Vietnam and Laos Heritage Adventure
From the chaotic pace of Vietnam to the laid-back lifestyle of Laos, explore the highlights of two culturally rich and diverse countries. Feel the pulse of Ho Chi Minh City, the charm of Hoi An and see the ancient imperial capital of Hue. Meet ethnic minorities in Sapa and swim in the jade green waters of Halong Bay, before flying to the temple city of Luang Prabang, where saffron robed monks walk the streets.
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Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City
Start your journey in sultry, cosmopolitan Ho Chi Minh formerly called Saigon and feel the pulse of the city. With its heady mix of past and present architecture, scooters whizzing past, noodle sellers on the sidewalk, Saigon is a city on the move.
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City
Discover the story of Saigon and hear about the history of the city from the days of French colonial rule to the tragedy of the Vietnam War. You’ll visit key locations such as the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral and the War Remnants Museum before ending your day with a sunset speedboat ride along the Saigon River.
Day 3: Mekong Delta Tour
Travel about two hours south of Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Tre, the gateway to the Mekong Delta. Hop aboard a small boat and explore the waterways stopping off at a small home-based factory where workers process coconuts to be used in products like matting and candy. Then transfer to cruise, a converted rice barge and continue your cruise along the Mekong River. Join in a demonstration of Vietnamese cooking and watch the river go by and enjoy a sumptuous three-course lunch of Mekong specialties!
Day 4: Ho Chi Minh – Hoi An
Fly to Danang and take a short drive to Hoi An. This UNESCO recognized destination has been artfully restored to its former glory and its quaint architecture makes the perfect picture postcard. Discover a preserved pagoda, assembly hall and the often photographed Japanese covered bridge — living links to Hoi An’s ancient past!
Day 5: Hoi An
Getting to know the food is also the great way of learning about a country. Enjoy a half-day cooking class where you will have a hands-on lesson on how to shop for ingredients and cook authentic Vietnamese food. By the end of it you’ll be whipping up pho and spring rolls like a professional!
Day 6: Hoi An – Hue
Drive about two and a half hours along the scenic Hai Van Pass to the former imperial city of Hue. This stretch of road is arguably the prettiest coastal drive in all of Vietnam! Nestled against the banks of the Perfume River, Hue has had an interesting history. Explore the elaborate tombs belonging to past emperors and see the mausoleum of the former emperor Minh Mang in a tranquil setting of gardens and lakes, and walk around the Imperial Citadel the seat of power for the Nguyen dynasty.
Day 7: Hue – Hanoi – Sapa
Take a short flight to Hanoi and say a quick hello to the city. See the highlights of Hanoi with a visit to the famous Temple of Literature and Ngoc Son Temple perched on a tiny island in Hoan Kiem Lake. Take a breezy cyclo ride through the Old Quarter’s 36 streets and end your day with a water puppet performance that will delight your senses. This evening, board an overnight train to the former French hill station of Sapa, a region of stunning landscapes, cultural heritage and ethnic minorities at the edges of northern Vietnam.
Day 8: Sapa
The train arrives very early into Lao Cai station, the last stop on the line. From here, drive about an hour through the winding mountain roads to reach Sapa. This morning learn the story of Sapa on a guided walking tour of the museum with its displays of old photos, artefacts and ethnic minority costumes. Then take a walk through the local market, followed by a trek along hillside tracks at a nearby village.
Day 9: Sapa – Hanoi
Today, walk up to the top of Ham Rong Mountain for great panoramic views over Sapa and hear the myth and legends behind the mountains name. On the way you will pass by flowers in bloom, orchid farms, interesting caves and rock formations. This evening, travel to Lao Cai and board the overnight train to Hanoi.
Day 10: Hanoi – Halong Bay
Arrive into Hanoi early in the morning and after a quick freshen up and breakfast head to the coastal port of Halong about four hours drive from Hanoi. Cruise the waters of Halong Bay with its hundreds of towering pillars of sea and wind-carved limestone karsts. Stay onboard a traditional junk for the night and swim, and kayak in the jade green waters
Day 11: Halong Bay – Hanoi
See the Surprise Cave the largest in Halong Bay with its incredible limestone formations. Cruise back to port and drive to Hanoi arriving later in the afternoon. This evening pull up a stool on the sidewalk and enjoy a beer and spot of people watching just like the locals.
Day 12: Hanoi
Begin the morning with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and hear about the man who led Vietnam’s campaign for independence from French colonial rule. See the One Pillar Pagoda built by an emperor to honour the goddess of mercy. This small pagoda is built over a pretty lotus pond and is rumoured to have healing powers. Next, visit the Temple of Literature, considered Vietnam’s first university. The afternoon is free to do whatever you choose!
Day 13: Hanoi – Luang Prabang
Fly to Luang Prabang the spiritual capital of Laos and visit the temples Wat Xieng Thong and Wat Mai, and see the former Royal Palace which is now the National Museum with its halls containing rare religious and cultural artefacts. Then walk up the 328 steps to the top of Mount Phousi, for panoramic views of the city as the sun sets.
