28 days
Mai Chau, Pu Luong, Trang An, Hoa Lu, Phong Nha Cave, Paradise Cave, Hue Citadel, Hoi An Old Town, Nha Trang, Da Lat
Wake to a quiet valley in Mai Chau, follow village paths through Pu Luong’s terraced hills and watch limestone scenery drift past a rowing boat in Ninh Binh. Then live a night on the bay before heading south to cave rivers, imperial stories, lantern streets and the sea. This 28-day Vietnam slow travel holiday gives the journey room to become more than a string of quick stops.
Stay long enough to unpack and enjoy where you are. Three nights in Ninh Binh, three in Dong Hoi, four in Hoi An and three in Nha Trang create breathing space between the guided experiences. Independent days let you return to a favourite café, relax at your hotel or choose another local encounter. Da Lat adds cool highland scenery before your final city stay in Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietpower Travel shapes this sample around your own travelling party: couples, families or friends from any country. Choose hotel comfort, shorter walks, more private services or selected shared experiences. Tell us what draws you to Vietnam, and our local team will connect the places into a holiday you can look forward to travelling.
Have four weeks and a wish list? Let us bring them together. Send your dates, arrival and departure details, group size and hotel preferences. We will tailor the pace, confirm the connections and provide a personal itinerary and quotation.
Hanoi, Mai Chau and Pu Luong: begin with local life. Your guide brings Hanoi’s temples and old streets into focus, then the road opens into valleys and village lanes. Share a local lunch, choose a gentle walk and leave the afternoon free to enjoy the setting. Cycling is a choice, not a test of endurance.
Ninh Binh and the bay: travel forward through the scenery. Trang An’s rowing boats and Hoa Lu’s ancient-capital temples anchor your countryside stay. After a free day, continue directly to the cruise harbour. A cabin night, meals on board and the vessel’s island programme make the bay a place to enjoy; browse our Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay cruises to choose the comfort you prefer.
Dong Hoi and the caves: a river one day, a limestone world the next. Stay three nights in Dong Hoi and visit Phong Nha Cave and Paradise Cave on separate outings. The city base brings hotel choice and downtime between excursions. Your standard visitor programme can be adapted if steps or walking are a concern; adventurous Dark Cave is a separately planned option.
Hue and Hoi An: history with evenings to enjoy. Meet the imperial city through its Citadel, a royal tomb and Thien Mu Pagoda, then settle into Hoi An for four nights. Walk the old trading-port lanes with a guide, share a countryside lunch and return independently when lanterns light the riverside. Ask about the Hue–Da Nang heritage train for a different coastal connection.
Nha Trang, Da Lat and Ho Chi Minh City: sea air, highland coffee and a lively farewell. A daytime rail journey brings you to Nha Trang for an island day or a mineral-spa alternative, followed by a free day. Continue up to Da Lat’s gardens, markets and coffee stops. Fly south from Da Lat and discover the stories and everyday energy of Ho Chi Minh City before your airport farewell.
The sample moves Hanoi → Mai Chau → Pu Luong → Ninh Binh → the bay → Hanoi → Dong Hoi → Hue → Hoi An → Nha Trang → Da Lat → Ho Chi Minh City. The single Hanoi night after the cruise protects the next connection. Full travel days stay focused on the journey, with breaks and arrival time instead of a packed sightseeing list.
Private road transfers and local guides give you flexibility on the land days. A shared cruise, local boats and the scheduled train bring another side of travelling in Vietnam. Hotel level, room type and walking pace are yours to choose; your quotation identifies what is private, shared, included and optional.
Three independent days remain genuinely free. Enjoy a pool, quiet streets or the coast at your own pace, or ask us to arrange an extra experience. An island excursion and a mud bath are alternatives; the heritage train, Dark Cave and canyoning are choices to discuss, not extra obligations squeezed into the same day.
Vietpower Travel’s offices in Vietnam’s major cities and 24/7 travel assistance during your tour give you a local team to contact from your airport welcome to your final transfer. Our guides, drivers, hotel and cruise relationships help us match the services and comfort to your budget, with care throughout a longer holiday.
Read traveller reviews of Vietpower Travel on Tripadvisor, then speak directly with the team designing your trip. Before booking, you receive a written day-by-day itinerary and quotation so the experiences, room choices and travel connections are clear.
