Vietnam Arts and Handicrafts Tour

Want to know more about Vietnam’s extravagances? Then, have a look at following write up on Vietnamese art and craft. It’s a country rich in handicraft products, thanks to the hardworking and creative Vietnamese populace. With about more than 2, 000 years of history, its handicraft products made by a local community of talented artists, have established a firm and growing place in the domestic and international markets.In this art-themed journey, we explore this question through various mediums and movements in Vietnam's dynamic contemporary art scene. With a passionate historian, we also follow the story of Vietnam's art and craft history.

Day 1: Arrival in Saigon (D)

On arrival in Saigon, you will be transferred to your hotel. Freshen up and relax rest of the day. This evening board the Saigon River Boat for your welcome dinner and your introduction to Vietnamese cuisine as you cruise the Saigon River.
Day 2: Saigon (B)

The first introduction to Vietnamese handicrafts as we visit a Latin Calligraphy Artist, some of the best galleries, several craft workshops and retail outlets in Saigon during our city tour. This evening, enjoy a cyclo ride for two hours to see the nightlife. Free to make as many stops as you wish, for pictures or for a drink or anything that takes your fancy.
Day 3: Saigon – Mekong Delta (B, L)

A visit to the Mekong is one of the best ways to experience rural life. Drive through beautiful agricultural areas well known as the fruit and rice basket of Vietnam. This afternoon, take a boat trip to explore some of the myriad of estuaries and islands. Visit orchards, bonsai gardens, a candy making home industry and sample a wonderful home cooked lunch on an island with amateur musicians.
Day 4: Mekong Delta - Saigon (B, L)

This morning, very early, hop on a boat and roam in the extraordinary river market of Cai Rang. Famous as one of the largest on the complex of water-ways that comprise the Mekong Delta, this market provides exotic fruits and vegetables domestically and internationally. The boat tour is capped off with a visit to My Khanh, a genuine working Delta village. En route back to Saigon we’ll pay a visit to a Cao Dai temple.
Day 5: Saigon – Da Nang – Hoi An (B, D)

This morning we transfer to the airport for your flight to Da Nang in Central Vietnam. Arrive Da Nang and transfer to Hoian the Marble Mountain where we’ll visit the best marble sculpting workshops. Everything from small nik-naks to carved lions and eagles the size of a room. Then we’ll be on to Hoi An for hotel. Dinner at Full Moon restaurant then touring the ancient quarter of Hoi An in style. Tiny town, narrow paths, antique landmarks, raised lanterns, seemingly endless parade of shops…altogether make it a fabulous walk.
Day 6: Hoi An (B, L)

Rise early and be accompanied by a reputed chef to the colorful market of Hoi An. No rush, we’ll experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this place, interact with the local sellers and learn about all the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later. Bring our picks to the boat cruising along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. On arrival, we explore the school’s herb garden before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours – the Red Bridge chefs first demonstrate each dish before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration). After the lesson, we sit down and eat what we have cooked. Rest of the day at rest.
Day 7: Hoi An - Hue (B)

You have some free time in the morning to relax or cycle around the town. We leave Hoi An late morning on a scenic journey through vivid green fields of rice and the photogenic fishing village of Lang Co, climbing over the Pass of Ocean Clouds. In Hue, settle in to hotel and rest.
Day 8: Hue (B, L)

After buffet breakfast at hotel, in the morning you cruise along the serene Perfume River to Thien Mu, the best known pagoda in Middle Vietnam. Next, you’ll tour the ruins of the former royal residence, the Forbidden City, which is now a World Heritage. You also pay a visit to a beautiful garden house once belonging to the royalty and enjoy the feeling of being lifted up by fresh air and flower odors. In the afternoon you visit the impressive tomb of former Emperor Tu Duc, two villages crafting conical hats and incense, and Dong Ba Market. For a joyful day to be complete, a sample of Royal Dinner will be served in the evening.
Day 9: Hue - Hanoi - Train to Lao Cai (B)

