North to South Vietnam 17-Days Tour

Vietnam 17 Days Tour is a 17 days package we design for family travel in Vietnam. Highlights include Sapa trekking, ethnic market, Halong cruise, kayaking, Tam Coc cycling, Cham Island diving, and more.

Product Description

Vietnam 17 Days Tour is a 17 days package we design for family travel in Vietnam. Highlights include Sapa trekking, ethnic market, Halong cruise, kayaking, Tam Coc cycling, Cham Island diving, and more.

Map of Vietnam 17 Days Tour

Vietnam 17 Days Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Hanoi.

Upon your arrival at Noibai airport in Hanoi, you will be greeted by Lotussia Travel team and transferred to your hotel in town. Check-in hotel(*) and overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi City Tour – Lao Cai.

Enjoy a full day city tour of Vietnam’s capital. Hanoi is a unique city with tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and oriental temples. The city tour includes such sights as the Ho Chi Minh Complex(*), containing the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. This complex also comprises the One Pillar Pagoda, whose origins date back to the foundation of city. We follow this with a trip to the Temple of Literature, which is well known as the first university of Vietnam and the impressive Ethnology Museum, dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups. Enjoy a short cyclo excursion through the bustling old quarter streets named after the specific goods once offered for sales at these places. At 19h30 You will be met up again with Lotussia Travel team and transferred to Hanoi Train Station to catch the night train for Lao Cai. Train??? Departure at ??? (to be advised). Overnight on the train.

Day 3: Lao Cai – Sapa.

Arrive Laocai Train Station early this morning at 5h30 (to be advised). You will be greeted by Lotussia Travel local team and transferred to Sapa. Breakfast will be provided in a local restaurant in town. At 9:00 you first sneak through the market leaving the busy town behind. After a couple of minutes, you will follow a road going downhill to Cat Cat village. You will stop by a waterfall and a hydroelectric station for a while before you trek on a dirt trail through rice paddy terraces. You will also enjoy spectacular scenery while walking along a narrow river. You eventually arrive in Y Linh Ho village of Black Hmong minority, where you can take a rest while you are served lunch nearby the river. After lunch, you head Muong Hoa valley. You will pass through Lao Chai village of Black Hmong minority and then Tavan village of Giay minority by following a very popular trekking route. You will spend the night in local house of Giay minority. You will be able to take a walk to enjoy the valley view as well as swim in the river nearby.

Day 4: Sapa Trekking.

Once you get energy for your last day trek by having a delicious breakfast, you leave for Giang Ta Chai village of Red Dao minority. You will trek through bamboo forest, which belongs to Hoang Lien National Park. On the way you will pass by a waterfall where you will have time to take a rest and enjoy the surroundings. You will find a nice place to enjoy lunch. After lunch, you continue toward Su Pan, a small village located by the road. Here you start your journey back to Sapa by car. Overnight at hotel in Sapa.

Day 5: Sapa – Can Cau – Lao Cai – Hanoi.

Start our drive to Can Cau market. The road is relatively flat from Lao Cai to Bao Nhai bridge. After crossing the bridge, we begin our journey uphill offering beautiful views over the valleys. Situated 20 km from Bac Ha, Can Cau is a small, but very colorful market. Opening only on Saturdays, it always delivers a very photogenic display of Flower Hmong, Black Zao, Phu La ethnic costumes. After spending the whole morning exploring the market, you will leave the market for Bac Ha town for lunch. In the afternoon, we drive downhill towards Lao Cai for about half an hour. We stop on the way (before reaching Lao Cai) to take a short walk to Trung Do village inhabited by Tay people. Tay villages are always set up at the foot of a mountain or along a stream and are named after a mountain, a field, or a river. Each village contains about 15-20 households. A large village is divided into many small hamlets. The houses are built on stilts or level with the ground. Stop by a traditional Tay house for a cup of tea before taking a boat cruise upstream the Chay River. The scenery is very beautiful on both sides of the river. The boat trip will end at Coc Ly where your vehicle will be waiting for you for the journey back to Lao Cai. Overnight train back to Hanoi. Train??? Departure at (to be advised).

Day 6: Hanoi – Ninh Binh.

Arrive Hanoi Train Station early this morning at 05:00 (to be advised). You will be greeted again by Lotussia Travel team and transferred to a local restaurant in town for early breakfast and quick shower. 8:30: Head south for the three-hour drive along Highway One. Upon your arrival in Hoa Lu around 11:00, visit the Dinh and Le sanctuaries. These are the two remaining temples of the ancient citadel of Hoa Lu. The first is dedicated to Dinh Tien Hoang (also known as Dinh Bo Linh), an Emperor from the Dinh Dynasty. The second commemorates the rulers of the Le Dynasty. Then, we move on to Hoa Lu enjoying one-hour cycling through peaceful countryside villages. Arrive in Tam Coc and have lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch, we take a two-hour boat trip along the Boi River. This area is rightly often referred to as the “Ha Long Bay on land” due to the similar topography. Overnight at your hotel in Ninh Binh.

