Beauté du Nord au Sud - 2 semaines

A whole day for the discovery of Hanoi – the capital city of Vietnam. This millennial city is the most important political, cultural and religious center of the country. At first, it was named after Thang Long - the "Dragon taking flight" spiritually meaning the strength, prosperity of the city. After several changes and different names, it now keeps the name Hanoi which geographically means "the city beyond the river" as today. Morning: you start the guided tours of the city of Hanoi with the residential area where the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh is located, the former palace of the Governor General of Indochina (visit outside), his house on stilts and the Pagoda to the single pillar. You continue your discovery of the city of Hanoi by the Temple of Literature which is the "first university of Vietnam", the Tran Quoc pagoda (the defense of the Fatherland) - the oldest pagoda of Hanoi at the edge of the West Lake . In the afternoon: you visit the Museum of Ethnography which brings together costumes, tools, musical instruments and exhibits some typical houses of the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam (closed every Monday). Water puppet show, a folk theatrical art born in the aquatic rice civilization in the Red River Delta of Vietnam. Night at the hotel

Departure for Mai Chau via small charming roads. Arrival at the village of Poom Coong (of the Thais) in Mai Chau. Homestay lunch with traditional dishes. After a short stroll around the villages and via the rice fields, continuation of the road to the Mai Hich village of the Thais, 14km from Poom Coong. Departure for Mai Chau via small charming roads. Arrival at the Mai Hich village of the Thai - Mai Chau around noon. Mai Hich is a small village located southwest of Mai Chau. Unlike the villages of Lac and Poom Coong, the well-known tourist destinations for a long time, a few houses in Mai Hich have just opened their doors to welcome travelers. The village is a quiet corner ideal for those looking for a calm life in the typical Vietnamese countryside, and interesting exchanges with the white Thai ethnic groups who are kind and warm. Installation at the inhabitant in the village. Afternoon: you take a light walk (or bike ride) around the village or through neighboring villages. Beautiful landscapes of rice fields and bitter melon garden... The walk certainly brings you very pleasant moments with the contacts with the smiling, warm and friendly local inhabitants. Opportunity to discover the life, the local culture and their craftsmanship. Dinner at a local's, you benefit from the friendliness of the inhabitants. Participation in folk dances of Thai minorities. Tasting of rice alcohol (“Can”) made from fermented sticky rice. Overnight homestay – house on stilts.

After breakfast, depart by tangerine road to Van Long in Gia Vien district of Ninh Binh province. Upon arrival in Van Long, you board the local boat for the 1.5-2 hour excursion to the Van Long nature reserve. The excursion offers magnificent views of landscapes and rural life. Compared to Tam Coc, Van Long is much more primitive and completely untouched, it is also called "the land Halong Bay". Rivers, mountains, caves, rice fields, old houses, friendly people, small bamboo boats etc, all of these make Van Long a must for travel enthusiasts. Tourists who come to visit the reserve have the opportunity to see the rich flora and fauna within the most bio-diverse flooded area in Vietnam. After lunch at the restaurant (at your expense). Installation at the inhabitant. Warm welcome by the family. In the afternoon: you take the bike for a ride through the villages in Van Long. Stops planned for contact with the local inhabitants. You arrive at Thung La area 9 km from Lang Van village. Visit the temple of Thung La which is beautiful, very quiet and non-touristy. Then you drive 1 km to reach Thung Lau (Reed Valley) – a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains where Dinh Tien Hoang Temple is located. It was in this valley that he often used reeds to lead maneuvers with other shepherds and practiced martial arts as a child; and he won all the battles. From this area, he left and succeeded in restoring the unity of the kingdom shaken by struggles between 12 great lords in the troubled periods that followed the independence of the country and the death of the liberator Ngô Quyên. Return home to rest. Say goodbye to your guide Homestay dinner. Night at the inhabitant.

Departure for Halong Bay - eighth wonder of the world with nearly 2000 limestone sugar loaves spread over an area of 1500 km2. Legend has it that a dragon descended there, quenching his thirst, and finding the place magnificent, he never left. Since then, it bears the name of "bay where the Dragon landed" (Ha Long). Arrive at Halong pier in the late morning. A guide on board the junk takes care of all travelers.