Morning flight to Hanoi, transfer by car to city center to tour Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex, the Single Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature. We spend one or two hours in the Museum of Ethnology gaining an understanding of the cultures by the 54 ethnic groups in the country before boarding the night train bound to Lao Cai province up north. Overnight on train.
Day 10: Lao Cai - Sapa (B)

Arrive in Lao Cai railway station at about 6.00 AM. Transfer to Sapa by private vehicle (1hr drive) to hotel for breakfast. Late morning we travel by car to Lao Chai ethnic minority village of Black Hmong, visit the village and discover the local life. From Lao Chai, take a trekking tour towards Ta Van, the ethnic village of Day people. Return to Sapa and explore the town including its market, Ham Rong Mount and the stone church.
Day 11: Sapa – Hill tribe Market - Train Back to Hanoi (B, L)

Morning transfer from Sapa to Bac Ha passing the beautiful mountainous road. We’ll have ample time to explore the most colorful market in Northwest of Vietnam where you can meet about 10 different ethnic minorities, the place that people attend not only for trading but for rice-wine drinking, social communication, making friends… In the afternoon continue to trek through some Tay villages and rainforest to visit Thai Giang Pho – the village of Flower Hmong people that you met on the market. You will learn about their daily life, say hello to local children and enjoy the nice view along the trail. Transfer to Lao Cai and visit this border city for a while before boarding the night train to Hanoi.
Day 12: Hanoi (B)

After breakfast at hotel, we will pay a visit to the memorial complex to Ho Chi Minh to know his amazing life. Continue to the Single Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature to gain understanding of the two driving forces in Vietnam culture. In the afternoon, we pay a visit the Museum of Fine Arts a museum in the system of Vietnam's national museums, is considered as a museum that occupies the most important position in maintaining and promoting the treasures of Vietnamese cultural and artistic heritage. Later, we proceed to some unique galleries of propaganda and oil painting in the Old Quarter. End of the day, you may choose between several shows of Water Puppet Show, or My Village Show or Ionah Show.
Day 13: Hanoi – Thanh Chuong Viet Palace – Dong Ho Village (B/L)

In the morning, we transfer to the countryside of Hanoi, to visit Thanh Chuong’s Viet Phu (Thanh Chuong Palace), which is a Vietnamese cultural, traditional architectural style estate. First built for aiming at living but under the skillful hand and the artistic mind of Thanh Chuong musician, this property has become the lively and elegant Viet palace with antique houses, antique statues, furniture, stone wells, pond bridges among a vast of other antique things harmonized with human. Have lunch with Vietnamese cuisine at the palace and relax under the big trees.
Afternoon we visit Dong Ho woodblock painting village, which is famous paintings has become an aesthetic symbol in Vietnam culture. For the true art-enthusiasts, skip the amateur Nguyen Dang Che’s tourist-exploiting mill and go sit down and have a talk to the famous but elusive Nguyen Huu Sam or his son Nguyen Huu Qua, who are both masters of their trade. Back to Hanoi for the night.
Day 14: Hanoi – Ha Long (B, L, D)

After breakfast we check out and journey east to Vietnam's greatest natural wonder, Halong Bay. Arriving in Ha Long by 12:30, we’ll board a beautiful traditional wooden junk and spend a full day and night cruising the bay's 3000 magnificent limestone islets. We also visit a floating village and a huge cave filled with eye-catching rock formations. In the evening when the boat is anchored in the middle of the stunning lagoon, we enjoy a wonderful seafood meal and later there is opportunity for fishing from the side of the boat. Overnight on board.
Day 15: Ha Long - Hanoi (B)

Wake up to fresh coffee and take a small boat to a nearby sandy beach for relaxing & swimming & sightseeing. For a great photo opportunity it is well worth walking up to the hill top pagoda which overlooks the entire bay. Afterwards we return for a wholesome breakfast before cruising back to the shore. En route the junk weaves through strange-shaped rock formations that invite comparisons from fighting cocks to mystical dragons! Disembark at 11:00 AM and transfer back to Hanoi for the night. Overnight at hotel.
Day 16: Departure (B)

Relax at hotel until transfer to airport for a flight departure.