GRAND GAY TOUR TO THE WONDERFUL VIETNAM

Are you looking forward to discovering and cruising on the magnificent Halong Bay?

Immersing yourself in the spectacular natural scenery, sipping a cocktail on the sundeck and catching the stunning sunset over the sea, participating in water sports activities such as swimming, kayaking, visiting the local floating villages for generations on Ha Long Bay; enjoying exquisite meals with European cuisine in the luxury restaurant on board.

Our journey will start at 9am from Hanoi on the second day of the itinerary. After 2.5 hours driving, we will reach Halong Bay – the natural wonder of the world.

After boarding and checking in your cabin with sweeping views of the scenery outside, enjoy typical lunch in the luxury dining room. Afternoon is time for water activities, cooking class or enjoying leisure time on your own.

You will be served dinner after your cooking class - where you will be taught how to make the signature Deep - Fried Spring Rolls. After dinner, it’s your free time to relax on boat and enjoy the nightfall vibe on Rosy Cruise.

Wake up to the bright sunshine and kick off your second day on the cruise with Taichi session on the sundeck.

After your light breakfast in dining room with the morning view of bay’s landscape, we will transfer to the Day Boat and cruise along the charming Lan Ha Bay.

Transfer you to Cat Ba island, where you can cycle through Viet Hai Village in Cat Ba National Park and glimpse into local daily lives.

After lunch with such a view on Day Boat, take a short rest and do some kayak around the small fishing village as well as dip yourself in the sea-green water in Lan Ha Bay.

We will head back to Rosy Cruise in time for the “Sunset party” and some refreshing cocktails. Afterwards, we will join in the cooking class and try our hands at making deep fried spring rolls or fresh summer rolls.

After dinner, you will have time for relaxing, drinking, listening to music or taking some massage treatment.

Wake up and start your last day on the cruise with Taichi session on the sundeck.

After light breakfast in dining room with a panorama view of the world heritage site, we will discover the pristine beauty of Dark & Bright Water Cave by kayaking or on local bamboo boat rowed by the locals.

Return to Rosy Cruise, check out your cabin and pack your luggage. As the speed boat heads back to the harbor, brunch will be served.

Disembarking at the harbor, we will drive directly to the legendary Ninh Binh. From ancient temples to hidden caves and verdant rice paddies, Ninh Binh offers impressive natural landscapes as the most majestic scenery in Southeast Asia.

Our first destination in Ninh Binh is Trang An Scenic Landscapes with a magnificent natural wonder of green mountains and blue water scenery. You will have memorable time exploring the stunning system of caves in Trang An Scenic Landscapes, rowing boat trip along charming limestone mountains and observing sightseeing surrounding.

Check in Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh and relax at your leisure.

We will depart late this morning so feel free to sleep in and recharge batteries from our long journey yesterday.

After breakfast, we will venture into Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, which was chosen to be the first capital of Dai Co Viet during the period of 3 dynasties of King Dinh, Le and Ly. Nowadays, Hoa Lu has become an essential architectural and historical complex of Viet Nam and been recognized as one of the 4 cores forming of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Embark on conquering the highest peak of Mua Cave. Leisurely hiking with 486 stone stair-steps to the peak of Mua Cave. From the peak, you will admire the majestic panoramic views of Tam Coc rice fields on Ngo Dong River.

Feast on some local dishes for your lunch at the restaurant of Hidden Charm Ninh Binh. As arriving in Hanoi, check in Sofitel Metropole Hanoi and take a nap.

In the late afternoon, we will enjoy water puppet show, which origins in the wet rice civilization – the source of Vietnamese culture. The performances vividly mention rural life, rustic people, folklore and Vietnamese countryside.

Now it has come to the most highlight part of our trip today. Jumping on the back of the vintage vespa and experiencing another side of the hustling ancient capital. After weaving through the busy back streets of the Old Quarter, we arrive at a local restaurant serving “Bun Cha”.

