1-10 people
17 days
Immerse yourself in Vietnam's rich history and culture
Experience the local way of life by staying with them
The best of Vietnam and Laos – 17 days
HIGHLIGHTS
BRIEF ITINERARY
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City and arrival
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City tour
Day 3: Ho Chi Minh City – Tay Ninh – Cu Chi tunnels
Day 4: Ho Chi Minh City – My Tho – Ben Tre – Can Tho
Day 5: Can Tho – Ho Chi Minh City
Day 6: Ho Chi Minh City – Vientiane
Day 7: Vientiane – Luang Prabang
Day 8: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou caves
Day 9: Luang Prabang – Kuang Si Waterfalls and Ban Chan
Day 10: Luang Prabang – Ha Noi
Day 11: Ha Noi
Day 12: Ha Noi – Ha Long
Day 13: Ha Long – Ha Noi – Hue
Day 14: Hue
Day 15: Hue – Da Nang – Hoi An
Day 16: Hoi An – My Son – Hoi An
Day 17: Hoi An – Da Nang – Ho Chi Minh – Departure
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (D)
Upon arrival at Tan San Nhat Airport, you will be met by your local guide and driver who will transfer you to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you may have the opportunity to take an afternoon tour of Ho Chi Minh City. Later in the evening, enjoy a dinner cruise along the Saigon River. Overnight at your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City Tour (B, L)
After breakfast, embark on a sightseeing tour of Ho Chi Minh City, which includes visits to the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Central Post Office, Cho Lon (town), Thien Hau and Quan Am pagodas, the Emperor Jade Pagoda, and the War Remnants Museum. The tour will conclude with a visit to the Ben Thanh market. In the evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant before returning to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 3: Tay Ninh – Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L)
After breakfast, depart for Tay Ninh province, the headquarters of Caodaism. Witness a mid-day temple service at the Holy See, where followers dress in their multi-colored worship robes to chant and worship. After lunch, visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground network of tunnels constructed by Vietnamese fighters during the struggle for independence. The tunnels served as a military base for the Vietcong during the American War and contained hospitals, accommodations, kitchens, and other facilities. Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the evening for dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at your hotel.
Day 4: My Tho – Ben Tre – Can Tho (B, L, D)
After breakfast, travel to My Tho for a boat ride through a natural canal in Bao Dinh lined with traditional stilt houses and fruit plantations. Visit the My Tho wholesale fruit market and enjoy lunch on Tortoise Island. In the afternoon, take a tranquil boat trip through Tan Thach natural canal in Ben Tre before visiting a family business that typifies the idyllic rural lifestyle. Take a relaxing walk through a fruit plantation on Thoi Son Island before returning to My Tho by motor boat. Transfer to Can Tho city and check into your riverside bungalow in Cai Rang district. In the afternoon, explore the rural lifestyle of the Mekong Delta people by cycling or trekking around the village. Enjoy a traditional dinner with a local family and an evening of traditional folk music. Overnight at your hotel in Can Tho City.
Day 5: Can Tho – Ho Chi Minh City (B, L)
After breakfast, take a boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong River (Bassac River) and visit the Cai Rang and Phong Dien floating markets. Observe how Vietnamese vermicelli soup is made and learn how to cross a “monkey bridge” built from a single bamboo branch. After lunch, return to Ho Chi Minh City for dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at your hotel.
Day 6: Ho Chi Minh City – Vientiane (B)
After breakfast, transfer to Tan San Nhat Airport for your flight to Vientiane. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Take some free time to explore the local area. Overnight at your hotel in Vientiane.
Day 7: Vientiane – Luang Prabang (B,L)
After breakfast at the hotel, explore Vientiane by visiting the capital’s major landmarks, such as the oldest temple, Wat Sisaket, with thousands of miniature Buddha statues, and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which once housed the renowned Emerald Buddha. Observe Lao’s national heritage, the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa. Take a few photos of the impressive Patuxay Monument, widely known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. After lunch, continue the sightseeing tour of Vientiane with a walking tour, including Wat Ong Tue, Wat Inpeng, and Wat Haisok. Stroll through the main shopping area, and visit the Vientiane Central Market consisting of Talad Sao and Talad Kouadin, which displays various goods for sale, including fresh food, household goods, souvenirs, textiles, gold, silver, and antiques. Transfer to the airport for a late afternoon flight to Luang Prabang (QV103) (16.30 pm -17.10 pm). Meet and greet at the airport and transfer to your hotel, where you will have the rest of the day at your leisure to explore the region. Overnight stay at your preferred hotel in Luang Prabang.
Day 8: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou caves (B,L)
Begin the day with breakfast, followed by a visit to the Big Brother Mouse shop, where you can purchase books to distribute when visiting villages in the region. Then, travel by car north along Route 13, before taking an unpaved road to Ban Khia Luang village. Spend quality time at a school, play with local children, and watch their faces light up as they enjoy their new books. Afterwards, explore the rest of the village, including a weaving workshop and a local temple. Have lunch at a village where you can enjoy either a western picnic lunch or try out some traditional Laotian food, including sticky rice, lap (the national dish of Laos), and fresh vegetables cooked by the villagers. Depart the village after lunch and drive to Ban Khoklin, passing through stunning scenery, including mountains and paddy fields. At Ban Khoklin, board a private boat and cruise down the Nam Ou river for about 30 minutes to Pak Ou Caves. These are two inter-linked caves full of thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. Continue along the Mekong River back to Luang Prabang, arriving in the late afternoon. Overnight stay at your preferred hotel in Luang Prabang.