You stay longer in the countryside, cave region, heritage towns and coastal stops, with a full free day in Ninh Binh, Hoi An and Nha Trang. The route includes Mai Chau and Pu Luong, a bay cruise, Dong Hoi for the caves, Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Da Lat and Ho Chi Minh City. It is a four-week sample for your own group, with 27 nights: 26 hotel nights and one cruise night.
The base plan uses private airport and road transfers, and local English-speaking guides on the listed sightseeing days. The overnight cruise, scheduled train, local boats and Nha Trang island excursion are shared. Free days are independent and do not include an on-call car or guide. Selected small-group sightseeing and comfortable shared transfers can be quoted as alternatives.
Arrive in Hanoi and depart from Ho Chi Minh City. Two domestic flight legs connect Hanoi to Dong Hoi on Day 12 and Da Lat to Ho Chi Minh City on Day 26. International and domestic flights are excluded from the indicative land price; schedules, baggage and fares are checked for your dates. We use Da Lat Airport for the final flight rather than sending you back to Nha Trang.
Day 21 is a full travel day: a car takes you to Da Nang railway station, followed by a reserved daytime train and a transfer to your Nha Trang hotel. The base plan sleeps at the hotel that night, not on an overnight train. We check the timetable and seat type for your date; a suitable flight or another arrangement can be quoted if you prefer to change this long rail day.
Yes, as an alternative on Day 17. The heritage train runs from Hue to Da Nang, with a car onward to Hoi An. It does not run directly into Hoi An. Private road transfer is the base arrangement; heritage-train seats and station transfers, or a suitable shared limousine, are confirmed in your quotation.
Mai Chau and Pu Luong walks are adjusted to your fitness, and cycling can be replaced with walking or a car. Phong Nha uses its standard visitor boat route; Paradise Cave uses its public access and boardwalk, which still involve walking and steps. Dark Cave and Da Lat canyoning are optional activities with separate fitness, age and operator conditions. Tell us about mobility needs so we can choose suitable alternatives.
Three nights in Dong Hoi give you a city hotel base and two separate cave outings, with time to rest between them. Each outing includes the return road journey. Phong Nha village accommodation can replace the city stay if you prefer to be closer to the national park; we will show the hotel and transfer changes clearly.
You go directly from Ninh Binh to the confirmed bay harbour early on Day 10. Pickup is calculated around the vessel’s check-in deadline, road allowance and stops; an early or packed breakfast may be needed. After the cruise, one Hanoi hotel night gives a buffer before the flight to Dong Hoi. We do not add sightseeing to the harbour-transfer morning.
Yes. Day 22 can be planned as a Nha Trang island excursion with its stated lunch, or replaced with a suitable mineral spa and mud-bath experience. These are alternatives, with the final programme and inclusions quoted accordingly. Optional snorkelling or water activities depend on the operator, sea conditions and your comfort in the water.
The indicative land price starts from US$2,670 per adult for two adults sharing rooms, based on the sample three-star arrangement. Flights are excluded. Choose four- or five-star hotels, family rooms, countryside stays or a different cruise cabin. Your travel dates, group size and service choices determine the final written quotation; we reconfirm it with you before booking.
Vietnam’s mountain, central coastal and southern regions have different weather patterns. We plan around your dates and priorities rather than promise one weather pattern for the whole month. Bay sailing, cave access, mountain walks and island boats can need alternatives when conditions change; your consultant will discuss the relevant seasonal choices.
Prefer a shorter route? Compare our 16-day Vietnam heritage tour with Sa Pa or 15-day northern and central Vietnam leisure holiday. For four weeks, tell us which experiences matter most and how you like to travel; we will shape the details together.
Chat with Vietpower Travel on WhatsApp or email sales@vietpowertravel.com.
