A TRIP TO LAOS AND VIETNAM - 12DAYS/ 11 NIGHTS - From: 728$

Upon arrival, you will be welcome at Luang Prabang Airport and transfer to the hotel for check in. The room is available from 13.30. Rest of day is free at your leisure. All meals of the day is on your own. Night at the hotel. 

Discover the city laying on the left bank of the Mekong River. Formerly a religious capital, Luang Prabang has more than 100 temples, known as amongst the most beautiful in Laos. For specification, our destinations includes: Vat Xieng Thong or Temple of the Royal City - a wide range group of holy buildings and the most charming temple in Luang Prabang. Vat May - built at the end of the 18th century, a capped sanctuary featuring a five sided roof surmounted by three parasols. Vat Visoun - the the most ancient temple in Luang Prabang with its the windows made from wood inspired by the Vat Phou‘s Khmer Temple. Vat Aham - located just beside Vat Visoun, framed by two large Banyan trees. Vat Senna - the first monastery whose roof was to be covered with yellow and red tiles. At the end of the afternoon, climb Mount Phousi Mount to admire the sunset and then discover the H’mong Night Market on your way back to your hotel. Find some of the local cuisine on your own. Night at the hotel.

Start the trip of this day from around 5.30 to 6.30am, we will get to Vat Nong temple to see the Tak Bat ceremony (procession of monks). In the ceremony, devoted local people stand on the sidewalk bearing food in their arms which they offer to the monks as they walk by in a procession of orange robes. Share the feeling with the traditionally remarkable moments as they take place in a peaceful and respectful ambiance with no words exchanged between the monks and the locals making the offerings. As a guest witnessing the rituals, you are recommended not to wear revealing clothing and you should take photos from a distance to show your respect.

After the somewhat humbling experience, we will explore a regional market which is very bustling in the morning. The sights, sounds and smells are sure to revive all your senses. In the exploration, you can even taste and savor some local snacks but not too much, as after that we will have a mouth-watewring welcome breakfast at a local restaurant. Then, we will end up with cups of refreshing coffee by the Mekong.
Afterwards take a visit into the Royal Palace, called the National Museum nowadays. After lunch (on your own expense), drive to the pier and embark on a charming traditional-style cruising boat to stroll along the Mekong until arrival at Pak Ou Cave. Discover these sacred caves – also known as Tham Ting by many locals, which shelter hundreds of Buddha statuettes. The caves offer a splendid view of the Mekong. Back to Luang Prabang with a stop at Ban Xang Khong and Ban Xang Hai to see the producing process of the famous rice wine: "Lao". You can even try the wine here. View the sunset on the cruising return. All meals of the day are on your own. Night at the hotel. 

In the morning, leave for Khuang Sy Waterfall on a return journey of around 50 miles. You will see villages and rice fields all along the country road. Time is allocated to swim in the waterfalls (weather permitting) before you are transferred to airport for the flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival, transferred to your hotel with rest of the day then free. Enjoy meals on your own. Night at the hotel.

Spend your whole day exploring this capital city, involving Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (open all the weeks excepting Monday and Friday), the traditional stilt house and the One-Pillar Pagoda. Then you will visit the first university of Vietnam - thethousand-year-old Temple of literature. In the afternoon, Ethnology Museum will be our next destination (closed on Monday) and one of the most unique pagoda of Hanoi. In the evening, you will watch the traditional water puppet show. Have meals on your own. Stay overnight at the hotel.

Remark: Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum closes from 08 September to 08 November for annual maintenance. Unio Travel will arrange the visit outside. 

In the morning, depart to Halong Bay, you will see large rice fields in the Red River Delta on the flight and reach Halong Bay at noon. Enjoy the landscape on a charming boat for an overnight cruise on Halong Bay and have meals with scrumptious seafood. Stay overnight on board.

Wake up early to witness a incredible dawn over the bay. Breakfast prepared on board, then back to the pier at noon and depart for Hai Phong Airport (2.5 hours driving) for the brief flight to Danang. Upon arrival in Danang, transfer to Cham Museum to view some of the best-preserved statues before heading to Hoi An ancient town. Try various foods in this town for this day meals on your own. Night at the hotel.

Get on your bike for 1 hour cycling in the Cam Thanh countryside to reach the locals’. You will be greeted with a welcome drink: rice tea.  In this peaceful setting, you will be able to observe and take part in the various stages of rice processing: husking the paddy grains (the rice still covered in its shell), pounding and bleaching. Try your hand at the tools and artisanal machines under the watchful and encouraging eyes of your teachers for the day. Finally, you will savour an excellent lunch of local specialities: Tam Huu (small skewers of pork and prawns, which are lovely to look at and eat…), rice pancakes, nems, soups and caramel pork. Return to Hoi An to visit Hoi An town, verified by UNESCO as a World Heritage site by its special well-preserved old streets and homes. Then you will have a chance to discover the ancient cobblestone streets of the town with over two-century-old Chinese houses. Sites include the Japanese Bridge, the Chinese Temple, and Phung Hung Chinese-style trading house. Have dinner on your own. Stay overnight at the hotel.

Spend the morning free at leisure and then in the early afternoon, leave Hoi An by car (145km – 3.5 hours driving) via the scenic Hai Van Pass. On the way we can have a overall view of the magnificent panorama of the central coastline from the summit. Get off at Lang Co to have a brief break on the white sands of this serene beach. Check in your hotel and have  a rest after arrival at Hoi An. Have meals in a local restaurant on your own. Stay overnight at the hotel.

Start your journey in the morning with the Imperial Citadel of Hue on the banks of Perfume river. Then continue with typical garden house of Hue city, which was built according to precise rules of geomancy. After lunch, you will have a chance to visit Tu Duc tomb and Tu Hieu Pagoda. Spend rest of the day exploring Dong Ba Market. Have meals for all day on your own. Stay overnight at the hotel.

Today we will take a morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City - also known as "Saigon" by many locals. Transfer to the city and visit the ethnic Chinese district of Cho Lon with its market and Thien Hau Pagoda. We then drive to hotel for check in (Room is at disposal from 13.30). Following lunch time, visit some other historic landmarks of the city: the Old Saigon Post Office, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Opera House and Dong Khoi Street. Have meals on your own. Stay overnight at the hotel.

The next trip begin at Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta (130km - 2.5 - 3 hour driving). We will take you at the Phong Nam pier. Then we will catch a boat and cruise along the Chet Say river (a branch of the Mekong) and get off at some regional workplaces to see how people in this area works, such as coconut activated charcoal factory in which they put coconut shell into high heat kiln to produce coconut charcoal; a coconut processing workshop, in which you can try fresh coconut and understand how coconut is turned into food and other products. Then the boat will cruise through the small channel, find out the daily life of people. Then you will stop at a peaceful village to have a short walk and discover the Delta village life, come over a mat weaving house, where straw mats are woven using a hand loom – or even weaving yourself before boarding your xe loi (a kind of motorized rickshaw) or driving into the village to see lush farm, rice field and vegetable plan  before stopping at a local house to have a mouth watering lunch, including some specialties from this area like elephant-ear fish and river shrimp, and drink some cold drinks or beers. Next, we will board a sampan and enjoy the view from small canals. Then we take boat back to Pier, back to the main road in the late afternoon and be transferred directly to Ho Chi Minh Airport for your departure flight. Dinner on your own. Our services end here.