Day 14: Luang Prabang
Rise early to the sound of the temple gong and witness Luang Prabang’s mystical daily ritual of monks collecting alms. Then journey a short distance out of town to the magical Kaung Si Waterfall. The water runs over calcified limestone tiers turning the water a vibrant shade of blue. Take a dip in the cool waters before returning back to the town.
Day 15: Luang Prabang
Cruise the waters of the Mekong River to the Pak Ou Caves that have become shrines to devotees of Buddhism. For hundreds of years, followers have come to the caves to pray and make merit, by leaving behind a statue of Buddha. The caves are jammed packed with statues with more being added each year. Pop into a riverside weaving village where ancient wooden looms are used to create intricate textiles.
Day 16: Luang Prabang
Spend the morning at leisure. Later, transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
- Bali & Indonesia
- Bhutan
- Borneo
- Cambodia
- China
- Halong Bay Cruises
- India
- Japan
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- North Korea Vacations
- Philippines
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Tibet
- Vietnam
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Highlights
• Flights indicated in the itinerary
• Accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels
• Private Transfer with A/C
• English speaking guide throughout the trip
• Entrance fees, performances, boat trips & excursions.
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary
• E-visa to Vietnam
Whats Included:
• Meals other than those mentioned in the itinerary
• Early check-in and late check-out at hotels.
• Personal expenses (such as laundry, telephone, drinks, etc.)
• Tips for guides and drivers
• Personal travel insurance
• Laos Visa fees
What our clients say about us
Alice B
22 March 2024 ★★★★★Vietnam is just epic in every sense! Stephen at My Way Travel built us a bespoke tour to our requested place's from HoChiMin to Phan Thiet, DaLat, NaTrang, HoiAn, Halong Bay ending in Hanoi & it was amazing! All hotels, 3 tour guides over 5 day tours , drivers & transport worked very well & Stephen responded very quickly to any queries. We can’t thank or recommend him highly enough for helping us create an amazing adventure for a 70+ couple where everything was booked & organised but we had plenty of free time to explore on our own & find places for dinner most nights of our 18day trip. I’ll admit I was a little worried about using an unknown to me online agent but I really didn’t need to worry. The only thing I/we got wrong was not realising how tiring a busy tour can be especially in the heat so I’d recommend having a few days on a beach or round a pool relaxing before retuning back to Europe of further afield! Thanks Stephen for creating a well priced pretty last min wonderful tour for us!
Kyle M
17 January 2024 ★★★★★Wow, what a trip and experience. My Way Travel did an excellent job in creating a customized private tour itinerary for our 5 week trip to Indochina. Stephen was very responsive and easy to work with in creating a perfect itinerary, customized to our interests, budget, and timeframe. The logistics were well managed and all the tour guides and drivers in all 4 countries were fantastic. Stephen kept in touch throughout our trip to ensure everything was going well. The drivers were all excellent, prompt, and very safe drivers. Special call out to our guides; Tony, Kay, and Loc in Vietnam, Sony and Sambath in Cambodia, and Anne in Thailand for a fantastic cultural and historical experience in your respective countries. These guides were the best and really made our trip special. The sights that we saw were incredible, including Ha Long Bay and of course, Ankgor Wat. We really enjoyed the elephant sanctuary in Laos and the Laos city of Luang Prabang is a hidden gem. The bike tours that we did in Hoi An (Kay) and the Mekong Delta (Loc) to really get into the countryside and engage with local families was an incredible experience that we really enjoyed and will always cherish. We even got to stop at a local school and interact with some of the school children trying to practice their English which was pretty cool. We had a great bike tour in Siem Reap (Sambath) and all the incredible temples around Ankgor Wat. The tours that we had to understand and experience these countries from a historical and cultural perspective, brought to life by our tour guides, really made this trip a unique experience. We were well taken care of throughout our travels and the service and people were so friendly. We would highly recommend My Way Travel for your next trip to SE Asia and will not hesitate to use them in the future. Hopefully you get lucky enough to have some of the tour guides that we had.
Garethbradburn
12 April 2024 ★★★★★This was the fourth trip we have done with My Way Travel and arranged by Stephen. As always it was impeccably organised from arriving in Bangkok, flights to Chiang Rai, tour to the elephant sanctuary, to Krabi for a few days at the beach then transfer to Phnom Pen for the higlight of our trip, a cruise up the Mekong on a seriously luxurious boat, then transfer to Seam Riep. The hotels were excellent, the transfers seemless with good english speaking guides. We cannot recommend Stephen more highly.
Leslie
16 May 2024 ★★★★★An amazing trip out together by Stephen at My Way Travel! This was our second trip ( went to Vietnam and Cambodia 2019). Stephen is great to work with- very flexible and listens to what we wanted to do. This trip was originally scheduled for April 2020. A honest company that asked if I wanted my deposit back and I said no - that I would use it in a future trip! How many companies around the world did this???? We had great guides In Bangkok and Chiang Rai and Chiang Rai. Fon was full of energy and fun in Bangkok. Ann was one of the best guides I have ever had- she took us to a couple of places not noted on the tour. We went for a hike at a waterfall and visited the cave where the Thai boys were rescued in the cave. Both Ann and Fon gave us wonderful suggestions for restaurants. I would absolutely recommend Stephen and My Way Travel! We plan to use him again in planning Bali!