Day 9: Luang Prabang – Kuang Si Waterfalls and Ban Chan (B,L)
After breakfast, cross the Mekong River by boat heading to the charming pottery village of Ban Chan. Then visit the Phousi morning Market, where you can see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea varieties, saltpeter, chickens, vegetables, and hill-tribe weavings. Laos is well-known for its traditional crafts, and today you will visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, a Hmong village; Ban Ou, a Lao Loum village; and Ban Thapene, a Khmu village. The tour then takes you to the magnificent Khouangsi Waterfall, where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the pools or walk along the forest trails. Return to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon. Overnight stay at your preferred hotel in Luang Prabang.
Day 10: Luang Prabang – Ha Noi (B)
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and take some leisure time before being transferred to the airport for your departing flight VN 2904 (16:45-17:45 on VN Air). You will be met by your local tour guide and driver who will transfer you to your hotel in the city center. Stay overnight at your preferred hotel in Hanoi city.
Day 11: Ha Noi (B,L)
After breakfast, visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which includes the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts, and the One Pillar Pagoda. Then proceed to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, dating back almost 1,000 years. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the Museum of Ethnology, Hoan Kiem lake, Ngoc Son temple, and take a 1-hour ride in a cyclo (rickshaw) around the old quarter of Hanoi and its bustling streets filled with fascinating shops. Dinner is at your own expense. Stay overnight at your preferred hotel in Hanoi city.
Day 12: Ha Noi – Ha Long (B,L,D)
After breakfast, depart for Ha Long Bay. Upon arrival, board a junk and enjoy lunch on board as you cruise Ha Long Bay’s limestone formations, including Thien Cung cave, Dau Go cave, Tuan Chau island, Dog island, Sail island, and Ti Top Beach. Enjoy a scrumptious dinner on the junk and a drink as you watch the sunset. Stay overnight on the junk.
Day 13: Ha Long – Ha Noi – Hue (B,L)
Have breakfast and visit Man’s Head island, Tortoise island, Toad island, and Bai Tho mountain. Afterward, have lunch on the junk before returning to Ha Long wharf and heading back to Hanoi. Transfer to Noi Bai airport to board flight VN (1543 13:20-14:30) or VN (1545 20:10-21:20). You will then be picked up and transferred to your hotel in Hue. Dinner is at your own expense. Stay overnight at your preferred hotel in Hue city.
Day 14: Hue (B,L)
Following breakfast, take a morning cruise on the Perfume River to visit the royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, Thien Mu pagoda, and the mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang, set among beautiful lakes and gardens. In the afternoon, visit Dong Ba market, the Imperial Citadel from where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945, and the ruins of the Purple Forbidden City. Enjoy a night boat trip on the Perfume River with a performance of Hue folk songs and music. Stay overnight at your preferred hotel in Hue city.
Day 15: Hue – Da Nang – Hoi An (B,L)
After breakfast, depart for Hoi An, stopping along the way for photos and sightseeing at Hai Van pass, Lang Co beach, and Marble mountain. After lunch, take a stroll around town and visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, Pottery Museum, Tan Ky old house, the Cantonese congregation, the silk street of Hoi An, and Danang-style temples and pagodas. Dinner is at your own expense. Stay overnight at your preferred hotel in Hoi An.
Day 16: Hoi An – My Son – Hoi An (B,L)
Begin your day with breakfast at the hotel. In the late morning, depart for My Son, a Cham Holy Land which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. After your visit, return to Hoi An. In the afternoon, explore the ancient streets of Hoi An and enjoy some bargain-hunting. Dinner will be at your leisure, and you will stay overnight at your selected hotel in Hoi An.
Day 17: Hoi An – Da Nang – Ho Chi Minh – Departure (B)
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to Danang airport to board your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Your flight options are VN 1309 (08.30am – 09.40am) or VN 1317 (13.50pm – 15.00pm). This marks the end of our services, and the conclusion of your 17-day tour of Vietnam and Laos.
PRICE DETAILS:
| Grade tour | Price per person in USD | Solo travelers with the private rooms | |||
| 2 pax | 3 – 4 pax | 5 – 7 pax | 8 – 10 pax | ||
| Standard Class | $2.522 | $2.300 | $2.090 | $1.977 | $455 extra |
| First Class | $2.666 | $2.550 | $2.250 | $2.130 | $600 extra |
| Superior | $2.990 | $2.777 | $2.550 | $2.430 | $900 extra |
| Deluxe | $3.555 | $3.400 | $3.150 | $3.000 | $1500 extra |
(Seasonal prices apply and will be confirmed when booking)
Ha Thu Huong
We are delighted to assist you in creating the holiday of your dreams. In order to provide the best possible recommendations and arrangements, please furnish us with the following details:
1. Number of travelers
2. Trip length & departure month
3. Desired destinations & experiences
4. Travel style (adventure, relaxation, historical, etc.)
5. Budget & preferred star rating of accommodations
Welcome to Compass Travel Vietnam, where local and western expertise combine for a unique travel experience. Our team, led by Hường (Julia) and Jerry from Vietnam and The Netherlands, has over 10 years of tourism experience and has successfully served over 5000 customers in the past 5 years.
We offer a range of exciting daily tours throughout Vietnam and customized trips in Indochina, tailored to your specific needs and interests. Our dedicated team is committed to ensuring that every special request is easily accommodated for a seamless and memorable journey.
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