Head toward our next foodie stop, a fascinating local joint, where we try infused rice wine and a buffalo jerky appetizer. We then ride towards the West Lake and Truc Bac area to try the local specialty of “pho cuon” and learn the art of wrap ‘n’ roll Vietnamese style.

Before calling it a day and heading back to our hotel, we will arrive at a Jazz Club that will amaze you with a truly unique blend of styles – 30’s style Jazz & traditional Vietnamese music!

Morning time is spent at your leisure.

We will then wander around Hoan Kiem Lake – the symbol of the Capital, which is a nice place to chill out and get along with the friendly local.

After lunch with vegetarian cuisines at Chay Quan Uu Dam, we will take a leisure walk around 36-ancient-street and stop over some historical landmark sites such as Hanoi Post Office, Hanoi Flag Tower, Ba Dinh Square, … and have a cup of Vietnamese coffee with a spectacular view of Long Bien Bridge.

Afterwards, we will transfer you to Noi Bai Airport for our Hue boarding flight. As arriving in Hue, we will check in Azerai la Residence and relax at your own pace.

Kick off our history journey with a visit to Hue Imperial Citadel – the former imperial capital of Vietnam, where you could learn more about the heyday of Nguyen Dynasty and admire Vietnamese traditional architecture.

Enjoy “Nha Nhac Cung Dinh”, which was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage in 2003, the type of royal performance for royal families in the past.

Afterwards, join in the traditional handmade workshop, where you will be taught how to do Vietnamese traditional hat - Non la; the paper crafts like kite or paper flower, and get closer to Hue culture and traditional workshop.

Feast on a royal-style meal for your lunch and take a break.

Thuy Bieu Village is a truly hidden gem of untouched nature and culture. Enjoy biking around the quiet Thuy Bieu village and taking short stops to see schools, communal houses, ancient temples and especially the garden house with Hue typical architecture.

Return to a local house for your cooking class. You will prepare lunch under chef’s instruction, especially in pomelo season, you can try to make some food from the signature fruit of Thuy Bieu village. Have dinner with Hue traditional dishes you have just cooked.

Afterwards, relax by soaking your feet in a medicinal herb foot spa. This is a traditional therapeutic practice in this area.

Wrap up our day trip and return to our hotel.

We will depart quite late this morning. Head out to Phu Cam Church – the largest and oldest mosques of the ancient capital of Hue. Through the ups and downs along the history, the beauty of the architecture of this church has always existed and been challenging with time.

Towards Khai Dinh Tomb – one of the most famous royal tombs of Nguyen Dynasty, which is famous for not only mysterious legendary stories but also the harmonious architecture combination between the modernity and the Vietnam classical characteristics.

Have some fresh seafood for your lunch while contemplating the stunning view of Lang Co beach nearby.

We will transfer you to Hoi An Old Town over the spectacular Hai Van Pass, which is undoubtedly one of the most amazingly scenic hillside roads in Vietnam.

Take a short stop at the vibrant Danang beach city. Pass over Museum of Cham Sculpture, which is dedicated to the period of Champa in the coastal areas of Vietnam. Housing the largest exhibition of Cham sculpture in the world, the museum displays almost 300 terracotta and stone works of art ranging from the 7th to the 15th centuries.

As reaching Hoi An Old Town, check in Sunrise Hoi An Premium Resort and relax on the resort private beach.

After breakfast at Resort, hopping on the motorbikes and wandering around the Old Town. We zoom out of the Old Town center to explore the rural countryside, Kim Bong Carpentry Village, Hoi An Silk Village and Cua Dai Bridge.

Feast on some regional dishes for lunch at Home Hoi An. Afterwards, you could take a short rest, enjoy a cup of coffee and leisurely watch the world goes by.

Spend the whole afternoon strolling around the Old Town to admire the charming ancient architecture of sacred temples, pagodas, Japanese-designed bridge, wooden shop-houses, French-colonial houses, and obviously colorful lanterns and get along with friendly local.

