Vietnam by Train is a soft adventure tour in Vietnam by train with classic itinerary from Hanoi to Saigon for 15days, 14 nights.
Tour of Vietnam by Train Overview
The tour departs Ha Noi every Wednesday and the journey travels through most of Vietnam must-see destinations including: Ha Noi, Ha Long Bay, Hue Imperial Citadel, Hoi An Old Town, Nha Trang Beach City, the Mekong River Delta and Ho Chi Minh City (or Sai Gon).
The pace of travel is moderate and the highlights of the tour are different train journeys on which you are surrounded by the Vietnamese, the natural beauties and cultural monuments of Vietnam… Once your journey concludes you have visited 4 World Heritage Sites in Vietnam: Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An and My Son; you have a boat trip on Nha Trang Bay claimed among the 29 most beautiful sea bays in the world and you have visited amazing lifestyle in the Mekong Delta….
Hotels (centrally located in each city)
- Ha Noi : 3*/ 2 nights
- Hue : 3*/ 2 nights
- Hoi An: 3*/ 3 nights
- Nha Trang: 3*/ 2 nights
- Sai Gon: 3*/ 3 nights
{Inclusions
English-speaking guide as per itinerary: no guide for free-at-leisure days;
Twin/Double-shared accommodation as indicated in the program;
Private car for all airport transfers and tours as indicated in the program;
Train tickets for 4-shared A/C soft-sleeper compartments for Ha Noi – Hue, Da Nang - Nha Trang – Sai Gon as per itinerary;
Private boat cruise on the Mekong River on the Perfume River in Hue and between Vinh Long – Cai Be as in the program;
Private Twin/Double-shared cabin on a shared-junk cruise on Ha Long Bay as per itinerary;
Meals as indicated in the program B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner;
All admission fees during guided times in the program; }
{Exclusions
Insurance of any types;
Visa arrangements;
Early check-ins and late check-outs: check-in time: 14:00 PM and check-out time is 11:00 A.M unless otherwise indicated by each hotel;
International airfares and airport taxes other than those mentioned as included above;
Drinks, laundry, bar or other personal expenses;
Others not clearly specified clearly in the inclusions;}
Detailed itinerary
Day1 ( Wednesday ) Arrive in Ha Noi (no meal)
Arriving at Ha Noi Airport, you’ll be welcomed by our driver without a tour guide and transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day is free at leisure. Free time at leisure.
Overnight in Ha Noi.
Day2 ( Thursday ) Ha Noi (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Today we’ll tour the 1000 year old city of Ha Noi. We’ll visit different highlights of Ha Noi including: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh Museum, the Ngoc Son temple, the Temple of Literature - 1st University of Vietnam.
In the afternoon, we continue our tour to the Tran Quoc Pagoda - Nation founding pagoda, the Quan Thanh temple. In late afternoon, we'll have 1 hour rickshaw ride around the old quarter and a traditional water puppet show.
Overnight in Ha Noi.
The Turtle Tower on the Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi
Day3 ( Friday ) Ha Noi – Ha Long Bay (B/L/D) 
Breakfast at the hotel.
We start at 9.00 A.M for the 3 hour drive 170 km through the Red River Delta, which offers plenty of photo opportunities of Vietnamese farmers tilling the vast green paddy fields. At half way, we will have a visit to a handicraft workshop with fine clothes, embroidered paintings, stone statuettes and all kinds of gems mined in Vietnam such as star rubies or sapphires... Our destination is the World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay. The bay offers some 3000 mountain islands and islets towering in the Gulf of Tonkin in the East Vietnam Sea.
Upon arrival, you will be welcomed on board our luxury junk and treated to wine and fresh local seafood. As our junk gliding further into the tranquility of Ha Long Bay amid the towering mountain cliffs and on the emerald green water, you will have relaxing time combining the fine tastes of the wine and the freshness of Ha Long Bay. During the cruise, we will stop for visiting the amazing Sung Sot cave and the Ti Tov white sand beach before anchoring for the night.
Overnight on board the junk in the wild of Ha Long Bay.
Day4 ( Saturday ) Ha Long Bay – Ha Noi – Hue (overnight train) (B)
After breakfast, we will take a little sampan to visit a secret lagoon of Ha Long Bay while the surrounding mountains are just waking up. After that our cruise takes us through more islands of Halong Bay.
After the last feast on board for lunch, our junk travels back to the harbor for disembarkation at 12.00 noon. We rejoin our van and travel our way back to Ha Noi. Take the overnight train bound for Hue.
Overnight on board the train.
Day5 ( Sunday ) Arrive in Hue/Hue River Cruise: Thien Mu Pagoda + Tu Duc Tomb (no early check-in)/Free afternoon (no included meal)
Arriving at Hue, welcomed by our local tour guide and transferred to the city.
Free time for breakfast.
Start our tour of Hue with a boat trip on the Perfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda and King Tu Duc’s Tomb.
Have free time in the afternoon.
Overnight in Hue.
Day6 ( Monday ) Morning Tour of Hue Citadel/Afternoon Visit Khai Dinh and Minh Mang Tombs (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
0800 A.M This morning we will explore Hue Imperial Citadel where Vietnam was ruled from 1805 – 1945. The Citadel was heavily damaged during the war and marks of war could still be found here and there in the area. At the heyday, the citadel included the king's working area, the residential area of the Royal Family, the concubines quarters and the worshiping areas of the Royal Family...
In the afternoon, we will visit the Tombs of King Khai Dinh and Minh Mang.
Overnight in Hue.
