North Vietnam & Laos Tour – 11 Days

General Information

Duration: 11 days/ 10 nights
Start/End: Hanoi/ Vientiane
Tour Route: Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Halong Bay – Luang Prabang – Vang Vieng – Vientiane

Tour Highlights

Tour Type: Explore and Experience
Tour Categories: Vietnam Laos tours
Tour Customizable: Definitely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)
Guides: Local Guide (English Speaking Guide, Other Languages upon Request)
Transportation: Private first-class air-conditioned vehicles
Accommodation: Listed below or equivalent. Rooms with private bath or shower, hotel taxes, porterage, tips, and service charges

Brief Itinerary

Day 01: Hanoi Arrival
Day 2: Hanoi – Full day City Tour
Day 3: Hanoi – Hoa Lu – Tam Coc
Day 4: Halong Bay Cruise
Day 5: Halong Bay – Hanoi
Day 6: Hanoi – Luang Prabang
Day 7: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou Cave – Kuang Si Waterfall
Day 8: Elephant Village
Day 9: Road Trip to Vang Vieng – Vientiane
Day 10: Vientiane – Full–day City Tour
Day 11: Vientiane Depart

Day 01: Hanoi Arrival (D)

Welcome to Vietnam. Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, you will be greeted by your local tour guide and drive, then transfer to the hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is at your leisure to explore the tranquil city.

Day 2: Hanoi – Full day City Tour (B, L)

After breakfast, start your journey to explore the capital of Vietnam, a city that celebrated 1000 years in 2010 has countless fascinating cultural and historic sites. Our days’ tour will help you to get a closer look at the highlight of Hanoi. First, see the grand Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum which serves as the resting place of Vietnamese Revolutionary Leader. From there, you will have a chance to make your way to his stilt house, the longest place off living and working. Then, feast your eyes on the ‘icon of Hanoi’ – The One Pillar Pagoda, the first university of Vietnam – The Temple of Literature, the fascinating Vietnam Museum of Ethnology which offers an insight into the 54 different ethnic groups of Vietnam.

In the afternoon, take a one-hour cyclo tour around Hoan Kiem Lake and the historic Hanoi Old Quarter to enjoy the beauty of the charming capital. Explore the many market streets dedicated to a variety of local wares. It’s a wonderful experience to discover exciting things on the footpaths, where you can observe and admire the activities taking places on the small streets and alleys. After that, have a special Hanoi night by enjoying a traditional puppetry art – Water Puppet Show – a very moment for grown up and children alike.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi – Hoa Lu – Tam Coc, Bich Dong (B, L)

Following your breakfast, we leave the bustling Hanoi and head to Hoa Lu – Tam Coc in Ninh Binh Province (approximately 90km south of Hanoi) to enjoy the breathtaking sceneries of the rural areas on the way. Once stood Ninh Binh, your guide will take you to the glorious Imperial Capital in the middle of endless rice paddies hemmed by hundred limestone hills that were Hoa Lu. We will visit the temples of King Dinh and King Le to learn about the heroic histories of these two Kings in Chinese Wars. After that, we go to Tam Coc (10km far from Hoa Lu) and stop for lunch in a local restaurant.

Your afternoon journey starts by boarding a small boat to visit Tam Coc. You will immerse in the beauty of the karst formations as you pass along their base and row into one of the many caves carved through the limestone. Then, cycle for an hour on quiet roads through villages, rice fields, rivers, and rocky outcrops in Tam Coc – Bich Dong. With majestic limestones, cliffs and mysterious yet inviting caves, together with countryside sights like peaceful streams, rice paddies, and deserted green fields, Tam Coc is definitely a must visit attractions. Then, you will be transferred to the hotel in Ninh Binh.
Overnight in Ninh Binh.

Day 4: Halong Bay Cruise (B, L, D)

Wake up in the early morning, have breakfast and your driver will pick up and transfer you to Halong Bay – the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Vietnam.
Arrival at lunchtime, you will have some time to have lunch and relax before boarding your cruise and start your wonderful time in Halong Bay. Spend whole afternoon to enjoy the magnificent sceneries around you, there are thousands of limestone islands standing in the middle of sea water, all of them are covered by a thick layer of green forest which make Halong Bay more breathtaking. Your dinner will be prepared and served on board. The moment you choose your own way to relax after dinner, singing karaoke, relaxing on the sundeck, squid fishing is available for entertainment during the night time.
Overnight onboard.

Day 5: Halong Bay – Hanoi (B, L)

Wake up early in the morning to enjoy the fresh air of the sea, take part in some morning exercises on the sundeck with our master. Then, have breakfast and our boat life anchor to continue your cruising. Get the camera ready on your hand to take the best photos of this magnificent world heritage site. Continue to cruise alongside thousands of islands and islets with different shapes. Then, you will have a chance to participate in a cooking class, where you can learn how to prepare and make Vietnamese food. After that, you will have a farewell lunch before cruising back to the harbor. Say goodbye Halong Bay, your driver will transfer you to Hanoi in the afternoon. You are free at your leisure for the rest of the day.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 6: Hanoi – Luang Prabang (B, L, D)

After breakfast, you will be picked up and transferred to the Noi Bai International Airport for your flight to Luang Prabang, Laos.
Upon arrival, you will meet your local tour guide and start your discovery right then. Your first stop in Luang Prabang is the city’s oldest temple Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong. Located in a beautiful garden on the bank of Mekong River, Wat Xieng Thong is believed to be the place where the two hermits, who founded Luang Prabang, placed the boundary stone for the new settlement. It’s a great opportunity for you to admire the classic Luang Prabang architectural style with sweeping two-tiered roof and ornate mosaics. Next, head to the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai to learn more about the history of Laos.