Don’t skip Banh My Phuong on your must-try list when coming to Hoi An. Considered as the best Banh My in Hoi An, the bread is absolutely divine; crispy, crunchy yet light and airy. You could definitely be full by eating just one “Banh My Thap Cam” – it’s a meal in itself!

In case we would be in Hoi An on the day A O Show taking place, we could enjoy the fantastic show which captures the most precious Vietnam traditional values and displays Vietnamese talent in all of the arts. (depends on the show schedule, which is quite flexible not fix on any date)

Ending our day by the light dinner with “Banh Hoa Hong”, “Banh Bao”, “Banh Vac” then heading back to our Resort.

Enjoy morning private time by yourself before boarding on our flight to Can Tho city – the heart of Mekong Delta.

We will reach Can Tho in time for lunch followed by a short break.

Canoe will take us to check in Azerai Can Tho Resort, which was built right on an island. Take a nap before heading out to Binh Thuy Old House in the late afternoon.

As being well-known for its ancient beauty and traditional architecture, the Old House is the setting for “Lover” – a 1992 film based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Marguerite Duras. The ancient house is also a perfect spot for those who want to explore the culture and life of the southwest region in the 20th century.

Enjoy dinner along the calm waterways of Hau River on Ninh Kieu Cruise, contemplate the illuminating looks of Can Tho at night as listening soft melodies and chants of Don Ca Tai Tu.

Wake up to the bright sunshine of the Delta and get ready to board on Victoria Cruise.

Enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet while cruising from Victoria Can Tho to the vibrant Cai Rang Floating Market to get the bustling trade scene with specialties, observe dozens of barges laden with fruits and vegetables from the Delta.

Also enjoy interesting shore excursions along the way, stopping at a fruit orchard and bread workshop. Have glimpses into the floating houses and the slow pace of the daily life of local people on the wooden boat along the waterways.

After lunch with exquisite dishes at Victoria Can Tho, back on canoe transferring back to Azerai Resort. The rest of the day is spent at your leisure.

You will have private morning time to yourself. After lunch, check out and head back directly to the metropolitan city of Saigon.

Check in your hotel in Saigon and take a nap. Get ready for our night excursion on the back of a vintage Vespa around Ho Chi Minh city.

To start off this Saigon night tour, enjoy drinks at Vespa-themed café, Café Zoom, to watch “as the world goes by”. Throughout the night, try a variety of food and drinks at 2 local restaurants and samplings of Saigon’s best authentic local food.

Pass over the must-see destinations while in the bustling traffic. We’ll also go to a Vietnamese-style coffee shop with special live music, and then wrap up the evening at an exciting music bar where the new generation of Vietnamese unwind and flaunt their unique styles.

Return to your hotel and have a good sleep. 

Spend your morning time relaxing at the hotel. After checking out, start writing your own Saigon story with a visit to Ho Chi Minh City’s People Committee, which features well-preserved French colonial architecture now serves as a city hall and one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.

Downwards Notre-Dame Cathedral Church, which is known as the most famous landmark of the city. The Cathedral has been always boasting its magnificent beauty with the neo-Romanesque style architecture and sacred atmosphere.

With charming colonial architecture, Saigon Central Post Office is a beautiful remnant of Vietnam’s complicated past. If you’re looking for some postcard or simply admire the architecture of a bygone era, don’t skip Saigon Central Post Office.

After lunch with tempting traditional dishes at The Chopsticks Saigon, we will visit Saigon Reunification Palace, which is known as the famous historical witness passed through the two fierce wars against the French and American colonists.

Today in most locals' minds, the palace is remembered vividly as a marked end to the war, just like the fall of Berlin Wall, as the North Vietnamese tank crashed its gates on April 30th, 1975.

Wrap up our grand gay tour in Vietnam and transfer you to the airport for your flight home.