Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel

The Romantic Side of Vietnam

Country: Vietnam

16 Days | $6,950

Honeymooners looking to experience a taste of everything – from incredible food to underground passages to cruising amongst the one-of-a-kind rock formations of Ha Long Bay – can satisfy their craving with this 16-day tour through Vietnam. Begin in the north exploring Hanoi, it’s ancient roots and modern culinary renaissance; then relax with a 2-day private cruise through UNESCO World Heritage site Halong Bay. After your time on the water, it’s time to delve underground with a 2-day exploration of the Hang En cave system before heading south to Saigon and the Mekong Delta. End your trip with three relaxing days on the beaches of Con Dao Island.

A honeymoon in Vietnam is perfect for couples looking for a mix of natural beauty, history, culinary adventures and beaches.

“I love Vietnam, and honestly, I designed this trip as my personal dream honeymoon. I think the best way to design a honeymoon is to incorporate the personality of each traveler in the trip, the things each traveler loves and the things that you really enjoy doing together. My husband’s dream trip consists of over-the-top accommodations, adventure travel and beaches. My dream trip includes great food. Maybe other stuff, but really, my stomach pretty much rules all personal travel planning. Chris and I enjoy discovering new places and fine dining together. There is no better destination that fits our interests than Vietnam. Between Halong Bay, the newly discovered caving system in Central Vietnam, Six Senses Resort on Con Dao island and all the Pho you can eat, Vietnam is AMAZING.” – April Cole, Journeys Within Honeymoon Specialist


Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel

Day 1   Hanoi: Arrival

Arrive at Noi Bai airport where you will be met by your guide and driven the 1 hour journey to Hanoi.

Meals Included: None

Overnight at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel – 1 Double Luxury Room

Day 2   Hanoi: Long Bien Market, Hoan Kiem Lake and City Tour

This morning you will be transferred to Long Bien market for another day of activities that will offer further insight into Hanoi’s unique character. Start by sampling exotic fruits in the market before heading to Hoan Kiem Lake for a stroll around the grounds and a breath of fresh air. Stretch your body and mind with a Tai Chi class taught by a professional teacher under the Ly Thai To Statue. Farewell to your Taichi teacher, your guide will let you walk in to old town, having Pho among all Vietnamese people. Then on to a small coffee shop in town, and here you can chat with your guide about his life and Hanoi lifestyle. Finish your morning with a walk from coffee shop to some famous and beautiful streets, Hang Dau, Hang Be, Hang Bac, Ta Hien, Hang Buom, Hang Giay, Hang Ma, Dong Xuan market…..back to your hotel before 12:00 .

Hanoi, originally named Thang Long or “City of the Ascending Dragon,” was the first capital of Vietnam in A.D. 1010. Situated in the center of Northern Vietnam, Hanoi ranks in the top 20 biggest cities of the world. Among Hanoi’s sightseeing highlights is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum, where you can see ‘Uncle Ho’ laid out to rest. Ho Chi Minh was the founder and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Highlights also include the National Art Museum or Fine Art Museum; the Hoa Lo Prison; central Hoan Kiem Lake where Hanoians enjoy their early mornings with Tai Chi and “Vietnamese style” aerobics in the peaceful atmosphere; the Old Quarter where streets are named after the trades practiced here since the 15th century; the Hanoi Hilton museum where John McCain and other prisoners were held during the war; the Ethnology museum; and the Temple of Literature which serves as an excellent example of Vietnamese architecture. Hanoi is Vietnam’s cultural center, and the galleries, puppetry, music, and dance performances are worth staying at least a few days to take in. This morning start by discussing options with your guide what you would like to do and see today. Your guide will be with you all day so discuss what suits you and then have fun!

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel – 1 Double Luxury Room

Day 3   Hanoi: Morning Market and Street Food Tour

This morning you will be met by a celebrated chef at your hotel at 08:30am.

