A Journey Following The Vietnam Women’s

Meal provided: No meal

Welcome to Vietnam. After landing and visa arrangements collect your luggage, the driver and local guide will be waiting for you outside. Escort at your hotel for check in.

Stay overnight in Hanoi

Meal provided: breakfast, dinner on foodie tour

We will start our visit to Hanoi at its main sites, Ho Chi Minh Complex, an important pilgrimage site. A traffic-free zone of botanical gardens, monuments and pagodas, the site is usually packed with groups of all ages, from all over the country, who have come to pay their respects. Inside the complex we can see the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, Ba Dinh Square, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh Museum. We will visit the famous One Pillar Pagoda built of wood on a single stone pillar with a diameter of 1.25 m. It is meant to resemble a lotus flower, which is a Buddhist symbol of purity, as a lotus blooms in a muddy pond.

After that, we will continue to visit the Temple of Literature (Vietnamese name is Quoc Tu Giam) - the first university of Vietnam, built in 1070 in honor of Confucius, his followers and Chu Van An, a moral figure in Vietnamese education.

Continue to Vietnam Women’s Museum which delivers a beautifully presented tribute to the women of Vietnam across the ages. There are plenty of historical contexts alongside a wealth of information on today’s more modern Vietnamese woman.

Heading to the outskirt to reach Bat Trang village, we first stop by Bat Trang communal house to admire at the ancient architecture of rural villages in the Red River Delta.

Our guide will take you around the village to see the artisans at work and you have chance to witness the process of molding and carving clay pots, dishes and vases.

The most intriguing part of the tour is time to have your hands-on experience of making your own ceramics, take them back to home and shop at local pottery market.

18:00: We start your first tour ‘Hanoi by Night Foodie Motorbike tour’.

The first stop on our tour is a family run eatery Hanoians claim is the best spot for Banh Cuon (steamed rolled cake) in town.  The skilled chef will demonstrate for us how the ingredients are put together as we get to experience a front row seat to the culinary process.

Our tour continues weaving through the streets bathed in the glow of colorful lanterns and decorative lights in the Old Quarter as we ride along the bank of the Red River to take in the views of Hanoi under the cover of night.

This leads us to our next stop, a local family eatery where you will get to enjoy Bun Cha (grilled pork with vermicelli noodle). And we will sample local favorite delicacies in a nearby neighborhood inludes: Banh Goi (pillow cake), Nem ran (traditional spring roll), Banh ran man, Banh ran Ngot (salty and sweet doughnut), Shrimp cake.

You’ll be taken on a ride over to West Lake to enjoy the scenery before arriving at Ngu Xa village to try Freshly grilled seafood and some local desert like Che xoai( Mango desert), Purple rice with yoghurt and other traditional fried Vietnamese dishes.

As our tour takes you away from the West Lake area and back into the heart of Hanoi, you will be taken past the Ho Chi Minh memorial where guards can be seen performing their nightly ceremonies.  Nothing captures the reverence and sanctity that the Vietnamese hold for Ho Chi Minh more than these nightly ceremonies.

Finally we will head back into the densely packed streets of Hanoi to the train tracks where locals cook, relax, and sell their wares.  It is a bustling alley full of locals going about their nightly lives, right next to active train tracks!

Our tour winds down with a stop to a popular cafe to try the famous Vietnamese egg coffee and a top secret desert which you only know when you travel with us!  First invented in 1946, it’s a delicacy of whipped egg yolk with sugar and condensed milk for sweetness, and just a drop of vinegar to fluff the eggs.  This is floated on top of a shot of espresso and dusted with cocoa powder. The end result is a coffee experience like no other, and a taste and texture reminiscent of tiramisu.

Stay overnight in Hanoi.

Meal provided: breakfast, dinner.

In the morning, get transfer to Sa Pa by Sharing limousine (without guide).

When arrive in Sa Pa, meet local guide and driver to explore Silver Waterfall and  Sin Chai village.

Silver Waterfall: lies beside National Highway No 4D, about 12km from Sapa town’s centre, Silver Waterfall is formed by sources of water from the Lo Sui Tong Mountain peak. With a height of 100 meter, it is a big one and the loop track is steep and scenic. From the distance, the waterfall looks like a white dragon looking down from the sky. You can reach the Silver Waterfall by car in half an hour. From there you can see stunning view of the surrounding mountains and the last forests belonging to Hoang Lien Son National Park.