Day 7: Ninh Binh – Halong Bay.

Depart for Halong bay. Enjoy the journey through the scenery of rice fields, water buffalo and everyday Vietnamese village life. Arrive in Halong around noon and board the Bai Tho traditional sailing junk (or similar junk). Whilst cruising the exquisite waters sample the regions fresh seafood. The boat goes through Thien Cung cave (palace of heaven), Dau Go ( grotto of wood ), Tuan Chau island, Dog island, Dinh Huong, Ga Choi (fighting cock mountain), Turtle island. Enjoy one-hour kayaking trip or have a swim at Titop beach or Soi Sim beach. Watch the sun set over the bay whilst enjoying a delicious dinner. Overnight on board junk.

Day 8: Halong Bay – Hanoi.

Visit the recently discovered Surprise Grotto with its great views, and on the next island see the yawning mouth of Bo Nau Cave. Return to the boat and have breakfast while the boat is cruising back to Halong City. Disembark at the dock at Halong City at 11:00 and travel back to Hanoi. Arrive back to Hanoi around 15:00. In the evening, attend to the water puppet show, one of famous Vietnamese traditional art. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 9: Hanoi – Hue.

On this 9th day of this Vietnam 17 Days Tour, you will be transferred to Hanoi airport for a short flight to Hue (morning flight). Flight ???. Departure at ??? (to be advised). Welcome in Hue airport by Lotussia Travel local team and transferred to hotel for check-in(*). In the afternoon, we will board a private boat for a cruise on the romantic Perfume River. The charming Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda), setting in converge of rivers will be the first stop of the day. The pagoda gives you a great view on the Perfume River and the surrounding area. Then we will be picked up again by our car for a short drive to the Minh Mang tomb. Overnight at your hotel in Hue.

Day 10: Hue – Hoian.

We will continue the Hue city tour with a visit to the Imperial Citadel, which is recognized as a World Heritage Site. Then depart for Hoian. Stop en route at Lang Co, a small village of fishermen. Taking photograph from Hai Van Pass (The pass of Sea and Cloud). Arrive in Hoian around late afternoon. Check in hotel for overnight.

Day 11: Cham Island Snorkeling.

8:00am you will be picked up by our local team at the hotel and transferred to the pier where you will get on boat and leave offshore. We will arrive at the island around 10:00. We snorkel on coral reef and sightseeing of the islands. Then you will be transferred to Bai Chong beach for lunch. Optional activities available in the afternoon: relax on the beach, swimming, snorkeling, canoeing or trekking 3 km, discover the fishing village. Return to the mainland. You will be dropped off at your hotel. Overnight in Hoian.

Day 12: Hoi An – Da Nang – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

According to flight departure time, transfer to Da Nang airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon). Flight???. Departure at ??? (to be advised). You will be greeted at Tan Son Nhat international airport in Ho Chi Minh city by Lotussia local team and transferred to your hotel in town. In the afternoon, start the tour with Ho Chi Minh City highlights including the Post Office, cathedral, Reunification palace, centre town, then continue towards Cholon, visit Thien Hau temple and Binh Tay market. Free dinner. Overnight at your hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.

Day 13: Saigon – Mui Ne Beach.

Transfer to Muine (without guide). The scenic 200km drive north on Highway One passes through the bustling city of Bien Hoa before cutting through dense rubber plantations. Arrive in Muine around noon. Check into resort. The rest of day is free to relax by the hotel poolside or on the sandy beach. Overnight at your hotel in Muine, Phan Thiet.

Day 14 & 15: Mui Ne Beach Resort.

Full day free at leisure to enjoy the prime beach of Muine or just relax on the hotel poolside. Optional golf course or beach activities can be arranged on the spot with hotel. Overnight in Muine, Phan Thiet.

Day 16: Mui Ne Beach – Saigon.

Free at leisure until transfer back to Saigon.

Day 17: Departure.

Free time till transfer to Ho Chi Minh city airport for your onward flight back home (without guide). Vietnam 17 Days Tour is completed.

Vietnam private tours

Lotussia Travel is a Hanoi tour operator offering a wide selection of multi-activity holidays in Vietnam. Options include countryside cycle, mountain biking, road cycling, jungle trek, trekking homestay, mountain hiking, peaks climbs, motorbike, scouter touring, camping, caving expeditions, kayaking, boat trips, cruise, sightseeing, culture tours. Most of our trips are private customized, and specially designed for small group tours, family vacations. The itinerary above – Vietnam 16 Day Itinerary is only a sample that can be further customized to better fit your requirements. Just follow it or contact us for designing your perfect adventure.