Today you will get a chance to experience Hanoi in a truly unique way – by eating local food in the most local of places. Most of the areas visited will be outside of the main tourist areas. First, you will head to a local market where you will learn about and taste some of the ingredients used in the local cuisine and see how locals engage in their routine of price negotiating. The chef will introduce you to some of the vendors and explain the uses of the food being sold. If you are interested in purchasing anything at the market, the chef will assist you in your negotiations. After your haggling, relax and enjoy a Vietnamese Ca Phe (coffee) or Tra (tea) with the locals at one of the chef’s favorite sidewalk cafes in the historic French Quarter. Here the chef will give an overview of the Hanoi food scene and discuss the daily life and culture of Vietnam from an expat’s perspective. Lunch will follow with the chef at one of Hanoi’s Bun Cha establishments to enjoy traditional grilled pork and rice vermicelli noodles with fresh herbs, greens, and crispy spring rolls (Nem Ran) like true Hanoians. After lunch you will be transferred back to your hotel.

This morning your driver will collect you from your hotel at 2:00pm to transfer you to your photography starting point below the famous Long Bien Bridge. Begin your afternoon with an introduction to the tour and an overview of your camera settings. Your first images will focus on establishing the shot and shutter speeds as you capture pictures of the trains coming into Long Bien Station. From here you will enjoy a slow pace of wandering through some of the alleyways leading into the Old Quarter before walking beneath the railway to capture images of life in and around the tracks. The technical focus here will be on ISO settings required for capturing activity. Stop for a quick tea and coffee break to allow you to review your shots so far before moving further along the tracks to witness the residential areas based beside the railway. Here you will build your photographic story and change focus to capturing daily life in relation to the tracks. Over snacks at a local café you will choose your 3 images for your photo story before returning to your hotel at approximately 6:30pm.

Meals included: Breakfast

Overnight at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel – 1 Double Luxury Room

L’AMOUR Junk on Halong Bay

Day 4   Private Halong Bay Cruise: Day 1

Your guide will meet you at your hotel at 8 am. Today, you leave bustling Hanoi behind on your private transfer to wonderful Ha Long Bay. Your journey will take around 3.5 hours through the historical countryside of the Red River Delta peppered with hundred year old villages. On your journey our team will advise you of the best places to stop where you can experience the interesting history and daily life of the local people. In addition, there will be many chances for photo stops along the way of the local farming activities, rice fields, water buffalos and so on.

Arrive at Halong city by midday where you will transfer to the pier to board your junk. Enjoy a welcome drink before relaxing with a fresh seafood lunch, while cruising through the magnificent Bai Tu Long Bay (the peaceful northern part of Halong Bay, commonly overlooked by most visitors). Take in the breathtaking serenity of your surroundings, before stopping mid-afternoon to visit Thien Canh Son cave. A short cruise further will bring you to Hon Co Island where you can spend the late afternoon relaxing on board the junk or on the white sandy beach. If weather permits, enjoy some kayaking around the bay. You will finish the day on board with dinner around 7pm followed by time to relax and reflect on your day.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight at L’AMOUR Junk – One Cabin Private Charter

Day 5   Private Halong Bay Cruise: Day 1

Today’s early start with breakfast around 7:30am is a wonderful opportunity to admire the bay waking up around you. After breakfast you will be taken on rustic rowboats to Vung Vieng Fishing Village which once housed hundreds of residents. Today the village is a museum of floating houses, a school and pearl farms allowing a glimpse into the floating lifestyle of its past residents. Enjoy your lunch as you cruise back to Hon Gai Harbor to disembark at the pier around midday.

Your guide will meet you as you disembark and you will have a private car transfer to Hanoi. Along the way you will reach Hai Duong province where you will stop at Ninh Giang Village to enjoy an hour water puppet show at Hong Phong Water Puppet Theater. After the show you will visit the Ninh Giang Communal house. Around 4:30pm you will leave to complete your remaining journey to Hanoi.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel – 1 Double Luxury Room

Day 6   Dong Hoi: Arrival

Your guide will go with you for the 1 hour journey to Noi Bai airport for your flight connection – Vietnam Airlines VN8591 departing from Hanoi at 08:05 & arriving in Dong Hoi at 09:30.

Arrive at Dong Hoi airport where you will be met by your guide and driven your hotel for check in.