Sin Chai village belongs to San Sa Ho commune (old), now belongs to Hoang Lien commune, located about 4km from the center of Sa Pa town. Although located right next to Cat Cat - a famous community cultural tourism village of Sa Pa, Sin Chai is still quite pristine and quiet compared to the neighboring village. Lying quietly at the foot of Hoang Lien Son range, surrounded by vast hills, Sin Chai has been the home of the Black H'mong people for many generations.

Overnight in SaPa.

Meal provided: breakfast, lunch.

8:30am Meet tour guide at the hotel and take a car ride to Ta Phin village handicraft about 30 minutes

9:00am Weaving introductory session and hands-on about 30 minutes

9:30am Batik introductory session of tools, style and hands-on about 30 minutes

10:00am Dyeing of batik introductory session and hands-on about 30 minutes

10:30am Hmong/Vietnamese cooking brief introductory about 1hour 30minutes

12:00n  Lunch and rest

1:30pm  Trek from Handicraft workshop to a cave where locals ask for blessings to help their children recover from illness

2:30pm  Embroidery introductory session and hands-on about 2hours

4:30pm  Drive back to Hotel - Tour ends

Overnight in Sapa.

Meal provided: breakfast.

Travel on road down the valley from Sapa about 07 kilometers to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai. It is a nice ride in itself with great views of the lush terraces. In this village which you will have a welcome feeling at any house of the hospitable people there. You can interact them, learn about their culture and customs. From there, you will just follow the valley for a few miles to the next town of Ta Van. Along the way, you will walk through terraced rice fields and among some picturesque villages, and experience a bit of rural life. Ta Van is a village of Giay people, who look more like the traditional Viet living the Red delta.  As you walk through different hill tribe villages (Hmong and Dao people), it's helpful to have a guide to explain customs or practices to you and perhaps translate. You're sure to see other tourists on the trail (which puts many people off), but this is a good example of the many great treks in the area.

In the afternoon, get transfer to Hanoi by Sharing Limousine (without guide).

Overnight in Hanoi.

Meal provided: breakfast, dinner

After breakfast, check out and depart for Nha Xa Silk Village. The whole village of 230 households, with a population of around 800 people, earns a living from producing silk from 200 weaving machines.

Especially, each family in the village has their own secrets of mixing colors and adjusting temperature to dye silk to have the perfect color which will not fade easily. Dyed cloth then is washed and dried by machines and not by the traditional method of sunlight.

Continue to Ninh Binh, visit Hoa Lu temple– The ancient capital of Vietnam in the 10th and 11th centuries. Enjoying the 11th & 17th century architecture style, old sculpture – carving on wood & stone depicting the daily lives, dreams and wishes for peace, good life, etc.

Then enjoy hours of excursion by small boat along the Ngo Dong River, beginning at the village of Van Lam and proceeding through a scenic landscape dominated by rice fields and karst towers. The route includes floating through Tam Coc - the three natural grottos (Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba), the largest of which is 125m long with its ceiling about 2m high above the water. The boats are typically rowed by one or two local women who also sell embroidered goods. Then visit to Bich Dong pagoda - a cave pagoda - which was built in the 15th century. There are 3 main pagodas here called Chua Ha, Chua Trung and Chua Thuong. We'll start a walking tour across a stone bridge and start hiking up the mountains on the stone steps, passing through the dark cave and we'll find ourselves on top of the mountains with private view of the surroundings.

Late afternoon, drive back to Hanoi.

Stay overnight in Hanoi.

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Meal provided: breakfast, dinner on boat.

In the morning, get transfer to Halong by private car with guide. ( 4 hours on cruise)

Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, Halong Bay is one of the world's outstanding natural wonders, resembling a geographic work of art with thousands of limestone islets soaring dramatically from the clear emerald waters. This densely concentrated zone of karts islands, world famous for its spectacular scenery of grottoes and caves, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On this tour, witness the tranquil beauty and breathtaking scenery from the decks of a traditional junk, complete with bat-winged sails. Gliding through the gin-clear waters of the bay, absorb one of the most magnificent natural splendors of the Far East. See tiny islands dotted with rock arches, sheer cliffs, innumerable white sand beaches and peaceful coves. Like sculpted cartoon characters, these limestone islands have fanciful names: Incense Burner, Stone Dog and Fighting Chickens (the symbol of Halong Bay). Stopping for the two of most beautiful caves named Thien Cung (Heaven Palace Grotto) and Dau Go (Wooden Stakes Cave). Climbing steep stairs to explore huge chambers adorned with stalactites and stalagmites of all kinds. Continue to enjoy this relaxing cruise through the fairyland-like landscape.

