Vietnam Ecotour 16 days / 15 nights

Many nights at Ecolodge or with locals allowing you to lie in the middle of lush nature and enjoy the unforgettable atmosphere with very welcoming people.
A real immersion to meet minority ethnic groups by participating in its daily activities such as making local products, cooking and discovering colorful traditional markets.
Exploring a beautiful panoramic view of the picturesque and incredible landscapes of northern Vietnam off the beaten track.
Sampan ride in the Van Long national reserve
Visit the 3 major UNESCO sites: the marvelous Halong Bay, the imperial city of Hue, the pretty ancient city of Hoi An.
Cruise on a traditional junk and overnight on board in the heart of the legendary Halong Bay.
Escape to the heart of the Mekong, with authentic floating markets, through innumerable canals, green vegetable gardens.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi

Pass By: Hanoi, Hanoi
Arrival at Hanoi airport. Welcome by the driver then transfer to town.

Installation at the hotel. Free meals and night at the hotel. Overnight at Era Hotel

Meals included:
• Breakfast: No meals
Accommodation included: Night at the hotel

Day 2: Hanoi - Bavi Ecotour - Hanoi

Pass By: Ba Vi National Park, Tan Linh Commune, Ba Vi District, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
Breakfast at the hotel.

8h00: Departure for Ba Vi (70 km - 1h30 drive)
9:30 am: Arrival at Ri village, well known with tea culture since 1986. Meeting with Mr. Duoc - a Vietnamese veteran. A little sharing of his memories during the war and his current life
10:00 am: Visit accompanied by Mr. Duoc of the tea farm over 30 years of the village Ri. Possibility to participate in the tea making process: pick the tea leaves and dry them ...
11:00 am: Transfer by car to the Moc village. Stop in a house of the Muong ethnic group, discovery of the custom and tradition of this minority ethnic group with the owner Ms. Chin.
11:30 am - 1:30 pm: Cooking class and lunch.
1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m .: Walk in the surrounding villages. Visit a kindergarten. Stop to observe the making of tofu, conical hats and the husking of rice.
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m .: Bike ride through beautiful rice fields. Tasting of seasonal fruits in contact with the locals.
4:00 p.m .: Arrival at Mr. Chau's for the foot bath with medicinal plants. Boat cruise on the Da river for 30 minutes.
5:00 p.m .: Return to Hanoi and arrival at your hotel around 6:30 p.m.

Free meal and overnight at Era Hotel

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation included: Night at the hotel

Day 3: Hanoi - Pan Hou Village

Pass By: Ha Giang, Ha Giang, Ha Giang Province
Road departure towards Ha Giang.

You arrive at Panhou village in the afternoon. Our eco-Lodge is located in the heart of the Song Chay Mountains adjoining Yunnan. This natural fortress has long been a refuge for many ethnic groups who escaped from the Middle Kingdom, its persecution and its famines. You will have time to rest today before your hike which will start tomorrow morning. Overnight at Ecolodge Pan Hou Village.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Ecolodge Pan Hou Village.

Day 4: Pan Hou Village - Nam Hong

Pass By: Ha Giang, Ha Giang, Ha Giang Province
Before your day of hiking, you can enjoy your breakfast at the Panhou Restaurant in the village and, if you get up early, the Tays gardeners maintain the eco-lodge gardens. You leave Panhou with your local guide at 9 a.m. to explore the surrounding mountains through tropical forests and rice terraces. After three hours of walking, you take a break in a village of Red Dao for lunch. By necessity, they carved the side of the mountain and used its rivers to grow rice. These laborious adjustments that allow them to experience the heights, offer you unique landscapes to contemplate. The cooler and cooler climate in abundance also contributes to the growth of lush tea trees. You will reach another red Dao Village after a two-hour walk that will allow you to discover the local vegetation, meet the local population and observe them in their daily activities. Night with the Dzaos.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation included: Night with the locals

Day 5: Nam Hong - Panhou Village

Pass By: Ha Giang, Ha Giang, Ha Giang Province
Your hike continues, after leaving your host, through cassava fields, forests, tea plantations towards the valley. After about three hours of walking, you take a lunch break in Nam Nghi, another village in Red Dao. You reach Lang Giang Valley in the middle of the afternoon and return to Ecolodge Panhou Village. Overnight at Ecolodge Pan Hou Village.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation included: Night at Ecolodge Pan Hou Village