Meals included: Breakfast

Overnight at Oxalis House – 1 Double Mountain View Room

Hang En Cave

Day 7 Hang En Cave Adventure Day 1

Start your ultimate adventure with a pickup from your hotel in PhongNha between 8:00am and 8:30am and have a short transfer to Oxalis Headquarters. Learn all about safety and collect your gear before driving 45 mins through the National Park to reach the trailhead. A steep jungle hill starts the adventure, with a refreshing river at the bottom. Hike through rich jungle to reach the Ban Doong minority village, where a hot cup of tea welcomes you. Lunch takes place shortly after near the river, and then it’s back into the jungle, through river streams, and across the river valley until Hang En lays on the horizon. Enter the cave around 15:00pm, and enjoy your afternoon swimming, before a sizzling BBQ dinner is served, complete with rice wine and beautiful flocks of swifts overhead.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight with Oxalis – Camp Setting (Hammock or Tent)

Day 8 Hang En Cave Adventure Day 2

Awake for breakfast early and explore the breathtaking exit, and then trek through the dry passage to the viewpoint high above camp, where 300 million year old fossils can be witnessed. In the late morning, trek back through the mountainous river valley, through jungle and across streams, until reaching Doong village again.

Enjoy a picnic lunch by the stream and then prepare for the biggest challenge ahead, climbing the treacherous hill up to the Ho Chi Minh Road. Watch out for leeches and push ahead to the road, where cold drinks are waiting. Return by vehicle to PhongNha by 17:00pm.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight at Oxalis House – 1 Double Mountain View Room

Day 9   Dong Hoi – Hue with DMZ and Vinh Moc Tunnels

This morning your guide will meet you at 8 am and you will have a private transfer from Dong Hoi to Hue by road. Your guide will recommend stops along the way and as you go through the DMZ, where some of the bloodiest battles were fought during the Vietnam/American War. Late morning, take a fascinating tour of the Vinh Moc Tunnels kept as a monument to the determination of the Vietnamese to continue living in their traditional village areas. Whole villages moved underground and lived in these tunnels and caverns. Stop at a small church showing the signs of mortar attack in the area and visit US Bases kept as museums containing photographs and memorials of the war. Continue on and cross the Ben Hai River, used to demarcate the division between North and South Vietnam. Have lunch in a local restaurant in Dong Ha town around 1pm and arrive Hue around 3.30 pm.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight at Vendana Lagoon Resort & Spa – 1 Double Honeymoon Pool Villa

Hue Ancient City

Day 10   Hue: Countryside Motorbike

Your guide will meet you at your hotel at 8:00am. Hue is a historical location with strong cultural ties to its heritage and former dynastic rulers. Relax as you sit behind your trusted driver on a motorbike for a journey where you will gain insight into both past and present cultural traditions. Chat with the locals you encounter on your journey – families making conical hats, sellers in the local markets, fishermen on the rivers, rice farmers and villagers tending their local gardens and family temples. Take a moment at the Thanh Toan wooden bridge, built in 1786. Continue by motorbike to Thuy Xuan to enjoy a vegetarian lunch around 1pm or 1:30pm cooked by the resident Buddhist nuns. You will be able to hear the same Buddhist nuns chanting at 2pm. On the return journey you have the option to either travel by a combination of boat and motorbike, or travel by motorbike for the full distance to take in the rural countryside. If you wish, you can stop to see the nearby Crying Elephant Temple where elephants were worshiped, and the Ho Quyen Arena where tigers and elephants once fought, gladiator style, to the death for the entertainment of royals. Our guides are experts, and they will discuss the plan for today in advance with you so that you get the very best experience. Expect to be back to your hotel between 3:00pm and 4:00pm, depending on how your exploration goes today. Helmets will be provided.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight at Vendana Lagoon Resort & Spa – 1 Double Honeymoon Pool Villa

Saigon

Day 11   Saigon: Arrival and Truc Mai House Music – An Inspirational Journey

Your guide will meet you at your hotel for your 45 minute private transfer to the airport for your onward flight – Vietnam Airlines VN1373 departing from Hue at 13:00 & arriving in Saigon at 14:25.