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Additional Information

Primary activity

Trip duration

Depart from

End at

Ho Chi Minh City

Adventure level

Itinerary disclaimer

Occasionally our tour itineraries are updated during the year to incorporate improvements stemming from past travelers’ comments and our own research. The information given in this itinerary may be slightly different to that in the service proposal. It’s very important that you print and review a final copy of your itinerary a couple of days prior to travel, in case there have been changes that affect your plans. If you have any queries, please contact us. We are here to help you!

Please note that while we operate successful trips in Vietnam throughout the year, some changes may occur in our itineraries due to inclement weather and common seasonal changes to timetables and transport routes. This can happen with little notice so please be prepared for modifications to the route. The order and timing of included activities in each location may also vary from time to time.

Inclusions

Depending on the proposed option (semi-guide tour or all-inclusive package tour), the price may include the following services. Please bear in mind Lotussia Travel is specialized in tailor-made trips. Trip cost vary depending on group size and other details.

  • Car transfers.
  • Local tour guide. The English-Speaking guide is provided by default. Other language may be available upon request (with extra charge).
  • Meals.
  • Entrance fees.

Exclusions

Unless required most of the following services are usually not included in our tour price.

  • Visa
  • Flight/Train tickets.
  • Accommodation.
  • Tour leader.
  • Local porter(s).
  • International travel insurance.
  • Drinks.
  • Tips.
  • Personal expenses.

Tour guide

Our tour guides speak English or French. They hold a university degree in tourism and national license as a guide. If you wish to send a tour leader along with any group, he or she can fully rely on the knowledge and experience of our local guides.

Remote treks are always accompanied by a local representative to deal with permits and authorities and manage the porter team. They speak the local dialects, know the cultural traditions and give tips on suggested behavior in fragile ecological areas and tribal communities. For some itineraries, the role of tour leader and representative is combined.

Driver

Our drivers don’t speak English. It’s possible that a few of them might know some basic words, such as telling time, stop, and lunch. If you’re looking for effective communication throughout the journey, we highly recommend booking a tour guide.

Trip routes

Principally, Lotussia Travel requires all the trip associates to know the destinations well by any means of traveling or enquiry to the local suppliers to figure out all the relative details of any trip. For adventure tours such as jungle trekking, mountain hiking, sea kayaking, river rafting or biking, cycling tours, Lotussia Travel will never add any new routes into available schedule until survey or pre-view it.

Accommodation

Lotussia Travel carefully choose all the hotels, guest-houses or home-stays based on service quality, location, and characteristics, doing best to make the accommodations in the remote small places as comfortable as possible. Please bear in mind that hotels in Vietnam might not be in the same standard in other country. Generally hotels in major cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh city, Hoian, Hue…are much better than hotels and guest-houses in mountainous areas.

Meals

Lotussia Travel take dinning as an indispensable experience to clients since it is an important part in Vietnamese culture. Therefore, Lotussia Travel will not intend take clients to the most expensive restaurants but non-touristy local ones which offer delicious, local food, with nice or interesting atmosphere. The restaurants might be simple in the country but LOTUSSIA Travel guarantee is sanitary and cleanliness. Or even on our trek, we encourage our cook offer client food with new tastes from day to day. During adventure itineraries to mountainous or remote areas, there is sometimes no choice for hotel and restaurants. We will try our best to bring you the best taste of local food.

Drinks

As the tap water in Vietnam is undrinkable, Lotussia Travel recommend clients to drink bottled water throughout your trip, or boiled water on treks. Lotussia Travel offers bottle water all the day, and soft drinks like Cola, Sprite or Vietnamese Tea or if possible juice in restaurants (if mentionned in itinerary). This is not automatically included in the packages. In simple restaurant or on camping, Lotussia Travel offers boiled water, instant coffee or juice, wrapped milk (Details are confirmed in bottom of your itinerary).

Transportation

In most destinations of Vietnam, all the roads are well paved though the traffic is quite messed up like in Hanoi, Hai Phong… We use proper vehicles, car, minibus or coach in good condition based on the size of the groups. We use 4WD only on the rough road where the other vehicles could not pass through or based on clients requirement on overland journeys or treks. For cycling itineraries, we usually use our support minibus or minibus with support truck. For sea kayaking, river rafting trips, diving packages we use standard boat as support. Detailed information is provided on our service proposal.

We use drivers who are native or local of each travel destination and maintain good safety records for all trips. Most of our drivers can speak English but a little bit. This is just enough to understand basic words such as “time of departure”, “stop”, “restaurants”, “hotels”…If you want to learn more about Vietnamese culture and information about sightseeing sites, booking a tour guide is highly recommended.

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