Day 6: Pan Hou Village - Bac Ha - Night with the locals

Pass By: Bac Ha, Bac Ha, Lao Cai Province
Departure for Bac Ha via Viet Quang and Pho Rang. Arrived at Bac Ha we can take a short walk in the village of Ban Pho. Visit the castle of King Hmong Hoang In Tuong is undoubtedly the most beautiful building in Bac Ha. This veritable little palace was built by the French at the beginning of the 20th century as a gift for chef Hmong Hoang A Tuong. The mixture of eastern and western architectural styles and the patina of the years, give the whole a very beautiful look.

We settle for the night in the house of a Hmong family. Dinner and overnight at the Hmongs.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation included: Night with the locals

Day 7: Bac Ha - Vu Linh - Night at La Vie Vu Linh

Pass By: Vu Linh, Vu Linh, Tuyen Quang Province
The morning is spent visiting the Bac Ha fairground. Depending on your availability, you can witness the extraordinary atmosphere of the ethnic markets around this region:

Tuesday: Coc Ly Market
Wednesday: Sin Cheng Market
Thursday: Cao Market Its Lun Khau Nhin Market.
Saturday: Can Cau Market
Sunday: Bac Ha Market

Road departure towards Vu Linh. Arrival in the middle of the afternoon. One to two hour walking tour through neighboring hamlets. Rice paddies, vegetable plots, small ponds devoted to raising fish and ducks and houses on stilts surrounded by greenery ... this is the landscape that awaits visitors. Return to the foster home at the end of the day. Night at La Vie Vu Linh Ecolodge.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation included: Night at La Vie Vu Linh Ecolodge

Day 8: Vu Linh - Ninh Binh

Pass By: Ninh Binh, Ninh Binh, Ninh Binh Province
Motorized sampan ride to the rhythm of the activities of the inhabitants of the perimeter of the lake: forestry and cassava plantations, fishing with plaice and lifting of traditional shrimp traps, fish farming in cages, cattle and goat farming, taxi boats…

Resumption of the vehicle to transfer to Ninh Binh. Night at Tam Coc Nature Lodge.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Night at Tam Coc Nature Lodge

Day 9: Ninh Binh - Land Along Bay

Pass By: Ninh Binh, Ninh Binh, Ninh Binh Province
Bike ride in the surrounding villages and in the heart of the rice fields. You will discover along the way the local life and also the typical landscapes of the region. Continue the ride to the Bich Dong pagodas located on the side of the Ngu Nhac mountain. Set of three pagodas dating from the time of Le previous we then have a magnificent view of the surrounding area.

Then continue pedaling to the Thai Vi temple, dedicated to the worship of the first kings of the Tran dynasty. Being in the middle of rice fields and limestone peaks, in a calm and serene atmosphere and with an original stone architecture obeying the principles of eastern geomancy, the discovery of this temple will give you the opportunity to admire the most beautiful landscapes of the sector .

Then take a nice sampan ride in the Van Long national reserve which will take you through the picturesque landscapes of the tormented mountains, planted in the middle of the rice fields. You then pass through two pretty caves, and if you are lucky, you can see the langur of Delacour, a kind of white-panted primate featured in the world red book, which only exists in northern Vietnam and over forty individuals have taken up residence in Van Long.

This site, called Ha Long Bay on Earth still retains its beauty.

Night at Tam Coc Nature Lodge.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Night at Tam Coc Nature Lodge

Day 10: Ninh Binh - Cat Ba - Halong Bay maritime

Pass By: Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba Vietnam
Depart by road to Ben Beo port on Cat Ba Island where you will board on board around noon. After a welcome drink, the junk crosses the first floating fishing village and then sneaks into Lan Ha Bay. After an hour of navigation, the Ba Trai Dao beaches appear in a magical setting that makes you want to stop for swimming. A seafood lunch is served to you, followed by a moment of relaxation on the deck or in the lounge while the boat is sailing in the Ong Cam area, a kayak trip to the CA tunnel is offered. . Once you have crossed the tunnel, you enter a lake completely surrounded by cliffs. We drop anchor for dinner and overnight in the bay.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation included: Night on board