You continue to cruise Halong Bay according to the junk schedule The driver is waiting for you at the pier. Transfer directly to the airport to take the flight to Huế Arrival in Hue. Welcome by the driver upon your arrival at Hue airport. Transfer to your hotel Night at the hotel

Visit of the Imperial City, the only exemplary vestige of what was once an imperial city of Vietnam nestled within the walls of the Citadel, facing the imposing Flag Tower. Boarding the boat for a cruise on the Perfume River which crosses the calm city of Hue and separates it into the old town to the north and the modern city to the south. Stops during the cruise to visit the village of Thanh Thien, the old wharf of Bao Vinh, and then bike ride in the village of Sinh which specializes in the manufacture of prints on paper, visit the Thien pagoda Mu (the Heavenly Lady) – a symbol of Hue. Lunch on board the boat during the cruise to discover the daily life of the inhabitants who live along the two banks of the river. Return to your hotel. Night at the hotel

You start discovering the Poetry City of Hue - the ancient capital city of Vietnam, which captivates visitors with its romanticism and historical monuments. Then, you leave the city center to visit the tomb of Tu Duc located in the middle of a huge pine forest, 8 km from the center of Huê. The tomb is one of the most impressive royal tombs in Hue with its pavilion on stilts and the funeral courtyard with statues of civil and military Mandarins, horses and elephants in gray stone. discovery of Dong Ba market, the biggest market in Hue where you can find all kinds of goods including souvenir gifts Return to the city center. Stop along the way to visit the village of incense sticks. In the afternoon, you will visit Thanh Tien village where people make paper flowers. Stroll and discovery of this work Night at the hotel

On the way to Hoi An via the Mandarin Road via the Pass of the Clouds from where the view of Da Nang and its surroundings is splendid. Stop at Lang Co beach, one of the most beautiful bays in the world, before arriving in Hoi An. Short walk on the beach of My Khe in Da Nang from where you have a beautiful view of the statue of the Goddess of Mercy and witness the activities of the fishermen of the village. In Da Nang, you visit the Cham sculpture museum in Da Nang which allows you to follow the evolution of Cham Art over the centuries. The museum was inaugurated in 1919, on the initiative of the French School of the Far East, in order to bring together the sculptures discovered on the archaeological sites of the surroundings located mainly in the southern part of the Center and on the High plateaus of Tay Nguyen. . The works are exhibited according to the places where they were found. Then visit Ngu Hanh Son Mountains - a group of five marble mountains, like the five fingers, by the sea. In the 19th century, they were named by King Minh Mang (1791-1841) according to the five elements of the Cosmos: Thuy Son (Mount of Water), Moc Son (Mount of Wood), Hoa Son (Mount of Fire), Kim Son (Mount of Metal) and Tho Son (Mount of Earth). Visit the village manufacturing marble products at the foot of the mountain. Continuation of the road to Hoi An. Arrival in Hoi An. Installation in the room. In the evening: free stroll in the middle of the old houses with hanging lanterns. A multicolored magical image of Hoi An town. You can taste the local dishes in a small lovely restaurant, play folk games and put together floating lanterns on the Thu Bon river… Night at the hotel

Welcome by the guide at your hotel then bike ride around Hoi An towards the fishing village of Van Lang and the water coconut forest of Bay Mau - About 7ha, surrounded by mangrove forest, canals, houses covered in coconut palm leaves. During the Vietnam War it was the refuge for local people and soldiers and nowadays this place is famous for providing the most seafood products. On the way through the village, several interesting stops are planned: the typical local market of Ba Le, the rice fields where the cemeteries are located. Possible stop in schools... Arrival at the village, the fishermen will take you to discover their traditional fishing techniques and their coconut forests by a cruise in "Thung chai" - Basket boat. Next bike ride to Tra Que market gardening village - Over 200 owners and 500 growers live on site and grow around 20 types of vegetables and herbs including mint, lettuce, basil, coriander, broccoli among others on more than 50 ha of land, 10 tons of vegetables are sold each year. The market gardeners do not use pesticides or GMOs but natural fertilizers and in particular, a kind of seaweed that is only found in the canals, the river, harvested by the market gardeners themselves by boat every morning. On arrival, you will be warmly welcomed by Mr. Minh, a 3-generation family, to taste a glass of “basil juice” to refresh you. Then, walk in this village, where you will contact with the local inhabitants who work in the gardens. You will learn everything about the history of the village, the method of growing vegetables, the use of medicinal plants, the Vietnamese pharmacopoeia and participate in gardening activities such as fertilizing the land with seaweed from the river in the company of market gardeners. Return and prepare lunch together with his family such as crispy pancakes, Nem de Hoi an, Tam huu, grilled fish in banana leaf….. and you will taste the dishes you have prepared. After lunch, relaxation with foot massage with medicinal herbs, a traditional therapeutic practice Return to your hotel. Night at the hotel

