Day 1: ARRIVE IN HANOI 

Pick up you at the airport and transfer Hanoi Old Quarters. Overnight at Golden Silk hotel (www.goldensilkhotel.com.vn )

Day 2: Hanoi – Halong – Overnight on Private boat (B,L,D)

Moring: leave Hanoi for Halong bay, a World’s Heritage, visit Ceramic Workshop at Dong Trieu. Upon arrival, get on board of a luxury boat to cruise around Ha Long Bay with delicious seafood lunch served on board. A short stop to explore the Grotto of Surprises ( Sung Sot cave ) , go kayaking. Enjoy the spectacular views of Halong bay while passing by rocks, islets, and fishing villages.

Overnight on boat

Day 3:  Lan Ha bay – Hanoi (B,L)

In the morning, Take the boat to visit Lan Ha bay to visit floating village, you may take photos of the spectacular Halong bay. Take the Speed boat to Hai Phong then Car back to Hanoi. Overnight train to Sapa.

Day 4: Bac Ha Market on Sunday

Private car to visit Bac Ha market. You have chance to see the Sunday market of Flower H’mong people, have a look at the horse and buffalo trading, trekking to visit Meo King’s palace. Car will take you to wharf to ride on Chay River  to Bao Nhai and visit and drop at Sapa.

Overnight at Boutigue hotel.

Day 5: Lao Chai – Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai  villages ( B) 
Car will transfer you to Sapa. All day trekking to visit some minority villages. Lao Chai – Ta Van - Giang Ta Chai. You will meet some different minority people H’mong, Zay, Red Dzao, you can see the different colorful dresses.Overnight at Boutigue hotel

Day 6: Cat Cat - Sin Chai – Ta Phin Villages (B)

After breakfast, trek down to Cat Cat village of Black H’mong people, see their daily life. Car pick up, back for lunch in Sapa town.

In the afternoon, take a drive to Tafin village (12km from Sapa) home to Red Dzao minority. Visit Tafin handicraft shops and explore the daily life of Red Dzao. Take a look at Tafin Cave and a small hamlet of Black H'mong people.

Transfer back to Laocai train station for night train to Hanoi. Overnight on train ( Soft sleeper -cabin of 2 )

Day 7: Hoa Lu - Tam Coc (B)

Pick up from the train station at 5’00 AM – rest and shower in te morning.

Drive to Hoa Lu. On arrival we visit Tam Coc, a strikingly beautiful region of limestone-cliffs and rice paddies that is similar to the seascapes of Halong Bay. We transfer to small boats to explore the caves in and around Tam Coc, which means “three caves”. Later in the day visit the Dinh and Le temples.

Overnight at Golden Silk  hotel.

Day 8: HANOI City tour - Da Nang - Hoi An (B)

Am : visit the capital of the country, and discover its colonial and traditional places including: visit Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda,, Tran Quoc Pagoda by the West Lake, Macein Monument. 
PM: visit ethnology museum then Cyclo for 1 hour around the 36 quarters of the city, Sword Lake, Temple of Literature. Water Puppet Show.

 Take the flight to Da Nang – Hoi An. Overnight at Hoi An Beach Resort.

Day 09: Hoi An - Thanh Ha Potters and Kim Bong Carpenter villages (B)

Visit Hoian: Japanese Covered Bridge, TanKy Old house, Assembly Hall Chinese., Hoian Museum and Market.

Then embark on a boat from the bank of the Thu Bon River . Enjoy the beauty of ancient Hoi An from the river. Continue to Thanh Ha pottery village; discover the daily life of the villagers. View the various stages of producing the many kinds of pottery products like: jar, vase, pot, earthen pot, decorative lamps and so on. Continue to visit Kim Bong carpenters’ village, listen to the village’s history and visit the shipbuilding yards, and see the handicrafts and sculptures.

Overnight at Hoi An Beach Resort.

Day 10: My Son – Ho Chi Minh (B)

In the morning: Free relax on the Beach.

In the afternoon: Depart at 13 pm from your hotel to My Son, a World Heritage site, 40 km southwest of Hoi An. Located in a lush valley, My Son was a capital and religious center of Cham people, with red brick towers and sanctuaries, considered to be in the same league as some of Southeast Asia's greatest archaeological sites, including Angkor-Wat in Cambodia, Bagan in Myanmar, Ayutthaya in Thailand and Borobudur in Indonesia. These towers and sanctuaries were built from the 7 to 13 centuries. 

Take evening flight to Saigon, Pick up and transfer to Hotel. Night at Grand Silk Land hotel ( www.grandsilverlandhotel.com )

DAY 11: Cu chi -  HOCHIMINH ( B)

AM: Visit Cu chi tunnel, back Saigon for lunch,

PM: Visit Reunification Palace , war museum, the post office, the cathedral, visit China town, alive and colourful city. Overnight at Grand Silver Land hotel.