Day 11: Cat Ba - Hanoi - Hue by night train

Pass By: Hue, Hue, Thua Thien - Hue Province
We will admire the sunrise. After breakfast, we will continue our cruise in Lan Ha Bay by sailing through thousands of "sugar loaves" emerging from the waves, you will have the impression of being in a world of fossilized animals there are million years. Visit a fish pond in Lan Ha Bay. Return of the cabins around 10:00 am. Lunch on board around 11am. We disembark on Cat Ba island at 12 noon. Resumption of the vehicle for the return to Hanoi then the night train to Hue. Night in air-conditioned cabin with 4 soft berths.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast, brunch
Accommodation included: Night in air-conditioned cabin with 4 soft berths

Day 12: Hue - Visit of the Imperial City

Pass By: Hue, Hue, Thua Thien - Hue Province
Welcome by the French-speaking guide, breakfast in a restaurant near the station.

Climb aboard a rickshaw in the city of Hue and discover the ancient imperial capital of the Nguyễn dynasty via an iconic Vietnamese mode of transport. Vietnamese version of the trishaw or cycle rickshaw, the 3-wheeled cycles are pedaled by a pilot, with you in front!

Your driver will pick you up from your hotel and guide you through the most impressive sites in the city, starting with Lake Tinh Tam (Lake of the Serene Heart), one of the most famous sites in Hue and an old tributary of the Perfume River.

Explore the Imperial Citadel, a sprawling complex of pavilions, moats, temples and museums. Discover the central flag tower, built during the reign of Emperor Gia Long. Next, see the front door of Ngo Mon, where the emperor was addressing his officials.

Discover the nine dynastic urns in front of the Mieu temple and the nine sacred canons of the watchtowers of Nhan and Quang Duc. Get panoramic views of the citadel and the city from your unique mode of transportation, offering a different view of life in Hue.

Finally visit the Dong Ba market. Overnight at Hue Ecolodge

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at Hue Ecolodge

Day 13: Hue - Danang - Hoi An

Pass By: Hoi An Ancient Town, Hoi An 560000 Vietnam
Departure on the way to Hoi An, the only city in Vietnam that has remained intact to become an invaluable cultural and historical heritage, passing by the famous pass of clouds which offers at its summit a superb panorama on the coast of Central Vietnam. Arrival at the end of the morning in Hoi An. Installation in one of the charming hotels located near the beach of Cua Dai, in an enchanting setting. Free time. At the end of the afternoon, discover on foot the Old Quarter of this human-sized city full of charm, with the main centers of interest: the Fujian sanctuary dedicated to the protective goddess of fishermen and sailors; the Japanese bridge built in 1593, connecting the two Chinese and Japanese districts; the house of Tan Ky, one of the architectural gems of Hoi An; the museum of ceramics; tailor-made boutiques. Overnight in Hoi An Ecolodge.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in Hoi An Ecolodge

Day 14: Hoi An - Danang - Can Tho

Pass By: Can Tho, Can Tho, Mekong Delta
Free time for personal discovery.

Welcome only by the driver to transfer to the airport to take the flight to Can Tho.

Arrival in Can Tho, welcome by the French-speaking guide. Transfer and installation at the hotel. Overnight at Mekong Rustic Can Tho.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in Mekong Rustic Can Tho

Day 15: Can Tho - Cai Rang Floating Market - Ho Chi Minh City

Pass By: Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City
After breakfast, have a cruise to visit the floating market Phong Dien which is very busy at the moment. Cross the whole system of small canals, visit the village producing the rice noodles. Discover the "monkey bridge" in the delta. Visit the second floating market of Cai Rang.

Bike ride through yards, villages nestled at the bottom of the Mekong Delta.

Resumption of the vehicle to return to Ho Chi Minh city. Overnight at Prague Hotel

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Night at the hotel

Day 16: Ho Chi Minh City - Departure flight

Pass By: Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City
Depending on the departure flight, reception only by the driver to transfer to the airport for the departure flight.

Departure flight at your reservation

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.