety of our guest, this destination would be change into Dark and Bright cave- famous for the pristine natural beauty and poetic, attractive seascape of Lan Ha Bay. You can join with our activities such as: kayaking, sightseeing on the bamboo boat, … – This is the best time for you to enjoy bamboo boats or swimming which is an interesting activity to discover the truest beauty of the stunning limestone structure and the blue sky of Lan Ha Bay).
17:30 – 18:30: Come back to our La Casta cruise and enjoy the pre-dinner sunset party with Happy Hour Promotion (buy 1 get 1 free with some kinds of drinks) at the bar while watching the view of the bay at sunset.
18:00: Join a cooking demonstration, our chef will guide you how to make some simple signature Vietnamese dishes.
19:30: Enjoy special seafood and typical Vietnamese food on the cruise.
21:00: Evening entertainment: Squid fishing, karaoke… Overnight on the La Casta Cruise.
* Because of cruising conditions, the program may be changed slightly due to specific weather or tide conditions without prior notice to visitors. Wi-Fi is available although internet connectivity is limited due to the geography of Ha Long.
Meals included today: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8: HALONG BAY – DA NANG – HOI AN
6:15: Wake up early, join the Tai Chi session on sundeck area, enjoy the fresh atmosphere and watch the sunrise in Lan Ha Bay.
7:00 – 7:45: Have breakfast. Admit morning view of bay’s landscape with a cup of tea or coffee.
08:00:
● Stroke the stunning views of the Bay and it’s dramatic limestone islets
- Visit the famous Tra Bau, it’s time for freely kayak and explore the landscape, or swim…
09:00: Back to your cabin, relax and check carefully all the luggage before leaving your cabin.
09:30: Check-out and enjoy a fantastic cruise on the bay for room service. Complete check out procedure and enjoy your brunch at La Casta cruise.
10:30: Enjoy the brunch at restaurant.
11:30: Disembark at Tuan Chau harbor, You will rejoin your driver for the drive (3 hrs.) to the Hanoi Airport.
We fly to Da Nang and then drive in our private vehicle (45 min.) to reach the delightful UNESCO World Heritage site of Hoi An. Hoi An is one of the most beautiful cities in Vietnam and it features a mix of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and European architecture. As a UNESCO World Heritage location, tourism is what drives Hoi An today. However, it made its start with international trade, reaching its heyday in the early 17th century when Hoi An was one of the busiest ports in Southeast Asia.
Meals included today: Breakfast, Lunch.
Day 9: HOI AN CITY TOUR
Today we will spend a day of exploring Hoi An, which is a very pedestrian friendly small town. As noted, Hoi An was the most important port of Vietnam during the 16th century. Due to the monsoons, many trading vessels (Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Arab, Indian, Dutch and even Portuguese) had to stop here for months and wait for the wind direction to change. During the four months between monsoons, these merchants rented lodgings and trading houses, preferably on the waterfront. Many merchants bought houses and conducted trading activities all year round. With our guide, we will walk through the streets of Hoian’s Ancient Town.
The city is a haven for local artists and numerous galleries display a range of artistic creations. We’ll see the Japanese Bridge, built in the 16th century to link the Japanese section of Hoi An with the Chinese Quarter. It’s the only covered bridge known to have a Buddhist pagoda attached to one side. We will stop by the local produce market and the Tan Ky House, a late-18th-century merchant’s residence, whose family lived here for seven generations.
Hoi An is well-known for the quality of its tailor – made clothes shops, which are numerous. Our guide will be at your disposal to help with visiting local tailors to have clothes specially tailored for you. Order your clothes today and you will receive them the next day.
We will enjoy lunch at the well-known Banh My Phuong Restaurant which was featured in the Anthony Bourdain series.
Meals included today: Breakfast, Lunch.
Day 10: HOIAN COOKING CLASS
This morning we will enjoy a cooking class! We will start the day at 9AM with a coffee/tea at Hai Scout Café, our meeting point. We will visit Hoi An’s colorful market, and experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas. We will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and purchase some of the ingredients to be used in the cooking class later.
We will board the red bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. On arrival, we will tour the cooking school’s herb and vegetable garden before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – each dish is first demonstrated by the Red Bridge chef and then we prepare the same dish for ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration). After the lesson, we will sit down and enjoy eating exactly what we have cooked.
Recipes:
- Making fresh Rice paper
- Fresh Rice Paper Rolls of Shrimp
- Crispy Hoi An Pancakes with Shrimp, Herbs & Peanut Sauce
- Seafood Salad with mixed Vietnamese Herbs served in Half a Pineapple
- Vietnamese Eggplant in Clay Pot
- Food Decoration – Tomato Rose & Vietnamese Cucumber Hand Fan
- Steamed Ocean Fish on a bed of Freshly Chopped Vegetables (not included in the demonstration).
The remainder of the afternoon is free for shopping, relaxing, or picking up the tailored clothes.
Meals included today: Breakfast, Lunch (Cooking Class).
Day 11: HOI AN – DA NANG
Starting at 8 AM, we will bike 45 minutes to Organic Gardening Village where we will join in farming activities with the local farmers. Then we continue biking to the An Bang Beach for lunch of fresh seafood. After lunch, we return to Hoi An and transfer to Da Nang city for sightseeing and free time in the afternoon. Da Nang has a lovely beach, My Khe, which will attract anyone wishing for some relaxing time there. In the late afternoon, we can go to the rooftop bar for a lovely panorama of the city (or swim in the infinity pool) as the sun sets.
Meals included today: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 12: DA NANG Departure
Ba Na is an interesting area in this region as often one can feel the four distinct seasons within a single day: morning – spring, noon – summer, afternoon – autumn and evening – winter. Not many places in the world can make this claim! We will take a Cable Car to Ba Na Hills to visit the Golden Bridge which is a 150-meter long pedestrian bridge with two giant stone hands supporting the structure. It is designed to connect the cable car station with the gardens and to provide a scenic overlook. Following this we will drive to the airport to fly home or next destination. End of your trip 12 days in Vietnam.