DAY 12: NIGHT AT MEKONG LODGE_CAI BE (B,L,D) 

Depart from Ho chi Minh city and arrive at Cai Be around noon, welcomed at Cai Be harbor and transfer to Mekong Lodge after a scenic boat trip. 
Check-in your private bungalows. 
Lunch is served in nice River View restaurant with the special day menu.

Afternoon cycling to Tan Phong island, visit a fruit orchard, picking and tasting mango, rambutan, longan… 
Late afternoon participating in cooking class and dinner with what you’ve cooked. 
Overnight at Mekong Lodge.

DAY 13: Cai Be – Chau Doc (B)

07:30am: Early morning boat trip to visit Cai Be floating market + handicraft villages.

Boat transfer to Cai Be harbor.

Proceed to Chau Doc, continue the tour to visit Tra Su, getting to the wild birds Sanctuary, cruising smoothly with small boats to discover the arrays of splendid canals deep into the forest, watching storks, cranes and other tropical birds. On the way back stop by to visit Sam Mountain, the Cave pagoda (if time permitted). Back to the Town, hotel check in Chau Pho hotel.

DAY 14: Chau doc - PHNOM PENH ARRIVAL ( B) – 5 hours by  Speedboat.

8h00 Crossing the border, take  Victoria speed boat ( 5 hours ) to  Phnom Penh, arrive at 13h30. Finish tour at Phnompenh. On arrival at Boat station, you will be met and transferred to hotel (room may ready at noon). This afternoon, discover the Phnom City including: Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), the National Museum built in 1917-18 is exclusively dedicated to Khmer arts. Royal Palace built in 1866, Silver Pagoda located within the Royal Palace compound and then Wat Phnom, an ancient pagoda stand up on the hill. Dinner at Bopha Phnom Penh Restaurant and overnight at Phnom Penh hotel. 

Day 15: PHNOM PENH – SIEM REAP ( B, Aspara Dinner show)

Take the morning flight at 7’15 Am to Siem Riep. on arrival your will be met and then transferred direct to hotel for refreshment. This afternoon, visit the most famous of all the temples on the Angkor plain: Angkor Wat. The temple complex, cover 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Angkor Wat's five towers symbolize Meru's five peaks, the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat symbolizes the ocean. Tonight enjoy buffet dinner with Apsara Dance Show. Overnight at Angkor Holiday hotel.

Day 16: SIEM REAP TOURS ( B)

Visit Banti Srei and Continue your visit to the jungle covered temple of Ta Prohm is an incredible sight. There are enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers which embrace themselves in the stone foundations of the structure giving the impression of man's creation being reclaimed by the powerful forces of nature.  We explore this masterpiece as well as some of the surrounding temples including Banteay Kdei, Sra Srong, Ta Keo, Thommanon and Chau Say Tevado. Visit the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century); See the South Gate (with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk), Bayon Temple (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Overnight at Angkor Holiday hotel. 

Day 17: Tonle Sap Lake – TOURS – DEPARTURE ( B)

Morning breakfast at hotel then transfer to visit Tonle Sap Great Lake for Cruising, visiting fisherman’s life, floating fishing village dot the semi-submerged forest that lines the flood plant rim of the lake, back to visitChantier Ecole-Artisan d’Angkor, the place are in the Ministry of Education was constructed in 1992 and this place renowned woodworking, stone carving and polychrome training center and workshops. Free tour of the classes and workshops offer a glimpse into the unique skills training program, teaching young artists in the techniques and styles of classic Cambodian artistry before transfer for departure lunch at local restaurant in the town. After lunch, visit old market for shopping until transfer to the airport for flight off.

This tour was taken by Miki group of 6 people: 

Miki's email:  Miki.Weiss@verint.com 

This is their thank letter:

Hi Dong ,

We are back in Israel after 17 of very interesting, intensive  and enjoyable days .

We will like to thank you for organizing the trip for us , everything worked according to the plan (except the small hiccup in the boot to Cambodia).

The plan was balanced (cities , villages, views, time to relaxes, history, museum, cars, boats, airplanes,  shopping….) , the guides were very good in all locations, hotel were good , transportations were  good (in some cases it was too hot for the car air-condition to deal with the whether outside), restaurants  were good (except the one in Da Nang on day 10) .

Looking back , we don’t think  we would change anything in the plan.

We will recommend you and you company  in case someone will ask us who organized the trip for us .

Thanks again,

Benado family

Gutvirtz family

Weiss family