Then we head back to Ha Long harbor. Drive to Ha Noi Airport to take a flight to Hue.

When arrive in Hue, meet local guide and driver, being on boat on Perfume River, listing to traditional music and having diner on boat with beautiful view of Hue.

Overnight in Hue.

Meal provided: breakfast, dinner.

This morning, transfer to visit the Royal Palace which has three perimeters of rampart, namely from outside to inside: Kinh Thanh (Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel)

• Capital Citadel: This construction started in 1805 under the reign of Emperor Gia Long and completed in 1832 under the reign of Emperor Ming Mang
• Royal Citadel: The Imperial City is located in the centre of the Citadel where established highest offices of Viet Nam's feudalism and sanctums honoring the cult of decreased Emperors.
• Forbidden Citadel: Located inside the Imperial City, behind the Throne Palace, the Forbidden Purple City is reserved for Emperor and his family.

Continue Thuy Xuan incense-making village. In addition to incense, locals now sell souvenirs such as lacquered paintings, fans and brocades. In the past, Thuy Xuan incense only serves domestic demand. Today, it is exported to foreign countries. Thuy Xuan incense becomes a special cultural tradition which has been passed from generations to.

Get transfer to Hoi An.

Overnight in Hoi An.

Meal provided: breakfast, light lunch, dinner.

8:00 - 8:30am: After picking you up at your hotel in Hoi An, we will begin our adventure in the Ancient Quarter. First, a stroll through the Central market to purchase all fresh ingredients for the class. Then, we board our river basket boat for a relaxing 30-minute ride on the Thu Bon river to Bay Mau Coconut Forest, which is recognized by the Province as an official ecological zone. We then walk through the vegetable fields to our teaching kitchen overlooking the water coconut trees and rows of vegetables. You will be able to go on basket boat and fish around the beautiful palm forest.  Finally, we will show you 4 traditional Vietnamese dishes while you enjoy the cool breeze and the peaceful setting of the countryside.

MENU

1. Fresh spring rolls
2. Pan cakes
3. Stir fried beef noodles
4. Hanoi noodles (Pho Hanoi)

13:00 - 13:30: Drop you at Bamboo workshop (2hrs) you will be surprised and excited to see all the different household facilities and things that we have created out of bamboo and that we use in our house. Take them home with you as a souvenir and enjoy this long-lasting experience.

Back to the town, take walking tour to discover how the traditions of the past are treasured in the present in Hoi An, a key international trading port between the 15th and 19th centuries – now a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its well-preserved, centuries-old streets, dwellings, temples and pagodas, touring Hoi An's historic highlights, explore its shop-lined streets, view the red-painted Japanese Covered Bridge - the three Chinese characters over the door mean "bridge for passers-by from afar" and tour the 200-year-old "Phung Hung" house, noted for its unique architecture. What you'll see there will reveal much about the lives of Hoi An merchant long ago.

Stay overnight in Hoi An.

Meal provided: breakfast, dinner.

Having free time in the morning.

In the afternoon, Enjoy Lantern making workshop where you can create your own traditional Vietnamese lantern, a symbol of luck, happiness and wealth. And discover the joy and relaxation of making your very first bamboo lantern that you can take home. You also choose from a wealth of beautifully designed fabrics which you can mix, paint and craft on any shape and size.

After having diner, watching Hoi An memories show, with the message: “A day in Hoi An - A hundred years of reminiscence”, Hoi An Memories is a really huge boat that will bring the audience to the ancient city port on the legendary Silk Road over the course off 400 years.

Be amazed by the world's largest outdoor show that features 500 plus performers!

Stay overnight in Hoi An

Meal provided: breakfast.

After breakfast at the hotel, free time until transfer to the international airport without guide, for the departure flight to the next destination

Ends of Service.