Arrive in Saigon where you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

Your guide and driver will transfer you to the Mai Family Home. The stories of Vietnamese history and culture can be heard and understood through its traditional music. Mr. Truc and Mrs. Ngo (husband and wife), along with the other members of the family, are experts at playing traditional Vietnamese musical instruments such as the monochord zither, bamboo xylophone, and stone lithophone, among others. They have been granted special permission to share their knowledge with guests in Vietnam and for an hour you will be taken on a journey back in time. Enjoy a private concert as they tell you stories and play their traditional melodies. Then you will have the opportunity to try your hand at playing the instruments in their collection. At the end of the evening with these wonderful people, you will have unique personal insight into the culture and history of Vietnam. You will then be taken to a restaurant for your dinner and later returned to your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at Hotel des Arts – 1 Double Deluxe Room

Floating market on the Mekong Delta

Day 12   Saigon: Villages and Markets of the Mekong Delta

The latest recommended time for your guide to meet you and set off this morning is 7:30am. The earlier the start the better, so as to catch the market in Cai Be when it is most active. This morning you will be driven to Phu Nhuan Bridge in Phu An village, located in the Mekong Delta approximately 2 hours away from Saigon. Here you will board a small private boat to explore this small shady river and begin with a short cruise. Take a break along the way at a unique village, where you can enjoy a walk around the area, meet some of the friendly locals and learn more about how they cultivate the many rice paddies in the area.  Return to your boat and continue along the river for a further 50 minutes, until you reach colorful Cai Be. Continue on for a short distance until you reach Tan Phong Island, where you will step ashore for a short bike ride of about 40 minutes (longer or shorter depending on your preferences), taking in the island’s luscious gardens and peaceful village life. At the end of the bike ride, you will have lunch in a beautiful traditional garden house and be presented with local dishes, such as Elephant Ear Fish rolled and wrapped with rice paper, as well as different Vietnamese vegetables and fruits served with tamarind dipping sauce. After lunch, if time permits, you may then enjoy being rowed along in a traditional sampan boat alongside the banks of the fruit gardens and through the narrow shady canals. Enjoy the waterways a little longer as you cruise on back to Cai Be where your private transport will be waiting for you. Relax on the drive back to your hotel in Saigon (a drive of about 2 ½ hours), where you should arrive around 5:30pm.

Please note: You have the option to begin with Cai Be and end with Phu An village. Your guide will discuss the day with you in advance.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Snack

Overnight at Hotel des Arts – 1 Double Deluxe Room

Day 13   Con Dao Island: Arrival

You will be picked up at your hotel and taken to the airport for your onward flight – Vietnam Airlines VN8053 departing from Saigon at 09:10 & arriving in Con Dao at 10:10.

Your driver will pick you up at the airport and transfer to the resort for you check in.

Meals included: Breakfast

Overnight at Six Senses Con Dao – 1 Double Ocean Front Deluxe Villa

Day 14 – 15 Con Dao Island: Days at Leisure

Enjoy these days at your leisure on Con Dao.

Meals included: Breakfast

Overnight at Six Senses Con Dao – 1 Double Ocean Front Deluxe Villa

Day 16   Con Dao Island: Departure

Your driver will pick you up at the resort and transfer to the airport for your flight – Vietnam Airlines VN8052 departing from Con Dao at 10:10 & arriving in Saigon at 11:15.

Catch your connecting departure flight – .

Meals included: Breakfast

PLEASE NOTE

This itinerary is currently in progress and does not reflect hotel room availability. The pricing is not final until the itinerary has been confirmed and booked.

Tour Rate starting at: $ 6,950 per person based on two people traveling

Price includes:

  • Air tickets Hanoi – Dong Hoi / Hue – Saigon – Con Dao – Saigon
  • Boat tickets as specified above
  • Accommodation as specified above
  • Air-conditioned car/van with driver
  • Licensed English speaking guides
  • Tours and admission fees as mentioned above
  • Meals as specified in itinerary, including water

Price excludes:

  • Personal expenses
  • Visa fees
  • Airport tax
  • Drinks (except water) and meals not mentioned in itinerary
  • Tips
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