Day7 ( Tuesday ) Hue – Lang Co Beach – Hai Van Pass – Hoi An (by car)/Free afternoon (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Take a scenic drive southward. We’ll visit the peaceful Lang Co Beach and Hai Van Pass on our journey. Descending the pass, we’ll travel our way into Da Nang and follow a lovely coastal road for Hoi An Old Town.
Have the afternoon at leisure.
Overnight in Hoi An Ancient Town.
Hoi An was a famous trading port back to the 16 – 19th centuries. Hoi An was called at by merchants from China, Japan, Persia, Europe….at the times. The town’s architecture is a perfect combination of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese styles. Hoi An nowadays still retains the atmosphere of the old town dated back to the heyday which never fails to charm the visitors. Residents of the town are of Vietnamese and Chinese origins.
Apart from the cozy ancient town, Hoi An also offers the pristine white sand Cua Dai Beach which claimed one of the most charming beaches in the country. Hoi An has always been unforgettable memory for our dear travelers.
Day8 ( Wednesday ) Morning Tour to My Son Cham Ruins/ Afternoon at leisure (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
0800 A.M Have the morning to travel back in time to visit the Holy Land of the Cham People in Vietnam, My Son Cham Ruins. My Son is 70km from Hoi An and we’ll learn a great deal about the Cham culture as well as their Champa Kingdom. My Son Cham Ruins are listed to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites just like Hoi An Old Town. We’ll arrive back at our hotel a bit after mid day.
Overnight in Hoi An Ancient Town.
Day9 ( Thursday ) Hoi An at leisure (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day at leisure. Only accommodation with breakfast is included.
Overnight in Hoi An Ancient Town.
Recommended activities: Cycling in Hoi An countryside or to Tra Que Herbal Village, or register for a cooking class for half a day, or simple shop in the Old Town, or have a day off to the Cu Lao Cham Island.
Day10 ( Friday ) Hoi An – Da Nang – Nha Trang (SE5: 0804-1842) (no guide on the train) (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
0700 A.M Our tour guide and driver will call at your hotel and transfer you to Da Nang Train Station. Our tour guide will assist you onto the train before leaving. Enjoy the 11-hour train journey to Nha Trang beach city.
Arriving at Nha Trang in the evening, welcomed by our tour guide and driver at Nha Trang and escorted to the hotel.
Overnight in Nha Trang.
Day11 ( Saturday ) Full Day Boat Tour on Nha Trang Bay (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
0800 A.M Our local team pick you up from your hotel for a boat trip exploring the islands on Nha Trang Bay. We’ll go snorkeling near Hon Mun or Hon Tam Islands. Lunch on board.
Travel back to the hotel in the afternoon.
Overnight in Nha Trang.
Day12 ( Sunday ) Nha Trang Day Train to Sai Gon (SE7: 0836-1615, no guide on the train) (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
0800 A.M Our team transfer you back to the train station for a day train bound for Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon). Welcomed on arrival by our local team and transferred to your hotel.
Free time.
Overnight in Saigon.
Traffic near the Ben Thanh Market in central Saigon
Sai Gon sprawls its length along the Saigon River. With convenient transportation and location, Sai Gon has always been busy with trade and commerce for hundreds of years since its formation.
Sai Gon boasts its high rise buildings and luxurious hotels along the riverside. This area is particularly stunning at night when the city full of light can be viewed from a boat cruising on the Sai Gon River. There are also some rooftop bars and restaurants for you to watch Saigon at night from above.
Sai Gon is a city on the go, busy days and nights. It’s required no effort to find something to entertain ourselves while in Sai Gon. There are many pagodas, temples and museums in the city. Those who want to have more active experiences may like to get lost in the busy and exotic markets selling most of things on earth, the numerous bars and sidewalk cafes always full of guests, smoke and music, or just take part in the traffics like nowhere else in the downtown area. If those things are not enough, then there are lots of parks and water parks around the city for you to get relaxed.
Day13 ( Monday ) Sai Gon – Cai Be – Vinh Long – Saigon (B/L)
Breakfast at the hotel.
0800 A.M Join our team for an exploration of the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. The road trip takes us to Cai Be where we take our own boat for a trip to Vinh Long.
Cai Be is the site of an amazing floating market of which the gathering is in early morning till 0900 A.M. Leaving Cai Be, the boat moves on for us to visit families with exotic occupations which are still carried out such as making dry young rice, making rice papers, making coconut candy... After that our tour brings us to an old house with traditional Vietnamese architecture and we’ll learn about agricultural works through the ancient tools used here in the past.
Lunch is served right in a bonsai garden amid trees and tranquility. After lunch, we’ll relax with some walking tours or cycling tours through the village to learn more about the local life. We’ll also sample a bonsai garden and visit a ceramics workshop before rejoining our car for the road trip back to Saigon.
Overnight in Saigon.
Day14 ( Tuesday ) Sai Gon – Cu Chi Tunnels – Sai Gon/Free afternoon (B)
At 08:00 AM, our team calls back at your hotel and take you to Cu Chi. Cu Chi was once famous for the legendary tunnel system which at the height stretched over 250 km. In Cu Chi, you will have to check these tunnels of 3 levels yourself by creeping in the narrow tunnels. We’ll be surprised to find out how people made these tunnels and find out how life of the local people was during the Second Indochina War. Travel back to the hotel and enjoy free time for the rest of the day.
Overnight in Saigon.
Day15 ( Wednesday ) Depart Sai Gon (no tour guide) (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
You have free time until our driver comes back and transfers you to the airport for your departure flight. We trust you had a wonderful Vietnam holiday on the train with Paradissa Travel and full photo album of Vietnam.