Highlights
Open your day-by-day route in Google Maps · Flight links are schematic; optional stops are labelled.
| By Day | Transfer | Destinations | Activities | Meals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Hanoi | An easy airport welcome | - | |
| Day 2 | Hanoi | Temples, old streets and a local lunch | B, L | |
| Day 3 | Hanoi – Mai Chau | From the capital to a green valley | B | |
| Day 4 | Mai Chau | Village lanes, stilt houses and a shared table | B, L | |
| Day 5 | Mai Chau – Pu Luong | A short move into terraced hills | B | |
| Day 6 | Pu Luong | Terraces and village paths at your own pace | B, L | |
| Day 7 | Pu Luong – Ninh Binh | From mountain country to limestone valleys | B | |
| Day 8 | Ninh Binh | Trang An waterways and Hoa Lu stories | B, L | |
| Day 9 | Ninh Binh | A countryside day that belongs to you | B | |
| Day 10 | Ninh Binh – bay cruise | Board your cabin boat among the limestone islands | B, L, D | |
| Day 11 | Bay cruise – Hanoi | A last bay morning, then a comfortable city pause | B / cruise brunch arrangement | |
| Day 12 | Hanoi – Dong Hoi | Fly to your cave-region hotel base | B | |
| Day 13 | Dong Hoi – Phong Nha – Dong Hoi | A river journey into Phong Nha Cave | B, L | |
| Day 14 | Dong Hoi – Paradise Cave – Dong Hoi | Paradise Cave, with time to absorb the view | B, L | |
| Day 15 | Dong Hoi – Hue | Continue south towards the imperial city | B | |
| Day 16 | Hue | Imperial stories and a riverside pause | B, L | |
| Day 17 | Hue – Hoi An | Follow the coast to your four-night stay | B | |
| Day 18 | Hoi An | Trading-port lanes and lantern evenings | B | |
| Day 19 | Hoi An countryside | Garden paths and flavours from a local kitchen | B, L | |
| Day 20 | Hoi An | A day for the pool, coast or a favourite café | B | |
| Day 21 | Hoi An – Da Nang station – Nha Trang | Watch Vietnam unfold from a daytime train | B | |
| Day 22 | Nha Trang | An island day or a mineral-spa alternative | B, L | |
| Day 23 | Nha Trang | Enjoy the coast at your own pace | B | |
| Day 24 | Nha Trang – Da Lat | Climb into the cool highlands | B | |
| Day 25 | Da Lat | Gardens, coffee and highland character | B, L | |
| Day 26 | Da Lat – Ho Chi Minh City | Fly south without returning to the coast | B | |
| Day 27 | Ho Chi Minh City | City stories, local life and a riverside farewell | B, L | |
| Day 28 | Ho Chi Minh City | A comfortable airport farewell | B |
Meet your driver at Noi Bai Airport and settle into your Hanoi hotel. Let the afternoon be as quiet as you need after your international flight; a short neighbourhood wander is there if you feel ready. Your room follows standard check-in time, with early access arranged only when confirmed.
Travel: Private airport transfer; independent time.
Meals: -
Overnight: Hanoi
Begin with the Temple of Literature and the Ho Chi Minh complex, visiting accessible areas according to opening arrangements. After a local lunch and a pause, walk through the Old Quarter and around Hoan Kiem Lake with your guide. A Train Street coffee stop is an option only where permitted; otherwise enjoy a café in the old neighbourhoods.
Travel: Private guide and local vehicle; walking at your pace.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Hanoi
Leave Hanoi after breakfast and watch the city give way to mountain scenery on your private road journey. Pause for comfort stops, reach Mai Chau and check into your accommodation. The rest of the day is yours to settle into the valley rather than rush through another sightseeing circuit.
Travel: Private road transfer, about 3.5–4 hours plus stops.
Meals: B
Overnight: Mai Chau
Follow an easy guided village route among stilt houses, fields and gardens. A prearranged host visit and local lunch bring a closer encounter with everyday valley life. Choose a short cycle if confident, or keep to walking; return to your accommodation with time to enjoy the afternoon setting.
Travel: Private guide; easy walking or optional cycling, adapted to your group.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Mai Chau
Enjoy breakfast before the private transfer to Pu Luong. Take the journey at a comfortable pace, with stops as needed, and settle into your countryside accommodation. Leave the remaining hours open for the view, a quiet garden or simply resting before tomorrow’s guided walk.
Travel: Private road transfer, about 1.5–2.5 hours plus stops.
Meals: B
Overnight: Pu Luong
Walk with your guide through terraced landscapes and village paths, choosing a distance suited to your fitness and the ground conditions. Pause for a local lunch and conversations about the farming life around you. Return before the afternoon feels crowded, leaving time to enjoy your accommodation.