In the late afternoon, we will board an upstream cruise on the Mekong River which gives us a panoramic view of the tranquil countryside. It’s time for you to observe the daily life of local, communicate with them and enjoy the sunset covering the river. The dinner will be served while you enjoy the beautiful Laos traditional dance show. The boat will slowly downstream back to Luang Prabang.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 7: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou Cave – Kuang Si Waterfall (B, L, D)

Today, an optional early start gives you fantastic opportunities to participate in the daily morning alms-giving ritual to saffron-clad monks. This is a unique tradition in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving this procession. A long line of orange-robed monks proceeding barefoot down the main street collecting alms from the town’s Buddhist faithful. You can opt to take part in the ritual before having breakfast at the hotel or just stand quietly on the other side to witness. Whatever you choose, remember to dress and behave respectfully (your clothes should cover your shoulders, chest, and legs). If you wish to take part in the ritual, you should inform your guide a day in advance, he/she will help you to buy some food to hand over to the monks.

After that, follow your friendly local guide to stroll around the streets of Luang Prabang, observe the daily life of locals and then make your way along the Mekong River to visit the Buddha-filled caves of Pak Ou. You will admire the beautiful combination between solemn religion of Buddhism and natural sightseeing. Then, you will visit a rural village where locals make rice wine and see how indigenous people live. Next, drive to the stunning waterfalls of Kuang Si and savor a picnic lunch in one of the country’s most picturesque destinations. Drive back to Luang Prabang in the late afternoon.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 8: Half Day Elephant Village – Tad Sae Waterfall – Luang Prabang (B, L, D)

Following your breakfast, your Vietnam Laos tour continues to the Elephant camp out of the town in the middle of unspoiled, natural green surrounding. Enjoy the impressive experience of fun elephant rides inside the forests and jungles, through streams and rivers. It is a unique experience like none other. Afterward, you will have lunch at a nearby local restaurant.
In the afternoon, you will take your own elephant down the Nam Khan River for an exhilarating bathing experience. Then, take a traditional long boat to the Tad Sae Waterfall and relax in the clear water before driving back to Luang Prabang.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 9: Road Trip to Vang Vieng (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we will enjoy a 3-hour driving north through the beautiful landscape and mountain range, you arrive in Vang Vieng, a small tranquil town nestled on a river bend of Nam Song River. Today journey will become a new destination for travelers loving eco-tourism and a peaceful place to relax during days off. Along the way, stop at the fishery village of Ban Mo, Hine Heum and other Lao Lum, traditional villages.

After lunch in a local restaurant, we start to visit the city of Vang Vieng, homes to numerous caves and caverns. Head to Tham Jang Cave which was used as a defense bunker against the marauding Chinese Ho in the 19th century. Look out across the valley of Nam Song River and a beautiful panorama of Vang Vieng town from an opening in the limestone wall in the main cavern. Next, we drive further north to visit a biology plantation and the traditional Lao Lum village at Ban Pha Tang and enjoy a boat trip on Nam Song River. Say goodbye Vang Vieng and drive to Vientiane.
Overnight in Vientiane.

Day 10: Vang Vieng – Vientiane (B, D)

Your full day city tour to the capital of Vientiane starts right after your breakfast. First, we visit the Wat Sisaket, which houses thousands of tiny Buddha images. These images mainly date from the 16th and 19th centuries, come in all sizes and are made from wood, stone, and bronze. Then, continue to visit Wat Ho Prakeo, the former home of the Emerald Buddha statue and That Luang Stupa, the single most important monument in Laos. We also stop by the nearby Presidential Palace and admire the building from outside (going inside is not permitted). Your Vietnam Laos Tour also includes a visit to Patuxay Monument (Victory Gate), which was built in 1962 to honor those who fought in the dependence of Laos against France and for those who perished during the World War II.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then continue with a 45-minute drive to the Buddha Park. En route, make a brief stop at Friendship Bridge which links Laos and Thailand. As you arrive, stroll around the Buddha Park, filled with more than 200 Buddhist and Hindu statues. After that, drive back to Vientiane, stop at the Laos Disable Women’s Development Centre, which aims to bring knowledge and skills to disabled women. You will have a chance to talk to these women and observe their skill at creating handicraft products.
End your full day tour of the capital along the banks of Mekong River as the sun begins to set. Stroll along the river, dip in a cold drink or sample a snack before returning to the hotel.
Overnight in Vientiane.

Day 11: Vientiane Depart (B)

After breakfast, you will have a free morning to explore the city at your own pace. After that, your drive will transfer you to the airport for your departure. Trip ends! Enjoy your North Vietnam & Laos tour!