You are transferred by the driver (no guide) to Da Nang airport to catch the flight to Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon) VN107 09:35-10:55. Welcome by the guide and the driver of Saigon on your arrival. Transfer to your hotel to drop off the luggage. The afternoon is reserved for the discovery of the largest and most active city in the South. There are streets full of people, shops, street vendors. Visit the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until April 30, 1975. Then visit the Notre Dame cathedral (which was built between 1877 and 1883 and the stones used for its construction were imported directly from France), the Central Post Office and the town hall (visit outside) – the best examples of French colonial architecture. Visit the Ben Thanh market or the Cho Lon market in Chinatown where you find products of all kinds including souvenir gifts. Night at the hotel

You leave the bustling city of Saigon and head towards Ben Tre – a beautiful region in the Mekong Delta renowned for the production of coconut candies. From the Hung Vuong pier you take the boat trip on the Ben Tre river to discover the daily life of the inhabitants. Stop to visit the brick kiln of Mr. Tu Lo and to discover the artisanal methods of making bricks. This is followed by a visit to the coconut products factory. This will be an opportunity to taste fresh fruit. Continuation of our boat trip on the canals to Nhon Thanh village. A short walk on foot helps you to deeply discover local life. This is an opportunity to taste fresh fruit. Then, ride in tuk tuk through small paths through the villages observing the coconut groves, rice fields, vegetable gardens. A short walk on foot helps you to deeply discover local life. You finally arrive at the house where we spend the night. Late afternoon: possible to prepare dinner with the owner. Homestay dinner Overnight homestay in Ben Tre.

Breakfast at the inhabitant. Then, visit the local village market. Road towards Long Xuyen, in the province of An Giang via Sa Dec. In Sa Dec, you visit the Kien An Cung pagoda and the former house of Huynh Thuy Le who was the lover of the French writer Marguerite DURAS. The house is famous for its original architecture and attracts visitors thanks to the famous film "The Lover" and the homonymous novel (translated into 40 languages). Visit of the market of Sa Dec very rich in fishes, fruits and vegetables. Continuation of the road for Long Xuyen. Visit a Caodai temple en route and the crocodile farm. Arrival in Long Xuyen, installation at the hotel. Night at the hotel

You board the boat to visit the Long Xuyen floating market on the Hau River. This market remains very authentic, little visited and less lively than the other floating markets in the Mekong Delta such as Cai Rang or Phong Dien. Hundreds of boats loaded with agricultural products such as potatoes, vegetables, sugar cane and tropical fruits (bananas, pineapple, dragon fruit, etc.). Some sell gasoline, breakfast foods or offer repair services. Boats that sell the same merchandise are grouped together. In particular, you see rowing boats which are attached to each other by a long rope and all of them are pulled by a motor boat. This is because, after loading goods, these rowing boats cannot go up the river and one has to hire a motor boat to drag them all home. An extraordinary landscape that only exists at the Long Xuyen floating market! Visit of Cu Lao Ong Ho where is the small museum of our late president Ton Duc Thang. Landing. Return to Saigon. Arrival in Saigon at the end of the afternoon. Installation in the room. Night at the hotel

Day 15: Saigon – Free time – return flight (B) You have free time to rest and discover the city quietly At ….h, our driver will pick you up at the hotel and transfer to the airport