Travel: Private guide and local transport; walking route adapted to fitness.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Pu Luong
Travel by private vehicle towards Ninh Binh after breakfast. Comfort stops break the journey, and arrival is for checking in and relaxing among the countryside. Tomorrow is reserved for the boat and heritage visits, so today stays focused on a comfortable move between regions.
Travel: Private road transfer, about 3.5–4.5 hours plus stops.
Meals: B
Overnight: Ninh Binh
A rowing boat carries you among Trang An’s limestone scenery. Visit the ancient-capital temples of Hoa Lu with your guide and pause for a local lunch. Enjoy a gentle countryside walk or cycle afterwards. If your group prefers a climb, Hang Mua can replace part of the programme rather than become another compulsory stop.
Travel: Private guide and road transport; shared visitor rowing boat.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Ninh Binh
Start with breakfast and choose the rhythm of your independent day: relax at your accommodation, wander nearby lanes or revisit a favourite view. There is no intercity move today. An additional guided visit can be arranged if you want one, with its services and cost confirmed separately.
Travel: Independent/free time; no on-call guide or vehicle.
Meals: B
Overnight: Ninh Binh
Leave early for the confirmed bay harbour, with pickup calculated around cruise check-in, road allowance and comfort stops. An early or packed breakfast may be needed; no sightseeing stop is added before boarding. Settle into your cabin, enjoy lunch and follow the vessel’s afternoon island or kayaking programme where included. Dinner and a night on the water complete the day.
Travel: Private road transfer directly to the harbour, roughly 3.5–4 hours but potentially longer; shared Halong Bay or Lan Ha Bay cruise.
Meals: B, L, D
Overnight: Bay cruise cabin
Enjoy the vessel’s morning scenery and activities before its breakfast/brunch service and disembarkation. Transfer privately to Hanoi and check into your hotel. The afternoon is for resting or an easy independent wander; this overnight gives you a buffer before tomorrow’s flight to Dong Hoi.
Travel: Shared cruise morning; private harbour–Hanoi transfer, about 2.5–3 hours plus stops.
Meals: B / cruise brunch arrangement
Overnight: Hanoi
Transfer to Hanoi Airport for the separately quoted flight to Dong Hoi. Your driver meets you for the hotel transfer, and the remaining time is for settling in. We plan this as a full travel day around the actual flight schedule, baggage and airport procedures rather than promise a sightseeing circuit on arrival.
Travel: Private airport transfers; Hanoi–Dong Hoi flight quoted separately.
Meals: B
Overnight: Dong Hoi
Travel from Dong Hoi to Phong Nha for the standard visitor boat route, subject to access arrangements. Glide along the river towards the cave entrance and discover the limestone scenery with your guide. Enjoy a local lunch and return to your Dong Hoi hotel with time to rest. This is the regular visitor experience, not a multi-day cave expedition.
Travel: Private guide and road transfers; shared visitor boat where applicable.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Dong Hoi
Visit Paradise Cave using its standard public access and wooden visitor boardwalk. Your guide helps set a comfortable walking pace, with time for the formations and a local lunch before returning to Dong Hoi. Walking and steps are involved. Adventurous Dark Cave can be discussed as a separate alternative under its operator’s conditions; it is not added as another compulsory cave today.
Travel: Private guide and road transfers; standard cave visitor route.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Dong Hoi
Leave after breakfast for your private road journey to Hue. Use comfort breaks and allow the transfer its own day rather than filling it with scheduled visits. Settle into your Hue hotel and enjoy an independent evening near your accommodation, ready for tomorrow’s guided heritage day.
Travel: Private road transfer; timing confirmed for the selected route and stops.
Meals: B
Overnight: Hue
Explore the Citadel, one selected royal tomb and Thien Mu Pagoda with your local guide. A Hue lunch and unhurried pauses let the history and atmosphere become part of the day. Finish with time for a riverside café or a gentle stroll before returning to your hotel.
Travel: Private guide and local vehicle; walking adapted to your group.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Hue
Continue by private vehicle to Hoi An, with comfortable stops along the coastal connection as conditions allow. Check in and take the afternoon at your own pace. If chosen in advance, the heritage train can replace the Hue–Da Nang road leg, followed by a car onward to Hoi An; a suitable shared limousine is another quoted alternative.
Travel: Private road transfer in the base plan, about 2.5–3.5 hours plus stops; optional Hue–Da Nang train with onward car.
Meals: B
Overnight: Hoi An
Walk through Hoi An’s old town with your guide, visiting a selected historic house and assembly hall according to access arrangements. Leave time to enjoy the lanes rather than rush between tickets. Later, return independently for lantern-lit streets or riverside dining; a craft workshop can be arranged separately if it appeals.
Travel: Private guide; old-town walking route.
Meals: B
Overnight: Hoi An
Explore village lanes and gardens around Hoi An, with a prearranged host farming or cooking experience and a local lunch. Cycle if you enjoy it, or use a car and shorter walks so everyone can join comfortably. Return with time to relax at your accommodation or wander independently in town.
Travel: Private guide and local transport; optional cycling, walking or car adaptation.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Hoi An
Breakfast is followed by an independent day. Enjoy your hotel, choose a beach morning or revisit the old town when it feels right for you. There is no scheduled excursion or on-call car and guide. Tell us if you would like an extra experience, and we will arrange and quote it separately.
Travel: Independent/free time.
Meals: B
Overnight: Hoi An
A private car takes you to Da Nang station for your reserved daytime train to Nha Trang. This is a long travel day, with the seat type and timetable confirmed for your date. On arrival, transfer to your Nha Trang hotel; the base plan has a hotel night rather than an overnight train. A suitable flight or different arrangement can be quoted if you prefer to change the rail day.
Travel: Private station connections; shared scheduled daytime train with reserved seats.
Meals: B
Overnight: Nha Trang
Join the selected shared island excursion, enjoying coastal scenery and the operator’s programme with its stated lunch. Optional swimming, snorkelling or other water activities depend on conditions and your comfort in the water. Prefer a quieter experience? A suitable mineral spa and mud bath can replace the boat outing, with the programme and inclusions quoted accordingly.
Travel: Shared island boat excursion in the base plan; mineral-spa alternative by agreement.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Nha Trang
Take a relaxed breakfast and leave the day open. Spend time by the sea, enjoy the hotel pool or choose a café and an easy stroll. This independent day has no scheduled sightseeing or on-call vehicle and guide; additional visits are arranged only if requested.
Travel: Independent/free time.
Meals: B
Overnight: Nha Trang
Travel privately from the coast to Da Lat, with comfort stops along the mountain road. Arrive, check in and enjoy a quiet afternoon among the cooler highland surroundings. We keep the day for the transfer and settling in, leaving the gardens and city visits for tomorrow.
Travel: Private road transfer, about 3.5–4.5 hours plus stops.
Meals: B
Overnight: Da Lat
Discover Da Lat with your guide through selected gardens, the local market and an architectural or coffee stop suited to your interests. Enjoy a local lunch and time around the lake or a café. Canyoning is a separate active option with its own operator and fitness conditions, rather than part of this relaxed base day.
Travel: Private guide and local vehicle; easy walking.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Da Lat
Transfer to Da Lat Airport for the separately quoted flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Your driver meets you at Tan Son Nhat Airport and takes you to your hotel. Flight, baggage and transfer times determine the day’s rhythm; the remaining hours are free to rest. You do not backtrack to Nha Trang Airport.
Travel: Private airport transfers; Da Lat–Ho Chi Minh City flight quoted separately.
Meals: B
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City
Visit the Independence Palace and War Remnants Museum with a guide, adapting the content for children or anyone who prefers a gentler history programme. Continue to the Central Post Office and the permitted exterior around Notre Dame Cathedral, then enjoy a local lunch and a Ben Thanh area break. A dated waterbus option or an easy waterfront walk can round off your city experience.
Travel: Private guide and local vehicle; walking. Waterbus is an optional service checked for your date.
Meals: B, L
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City
Enjoy breakfast before your private transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport, allowing the agreed check-in buffer for your onward flight. Standard hotel checkout applies; a late room, extra night or additional visit can be quoted if your departure is later. Leave with memories of valleys, caves, coast and the local encounters along your month in Vietnam.
Travel: Private departure airport transfer.
Meals: B
Overnight: No overnight
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Customize Your Trip
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Arrive at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi and depart from Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Share your flight details and travelling party early so we can fit the hotel nights, domestic connections and room choices to your trip.
Contact Vietpower Travel for help during your tour, with 24/7 travel assistance and offices in Vietnam’s major cities. Your final itinerary and quotation identify the services selected for your group. Chat with Vietpower Travel on WhatsApp.
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